Written by: Kevin Berge (All Images Courtesy of: WWE.com)
Summers in the WWE are a time of experimentation and big moments, the half way point between each WrestleMania season. Thus, it's time to start experimenting with the Raw reviews themes as well.
This week, the theme of the show is TV and movie comparisons. Every segment will be directly compared to the current and past TV shows and films. I'm only going to be able to use shows/films that I know, and most of these will be loose at best. This is more about seeing how WWE stands up in its story building.
This week, the theme of the show is TV and movie comparisons. Every segment will be directly compared to the current and past TV shows and films. I'm only going to be able to use shows/films that I know, and most of these will be loose at best. This is more about seeing how WWE stands up in its story building.
It's the heroic story of how an old man yelled greatness into a young man.
Darren Young Wins a Battle Royal to Crown the New Number One Contender to the WWE Intercontinental Championship
Overview: The Miz introduced the battle royal as a part of his title reign tour and wished everyone in the match luck even though it didn't matter because he believed no one could beat him. The match was fast paced and chaotic with most of the tag team competitors taken out first.
The Vaudevillains, The Ascension, The Social Outcasts, and The Golden Truth did not last long, and one of The Usos nearly eliminated the other in the heat of the moment only to be eliminated separately not too long after. Many of the eliminations came from the dominant Baron Corbin early on.
The top five left in the match were Darren Young, Alberto Del Rio, Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, and Apollo Crews. Alberto Del Rio got nearly eliminated by Dolph Ziggler then was officially eliminated by Apollo Crews. Baron Corbin and Dolph Ziggler went after each other with Corbin succeeding in taking out Ziggler.
Apollo Crews ran in to try and take out Corbin, but the two heavyweights took each other out which left Darren Young alone in the middle of the ring as the winner. Bob Backlund then celebrated the win with Young as "Darren Young" chants rang out in the arena.
Analysis: Who doesn't love a good old underdog story? Darren Young has been a nobody for much of his career until he met Bob Backlund who seemingly has given Young the power to rise above his rank and file placement to win his first ever shot at singles gold.
Obviously, this feels extremely reminiscent of Rocky. Darren Young had perhaps seen his best days go past him until an old veteran gets in his corner and helps him reach a higher echelon. It's hard to say though where the endgame is here yet as Rocky is most powerful because it doesn't follow the typical underdog tropes.
Rocky Balboa is a boxer who gets help to reach greatness and put on a show unlike anyone has ever seen, but he ends up losing. It's the show he puts on that makes him truly great. Young vs. The Miz is an interesting dynamic of personalities, but Young can't just win because he's the underdog. He has to prove himself worthy of this new spotlight.
The Vaudevillains, The Ascension, The Social Outcasts, and The Golden Truth did not last long, and one of The Usos nearly eliminated the other in the heat of the moment only to be eliminated separately not too long after. Many of the eliminations came from the dominant Baron Corbin early on.
The top five left in the match were Darren Young, Alberto Del Rio, Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, and Apollo Crews. Alberto Del Rio got nearly eliminated by Dolph Ziggler then was officially eliminated by Apollo Crews. Baron Corbin and Dolph Ziggler went after each other with Corbin succeeding in taking out Ziggler.
Apollo Crews ran in to try and take out Corbin, but the two heavyweights took each other out which left Darren Young alone in the middle of the ring as the winner. Bob Backlund then celebrated the win with Young as "Darren Young" chants rang out in the arena.
Analysis: Who doesn't love a good old underdog story? Darren Young has been a nobody for much of his career until he met Bob Backlund who seemingly has given Young the power to rise above his rank and file placement to win his first ever shot at singles gold.
Obviously, this feels extremely reminiscent of Rocky. Darren Young had perhaps seen his best days go past him until an old veteran gets in his corner and helps him reach a higher echelon. It's hard to say though where the endgame is here yet as Rocky is most powerful because it doesn't follow the typical underdog tropes.
Rocky Balboa is a boxer who gets help to reach greatness and put on a show unlike anyone has ever seen, but he ends up losing. It's the show he puts on that makes him truly great. Young vs. The Miz is an interesting dynamic of personalities, but Young can't just win because he's the underdog. He has to prove himself worthy of this new spotlight.
Underdog stories always end with the underdog winning. Well, except for the good ones. Sorry, Zack.
Sheamus def. Zack Ryder
Overview: Zack Ryder sent Sheamus to the outside and followed suit then kept up the assault with kicks. Back in the ring, Sheamus tried to tell Ryder to relax only for Ryder to keep striking. He set up the Broski Boot but ran into a clothesline.
