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With Elimination Chamber in the rear view, all the fallout took place this week on Raw. Making his first appearance in a month, Roman Reigns appeared in the closing segment. Set to challenge C.M. Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania, Reigns had a lot to get off his chest. Before he could get those words out, he was interrupted by Punk. Similar to their last face to face, both men had some fiery words for each other.
As the segment progressed, things got even more personal between them. In addition to that, we had Seth Rollins once again target The Vision, an exciting battle between Gunther and Dragon Lee, and Penta challenging Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship.
Seth Rollins vs. The Vision
Latest developments:
On the October 13 Raw, Seth Rollins was attacked by his Vision stablemates Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed. Due to the severity of the attack, Rollins was forced to relinquish his World Heavyweight Championship due to injury. At the Royal Rumble, Breakker was attacked by a mystery man in a black hoodie and the attack caused him to be quickly eliminated from the Rumble match. At Elimination Chamber, Vision member Logan Paul was attacked by the mystery man in the black hoodie and that led to his elimination from the Chamber match. Immediately after, the mystery man took off the hoodie to reveal himself as Seth Rollins.
This week, Paul Heyman came out with Paul & Austin Theory as Heyman said that they would hijack the show until Rollins showed up. Adam Pearce came out with security guards to escort them out but as this was happening, a mystery man in a black hoodie appeared that security chased after. Then two more mystery men in black hoodies showed up that Theory & Paul chased after, leaving Heyman in the ring all alone. Another mystery man in a black hoodie appeared to keep Heyman from leaving the ring and as Heyman was distracted by this, another man in a black hoodie appeared behind him revealing himself to be Rollins. With a chair in hand, Rollins hit Heyman in the back with it and then planted him with a Curb Stomp.
Analysis:
After Rollins returned at Elimination Chamber, this was one strong way to continue that momentum and also a very strong way to start the show. While the mystery man in the black hoodie deal was a little over kill, it was all worth it to see Rollins attack Heyman the way he did. From the vicious chair shot to the Curb Stomp, Rollins really got Heyman good here. The blood coming from Heyman’s nose and him being taken out on a stretcher really sold this attack well and made for a chaotic scene. Considering what stage of his career he’s in, Heyman deserves a lot of credit for the fact that he’s still willing to do angles like this.
While it’s great that Rollins is back, there’s still the issue concerning who his WrestleMania opponent will be. With both Breakker & Reed out of action, there’s no one else from what’s left of The Vision that would make for an appealing match with him. In addition to that, it looks like Paul & Theory are going to to be occupied with the Usos heading into WrestleMania anyway. Considering his ties to Heyman, a possible opponent for him could be Brock Lesnar. Although it’s not everyone’s first or even second choice, that would be the biggest match they could do at Mania surrounding this storyline.
Grade: B+
Gunther vs. Dragon Lee
Latest developments:
Gunther defeated AJ Styles at the Royal Rumble and due to the stipulation of the match, Styles was forced to retire. As Gunther was gloating about retiring Styles the following Monday on Raw, he was attacked by Styles’ former tag team partner Dragon Lee. Despite the attack, Gunther eventually got the upper hand and then trapped Lee in the Sleeper as his body hung from the top rope. Two weeks ago as Gunther was competing in an Elimination Chamber Qualifying match, he was attacked by Lee and ended up not winning the match as a result of that. Last week as Gunther was being escorted out of the arena by security, he was once again attacked by Lee.
This week, Gunther went one on one with Lee in a match where Lee attacked Gunther from behind as he was making his entrance. Gunther soon recovered from this as he hit Lee with a devastating Back Drop over the timekeeper’s area followed by a Powerbomb on the announce table. As Gunther attempted a Powerbomb on the floor, Lee reversed it into a Sunset Flip and then hit him with a Suicide Dive. After barely making it back into the ring before being counted out, Gunther was knocked down by Lee with a clothesline. Lee went for an Operation Dragon, but Gunther reversed it into a Sleeper and pulled Lee’s mask off as Lee quickly tapped out to give Gunther the win.
Analysis:
Bell to bell, this was the best match of the entire night. This was another prime example of how great Gunther is when he’s in there with people like Lee who are smaller than him. The story between these two going into this match was also pulled off well with Lee getting the better of Gunther in their last few interactions. While the outcome to this match was a forgone conclusion, that didn’t make it any less fun to watch. The parts of this that stood out most were when Gunther back dropped Lee over the timekeeper’s area and when he ripped his mask off as he had him in the Sleeper.
With this feud clearly in the rearview, the question lies in who Gunther is going to face at WrestleMania. After he retired John Cena, it would seem like they would have something special planned for him for the biggest show of the year. With less than seven weeks to go, there’s no hint at all at who his potential opponent could be. If Brock Lesnar ends up facing Seth Rollins at WrestleMania, the only other opponent for Gunther that would have that special appeal would be Oba Femi. Unless it’s Lesnar or Oba, any other match they put him in this year would feel like a throwaway.
