WWE: 3 MVPs From Tonight’s Raw (Sept 1)

WWE’s Clash in Paris is officially in the books, and it certainly had people talking thanks to Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins. Now it’s time to move things forward with a new episode of Monday Night Raw, which dealt with some of the immediate fallout from Clash in Paris while also building up several newer rivalries and storylines. After all was said and done, there were a few superstars who stood out most, and we’re breaking down the three critical MVPs of tonight’s WWE Raw.

3. The Paris Crowd

As witnessed at Clash at the Castle and then this year’s Clash in Paris, there’s something special about the Paris crowd, and they displayed that once more on today’s WWE Raw. Few crowds are as actively engaged in every moment of the show like this one. What would be a few random chants or a lively exchange between superstars and the crowd become true TV moments, and they consistently set the bar for every entrance and chant they engage in.

Look no further than the exchange between Becky Lynch and CM Punk, an exchange that the fans become critical in as the conversation played out. Their oohs and ahhs made every verbal jab hit harder, and Lynch utilized the crowd to give her even more heat as the segment moved forward.

Then there was the hero’s welcome for AJ Styles, though that’s perhaps underselling it. Not only did the crowd deliver a massive pop for Styles as he made his way to the ring, but they continued to chant and sing along all the way through the commercial break. This crowd is simply unreal, and it makes all the sense in the world why WWE is heading back to Paris sooner than later.

2. Asuka and Kairi Sane

Asuka and Kairi have been at the center of several entertaining exchanges with Iyo Sky and Rhea Ripley over the past few weeks, but tonight’s exchanges left those in the dust, and it appears that the story we’re building could be a great one.

Not only did we get to see Asuka and Kairi get a welcome victory, but that victory was a great reminder of the true wrecking machine that Asuka can be when unleashed. We then move to backstage segments that show Asuka moving closer and closer to an unhinged heel as she continues to push out anyone who isn’t in her circle. That includes a fantastic exchange with Rhea Ripley, previewing what could be a tremendous feud sooner than later, and that’s on top of her eventual showdown with Sky, because you know that’s happening too.

By the way, none of this works as well if not for the work of Kairi Sane. Sane’s facial expressions are constantly shifting, and her reactions are hilarious, especially as Asuka becomes more and more cutthroat. Sane also shows genuine concern for Sky and even some for Ripley, and Sane will likely be at the heart of this story and any eventual betrayals that come from it.

1. Becky Lynch and CM Punk

After what happened at Clash in Paris, you knew that there would have to be a collision between Rollins and Punk during tonight’s WWE Raw, though that played out in rather unexpected fashion. Instead of a one-on-one collision between Rollins and Punk, we actually got a battle on the microphone between Punk and Lynch, and while it wasn’t on my bingo card at all heading into Raw, it absolutely stole the show.

Not only do we rarely get to see these two share the ring together, but it brings a much different dimension to this feud overall. Lynch’s heel bravado and supreme trolling were simply stellar throughout, and Punk hit back with some great zingers that only amped up the already electric crowd even more.

Even when Rollins showed up to confront Punk directly, the stars were still Lynch and Punk, as Lynch then clocked Punk with a ridiculous amount of slaps before pouring salt on the wound with epic trolling as he walked away. Punk did his part too, as he was seething as he walked down the ramp, and the tease of AJ Lee returning was further planted as the segment came to a close. This was just A+ work all around, and was the most unforgettable part of this week’s Monday Night Raw by far.

Alright, those are our MVPs of WWE Raw, but let us know your favorite (and least favorite) moments in the comments or on the ComicBook forum!

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