Ryder hit a boot for a nearfall then went to the top rope but was tripped off the ropes. Sheamus then hit a Brogue Kick for the victory. Afterward, Rusev came out and assaulted Ryder despite Zack fighting back and was then locked in The Accolade before accepting Ryder's challenge for a US Championship match.
Analysis: Zack Ryder hasn't truly been in a feud lately as much as his story has finally been evolving. He's becoming the classic WWE babyface, a character that wins the fans hearts because he perseveres. He takes the lows and rides the highs, and his story seems to finally be about riding one of the highs.
Sheamus defeating Ryder here despite Ryder's winning streak was the way you keep building Ryder while also setting up Rusev as an actual rival to Ryder who only preys on weakness. Zack has gained a championship match by showing weakness, but he's also a guy he has shown strength lately when it matters most.
In other words, we've got another underdog story here. The question with all these underdog stories are how long lasting can they be. Unlike Darren Young, Ryder has proven for certain he can put on a show, but he needs moments to prove his legacy. His story could be closer to Cinderella Man, the story of a veteran riding a hot streak straight to the top, though the end game here is always the question.
Ryder hit a boot for a nearfall then went to the top rope but was tripped off the ropes. Sheamus then hit a Brogue Kick for the victory. Afterward, Rusev came out and assaulted Ryder despite Zack fighting back and was then locked in The Accolade before accepting Ryder's challenge for a US Championship match.
Analysis: Zack Ryder hasn't truly been in a feud lately as much as his story has finally been evolving. He's becoming the classic WWE babyface, a character that wins the fans hearts because he perseveres. He takes the lows and rides the highs, and his story seems to finally be about riding one of the highs.
Sheamus defeating Ryder here despite Ryder's winning streak was the way you keep building Ryder while also setting up Rusev as an actual rival to Ryder who only preys on weakness. Zack has gained a championship match by showing weakness, but he's also a guy he has shown strength lately when it matters most.
In other words, we've got another underdog story here. The question with all these underdog stories are how long lasting can they be. Unlike Darren Young, Ryder has proven for certain he can put on a show, but he needs moments to prove his legacy. His story could be closer to Cinderella Man, the story of a veteran riding a hot streak straight to the top, though the end game here is always the question.
WWE doesn't need special effects to show men flying though don't tell them they could starting using CGI if they wanted or WWE will really jump the shark.
Breezango def. The Lucha Dragons
Overview: Fandango grounded Sin Cara early but had to use frequent tags with Tyler Breeze to keep Cara's rally contained. Cara struggled to get out of the heel corner until he hit a springboard moonsault which allowed him to get the hot tag to Kalisto.
Kalisto almost slipped off the ropes early but recovered to go on a tear. After he hit a headscissors DDT on Breeze, Kalisto sent Fandango reeling to the outside. Cara then hit a top rope crossbody to the outside onto Fandango
This left Breeze alone with Kalisto. Breeze couldn't get the win off a roll up on Kalisto but caught him on the second rope with a kick then a slam to the mat for the three count.
Analysis: Fandango and Tyler Breeze were a pair of guys who were down on their luck, waiting for an opportunity. They found one when they found each other, a perfect pair that anyone could have seen from the start except them. Now their friendship is sending them straight to the top.
Most buddy cop stories are about two guys who could not be more different. This though is a story of two men who were made for each other. While they did not have the heated rivalry that came first, the pairing reminds me of Blades of Glory. Their pairing may not be the best movie, but it is all about the chemistry.
Fandango and Breeze are a pairing that more than hints at homoeroticism particularly as a running joke. Their chemistry comes from their ability and natural connection that goes beyond the homoerotic undertones. They're great together, and I truly hope they continue to win because they are a team WWE needs to thrive. They're trashy comedy gold, better than their ice skating counterparts.
Kalisto almost slipped off the ropes early but recovered to go on a tear. After he hit a headscissors DDT on Breeze, Kalisto sent Fandango reeling to the outside. Cara then hit a top rope crossbody to the outside onto Fandango
This left Breeze alone with Kalisto. Breeze couldn't get the win off a roll up on Kalisto but caught him on the second rope with a kick then a slam to the mat for the three count.
Analysis: Fandango and Tyler Breeze were a pair of guys who were down on their luck, waiting for an opportunity. They found one when they found each other, a perfect pair that anyone could have seen from the start except them. Now their friendship is sending them straight to the top.
Most buddy cop stories are about two guys who could not be more different. This though is a story of two men who were made for each other. While they did not have the heated rivalry that came first, the pairing reminds me of Blades of Glory. Their pairing may not be the best movie, but it is all about the chemistry.
