7 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE Raw (9 March - Results & Review)
Punk's war of words heats up, women's gauntlet shines, Balor crosses the line.
Right out of the gate, let’s be clear about where this episode of Raw stands: In a vacuum, this was a pretty solid show that mixed good in-ring action with a fantastic promo and a great angle. But as a program six weeks out from WrestleMania 42, it’s hard to ignore a feeling that the puzzle pieces still aren’t clicking into place.
Regardless, it’s hard to deny that Raw produced its version of the trifecta Monday night, with the Judgment Day delivering the hot angle as Finn Balor and Dominik Mysterio finally imploded, World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk providing the molten moment on the microphone, and the six women participating in the gauntlet match offering the great in-ring product.
Although it doesn’t 100% feel like WrestleMania season yet, WWE very clearly is steamrolling toward its biggest show. There are some challenges to get everything to click, but Monday’s program was a pretty good effort. Most stories were advanced in some fashion, which is what you want at this stage.
Still, it feels like this was more table-setting than hyping the biggest show of the year. Here’s hoping that as 'Mania draws nearer, the intensity picks up, and the stories start really meshing together.
Let’s get to it…