Grade: B+
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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A.J. Lee Promo
Latest developments:
Ever since AJ Lee returned on the September 5 Smackdown, she’s been wrapped up in a feud with Becky Lynch. At Elimination Chamber, AJ had her first singles match in over a decade as she challenged Becky for her Women’s Intercontinental Championship. Despite being hit with a DDT on a chair followed by a Man Slam from Becky, AJ kicked out. As Becky went for another Man Slam, AJ escaped and pushed her into the exposed turnbuckle. AJ then trapped Becky in the Black Widow as she forced her to tap out to win the match and her first Women’s Intercontinental Championship.
This week, AJ came out to the ring to celebrate her title win. She got into how despite the fight that Becky gave her, she proved to herself that she’s still championship material. AJ then said that now that Becky is behind her, WrestleMania is ahead of her. She stated that she was going to be a fighting champion and then told the women in the back if they want a shot at her, then come at her as she vowed to defend her title the next time she steps into the ring. Later in the night, it was announced that there would be a Gauntlet match featuring Bayley, Lyra Valkyria, Iyo Sky, Raquel Rodriguez, Asuka, and Ivy Nile to decide who gets a shot at AJ’s title.
Analysis:
From this segment, one would think that the feud between AJ and Becky is over. As AJ has gotten the better at Becky at every turn, it would make sense to have a rematch at WrestleMania so that Becky could finally beat her. After seeing how their match at Elimination Chamber played out, it felt like that match was enough to satisfy everyone. As AJ has only feuded with Becky since she came back, it’ll be refreshing to see her work with other women. With this open challenge she just proposed, it looks like that’s going to happen.
Considering all the women who will be in the Gauntlet match next week, there’s many appealing matches that could come out of it. AJ against Bayley would be interesting, so would AJ against Iyo, and also AJ against Raquel considering their difference in size. Other than Ivy Nile, it really feels like anyone can win that Gauntlet match. While there’s a strong chance that AJ won’t keep the title beyond WrestleMania, perhaps this open challenge is a sign that she may hold on to it for a while after all. With seven weeks to go until Mania, only time will tell.
Grade: B
Dominik Mysterio vs. Penta
Latest developments:
On the April 21 Raw, Penta failed to win the Intercontinental Championship from Dominik Mysterio due to interference from JD McDonagh. In the preceding months, Penta had a several more opportunities at Dominik’s title but came up short in all of them. Two weeks ago, Penta defeated El Grande Americano to earn another shot at Dominik’s IC Title. Last week, it was announced that Dominik would once again defend the Intercontinental Championship against Penta this week. Backstage before the match, newcomer Danhausen put a curse on Dominik after Dominik insulted him.
As the match progressed, Penta went for a Mexican Destroyer that Dominik countered into a Michinoku Driver for a near fall. Dominik hit a 619 but as he went for a Frog Splash, Penta countered it into a Sacrifice that he followed with a Penta Driver for a near fall. As the referee was checking on Penta after Dominik rammed his shoulder into the post, Dominik told JD to get timekeeper’s hammer so he could use it. As JD was about to give the hammer to Dominik, Finn stopped him and said that Dominik needs to win on his own before Penta leaped over the top rope onto both of them. After a failed 619 attempt from Dominik, Penta hit him with the Mexican Destroyer to win the match and his first Intercontinental Championship.
Analysis:
For the amount of times Penta has challenged for the IC Title over the last year and come up short, this match was a must win for him. From seeing how great he’s been in the ring and how popular he’s been with the crowd ever since he debuted, it was satisfying to see him get over that hump. Having title changes like this so close to WrestleMania are usually a fun way to shake things up and this proved to be no different. A downside to this is the fact that Penta’s win wasn’t as big of a story as the Judgment Day shenanigans that led to it. In addition to that, it’s kind of hard to see where Penta and the title now fit in on the WrestleMania card.
Considering that Finn played a factor in Dominik losing the title, there’s now zero reason to doubt that the split between them is happening. After they’ve teased it for over a year, there’s no way they can stretch it out any longer. As great as it is that Penta won his first title here, it kind of felt like Finn should’ve been the one to dethrone Dominik considering Dominik pinned him to win it in the first place. While there’s a chance that could still happen if Dominik wins the title back before WrestleMania, it won’t have that same impact. Regardless, seeing the split between Finn and Dominik finally happen is going to make for some spicy television over the next few weeks.
Grade: B+
C.M. Punk vs. Roman Reigns
Latest developments:
At the Royal Rumble, Roman Reigns last eliminated Gunther to win the Rumble match and earn a title shot at WrestleMania. The following Monday on Raw, Reigns came out to potentially choose which champion he’d challenge at WrestleMania. Before he could make a choice, he was interrupted by World Heavyweight Champion C.M. Punk. This led to a heated back and forth promo between the two where Reigns eventually chose Punk as the champion that he’ll challenge at WrestleMania simply because he hates him. Reigns stated that WrestleMania will be the best day of his life as that will be the day where Punk is forced to acknowledge him.
