The ongoing Raw-specific PPV thread

I thought it might be worth having a separate thread for the RAW only PPVs...

Extreme Rules:

Was pretty much okay, I thought. I really enjoyed the Miz vs Ambrose match, and thought it was a really good match. I liked how they played up Miz being a veteran for most of the exchanges, and there's more than a hint of classic Ric Flair to him now, the way he uses his experience to cheat. Worst part was the ref at the end, he almost a pantomime villain with the way he was playing up the 'Am I going to DQ you?' dilemma.

Really enjoyed the main event. All got their chance to shine, and anyone of them could have won. Liked the ongoing Joe and Bray partnership, but Roman Reigns was the stand-out for me. He just looked the part, looked like an absolute megastar in the way he carries himself, and was a level above everyone else in the match. Like him or not, he's here to stay as the new guy to carry WWE.

Loved Joe winning, though. Him vs Lesnar is going to be an absolute war, and I can't wait to see it (having said that, it'll now be a suplex / suplex / pin Lesnar match).

I enjoyed the PPV too. I thought The Miz would of struggled swapping to the red brand but he hasn't missed a beat. Great match. The 5 way match was great too. Slightly surprised Joe won. Thought it would of been Baler or Rollins but anyone of those guys could of won and I'd of been ok with it.

Lesnar v Joe looks great on paper. It should be a war. I just don't think it will be (after watching raw). Lesnar is holding the title until mania but they need to make his opponents look good so when mania comes, beating Lesnar is a massive deal

Agree with you both.

I was surprised Roman got so badly booed on Raw, he is still a bit boring, although the Brawn feud and Taker win cut that down a lot and he is now saying his lines with added winks and nudges and a bit of wind up finesse. But considering he lost and performs well, what is there really to boo at the moment. Save that up for Reigns vs Lesnar at WM lol. Which will be fantastic anyway. He's taken enough bumps to earn peoples respect by now I would have thought. And there IS a choice, SD main event scene will be 4 huge Indies stars. And Raw will be building up Balor and Joe as well as that.


I think we discussed who should face Lesnar before, and basically it was Joe out of the 5 that were in the match. Dream match, legitimately as Graves keeps plugging. Two of the biggest MMA style wrestlers, Joe perhaps seen as the real leader of that style in the US certainly. I also liked the tease of Angle vs Joe that blossomed from this match up. Something we also discussed about in potential matches for Kurt one day.

Joe actually getting mic time from it as well. Much needed in order to establish him with the WWE audience. He has no real weaknesses as a wrestler and sports entertainer, so giving him the green light in all areas is wise. He is probably only one of three people allowed to say the word violent in WWE right now too. And he needs to be able to say things like that, so working with Leanar and Heyman is perfect, because they have more leniency. I hope that when this is done, he can carry on in the same way and in essence be that Lesnar type character, but that appears weekly. After the loss he should go unbeaten for a good few months to make sure WWE always has that legit back up for Lesnar, and a rival for Reigns in future.


And Ambrose vs Miz will always be good. Ambrose was booked a bit like he was stupid, but that happens and they seem to want him to be more and more reckless, so that's okay. Except on Raw he was cunning again, so it'sagain like they can't decide who he should be. (I think I predicted he could end up being used with The Drifter one week, and a world champion the next, which is good for passing on experience, but bad for his character) It has led to Miz developing his character as well though, now seen as the smart veteran, and also trouble in paradise means he might have to do it without Maryse for a while. Which can only make the IC title stronger.

I feel it would have been more satisfying if Ambrose had basically said "fuck it" it's Extreme Rules, I'm going to take a loss and beat the hell out of Miz, and look to regain the title in my rematch. When he kicked him in the nuts that's the kind of direction it looked like he was going. Will he snap eventually, who knows. It didn't seem like it this week though. I hope the feud continues and Dean doesn't just get distracted by Elias. Keep him fighting both and it might raise Sampson up a level though without killing Ambrose's momentum... again.