Fandango and Breeze are a pairing that more than hints at homoeroticism particularly as a running joke. Their chemistry comes from their ability and natural connection that goes beyond the homoerotic undertones. They're great together, and I truly hope they continue to win because they are a team WWE needs to thrive. They're trashy comedy gold, better than their ice skating counterparts.
This right here is called subliminal messaging. Often used in advertising for TV and movies, always used in WWE.
Seth Rollins Discredits Roman Reigns on the First Ever Rollins Report
Overview: Seth Rollins introduced the Rollins Report which was an apparently exclusive interview with Roman Reigns. Clearly, it was a cut together interview of Reigns' past interviews to make it seem like Reigns was selfish, had no remorse for getting suspended, and hated Dean Ambrose as WWE Champion.
Dean Ambrose interrupted after the video was over with a smile on his face, saying he liked that Rollins was having some fun finally. Seth Rollins went into a tirade, calling Ambrose's title reign a joke where Dean wouldn't be able to defeat him with Reigns helping him.
Rollins said that the match would prove in the end that he was always the best member of The Shield. Ambrose made clear that being champion finally proved the truth that he was the backbone of the company and nothing else anyone did now mattered.
Ambrose went through fire and failure to get the title, and he made clear he was not willing to give it up to anything. He openly offered Rollins a one on one title match any time and place with Rollins saying he'd take him up on that next week.
Analysis: Seth Rollins' interview on Roman Reigns was all about a manipulation of communication to make a point, a classic trope in talk shows. However, the more entertainment focus side of this segment was the standoff of Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose who pulled out their best in their promos tonight.
Rollins and Ambrose's feud is very much WWE at its best. You have the bad guy who makes good points even if they are clouded in manipulation and the done wrong good guy who is done with being put down. While the power dynamic differs, they remind me of Daredevil, in particular the difference between Daredevil and The Kingpin.
Similar to the Kingpin, Wilson Fisk, Rollins believes he deserves power to change the WWE in his image as he was doing before he was injured. Dean Ambrose is not the classic hero similar to Matt Murdock, Daredevil. He's vicious and loves that viciousness. He fights and fights because it's what is right. Rollins has put him down so many times, but now Ambrose is the one on top, giving Rollins his fair shot. The storytelling is simple, but Rollins and Ambrose sell it so well.
Dean Ambrose interrupted after the video was over with a smile on his face, saying he liked that Rollins was having some fun finally. Seth Rollins went into a tirade, calling Ambrose's title reign a joke where Dean wouldn't be able to defeat him with Reigns helping him.
Rollins said that the match would prove in the end that he was always the best member of The Shield. Ambrose made clear that being champion finally proved the truth that he was the backbone of the company and nothing else anyone did now mattered.
Ambrose went through fire and failure to get the title, and he made clear he was not willing to give it up to anything. He openly offered Rollins a one on one title match any time and place with Rollins saying he'd take him up on that next week.
Analysis: Seth Rollins' interview on Roman Reigns was all about a manipulation of communication to make a point, a classic trope in talk shows. However, the more entertainment focus side of this segment was the standoff of Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose who pulled out their best in their promos tonight.
Rollins and Ambrose's feud is very much WWE at its best. You have the bad guy who makes good points even if they are clouded in manipulation and the done wrong good guy who is done with being put down. While the power dynamic differs, they remind me of Daredevil, in particular the difference between Daredevil and The Kingpin.
Similar to the Kingpin, Wilson Fisk, Rollins believes he deserves power to change the WWE in his image as he was doing before he was injured. Dean Ambrose is not the classic hero similar to Matt Murdock, Daredevil. He's vicious and loves that viciousness. He fights and fights because it's what is right. Rollins has put him down so many times, but now Ambrose is the one on top, giving Rollins his fair shot. The storytelling is simple, but Rollins and Ambrose sell it so well.
They should really get "The Headlock Master" movie filming already. It's a classic in the making.
Kevin Owens def. Cesaro
Overview: Sami Zayn came out for commentary, but Kevin Owens refused to go out to the ring until Zayn was escorted to the back. KO decided to make his entrance as Zayn was being walked out and attacked him, starting a brawl with Owens taunting him as he was forced to leave.
Cesaro and Owens began grappling early with Owens suddenly realizing his folly when he fell right into a gutwrench suplex for two. Owens locked in a headlock which he used to ground down Cesaro then hit a shoulder tackle only to take a headscissors and having to run outside to avoid a giant swing.
Owens took a somersault plancha off the apron but caught Cesaro on the steel barricade and kicking him into the timekeeper's area. KO chose to drag Cesaro back in the ring with Cesaro beginning to fight back in the ring and beginning an uppercut train.
