“WWE Raw” was in Tampa to follow Saturday Night’s Main Event festivities, and the pro wrestling world needed some answers from Seth Rollins and Paul Heyman.
The Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed supported group kicked off the night, as they remain the focal point of Monday’s weekly program. Money In the Bank is right around the corner, and the rest of the ladder match participants are slowly getting determined, including the latest addition in Rollins.
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Let’s get into it.
🙄Plot hole(s) of the Night
It’s not a surprise that WWE won’t explain why Reed is suddenly cool with Seth Rollins after trying to murder him the last time they were in the ring together.
To start “WWE Raw,” Paul Heyman did his best to surgically repair the loose puzzle pieces of this picture. Reed was proclaimed to have done more damage to Rollins in one night than Rollins’ latest rivals could in several outings. That wasn’t necessarily wrong, and it made sense why they would want to recruit someone like that. What doesn’t make sense is why Reed would join the guy he tried to turn into a pancake. Heyman implied, without saying, that it was because Reed couldn’t get a push thanks to how much fear he instilled in the roster and the old “PG era.”
OK, let’s just accept all of that because we have to. It’s not great, but it is what it is, and makes Reed look somewhat weak, or more so, low on confidence in his ability to get where he wants to be without help.
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Meanwhile, Rollins utilized his mic time brilliantly as he typically does. He has had a weird relationship with the crowd since WrestleMania 41. He gets cheered upon arrival, then booed on the mic, and he pointed it out. The crowd seemingly started chanting just to chant because they called Rollins a sellout, which also makes no sense. Rollins played into it, stating facts before receiving a loud “F*** you.” It was all a good diversion from a Reed explanation, let’s put it that way.
Things got even more convoluted when Rollins took on Sami Zayn and Finn Balor in their Money In the Bank triple-threat qualifier. Uncrowned readers know I’m never one to complain about a triple-threat match, and want to see them play out without interference. However, this was a very unique case where you had two members of stables (Rollins and Balor) involved.
First of all, The Judgment Day gets involved in what feels like 99% of every match their members are in. Secondly, Rollins is essentially trying to run WWE, so why wouldn’t he have Reed and Bron Breakker instantly aid him in attacking his opponents and getting the win? In terms of story beats, the match should have turned into an unofficial trios match of sorts with The Judgment Day helping Balor, and poor Zayn just taking his beating in the middle. (Because we know Jey Uso never cares about helping him.)
Instead, the overbooking didn’t come until the end of the match.
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This was mostly a clean, brilliant triple-threat. Breakker and Reed finally showed up when Zayn almost had the match won, then Uso, surprisingly, tried to help, before Dominick Mysterio sent in a chair to help Balor. Well, that was the plan, anyway. But Mysterio “accidentally” slid it into place for Balor to take a stomp and eat the pin.
CM Punk came out to close the show and hit Rollins with a GTS, so you have to assume he’ll once again thwart Rollins’ hopes of winning in the Money In the Bank match. Like this one though, Reed and Breakker should come out right away because they can.
I’m OK with how it all played out — because it gave us some good wrestling to watch — but let’s be honest, it actually doesn’t make sense, which is kind of hilarious.
🔥Banger of the Night
A triple-threat match every week should be mandatory. Money In the Bank season is just too good, and Penta vs. Dragon Lee vs. Chad Gable was as incredible as you’d expect.
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These guys delivered what felt like a title match with their quick and hard-hitting moves. Thanks to the no-DQ nature of a three-way, El Hijo del Vikingo got involved ringside to stop his upcoming opponent, Gable. It didn’t impact a potential win, really, but it helped tease their match.
From Gable nearly breaking his neck when Penta carried both men, to Lee launching into Penta over the announce table. This match kicked all the ass, and Penta scored the win after the Penta Driver on Lee. Now I wish even more that Rey Fenix also qualified for the Los Angeles ladder match.
👍MONDAY NIGHT MONEY👍
1. Rusev (rightfully) squashed Akira Tozawa in no time at all, winning with The Accolade. If that Gunther feud I hoped for can’t happen, the next best thing will be Sheamus, I suppose. The latter came out to confront the Belarusian and save Tozawa.
2. The New Day retained their World Tag Team titles in a triple-threat match against American Made and The War Raiders. It was fun, while not overly spectacular. The story was New Day and American Made working together before Xavier Woods ultimately pulled the tights mid-roll-up on one of the Creeds to get the pin. It feels like something is being delayed for The New Day, but it’s hard to tell what.
3. Any time The Judgment Day shenanigans fail, it’s a good result. That’s precisely what happened in Liv Morgan’s first match post-production of her new movie. Because of Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez’s curfuffle outside the ring, Morgan fell short via a roll-up to Kairi Sane. It was a solid first collision between the pair, and more importantly, it keeps the dissension building in Morgan’s faction.
4. Give us what we want and push Karrion Kross, Triple H. The guy better join the crop of wrestlers in the Money In the Bank ladder match.
👎RAW DEAL👎
1. Netflix’s involvement in WWE means Netflix promotional segments — like the quick plug for Tom Segura’s new show Bad Thoughts. Bert Kreischer was by his side because he can’t live without attention. A quick glance at the actors in the crowd is good enough. We don’t need scripted interviews.
2. Jey Uso and Gunther had a very slow and repetitive promo battle. Uso honestly might have forgotten his lines, because it all felt off. Each world title’s booking since WrestleMania 41 has been rough. Next, Uso and Cody Rhodes battle Logan Paul and John Cena in an utterly pointless tag team match at Money In the Bank. Gunther and Uso then rematch for the World Heavyweight title on the following “WWE Raw.”
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If ruining wrestling truly is the goal, like Cena says, then WWE is succeeding atop its billing.
3. Becky Lynch has received an Intercontinental title rematch against the champion Lyra Valkyria at Money In the Bank — by losing her Money In the Bank qualifier match last week. Valkyria tried to justify it with a promo, stating how personal it was for her. Sure. That doesn’t make it make sense.
On the flip side, Valkyria was brilliant with her time given. (Outside of her and Lynch starting to bring up their partners.)
👑 Uncrowned Gem of the Night 👑
Unfortunately, nothing overly stood out on this “WWE Raw,” but we’ll give some love to Miss Morgan.
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Personally, I can’t stand Morgan’s character, and that’s because she’s so damn good at it. She plays her role oh so well, in and out of the ring. Morgan has become the central piece of The Judgment Day, and despite my hopes of a break-up sooner than now, WWE has actually crafted this slow dissolution, or change, quite cleverly. And that’s thanks to Morgan.
Morgan wanted a Money In the Bank qualifier match as one half of the Women’s Tag Team Champions. So, it will be interesting to see if she still gets one after the loss to Sane.
👑 I give this “WWE Raw” a Crown score of: 6/10.👑