{"id":78501,"date":"2019-04-22T14:42:42","date_gmt":"2019-04-22T19:42:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=78501"},"modified":"2019-04-22T14:46:29","modified_gmt":"2019-04-22T19:46:29","slug":"wwe-raw-primer-4-22-the-rosters-settle-rollins-challenger-creepy-things-the-lady-aims-for-the-man-miz-and-shane","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2019\/04\/22\/wwe-raw-primer-4-22-the-rosters-settle-rollins-challenger-creepy-things-the-lady-aims-for-the-man-miz-and-shane\/","title":{"rendered":"WWE RAW PRIMER 4\/22: The rosters settle, Rollins challenger, Creepy things, The Lady aims for The Man, Miz and Shane"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-3733683915\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><h3>WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW PRIMER<br \/>\nAPRIL 22, 2019<br \/>\nDES MOINES, IA. AT THE WELLS FARGO ARENA<br \/>\nAIRS ON USA NETWORK, 8:00PM EST<br \/>\nBY FRANK PETEANI (@FrankPeteani), PWTORCH SPECIALIST<\/h3>\n<p><em>Announcers: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Renee Young<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Arena and Items Advertised by WWE<\/h3>\n<p>The Superstar Shakeup is complete, and we know can settle down into business as usual (no, we\u2019re not on the road to next year\u2019s WrestleMania ok. Stop with that, please.). WrestleMania and all the festivities are behind us and we can focus on the \u201cnew year\u201d of WWE. It is a new year of sorts, but I can\u2019t call it the road to next year\u2019s WrestleMania because stuff that happens within the next few months will have nothing to do with next year\u2019s show, let\u2019s be honest. Nevertheless, Raw returns to the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, IA. for the first time since before last year\u2019s WrestleMania. The arena opened for business in 2005 and has hosted many WWE events including the now-defunct reincarnation of ECW, which became NXT. Not to digress, but it\u2019s funny how the concept of today\u2019s NXT was very similar to what WWE\u2019s version of ECW (2006-2010) became as most new-hire talent went to that brand and \u201cdeveloped\u201d before moving onto Raw or Smackdown.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what\u2019s advertised for tonight\u2019s show:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Matches &amp; Segments:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>None at the moment<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Storyline Follow-Up:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Shaken and stirred (will the show have a James Bond theme? They said it, not me.)<\/li>\n<li>Will a new superstar emerge as Seth Rollins\u2019 next challenger?<\/li>\n<li>What creepy force is infiltrating WWE?<\/li>\n<li>Lacey Evans calls for The Man<\/li>\n<li>Does the Miz have unfinished business with Shane McMahon?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>The Shakeup Settles<\/h3>\n<p>The shakeup is complete, and we get ready to roll on into new business on both Raw and Smackdown. In case you missed it, here are the new tenants of Raw:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A.J. Styles<\/li>\n<li>The Miz<\/li>\n<li>Ricochet<\/li>\n<li>Aleister Black<\/li>\n<li>NXT Tag Team Champions War Raiders (Hanson &amp; Rowe) who suddenly became The Viking Experience (Ivar &amp; Erik). I think Vince took Erick from Erick Rowan so he could use it here.<\/li>\n<li>Andrade<\/li>\n<li>Zelina Vega<\/li>\n<li>Rey Mysterio<\/li>\n<li>The Usos (Jimmy &amp; Joey)<\/li>\n<li>Naomi<\/li>\n<li>EC3<\/li>\n<li>Lacey Evans<\/li>\n<li>Eric Young (whom we didn\u2019t see on TV but rather was just introduced in a graphic)<\/li>\n<li>Cedric Alexander<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Last week we saw A.J. Styles be the mystery partner of Universal Champion Seth Rollins &amp; Roman Reigns (now of Smackdown) take on the \u201cThree That Bore Me\u201d in Baron Corbin &amp; Bobby Lashley &amp; Drew McIntyre. Andrade, with Zelina Vega in his corner, defeated Intercontinental Champion Finn Balor (now of Smackdown) in a non-title match. EC3 was decimated in a no-contest by Braun Strowman. The Miz attacked Shane McMahon who joined his sister Stephanie at the onset of the show to set the stage for the Superstar Shakeup, sort of. Rey Mysterio interrupted Elias (now of Smackdown) who was subsequently attacked by Lars Sullivan (now of Smackdown). Anybody\u2019s head hurt yet? The Usos defeated Bobby Roode &amp; Chad Gable. Gable was split off and moved to Smackdown in a move announced on WWE.com. Lacey Evans defeated Natalya in a #1 contender\u2019s match for the Raw Women\u2019s Championship held by Becky Lynch. The Viking Experience paired with The Revival and defeated Raw Tag Team Champions Curt Hawkins &amp; Zack Ryder and Ricochet &amp; Aleister Black (whom the announcers weren\u2019t sure were on Raw at the moment. Was it the Superstar Shakeup or not?!?!). Naomi teamed with Bayley (now of Smackdown) and defeated WWE Women\u2019s Tag Team Champions The IIconics in a non-title match.