KO stopped the uppercuts with a superkick that was also blocked. The two nearly hit big moves before Owens sent Cesaro tumbling to the outside and into the barricade. When Cesaro tried to rally back again, he took a vicious neckbreaker for a nearfall.
Owens then set up but missed the cannonball. Cesaro began a series of uppercuts followed by a wind up uppercut for two. The official stopped Cesaro's attack on the ropes with Owens hitting a thumb to the eye behind the ref. KO went for a pump up powerbomb, but Cesaro ducked it and hit a springboard corkscrew uppercut for a nearfall.
Cesaro then hit a running uppercut outside then a diving crossbody for a nearfall with the assistance of JBL's hat. Owens fought off multiple attempts to take him out on the top rope then tripped Cesaro followed by hitting an Argentine neckbreaker for the victory. Afterward, Owens went on commentary to call himself the best in the world only to be assaulted by Sami Zayn.
Analysis: KO and Cesaro had a good match here, but really this was all about continuing the heated rivalry between Owens and Zayn. Owens strikes at Zayn whenever he can, but he refuses to let Zayn strike him. He will brag when he feels safe but tuck tail and run when he doesn't despite Sami being the smaller man.
Continuing the superhero theme, there are very few cowardly heels in entertainment better than Lex Luthor. The original Superman showed this dynamic between Superman and Luthor. Luthor had all his plans of action to get rich, but the righteous Superman got in his way. When Luthor got the upperhand, he repeatedly taunted Superman, but he never tried to fight fair.
Zayn may not be the superhuman force that Owens cannot beat, but that is actually what makes the dynamic here even better. Owens isn't scared because he cannot beat Zayn fair but because he knows he can lose fair. The two have done a beautiful job with this feud to make it feel so enthralling dealing in very classic tropes.
Cesaro and Owens began grappling early with Owens suddenly realizing his folly when he fell right into a gutwrench suplex for two. Owens locked in a headlock which he used to ground down Cesaro then hit a shoulder tackle only to take a headscissors and having to run outside to avoid a giant swing.
Owens took a somersault plancha off the apron but caught Cesaro on the steel barricade and kicking him into the timekeeper's area. KO chose to drag Cesaro back in the ring with Cesaro beginning to fight back in the ring and beginning an uppercut train.
KO stopped the uppercuts with a superkick that was also blocked. The two nearly hit big moves before Owens sent Cesaro tumbling to the outside and into the barricade. When Cesaro tried to rally back again, he took a vicious neckbreaker for a nearfall.
Owens then set up but missed the cannonball. Cesaro began a series of uppercuts followed by a wind up uppercut for two. The official stopped Cesaro's attack on the ropes with Owens hitting a thumb to the eye behind the ref. KO went for a pump up powerbomb, but Cesaro ducked it and hit a springboard corkscrew uppercut for a nearfall.
Cesaro then hit a running uppercut outside then a diving crossbody for a nearfall with the assistance of JBL's hat. Owens fought off multiple attempts to take him out on the top rope then tripped Cesaro followed by hitting an Argentine neckbreaker for the victory. Afterward, Owens went on commentary to call himself the best in the world only to be assaulted by Sami Zayn.
Analysis: KO and Cesaro had a good match here, but really this was all about continuing the heated rivalry between Owens and Zayn. Owens strikes at Zayn whenever he can, but he refuses to let Zayn strike him. He will brag when he feels safe but tuck tail and run when he doesn't despite Sami being the smaller man.
Continuing the superhero theme, there are very few cowardly heels in entertainment better than Lex Luthor. The original Superman showed this dynamic between Superman and Luthor. Luthor had all his plans of action to get rich, but the righteous Superman got in his way. When Luthor got the upperhand, he repeatedly taunted Superman, but he never tried to fight fair.
Zayn may not be the superhuman force that Owens cannot beat, but that is actually what makes the dynamic here even better. Owens isn't scared because he cannot beat Zayn fair but because he knows he can lose fair. The two have done a beautiful job with this feud to make it feel so enthralling dealing in very classic tropes.
You know, Titus, drama does come from you at least pretending you struggled here, just a bit.
Titus O'Neil def. Heath Slater
Overview: The Social Outcasts made fun of Titus O'Neil in a pretaped interview before the match. Heath Slater chopped O'Neil who didn't take too kindly to that as he threw Slater into the corner and hit his own chops. He threw Heath across the whole ring but ran into an elbow followed by an elevated knee.
