Police Action
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. In that case, a video is worth a million. I don’t know math nor make the rules but it sounds like a fair estimate. So this top section will be short and sweet based on the videos doing most of the talking.
Paul E. Heyman teased his fifth pick for his War Games team earlier in the evening. I said “duh” when the reveal hit because I clearly missed the obvious:
Brock wrecked the World Heavyweight Champion and the Undisputed WWE Champion. He actually made CM Punk and Cody Rhodes look like children.
But then came who I assume is Team Punk’s fifth man:
Those closing credits are comical at this point. But I still like the effort.
And then all hell broke loose.
Oh and of course the final moments when Roman became the ultimate babyface when he speared an NYPD policeman.
This was insanity. And it’s good for the territory to lean into the insane for this because there’s really no story. Or at least not one for which War Games is usually reserved. There are, of course, multiple beefs here and numerous angles that connect all these disparate dots, but it lacks the punch of last year’s bout or anything with a long-term build. While that bugs me a bit, the Super Friends vs. Legion of Doom aspect of this is hard for me to dislike.
We get the War Games advantage match next week, which should be incredibly fun.
B-Sides
Surprise! You’re Dead
Maxxine Dupri did it. The former head of Maximum Male Models overcame one of the best in the game for her first championship. And she did it on the biggest stage in the world’s most famous arena.
The territory ended this on the right note. While this match didn’t work for me as much as their first two bouts, Becky & Maxxine really let the emotion carry this one. And it was the right call. After defeating Becky via count out, then disqualification, Maxxine had to win this match. The first match showed she might be better than Becky thought simply because she wouldn’t go down. The second displayed someone Becky severely underestimated and possibly would’ve won if not for Becky throwing the match away out of fear. They had to nail the finish here but it didn’t need to repeat any familiar beats. Maxxine’s impressed me enough where I know she can get busy in the ring now. She’ll get better but I know she’s got some skills. And I also know Becky still doesn’t take her seriously. Partially because of Maxxine’s track record but mostly because of how seriously Becky takes herself. She spent a few seconds before the match telling a John Cena toy that she is the greatest of all time, not him. Any person willing to talk trash to a toy clearly has some issues. Just look at Sid from Toy Story!
I say all that to show how Becky put herself in a position to lose due to her still not focusing. The match underlined and bolded that point when AJ Lee’s music hit:
Becky felt more threatened from AJ outside the ring than Maxxine inside the ring. That’s why she’s no longer champion. Maxxine, as she has since this feud started, took advantage of Becky’s hubris and lack of focus. But also proved she belongs.
Awesome ending to a story that caught my eye the second it started. Props to both women as they made this thing worthwhile. Congrats, Maxxine. Hard work pays off! May we need multiple umbrellas for your reign.
Album Cuts
- Before we get into the rest of Raw, let’s take a moment to acknowledge Casino Royale turning 19 today. It’s my favorite James Bond movie, or 1b depending on the day, and in my top 5 fav flicks of all-time. If you celebrate, raise a vodka martini glass.
- Thank you for indulging my James Bond love. Back to business: John Cena opened the show, as he should, and New York City greeted him like he was 3x MVP Aaron Judge (well-deserved). As he said his goodbyes, Dirty Dom hit the ring smelling like the E train after a long day. At least I assume he did. That led to an impromptu six person tag featuring the aforementioned Intercontinental Champion, Sheamus, Rey Mysterio, the former Intercontinental Champion, Finn Balor, and JD McDonagh. Judgment Day vs. three vets to work the crowd into a frenzy and give them what they wanted. That took the form of a 15-Knuckle Shuffle, 30 Beats of the Bowery, and the IC champ pinning JD for the dub. This was just a fun opening match that functioned more like a house show. And that’s not a slight on the match at all.
- THE NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS (rookies) ARE IN THE HOUSE! They got into it with Judgment Day post match. Someone else was there who I refuse to acknowledge but he too is famous and the Giants had his back for basketball reasons.
- Good move letting Nikki Bella attack Stephanie Vaquer as the champ walked to the ring for an interview. An aggressive Nikki is my favorite version of her. She’s not always the most convincing when she backs it up with words, but her actions speak pretty loudly. And it’s now official: Nikki vs. Stephanie for the championship at Survivor Series.
- Speaking of Survivor Series, it looks like Charlotte Flair might come around to joining her partner for War Games. Alexa Bliss went over the litany of ways Charlotte ignored her since SmackDown. She even finally acknowledged Charlotte is her best friend. She made an impassioned plea to homegirl to get on board if only because she needs her. Right on cue, Asuka, Kairi Sane, Nia Jax, & Lash Legend hit the ring with violence on their minds. IYO SKY & Rhea Ripley showed up but the numbers still weren’t in their favor. Then out came Charlotte, along with a Kendo Stick. It looks like Alexa’s pleas, along with the idea of not letting her best friend get destroyed, all pushed Charlotte to find the light.
- GUNTHER returned with his old theme. All isn’t quite right with the world, but this is a start. Look, you’ve seen the world, I have to find hope somewhere.
- My favorite match of the night was GUNTHER vs. Je’Von Evans. It started logically with the former champ dominating NXT’s Young OG. Great way to reestablish the Ring General’s dominance. Plus, this is a challenge for Je’Von. Je’Von’s a gifted seller, partially because of his frame. Big moves from bigger guys just look more painful when he takes them. And, not for nothing, but this still an NXT guy; he needs to learn the ropes, no pun intended. Eventually he found his second wind and made this a match, complete with Je’Von’s usually bounciness. One moment in particular saw Je’Von rock GUNTHER, GUNTHER roll out of the ring, Je’Von dive over the top ropes to attack him, only for GUNTHER to catch Je’Von and throw him into the LED board on the ring. GUNTHER is awesome for pulling off moves like that and not hurting anyone. As for Je’Von, he went for that move a second time in the match and nailed it, which also told the story of the kid wearing down the dominant general. But, alas, the former World Heavyweight Champion eventually slapped on that sleeper hold. Je’Von fought his heart out but he had to tap. Fantastic match that showcased Je’Von while properly propping up the guy who will more than likely face John in DC.
- As for the other tournament match, Dolph Ziggler came to play! The Show Off faced Solo Sikoa in a fun throwback. Wild calling a match with Dolph a “throwback” but here we are. I actually wanted a Dolph win even though I knew better. Solo survived a Zig Zag and got the win to move forward.
- MSG properly booed the Philadelphia Eagles in attendance. Much like that overzealous recruit in Starship Troopers, the crowd did their part.
- Asuka is BOLD. She actually approached Bayley to join her War Games team. Seriously, girl? Bayley rightly told her nah. Hilarious.
- Rhea had a lot better luck starting a conversation with AJ about joining her War Games team. I can only surmise that Becky will join Asuka’s crew.
John Cena’s last Raw rocked. The anarchy at the end, the breezy fun at the beginning, and the constant momentum in the middle made for a dope episode. This felt like a go-home show. There’s a lot to live up to on the actual go-home affair now, so here’s hoping they meet those expectations.
What say you, Cagesiders? Do Roman and Brock get you more excited for the men’s match? And what of Maxxine finally getting her moment?
