WWE Raw – August 19, 2019 (Review)

WWE Raw – August 19, 2019 (Review)

It’s taken me a while to properly internalise the news that the King of the Ring tournament would be returning to our screens in 2019. It took me a while longer to process my thoughts and to formulate an educated opinion in response to the announcement. But I’m there now. After a week of deep introspection and soul-searching, I think I’ve finally figured out how I feel.

“I hope it’s good.”

That’s it. That’s all I’ve got. And yet really, it’s all I need. It is, after all, the only thing that really matters.

You see, to say that the King of the Ring tournament has a checkered past is an understatement. For every ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin, there’s a Mabel. For every Brett Hart, a Sheamus.

And yet, at least in its early stages, the annual elimination-style tournament was a proverbial gold mine. It was designed to be (and often was) a measure of true greatness, a character-testing trial for anyone with the ability and willpower to best any number of equally determined opponents in a single night. And whomever survived that ordeal – whomever came out on top in the end – had earned the right to sit atop the WWE throne. Both literally and metaphorically.

And yet, somewhere along the line things went wrong.

WWE lost sight of what it meant to be the eponymous King of the Ring. Gone was the pay-per-view and the gruelling consecutive multi-match format. No longer did the single-night tournament act as a catalyst, ushering in the promotion’s next big star. It was slowly stripped of the glamour, the challenge and the sense of accomplishment. And all that remained was everything entirely incidental to the actual tournament: a plastic throne, a pompous crown and a silly sceptre.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1T0Ic-gfSU/

Hence, my one unfailing, unfaltering, perhaps simplistic wish. I hope it’s good. Like I really hope it’s good. More than that, after a four-year absence, I hope it produces a bona fide star.

On to the review.

The Best of Raw

Becky Addresses Sasha’s Return

In a direct-to-camera promo we were told was recorded earlier in the day, Becky Lynch addressed the events of last week.

She claimed to be happy to see the return of the “real” Sasha Banks and vowed to get even with the woman who heinously pummelled her with a steel chair on last week’s Raw. Lynch has repeatedly said that she wants to fight the best women in the company, at the peak of their abilities, and currently Sasha fits the bill.

https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/1163646239604432896

But it wasn’t Banks who got herself to the top of the mountain. She ran home crying after losing the tag belts to the IIconics at WrestleMania. No, it was Becky who brought out the real ‘Boss’. It was Lynch – the current Raw Women’s Champion – that made Banks relevant again. And it will be Lynch who ultimately sends Banks back home.

This was an excellent, return to form, promo by Becky. I, along with many others, have been down on ‘The Man’ in recent times, but this unquestionably represented the best version of the Champ.

The Presentation of King of the Ring

I appreciate what WWE has attempted to do in resurrecting the King of the Ring tournament for the first time in four years (and only the third time in the last decade).

Set to the tune of a triumphant backing track, Michael Cole billed it as an event which, for the winner, will “change [their] career, change [their] livelihood, change [their] lives“. He further emphasised that a dozen Hall of Famers have at one point called themselves “King of the Ring”.

This kind of presentation highlights the importance of the tournament to the audience, while also rekindling its storied legacy. I don’t often give Michael Cole credit, but I loved all of this.

‘The Fiend’ Strikes Another Legend

Jerry Lawler was in the ring to run through his selections to win the King of the Ring tournament and to conduct the advertised interview of Sasha Banks. Before any of that could happen though… the lights in the arena started to switch off.

To his credit, Lawler acted like any sensible human would in that situation: he hightailed it out of there!

But before he could make it to safety, the arena was plunged into darkness. Illuminated by only a strobe light, Jerry Lawler couldn’t see ‘The Fiend’ sneak up behind him at the top of the ramp. As Lawler turned around, he ran straight into the Mandible Claw.

