WWE RAW Reaction 10-19-15
Check out the Great, Good, Bad, and Pathetic from last night's episode of Monday Night RAW.
A good show, although I wish they would give more meaningful programs to their upper mid card. But almost all the matches were solid. I still don't think the Lesnar-Undertaker buildup has the juice it should have going into Hell in a Cell, but it still should be good.
A good show, although I wish they would give more meaningful programs to their upper mid card. But almost all the matches were solid. I still don't think the Lesnar-Undertaker buildup has the juice it should have going into Hell in a Cell, but it still should be good.
Great
- I loved the opening of the show with Steve Austin, right off the bat. Hearing that glass break and the crowd pop brought back that old feeling. Damn do I miss when wrestling was red hot and must see TV every week. Austin was great as well. I just wish we would get one more match, with anybody but Brock. I understand not doing Brock cause he would kill him.
- I loved the non physical segment between Brock and Taker. Taker's line about being a man who has nothing to lose was great. Heyman was great begging Brock not to play Taker's game. Sunday should be great.
- The New Day's promo included Big E. saying Everything is Booty in Texas, mentioning Dez Bryant's foot and Tony Romo's clavicle. Xavier Woods' trombone was broken based on an angle on Smackdown where he used it against the Dudley Boyz. And then they got the win, and Xavier got put through a table. Everything about this was great.
- It was good to see HBK, although he was clearly thrown off his game after choking on that kids pizza. Lol. He cleared his throat for half the interview. He brought up being in the first Hell in a Cell match against the Undertaker, and the 18th anniversary of that match will be this Sunday. Damn I'm old. Michaels cut a promo that seemed aimed at various people that said he never once wanted to be the second coming of someone else when he was the greatest wrestler who ever lived. I liked the interplay between Michaels and Rollins and this would have been so much better if it was leading to a match between the two. But its not.
- HHH talked about how they didn't want Reigns and Ambrose to face Harper, Rowan and Strowman in a handicap match tonight. Michaels suggested Rollins be the third partner. Shawn insuinated it may be too heavy a load for Rollins to handle since he already wrestled tonight. Rollins objected to that and said he would join Reigns and Ambrose tonight in the main event. Shield Reunion. Crowd was so hungry for a Shield reunion, they chanted "This is Awesome" before the match started. When the Wyatts had a face-to-face staredown with Reigns and Ambrose, Rollins just stayed back and left his teammates hanging. Then he stepped up and stared down Rowan, and the crowd roared. Then Rollins told his teammates to get out of the ring because he was the architect. When Rollins saw Strowman was going to start the match, he tagged out. Lol
Good
- I really liked the women's tag match with Naomi and Sasha vs Nikki and Alicia. I have been impressed by some of the women's effort lately, particularly Team Bad. I love Naomi. I mean really love her, and Sasha is great. Nikki wasn't bad either and they are obviously going to continue to protect her, but at least this match was very good. Sasha is the future.
- King Barrett, Rusev and Sheamus defeated Neville, Dolph Ziggler and Cesaro in a good 6 man with 6 guys who are floundering in the mid card. I like all six guys and think they have so much more to offer if they were just booked better. But it was a good TV match.
- Reigns called out Wyatt to sit down and talk and Reigns told him face-to-face that Wyatt was a bully and his digs power by fear. He said Wyatt was afraid of being alone, and he was scared of Reigns. It ended up with Reigns using a chair across Wyatt's back, and another chair to the shoulder of Rowan. Ambrose ran down to back up his partner. Crowd wasn't super hot for Reigns but I can't blame the writers. I like the layout and the idea. Another baby face in history would have gotten over huge with this, but reigns just is getting hurt by the crowd. Oh well, they tried.
- Kevin Owens actually got Mark Henry up for the Pop-Up Power Bomb and the pin. I liked it.
Bad
- Ric Flair didn't even get a ring entrance for his appearance. He didn't seem to know he was on camera and waited forever to start his promo. Flair brought up the Von Erichs and the Freebirds. Flair announced that Ambrose had found a tag team partner in Roman Reigns. Reigns came out and Flair just disappeared. So this is how you treat the arguably the greatest of all time? A meaningless introduction with no ring music. I just don't get these people.
