OVER & UNDERS – WWE RAW (2/20): Jey’s sunglasses, McAfee getting cut off, Cody’s wordsmith fail, Dominik’s dart misses, NFL scribbles on screen, Ivar’s and Nia’s acting, more

By Kevin Duncan, PWTorch contributor


SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...

It’s Monday night, and you know what that means! It’s time for another 3-hour ride of suspense, unpredictability, and the big question of whether or not Main Event Jey Uso will take the Intercontinental (Heavyweight) Championship off of Gunther, just days away from a Premium Live Event. Will he? Won’t he? Only the wrestling gods, Paul “Triple H” Levesque and the entire board of T.K.O. know. So let’s dig into the most OVERRATED and UNDER-APPRECIATED MOMENTS from tonight’s Monday Night Raw.

OVERRATED – JEY’S SUNGLASSES

Am I the only one that doesn’t get amped up to watch Main Event Jey Uso when he’s dressed like he’s on vacation? He looks like he’s about to go snorkeling. I don’t think any accessory could get me less excited for a match. Oh wait, J.D. McDonagh is wearing a purple shirt that’s 2 sizes too small, which makes him look like he’s cosplaying Judgment Day, while walking WITH Judgment Day, like he won some kind of WWE.com raffle. Use code WWEWANNABE at checkout for your chance to meet The Judgment Day.

UNDER-APPRECIATED – CODY (RHODES) CRYBABIES AREN’T WE ALL

I loved seeing a sign that said “I’m a Cody crybaby too.” The Rock trying to demean Cody Rhodes with a childish nickname is backfiring in all the best ways. Now the Cody loyalists have a fun nickname to call themselves. Move over Cenation. Step aside Zayniacs. Back of the line Hulkamaniacs. The Crybabies are here to sob you a river and drown your hopes of anyone taking Cody’s spot.

OVERRATED – SWORDS BUT NO SWORDS

Drew McIntyre’s augmented reality graphic of the swords with blue flames is incredibly cool. That said, how can you have multiple swords on screen but have Drew come out swordless like he couldn’t pull it from the stone? Also, why the blue flames? If he doesn’t come out in Perth with a flaming blue sword, I for one am going to be disappointed with WWE heating up my hopes, and then extinguishing my dreams. But this is WWE, they would never do anything like that to us, right? RIGHT?! On a side note, Drew looks particularly happy tonight. Does he not have his sword because it’s stuck in someone’s back somewhere? I look forward to his defense in a homicide case being “This is who I’ve always been.”

UNDER-APPRECIATED – PAT MCAFEELINGS GET HURT

Poor Pat McAfee. The man tried to make a poignant statement about, well we may never know because someone in the production truck has a strong disdain for him and hit the promo button a few seconds early. This felt like the production version of Dr. Evil shushing, or maybe shooshing, his son in Austin Powers, played by lifelong WWE fan Seth Green. Hi Seth!

OVERRATED – TRYING TO BE A WORDSMITH WITH BAD WRITING

The start of the Cody Rhodes WrestleMania promo literally said, “One man’s path is carved toward his destiny.” I’ve never seen a path carved before. Even if you could carve a path, which sounds like it would take eons, how would you do so toward a destiny? It’s not like you can type in “Destiny” into Google Maps and find your way. I’m all for being clever with words, but if you’re going to get metaphorical, WWE, can we at least try to make sense? I feel like you’re just spitting on me and calling it thunder. See? It’s not fun when metaphors don’t make sense is it? The promo also said “Their roads to WrestleMania go through each other.” No, they actually don’t. This match doesn’t affect either of their roads in any way. A more apropos phrasing would be “They are pit stops for each other on the road to ‘Mania.” Their roads don’t intersect, run perpendicular, or even cross the same county. Hell, McIntyre’s road is so long and distant that he’s going to have to drive on the other side of the road to get there (I’m looking at you, Perth).