Slater saw his opportunity and began stomping on Titus. When the referee pulled him off, Curtis Axel got in a cheap shot as well. A victory lap was begun outside as Slater continued to dominate, and Heath tried to set O'Neil up for a top rope move.
O'Neil awoke to throw Slater around with ease. He got to his feet and hit a series of shoulder tackles. O'Neil caught a diving crossbody then hit a series of knees to the back. He then hit the Clash of Titus for a definitive victory.
Analysis: Maybe I took the Superman dynamic too soon because this was pretty classic Superman. However, moving away from comic book stories, this squash match was actually like every serialized television show. As an example, I'll use NCIS here.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service face a challenge each week. Perhaps this time it is a murder. They must do the work necessary to find the murderer and apprehend them. In order to create drama though, the expendable, one episode villain must get the upperhand for a bit.
They manage to evade the heroes until the last minute when they are almost easily overcome. There is no doubt they'll win, but the drama comes from the story being told. In this case, it is about how well Heath Slater does selling his domination of Titus before he's steamrolled. Unfortunately, Slater didn't do enough here to make this good enough for the weekly episode.
Slater saw his opportunity and began stomping on Titus. When the referee pulled him off, Curtis Axel got in a cheap shot as well. A victory lap was begun outside as Slater continued to dominate, and Heath tried to set O'Neil up for a top rope move.
O'Neil awoke to throw Slater around with ease. He got to his feet and hit a series of shoulder tackles. O'Neil caught a diving crossbody then hit a series of knees to the back. He then hit the Clash of Titus for a definitive victory.
Analysis: Maybe I took the Superman dynamic too soon because this was pretty classic Superman. However, moving away from comic book stories, this squash match was actually like every serialized television show. As an example, I'll use NCIS here.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service face a challenge each week. Perhaps this time it is a murder. They must do the work necessary to find the murderer and apprehend them. In order to create drama though, the expendable, one episode villain must get the upperhand for a bit.
They manage to evade the heroes until the last minute when they are almost easily overcome. There is no doubt they'll win, but the drama comes from the story being told. In this case, it is about how well Heath Slater does selling his domination of Titus before he's steamrolled. Unfortunately, Slater didn't do enough here to make this good enough for the weekly episode.
Now this is a movie ready to be made, hopefully with better lighting.
The New Day Meet the Fireflies
Overview: The New Day came to the Wyatt Compound and met The Wyatt Family, immediately beginning a brawl in a field. Xavier Woods ran off but was caught and dragged off by Bray Wyatt. Meanwhile, Kofi Kingston and Big E used everything in their power to fight the heavyweights until Bray Wyatt returned.
Wyatt seemed to make the odds uneven, but Woods returned and began fighting viciously to even back the odds. The New Day were forced into retreat for a bit but came back swinging only to suddenly realized they were surrounded by lights, showing a host of sheep masked people, who forced New Day to fully retreat.
Analysis: Ignoring the Final Deletion parallel, the setting and darkness here screamed The Walking Dead, a show about a group of people trying to survive in post-apocalypse in a world that is often more troubling in how it has changed humanity. This almost making direct parallels to the recent Walking Dead season finale. The difference here was that this segment felt like it was trying too hard to be vicious and dark without giving proper context.
For some reason, the segment began in medias res as The New Day didn't arrive at the Wyatt Compound but were just suddenly running around and fighting. The lighting made it hard to tell what was going on, and the promo was entirely filmed with a dirty filter that made things even murkier.
In the case of The Walking Dead, camera tricks are often used to make out the world to be larger and more brutal than it is, but it is always comprehensible. There is no need for filters and poor lighting to hide a lack of proper filming of action. It is likely that WWE just rushed this because they wanted to match TNA's ratings booster Final Deletion last week.
Wyatt seemed to make the odds uneven, but Woods returned and began fighting viciously to even back the odds. The New Day were forced into retreat for a bit but came back swinging only to suddenly realized they were surrounded by lights, showing a host of sheep masked people, who forced New Day to fully retreat.
Analysis: Ignoring the Final Deletion parallel, the setting and darkness here screamed The Walking Dead, a show about a group of people trying to survive in post-apocalypse in a world that is often more troubling in how it has changed humanity. This almost making direct parallels to the recent Walking Dead season finale. The difference here was that this segment felt like it was trying too hard to be vicious and dark without giving proper context.
For some reason, the segment began in medias res as The New Day didn't arrive at the Wyatt Compound but were just suddenly running around and fighting. The lighting made it hard to tell what was going on, and the promo was entirely filmed with a dirty filter that made things even murkier.