<\/p>\n<p>Multiple reports have U.S. Champion Samoa Joe moving to Raw after Balor took the IC Title to Smackdown. He would have been on Raw last week, but was sick, also according to multiple reports.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-2253374429\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Tonight, we\u2019ll start to see new feuds unfold and start the \u201cnew year\u201d in WWE.<\/p>\n<p><em>Frank\u2019s Analysis: Much of the moves were what I expected. The wrestler that benefitted the most would be Seth Rollins as you get him and Reigns apart for the first time in their entire main roster run. Reigns would have overshadowed Rollins\u2019 title run had he stayed on Raw. I was a bit surprised to see the Revival stay on Raw but a feud with the Usos could be in the offing, if that\u2019s even good for the Revival. I had hoped Ricochet and Black would split up, but it seems they\u2019ll be in a tag team for the time being. Bobby Lashley could have perhaps benefitted from a move, but then again nobody wanted to see more matches with Finn Balor. Do I need to talk about the Viking Experience? I hope watching the Vikings hasn\u2019t been ruined for Wade Keller and Jason Powell. It could have been worse; they could have been renamed the Giant Experience which would have ruined my viewing of my beloved N.Y. Giants. Cedric Alexander could be the dark horse in this shakeup, but I also thought they\u2019d do something with Apollo Crews. I would be interested to see if A.J. remains a babyface as he could be in line at some point as an opponent for Rollins for the Universal title. They could also revisit he and Samoa Joe which I suppose has some legs left. I\u2019d leave Joe on Smackdown though as that roster got oddly purged, which is strange in advance of the FOX move. I\u2019ll give my thoughts on that show in tomorrow\u2019s primer.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Can anyone explain what they did with the Raw women\u2019s division? Your faces are Sasha Banks (who knows where she is), Naomi, Natalya, and Dana Brooke. Your heels are Ronda Rousey (on an \u201cimpregnation vacation\u201d), Alexa Bliss, Lacey Evans, Ruby Riott, Sarah Logan, Tamina, Zelina Vega, Alicia Fox (barely there), Brie &amp; Nikki Bella (both retired), and Nia Jax (injured). Liv Morgan is off to Smackdown which virtually breaks up the Riott Squad (not that they were doing much collectively). I suppose Zelina Vega could get more of a wrestling role and you can turn either Ruby or Alexa, both of which could use a babyface turn. Nikki Cross wasn\u2019t even assigned a show, but word is according to her Instagram account that she\u2019ll be on Raw.<\/p>\n<h3>Universal Champion Seth Rollins\u2019 Next Challenger<\/h3>\n<p>This was advertised last week as a storyline for follow-up, but likely pushed to the side with the Superstar Shakeup.<\/p>\n<p>Universal Champion Seth Rollins now \u201cstands alone\u201d as Dean Ambrose is leaving WWE and Roman Reigns is now a resident of Smackdown. For the first time since their call-up in 2012, Rollins has nobody from the Shield on the same show. There was a brief time from the onset of the roster split in July 2016-April 2017 where the Shield was not together as Ambrose was a member of Smackdown while Rollins and Reigns resided on Raw. Rollins had recently returned from knee surgery at the time while Reigns was coming off his third WWE World Heavyweight Championship run, a wellness policy violation, and getting involved in the U.S. Championship picture.<\/p>\n<p>Money in the Bank is around the corner and thus we can expect a new challenger to emerge for the Universal Championship.<\/p>\n<p><em>Frank\u2019s Analysis: I would suspect it would be someone over whom Rollins can get a solid victory or two. Assuming he is expected to hold the championship until SummerSlam and perhaps beyond, Baron Corbin or Bobby Lashley come to mind. It was interesting to see Lashley take all the finishers from Reigns, Rollins, and A.J. last week if there\u2019s even anything into which we can read. Drew McIntyre is possible too, although I\u2019m hesitant to get behind him, as much as I want to, since his push seems to start &amp; stop &amp; start &amp; stop. Andrade isn\u2019t a crazy choice, although I see him more as a Money in the Bank winner candidate at the moment. It\u2019s anyone\u2019s guess at the moment, especially here immediately following WrestleMania.