I just love the way Reigns carries himself. he's a guy who looks like he's got absolute confidence in what he's doing, he's got a real swagger to him, and just looks like he knows he belongs in the main event. As much as I hated Taker retiring, him going out to Reigns could be the making of Reigns as a legit main eventer. That promo after Mania should have been enough to make most of the boo-boys have a grudging respect for him, if nothing else.

Just another point about Joe, it's what we all knew, but it still has to be shown in wwe to make it so. Joe is a legit superstar, carries himself on television as a legit sportsman and as an interesting character and should easily be in the top tier and considered for WWE's big matches.

It's now only taken one week of promo and violent action and then the video package that shows everything that happened in the most favourable light, blockbuster style to make him look like all the star he is.

If they continue to do this right he will be cemented as a top level star. And he really deserves to be. I really don't see how anyone of any age could not get at least a bit excited for the lesnar showdown after just last weeks events replay. And It's crazy how little it can take if they do the right things for the right talent.

Is this a sign that WWE might start playing to extraordinary talents strengths, instead of trying to change the smallest things and fiddling with characters too much? They haven't tried too hard, like they are with Nakamura, it was a basic progression of a bad man to the cold as fuck status he needed. Cerebral, some might say.

The man needs main event, mainstream attention, and working with Lesnar guarantees that. I can't see it going wrong unless for some reason they dont want more than one top guy and one bad guy on the whole of Raw.

Totally, agree, Joe definitely carries himself in the same way as Reigns - is it a Samoan thing?

With any Lesnar match, it neesd someone who the crowd can buy would take an absolute kicking from him, but as importantly, also give him a right kicking back. I wouldn't buy most of the roster taking Lesnar on - even the likes of Rollins and Balor, I wouldn't realistically think either of them are ass-kickers to the point of standing up to the Lesnar onslaught. Joe's definitely one, Strowman too, I'd take Sheamus against Lesnar, and probably Jeff Hardy, if they played up the daredevil, win at all costs to himself, and that's about it for the Raw side of things.

They are hyping the fight well too. Starting Raw with the blockbuster video package, then Heyman who can sell a new ppv with a stupid name as the biggest event in the world so seamlessly, then simply two tough guys squaring off, before a headbutt induced brawl.

as a side note Raw as a whole started so promisingly. A legit wordsmith saying just the right things that cause two tough guys to start brawling... An annoying guy winding the audience up, which leads to two rough guys having a sanctioned brawl that ends with another annoying guy ruining things and furthering a long running feud, which can later on in the show lead to some minor payback.

Then the cruiserweights came out... 33minutes is too early to kill your shows momentum. At least later on Neville destroyed Swann again, keeping him as the undeniable king. Tozawa vs Neville will be good if it goes ahead... and Great Balls could be a hard hitting PPV all round

Titus has finally found a role as the awkward midcard manager too. Stupid, heat drawing, but weirdly effective. Building up his failed brand with innocent bystanders being dragged toward him like a black hole. I did once call him a talent vacuum haha.

I now have faith that Great Balls of Fire will be epic.

Here is some cack I wrote down at points during and after Raw. It's A big one...

Only 30 mins through I decided Raw is worth writing about. So this will be a summary compiled as I go.

Now That is how you start Raw and keep peoples attention for longer than half an hour! There was Aggression, interesting characters, vignettes, heat magnets, interruptions by cooler talent, and then some more aggression.

Roman Reigns cut a quality Roman-Promo. He really looks like he is enjoying himself out there now. He dissed the current contender, which obviously led to a backlash from Joe, who can give as good as he gets on the mic. The almost vintage headbutt from Joe leads to a brawl, and Roman comes out on top as you'd expect. This is what fans want to see in terms of the momentum of Raw.