In the case of The Walking Dead, camera tricks are often used to make out the world to be larger and more brutal than it is, but it is always comprehensible. There is no need for filters and poor lighting to hide a lack of proper filming of action. It is likely that WWE just rushed this because they wanted to match TNA's ratings booster Final Deletion last week.
Seeing as Enzo spends 90% of his time in every tag match getting dominated and Cass spends 100% of it dominating, you'd think Cass would start every tag match, but you'd also think TV characters would learn to not fall for obvious traps.
Enzo and Big Cass def. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson by Disqualification
Overview: Cass said he and Enzo wanted John Cena's spot, but they wanted to earn that spot. They called The Club spineless, and they knew they'd go after Enzo and Cass as well at some point. Thus, they joined the fight to take the fight to The Club before they got attacked. AJ Styles warned them to walk away because Cena wasn't there and didn't care about them.
Enzo struggled in the ground game against Karl Anderson, only managing a few roll ups for separation. Enzo snuck in a tag to Big Cass who managed to change the momentum quickly, throwing Enzo on top of Anderson then hitting a series of chops in the corner.
When Enzo got back in, Anderson snuck a tag in to Luke Gallows who threw Enzo shoulder first into the steel post. The two continued their dominance of Enzo until Enzo hit a boot in the corner on Gallows then hit a DDT to hit the hot tag for Cass.
Cass was on fire and dominated both men due to how long he'd been waiting. The two faces hit the Boom Shaka Laka only for AJ Styles to send Cass outside. Gallows broke up the cover then Styles assaulted Cass, causing a disqualification. Afterward, The Club circled Enzo to beat down on him, but John Cena hit the ring and made the save to even the odds and send The Club reeling.
Analysis: The story here was men going into a fight knowing the odds were uneven only to be saved at the last moment by reinforcements. John Cena played the rule of deus ex machina here which is usually a situation that comes about in films. What comes to mind though is Game of Thrones.
GoT is driven by a small selection of characters who attempt to change the power in WWE in their own ways. Styles has decided to "beat up John Cena" to try and gain Cena's spot while Enzo and Cass have chosen to fight even when they are not sure they have fair odds.
While GoT most often sees the villains win, WWE always sees the good guys rise above in the end. This is partially due to WWE being in constant motion where WWE wants its fans to be satisfied with the way the stories go, so they have to focus on the faces more often than the heels. Still, this comparison does point out WWE's rather lackluster complexity.
Enzo struggled in the ground game against Karl Anderson, only managing a few roll ups for separation. Enzo snuck in a tag to Big Cass who managed to change the momentum quickly, throwing Enzo on top of Anderson then hitting a series of chops in the corner.
When Enzo got back in, Anderson snuck a tag in to Luke Gallows who threw Enzo shoulder first into the steel post. The two continued their dominance of Enzo until Enzo hit a boot in the corner on Gallows then hit a DDT to hit the hot tag for Cass.
Cass was on fire and dominated both men due to how long he'd been waiting. The two faces hit the Boom Shaka Laka only for AJ Styles to send Cass outside. Gallows broke up the cover then Styles assaulted Cass, causing a disqualification. Afterward, The Club circled Enzo to beat down on him, but John Cena hit the ring and made the save to even the odds and send The Club reeling.
Analysis: The story here was men going into a fight knowing the odds were uneven only to be saved at the last moment by reinforcements. John Cena played the rule of deus ex machina here which is usually a situation that comes about in films. What comes to mind though is Game of Thrones.
GoT is driven by a small selection of characters who attempt to change the power in WWE in their own ways. Styles has decided to "beat up John Cena" to try and gain Cena's spot while Enzo and Cass have chosen to fight even when they are not sure they have fair odds.
While GoT most often sees the villains win, WWE always sees the good guys rise above in the end. This is partially due to WWE being in constant motion where WWE wants its fans to be satisfied with the way the stories go, so they have to focus on the faces more often than the heels. Still, this comparison does point out WWE's rather lackluster complexity.
Come on, Sasha, all you have to do is become full meta, and you will be the ultimate face.
Sasha Banks def. Dana Brooke
Overview: Dana Brooke immediately rolled outside to get out of the grip of Sasha Banks, but even after her time outside, she still got rolled over and had to escape again. Brooke returned to run right into a double knee takedown for two, but Brooke fought back with a kick.
She locked in an arm bar, but Banks rope walked into an arm drag out of it. Banks dodged to the apron but got caught by a series of kicks from Brooke that sent her face first into the apron. Brooke wore down Banks with a chin lock, but Sasha fought her off only to take a side slam for two.
