SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
Bobby Lashley is the WWE Champion.
In the main event segment of tonight’s Monday Night Raw, Lashley defeated The Miz via submission to win his first WWE Championship. At the start of the match, Miz attempted to run away with the title belt, but Shane McMahon walked out and said the match would be contested as a Lumberjack Match. At that point, dozens of Raw stars made their way to the ring to make sure the action stayed there and that there was a definitive finish. Lashley decimated The Miz from that moment on and used the Hurt Lock to force the submission win.
16 YEARS IN THE MAKING.
The ALMIGHTY ERA has begun!#WWERaw @fightbobby pic.twitter.com/dupSb8tuc0
— WWE (@WWE) March 2, 2021
The Miz dodged Bobby Lashley at two other points during the night. First, he complained of stomach cramping which forced the match to be postponed from its slot at the top of the second hour of the show. At the top of the third hour, the bell rang for the match to begin, but Miz ran away with the WWE Championship and was counted out. Due to those shenanigans, Lashley confronted Shane McMahon and demanded that he do something about it. McMahon responded by saying that Miz would be stripped of the WWE Championship if didn’t legitimately face Lashley in the main event.
https://twitter.com/fightbobby/status/1366601264121991168
The Miz cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on Drew McIntyre at the Elimination Chamber PPV to win the WWE Championship. McIntyre retained the title by winning the Raw Elimination Chamber match, but Lashley attacked him after to set Miz up for the victory. Last week on Raw, Lashley said he helped Miz and was promised a title shot in return.
Heydorn’s Analysis: The stop and start between Miz and Lashley that took place all night long was laughable and unnecessary. WWE had momentum with this mini feud and the baiting and switching with the payoff throughout the night tossed cold water on it. Miz vs. Lashley in the main event with proper promos and hype throughout the show would have effectively maintained the eyes of the audience in a way that didn’t insult their intelligence. That said, Lashley winning the championship as definitively as he did was the proper end result. McIntyre vs. Lashley looks to be the match for WrestleMania and there is more than enough there from a build perspective to last six more weeks until the show. This is a great example of what is on the table for WWE when they properly protect and build stars.
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So i guess now there will be no more count outs, or the person can demand another match the same night or have the title stripped and handed to them.