WWE Raw Recap, Grades & Opinion: October 7, 2019

WWE Raw Recap: October 7, 2019

A.K.A. The One With Fury And A Furious Rusev

Results:

• Natalya def. Lacey Evans in a Last Woman Standing Match
• Viking Raiders def. Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler
• Aleister Black def. Bollywood Boyz
• The O.C. def. Lucha House Party
• Kabuki Warriors def. Charlotte & Becky Lynch
• Ricochet def. Apollo Crews

Match of the Night: Kabuki Warriors def. Charlotte & Becky Lynch

All four female title holders were a part of a great match. It isn’t a shock that they put on a great match, but it is a bit of a surprise that the new Women’s Tag Team Champions got the win. Asuka used green mist on Lynch to allow Kairi Sane to get the roll-up. After the match, the newly-heel Kabuki Warriors continued the beat down of Charlotte. Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross made the save, and just like that there are many new rivalries available for WWE to explore.

GREEN MIST!#RAW @WWEAsuka @BeckyLynchWWE pic.twitter.com/gewNjPytOl

— WWE (@WWE) October 8, 2019

Three Thoughts:

What Main Event?

The main event match from Sunday’s Hell in a Cell was barely mentioned on the show. A recap was shown before the main event, but it was the only real mention of the divisive finish. The recap video that was shown was a master class in editing by the WWE video team. They got across the message that WWE was trying to Sunday night, which was that Rollins was pushed past his limits by The Fiend and lost his own moral code. That is what they wanted, but it was really hard to watch Sunday. 

It’s strange to have a company barely reference a major title match from their pay-per-view. Hopefully that means WWE noticed the reaction and wants to steer clear of it and rehabilitate both The Fiend and Rollins.

Fists of Fury

Tyson Fury was in the main event of Raw tonight. He demanded an apology from Braun Strowman for Friday night, and we all know that wrestlers love giving apologies. The two traded some good lines in the ring before getting the pull-apart brawl treatment. It looks like the rumors are true, and these two are destined to meet in a WWE ring. That match will likely happen in Saudi Arabia.

.@BraunStrowman awaits the next move of @Tyson_Fury on #RAW! pic.twitter.com/8xryQ1x3ZL

— WWE (@WWE) October 8, 2019

Fury doesn’t get me excited, as I am not a boxing fan. It makes sense as a move for WWE, given that he is a popular oversees name and a cross-over sports star. Fury also has a history of negative comments that WWE is seemingly willing to gloss over (for more recent examples, consult Hogan, Hulk). A match between two behemoths could be an entertaining spectacle 

Rusev, CRUSH

Lana & Bobby Lashley opened tonight’s show with their best Lita & Edge impression. Not by being the ultimate opportunists, but by doing some live sex celebrating. The two taunted Rusev from Rusev’s own bedroom, with Lana saying she has taken everything from him. Rusev was upset, and took that frustration out on Baron Corbin and Randy Orton who were laughing at ringside.

This angle feels weird and corny, and a bit of a throwback to a bygone era. However, I strongly believe Rusev can look really good coming out of it. The rage tonight was a good first step, and WWE will need to push his ruthlessness in the coming weeks to really capitalize on his very human performance.

Grade: C

Not acknowledging the main event of Sunday’s pay-per-view until late into the show was a weird cloud hanging over the show. The action tonight was disjointed, with only the last two matches being quality contests. Once the draft starts on Friday, the brands will be able to be reset and new feuds should come to life. This show felt the effects of being in the in-between, and wasn’t anything to write home about.

One More Thing:

Aleister Black wrestled on television again, so not all is bad in the world.