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Creepy Things<\/h3>\n<p>For the past several weeks we have gotten a creepy promo showing something popping out of a box and laughing in a sinister way. In case you haven\u2019t seen it, don\u2019t worry I\u2019ve included a clip for your viewing pleasure:<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-3622926612\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>https:\/\/youtu.be\/jqnUue0UaMk<\/p>\n<p>And there\u2019s the scary doll promo:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Bray Wyatt Returns? Part 2 - Scary Doll\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7QsyJgELtkE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a lot of talk that this could be portending the return Bray Wyatt, whom we haven\u2019t seen since he and \u201cWoken\u201d Matt Hardy dropped the Raw Tag Team Championship to the B-Team (Curtis Axel and Bray\u2019s brother Bo Dallas).<\/p>\n<p><em>Frank\u2019s Analysis: I\u2019m sorry but this ain\u2019t cuttin\u2019 the mustard. I was in the building for Smackdown in Brooklyn following WrestleMania and this video got no reaction. If it is Bray Wyatt, you can\u2019t get all that excited. They did everything through the years to make him scary and creepy and all he did was lose feuds, so what makes you believe he\u2019s any sort of threat despite the creepy videos. Does Kizarny ring a bell? How about Mordecai? How did those creepy vignettes work out for those guys? Tell me about all of their success, I\u2019ll be right over here.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>The Lady and the Man<\/h3>\n<p>Last week, Lacey Evans told us how she \u201ccurried favor\u201d to get a number one contender\u2019s match against Natalya in an effort to challenge Becky Lynch for the Raw Women\u2019s Championship. By the way, at least she made it clear she was on Raw. What was going on with the announcers knowing about some people being on the show but not others, such as Ricochet and Aleister Black?<\/p>\n<p>Nonetheless, Lacey would go on to defeat Natalya and is now the #1 contender. She had interrupted Natalya who had been talking to Becky in the ring, congratulating her but reminding her she was the \u201cbest there is, best there was, and best there ever will be\u201d much to the chagrin of the Montreal crowd.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll just let some Becky tweets take it from here:<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/beckylynchwwe\/status\/1118610242806403072?s=21<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/beckylynchwwe\/status\/1117988127145066496?s=21<\/p>\n<p>Lacey and Natalya had a few exchanges:<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/laceyevanswwe\/status\/1119662564500213760?s=21<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/laceyevanswwe\/status\/1119663767447588867?s=21<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/laceyevanswwe\/status\/1119683037372059653?s=21<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re not done yet. Alexa Bliss and Becky got into it, which also sucked in Ember Moon now of Smackdown:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Really bex &#8230; I\u2019m sure me having career threatening injury is really funny for you &#8230; you know how they say don\u2019t bite the hands that feeds you? .. maybe don\u2019t bite the hand that made you relevant. When all I had to do was debut  <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BeckyLynchWWE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@BeckyLynchWWE<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/cn9kp1rsxX\">https:\/\/t.co\/cn9kp1rsxX<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Lexi (Kaufman) Cabrera (@AlexaBliss_WWE) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AlexaBliss_WWE\/status\/1118675114323791873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 18, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Geez &quot;Man&quot;<br \/>It&#39;s one thing to make idle threats as the glorified internet troll you are, but you  mocking a near career ending injury is proving you are a bully. You are just scum that needs to be taken down a notch. I&#39;ll happily oblige.<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Athena is ROH and All Elite! (@AthenaPalmer_FG) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AthenaPalmer_FG\/status\/1118667079387951104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 18, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><em>Frank\u2019s Analysis: Who needs promos and analysis when you can just read Twitter? I don\u2019t have much to add here other than Lacey getting the #1 contender\u2019s spot is mostly fine, but if it\u2019s me I\u2019d hold off for a while and let her get some wins. Unfortunately, that\u2019s not how WWE does business. When Vince has a new \u201ctoy\u201d it\u2019s boom, right in the title picture. She certainly came a way and could benefit from working with Becky, but it\u2019s not a slam dunk. On the other hand, there\u2019s potential there with her look and she\u2019s got a nice little swagger to her.