5 takeaways from the RAW After Wrestlemania

Every year the RAW after Wrestlemania is a lively one to say the least. This is the time when smart fans from around the world who have paid lots of money to come to Wrestlemania, spend one more night in town for the first RAW of the new Wrestling calender year. So what were the biggest takeaways from the first RAW since the show of shows?

The crowd was raucous...and weird

The crowd was pretty rowdy as you'd expect but at times they were just downright strange. When Baron Corbin made his debut on RAW against Dolph Ziggler in a fairly good match, the crowd were more interested in a beach ball that had been let loose in the crowd. And people wonder why we don't get nice things. Another big one was the Women's Title coronation ceremony. Charlotte was trying to break kayfabe and state how this was such a momentous occassion for women in WWE. Did the crowd care? Nope. All they were interested in was chanting the name of a certain Doctor of Huganomics. Some of the interesting chants of the night were "Nakamura", "NXT" and "Gable" which actually leads me on to the next point.

Commentary was even more abysmal than usual. 

We all know how bad Byron Saxton, Michael Cole and JBL are. They are just so bad. I cannot stress enough how bad they are, it's like they suck the life out of what is going on in the ring on purpose. Despite the fact that they are bad, as we have established, they reached a new low last night. When RAW came on the TV after the opening segment, this is what they had to say:
"Wrestlemania week continue on RAW which usually has this non traditional audience. This audience is made up of fans from round the world who exercise their freedom of expression. Sometimes they cheer the guys they usually boo and boo the guys they usually cheer."
Wow. Talk about not understanding your own bloody audience. Basically what they tried to say to everyone watching at home is that this crowd is not how WWE fans really feel about the stars in the ring. Erm, correct me if i'm wrong, but this crowd is usually the most on point crowd all year. What made it even worse was when they tried to cover up the chants in the crowd by lying to us. Midway through The Dudleyz vs The Usos, the crowd started chanting "Gable and Jordan" to the rhythm of No Limit by 2 unlimited. The commentary team tried to cover this up by saying that the crowd was actually saying "Get the tables". Really? how stupid do they think we are? Another hilarious highlight was how they tried to justify the deafening boo's for Roman Reigns by saying this was a "Special crowd". I hate all three of you. Please get off of my TV. Sure they are probably dealing with Vince screaming in their ear telling them what to say but there comes a point where they are pretty much just insulting our intelligence. Give me Mauro Ranallo and Corey Graves right now.

50-50 booking returns yet again

At Wrestlemania The Usos beat The Dudley Boyz and The League of Nations beat The New Day. A day after on RAW, The Dudley Boyz beat The Usos and The New Day beat The League of Nations. So those matches at Wrestlemania were absolutely pointless. For the product to evolve, people need to be given wining streaks. Sure, The Usos lost to the Dudleyz at Wrestlemania. Have them face someone else then. Having them beat the people who just defeated them at Wrestlemania just makes absolutely zero sense. Would someone tell Road Dogg that Wins and Losses do matter?

A fresh direction

Now that the bad stuff is out of the way lets get on to the good stuff and AJ STYLES IS NUMBER ONE CONTENDER! I guarantee nobody saw this coming, including myself and I happen to be a huge Styles fan. Even when he was in the main event fatal 4 way he looked like he was just there for the sake of things. A returning Cesaro, Chris Jericho or even Kevin Owens would've been a much safer bet for fans to bank on to leave as number one contender. But fair play to WWE they swerved us and gave us a number one contender that the majority of us like and gave us a feel good moment. It will be interesting to see what they do with Roman from here. Given a choice between Reigns and Styles there is only one way that the IWC is going to go. A Heel turn could actually be coming in the near future. The seeds were planted when he referred to himself as "The guy" in a smug tone and basically dismissed Styles and Zayn when they came out to confront Reigns. Maybe we could even see Bullet Club come out to make the assist for AJ, choosing to side with their most recent leader instead of the groups founder in Balor. (Prince Devitt) There is so much potential for this. Sure there's a chance that Vince comes out next week and revokes AJ's title shot but we should savour it while we can. It shows WWE see that there is money in AJ Styles.