UNDER-APPRECIATED – LONG FORM STORYTELLING

I love that Drew McIntyre has a chip on his shoulder from winning the main event of WrestleMania in front of no one. WWE shines when they have these meaningful callbacks. We don’t all have amnesia like Vince used to think we do. This is rewarding for fans. It also just makes his heel turn all the more believable and weighty, because he has a legitimate reason to be such a moody McIntyre. All the best villains have a valid point but extremist methods.

OVERRATED – BAD CAMERA WORK

I think my compliments to Cody Rhodes’ entrance camera man last week went to his head. He prematurely dipped, jarringly, before Cody bent down to pound the stage, popped up even more dramatically to reset, and then missed the shot altogether. WWE has more than one…good cameraman. Time to tag this one out.

UNDER-APPRECIATED – FANS MORE CREATIVE THAN WWE

Did anyone see the brilliant sign that said “I Drew McIntyre” that featured a drawing that the sign owner was presumably the artist behind? Brilliant, pun-tastic creativity, anonymous fan. Take notes WWE. That’s real writing.

OVERRATED / THE WORD RAW

I’m trying to enjoy Cody Rhodes versus Drew McIntyre but I am so utterly distracted by how many times the word “RAW” is visible in the background. I feel like I’m looking at a child’s artwork where they wrote their name a hundred times on it. Welcome to Monday Night Raw Raw Raw Raw Raw…it may never end.

UNDER-APPRECIATED – SELL-A-THON

Watching Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre fight is like watching two salesmen with rival pitches giving their absolute best swings at each other. I can’t decide who sells better, but my God do they compliment each other well. Every move feels brutal. Every kick feels painful. Every submission feels like a necessary break so Drew doesn’t get blown up, but it still looks legit!

OVERRATED – COMING BACK FROM COMMERCIAL BREAK WITH A…WHIMPER

Why not come back from commercial break right in the middle of the action between Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes? Throw me back into the ring, suck me in! Nope. We come back with a weird wide shot of the arena where we can see the action on a ceiling TV, and the word “Raw” about 10,364 times across the arena in big red font. And we’re back for more Monday Night Raw Raw Raw Raw Raw!

UNDER-APPRECIATED – THE ACOUSTICS OF CODY RHODES’ CHEST AND DREW McINTYRE’S HANDS

The chops from Drew McIntyre to Cody Rhodes sound absolutely brutal. The audible synergy between Cody’s chest and Drew’s hands are like a twisted duet made in violent heaven. This is like watching an aggressive chemistry akin to Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. Those two were meant to sing together and Drew’s hands were meant to brutalize Cody’s chest. Seriously, that music they’re making alone should win a Grammy.

OVERRATED – THE DISASTROUS KICK

The Cody Rhodes versus Drew McIntyre match has had so many audible hits (see what I did there?), that any strike that doesn’t meet the bar they’ve set is going to sound weak by comparison. This, unfortunately, is what happened to Cody’s disaster kick tonight. Compared to the raw (or should I said Raw Raw Raw Raw Raw) hits of the other moves, this felt like a love tap between two friends. Fortunately, the Cody Cutter moments later totally redeemed Cody. That was primal and poetic

UNDER-APPRECIATED – TWO MEN OVER THE TOP ROPE

Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes going over the top rope together was so well timed, executed and beautiful that it felt like choreography straight out of La La Land. 

OVERRATED – HEELS TELEGRAPHING MOVES

It’s fun to count down for Drew McIntyre’s Claymore Kick but does he really need to be hosting a sing-a-long for fans as a heel? I feel like he should tee up the countdown, then stop cold, sneer at the crowd and just deliver the kick. It undermines the heel heat otherwise. No sing-a-longs needed Drew. Just kick the man.

