5 Biggest Takeaways from Monday Night Raw(October 25th, 2021)
I like to keep things as positive as possible.
I like WWE.
I like AEW.
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A new era is among us as the talent that was drafted to Raw was finally able to hunker down and make themselves at home. With that new era starting on Monday night, we were witness to new programs starting up while the show also focused on number one contender matches and allowing a lot of the new faces to Monday to get a chance to show the fans what they had to offer. The show focused on building Big E’s next opponent, tag teams and a great face off between the two girls that will be the new faces of Monday Nights. So without wasting anymore time, let’s move right into the top takeaways from Raw.
#5: Tag Teams Galore
Leading up to Crown Jewel, the tag team division that was on the rise turned to shambles. The first night of the new era and we are already back to a division that has life to it. RKBRO is at the top of the food chain, and rightfully so. They have been one of, if not the most entertaining thing on WWE television for quite some time now. With new teams on the show like Alpha Academy, Street Profits and Dirty Dawgs(all of whom competed in a #1 contenders match), the division is looking stronger than it has in a very long time.
With all the teams at their disposal, it would be nice if we were to not only see contenders get built up but also see feuds and storylines that evolve around teams that are not holding the titles. Luckily for us, that is exactly something we saw last night. During the triple threat match to determine who would face RKBRO later in the show, we saw Omos attack the Street Profits and cost them that very opportunity. That sets up a future showdown between AJ & Omos against the Street Profits, which is a match up that everyone should be excited for. Tag Team wrestling is looking like it is back on track for Monday Night Raw bay bay!
#4: New Home, Same Story
Whereas the Tag Team division is looking solid, the women’s division made no strides to improve on Monday Night. It is still early to completely give up on them, but when we get new faces from Smackdown and they still feel the need to give us not one but two rematches within the division? That is not a promising sign of things to come. Becky and Bianca will definitely be able to carry the division to an extent but outside of competing against themselves. If Raw does not build up any of the other ladies on the show, it will only hurt Bianca and Becky in the long run.
The only other woman on the show that showed any kind of growth and potential to rise through the ranks is Zelina Vega. The choice to make her Queen was a good one because her mic skills will allow her to really have some fun and entertain the masses with this gimmick. As long as they give her the opportunities to keep up her momentum, she will make for a great foe for Bianca down the road when she eventually gets her hands on the Raw Women’s title. They just need to stay away from Carmella vs Liv Morgan for the 1,362nd time.
#3: A New Priest
You can make the argument that the best NXT call up in the past few years is Damian Priest. Even with a feud with the Miz that lasted 2 months too long, Priest was able to keep his “cool” factor. He moved on from the Miz and went right into a feud with Sheamus that showed his ability to put on some fantastic matches. After winning the United States championship, he got a huge victory over Drew McIntyre and it was really looking like the sky was the limit for Priest.
After missing Crown Jewel, it could have been bad news for Priest. A small part of me thought they became bored with him and it wouldn’t be long before he was dropping his title and moving to catering. But that’s not what happened. He came out last night with new music, a new tron video and a new attitude. The Archer of Infamy is no more, and that is obvious.
After winning by DQ when T-Bar(Dijakovic damnit!) we saw a new side of Priest that we have yet to see in WWE or NXT yet. Priest was not cool, calm and collective. He snapped and he made T-Bar regret the moment he decided to throw a chair at him. With a crazed look in his eyes, Priest would absolutely destroy T-Bar and leave him laid out cold in the ring. Usually I am of the belief that if it’s not broke, dont fix it. But this seems like it might end up being a change for the better. Raw is lacking main event level heels and if Priest can elevate himself to the next level with this new attitude, he will find himself in a prime position to be a future challenger for Big E and his WWE Championship.
#2: Bearcat Unleashed
During the NXT Invasion angle, Keith Lee looked like a star. When he got called up from NXT to the main roster, he looked a little lost. After an injury that derailed a US Title run, a health scare that saw him contemplate retirement and enough changes to the character and his presentation, it looked like Keith Lee’s time on the main roster would be a quick one.
There were quite a few people who were not feeling this new Bearcat gimmick. They still wanted to complain about his music or his ring attire but they seemed to be overlooking the most important thing… his demeanor. The quiet and calculating Keith Lee was no more. The man has purpose, he is showing fire and tenacity and he isn’t having wrestling matches. He is destroying his competition. You can hate the Bearcat name all you want but it doesn’t change the fact that this is the best Keith Lee has looked since that Survivor Series in 2019. He looks confident and like a guy that you could really see challenging for the top title on the show. The slow build will benefit him in the long run. Let him destroy enhancement talent and lower mid card guys so the audience can get used to Keith Lee as a monster again. By Wrestlemania time, I expect the Bearcat to be a big deal and have a meaningful match.
#1: Big E’s Savior
The timing of Big E’s title win was bad. With no time to build for a proper match at Extreme Rules, the WWE Champion didn’t get a chance to defend his newly one belt. Then Crown Jewel happened and he was set up with Drew McIntyre, a guy that was drafted to Smackdown. We all knew Big E wasn’t losing. It was a good match, Big E got the rub but with 2 big shows now in the books, but the run up to this point has felt a little lackluster. And I just want to point out that it is no fault of his own. Timing is everything and as I said, his timing with winning the title was just not good.
A new era has begun though, so it’s time to kick his reign as champion into full gear and start to give this man a meaningful title run. With an abundance of new challengers on the show, the only question we had was who was gonna be first. After an amazing ladder match that main evented Raw between Kevin Owens, Finn Balor, Rey Mysterio Jr. and Seth Rollins, we have our answer. I can think of no better opponent to be Big E’s first true test than The Monday Night Messiah himself, Seth “Freak’n” Rollins.
Some would say Seth is there to make Big E look good. I would say you are wrong. Seth is there to push E instead. It is not out of the realm of possibility that we see Big E’s run end short due to a red hot Seth Rollins. That mojo he lost from injury seems to have returned and his character work is at an all time high right now. Seth Rollins could very well be your next WWE Champion if Big E is not ready to step up to the challenge. With Survivor Series right around the corner and that Champion vs Champion match headlining the show, the WWE is going to want a marquee matchup. Big E can be that guy, and I have no reason to believe he won’t be that guy. He’s waited a long time for this moment, he deserves it and I have a feeling that Seth might end up being his savior in a sense by giving him an opponent that will push him inside the ring and out. Seth can make Big E take that next step into being a believable champion that can and will take on any challenger. I am very much looking forward to this feud. I hope Big E is too.
There you have it, the biggest takeaways from Raw yet again. As always, chat it up with me. Let me know what I’m wrong about. Let me know what you agree with me on. I enjoy the back and forths.
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