Making his first appearance since the Raw after the Royal Rumble, Reigns came out for the main event segment where he was once again interrupted by Punk. Reigns told Punk that if Punk didn’t have the title, he’d be indifferent to him as he then said Punk wasn’t brought back to be champion because he’a a liar than can’t be trusted in that spot. He then said his cousins tell him that Punk bitches and moans ever chance he gets and that he’s not C.M. Punk, he’s just a punk ass bitch. As Reigns was about to leave, Punk stopped him and mentioned how Reigns is all alone these days, including the wise man he took away from him. Punk then said that he’s not just gonna beat him at WrestleMania, he’s gonna bury him. Punk ended the promo by telling Reigns he won’t be all alone anymore because he’s gonna bury him next to his father and walked away.
Analysis:
Once again, these two gave us a fiery back and forth promo that left everyone wanting more. While only having two interactions with each other since the Royal Rumble, Punk and Reigns have been carrying the build for WrestleMania. If there’s one Mania match that people are excited for and rightfully so, it’s this one. Although Punk and Reigns may not be enemies in real life, they do a great job in these segments at making people think that they might be. In all honesty, the tension they create for these segments have been exactly what Raw and the build for WrestleMania needs.
Obviously, the line that stood out here most was Punk telling Reigns that he’s going to bury him next to his father. While many would think that line went too far and perhaps it did, Reigns is guilty of using a similar line on Cody Rhodes during the build for WrestleMania XL. At the end of the day, it was a strong way to close the segment and leave everyone eager to see what happens the next time they cross paths. After Punk mentioned his dad, a line from Reigns talking about Punk’s late dog Larry is inevitable. While the other storylines can still catch up over the next seven weeks, this is the only one so far that really makes it feel like it’s WrestleMania season.
Grade: A
Original El Grande Americano vs. Rayo Americano
This week, Original El Grande Americano went one on one with Rayo Americano. Original Americano went for a Moonsault that he turned into an Ankle Lock after Rayo put his feet up, but Rayo rolled out of it. Original Americano then hit a release Belly to Belly Suplex from the top rope for a near fall. Original Americano was hit with a headbutt by El Grande Americano while the referee was distracted and then Rayo hit a Diving Headbutt for a close near fall. Original Americano then threw Rayo into Bravo as he stood on the apron and hit him with a German Suplex to pick up the win.
Analysis:
While the match here was fine, this storyline is starting to get stale. As it seems like a mask vs. mask match is on the table for WrestleMania, it’s going to be hard to make this feud interesting for another seven weeks. The whole El Grande Americano character was good comedy relief when it first started a year ago, but it’s become clear now that its already peaked. As talented as Chad Gable is and how well he pulled off this gimmick, he deserves to be rewarded once this storyline ends. With that being said, he should be the one to lose his mask once that match does happen so he could move on to something better.
Jimmy Uso vs. Austin Theory
Latest developments:
After Jimmy Uso attacked Austin Theory backstage as he believed The Vision was behind the attack of his brother Jey last week, Jimmy and Theory went one on one later in the night. Theory maintained the advantage until Jimmy clotheslined him over the top rope and hit him with a Suicide Dive. Jimmy was about to hit an Uso Splash onto Theory through the announce table before Logan Paul showed up and Jimmy jumped onto him instead. Paul then attacked Jimmy as he was occupied with Theory to end the match on a disqualification and they proceeded to double team him. As the attack went on, Jey Uso showed up with crutches as he & Jimmy attacked Theory & Paul with them and they then proceeded to lay out Theory with a 1D.
Analysis:
Not much of a match here as it was all used to establish who will be the next challengers for the Usos. Considering that Jey just got attacked last week, they should’ve waited another week or so before they brought him back and just had Jimmy take a beating here. From how this played out, it’s looking like this is going to be the World Tag Title match at WrestleMania. While it’s been great to see the Usos as the champions again, they’ve been lacking a long-term feud since this recent title reign began. With seven weeks until WrestleMania, perhaps this can finally be that consistent feud to help make their reign and the titles as a whole feel more relevant.
Oba Femi and Rusev Brawl
Latest developments:
In the middle of the show, Rusev showed up and got on top of the announce table to call out Oba Femi. Oba came out and he stood in the ring and challenged Rusev to meet him in there. Rusev then climbed into the ring and after a brief stare down, the two exchanged blows. After taking Oba down with several kicks, Femi recovered and hit Rusev with the Wars Rock and then clotheslined him out of the ring. Later in the night, it was announced that the two of them will face each other next week.
Analysis:
As Rusev has barely been on TV the past few months, this is a good spot for him to be in. With Oba running through opponents lately who aren’t much competition, Rusev is the perfect first real test for him. From the brawl they gave us here, these two have the potential to put on some hard-hitting matches. While the outcome to this feud isn’t in doubt, having physical matches like this will only help make the show better. As Oba will likely either face Brock Lesnar or Gunther at WrestleMania, this feud probably won’t be a long one.
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