Was AEW What WWE Monday Night Raw Needed All Along?
Tonight’s episode of Raw was seriously good for the second week in a row. I’m not the only one that’s curious if this is a reaction to AEW and the traction they’ve been gaining. If it is then I seriously hope that AEW keeps growing as clearly they are the competition WWE needed to start being more creative with their booking again. Here are some of my personal highlights from Raw this week.
The Hurt Business is Back!
I would say the highlight of this weeks Raw for me was FINALLY seeing The Hurt Business back together. In all fairness they should have never split up but as long as this isn’t a short term reunion I’ll be happy. Them being back together also makes me excited for the possibility of New Day vs Bloodline vs The Hurt Business at Survivor Series if they try a different format like before it became brand vs brand.
It would also be nice if we get a bit of an explanation about how they decided to get back together since the last interaction we had between Lashley, Cedric and Benjamin was Bobby squashing them both in a handicap match.
The Bearcat
It was really good to see Keith Lee return as the Bearcat on Raw tonight. I do have to admit though I’m not sure how I feel about him being a heel as I felt he was really over as a face but if Keith Lee being a heel means a potential title run in the not too distant future I’ll happily take it.
Keith Lee also did look really good fitness and moves wise in his match, it seems all his ring rust from his time off has gone and he’s back to being his old self. I don’t see him doing as much high flyer moves though as I feel it won’t suite the heel persona as much but who knows.
Big E Being Booked Strong
With how WWE have booked their champs in the past it can always be unnerving when one of your favorites has the title and how long their reign will last. Thankfully they are actually listening to the fans and giving Big E the booking and push he deserves.
Lashley did have the majority of the offense in both their encounters but this was honestly needed. Lashley was never someone easy to beat so if Big E could all of a sudden beat him it would mean Lashley’s run meant nothing. I personally like the way they’ve booked these matches as it makes Lashley still look like he’s almost unbeatable but Big E still manages to just come out on top.
The Chosen One is Back
Now here is where it gets REALLY tricky for me. I honestly love Drew McIntyre and he’s one of the main reasons I started watching WWE again. In saying that, his booking did get a bit stale when they had him telling these long winded history stories and straying too far from the Drew that managed to win the Royal Rumble and destroy Brock Lesnar.
Although this was a pretty interesting interaction between Big E and Drew I think the rumors are true and he’ll be moving to SmackDown. I know in interviews Roman has put Drew over in a way and mentioned him as being the second top guy in the company who could potentially take the lead in the not too distant future. When you build someone up as much as WWE has Roman it not only builds their name but can also make a huge star by whoever manages to take him out.
In my ideal booking I’d love to see Drew drafted to SmackDown, then maybe have a feud or two with someone else then finally be the one to beat Roman after he breaks Brock’s title streak (which is what I assume WWE are trying to do with his current reign). It honestly disappoints me how Drew never got to be champ in front of crowds and a lot of the IWC has somewhat abandoned Drew in recent months.
As long as WWE can book him properly I honestly feel he should be on top again as I feel we need more strong faces with Keith Lee being a heel now and Damian Priest still in the US title picture.
