TV Show Review 025 WWE RAW Recap & Review 062717
WWE RAW in Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida 062717 [1993->] 3.5/5
> Running Thread: WWE Championship Title Match
} In Ring + By tying the real life issue of one of the main wrestler of the company (used smartly for the storyline if they asked for his permission to include Roman Reigns' personal problem but purposely burying him if they don't), Seth Rollins played a perfect heel by fitting it to his situation while Dean Ambrose trying to move past the the issue while acting like himself as usual, annoying his former teammate while brandishing his renowned title whenever he can. With the uncertainty of of Reigns' participation for the main event of the next Pay-Per-View, AJ Styles came out to join the fray and announcing his own claim for the title with John Cena came in suit to properly hype the possible of all of them fighting for it but Stephanie McMahon put an end to it with a proposition for the new challengers to possibly joining the main event, that is if they each win their respective match with each of the former SHIELDs.
(+1 to Seth's heel turn and heel mic skills, Dean's acting out with the title & the Franchise's always awesome mic skills, +1 for the surprising inclusion of Cena and Styles' feud into the title storyline, +1 for the Ruthless Aggressor's 14 years career run and still running)
> Running Thread: WWE Women's Championship
1. Paige & Sasha Banks vs Charlotte /Women's Champion\ & Dana Brooke
+ A tag team match to tease the eventual match up between the returning Sasha Banks against the heel champion, Charlotte, with the posse, Dana Brooke, fight in her stead first to the dismay of the title challenger. Her disrespect of her opponent deserved a good slap and a double monkey toss with Paige. Returning from the break, the heels had the upper hand after a cheap shot by the champion with Dana and Charlotte having turns keeping Paige at bay with effective moves (i.e. handstand leg hold & inverted neckbreaker) while playing to Sasha's frustration but the former champion fought out of it and finally successfully tagged in the Brooklyner. The hot tag was going strong with Banks' trademark double knee to Brooke's stomach on the second turnbuckle as a distraction by the Nature Boy's daughter swiftly snuffed out by Paige. A knee to face of the newcomer by Sasha quickly followed by the Backstabber and then the Bank Statement to end the match in her favour.
(Sasha Banks & Paige won by pin fall [Bank Statement], Rating = 3.5/5, Duration = 5m 11s, +1 to Sasha Banks' form and claim to the title)
} Video Package + The upcoming conversion of the Smackdown! show into a live show meant the upcoming WWE Draft on June 19th is vital in crafting the direction of the company by how the resulting rosters would end up on each show. With the split of the wrestlers, they could only fight with the others only on each particular show, which means it has to be balanced by a number of possible call-ups for some of the NXT players as well as possible return for former WWE wrestlers. Since there's only a handful of titles to be fought over and both shows would each have their own PPV event every month, there is a possible introduction for new championships and a possible crossover event for both shows in the future. (+1 for all the possibility for the company and -1 the eventual disappointment of too high of expectation)
> Running Thread: US Championship
2. Rusev /US Champion\ with Lana vs Titus O'neil
+ The feud between these two competitors quickly built up from a simple title match to a bitter rivalry when Rusev began to blindside Titus and then mocking his family at the last main event. It has become a bit too personal for O'neil to remain professional and not straight away punching the champion even before the bell rang. A barrage of attacks by the unhinged father forced the Bulgarian to land a quick clothesline to turn the tide of the match while bragging his prowess to the audiences but after a string of fight back by the American, the champion tried to run away from the fight again. This didn't sit well for Titus and they then collided with a simultaneous clothesline in front of the announcer's table but as the count out continued by the referee, the challenger moved out of the way of the champion quickly and then rolled back into the ring to gain a win against the stranded Rusev.
(Titus O'neil won by count-out, R = 3/5, D = 4m 9s, +1 to the feud)
> Running Thread: WWE Championship
3. Seth Rollins vs John Cena [for the spot to challenge for the WWE title in Battleground]
+ The line was clear on who was the heel and the babyface according to the jeers for Seth Rollins and cheers for John Cena, which was at the highest the latter have received for a long while. With a lot of history between these two particular wrestlers, they both were equally matched as the crowd surprisingly cheered for each of them in turns as the valid title challenger gained the upper hand first but when the possible challenger started to gain momentum, every resistance was countered easily by the agile SHIELD member. The flow of the match started to gain speed as both of them landed a number of hard-hitting moves as John's Tornado DDT quickly followed by a Standing Enzuigiri and an exchange of blows were followed by audience's jeers and cheers for now the opposite wrestlers. With the eagerness to end the match as quickly as possible, Rollins pulled out all the stops with a Powerbomb onto the top turnbuckle and then a Frog Splash that unfortunately missed. Cena's position on the top rope was then quickly taken advantage by with a Superplex and a Falcon's Arrow but it wasn't enough to put down the resilient competitor. A Pedigree attempt was quickly countered by the sheer strength of 'the people's champ' straight into an Attitude Adjustment but the cunning Seth just laid his leg on the bottom rope to break the fall. Another fightback by the smaller wrestler was quickly extinguished by John's STF but his follow-up attempt was disrupted by the arrival of AJ Styles and his two Club members. A quick distraction by the leader at the apron was enough to distract the Cena whom turned straight into the Rollin's Pedigree, effectively costing him the opportunity to fight for the title.