OVERRATED – “LIVE EVENT” JIMMY USO

Oh look, it’s “Live Event” Jimmy Uso. Seeing him show up does absolutely nothing for me. He just feels like the lackey of the lackey right now. He’s like that kid in A Christmas Story that follows the bully around spouting things like “Yeah! What he said.” On a side note, I’m super proud of the nickname, “Live Event” Jimmy Uso. Jimmy, I’ll apologize for this next time I bump into you, but for now, I’m going to swim in the pride of my clever quip. And man, does the water feel nice. On another side note, why does Solo Sikoa always look like a grumpy kid who didn’t get what he wanted for Christmas? Surely Rikishi got you everything you ever dreamed of, no? Honorable mention to Jimmy Uso going for a high five with his brother, post interference, and getting left hanging for an amazingly awkward period of time. That was absolutely hilarious. Kudos to “Live Event” Jimmy Uso for fully committing to the moment.

UNDER-APPRECIATED – GREAT HYPE VIDEOS

That promo hyping the main event between Jey Uso and Gunther was succinct, powerful, hard-hitting and adrenaline-inducing. It was the cliff notes of the lead up as written by Michael Bay. It was explosive and incredibly effective. I went into Raw (Raw Raw Raw Raw Raw Raw Raw) expecting Jey to eat a loss inconsequentially, but now I’m actually hopeful, if not a tad pessimistic, that he could eke this one out.

OVERRATED – THE GOLDEN TITLE

That title looks cooler than the World Heavyweight Title as well as The Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. First of all, why create something that makes your top titles look like the bargain bin leftovers? Second of all, why show a bunch of celebrities holding the title? All of this is just dripping water on the fire they’ve built around Roman Reigns’ title. Win the Royal Rumble and you too can challenge for a title that doesn’t look as cool as this one!

UNDER-APPRECIATED – ANDRADE GETS HIS GROOVE BACK

Andrade el Idolo’s promo started off a little clunky but once he dipped into speaking Spanish, he was pure magic. It was so effective that I’m willing to forgive the Pirates of the Caribbean font they used for his subtitles. Also, I’m so happy to see superstars reclaiming their original, or at least full, names back post Vince McMahon. Pete Dunne must be feeling particularly light on his feet these days.

OVERRATED – NFL BREAKDOWNS

I like Pat McAfee, I do. I think he has a childish aura of fun about him that enhances my juvenile delight while watching the product. That said, now I’m starting to feel like they just put him on commentary so they could scratch a weird itch they had to do NFL-style breakdowns with sloppily scribbled graphics on screen. I hate it. I feel like someone made a delicious pie and just as I was about to enjoy it, they stuck their fingers in it, swirled them around, and then licked them, just to reiterate how yummy it is. I’ll pass on the pie now. That was too much. That’s like Seth Raw Raw Rollins coming out in a polka dot shirt to connect the dots with his “I’ll be your shield” point. Thank God that’s not going to hap…

UNDER-APPRECIATED – UNIMPRESSED KID

The kid in the front row who was gifted Natalya’s glasses looked so uninterested I half expected him to leave her hanging with the high-five, “Live Event” Jimmy Uso-style. That kid definitely wanted Cody Rhodes’ belt more. He probably would have even settled for a Judgment Day shirt from R-Truth. Side note, Pat McAfee just referred to Michael Cole’s fans as Cole Miners. I kind of love that. I’ll never buy a Cole Miners shirt or chant it in an arena, but I will always give creativity its cookies. Here’s a dozen chocolate chip for you, Pat. Well done.

OVERRATED – SLEEP ELIMINATION

Thanks for reminding me that I have to wake up at 5 a.m. on a Saturday for The Elimination Chamber. I’ll do it, but I’m still not going to be happy about it. I’ve already agreed to be there, WWE but can you please stop rubbing it in my face.

UNDER-APPRECIATED – RAQUEL BROCKRIGUEZ

I came into this match expecting Zelina Vega winning but Raquel Rodriguez showed (pre-controversy) Brock Lesnar vibes. She was just a force to be reckoned with and I’m impressed. Honorable mention to Natalya who showed a few seconds of pure fire that she hasn’t shown in years. I hope she keeps stoking that intensity and goes somewhere with it. Maybe a feud with Raquel after the chamber would give her a great program to do so. I wasn’t excited for this match but having it come down to a newly dominant Rodriguez, and a synergy-fueled duo in Zoey Stark and Shayna Baszler has me on the edge of my seat.