Maybe Vince thinks more highly of NXT than we think

So we saw Apollo Crews, Baron Corbin, Enzo Amore and Colin Cassidy on an episode of RAW and we have The Vaudevillians debuting this Thursday on Smackdown? Interesting. Yes, we probably wanted Samoa Joe, Finn Balor and American Alpha instead of three out of four those options but we can't always get what we want, although I was legitimately surprised when neither Joe or Balor showed up on RAW. The problem now will be WWE trying to make sure that these guys don't fall down the card. I doubt that will happen to Enzo and Cass due to their solid in ring work and their awesome ability on the stick but the other three worry me slightly. Cena, Orton and Rollins are all yet to return and when they do it's likely that someone will become an afterthought. Given what Vince reportedly thinks of WWE's development brand, don't be surprised if it's one of these guys.

NXTTakeover: Dallas Review

NXTTakeover: Dallas aired a 3am here in the United Kingdom which made it very difficult for some fans to stay awake for the event. Those of us who did manage the feat however, were not dissapointed as we were treated to one of the best nights of Wrestling we have seen in the WWE in a long time, potentially even ever. Shinsuke Nakamura made his much hyped debut, American Alpha took on The Revival for the Tag Team Titles, Austin Aries was out for revenge against Corbin and of course Bayley faced Asuka and Joe took on Balor for the two singles Titles. So what exactly were the matches like?

American Alpha vs The Revival

American Alpha hold their new NXT Tag Team Championships

This match was how Tag Team Wrestling should be happening in the WWE. Both teams have great chemistry with their partners and with each other in the ring and last night they put on one of the best Tag Team matches we've ever seen in a WWE ring. Yes, there were a few botched spots here and there but overall the fluidity of the match was not ruined and the show started off with an explosion more than a bang. Most of the credit will surely go to American Alpha after this match but as the saying goes, you are only as going as your opponent, and Dash and Dawson were really good. Yet again their Heel tactics in the ring were a welcome sight, causing the crowd to rally behind Gable and Jordan even more (If that were even possible) The highlight of that was Dawson crawling under the ring to deny the hot tag to Jason Jordan. In the end the right team won and this set the tone for the entire night.

****1/2 out of 5

Austin Aries vs Baron Corbin

Austin Aries attempts to get Baron Corbin off his feet

You have to feel a little for Austin Aries because on any other night his debut would feel like one of the biggest things on the card, but with Nakamura turning up later and the other matches, this wasn't as big as it should've been. It didn't really help that the crowd were completely gassed after watching that unbelievable Tag match beforehand. The match itself was pretty slow but in more of a methodical way. Corbin got in a lot of offense and the little offense that Aries was able to get in he tried to focus on the leg of Baron Corbin. In the end Aries won with a roll up which was a bit of a weird finish. Baron Corbin yet again portrayed his Heel character to perfection and if he is not going for the NXT Title then a main roster call up is surely imminent. I'm sure in the future we'll see a lot of great stuff from Austin Aries but this wasn't a mind blowing debut.

*** out of 5

Shinsuke Nakamura vs Sami Zayn

Shinsuke Nakamura shows respect to Sami Zayn after their match

I can't remember the last time people were so hyped for a debut. Nakamura finally arrived in WWE and he arrived to a rapturous reception. We all knew that this match was going to be good, we didn't know it was going to be this good. The greatest part was that they let Nakamura be himself and they didn't change anything apart from the name of his finisher. They didn't water down his style in any way and he still looked as Stiff as he always has. The sight of Nakamura and Zayn just slugging it out for minutes with their forearms will be a sight that is remembered for a long time. Ask anybody about this match and they will most likely say one thing, it's a match of the year contender and it's hard to argue with that statement. What made this match even better was the show of respect by the two men at the end of the match. Anyone who wasn't familiar with the King of Strong Style before now will be. Also if there was anybody who deserved this match, it was Sami Zayn. The man embodies what NXT is all about and being given the honor of facing Nakamura in his debut match is nothing less than what Sami Zayn deserved. It will be hard for any match to top that this year, let alone this weekend.