This entire segment was awesome, buoyed by the sheer dread created as the lights systematically turn off. The darkness creates a kind of unease that most of us can identify with. Even more ominous, as Bray Wyatt choked Lawler into unconsciousness, you could hear him screaming from under his mask. Those screams then transitioned into maniacal laughter.

This was freaking awesome.

King of the Ring First Round Matches

Our first taste of this year’s King of the Ring came curtesy of the two-pronged lineup of Samoa Joe vs. Cesaro and Cedric Alexander vs. Sami Zayn.

Both of these matches (especially the first) were worthwhile spectacles, showcasing duelling styles. While Joe and Cesaro put on a hard-hitting, technical display, Alexander and Zayn was precisely the opposite, with both men demonstrating a more high-octane style of wrestling.

Ultimately, after two relatively competitive matches, Samoa Joe and Cedric Alexander advanced to the next round. But all four men were predictably excellent last night.

Elias’ Farewell Performance

Elias put on ostensibly his final concert, which was sadly wracked by technical difficulties. Eventually Elias tried to resolve these issues by asking a stage hand to swap his guitar “with the good one“.

The stage hand fumbled around awkwardly for a little while before revealing himself to be… you’ll never guess this one… it was R-Truth!

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1Xjnjnhovd/

The two men had a quick exchange, with Elias kicking out of several roll-up attempts and an Axe Kick, before making his escape.

This was, broadly speaking, fine.

Women’s Tag Team Wrestling… Is Back

There are many lingering questions surrounding the partnership of Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross. Why is Alexa suddenly a babyface? What happened to the simmering tension in their relationship? Is Nikki still a stalker-ish superfan?

But, truthfully, none of that really matters. It was a lacklustre story to begin with, one that we’d witnessed many times over. I prefer the straight-up dynamic these two women have developed.

They picked up a win over Fire & Desire this week, in a largely good matchup. There’s still hope that their title reign will be the one to finally mark the women’s tag division being taken seriously in WWE.

Also – and I’d be remiss not to at least mention this – but Sonya Deville is a severally underrated wrestler. Her spear and spinebuster are top class.

The Worst of Raw

What’s The Scoop?

Michael Cole informed us that Corey Graves was on vacation this week, and introduced his replacement, Jerry Lawler. Because God forbid we have a two-person announce team.

But that’s not what bothered me. After the pleasantries, Michael Cole claimed that he had learned from Sports Illustrated that Lawler would be conducting a “King’s Court” interview with Sasha Banks.

What in the tarnation does he mean? You work for the company that booked the segment! Surely WWE would’ve provided him with a run-down for the night, rather than expecting him to turn to news outlets to figure out what’s happening on the show. It makes no sense!

Admittedly, this insanity is far from the largest misstep we’re used to seeing on Raw. But it’s the accumulation of small irritants like these that really get to me over time.

Dolph Starts Another Feud

Dolph Ziggler faced off against Roman Reigns, in a match apparently spawned from some Twitter beef between the pair. As far as mediums to start rivalries is concerned, Twitter ranks somewhere between Boomerang and a Singing Telegram in my book.

Prior to the match, Ziggler ran down Goldberg, Shawn Michaels, The Miz and the crowd, before cheap-shotting Reigns with a superkick. This led to a pretty fun encounter between two very good workers. But despite being largely good affairs (and this was probably even better than that), I just struggle to become invested in any Dolph Ziggler match in 2019. There’s just too much water under that particular bridge.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1XYOiLh2mV/

For what it’s worth, Roman won after nailing an awesome mid-air spear. A great match trapped inside a forgettable wrapper.

King of the Ring Preview Match

The Miz and Ricochet teamed up to take on Drew McIntyre and Baron Corbin for no apparent reason other than the fact that all four men are participants in the King of the Ring.

The lack of any real purpose was only highlighted after the match, when The Miz and Ricochet’s win was celebrated as “momentum building“. Am I really expected to care about a match where the only prize is momentum?

