Next Era Wrestling
  • Home
  • Columnist Corner
    • WWE Reviews >
      • Raw Reviews
      • SmackDown Reviews
      • NXT Reviews
      • Other >
        • 205 Live Reviews
        • NXT UK Reviews
        • Main Event Reviews
        • Superstars Reviews
        • ECW Reviews
    • IMPACT Reviews
    • ROH Reviews
    • Lucha Underground Reviews
  • Week in Review
  • Audio
    • WrestleRant Radio
    • Interviews
    • Audio Archive
  • Event Photos
  • What Else Is New?
  • About
    • Contact Us
  • Home
  • Columnist Corner
    • WWE Reviews >
      • Raw Reviews
      • SmackDown Reviews
      • NXT Reviews
      • Other >
        • 205 Live Reviews
        • NXT UK Reviews
        • Main Event Reviews
        • Superstars Reviews
        • ECW Reviews
    • IMPACT Reviews
    • ROH Reviews
    • Lucha Underground Reviews
  • Week in Review
  • Audio
    • WrestleRant Radio
    • Interviews
    • Audio Archive
  • Event Photos
  • What Else Is New?
  • About
    • Contact Us
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

Columnist Corner

11/19/2018 0 Comments

Monday Night Raw Review - November 19, 2018

Picture
By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Braun Strowman, Elias and Finn Balor def. Acting Raw General Manager Baron Corbin, Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley in an Elimination Tag Team Match Ended in a No Contest

Before the bout, Corbin brought out Stephanie McMahon and acknowledged how she had previously promised that if Raw won at Survivor Series, he would be named the permanent Raw general manager. She then announced that he would earn the position if he could beat Strowman at TLC next month, but if he couldn't, then Strowman would get another shot at Universal Champion Brock Lesnar at Royal Rumble. This was a well-wrestled match, but it was weird for WWE to dedicate do much time to it if they didn't plan on giving it a decisive finish. It did succeed put heel on the heels, though, so there was that.

Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins Addressed Dean Ambrose

I was surprised Ambrose was nowhere to be seen at Survivor Series on Sunday (specifically during Rollins' match with Shinsuke Nakamura), but at least it's full steam ahead going into TLC where they'll clash for the Intercontinental Championship. Once again, they had a strong verbal exchange that not only furthered their feud and hyped their upcoming outing but also gave viewers a hook for the rest of the show to see Rollins get his hands on Ambrose. My only criticism of this segment was Ambrose taking a shot at Reigns' battle with leukemia. That was totally uncalled for and unnecessary.
Picture

Nia Jax and Tamina def. Bayley and Sasha Banks

At Survivor Series, Jax generated monster heat for hurting Becky Lynch last week on Raw and that carried over onto this show. She's still atrocious in the ring, mind you, but at least she's riding a wave of momentum right now, which will bode well for her Raw Women's Championship match with Ronda Rousey at TLC. Banks and Bayley made this matchup bearable, but the outcome was never in doubt.

The Lucha House Party def. The Revival in a Lucha House Rules Match

When this match was originally announced, I hoped it would serve as a way for Revival to get back on track following their memorable performance on the Survivor Series Kickoff show. Boy, was an idiot for actually having faith in the Creative Team or what? This was contested under "Lucha House Rules," meaning all members of the group were legal. In other words, it was basically a Handicap match. The silliness with the pinata was so stupid that it made it difficult for me to care about any of this. It's already been a month and The Lucha House Party has been treated like a joke on Raw.

Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey def. Mickie James

The crowd's reaction to Rousey on this show wasn't nearly as negative as it was at Survivor Series, probably because she mentioned Jax's name who is universally hated by everyone at the moment. Her promo addressing Charlotte Flair's actions was fine and she came across like a fighting champion, but the match with James left a lot to be desired. Then again, I was expecting much from it considering James has been positioned as a loser for close to a year.

Chad Gable and Bobby Roode def. Raw Tag Team Champions AOP (Non-title)

AOP have been largely dominant on the main roster, so it concerns me that WWE is turning Drake Maverick into a comedy figure. "AOPeePee"? Really? On the bright side, Gable and Roode vs. AOP was fairly decent and I think there's potential for them to do even better. This didn't last long at all, but with more time, it can be a ton of fun. Obviously, Gable and Roode should set them up a shot at the Raw Tag Team Championship eventually.

Natalya def. Ruby Riott

Although this was a quality contest and they made the most of the time they were allotted, I simply cannot bring myself to get invested in this feud. The fact they're feuding over The Riott Squad breaking the sunglasses of Natalya's late father is ridiculous and doesn't make me want to boo The Riott Squad. I applaud them for giving the ladies a separate story outside of the title picture, but this is beyond lame.

Dean Ambrose Attacked Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins

With five minutes left in the show when Ambrose made his entrance, it was apparent this segment was going to rushed, and ultimately, it was. Ambrose is way more comfortable as a heel than as a babyface, but his material here was weak. Their brawl was well done and Ambrose standing tall was a good call, but it all felt rushed and didn't have the same intensity of their past encounters.

Overall Show

The fallout from Survivor Series was passable and I'm glad some matches have already been set in stone for next month's TLC pay-per-view, but by and large, this show was a bore. The ongoing angle with Rollins and Ambrose that took place over the course of the night was compelling, but nothing else really captured/held my interest. Raw continues to be a chore to sit through and there's a handful of issues that need to be addressed before the brand can be considered must-see TV again.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All #AskGSM Cruiserweight Classic Hidden Gems JJF's Take John's Jargon Lists/Rankings Mae Young Classic Mixed Match Challenge News Opinion Previews Retro Reviews Reviews RJ's Two Cents Satire SummerSlam Recall Tribute To The Troops WrestleMania Recall


    Archives

    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010

    RSS Feed

©2010 - 2019 Next Era Wrestling, Inc. All Rights Reserved.