UNDER-APPRECIATED – CHELSEA NOT SO GREEN

I loved the Raquel Rodriguez win. I doubly loved the swerve of having Chelsea Green not being eliminated, creating a brief moment of panic, only to have Raquel reaffirmed by eliminating her promptly. That was a veteran spot by Green, executed with the experience of a true WWE vet, which she is years away from. Kudos to you, (in Samantha Irvine voice) Chelsea Green!

OVERRATED – JEY’S SNORKELING ADVENTURE CONTINUES

Who is Jey Uso talking to? What is he talking about? Why does he remind me of all these ridiculous TikTok videos of people using Apple Vision Pro in public?

OVERRATED – NIA JAXX’s ACTING

Nia Jaxx’s acting is more cringe-worthy than a Mike Adamle-driven commentary team (YouTube him talking about Jeff Harvey and you’re welcome).

OVERRATED -E!-TRUTH HOLLYWOOD STORY

I love the ‘90s as much as the next 40-year old, but I don’t need to take a time machine back there with an E! True Hollywood Story vignette, just to rehash and hype the R-Truth match tonight. That said, I did love his line about how being in Judgment Day was special, like the first time John Cena put on a pair of jean shorts. R-Truth, making lemonade out of lemons since he came to the WWE as K-Kwik in 2000. Also is Truth wearing a rain poncho when it’s not raining? Classic. Sometimes I just can’t handle the Truth.

UNDER-APPRECIATED – DOMINIK “THE DART” MYSTERIO 

I loved Pat McAfee pointing out that Dominik Mysterio missed the board when he threw a dart. That kind of throw away, deadpan observational comedy pops me every time.

UNDER-APPRECIATED – AMAZING OPTICS

I was skeptical of this silly-seeming shot of the camera zooming in through the hallway but once we landed in the arena and saw the camera was drowning, overwhelmingly so, with rabid fans, it was well worth it. The exclamation point was Pat McAfee saying “Packed” with dominant gusto. This kind of ego-driven cinematography, while shallow in its motivation, works like a charm to make WWE feel hotter than ever, which it is.

OVERRATED – IVAR’S ACTING

I can’t decide whose acting is worse, Nia Jaxx or Ivar. I feel like we’re watching Dante’s Peak and Volcano compete at the box office, with no clear winner but we the audience are the losers. I kid, Dante’s Peak is fantastic and neither Nia nor Ivar are at the level of a Pierce Brosnan volcano movie.

UNDER-APPRECIATED – 2 NON-WOKE WORDS FOR YA

D.I.Y, The Miz and R-Truth throwing out a “Suck it” taunt was a funny callback to last week’s joke, albeit a bit dated and icky of one. Nostalgia is always welcome, and I for one enjoyed this, but this is one taunt that should probably go on the shelf, especially with the negative quicksand WWE finds themselves in right now, due to the alleged, but totally believable, debauchery of Vincent Kennedy McMahon. I got 2 words for this creative decision…NO THANKS.

OVERRATED – TOO MANY NUMBERS

Okay, I’m an advocate in favor of showing these WWE2K24 ratings, but not in an 8-man tag team match. I feel like I’m looking at a Bingo board with nothing checked, which is depressing, deflating and makes me not want to continue playing. I’m not traumatized from losing at Bingo. You are. Or maybe R-Truth is, even though he actually lost at Checkers. I feel like

I’m looking at the wrestler embodiment of the value of pi.

UNDER-APPRECIATED – THE R-TRUTH IS THAT WRESTLERS ARE FANS TOO

There is something so playfully innocent about R-Truth paying homage to his hero, John Cena. Lest we forget, these guys were all fans before superstars. This kind of fandom just makes Truth even more likable, relatable and over. I think he gets a louder “You can’t see me” than Cena did in his heyday. If Truth starts coming out in jorts though, I’m out. This is fun, but some things are just too far, like having a Nickelback song as the Monday Night Raw Raw Raw theme. Yeah, that actually happened once upon a time.