- Charlotte defeated Brie Bella with the Figure Eight. Nikki posed with Charlotte's Divas title for heat. Probably the deadest match of the night so far. Boring.
Pathetic
- Eric Rowan was back with the Wyatt Family with no explanation as to why he's back with them. And where the hell was Luke Harper?
The Steve Austin Podcast with Brock Lesnar was interesting yet uneventful. It was an interview that made Lesnar come across as a simple guy who, at the same time, is also a smart businessperson.
They talk about his first run in the WWE, working with The Rock. In an interesting line, Lesnar said that it was The Rock that taught him to be selfish, and that it was a give and take business. He also mentioned that he was pressured into taking that shooting star press at WrestleMania XIX. Just because he could do something athletic, doesn’t mean he actually wanted to do it.
They talk briefly about the terrible WrestleMania XX match between him and Goldberg. Lesnar said they both wanted out and “didn’t give a shit”. Lesnar flat out said he used the NFL as a scapegoat to leave WWE. After skirting a question concerning the 2005 lawsuit between him and WWE (it’s all water under the bridge) they go into his UFC run for a bit. He said he might be still fighting today in the Octagon if it wasn’t for the diverticulitis. He talked about getting sick in Canada and travelling back to the states to see a doctor.
They capped it off by talking about current WWE topics. Austin mentions breaking the streak and Lesnar said that some people didn’t like that, but did anyone else have the credentials to beat Undertaker? He’s not good at promos, but that’s what Heyman is there for - he’s gotta feed the Jew (his words, not mine). Austin asks about Hell in a Cell and Lesnar goes into kind of worked shoot mode, saying he has gripes with the Undertaker and didn’t like how their last match turned out, so he promises carnage at Hell in the Cell.
There were a few other topics discussing, including comparing Dana and Vince (which Lesnar really doesn’t do because Austin went to the next question rather quickly), a rant on millennials, getting sick in Canada and nearly requiring surgery, Austin’s walkout in 2002 and how that was maybe a two way street deal, and his fights with Heath Herring and Randy Couture. Again, a pretty interesting interview that’s worth your time. If you don’t like off topic banter, though, I recommend skipping the first 15 minutes or so.
They talk about his first run in the WWE, working with The Rock. In an interesting line, Lesnar said that it was The Rock that taught him to be selfish, and that it was a give and take business. He also mentioned that he was pressured into taking that shooting star press at WrestleMania XIX. Just because he could do something athletic, doesn’t mean he actually wanted to do it.
They talk briefly about the terrible WrestleMania XX match between him and Goldberg. Lesnar said they both wanted out and “didn’t give a shit”. Lesnar flat out said he used the NFL as a scapegoat to leave WWE. After skirting a question concerning the 2005 lawsuit between him and WWE (it’s all water under the bridge) they go into his UFC run for a bit. He said he might be still fighting today in the Octagon if it wasn’t for the diverticulitis. He talked about getting sick in Canada and travelling back to the states to see a doctor.
They capped it off by talking about current WWE topics. Austin mentions breaking the streak and Lesnar said that some people didn’t like that, but did anyone else have the credentials to beat Undertaker? He’s not good at promos, but that’s what Heyman is there for - he’s gotta feed the Jew (his words, not mine). Austin asks about Hell in a Cell and Lesnar goes into kind of worked shoot mode, saying he has gripes with the Undertaker and didn’t like how their last match turned out, so he promises carnage at Hell in the Cell.
There were a few other topics discussing, including comparing Dana and Vince (which Lesnar really doesn’t do because Austin went to the next question rather quickly), a rant on millennials, getting sick in Canada and nearly requiring surgery, Austin’s walkout in 2002 and how that was maybe a two way street deal, and his fights with Heath Herring and Randy Couture. Again, a pretty interesting interview that’s worth your time. If you don’t like off topic banter, though, I recommend skipping the first 15 minutes or so.