I truly believe Joe, Roman and Brock would be a perfect main event scene for the months to come. I hope they keep Joe legit, because he belongs at this level. Joe vs Brock, a triple threat, Joe vs Reigns and then Roman vs Brock would all be must see and have good longevity for the next run of PPV's. 'Officials' must be able to see that Joe is already performing at the same level as those guys and fits right in in the WWE product main event. So I do have a hope that he won't just be one and done. It just feels right. Call it the X factor, call it whatever, those guys should be able to lead a company back up in ratings. And if Joe becomes a top level star, he has an absolute beast of a back catalogue with other WWE talents, I'm thinking Kurt and AJ vs Joe finally getting the huge WWE stage in the future, and that's only viable if Joe is looking strong in WWE.

Now back to the show.
Straight into a tag match with the shows top drawing team the Hardy Boyz. And Gallows and Anderson weren't too jobby.
Then it's Goldust who has been back at his best simply by sitting and talking in a vignette. He has so much more depth right now. And it seems to prove something everyone already knows. When wrestlers are in control, and the television writers don't fuck with it too much, it's Golden. (a big show interview touched on this recently too, there's only one or two guys on creative that actually were wrestlers) we know Road Dogg proved on SD what happens when you 'get it' and lead the creative team. New Day took off when they got to write there own stuff and weren't given outdated references and useless direction too. It's just an obvious trend in WWE history.

Boom, right into Elias 'the heat' Samson, with his best showing yet. On TV these segments work, they are funny, it's just funny to watch fans get annoyed, to me anyway. It really is. And at the same time it works live because crowds DO want to see him get slapped out of the ring.
This time Balor interrupts, looking cool, ready for his scheduled match. and his opponent is... Bo Dallas. Momentum killed again? Not this week. No silly Bo Lieve in Bo sign. Bo decks Balor and looks like, you know, a contracted pro wrestler who wants to win. He even got to do a Sick knee strike spot. Good booking, a win for Balor, with both more aggressive than usual and both coming out better off. Like SD usually does for talent.
Fighters fighting to win (it's so obvious)
Corey Graves pops off for his mystery storyline.
A kick ass trailer for a wwe game. A bit like the old attitude era adverts for shows. Fire and Smashing stuff!!! I don't care about the game, but the tone of the advert fits the show. And makes Seth look like a star.
A mention of SD without it being awkward. There was a controversial topic worth mentioning that you would talk about if you are under the WWE umbrella, despite the split.

Kurt. Corey. Awkward handshake. Swiftly on to Enzo and Cass' mid card story. Who attacked them? Could it be... Heidenreich!!!!! Haha.

Seth now (I don't like his promo style or voice or something, but whatever) aww redemption promo. Like before, but he needs it refreshing in peoples mind to almost start again, nail it down that he is the babyface Seth. But oh no, Wyatt doesn't like it. He suspects lies and blatant conformity to hide his true self. Then Seth kind of declared himself as an athiest. Bray... is here... for a fight, which usually leads to some squaring up and backing down. But Seth got him first. Out of the darkness from the top rope. A pretty cool spot.

Kurt is going to 'crack the case' of Enzo and Cass. He should probably hire the fashion police. They get results.

Uh oh, Charlie Carrusso interview. Finn Balor what's next... Universal title etc DRRRIFTER upside his head. And a weird reveal of Dvon Dudley as a road agent? Helping out Finn Lol the attack keeps the momentum right, because no one wants a typical 'sportsman has a goal' interview when it drags on. Interviews do need to be more personal and character based if they aren't a backstage attack set up, but it was so, moot.

