8 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE Raw (19 Aug - Results & Review)

1. That Damn Bracelet

Last week, it felt like WWE finally acknowledged that its hottest feud on Raw was being somewhat dragged down by an obsession with a bracelet.

CM Punk and Drew McIntyre have had a great, long-simmering rivalry, but their match at SummerSlam was overshadowed by Punk’s bracelet, which McIntyre stole. Possession of the fan-made item factored directly into the finish, and it hurt what should have been a match of the night contender.

Punk seemed to acknowledge the misfire last week when he told Drew that he could keep the bracelet, that the issue wasn’t about the jewelry, but what it symbolized.

And then Monday night, they completely undid that attempted retcon by focusing their entire promo exchange on the bracelet once again. It sounded like Punk was going to use it in a more metaphorical sense when he talked about how he had his own bracelet made – in reality, a leather strap for a strap match at Bash in Berlin - but then he promised to retake the bracelet. Even when McIntyre came out, Punk tried to trade the strap for the bracelet, which Drew refused.

Once again, WWE is heading into a PLE with its longest-standing feud centering on a 50-cent bracelet as a prized possession rather than the rivals’ hatred of each other and why they are trying to vanquish the other. The match might deliver on the night, but it’s impossible to not feel the air leaking out of the balloon, and the crowd’s lack of reaction the more they talked about the bracelet seemed to bear that out.