8 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE Raw (13 Jan - Results & Review)
WWE Raw saw a new Women's IC champ crowned, and Penta debuts!
Welcome to Raw is… better.
After a Netflix debut episode that decidedly was not for everyone, Raw bounced back this week with a more traditional episode that delivered better wrestling, better promos, and better cohesive storytelling.
That’s not to say this was an all-timer episode, but Raw crowned a new champion, debuted a new wrestler, and set up two title matches for Saturday Night’s Main Event. It did this while avoiding most major pitfalls and closing out in a crisp 152 minutes. Not too shabby at all.
The much-anticipated debut of Penta was really good, but it didn’t hit the highs that super-optimistic fans were expecting. Lyra Valkyria is your new Women’s Intercontinental Champion, winning a fun, competitive match against Dakota Kai. And Gunther slaughtered Jey Uso on the mic to set up a world title feud.
However, the dreaded WWE show-opening promo train reared its ugly head, though this version actually succeeded in a couple of regards. Some fans will love that opener, while others will just groan at it. The same could be said about the main event, which wasn’t bad, but it definitely felt like WWE went on overload with shortcuts to make the Finn Balor/Damian Priest street fight feel bigger, when it was just a plunder brawl.
Overall, Raw rebounded from a dismal show last week to have an eventful, brighter sprint that featured 100% more drone footage. If they can continue the upward trend heading into the Royal Rumble, expect enthusiasm to pick up even more.
Let’s get to it…