Akira Tozawa. For me he was the only current credible challenger to Neville after Aries. Although the WWE is micromanaging him with his 'AHHH' ("well that works, he should do it even more... No. Let it be natural WWE) Here comes TJP... I shall enjoy the strikes in this match a little more now. Anticipating Titus, here he comes haha. Announcing and hyping the match. The look Tozawa gives Titus is all he needs to tell this story. This is where people would usually lose interest, but like I've said last week, Titus has found his niche, so can add a layer to the division on Raw, even if it is just fluff and nonsense, he is doing something well. They have good chemistry already, but where is Apollo, Tozawa's real life best buddy... Neville interrupts the match to watch. Still think people will care more if they just batter the shit out of each other in this division. There is enough guys to have a strong style division imo. Then the best characters can still excel, but more seriously. The pump kick = crowd started taking more notice in this match. Suplex, Senton, done. More awkward Titus interaction with comedy timing. Neville gets up to be serious, which come the match suits Tozawa. Titus keeps baiting Neville and ends on a catchphrase... the Power of Tozawa lol.
R-truth sets up a match with Golddust in L.A next week.
More backstage and it's Bo and Axel. But Miz shows up trying to set up his entourage by slating them. If he does get an entourage I hope there are actual roles for the other wrestlers that actually fit them. We once banded the idea around including people like Breeze as his stylist, as a way of getting him on TV when his debut went flat and some other guys I don't remember. Has Miz ever had a bodyguard? That would really suit Miz's character needs.
Backstage with Joe. They roll footage of what looks a convincing win on his debut vs Reigns. The power of video packages. This is a good sign. Another good Samoa Joe promo and THE MATCH IS NOW. Mid show. Great momentum spike. No waiting for 2 1/2 hours for the big match. This is really how to book a Raw tv show so far, imo...
Great match, good tempo with great story telling. And lots of knocking the shit out of each other. As the match really heats up an ambulance backs up on the tron, I wonder who... ROOOOAAAARRRR. Epic moment. Joe takes advantage, Roman sells the cochina clutch amazingly well. Joe wins.
Roman still dead when they return and Strowman is coming to get him. "I'm NOT FINISHED WITH YOUUUU ROOAAARRR" another great moment. They set up an Ambulance match at Great Balls of Fire. So, it really is going to be The hardest hitting PPV of all time. Times are a changin

Quiet on the set. it's the next segment. Miz TV. Perfect timing. This really is good for Raw.
Bear. Big box. Bear. More of the same, but I feel like it will be better this time. Miz calls out Maryse for an interview lol. Says sorry. Asks her to open the gift that he wrapped, and it's the clock all fixed up, for now... She starts to forgive him and it's Ambrose time. Miz does his noble pulling of the wife in front of his path, and spills her champagne, and Ambrose knocks him in to the clock. Relationship and clock busted. But then... The bears assault Ambrose. It's Bo and Axel.
Okay Titus and Apollo vs Cesaro and Sheamus. Not really interesting on paper. But Crews vs Cesaro has some merit. Sheamus keeping up the hard hitting feel too. "cut it out with the cheap shots, Cole" exactly Booker. Tag wrestling faces and heels both hit the non legal man at points, but you only call it cheap when it's a heel. It's just pointless saying it.
video package. Joe focus, Promising. ROH title belt shown. Lesnar gets part 2. Both look like bad asses. Lesnar thinks Joe is a punk ass bitch. I think Joe might win, but that's probably the point, cast doubt over Lesnar's reign.

It's Boss time. But she's been booked lame recently, so.. But her focus is now Bliss, at least. Vs Nia now, for me momentum is shifting to meh. Bliss comes out too for commentary. Roll out the rest too, may as well, here's Emma. The word is clusterfuck. Blonde one and Mickie James come out too. And now Bayley... Somehow failing to capture the same feeling as SD women. The commentary team mention SD women's storyline again right after lol.

And finally we find out who is attacking Enzo and Cass, weird way to end, but as it's Kurt announcing it, it might tie other things in too. Oooh the suspense/boredom. Big Show quits Raw because he's been accused. Lol. The Revival make their case. Conclusion, good alibi. Corey Graves chips in. Oh, it's... Cass, setting up his fake attack. Which means he was the one who attacked Enzo... Zzz. Weird last 30 mins of a good show haha. At least they developed their characters logically. Cass will fail as a singles wrestler though, he can't lift opponents. He can act though, so I hope they don't rush him too much ahead of his ability in ring. It was a good ending eventually, his acting ability saved it.