Brooke sent Banks into the corner and hit a series of shoulder tackles to the chest then Brooke choked out Banks with her boot. With further shoulders to the gut, Brooke then threw Banks down and hit a running splash for two. Banks hit a series of boots in the corner to begin her rally.
She knocked down Brooke and caught her boot, hitting a slap then hit a forearm and double knees in the corner for a nearfall. Dana caught her with a kick to the gut, and the two fought to the top rope with Brooke doing down. Sasha hit a diving crossbody for two.
Brooke went for the Samoan driver but had it reversed into a Bank Statement, rolling it back into the center of the ring as Dana tried to crawl away, and she got the submission. Charlotte mocked Sasha afterward and told Banks she needed to win against Dana again on SmackDown to prove herself worthy of a title shot.
Analysis: The unfortunate thing that comes from these comparisons is how similar the stories get. WWE does not deal in subtlety. The heels ham it up to the max, and their help ham it up even more. Charlotte is playing heel 101 with Sasha Banks with Dana as her sidekick who also take the majority of punishment.
Now that doesn't make this all bad here. In fact, this was Dana Brooke's best outings in WWE so far even if she was still sloppy. The follow up was certainly awkward, but the basics here were sound. This just doesn't do well to being compared to anything else.
Recent action movies have taken the chance of spoofing the classic tropes. Kingsman: The Secret Service comes to mind as a movie that has hammy villains and series of goons that get in the way of the hero. The reason this movie and similar films work is that they consciously use expectations to their advantage. WWE too often keeps on the narrow.
She locked in an arm bar, but Banks rope walked into an arm drag out of it. Banks dodged to the apron but got caught by a series of kicks from Brooke that sent her face first into the apron. Brooke wore down Banks with a chin lock, but Sasha fought her off only to take a side slam for two.
Brooke sent Banks into the corner and hit a series of shoulder tackles to the chest then Brooke choked out Banks with her boot. With further shoulders to the gut, Brooke then threw Banks down and hit a running splash for two. Banks hit a series of boots in the corner to begin her rally.
She knocked down Brooke and caught her boot, hitting a slap then hit a forearm and double knees in the corner for a nearfall. Dana caught her with a kick to the gut, and the two fought to the top rope with Brooke doing down. Sasha hit a diving crossbody for two.
Brooke went for the Samoan driver but had it reversed into a Bank Statement, rolling it back into the center of the ring as Dana tried to crawl away, and she got the submission. Charlotte mocked Sasha afterward and told Banks she needed to win against Dana again on SmackDown to prove herself worthy of a title shot.
Analysis: The unfortunate thing that comes from these comparisons is how similar the stories get. WWE does not deal in subtlety. The heels ham it up to the max, and their help ham it up even more. Charlotte is playing heel 101 with Sasha Banks with Dana as her sidekick who also take the majority of punishment.
Now that doesn't make this all bad here. In fact, this was Dana Brooke's best outings in WWE so far even if she was still sloppy. The follow up was certainly awkward, but the basics here were sound. This just doesn't do well to being compared to anything else.
Recent action movies have taken the chance of spoofing the classic tropes. Kingsman: The Secret Service comes to mind as a movie that has hammy villains and series of goons that get in the way of the hero. The reason this movie and similar films work is that they consciously use expectations to their advantage. WWE too often keeps on the narrow.
They don't actually write TV shows with endings like this because that TV show would get cancelled for taking a month to tell a 3 second story.
Vince McMahon Announces That Stephanie and Shane Will Compete as Commissioners of Raw and SmackDown
Overview: Vince McMahon made fun of both Stephanie McMahon and Shane McMahon as he felt wholly unsatisfied with their competition. Neither was competing with the other the way he wanted. Stephanie put over her clear accomplishments since being in charge then called Shane a villain who was talking behind Vince's back at all times.
Shane thanked the fans then promised to promote change because the company was being choked of life by its lack of change. He made clear his stand in WWE was all about clearly standing up to Vince unlike anyone else. He again turned to the crowd reaction for his final support.
Vince then announced that Shane McMahon would be in charge of SmackDown Live while Stephanie McMahon would be in charge of Monday Night Raw. He demanded that they finally compete full on with each announced their general managers next week, and the two traded final verbal shots. Stephanie slapped Shane only for Shane to kiss her in response.
Analysis: This whole power struggle in WWE is just us getting a look into wrestling's most powerful family. Family issues and power struggles are a dime a dozen in all entertainment though the McMahon family drama feels extremely old school.
The way that Shane's story has intersected with Stephanie's though reminds of Six Feet Under. This show about a family attempting to keep the family funeral home running after the death of the father begins with the two brothers in the family being given co-control of the funeral home, one having spent his whole life trying to do anything but work the family business.
