Seven Tiny Thoughts on Raw

There were rumors of the August 27 Raw in Toronto being a big episode, and for once, the innuendo proved to be true.

Raw was a lot of fun on Monday. With the Toronto crowd juiced by the SummerSlam announcement, WWE went on to uncork one of its better Raws of 2018. Even though every three-hour episode has its lulls, WWE made sure to keep our attention with retirements, Trish Stratus, and one very, very, big heel turn.

So let’s break down the Raw that was. Here are Seven Tiny Thoughts on Raw:

Strowman Returns to the Dark Side

With Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns set for Hell in Cell, their looming showdown needed a villain. And there was zero chance it would be the Universal Champion.

Braun Strowman will have his day atop WWE, but right now, it’s more important to be a classic monster heel. From WWE’s perspective, there’s no use in having Reigns and Strowman sharing the good guy market, especially with The Shield up and running again. 

But now that Strowman, Dolph Ziggler, and Drew McIntyre have aligned, WWE now has a group that makes The Shield believable underdogs—and that’s something 90% of the WWE Universe will buy into. 

The Best Segment of 2018

There isn’t a WWE Superstar on the roster how has a healthier relationship with the crowd that Elias. As if he needed the boost, his dueling segment with a returning Trish Stratus is as good as it gets in professional wrestling.

The facial expressions, posture, insults, comebacks, and the perfect timing of Ronda Rousey’s music made this the best five minutes of WWE’s 2018. 

It was great to see Stratus back into things. But I’ll remember this segment as the moment Elias proved he’s a Hall of Famer. 

Goodbye Kevin Owens

Kevin Owens’ “retirement” was just another example of savvy booking by WWE. With The Shield and Strowman Gang occupying the main event, there’s not really a viable place to stick a top-notch heel like Owens. So instead of diluting his powers with a Bobby Lashley feud, WWE simply decided to write KO off the script.

This is great for two reasons:

1. KO deserves a break, even if for 2 weeks.

2. This angle instantly generates intrigue. 

The Bellas Are Back

Nikki and Brie announced that they’ll compete on next week’s Raw. But they also made a much more subtle statement: they’re heels.

While the snarky Toronto crowd reacted to them as such, there was certainly some villainous vibes emanating from the twins. Even more, they mentioned a friendly meeting with Baron Corbin. 

With Rousey burning so bright, there’s not much room for The Bellas to be babyfaces. And with Nikki vs. Rousey rumored for Evolution, it’s only a matter of time until the Bellas do something awful. 

All Hail Constable Corbin

I know he’s an unpopular guy, but I’d like to take a moment to shine up Baron Corbin. 

Since making the transition to a clean cut narcissist, Corbin has been fantastic. WWE has handed him the biggest opportunity of his career, one that puts him on camera several times per Raw. And now that he’s the acting general manager, WWE has given them the stage to impact every Monday night storyline.

Corbin is really growing into an upper-level heel. You can still hate him, in fact, that’s preferred, but just understand he’s doing well. 

Claps For Shirtless Dean

Maybe I’m late to this party, but Dean Ambrose without a shirt works. It’s a small detail, but now, thanks two about 20 lbs of muscle, Ambrose looks terrifying. 

With a shirt—and less muscle—Ambrose was fun, but never formidable. Now he looks like someone who enjoys hurting people.

And isn’t that the point?

Buying Stock in Apollo

I have a good feeling on the future of Apollo. 

Unfortunately for the 31-year old, he’s a classic example for being called up from NXT for no reason. His main roster career has suffered from that lack of direction, but it looks like WWE is ready to remove him from Titus Worldwide.

I’m not sure how far he can go, but I think there’s a lot to Apollo that we have yet to see. Here’s to hoping he can cultivate some momentum!