5 Biggest Takeaways from Monday Night Raw (February 7th, 2022)
I like to keep things as positive as possible.
I like WWE.
I like AEW.
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Monday Night Raw took a step back this week from the usual solid show that it has been delivering as of late. With the first hour having no commercials, they had a real opportunity to deliver something special but instead chose to fill it with segments and their own advertisements. Even with the show taking a foot steps in the wrong direction in the quality department, the show was still fun and had moments that delivered. This first hour made it hard for the rest of the show to gain any kind of traction. We still ended up with some solid matchups and great segments but placement is everything, especially when you have a 3 hour show.
So with that, let us move on to the 5 biggest takeaways from this week’s edition of Raw!
#5: What’s the Deal?
Over the last few months, Kevin Owens seems to be all over the place. Is he in the main event? Is he going after the United States title? Is he putting over the young talent like Austin Theory? Is he friend or foe with Seth Rollins? These are a lot of questions to be asking over the course of a 2 month period. We all know Kevin is great at what he does, no matter his place on the card. He always gives it his all and makes it work but for the first time I can remember, there doesn’t seem to be a direction for him.
This week did not help clear things up at all. He has been playing the heel alongside Seth Rollins for a little bit now but during his match with Austin Theory, he was playing to the crowd a bit as if a face turn was coming. He then followed that up with a babyface plea to Sonya and Adam which really seemed to sell the idea of him turning again. But then, with tensions between him and Seth starting to show, he attacked Riddle during the main event, setting up a tag team match between himself and Seth against the hottest babyface act in the company… RKBRO.
So with all of that, the question has to be asked about Kevin Owens. What’s the deal!?
#4: National Treasure
We have all known for quite some time that Chad Gable was a very gifted in-ring performer. With the failed Shorty G gimmick due to the poor reception of the name change, it seemed like Gable was doomed to ever break through in the WWE as the kind of performer that a show can build around. The work Chad has done since aligning with Otis, Gable has become an exceptional entertainer.
Who would have thought that Monday Night Raw would not only be opening with a segment revolving around Gable’s character work but then eating up the first 30-40 minutes of the show? Less than a year ago, he was being used so sparingly that when he did show up, the surprise was that he wasn’t a part of the budget cuts. Now, he is a major part of the show and it couldn’t have come at a better time with Wrestlemania season completely underway.
#3: Can Damian Come Out to Play?
The Jekyll and Hyde angle with Damian Priest might be reaching its boiling point. After going nearly a year without taking a pinfall, Priest has found himself on the losing end a lot more frequently. It’s no coincidence that it just so happened to start when this new side of him began. When things don’t go as planned, “Damian” shows himself and those weird facials come into play. Seconds later, he’s lost all control and he gets himself disqualified or counted out. This cost him a match against Kevin Owens, twice and Dolph Ziggler. He was verbally warned by Sonya to get it in check or else.
After losing another match, this time to AJ Styles, Damian sat in the corner fuming. That dark side was bubbling and it is clearly out of frustration. This is a slow turn that I can look back in hindsight now and say this has been done fairly well. The losses are taking their toll and causing that darker side to shine through. It’s only a matter of time before it completely takes over and Damian Priest unleashes that on the Raw roster.
#2: Liv-ing on a Prayer
Liv Morgan is the most improved performer over the last year. Since Ruby Riott was released, they have given Liv a lot of opportunities to prove herself and each time she has shown improvement. During the Becky Lynch feud, she was clearly not up to par with The Man but that is nothing to look badly upon. She was given that spotlight and whereas she didn’t come out on top, she came out the other side better for it.
I said that she would be ready for a women’s title run post Wrestlemania and after her match with Doudrop I believe that more than ever. Liv was able to deliver an exceptional performance on Monday night that gave us the match of the night in my opinion. She has become more consistent with her in-ring offense, has become one of the best sellers in the division and has distanced herself from the rest of the pack with her unique style. The sky’s the limit for Liv and hopefully she is able to break through the shadows of Becky and Bianca on Raw and get that moment that she has worked so hard to get.
#1: New Blood
The main event scene in WWE has been in need of some fresh faces for a good minute. Outside of Drew McIntyre, the main event has been lacking any believable contenders for the top titles. Riddle has been a name that has been floated around for the past year and it’s looking more and more each week that his moment is coming soon. The RKBRO experiment has been a massive success, so much so that it’s now looking like Riddle will be able to reach that level without having to break free from the Viper. Riddle managed to get himself in the Elimination Chamber without the break up last week. This week, Riddle found himself in a main event match up in which he shared the ring with 3 former world champions… and he didn’t look out of place.
The notion has been that Riddle will not be able to reach the main event with his current character and I think that is being proven wrong each week as we move closer towards the moment. The character is refreshing, the skills are amongst the best in the company and the merchandise sales are enough to warrant the promotion to top spot. It’s time to pull the trigger on Riddle and the Elimination Chamber is a perfect place to do it. Let the stallion ride into Wrestlemania and give him the opportunity to sink or swim.
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