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Unfinished Business for Miz and Shane McMahon<\/h3>\n<p>Stephanie McMahon opened Raw and introduced her brother Shane. The two embraced (how cute). They discussed the Superstar Shakeup by saying anybody can end up on Raw and Smackdown and we were on the road to next year\u2019s WrestleMania. The Miz came out to the announcers acknowledging he was now on Raw to attack Shane, and the two went at it. It looks like their feud from Smackdown will continue as it stands at 1-0 in favor of Shane after their match at WrestleMania.<\/p>\n<p>Frank\u2019s Analysis: So, is Stephanie back to being a heel authority figure since she embraced her recently turned-heel brother? These people just do whatever they want and don\u2019t care how their characters are viewed on screen. Also, wouldn\u2019t they have had the rosters decided on the day of the Superstar Shakeup? What\u2019s with the anybody could show up tonight or tomorrow bit? As far as Miz and Shane goes let\u2019s get Miz his win back and move on. Their feud is mostly fine, but we don\u2019t need Shane in the ring anymore, bottom line.<\/p>\n<h3>Other Possible Items for Tonight<\/h3>\n<p>With Chad Gable\u2019s move to Smackdown, look to see what\u2019s next for Bobby Roode. He\u2019s long overdue for a heel run. It may or may not be too late, but it\u2019s better than not trying. His heel run in NXT was something on which WWE should have capitalized.<\/p>\n<p>Sami Zayn cut another crowd-hating promo in his hometown of Montreal on A Moment of Bliss. I tweeted while watching that these types of characters don\u2019t have a long shelf-life, and I still feel that way. I think Sami has more to offer, but I\u2019m not sure WWE feels the same way. Alexa acted babyface-like as Sami was going off and thus you wonder if a turn is in the offing. The babyface side of the ledger on Raw does not look strong for the women.<\/p>\n<p>EC3 was crushed by Braun Strowman in a no-contest. Look for an actual match and his continued odd burial.<\/p>\n<p>Sasha Banks is technically still on Raw, although she obviously hasn\u2019t been on the show since WrestleMania. Bayley is now on Smackdown. There has been a lot of discussion regarding Sasha\u2019s unhappiness with the company. She and Bayley were told at the last minute, apparently, that they were dropping the women\u2019s tag championships at WrestleMania and splitting up. This was contrary to what they believed, which was they were going to have a lengthy run with the championships. I wasn\u2019t as sympathetic initially but given how Sasha has been booked through the years, I can understand her frustration. Her overall booking is the issue.<\/p>\n<h3>Start Time &amp; Matches Advertised on the Arena Website<\/h3>\n<p>The Wells Fargo Arena\u2019s website advertises a start time of 6:30 p.m. They advertise a six-man tag match featuring Seth Rollins &amp; Braun Strowman &amp; A.J. Styles vs. Baron Corbin &amp; Bobby Lashley &amp; Drew McIntyre. They show Miz, Alexa Bliss, The Usos, Rey Mysterio, and \u201cmany more\u201d appearing. At least they have the rosters correct.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>Follow Frank on Twitter @FrankPeteani. Questions and discussion are welcome. Thank you for reading!<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-4137995483\"><div id=\"pwtor-89444844\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW PRIMER APRIL 22, 2019 DES MOINES, IA. AT THE WELLS FARGO ARENA AIRS ON USA NETWORK, 8:00PM EST BY FRANK PETEANI (@FrankPeteani), PWTORCH SPECIALIST Announcers: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Renee Young <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2019\/04\/22\/wwe-raw-primer-4-22-the-rosters-settle-rollins-challenger-creepy-things-the-lady-aims-for-the-man-miz-and-shane\/\" title=\"WWE RAW PRIMER 4\/22: The rosters settle, Rollins challenger, Creepy things, The Lady aims for The Man, Miz and Shane\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5678,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,52,4354,27,5893,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78501","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-prowrestlingnews","category-opnionandanalysis","category-raw-primer","category-specialists","category-tvprimers","category-news_wwe"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/MizWK2_3x2_600.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78501","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78501"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78501\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":78512,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78501\/revisions\/78512"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5678"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78501"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}