8 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE Raw (11 Dec - Results & Review)
CM Punk dominates show and sets up feuds, Becky/Nia heats up, Cody treads water.
The booking for Monday’s episode of WWE Raw could best be described as “CM Punk to the rescue.”
Punk did his best Poochie impersonation, showing up in several segments and being talked about constantly by announcers and wrestlers during interviews, even when there was no real reason to bring him up.
It all worked as a cheat code for WWE, which often struggles this time of year to produce compelling television as they wind down into the holidays before ramping up for Royal Rumble season. Punk’s return after a decade away has provided them with the opportunity to fill their shows with must-see programming, simply by having Punk be present and interacting with different people.
Without Punk, Seth Rollins or Drew McIntyre, Raw would have been a slog, a show that wasn’t bad but wasn’t great either. WWE definitely has gotten better at telling linear stories that make sense, but that doesn’t mean they’re producing fun, interesting and captivating angles. The two tag title feuds aren’t bad by any stretch, but no one is clamoring to see either match.
And then you have some legit bad angles, with Imperium falling apart and Miz desperately wanting to lose to Gunther again. Rhea Ripley hasn’t had a memorable feud since winning the Women’s World Championship at WrestleMania 39. And Cody Rhodes is just treading water until his can reheat his “finish the story” tale.
Get to Rumble and Mania season. A lot of this feels like filler – not bad, but not meaningful.
Let’s get to it…