JM: Is WWE RAW Better Than Sleep? 16/09

Good morning ladies and gentlemen and welcome to a brand new feature here at NODQ.com. For now, we’ll call it “Better Than Sleep?” but feel free to suggest snappier titles in the comments. For the vast majority of you who aren’t familiar with my writing, it’s worth noting that I live in Merry Old England. So, while you may be enjoying a casual Monday evening viewing, I’m writing this at 2am. We’re live from Portland, Oregon and the question must be asked:

So, Monday Night Raw… will you be better than sleep? MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS.

CM Punk

It’s a strong start. I am unashamedly and forever on Team Punk, and a big fan of that starting style. We’re used to the credits-style unveiling of the cast, going straight from that to the ring is a nice touch. Suitably serious beginning from Punk, recapping the rivalry thus far with the tone of a blood feud while also highlighting the severity of a Hell in a Cell match. The last decade or so has seen HiaC seriously de-valued with a plethora of them thrown at us for the sake of gimmick pay-per-views. It feels like another big plus of the Triple H era that we’re having them re-established as a huge deal.

It’s classic Punk. A few extremely high-quality lines, an undeniably engaging and skilled promo style, and a perfectly delivered sign-off. Whether you love him or hate him, I honestly don’t think anyone can dispute his talent. It’s probably not the most controversial opinion to start with but I love this rivalry. It’ll be sad to see it end… but I can’t wait to see the final match.

Sheamus vs Pete Dunne

Jacked Beaker is here and he’s warmed the crowd up nicely for the opening bout. Pete Dunne becoming “my Butch” is a lovely little line, well played fella. Although, as a proud Irishman, I have to ask: has anyone ever seen a shillelagh outside of Finlay, Hornswoggle, or Sheamus? We get a predictably well-told story, and that’s not a bad thing… that’s a good thing. It’s hard-hitting, plenty of counters, and a nice story being told of Sheamus’ crowd-work getting in Dunne’s head. As an Englishman, I’m obviously a huge fan of a cricket bat being a finisher.

This felt like a pay-off match, and it’s a testament to the Triple H era that we get these on Raw. With only 5 matches per PLE, at least 3 of which are likely to be for the World/Women’s titles, there’s a real challenge being laid out to the wrestlers. If you want an invitation to the big dance, you’d better get yourself and your rivalry over. If you’re not one of the Top 5 come PLE time, you’ll have to make down with Raw or Smackdown.

Natalya vs Zoey Stark

She’s had a phenomenal career and is rightly hailed as an excellent in-ring performer, but I just don’t care about Natalya. In the interest of balance, “Pure Fusion Collective” is one of the worst names a faction has ever been given. Emotional investment or not, I grew up in an era where mainstream women’s wrestling was very rarely taken seriously. These two are as smooth as the best kind of peanut butter, and I wouldn’t have hated that match being given more time. Felt like half the match took place during the adverts.

Jey Uso x Bron Breakker

The man is over, I’ll give him credit. The “Yeet Movement” just doesn’t land with me, it’s a slightly different combination of “What?” and “Yes!”, but maybe I’m just getting old. You can’t deny the crowd reactions though and in terms of pure emotional connection with the fans Uso is primed and ready to be a top-tier star. Jey is cut short by Bron Breakker, another man who is starting to look every single bit of a star (a wrestling star, yes, but also TV star David Dickinson). A solid exchange ends in a spear, and for me it’s another effective, watchable segment on what has been a very solid, watchable episode so far.

It’s pernickety yes, but I’m not a fan of Bron Breakker being referred to as both a “Dogg” and a “Bad Ass”. That combination has a special place in my heart and I don’t need someone else trying to steal their good name.

The Battle of The Days

I bloody love the special introduction they give title matches now. Is it obvious I’m a fan of the Triple H era? I’m struggling to see any logic behind a title change but it’s The New Day, perennially over and always able to make you believe. This should be fun.

Both of those predictions come true within 10 minutes. It’s a fun match, some really strong action, and The New Day make me believe (twice) that they’re on the cusp of winning the titles. A paint-by-numbers example of how to make the losing team look strong while keeping the belts (and the emphasis) on the pack mentality of Judgement Day.

The dissolution of New Day is teased again with Woods pissed at Kofi for showboating, followed by an angry backstage segment between the two. It’s hard to imagine WWE without New Day, but if this is the end I’m here for it. There’s nothing left for them to accomplish as a team and as Mick Foley says, a heel should always feel like he’s justified; it’s easy to see those seeds being planted for Woods.

Wyatt Sicks Segment

I won’t be going over every single backstage segment but we get another cryptic Wyatt Sicks video. Honestly, I’m still not sure what to make of them, but I’m still interested enough to follow the QR code so you don’t have to. Unless you enjoy Geocities-style websites and crap poetry. There’s a lot to sift through here, so I won’t try to cover it now.