Sexton Hardcastle wrote:

Kurt is going to 'crack the case' of Enzo and Cass. He should probably hire the fashion police. They get results.

That could be the single greatest line I've ever read on this, or any other forum.

Great write-up. Raw potentially has one hell of a main event scene - problem is getting the angles and stories to hook it. With any combination of those three you mentioned, Balor, Wyatt and Rollins chucked in, the matches will be awesome. The probem is getting people emotionally involved. Otherwise you end up with a load of Cesaro matches that are great to watch, but you just don't care if he wins.

I'm hoping Enzo goes into the cruiserweight division after the kicking from Cass. Apart from re-signing Mysterio, he's probably the one guy who can get people to really care about the whole idea.

Monday 26th June episode of Monday night raw is the worst raw I've seen in a very long time. Only the Samoa Joe segment is worth watching.

Take it you didn't watch the last two weeks then?

feяgie22 wrote:

Take it you didn't watch the last two weeks then?

Yep I did. They weren't as bad as this week

Great Balls of Fire has a shit name, but I'm kinda intrigued by the card. Could end up being a really good show...

Lesnar vs Joe has been built really well. Two big tough guys, about the batter the holy hell out of each other. Should be awesome!

Hopefully it'll be the end of Ambrose vs Miz, I'm sick of those two facing each other now. They need new opponents.

Tag iron match should be good, Neville vs Tozawa should be brilliant - shame it's been moved to the pre-show. Loved Enzo's put-down to Cass - 'You're just a seven foot punchline to a line I wrote!', but still think Enzo should head into the cruiserweight division, he'll make people care about it more than just a load of guys (and Neville) having great matches for no reason.

I'm looking forward to this more than the last few PPVs, anyway.

yeah, Raw went really poor in big parts. I can't ever stand the Hollywood shows, because the t.v writers take over and it's just stupid. But it gets them coverage on the entertainment news and sports shows.

The build of Lesnar and Joe has been a huge step forward though. And there isn't really a poor match lined up, I don't know why Rollins and Wyatt are feuding, but apart from that it is going to be a hard hitting PPV and a PPV with characters that people care about, on the whole.

It should be a really strong showing. But there has been hints of Vince's influence of late that smacks of a man with early signs of dementia. RAW NEEDS MORE BALL JOKES DAMNIT! The PPV name you can accept as just a way of making people talk about it, the negative press makes people pay attention to the event, and when you do you see a strong card. But the rest of Raw lately, away from the wrestling focus, has been really worrying.

Ambrose vs Miz could be best match, but it will be over booked with the Miztourage, which just sounds so fucking lame haha. And the interest levels have dipped so it doesn't matter if it fails to pop. The fact Ambrose had to come out a few weeks ago and stop one of the Balls from saying too many 'N' Words while the dad danced round kind of just killed anything, and the feud wasn't strong to start with, apart from the one week where Dean looked like he might snap and become 'No Good Dean Ambrose'

Cruiserweights should be fantastic, pre show might mean they actually get more time, but the crowd could be flat. (4 of the WWE's own picked top ten matches of 2017 are cruiserweights, plus DIY are cruiserweights so 5) so this should give someone the idea to stop making them just the filler on Raw as pretty much unknowns to the crowds and tv audience. They keep inviting Conor Mcgregor to WWE, and he's 155lbs ffs. Size doesn't determine if people care, talent and character is all they need to focus on.

Just got to end on Roman 'The Bump' Reigns. Seriously, he is taking big bumps weekly now haha. The Ambulance match should be pretty insane. Two guys who fully trust each other and a big stipulation usually equals magic.