OVERRATED – WHERE ARE WE GOING WITH R-TRUTH?

I’m loving this sympathetic, bullied and revenge-fueled version of R-Truth. That said, he’s taken up so much of Judgment Day’s time, if we’re not heading to some sort of WrestleMania match with Truth versus Damian Priest, what’s the point of all of this? I get that JD (Judgment Day, not J.D. McDonagh) needs a reason to be on television, but I really hope there’s a plan here or Truth is going to cool off faster than Seth Rollins at a press conference.

UNDER-APPRECIATED – THE CIAMPA OF CARDIO

Is Tomasso Ciampa human? The amount of cardio that guy puts on display is exhausting to even watch. I’m honestly wondering if he didn’t lose his hair, and he actually shaved it to be more aerodynamic. Ciampa is like watching a hamster hyped up on Red Bull, run its wheel until it breaks…and then continue running in place for another 56-minutes. Why isn’t he the spokesman for Slim Jim? Frame him as the energizer bunny who flat out doesn’t have time to stop and eat, so he always snaps into a Slim Jim while (quite literally) on the run. Back to wrestling, I think WWE should lean into this king of cardio motif. He could literally move so fast that his opponents just collapse in the ring from exhaustion. That would really give him something to sink his teeth into, besides a Slim Jim of course.

OVERRATED – DOMINIK MISSTERIO

Yes, I spelled it that way on purpose. Why? Because like his attempt at darts earlier, Dominik Mysterio just missed a kick wide enough for WWE’s shameless self-promotion to fit through. Hey fans, we’re good people, we swear! Look at all the good things we do that cameras just happen to be present for!

UNDER-APPRECIATED – THE VALUE OF MOCKERY

I loved seeing Finn Balor set up Tomasso Ciampa for a finisher, only to pause and (channel The Undertaker with a) taunt. This was enhanced by Ciampa reversing it and giving a brief mockery of his own before landing his move. That is the kind of fluid chemistry and charisma that makes wrestling so fun. Honorable mention to Balor and Ciampa running into each other, fueling my favorite Pat McAfee line of the night, “Sixteen abs just ran into each other.” Classic McAfee, turning fit bellies into belly laughs. Jokes aside, I love seeing D.I.Y. focus on getting over with pure athleticism. No need to pat yourselves on the back for a cheap pop. You’re better than that, and I’m happy you read my critique last week and obliged. Don’t deny it. You’re letting these pun-fueled irrelevant points steer you in the right direction. That’s what I’m going to tell myself anyway.

OVERRATED – DAMIAN’S DANCIN’ LEGS

Why does Damian Priest stomp his feet like he’s in a marching band covering Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars? He looks like he’s trying to stand still but the hits are so hard they’re causing his legs to convulse into a sick chain of dance moves. Damian, unless The Judgment Day is going to become a boy band, in which case I think you should kick J.D. McDonagh out, let’s calm those marchin’ legs down a bit shall we? It looks like you’re in the middle of a dance fight but R-Truth got confused and thought that meant he fights someone trying to dance.

UNDER-APPRECIATED – PUNCTUAL MOVES

He’s called Johnny Wrestling not Johnny Punctual for a reason folks. I love Johnny Gargano, but it was absolutely hilarious watching him set up to jump the top rope in unison with The Miz and Tomasso Ciampa, only to have them leap in unison, leaving Johnny behind and forcing him to join the leap party several seconds later. Oh Johnny. It’s not your fault. Let’s just blame J.D. McDonagh since that’s who you attacked. His inexplicable assimilation into The Judgment Day is enough to make anyone lose track of time.