Bronson Reed vs Brawn Strowman

Monster v Monster. This won’t be Ospreay vs Danielson, that’s for sure. Surprisingly little reaction for Strowman’s entrance but that’s more an indicator of inconsistent booking than his ability to connect… and as I’m writing, the top rope snaps. That was certainly not something I had on my Raw Bingo card. Nor was Bronson Reed launching a ‘fan’ at Strowman. Now we’re in an old-school backstage brawl that ends with Strowman going through a table after overturning a golf cart.

Hang on, we’re not done yet! Strowman smashes Reed through a wall. Okay, NOW we’re finished. Y’know what? I loved it. It was unpredictable, it was chaotic, and the crowd responded. Are these two on their way to a PLE? I wouldn’t bet against it if they can keep this momentum up. That was excellent.

Sami Zayn

Say his name and he appears… Ludwig Kaiser and Adam Pearce discuss Sami Zayn’s potential as a challenger to Gunther and his entrance kicks in on the screen behind them. These little production quirks keep every segment interesting and I love it.

Just like Jey Uso, Sami Zayn has built an incredibly strong emotional bond with the audience. Almost as if that ‘Bloodline’ story was quite successful, isn’t it? The man deserves a world title reign at some point, but his character is so contingent on his ‘underdog’ status that the timing needs to be perfect. It’s a decent enough segment, with Sami defending his abilities and trying to get into Kaiser’s head, but it’s lacking something… and as I write that, The Champ Is Here. A little tease for a Kaiser face turn but no, it’s time to beat up Sami and the challenge is refused.

If I’m being honest, I’m not bought into this as a match. For all the credit I give Triple H, the emphasis on long title reigns breeds a lot less jeopardy for the monthly PLE defence. I never believed Owens was going to beat Rhodes, and despite their history (and Sami’s ability to connect with the crowd) I don’t believe Zayn will beat Gunther. He’s being built up as an effective underdog again but does anyone really see Gunther losing after two months? Maybe they’ll change my mind before they meet, and I’ll continue to watch with an open mind, but at the moment it’s missing the mark for me.

Shout-out to Kaiser’s facial hair and Gunther wearing dress shoes without socks. I love it when a heel adds little, hateable details to their character and both of those hit the mark perfectly.

Bianca Belair vs Iyo Sky

Another fantastic start to a women’s match, with Iyo Sky trying to prove she’s the co-EST of the WWE. Belair is ridiculous. The power, athleticism, and charisma this woman possesses is of the charts. No disrespect to Iyo Sky, who is also a phenomenal athlete in her own right, but Bianca has that unteachable je ne sais quoi that makes her a star. Match of the night so far for me, 100% worth stopping for if you’re skipping through the episode. Beautifully paced with some excellent high spots, and a surprising win for Sky that keeps both competitors looking strong. Loved it.

MAIN EVENT: Dominik Mysterio vs Damian Priest

It’s been rumoured WWE are getting a new music producer; PLEASE let that be true. Damian Priest is over with the crowd, but his music brings absolutely nothing to the table. Generic metal with no big impact is not how you get your entrance over, and it’s one of the few things that is sorely lacking from his gimmick.

Surprisingly quiet crowd for a Dirty Dom match but they’re still invested; it’s more of a testament to the deafening heat he’s accustomed to receiving. It’s a good match, plenty of heat and a couple of lovely little call-backs to the rivalry so far. Priest continues to look like a main event star, though it’s a little surprisingly that he earns such a clean win with the whole Judgement Day at ringside.

Sure enough, the pack mentality kicks in straight after the bell rings and we get the traditional big beatdown of the Terror Twins. There’s so much money on the table for Ripley vs Mysterio it’s unreal, every time she gets her hands on him the crowd goes nuts. Jey Uso comes out to make the save and is immediately taken out by Bron Breakker. Makes perfect sense and allows Judgement Day to conduct a mega-beatdown without interruption. The heels stand tall as we go off air.

Final Thoughts

Every single backstage segment tonight served a purpose, whether that was to set up a match for the evening, next week, or hint at future tension like Strowman/Miz. It’s a little thing but it feels like a big improvement from years gone by. I’ve been back and watched some of the 2010 Raw episodes… it was borderline unwatchable at times. Now, every minute of television is treated as important and used to keep the roster over.

For the sake of balance, let me add: I cannot bloody wait until Raw goes back down to 2 hours. Whether it’s a long-term change remains to be seen, but 3 feels like a slog even when the show has been generally very good. I’m interested to know if you feel that on the other side of the pond; it’s 4am here, so feels pretty natural that I’d be flagging!

Finally, if you’re still with me thank you for reading – I’d like this to be an evolving brief, so feel free to chime in with suggestions and thoughts in the comments. I won’t be grading every match or show other than to ask the question:

Was Raw worth staying up for?

This week, I’m saying yes. Every match was to a high standard, every segment kept the stories moving, and I didn’t need to resort to coffee and energy drinks. Good show, ladies and lads. Good show.