8 Ups And 5 Downs From WWE Raw (Nov 25)
No pizzazz, but Raw turns in solid show; Rollins shows true colors.
On the heels of a spirited by disjointed Survivor Series, Raw found itself listing from side to side, directionless after finishing last in the Battle for Brand Supremacy. Clearly, everyone was so devastated that they were stunned into silence when Seth Rollins berated them.
Raw managed to avoid a lot of pitfalls Monday night and put together an above-average show. However (and it’s tough to capture this in the “downs”), the show was somewhat dull. Yes, we had an awesome mini-angle surrounding the United States Championship. And Rollins’ heel turn was an important development.
But the show itself – even with some of its positives – felt a little flat. Andrade’s win over Akira Tozawa barely registered. AOP and Erick Rowan’s squashes were bland (though functional). Charlotte Flair no-selling Asuka’s crisp offense was offensive.
All of this meant that Raw was good, but not great. Watchable, but not re-watchable. It was different in some ways, but it also felt a little… tired at times.
WWE needs to find a way to capture fans attention and energy, and then harness it, because whether it’s audience burnout or the wrestlers need a sabbatical of their own, something’s gotta give.
With that said, let’s get to it…