OVERRATED – MCAFEE’S BREAKDOWNS

Pat McAfee really needs to stop with this already overrated NFL play breakdown trope. I absolutely hate it. Little yellow arrows don’t make me like a moment more. They make me hate it. I get it, WWE is letting you be yourself and doodle on the screen. I’m happy for you. But I’m equally unhappy for the rest of us forced to endure your childish drawings, ruining great moments like Damian Priest’s finisher. I feel like I’m babysitting a toddler that keeps saying “Look what I can do” and then under delivers with some idiotic display of what they perceive to be artistic greatness. In case you can’t tell, Pat, I don’t like it. It makes me want to McAfee all over my dinner table in anger.

UNDER-APPRECIATED – WORDS BESIDES INEVITABLY

I love a good promo from the man, Becky Lynch but this inevitably had too many uses of the word inevitably, which inevitably made me hate the word inevitably, inevitably souring the taste of this promo for me. Can we give Bex a man-sized thesaurus to dig into while wearing her cool new hat, or cap, or head ornament?

UNDER-APPRECIATED – LIV FOR REVENGE

I honestly forgot about all of the history between Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley. Liv has a legitimate list of gripes against Ripley that make for a very strong backstory in her pursuit of vengeance. While I don’t think Liv is going to take Becky Lynch’s spot on the grandest stage, I’m loving the fire behind her promo. It really props her up to be a viable winner should WWE decide to go that route.

OVERRATED – TEA PARTY GUESTS 

Becky Lynch doesn’t need to act stunned every time another Elimination Chamber participant joins her for (as she calls it) the tea party in the ring. We all knew this would happen once Liv Morgan decided to start a trend. I also found Naomi’s promo a little presumptive. She shouldn’t assume people have any idea what she did when she left WWE.

UNDER-APPRECIATED – TIFFY TIME IS A GOOD TIME

Never underestimate the value of an arrogant, effective and wildly annoying heel. Tiffany Stratton exudes heel in spades. She has swagger, annoying confidence and no respect for the people that paved the way for her. All of that works incredibly well in my humble opinion. Her personality is like salt, it doesn’t matter what you put it on, it’s going to bring out all the other flavors in the dish. Honorable mention to the absolute wordsmithery of Bianca BeLair. If you look up “cool” in the dictionary you’ll find a 6-page spread on everything that works for Queen B. She has the timing, the look, the moves and the words to keep her on top for years to come.

OVERRATED – NIA JAXX UP THE COMPETITION 

In some ways, having Nia Jaxx come in and annihilate everyone is effective for reasserting herself as a viable threat to Rhea Ripley’s title, but at what cost? She just buried the entire marquee match for the premium live event.  Also, her acting is just horrendous. She had such a forced, stoic smile on her face while attacking everyone, that I felt like I was watching a cheap knockoff of the horror movie Smile, as found in the bargain bin at Walmart. She has a lot of heat behind her, but it’s not earned like Dominik Mysterio. It’s just “We think you’re bad” heat. Side note, Liv Morgan’s painful screams after taking a Nia move are blood-curdling and effective. I legitimately felt like I just watched someone get murdered in a slasher movie. Seriously, play it back with your eyes closed. Move over Jenna Ortega, because that’s some horror thespianism that you just can’t teach.

UNDER-APPRECIATED – A MAN OF HIS WORD

Gunther is so good at cutting a promo. He just buried Jey Uso, which he should. That’s the role of a dominant, insurmountable heel champion. It’s hard to root against someone so talented but those kinds of quick promos work to make you want to see him lose. How dare you tell our beloved “Main Event” Jey Uso that he doesn’t belong in the main event. It’s in his name! Only we get to insult WWE superstars when we decide we’re over them. Get’m Jey.

OVERRATED – BAD TITLE GRAPHICS

Who (Who? Who?) chose the stills for this Gunther versus Jey Uso title graphic?! Gunther looks like he just saw a kite in the sky for the first time and Jey looks like he’s struggling through a bowel movement, or trying to sit through one of his sister in law Naomi’s promos. Neither of these images get me excited to see an epic clash.

