8 Ups & 7 Downs From Last Night's WWE Raw (Nov 5)

6. Schmaltzy Bullsh*t

Natalya Crying
WWE.com

Raw's agents did The Riott Squad, Bayley, Sasha Banks, and Natalya a solid by giving them well over 17 minutes of ring time last night. Unfortunately, that's where the positives for this Evolution rematch end.

The competitors were sloppy throughout, whiffing multiple spots in a tedious snoozer of a bout that barely escaped second gear, finishing several levels below the vastly superior encounter they put together at the all-women's pay-per-view. It was a drag, and that's the last thing the cooling Manchester crowd needed at that early point in the show.

An abomination of a finish saw Nattie take her eye off the ball when Ruby grabbed her father's sunglasses, then snapped them in half. This led to the Riott Squad bailing on the bout while it was still in progress. The referee didn't count them out, but the crowd did, and this only highlighted the misery. Guys, we're now at a point where WWE can't even be bothered scripting a conclusion. F*ck's sake.

The sunglasses were getting destroyed from the moment Natalya introduced them in a backstage interview. Afterwards, the camera lingered on her tears for entirely too long, closing this segment with an insane dose of over-the-top sentimentality.

Advertisement
Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.