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1XdJVdB_dC/

On the positive side, I did much prefer Baron Corbin’s new look of black jeans and a black tank-top. Also – and this may seem trite – but I was reminded why I love Ricochet so much. The guy just makes everything from his ring entrance to his finishing move look so incredibly smooth. He truly is a remarkable wrestler and – here’s a spoiler – my pick to win the King of the Ring tournament.

Why Are Raw Commentators So Bad?

With a multi-person announce team, it only makes sense for the babyface commentators to back a wholesome competitor to win the King of the Ring tournament, and for the heel commentators to pick a villain. Instead there was gleeful unanimity, particularly from Renee Young, that Drew McIntyre (an avowed heel) would be crowned King of the Ring.

On the flip side, they scoffed at the prospect of Sami Zayn becoming the King as “you’d never hear the end of it“. Where’s the consistency? The entire formula is backwards.

Chalk this up as another minor, mostly inconsequential, irritant.

A Meaningless Title Match

Braun Strowman challenged AJ Styles for his United States Championship, in a match that had been advertised all week.

As soon as Strowman looked to be getting the upper hand though, The O.C. interfered to cause the DQ. They then beat up ‘The Monster Among Men’ for a bit, until Seth Rollins ran out to make the save – repaying Strowman for doing the same last week.

After clearing the ring of the heels, Rollins and Strowman then shared a handshake that went on slightly too long and seemed less than friendly.

So the entire week’s build to Braun vs. AJ appears to really just be a convoluted way to get to Braun vs. Seth. So why go through – and even worse, spend a week advertising – this uninspired mess that was destined to end in a goofy finish?

It Gets Worse

Seth Rollins tracked down Braun Strowman backstage to say that if it were up to him, Braun would be his next challenger for the Universal Title.

Isn’t it up to him though? For years we’ve been conditioned to think that wresters on the main roster can simply book their own matches. So why have the rules suddenly changed now?

Regardless, Seth claimed that they had “bigger fish to fry” in all events. So, instead of setting up a Universal Title bout, he would speak to the higher-ups about arranging a match against Gallows & Anderson for the Rag Tag Team Championships later in the evening.

Talk about giving the fans what they want to see. This wasn’t it.

Rey Mysterio Hangs Up the Mask

In a backstage interview with ‘Mean’ Charlie, Rey Mysterio ran through his career accomplishments. He recounted his training under his uncle’s steady tutelage, and all of the highlights since. Mysterio then recapped the despicable acts by Andrade, who ripped his mask off two weeks ago, and pondered whether all the injuries he had suffered over his career had finally caught up with him.

None of this was particularly convincing. Despite all his other gifts, Rey has never been an especially good actor. So when he tearfully started to remove his mask here, it perhaps didn’t quite carry the emotional heft the writers would have hoped.

Just then however, Mysterio’s son showed up to convince his dad that not all was lost and encouraged him not to retire. Dominic’s acting was equally atrocious, proving once and for all that the awkward apple doesn’t fall far from the ham-fisted tree.

More Transparent Misdirection

The New Day tackled The Revival in a match that was again simply a pretext for Randy Orton to come out and RKO everyone, including WWE Champion Kofi Kingston.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1Uq8OnFGBG/

I appreciated Xavier Woods’ incredible selling, which really made the attack appear brutal. But by this point I was tired of being sold one match, only to receive no conclusive outcome and have it transition into an angle for an entirely different, unrelated program.

Sasha Banks Answers Everyone’s Questions

I’m not sure what I expected from the much-hyped interview with Sasha Banks after her dramatic return to WWE last week. But it certainly wasn’t a testament to how good she looks with blue hair.

Jesus.

The Street Profits Stuck on Repeat

I’ve about had it with the Street Profits’ perpetual recapping of Raw.

Everything they talk about we’ve witnessed live, watched countless replays of, heard Michael Cole’s dull commentary on and then seen a title card for. SO WHY THE EXTRA REPETITION?