Stephanie and Shane have this same relationship. Stephanie feels she's earned control while Shane just was given back a spot he walked away from. Six Feet Under makes that control struggle only a small part of a complex relationship, but, despite this being one of WWE's best told stories lately, WWE does not work in complexity, never showing any common ground between Shane and Stephanie.
Shane thanked the fans then promised to promote change because the company was being choked of life by its lack of change. He made clear his stand in WWE was all about clearly standing up to Vince unlike anyone else. He again turned to the crowd reaction for his final support.
Vince then announced that Shane McMahon would be in charge of SmackDown Live while Stephanie McMahon would be in charge of Monday Night Raw. He demanded that they finally compete full on with each announced their general managers next week, and the two traded final verbal shots. Stephanie slapped Shane only for Shane to kiss her in response.
Analysis: This whole power struggle in WWE is just us getting a look into wrestling's most powerful family. Family issues and power struggles are a dime a dozen in all entertainment though the McMahon family drama feels extremely old school.
The way that Shane's story has intersected with Stephanie's though reminds of Six Feet Under. This show about a family attempting to keep the family funeral home running after the death of the father begins with the two brothers in the family being given co-control of the funeral home, one having spent his whole life trying to do anything but work the family business.
Stephanie and Shane have this same relationship. Stephanie feels she's earned control while Shane just was given back a spot he walked away from. Six Feet Under makes that control struggle only a small part of a complex relationship, but, despite this being one of WWE's best told stories lately, WWE does not work in complexity, never showing any common ground between Shane and Stephanie.
John Cena's ability to be in 2 places at once on top of his superhuman strength and healing ability really should be the basis of a movie all its own.
Final Notes: Stephanie and Shane McMahon discussed Vince McMahon returning tonight unsure of what would happen when Seth Rollins came in and convinced them to have the Rollins Report where Rollins would show everyone something incriminating about Roman Reigns.
Zack Ryder found Rusev backstage and demanded a shot at the WWE United States Championship, but he was ambushed from behind by Sheamus who announced Ryder would face Sheamus next. The Club were interviewed about their match against Enzo and Cass but ended up just roasting John Cena who was not there as he was preparing to host the ESPYs.
Sasha Banks was interviewed about her match against Dana Brooke, promising to shut up Dana and Charlotte.
Conclusion: These comparisons as a whole are extremely narrow. That is partially my fault, but I also know that it comes down to WWE's limited set of stories to tell. Often WWE has too many stories to tell and not enough unique ones. It reminds me of the classic complaint that all heels cheat and lie in WWE.
In the end, there are more complex ways to create heroes and villains, but how many unique stories can you tell with so many hours to make up of television? This was overall a solid episode of Raw, but it certainly did not change any lines in the WWE.
WWE is at its best when it moves and surprises. This is because week to week the stories can blur together. This week had some interesting choices in the stories, but so much of the show was the same old. The Wyatt Family compound segment stands out this week because it was different but also because it shows WWE is also not great at doing things different.
Sometimes, we just have to accept the straight and narrow focus of WWE and wrestling in general though it certainly feels like it is a time people are truly calling for a change to the formula. We can call this a New Era because of the new roster, but when will we be able to call this a New Era because it feels different?
Zack Ryder found Rusev backstage and demanded a shot at the WWE United States Championship, but he was ambushed from behind by Sheamus who announced Ryder would face Sheamus next. The Club were interviewed about their match against Enzo and Cass but ended up just roasting John Cena who was not there as he was preparing to host the ESPYs.
Sasha Banks was interviewed about her match against Dana Brooke, promising to shut up Dana and Charlotte.
Conclusion: These comparisons as a whole are extremely narrow. That is partially my fault, but I also know that it comes down to WWE's limited set of stories to tell. Often WWE has too many stories to tell and not enough unique ones. It reminds me of the classic complaint that all heels cheat and lie in WWE.
In the end, there are more complex ways to create heroes and villains, but how many unique stories can you tell with so many hours to make up of television? This was overall a solid episode of Raw, but it certainly did not change any lines in the WWE.
WWE is at its best when it moves and surprises. This is because week to week the stories can blur together. This week had some interesting choices in the stories, but so much of the show was the same old. The Wyatt Family compound segment stands out this week because it was different but also because it shows WWE is also not great at doing things different.
Sometimes, we just have to accept the straight and narrow focus of WWE and wrestling in general though it certainly feels like it is a time people are truly calling for a change to the formula. We can call this a New Era because of the new roster, but when will we be able to call this a New Era because it feels different?