It’s been a wild few days and not in the best way. So let’s hope raw It raises morale a little.
CLEAR Articles Still the place to be.
let’s talk raw!
still
WWE celebrated John Cena this week. The party was like a nice trip down memory lane, with several clips dedicated to the Thuganomics Ph.D., including various wrestlers referring to his history or words in their promotions. It was a nice touch that showed just how influential the peacemaker can be in whatever halls WWE Superstars walk into in a given week.
The ceremony culminated with Sina’s speech to the thousands of attendees and the millions who watched in their homes. The only reason I put it here is because it was good because Cena is always on the mic, and the guy’s shadow hangs over everything WWE does. Then, now, and forever.
Cena spoke from the heart, thanked fans for keeping him real, and begged them to always stay real with everyone. If they like something, let them know. If they hate something, tell them. His relationship with fans made him a better man, a better husband, and a better professional. There are very few people in all of wrestling who always look real. Eddie Kingston is one of them, and Jon Moxley is another. But that’s something Cena has in spades. No matter the age, no matter the situation, he always makes the audience believe. That’s the most important aspect of this thing about us, so a bunch of people in the WWE should take notes.
Cena dropped some news, too: He’s planning on wrestling again. And it won’t be just ‘one more game’. He doesn’t know when – the world needs a lot of peace right now – but it will happen. Cena interacted with Theroy earlier on the show, and credited Creedence for rumors that she was set to tango in August. Perhaps this is Cena’s next appearance. Maybe not.
When we see him again, be sure to cherish the man who truly gave everything for this work and for his fans.
extracurricular
Lee Rollin’s photo
WWE tells a good story with Becky Lynch. Becky has retreated since losing the WrestleMania I took her to some dark places. Funny places too, but mostly dark. This week, Becky faced five other women in last place in the Women’s Money in the Bank match. Will you stumble? Will it destroy the competition?
The short answer is yes. I loved Becky’s aggressiveness to start the match. She pursued everyone in her path, and did everything in her power as a woman on a mission. Chia Lee? have been installed. Nikki Ash? He introduced it shortly after Shea installed it. Becky is clearly the star of the match, he raised the bar for everyone’s match as well. Doudrop specifically. If someone else dominated as much as Becky, it was Doddrop. She dominated everyone whenever the action went outside the ring, taking out Shayna Baszler And the Tamina back to back.
This was always down to Becky and Doddrop. Becky, unsuccessfully, tried to compete against the Manhandel Slam several times. It wasn’t until Doudrop finally made a mistake that Becky took advantage of someone else’s follies instead of making them.
Doddrop lifted Becky onto the top rope, lost her position, and fell victim to the Manhandle Slam.
Becky going to money in the bank.
Good main event featuring just the adorable Becky and Dodrop together, and a lovely chapter on Becky’s “Return” story.
another chance
Battle Royals is a mess, so don’t look for a recap here on the hit. I will talk about the last four. Riddell, A.J. Styles, Nakamura, and The Miz. Now, the idea here is that the winner gets a spot in the Money in the Bank match. Great, logical. The caveat here is that one of these guys can’t challenge the big WWE Championship as long as Roman Reigns has the belt.
However, Riddle won. The audience stood out for her and it was a great ending between him and The Miz, but I think he’s the wrong cat in this place. Give it to someone without this condition as it increases the suspense of the Money in the Bank match. Maybe WWE would surprise me and beat Brock Lesnar Roman… Maybe. But the odds of that are very slim based on recent history. Meaning, in my opinion, that’s one person in this match who didn’t shoot that bag on July 2, 2022.
OPP
Street profits in their heads. Even after Angelo Dawkins defeated Jimmy Uso last week, they weren’t entirely convinced they had what it took to defeat Usos. I like this angle very much. Despite their list of accomplishments—helpfully put together by John Cena—I’m shaken when it comes to Jimmy and J. This means that another solo win over a Bloodline member means more than just “one more win”. With all that in mind, we got Montez Ford against the man formerly known as Main Event J. Uso.
Look, there are only so many ways I can tell you that these two make a good match. Was it great? no. But it was good because The Profits and The Usos work well together in any configuration. The best part was the ending, as Dawkins ensured his partner had a fair chance to go through the pay window, and took Jimmy out before he spoiled the business. Montez, in another ridiculous show, touched the bags above the ring with Frog Splash.
mad.
Montez picked up the W, which probably means the loss is in their future. right? I’m not sure. Usos are Detroit Pistons to Chicago Bulls earnings. Every little victory counts, so perhaps it’s the beginning of the end for Roman Cousins.
Balls and my word
During that battle royale, the Miz commissioned AJ Styles in typical Miz style. The coward faked an injury and waited until the perfect moment to eliminate the patterns. That’s why during The Miz’s interview clip, AJ rushed into the ring as a kid towards Toys R’ Us in 1993 for the Power Rangers.
What followed was a tough match that ended the moment The Miz left. Perfect for his character, The Miz left the match without hesitation, giving AJ the win.
And I’m fine with this. AJ and Miz isn’t something you blow into a random place on a random Monday night. There is more story here and it deserves a bigger stage. AJ needs to challenge and chase Miz for a few weeks until summerslam Sounds like the right hurdle.
also? Corey Graves has such a good salad that The Miz has giant balls.
real big
The “face-to-face” part of Carmella and Bianca Belair this week left me feeling somewhat bored. Bianca described Mila as talented but insecure. EST says that Mila places great emphasis on her appearance to realize her potential. Well…there is some truth. But, again, the match will take place in a few days, so adding this part of the story at this point is debatable. Mila came to the ring dressed as a backup Bob Foss dancer, explaining how unsafe she was. she is intelligent. Which is why she will defeat Bianca and so on. You know how it goes.
Then Carmella stepped forward as if to leave the ring, only to deliver a kick to the champ who saw everyone coming. Including Bianca who not only took the kick, but continued to look out of the corner of her eye.
The entire clip was a bit predictable with no real immediacy. Meh.
I dare you
Before their match, Liv Morgan told Alexa Bliss that not only would she earn Money in the Bank in Las Vegas, but she would beat her this week. “Nah,” Alexa basically said.
Well, Alexa was wrong. This was a fun match between two partners who realize that every woman is for themselves when the major championship is at stake. Alexa reversed DDT and got a W with a quick roll. Nothing but respect between the ladies after the game and the friendly competition and all that jazz. But we’ll see if they maintain that civility when the bag is on the line.
can i live?
Bobby Lashley has dealt with the perennial villains in WWE, Alpha Academy. Otis and Chad Gable faced Lashley in a handicap match where Theory played out a special referee. The match was there to get more excitement on Theory, which I’m not sure is necessary at this point. But, hey, Chad pressed Hurt Lock and Theory ran after getting several cheap shots on him money in the bank Discount.
patiently waiting
Cody Rhodes Interview! Doctors say his recovery nine months! Seth will congratulate Rollins if Seth wins! Everyone was stunned at the Money in the Bank match! Back to Rehab!
raw It wasn’t worth going home this week, but it wasn’t bad either. Cena’s celebration was a great touch, and raw. sidee money in the bank The card is finally expired. Biggest hit? There is no match between Elrod, Elias and Ezekiel against Kevin Owens. Depriving us of that is a sin.
B-grade
This is my degree and I am committed to it. Your turn.