It’s patronising, intellectually insulting, pointless and – perhaps worst of all – renders an otherwise enjoyable, incredibly talented tag team, utterly annoying. I’m not sure how this is meant to make them feel like a big deal.

The Biggest Announcement that Never Happened

Aside from the King of the Ring first round matches, the biggest talking point heading into Raw was news of a Major Announcement during the show. Earlier reports suggested that NXT was all but certain to head to USA Network in September, and the expectation was that Vince McMahon or Triple H would officially unveil the plans for the developmental brand on Raw.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1YwgZCBHoK/

Well, that never happened. Nor was there any explanation for why the announcement had suddenly been dropped, in favour of a later online press release.

Considering this was heavily advertised by WWE itself, the sudden and unexplained reversal is another sign of a company lacking foresight.

Sasha Stagnates

Natalya appeared backstage this week to once again talk about the injury she suffered during her match with Becky Lynch at SummerSlam, and the one-year anniversary of her father’s passing. Slightly undercutting the tone of this supposedly heartfelt promo was the crowd loudly chanting “What?” after every three words.

Regardless, Natalya soon transitioned to the events of last week, saying that she was surprised by Sasha Banks’ sneak attack. They were – like most of WWE’s women – friends.

At that point, Sasha pounced, once again beating up Nattie and suggesting that her dead father was in hell. It was this last insinuation that made my head drop into my hands and several expletives escape my lips. Not only is WWE still trying to create heat based on the real-life passing of family members, but how is this a step up for Sasha?

Last week she attacked Natalya and Becky Lynch. This week it’s just Natalya. If anything, that’s a step backwards.

New Tag Team Champions

Seth Rollins is the Universal Champion. Braun Strowman wants to be Universal Champion. So how do you further that story? By making them… Raw Tag Team Champions?

The match against Gallows & Anderson – which also served as the night’s main event – was a fairly exciting affair. Seth predictably had his sore ribs targeted throughout the early stages, while AJ Styles ran interference from the outside. Eventually Braun got the hot tag and just started wrecking dudes. It was all standard, yet largely entertaining, stuff.

What doesn’t change though is just how needlessly convoluted this all is. Braun had quite the championship rollercoaster last night. He started by challenging for the United States Title, turned it into a Gollum-like obsession with the Universal Title and ended by claiming tag team gold alongside Rollins.

The closing shot of the night was the new tag champs celebrating on the ramp, with Strowman gazing lustfully at Rollins’ Universal Title. I didn’t hate this – in fact the more I think about it, the more I find it mostly acceptable – but I just think there’s a more sophisticated way of creating a program between Strowman and Rollins. One that doesn’t span across multiple divisions and title frames.

Overall Rating for the Show (From best to worst: RawSome, Cor, AvRAWge, Poor and RawFul)

There’s a fine line between being action-packed and being overstuffed. Keep the night flowing with quality, entertaining segments and you’re action-packed. On the flip side, lurch awkwardly from one poorly conceived, badly executed moment to the next and you’re overstuffed.

This episode of Raw sadly fell into the latter category.

On a night that should have centred around the first round of the rejuvenated King of the Ring tournament, the show instead belonged to a heavily contrived, very on-the-nose title feud between Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman, as well as the disappointing follow-up to Sasha Banks’ return. Of all the impactful ways ‘The Boss’ could’ve followed up her shocking reappearance last week, perhaps the worst one was to have her talk about her blue hair and attack Natalya… AGAIN.

Delving deeper into last night’s bloated show only reveals more angles that either didn’t work or went nowhere. Rey Mysterio almost retired… and then didn’t. Elias held his final performance… until next week presumably. Dolph continued to insult everyone and Randy Orton RKO’d his way through New Day members. And the “big announcement” that WWE had been selling us on all day never transpired.

Sadly, not even some decent wrestling and an awesome appearance by ‘The Fiend’ could undo the damage caused by these disappointing narratives. Raw this week was Poor.

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5 years ago by Nicholas Holicki

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