Oh and I just clocked my Revival picture. It must be time for them to come out and Break the Hardy's soon. A great tag match, followed by the Revival getting involved to set up what I assume was the planned tag feud? Maybe save it for Raw.

So, GBOF...

First up, given the name and video that ran at the start, bit annoyed they just trotted out the usual Raw set and TitanTron. A 1950's themed set would have been great.

Mix of good and okay, I thought. Loved Joe vs Brock, was pretty much what I thought it would be, I really liked that Joe was booked to not back down at all and give Brock a bit of a kicking. At the same time, in the era where everyone kicks out of everything, I quite liked that Joe didn't kick out of the F5. A really good way to build on how strong a move that is.

Tag team iron man match - was really well done too. Really enjoyed it, and now given the Revival gave the Hardys a bit of a kicking on Raw, both teams can move on to new stuff.

Miz vs Ambrose - please, please please let that be the end of them. Please!

As much as I like Enzo, I thought the match vs Cass was perfectly done. Cass is a big dude, and in a fight, Enzo shouldn't stand a chance against someone that size. Him getting a five minute kicking was totally the right thing to do, followed by a move onto 205 Live.

Ambulance match and aftermath - if ever you wanted proof Reigns isn't a face, this was it. Loses on him making a mistake, then tries to murder Strowman for it. Sending Slater and Hawkins out for a match where they were still adjusting their gear on the way to the ring was a really nice touch. The best quote I've read about this one is that Reigns and Strowman are like Peter Griffin and the Chicken - they're just going to fight forever, and it'll always be entertaining as hell.

A good show.

I thought from the Women's match onwards it was a really good PPV.

Cass and Enzo was what it had to be, like you say. Their main talents are in character on on the microphone. I remember saying if Cass can get it down in the ring he can be like a lanky Edge. If he cuts up a bit, he can get away with being just the big guy while he works with more talent to get better. I still have doubts in ring, but his passion is really showing now.

The cruiserweight match was just meh. They didn't seem that in to the event. Understandable if they were told they had to have a testicle based finish because it's GBOF Which I confidently
assume was the conversation backstage.

Women were good, I think Sasha can work any kind of match well the david vs goliath vs Nia, and with Bliss as the evasive heel it allows her to showcase even more babyface attributes. The thing with Sasha though, she remains cool. The post match attack keeps the feud going and was a well done spot. Probably deserves the title win at Summerslam, and then line up the other women one after the other for some classic matches.

What you notice as well, any live event on TV, if you look for fan signs there is a clear trend. You get Roman Reigns, Enzo Amore and Sasha Banks. When people have a look, an x factor, or things just click, they will be good money makers for WWE. And signs are a good way to judge things like this in the general WWE Universe. (I feel like The 90's was dominated by 3:16, Sable, South Park and "insert name here is Gay" though. how times have changed)


The tag match was great, they managed to get a high scoring affair without it being a cluster. The tactics of the champions were pretty much spot on. Excitement built well, and the ending was great timing, I'd have worried there wasn't enough time with 10 seconds to be running outside the ring before the planned close finish. Heavy hints of all things broken this week, and like I'd hoped, the Revival feud is next for the Hardy's. (I've always assumed a big part of them coming back was the chance to work with certain teams, The Revival being a clear draw for some classic matches.)

Miz and Ambrose did good work, but like you say, if it's not going to change, stop it now. Hints this week that Ambrose might be Rollins next feud. They are too good to miss when working with each other but I really am not buying Rolins as a face, and as a heel he was too good at being boring in promos. It's a shame he is good in ring, because I just think he isn't a born star on TV. But people just seem to think he is golden. i'm still noticing new moves he is adding that he doesn't need, as well.
Joint manipulation? If it's a sign that Pete Dunne is about to come in to the WWE TV brand, then it's a good sign, Rollins has used other peoples trade mark moves before they appear on TV a good few times.


