WWE RAW HITS & MISSES (9/14): Roman Reigns vs. Penta was my favorite televised match of the year, one of the Money in the Bank qualifiers didn’t work, Gable vs. Lee was fantastic

(Note: Jon Mezzera is on vacation, so PWTorch contributor Derrick Hubbard is filling in with this week’s column.)

Opening segment and match: Stephanie Vaquer and the Judgement Day – HIT

The opening talking segment was effective. It did not matter that I didn’t understand Spanish. The intermittent use of English, the mannerisms of the speakers, and the crowd reaction told me everything I needed to know. Stephanie Vaquer’s confidence was especially notable. Maybe it was her comfort speaking in her home language, but she walked with an extra zip in her step, with her chin and chest held higher. This provided evidence that it is not what you say, but how you say it, that makes it effective.

The Judgment Day interrupting the segment was a needed transition to set up the impromptu match. Liv Morgan was her consistently annoying self, but Dominik Mysterio had a more serious tone and mode to his presentation. I hope this is maintained. The arrival of Grande Americano was a welcome surprise for the live crowd and added a touch of specialness to the opening segment. Despite the talking segment being effective, it did feel like it dragged on too long.

As for the match, the crowd energy was high and the action was good. The wrestlers all had pep in their step. It might be going over the top to some, but Grande Americano’s fired-up babyface mannerisms are an ode to the past, and they certainly worked in Mexico. The interference and disqualification finish was disappointing, but the heat at the finish appeared to be directed at The Judgment Day rather than the booking decision, so I will give it a pass. Dominik jerking Rey Mysterio around by his injured neck was deplorable, and the announcers appropriately called attention to it.

One detail the opening segment missed was explaining how Rey injured his neck and why he was wearing the neck brace. The chokeslam by Omos while Rey was tied to the stretcher board during TripleMania was quite the visual, making it worthy of being shown for its shock value as well as providing additional context for the injury.

Men’s Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Austin Theory vs. Big Cass vs. Je’von Evans – HIT

A common trend over the last two years has been using multi-man matches as qualifying matches. Initially, I complained about it, but I now understand the benefits of doing so. First, it gives more people a chance at advancing, possibly allowing dark-horse candidates into the King of the Ring tournament or Money in the Bank match. Second, it provides more mystery regarding who will advance. In a singles match, unless it is an upset or there is a screwjob, you generally have a good idea of who will qualify. In a multi-man format, it is easy to imagine any one or all of the competitors advancing.

These components helped perk my interest in this match. Initially, I thought Je’Von Evans was the likely winner because his style adds the extra athletic element needed in a Money in the Bank match. However, I also thought it was unlikely that Big Cass would lose, let alone be pinned. Additionally, I could imagine a scenario where Austin Theory advances and plays the role of the helper to Bron Breakker in the match.

Though the crowd only seemed lukewarm at times, I thought the action was good. Theory did what he does best: take bumps, sell, and pack a punch when it is time to turn the tide. Cass showed some of the bully-heel traits that could set him apart, though I still see room for improvement in finding his range as a seller. As one of the biggest and most physically imposing men on the roster, he should sell differently than the other competitors. For example, in this match Austin Theory hit him with a forearm and Cass hit the mat like a ton of bricks. That is the sell of someone who is 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, not someone who is over 6-foot-5 and approaching 300 pounds. That remains a work in progress.

As for Je’Von, he brought the energy and did a good job showing some grit and toughness, something he has definitely improved on since moving to the main roster. I especially liked the finishing sequence where Cass got out of the way of Je’Von’s attempted OG Cutter, only for Je’Von to hit it successfully on his second attempt. It was a good finishing sequence to a good match.

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

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Intercontinental Title match: Chad Gable vs. Dragon Lee – HIT

This was a fantastic match and one of my favorites of the year. It was a traditional babyface-versus-babyface match, and although it could have easily become a match about moves accompanied by “This Is Awesome” chants, the way the match was designed and the story they told directed the audience to root for and will Dragon Lee into a great performance.

The construction of the match had Dragon Lee working from underneath, making the necessary comebacks, attempting to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, desperately kicking out of pinfalls, and heroically fighting back. While I believe the Mexican crowd still would have treated Dragon Lee as the babyface regardless, these techniques optimized the scenario and gave the audience more reason to emotionally invest in his performance.

Chad Gable deserves a lot of credit for this. Because of Gable’s involvement, a match that could have been all about pretty high spots instead felt like competitive combat. Both Chad Gable and Dragon Lee found the sweet spot between crisp execution and physical presentation. The result was a match that felt athletic without sacrificing the fundamentals that make a wrestling match emotionally effective.

Women’s Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Kelani Jordan vs. Lola Vice vs. Raquel Rodriguez – MISS

This provided a good example of how a good match is not always a successful match. I thought the point of this contest was to give momentum to Lola Vice as she entered the main roster. Even though the action in the match was fine, maybe even good, I didn’t think Vice was able to create the first impression that would have impressed fans.

Fans appeared to give her a favorable response during her entrance, but the match was not built around highlighting her strengths as much as it needed to be. In fact, I think Kelani Jordan was given a bigger opportunity to shine than Lola. While Lola’s offense was technically crisp, I don’t think her personality was given enough opportunity to shine through. The fast pace of a three-way match did not allow her to embrace her moments and let them resonate with the audience. More importantly, it did not effectively introduce her unique blend of beauty, athleticism, and legitimate combat experience.

Finally, I disliked the finish. If you wanted to introduce Lola Vice strongly, why not have her beat Kelani Jordan with her finish or even beat Raquel Rodriguez with her finish? The roll-up/schoolboy finish not only lacked creativity, but it also allows fans to consider the victory somewhat of a fluke. If the goal was to establish Vice as a new player on the main roster, I don’t think the finish accomplished that.

World Heavyweight Title Match: Roman Reigns vs. Penta – HIT

This was my favorite television match of the year. Part of that is because of the Mexican crowd, but more importantly, it was about the performance of Roman Reigns. For a live crowd that was obviously invested in Penta, Reigns understood exactly how to work the audience.

This match was all about Penta, but the vast majority of my praise will be heaped on the shoulders of Reigns. Penta effectively executed all of his moves, but it was Reigns’ mannerisms, selling, taunting, timing, and prestige that made the match so effective.

The first half of the match was very slow-paced. Some will argue or complain about this, but I saw it as completely purposeful. By taunting the crowd, controlling the pace of the match, badmouthing Penta, and gloating, Reigns built anticipation for Penta’s comeback. When it was time for that comeback to happen, the audience was ready for it.

All of the moves and spots were on point, but Reigns created the foundation to build the walls of a fantastic match. This is another great example of how three or four perfectly executed and flawlessly placed spots can turn a match from good to great. If this match occurred between different competitors or in a different promotion, they would probably do two or three times as much, and it would probably mean less than half as much.

In this case, Roman Reigns and Penta delivered more than I expected, but it was their restraint that set the match apart. Lastly, I appreciate the brave booking of giving Reigns a clean victory, even in Mexico. It was definitely appropriate.