(Seth Rollins won by p/f [Pedigree], Rating = 4.5/5, Duration = 12m 41s, +1 to both forms and the feud between John Cena & the Club)
(Seth Rollins won by p/f [Pedigree], Rating = 4.5/5, Duration = 12m 41s, +1 to both forms and the feud between John Cena & the Club)
+ The ever charismatic Enzo Amore and Big Cass played to the crowd with their trademark opening lines and then requesting a favour for a human wave as they get pumped to quickly dispatch two homegrown amateur wrestlers.
+ The interruption by the returning Social Outcasts was quickly snuffed out by the superior mic skills of the duo and also the big boot of Big Cass.
} Vignette + This ongoing segment of Darren Young seeking advice from Bob Backlund has been going on for months now without going anywhere yet. (0 for not going anywhere with this weird concept)
} Video Package + The collaboration between the Special Olympics and WWE showed their time spent together training in the WWE Performance Center and then presenting them on the entrance. (* KARMA BOOST*)
5. Summer Rae vs Becky Lynch
+ A mistake during the tag team match in the Money in the Bank forced by the team of Charlotte and Dana Brooke caused the match for the team of Natalya and Becky Lynch, pushing the veteran over the edge and lashed out onto the unsuspecting Irish girl. Her sole reason of being disrespected upon by everyone else and Becky just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time coincided with her teammate's constant problem of being back-stabbed by others as well, resulting in her sudden burst of outrage on the unsuspecting Natalya at the commentator's table thus abandoning the match with Summer Rae altogether.
(Abandoned [non match], R = 1/5, D = 00m 00s, +1 to the feud between them, 0 for not giving Natalya her deserved due & for not booking Becky well enough, -1 for another empty booking of a female wrestler)
> Running Thread: the Tumultuous Friendship between Kevin Owens and Sami Zyan
+ The Highlight Reel started with a pompous introduction by Chris Jericho as he welcomed the former friends of Kevin Owens and Sami Zyan whose friendship stretching far back years before the days of NXT until the day they were brought up into the main roster, injury plaguing the latter's debut while the former were able to debut before him and the proceeding attack were caused by misunderstanding and frictions on these particular matter, each blaming each other for the real reason they constantly attacking each other. Last week's attempt to put it to rest was not successful and this meeting was to set up the penultimate match for the bad blood between them at Battleground, but that was before the constant attention seeker Chris Jericho had to run his mouth and rubbing each of them the wrong way, earning him a double superkick to the face.
(+1 to the feud, +1 for both mic skills, +1 to the phenomenon that is Jericho)
> Running Thread: WWE Intercontinental Championship
6. the Miz /Intercontinental Champion\with Maryse vs Kane
+ It's a delightful surprise for his surprise challenger to be Kane whom counterpart actually set up this match himself. This match of returning wrestlers started with the eager and not too scared champion ran straight into the behemoth, trying to tire him down by keeping the offense on his leg but it was to no avail. The seasoned veteran of the industry executed some of his vintage moves as if he's never left. When the challenger was lining up for his finisher, the champion's wife tried to interfere but theatrically fell on the apron and stayed down, the concerned spouse came to her and carried the 'injured' partner all the way to the back thus counting himself out and still retain the title in the process to the chagrin of the Demon.
(Kane won by c/o [without the title], R = 2.5/5, D = 03m 28s, +1 to the return of Kane, 0 for the audacity to got out of the championship match with a horribly acted ploy, but it was definitely in character)
} Backstage + The ruse was up as Maryse revealed it to the Miz and they were certainly match made in heaven as they celebrated their success in fooling the challenger. (+1 to their partnership)
+ The ever eager Apollo Crews trying to lay his hands on the arrogant Sheamus but the visible frictions between the former WWE champions made it a difficult start for them with Cesaro leading the exchange early on. When the Mexican gained the momentum back, the Irish straight away tagged himself in and ignore him for the rest of the match, making him stressed even more. When the Swiss countered him with the combination of his agility, strength and technique, they both were forced to tag in their teammates but when Crews started to fight back, del Rio threw him out of the ring and took the chance to slap Sheamus on the face and an Enzuigiri to the back of the head just for good measure as a retaliation for the earlier treatment. The sole American took advantage by giving the redhead a taste of his own medicine, now kicking the steel case onto him unsuspectingly and finished him off with a Spinning Sit-up Powerbomb.
