5 Biggest Takeaways from Raw (September 6th, 2021)
I like to keep things as positive as possible.
I like WWE.
I like AEW.
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How do you fill up a good chunk of time while shining light on an entire division for your brand? You throw your entire tag team division in to a gauntlet match where the winner at the end gets a Title shot. For all the bad opinions people have about WWE, their ability to put on entertaining gauntlet matches is something they never miss with. A perfect blend of action and story always delivers in a big way and the gauntlet match we got on last night’s episode was no different.
Some notes from the show: Karrion Kross was booked very strongly this week. The way he looked in the ring last night may be the most dominant we have seen him since being on Raw. The tension between Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax is now heating up with Shaya seemingly tired of Nia Jax and her antics. Baszler made it her goal to distract Nia as much as possible during her Title match with Flair which ended up costing Jax the match. And even though Mace and T-Bar did not win the tag team gauntlet match, they caught everyone’s eyes when they decided to take their frustrations out on not only The New Day, but Ali and Monsoor as well. They looked very strong in their after match attack and for the first time since they debuted, I am invested in where this direction will take them.
So with all of that action, let’s take a look at what else happened in the 5 biggest takeaways on the September 6th, 2021 edition of Monday Night Raw:
#5: King of the Gauntlet
Xavier Woods may not ever get to be King of the Ring, but at least he gets to be a part of the team that holds the title of King of the Gauntlet match. The New Day were listed as the greatest tag team in WWE history earlier this year. The thought is subjective, but with their accomplishments, there is definitely an argument to be made. They have reached the status as a team where the titles are no longer needed and their presence alone can help create a credible opponent, or in this case, opponents.
We saw Kofi Kingston run the gauntlet which would be the start of Kofi-Mania. We saw Woods and Big E run the gauntlet to help Kofi during his Kofi-Mania run. Last night, we saw Woods and Kofi put on another inspiring performance as they were able to withstand: The Viking Raiders, Jinder and Veer, Lucha House Party, Mace & T-Bar, a post match beat down from Mace & T-Bar and Ali & Monsoor. They would eventually fall to AJ Styles & Omos but for a minute, they had us believing they might pull that one out as well. But they did their job like they always do and they did it wonderfully. New Day Rocks!
#4: Drew McIntyre loses… again!
Last year, Drew was the biggest name in WWE. After winning the Rumble and dethroning Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania, he was on top of the world. Nobody could touch him. He had that small hiccup with Randy Orton, but we don’t talk about that.
But at the Elimination Chamber this year, things took a turn for the worse and have not gotten better for him. He lost to Miz. Then he lost to Bobby… a lot! He didn’t even get to finish the MITB ladder match. He got to experience a victory at Summerslam but 2 nights later, he was eating a pinfall in a triple threat match. And then we get to last night where he once again is taking a loss with Sheamus rolling him up to get a shot at Damien Priest and the United States title. After being one of the MVP’s of the pandemic era in front of no fans, Drew has had to sacrifice himself for the sake of others since the fans have returned. If anybody deserves better in front of the fans, Drew McIntyre is probably that guy.
Drew was hot, very hot. He can afford some of these losses and with him more than likely leaving Raw soon, it seems like Drew is doing everything he can to get guys over and leave Monday Night in as good a shape as possible for when he departs. But how many more losses can Drew honestly take? Whether it’s by shenanigan or not, too many could damage his status as top guy and eventually ruin the build towards the eventual Roman Reigns. Here’s to hoping the free fall comes to a stop soon.
#3: Hurt Business vs RKBRO
Two weeks in a row, the show has opened with RKBRO and The Hurt Business in some way, and it was clear after this week where things were headed. After inserting themselves into the gauntlet, and getting the last spot, The Hurt Business was able to get the win and earn a Tag Title shot against RKBRO next week on Raw.
A side note to this would be the extension of this feud with Randy Orton challenging Bobby Lashley for the WWE Title at Extreme Rules. WWE has clearly taken notice of how over the RKBRO act is and their ability to be shoved down our throats every week with multiple segments and not one person minds it. With Riddle still in the grooming period, the right choice here is to have Randy as a red hot babyface and a credible opponent taking on your heel champion. Bobby’s reign started off a little shaky but since walking away from McIntyre, he has been on fire.
But back to RKBRO, the thought that I think many were thinking AJ and Omos were gonna get the rematch after losing them at Summerslam so it’s nice to see them go a different path here. Having the tag champs/tag titles involved in a storyline with the WWE title really helps validate the efforts they are taking to make the Tag Titles important again. Riddle has been involved with Bobby on more than one occasion this year as well so we have some history thrown in that they can revisit to add some layers to this feud and up the interest level for the fans.
#2: Alexa Bliss Wants to Play
Alexa Bliss has been off playing in her playground for quite some time. At one time, she was a dominant player in the Women’s Title division and there have been many who have been patiently waiting for her return to the title scene and after a quick tease 2 weeks ago, we finally got the confirmation.
The crowd was very hot when Charlotte accepted the challenge and are very in to the beginning of this program. Charlotte’s usual formula for a feud is traditional “professional wrestling” stuff and usually very meat & potato. This “fiend” and Lilly gimmick that Alexa carries with her should be very interesting with Charlotte. I look forward to seeing how they build this match for Extreme Rules and how much of it will revolve around Alexa using supernatural powers to try and play mind games/scare Charlotte Flair.
#1: Mammoth Size Showdown
Omos has had our attention since the first time we saw him on tv. He is a monster of a man that towers over EVERYBODY. The slow build with him being AJ’s muscle has been played to perfection and has allowed people very short spurts of Omos and his dominant in ring performances.
Bobby Lashley is a physical specimen. A dominant looking WWE Champion that man handles everyone he gets in the ring with by imposing his will. Since forming The Hurt Business, he has looked like a credible beast.
When these two men came face to face last night in the ring, the crowd took notice as they rose to their feet. You could feel the magnitude of what this match could be down the road. And for the first time, Bobby looked like a small man. Omos was head and shoulders taller than our champion but Bobby would not back down. And for the first time, we saw Omos get pushed around and not have complete control of a situation. This match doesn’t need to happen now. It doesn’t even need to happen within the next few months. But that tease showed everyone how big this match up could be and the star power that Omos possesses as a future main event star in this business.
With a solid episode of Raw in the books and some matches being made for Extreme Rules, we have started the build early once again for the PPV. Hopefully next week we can get some continuation and more proper build to our next PPV.
Agree? Disagree with thoughts on the show? Let’s hear him. I’m always open to talk about wrestling as always!
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