AMBULANCE MATCH. Two men that are looking like mega stars right now, beating the balls off
of each other. Reigns losing it and trying to kill Braun was a great development. He can't do a face character, so just make him bad as fuck. And the kids still love him, which is crazy, but good for business. There was no remorse on RAW and the showdown was what you have to consider the top 3 stars right now, doing what they do best. In two nights, WWE has made sure they have 4 legit big draws for any PPV's. Any combination will be good. And I was hoping a triple threat would be the next stage between Reigns, Lesnar and Joe. And it could well be. With Strowman able to barge in at any moment as well.


Main Event: It was everything fans want, everything that wrestling at the top level could and should be. Tension, drama, reality, pain, effort, passion. It was WWE's biggest "big title fight feel" for a long time. (AJ vs Cena went there too in a different way)
And theymade sure that the next occasion will be even more dramatic and tense. I was not surprised to read that Lesnar was extremely happy with Joe. And at the face off on Raw it went up a level. When two guys respect each other, the aggressive stand off's feel way more real. And Lesnar Is letting Joe look like every part his equal. The"You look at me when I'm talking to you" on Raw was intense. And Lesnar even had extended mic time, which is rare. Great chemistry, and Lesnar is always likely to drop some attention grabbing language in there haha.

Not a PPV, but Lesnar defends the title tomorrow vs Samoa Joe in Detroit on a Smackdown show celebrating the last event at the arena.

Nice bit of memorabilia https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DFwiN8tUQAAmDOj.jpg

they won't be doing an AJ/KO but the fact that happened will make it extra exciting for those in attendance

Considering how long RAW is, it will be dissapointing if they don't record the match to show instead of a cruiserweight segment.

Next Raw PPV is No Mercy

And so far it's Lesnar vs Strowman for the universal title, which is going to be another spectacle.

Now the question is what match would you rather see out of the other 3 "main event talent"? Cena vs Reigns Or Cena vs Joe? Both of these have potential to be either big matches or classic rivalries, the first really needs no build, and Could be saved for a bigger event, where the other could really hear up with a longer build.

I suspect it will be Cena vs Reigns

But then do you have Miz defend vs Balor or Joe. Face vs Heel, or a continuation of the "It doesn't actually matter what they are as long as they don't get on" which clearly works really well these days.

Could we see a PPV where the top 3 matches aren't defined by heel/face status' but by riveting stories, big name appeal and general anticipation of rivals whose characters just simply clash in a less black and white fashion?

I'd go Cena vs Joe. Reigns vs Cena is a huge deal, potential Mania main event and shouldn't be wasted on a level PPV.

Miz vs Balor for the IC title, give Reigns a midcarder to kill. He's not won a PPV match since Mania, so have a midcard heel like Goldust saying Reigns has lost it and trying to take advantage.

Rollins & Ambrose vs Sheamus & Cesaro, sasha banks vs Alexa, Neville vs Enzo and maybe Wyatt beating the Big Show would make a decent card.

Cena vs Joe has been something I've wanted to see for a while, and with 5 weeks to build something it could be great without taking too much away from the Strowman main event, even though those two would do some intense work Joe still has a way to go so it would feel more balanced with 2 matches with one mega star vs one fairly fresh aggressive rival in each. But weirdly Cena was booked very superman like on Raw, which just doesn't suit that rivalry. Maybe it was a one off, but it was a bit like they were going to do that for Reigns and Cena for a month to show they are one upping each other before a showdown. He literally hulked up and AA'd the Miz like nothing. It was like a flash back to the previous era and if there's one thing Joe doesn't need right now it's a convincing loss to Cena.

Joe vs Miz would have legs, and they at least hinted at the animosity and personality clash despite both being heel. If they aren't going to let Miz have meaningful feuds doing what he does best though they may as well get the title on Joe and have two dominant champions on Raw.