UNDER-APPRECIATED – NAKAMURA OF THIS PLEASE

Shinsuke Nakamura is completely in his element and firing on all evil cylinders right now. His cadence, his demeanor, his subtle timing with delivering each villainous bite are all gloriously dark. His message is quite clear too, and he has a valid point, which all the best villains do. Sami Zayn is whining instead of fighting. He’s hosting pity parties and Nakamura is about to R.S.V.P. Not only can these two tear the house down, Sami is a great actor and Nakamura is doing Oscar-level promos.

OVERRATED – CHAD GABLE’S FLIP KICK

Chad Gable’s flip kick to Ivar on the turnbuckle was slow, clunky and ugly. I felt like I was watching an elderly man fall in slow motion. This is very unlike the normally fluid Gable. Here’s hoping this is the low point in the march and everything goes up from here. Honorable mention to Ivar’s overrated outfit that looks like he’s starring in a community theater version of Robin Hood: Men in Tights. It’s so hard to take him seriously when he dresses like Peter Pan’s drunk uncle that embarrasses everyone at Thanksgiving.

UNDER-APPRECIATED – BIG BRAINS

I loved hearing Pat McAfee point out that Chad Gable has a masters degree and should be smart enough to not try to German suplex Ivar. I didn’t know that about Gable and that actually paints him in a stronger light. Now we know he’s clever, and Alpha Academy isn’t just a fun club…of which Akira Tozawa is still being hazed to earn admittance.

UNDER-APPRECIATED – GABLE GOES FULL HOGAN

Seeing Chad Gable hit the German suplex on Ivar after several painful fails was incredibly rewarding. This gave me old school Hulk Hogan vibes, and I enjoyed it. It really builds up the strength people overlook when it comes to Gable. I also loved seeing Gable go into full Kurt Angle mode with losing the straps on his singlet, doing a moonsault and then transitioning into a match-ending ankle lock. If he didn’t look like a 12 year old boy, he’d be one of the top guys on Raw Raw Raw Raw. There are so many Raws that they could easily rename the various arena rows as Raw 1, Raw 2, etc. instead of Row 1 and 2. What does this have to do with the match? Everything, because I have A.D.D. and it’s like a swarm of butterflies stealing my attention away when I’m trying to enjoy the match. Oh look, another one!

OVERRATED – DREW MCINTYRE’S POSSIBLY DEVIATED SEPTUM

Drew McIntyre is absolutely crushing it right now. WWE is incredibly lucky that he hit his stride when he was needed to step into the main event scene in C.M. Punk’s absence, which Drew caused with prayers by the way. That said, I’m growing more and more concerned that Drew may have a deviated septum that is affecting his breathing. I get that he’s going full evil but he doesn’t need to go full Darth Vader for that to work. Drew McIntyre, one of the hardest working and hardest breathing superstars in WWE today.

UNDER-APPRECIATED – GUNTHER

He really can’t have a bad match. I really hope he’s thrust into the main event scene after WrestleMania. He would be a fantastic follow up feud for Cody Rhodes if he finishes his story, which is taking longer than George R.R. Martin’s final Game of Thrones book.

OVERRATED – LIVE EVENT JIMMY USO

We shouldn’t be sacrificing a clean win for Gunther to prop up the Uso brothers’ feud for WrestleMania. Also, is it just me or does Jey Uso feuding with Jimmy Uso define him down a bit? Jimmy is levels underneath him at the moment, and Jey truly deserves a better ‘Mania spot, even if it’s their dream match.

That’s it for this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw Raw Raw Raw.. I’d like to thank “Live Event” Jimmy Uso for stepping in to poorly end an amazing main event, because why would I want a clean finish? I’d also like to thank Johnny Gargano for being late to the ring leap party, Liv Morgan for terrifying me, and J.D. McDonagh for all the material you so lovingly provide me with each and every week. See you on Friday for Smackdown!

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