} Backstage + Jojo interviewing the laidback WWE champion, Dean Ambrose, who had to face AJ Styles next as well as the animosity coming from Stephanie McMahon who wasn't here last week. (+1 to Dean's smooth charisma & to Stephanie's disdain of the new champion which is appropriate for her character)
> Running Thread: WWE Tag Team Championship
+ The sudden cut usually reserved for the Wyatt Family unexpectedly panning to the New Day disguised as them in their own unique and funny way. Although they were all running their mouths on their adversaries, Xavier Woods didn't appear that enthusiastic as his teammates since last week's mesmerizing encounter. Even when the Family finally showed up, the spooked New Day member didn't back up the other two who stood their grounds and exchanging words with them, which Bray Wyatt noticed and further coaxing him to his side.
(+1 to this interesting feud, to the good contrast of positivity and destruction & the slow turning of Xavier and their teammates' obliviousness to it)
> Running Thread: WWE World Heavyweight Championship
8. Dean Ambrose /WWE Champion\ vs AJ Styles [for the spot to challenge for the WWE title in Battleground]
+ With the talkative Seth Rollins as the guest commentator, both of the competitors in the ring were quiet evenly matched but the knee to the face on the apron gained AJ Styles the upper hand whom landing down some hard-hitting moves, that was until Dean Ambrose used his agility to his advantage to stop his advances. The champion kept the momentum going in his favour as he kept the challenger at bay with a number of resistance quickly snuffed out but a failed high risk maneuver led to two quick pin fall attempts which was then countered into a Modified Facebuster. Styles's high risk attempt was also foiled by the counter of Modified Suplex off the top turnbuckle but then again Ambrose was also countered with a Modified Powerbomb, leaving everything at level playing field again.
The string of counters continued, now against Dean's Dirty Deed attempt and then AJ's wherewithal to target his left leg which he followed up with the Calf Crusher. It was only for mere seconds but he left a lasting effect on him although the Lunatic Fringe was still going strong, jumping through the rope and his trademark spring-off-clothesline. When it was just about to go his way, out came the rest of the Club's members to disrupt the match, which they did by distracting Ambrose long enough for the Phenomenal One to land a Modified Brainbuster if only for just a close fall. To level things up, John Cena appeared to level things up, subdued the distracting members while in turns distracted the fighting one in the ring with the champion taking full opportunity with the Dirty Deed. The post-match beatdown of the two babyfaces could be foreshadowing their fate for the future
8. Dean Ambrose /WWE Champion\ vs AJ Styles [for the spot to challenge for the WWE title in Battleground]
+ With the talkative Seth Rollins as the guest commentator, both of the competitors in the ring were quiet evenly matched but the knee to the face on the apron gained AJ Styles the upper hand whom landing down some hard-hitting moves, that was until Dean Ambrose used his agility to his advantage to stop his advances. The champion kept the momentum going in his favour as he kept the challenger at bay with a number of resistance quickly snuffed out but a failed high risk maneuver led to two quick pin fall attempts which was then countered into a Modified Facebuster. Styles's high risk attempt was also foiled by the counter of Modified Suplex off the top turnbuckle but then again Ambrose was also countered with a Modified Powerbomb, leaving everything at level playing field again.
The string of counters continued, now against Dean's Dirty Deed attempt and then AJ's wherewithal to target his left leg which he followed up with the Calf Crusher. It was only for mere seconds but he left a lasting effect on him although the Lunatic Fringe was still going strong, jumping through the rope and his trademark spring-off-clothesline. When it was just about to go his way, out came the rest of the Club's members to disrupt the match, which they did by distracting Ambrose long enough for the Phenomenal One to land a Modified Brainbuster if only for just a close fall. To level things up, John Cena appeared to level things up, subdued the distracting members while in turns distracted the fighting one in the ring with the champion taking full opportunity with the Dirty Deed. The post-match beatdown of the two babyfaces could be foreshadowing their fate for the future
(Dean Ambrose won by p/f [Dirty Deed], R = 4.5/5, D = 12m 26s, +1 for the entertaining match, +1 to both wrestlers' forms, +1 for the interesting commentary by Seth Rollins with his own conflicted thoughts on the match & +1 to the feud between the Club and John Cena)
"..."
(WWE Channel, Rating - TV-PG, Founded 02211980, Episodes >>, Founders Vince & Linda McMahon, Duration - 2 hrs 15+ mnts, Genre - Wrestling, Action, Drama, Comedy, WWE Universe, Violence)
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