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RAW, MARCH 25, 2024
The penultimate Raw before Wrestlemania hit a sold out All State Arena in Chicago. So sold out, that they brought in a smaller stage for the night to fit more people in. That’s a hot product. Let's take a look at some of the talking points from this week's edition of Monday Night Raw.
FINAL BOSS
What an insane crowd reaction when The Rock’s music hit to interrupt Cody Rhodes great Raw opening promo. The shock, the surprise, the amazing camera shots of Rock’s entrance, the Rocky chants being drowned out, even CM Punk chants erupting at one stage. Magic. And all they did was stand in the ring. If you’re a good lip reader, it looked like The Rock whispered “I’m gonna make you bleed” to Cody, which set up a show long story that had an amazing payoff.
The eagle eyed will have spotted Drew McIntyre talking with Paul Heyman in the background of a backstage scene, an easter egg that made sense when Drew got involved to take out Seth Rollins later that night, leaving Cody all alone so that The Bloodline’s plan could unfold. This level of detail and storytelling is so refreshing to see from WWE after so many years of “why didn’t that guy just come and help him”.
What we got was a visceral, violent scene, with a rainy night in Chicago only adding to the grittiness of it. I’m struggling to remember the last time we had such a graphic scene on Raw, which made it all the more impactful. Blood adds so much when it's used sparingly, and in the appropriate places. The Rock promised to wipe the blood of Cody on his ‘Mama Rhodes belt’, and The Final Boss did just that. The blood, the language, the setting and toned down production of this gave us something reminiscent of the Attitude Era, or old school pro wrestling. This was a stunning ending to Raw that people are not going to forget for a long time.
PUNK IS CHICAGO
There is nothing quite like the passionate and emotional crowd response that CM Punk gets in The Windy City. They hung on every word as Punk got in the middle of Wrestlemania’s World title conflict. This segment looked like it was heading towards trainwreck territory at times, with everyone cutting each other off, each trying to land the next zinger, an element that made this whole thing feel very real and unscripted. Some of which were amazing (others not so good) and left you wondering if they really did say that. Who would’ve expected Vince McMahon & Jim Cornette references?
But when they got down to it, this was great. Drew continues his obsession with Punk, in contrast to Seth Rollins, who says he doesn't even think about Punk, despite their recent issues. For weeks Drew has been saying that Seth’s involvement in the Cody/Bloodline saga will cost him his title, well now maybe Drew’s obsession with Punk will distract him from the world title. Punk will be on commentary for this match at Wrestlemania.
A great segment that added more layers to this world title match, and planted more seeds for some red hot feuds waiting for a returning CM Punk.
MAMI MAKES IT PERSONAL
We saw Rhea Ripley & Dominik Mysterio back together on TV here, after being downplayed for a while, probably due to Rhea’s involvement in Elimination Chamber in her home country. Rhea said she wanted Becky’s attention and she got it by bringing up Beckys young daughter, which brought a fire out of Becky that we haven’t seen in some time. Dom got dropped with an amazing right hand and these woman had to be pulled apart. This was a fantastic angle that really got the ball rolling on the build for this match, as it had been simmering in the background in recent weeks. Rhea Ripley comes across as the biggest star in the company on the women’s side. She has an aura around her that few have, largely due to how little we see her wrestle, which makes it all the more special when she does.
A DIFFERENT APPROACH
Gunther has gotten into the head of Sami Zayn. Chad Gable did his best to motivate Sami Zayn, but the sheer presence of Gunther was enough to get in Zayn’s head and cost him his match with Bronson Reed. A really well told simple story over the course of the show. Wins and losses matter, and this was a rare occasion where a title challenger, losing ahead of a championship match, has only added intrigue to the match. Now we want to see Sami Zayn triumph even more and we are left wondering what his “different approach” might be.
WRESTLEMANIA AND BEYOND
All guns are blazing towards the biggest show of the year, but WWE have not forgotten that the show goes on the day after Wrestlemania. We are already seeing the post Mania direction shaped. Whether it be CM Punk's clashes with Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins, the potential of a massive Rock vs Cody singles match, or the Chad Gable/Gunther story most likely still yet to reach its final chapter. Below that we even have names who most likely won't be involved in Mania this year, such as Ricochet, Bronson Reed & Andrade, all gaining strong wins that will position them well going forward.
I can be reached at matthewmacklin90@gmail.com
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