SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
Opening Segment – HIT: Raw got off to a good start with the segment involving Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman, and Oba Femi. The pre-taped sit-down interview with Lesnar was very strong. His explanation was perfect. He was genuine in his retirement in the moment after losing to Femi at WrestleMania, but that hasn’t sit well with him, so he wants to end his career on a higher note. Femi was also strong when he confronted Heyman in the ring to accept the challenge and sign the contract for the rematch at Clash in Italy. The only problem I had with the segment was how Femi threatened to kill Lesnar. No, he isn’t going to kill anyone. That line didn’t ruin the segment which was so good before that, but it did end it on a very negative note.
Penta vs. Evans – HIT: This was a very good, high energy, fun match to watch from start to finish. Je’von Evans got some very believable near falls on Penta to almost win the Intercontinental Championship. I am intrigued by Evans showing more of an edge afterwards. A heel turn would be a huge mistake, but presenting him in a little more serious manner while still keeping some of his fun whimsy might be a difficult balance to find, but I feel like it would be the best for keeping him over with a larger part of the audience.
Knight – Uso – HIT: It is interesting how LA Knight is a babyface who is 100 against Roman Reigns and the Bloodline. He wants to be friends with and support the Usos, but he isn’t happy that they are falling back into their old Bloodline habits with Jacob Fatu. There is some nuance here which is working, similar to the nuance in the way that Knight and Montez Ford have remained skeptical of Seth Rollins since his return from injury. Here, Knight had a good in ring dialogue with Jimmy Uso, which worked without the hotheaded Jey Uso present. I am very curious to see where this all goes.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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Rollins vs. Ford – HIT: Speaking of Rollins and Ford, they had a good match to hash out their differences. Afterwards, when Austin Theory attacked Angelo Dawkins with the chair, we saw Rollins and Ford finally make peace, in order to work together for Dawkins against The Vision. The match was fun to watch, and told the story of Ford hanging with a top star in Rollins. The chair shot on the ground to Dawkins’ head was terrible. The one that Theory gave to Joe Hendry on the ring post earlier in the show was so much better. I can’t believe WWE actually showed a replay of this one where the chair wasn’t anywhere near Dawkins’ head. Moving past that, the match and the angle worked well to advance the story. Due to the injury to Logan Paul, the injury-plagued Vision continues to seem cursed. They’ve smartly moved Knight away from the Vision, but now you have four potential babyfaces in Rollins, Hendry, and The Street Profits against the two Vision members which does’t work. If two of them are out for awhile with concussions, then it can work for a few weeks.
No Rucca – MISS: It was disappointing that WWE didn’t have Sol Rucca on this week’s show to follow up on her match against Becky Lynch at Saturday Night’s Main Event, while hyping the rematch at the PLE on Sunday. We got a good interview with Lynch, but that wasn’t enough. This is a huge opportunity for Rucca so early in her Raw career. So, what does it mean to her? How will she keep Becky from escaping with the IC Title considering how she escaped from their non-title match on Saturday?
Rusev vs. Mysterio – HIT: Penta wanted to defend his IC Title against Rey Mysterio, but I liked the idea that Rey would have to earn that Title shot. Ethan Page was good in stirring the pot with Mysterio, Adam Pearce and Rusev to set up this #1 contender match. The match itself was good with Mysterio getting the win over Rusev. The post-match attack from Rusev and Page leading to Dragon Lee making the save worked well. That should set up a good tag match in the near future, while continuing to hype the eventual Mysterio vs. Penta IC Title match.
Closing Segment – MISS: The performances from Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu were good in this closing segment officially setting up their Tribal Combat match for Sunday. My issue is that I don’t care about the tribal chief stuff at this point. I liked the idea of Reigns vs. Fatu when it started after WM, but not as much because of the family dynamic. The match structure leads to shenanigans which will be disappointing. I don’t want to see either of these guys as subservient to the other. So, if one has to acknowledge the other, that isn’t great for their character. I wish they were moving beyond the Bloodline at this point.
(Jon Mezzera is PWTorch.com’s WWE Raw Hits & Misses Specialist, providing his point of view for Raw each week. Email him at jmezz_torch@yahoo.com. Follow him on BlueSky @jonmezzera.bsky.social.)
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