WrestleTalk Roundtable – WWE Raw – January 14, 2019

What was your favourite moment from Raw?

Bryan Eseppi

My favorite part about Raw last night was the main event match. The match itself wasn’t anything special, but it goes into what WWE is trying to present as “The New Era”. Even in the build-up to the match earlier in the night, Finn brought up the fact that Vince doesn’t see him as a main event guy. He just isn’t big enough. On top of that, Finn had to win his entrance back into the match by beating Jinder earlier in the night. So, not only did the right person win that four-way match, he went over John Cena to do it.

The match also left Drew looking strong and a very capable monster to dethrone anyone for that title down the road.

Emma Heeley

I actually like that Lashley is now the Intercontinental Champion, in fact, I think it’s a great move on WWE’s part. It’s definitely what he needs to legitimize his character right now. But what intrigues me more is what they do with Ambrose. Ignoring the brief stint where he was a germaphobe, I am loving heel Ambrose, and I’m quite excited to see where this will lead him heading into the Royal Rumble.

I’m also stoked that Finn finally got his title shot. Sure, it might be a year too late, and he’s most likely not picking up the W at the Rumble, but it’s nice to see him in the spotlight again.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BspE_sMIvUv/

Kyle Payne

I thought I would hate the opening segment because it started with talking. On Raw, segments like these drag but, surprisingly, this segment was actually masterfully crafted. We got a pretty sweet scenario where Braun walked into the parking lot while Elias played the guitar and the twist of the limo belonging to Vince McMahon was great. If I’m being honest, I really didn’t want to see Braun vs. Brock again.

The tag matches on the show were also great. We got Jax & Tamina vs. Rousey & Banks and the finish was exactly what it needed to be. The gradual dissension between the latter two was nice, they both came across as two alphas vying for the top spot. I only wish this feud had more time to build.

John Cena making an appearance and cutting a great promo which eventually led to a great fatal four-way that had the right finish and the right guy go over. Lesnar vs. Balor is such an intriguing match-up and shows that the company actually is listening to the audience. Also, McIntyre looking strong throughout the show keeps his credibility. I know the tentative plan is for Cena to face Sullivan but I’d much rather see Cena put over McIntyre.

The rest of the show had some good to it as well. Seeing EC3 and Lacey Evans slowly builds hype for them and having Nikki Cross wrestle as a mystery partner for Bayley and Natalya was great. Seeing No Way Jose and Jerry Lawler make appearances was also nice, mostly because I didn’t know either of them were still with the company. The three-way between Lashley, Ambrose, and Rollins was great (with one exception), and the finish was the right one. Hopefully they finally move on from one another.

The Women’s tag titles were nice with a better design then most of the belts on the main roster, the Riott Squad is great, pre-match interviews are making a welcome return, and The Revival got justice.

Oh, by the way, I loved that Otis segment at the end of a Moment Of Bliss.

Nothing to do with it. https://t.co/QT3PkqbaBF

— Dave Meltzer (@davemeltzerWON) January 15, 2019

Nicholas Holicki

Call me delusional, a mark, a hopeless optimist, but I feel good about Bálor’s seeming elevation to the main event. The Irishman triumphed in a fairly entertaining Fatal 4-Way last night, granting him a shot at Brock Lesnar’s Universal Title at the Royal Rumble.

Will he win that match? Almost certainly not. But this might be the kind of shot in the breathtakingly-chisseled arm that Finn has been looking for. A competitive bout against Brock in a couple weeks time could (hopefully) beckon Bálor’s return to the upper echelon of Raw, cementing his future at the top of the card.

I believe

— Finn Bálor (@FinnBalor) January 15, 2019

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