WWE RAW: Results & Review (23.02.15)
After what was a rather bland and unexciting PPV at Fastlane, WWE continue to hype the upcoming 31st WrestleMania event, an event in which many of the matches seem to be either confirmed, or all but confirmed with strong reasons to think they’ll happen. On the card, it seems we will see Roman Reigns in a one-on-one match against WWE World Champ Brock Lesnar. The Undertaker against Bray Wyatt. Sting against Triple H. The second Andre the Giant Invitational Battle Royale. These, and others, will fill the card, and it is likely that many of these matches will fall short of what many fans wanted to see happen at the big show. It’s a shame that these matches are going to happen because WWE have a terrific roster and could have put on a much more imaginative and enticing extravaganza this year. Oh well.
Tonight’s show begins with Randy Orton making his return to RAW after making his WWE return last night at Fastlane. Orton talks about being put out of action by The Authority, about how he has been on the sidelines and intends to shake things up. Triple H and Stephanie spend the next few minutes trying to get Orton to re-join The Authority. Kane and Big Show are with them. This segment was a bit blah, it felt like more of the same from WWE, stuff we’ve seen endless times. It ends with Orton telling them that he will see them backstage for a meeting, with Stephanie smirking. An opening to RAW that set the tone for the whole show. It’s more of the same, it’s uninspired, and it’s boring. This isn’t what fans of professional wrestling, of WWE, and of the wrestlers the company employs, want to see each week.
Match results:
- Dolph Ziggler pinned Bad News Barrett
- Prime Time Players beat The Ascension
- Tyson Kidd & Cesaro successfully defended the WWE Tag Titles against The Uso’s
- Jack Swagger beat Stardust
- The Bella Twins beat Paige & Emma
- Ryback squashed Curtis Axel
- Roman Reigns & Daniel Bryan defeated Seth Rollins & Randy Orton
There was very little of excitement and intrigue going on here. Bray Wyatt cut an entertaining backstage promo about The Undertaker, similar to the one he cut at Fastlane the night before. His challenge to ‘Taker, and the way he is wording these promos, is well done, and it should hopefully result in Wyatt being a main-event player. He should defeat The Undertaker. It would make him as a big name, and WWE needs to piss or get off the pot when it comes to many of their stars that are lingering around the headline scene. John Cena and Randy Orton won’t be there forever, and Roman Reigns is getting the opposite reaction from the desired one. Daniel Bryan is never going to be given the full “face of WWE” treatment either. They need to make some stars, or this stuck in the mud WWE product will continue to fall flat.
The Bushwhackers, Luke and Butch, a popular tandem in the 1980’s and early 1990’s in WWE, and who previously wrestled territories as The Sheepherders and had a successful run as a brawling team, were announced as inductees in this years’ Hall of Fame. The Bushwhackers were hugely over in the late 80’s and early 90’s in WWF television and PPV. My first memory of them was their battering ram finishing move being utilised at an early WrestleMania (I think the fifth one). They were a comedy act, and they didn’t really do much “wrestling”. But they deserve the nod, and they join Rikishi, Arnie and Randy Savage as the currently announced inductees.
Match-wise, this was a terrible night for WWE. The tag team match between Kidd & Cesaro and The Uso’s was enjoyable and had some great spots. Kidd and Cesaro are two of my favourite guys in WWE, so I’m happy to see them with gold belts around their shoulders. Other than this match I was bored by the in ring presentation here. More of the same old, and more than ever I noticed the wrestlers looking deflated by the lacklustre product they have to be part of. It’s a shame. The main event was booked to put Reigns over again. They had Bryan once again give the nod to Reigns and put him over. It’s so plastic and obvious that this will only harm Roman even more. Who is booking this crap?
The divas on the main roster got screwed again here. A three hour show and WWE allow the women wrestlers a mere few seconds out there. Emma and Paige against Brie and Nikki Bella was over before it began. Literally a one-move match. It’s a joke. When you look at the magnificent and mind-blowing matches the women have on NXT each week, it is a real shame that the main roster don’t have an equal opportunity to show what they can do. We all know that Emma and Paige could put on a fantastic match out there, but they are seldom given more than a couple of minutes. It’s a joke, it’s insulting to the female demographic, and it’s insulting to fans who actually like women’s wrestling, of which I’m one. Another mess that WWE needs to sort out soon, because it’s another thing that is causing fan backlash, and this many backlashes all at once is not a good thing, regardless of how WWE wants to paint it. Controversy does not always create cash.
A long Sting promo aired with WWE and former WCW workers speaking about him and putting him over as one of the icons of professional wrestling’s storied history. The likes of Ric Flair spoke here, as well as current WWE talent like Dean Ambrose and Kofi Kingston. It was another lengthy promotion for a part time worker who hasn’t spoken on WWE television yet, and who I haven’t had an urge to see on a wrestling show since 2001. Boy, oh boy, do they know how to put me off watching. I don’t mean to be a downer, or a hater, or whatever you may call it, but this show has been hard to stomach. So many talented guys didn’t even see the canvas tonight, and on a three hour show, there is little excuse for so little happening.
John Cena has a segment and he challenged Rusev to a rematch at WrestleMania for the WWE United States Title. This was a USA vs. Russia deal, and Lana stole it with her comedic expressions and great vocal abilities. Cena was, well… Cena. This match will happen, and I can’t see any other outcome but Cena winning and bringing the US Title back to the USA. I hope I’m wrong, a win at ‘Mania could do a great deal for Rusev’s career. Maybe Cena can right the wrong he committed in his feud with Bray Wyatt last year at this time.
Paul Heyman cut a good promo on Roman Reigns, speaking to him about his match with Lesnar at WrestleMania. Heyman stole the show with his mic work yet again. This was the best talking segment of the night thanks to Paul E.
Seth Rollins and Randy Orton shook hands backstage when The Authority had their meeting with Randy Orton. Orton spoke to Seth and told him that he won’t forget that Rollins put him out of action, but he knows what is best for business, so he is willing to move on from it. It appears, for this week at least, that Orton is back to playing a heel, and as part of The Authority. I think perhaps this will turn out to be a ruse and the Orton/Rollins match will still occur at WrestleMania, but I could be wrong. I don’t know what the hell they’re doing anymore.
A terrible show, in my view, I struggled to get through this. There was so little I enjoyed that I am finding it hard to look forward to any upcoming WWE events except for their NXT show. This is the time of year when the product should be shining its brightest, and it isn’t. Not at all.