Casually announced on Raw... It's Reigns vs Cena

Balor vs Wyatt looks set to carry on for no reason at all. If they planned a longer programme why not delay the demon returning and have Wyatt really destroy Finn at SummerSlam. The whole thing will be just as pointless as last time now.

Sexton Hardcastle wrote:

Casually announced on Raw... It's Reigns vs Cena

Balor vs Wyatt looks set to carry on for no reason at all. If they planned a longer programme why not delay the demon returning and have Wyatt really destroy Finn at SummerSlam. The whole thing will be just as pointless as last time now.

Cena outshined roman in the promo with him messing up a fair bit and sounded like they went off script but both said what we was thinking. As for Wyatt Vs balor im guessing its all cos its 1-1 but like you said pointless.

Interesting Jeff Hardy winning no.1 contender was sure Jordan was gonna maybe they aren't going to follow through with his push im glad as hes not ready just yet and if they force it on us itll be another Roman situation.

You think they are going to let the Hardy's go single maybe have Matt cost Jeff and finally become Awoken (WWE's way around the Broken Lawsuit) if they do they have to really let Matt have control of his character like he had in TNA.

Banks must have really pissed someone off backstage to not ever hold onto the title for a long reign and to always lose it on her first defence all the time I can only see them turning her for a heel run or even bayley win the title for Banks to turn to set up that.

Other than that poor Raw as usual No Joe even though advertised Cena Vs Joe and no Braun would have been good to push his Lesnar feud abit further considering Lesnar will be gone for a while now would have thought theyd have wanted to create a bit more for it.

Sasha is by far the best at telling a story in her matches, as well as selling, and generally getting spots that work out making both wrestlers look better, but WWE have managed to book her from "we want Sasha" to "now she is just saying she's the best and were losing faith" politicking against Bliss was stupid of her, and that's what sharing her opinion of her boils down to, really. When she learns to keep quiet about who deserves what she'll be okay. There was a weird rumour that something she said meant she would leave at the end of her contract though, but that was before she won and lost the title again. This time I think they just wanted to play up to the fact she loses so people would expect her to win, so losing would be more shocking, and it's a way to get Nia involved in a triple threat match. The pop for Nia worries me though, I'm yet to be truly impressed by her.

If Cena vs Joe was advertised maybe it was a post show thing for the crowd?

I had a feeling they would have no idea what to do with Joe on Raw if they went for Reigns vs Cena, edit: he's actually suffered an injury, apparently. Don't know what would have happened otherwise, if this caused the Reigns, Cena showdown to be moved up from a teased match to reality?

But Cena once again proved why WWE keeps him so strong, No one can do what he does the way he does it. The role of starting and ending the TV show, having a match, and keeping the audience tuned in hasn't really been filled yet. Reigns looked wounded, and they almost undid all the work they have done in making him look so strong. He showed some passion, but I reckon more than a few Roman fans will have seen something his character isn't supposed to have, weakness in the face of a verbal beatdown.

Sticks and stones can't break his bones, but words can really hurt him...

Sexton Hardcastle wrote:

If Cena vs Joe was advertised maybe it was a post show thing for the crowd?

It was advertised for the actual TV show like one of them things they put up on the website before the show what to expect and listed

• Whats next for Bray Wyatt ?
  
• How will Enzo do in his cruiserweight debut ?
  
• Alexia and Sasha do battle for the Raw womens title.
  
• John Cena will take on Samoa Joe.
  
• Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman have some words for Braun Strowman.
  

Just seen something online that they are planning for the tag titles and that's Ambrose and Rollins Vs Usos for both titles and the winner appears on both shows like free agents like Cena as they hold the title for that show, Which is why they have been going back and fourth on twitter arguing as they are setting up a program.

Now that I don't like as its taking it away from the split and also ruining chances for tag teams on that brand that wont get a chance but might if its kept like it is otherwise think it'll just go straight back to how it is.