WWE Raw – May 20, 2019 (Review)

So that’s it then.

After months of delicate storytelling, building courageous heroes and despicable villains, feelings of hope, ruin and resurgence, we’re delivered a winner we didn’t even know was in the fight to begin with. But enough about Game of Thrones, let’s talk Money in the Bank.

The first thought I had during Sunday’s pay-per-view was this: WWE just can’t help themselves, can they? All the pieces were in in place; all that needed to be done was to nail the landing. Every option was open to them too. They could’ve had a young babyface like Ali claim the briefcase, solidifying him as a rising star. Or make it Drew McIntyre, the company’s unsung heel, taking his first step on a path of destruction leading to the Universal Title.

Instead WWE couldn’t help but overindulge on the drama, eschewing all the appetising options available to it in favor of the ridiculous swerve. Like that one guy who goes to a sandwich shop and decides to go off-the-menu by ordering the sushi. Surprises aren’t always good.

Awesome to see @BrockLesnar win the #MoneyInTheBank match…even though he wasn’t officially entered! Brock is the future of the biz and this perfect example of genius booking shows why @WWE will remain on top FOREVER! #GoBrockGo

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) May 20, 2019

But that moment of poor judgement wasn’t even the only example of WWE’s proclivity to live by phrase “more is always more”. There were countless instances where a little restraint could’ve gone a long way. Roman Reigns vs Elias was a match that no one needed. Likewise Lars Sullivan’s appearance to toss around the Lucha House Party for a bit was an angle ripped directly from weekly TV and didn’t need to happen on pay-per-view.

I’m not even going to get into the countless baffling referee gaffs, or that Shane McMahon / Miz match. But I mean, come on. To those who continue to bellow from the rooftops that Miz deserves to be in the WWE main event frame, that awful frog splash will be Exhibit A in the case against him. He’s exactly where he needs to be – at the top of the mid-card, feuding with the boss’ son.

pic.twitter.com/ih1G8Feiot

— 𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖑𝖎𝖊𝖌𝖎𝖗𝖑 🎮 (@ImKingKota) May 20, 2019

And so, just like that, Sunday left me feeling a bit hollow. Like I had been robbed of the satisfying conclusion I’d waited months to see. I had been promised a giant ice cream cake, and instead received a soggy pretzel. That doesn’t mean that the future can’t hold better fortunes. Perhaps greatness can yet be salvaged from this puddle of mediocrity. But for now at least, our watch has ended.

Oh, and Raw happened last night too. On with the review.

• review
• RAW
• Money in the Bank
• wwe

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