***** out of 5

Bayley vs Asuka

Asuka celebreates becoming new NXT Women's Champion

I think deep down we all knew that this was going to happen, but it didn't make it any more bearable for fans of The Hugger. Personally I'm a huge Asuka fan so this was a great result for me but seeing Bayley at the end of that match was a heartbreaking sight. Asuka eventually put Bayley out with the Asuka lock which can be considered an overused spot but if anyone deserves that finish instead of being forced to tap then it's Bayley. This match was a different type of match than we've seen from Bayley before. Against Sasha Banks she put on excellent and exciting affairs while against Nia Jax she portrayed the perfect underdog, but this was different. This was different because it was such a technical affair between two gifted Wrestlers. There were plenty of counters with holds and Submissions and it was delightful to watch. Bayley and Asuka yet again proved why Women's wrestling is getting the attention that it does in NXT.

**** out of 5

Finn Balor vs Samoa Joe

Samoa Joe attempts to execute the Muscle Buster on Finn Balor

If Samoa Joe vs Finn Balor at NXT Takeover: London was a battle then this was an all out war. Right from the get go these men were right at each other and Joe was severely busted open. This both added and took away from the match as there were 4 stoppages to wipe away the blood. We all understand the importance of the the safety of the competitors in the ring but the continued stopping and starting really slowed this match down. The finish was a little strange for two reasons. Firstly because most people probably expect Joe to win and Finn Balor to debut on Monday at RAW, although that could still happen. The second reason is the underwhelming finish. It was the second roll up of the night and it really felt like it didn't do the match justice. Either way, Samoa Joe yet again looked strong and the demon is still undefeated, which I think should be the case for a long time.

***1/2 out of 5

NXT Takeover: Dallas Predictions!

Yes that's right we are only one night away from what could turn out to be one of the greatest nights of the year, not Wrestlemania, but Takeover: Dallas. Obviously Takeover is not going to be the spectacle that Wrestlemania is, there is not many things in the world that can match the spectacle apart from major events such as the Super bowl and The World Cup. Still, NXT Takeover:Dallas has the potential to be one of the best PPV events on the WWE's calender in 2016 and that's no joke. The quality is there and the story lines have been well built. So lets get straight into the first match...

The Revival (C) vs American Alpha

Of all the matches on the card, The Revival vs American Alpha seems the most likely to start the night off which is excellent as it will more than likely set the tone for the night. The Revival have done extremely well to get to where they are now. Many people (including myself) expected them to drop the titles to Enzo and Cass at NXT Takeover:London but they didn't and since then they've only grown in their roles as Heel Champions. They share an excellent chemistry and fluidity in the ring that is only matched by their opponents on Friday night. Speaking of their opponents, is their any Tag-Team in the world that is more over than American Alpha right now? Gable and Jordan have developed a cult following ever since being paired together. Their awesome ability in the ring, combined with their connection to the crowd has made them fan favourites.

So who will win this match? All factors seem to point to American Alpha walking out with the gold in their moment of crowning glory. While there is justifiable reasons to keep the straps on Dash and Dawson, the crowd will accept nothing less than Gable and Jordan walking out with the gold.

American Alpha to win. New NXT Tag Team Champions.

Austin Aries vs Baron Corbin

Austin Aries has been a superb acquistion for WWE but his debut has been slightly overshadowed by the likes of Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles signing with the company as well as the impending debut of The Bullet Club. I must admit I wasn't familiar with Aries' work before he signed but after searching the internet I can understand what all the fuss is about. On the other side of the coin we have Baron Corbin a man who continued to grow in his time in NXT, Baron Corbin. While people such Tyler Breeze have moved up to the main roster, Corbin has been left on NXT, but this hasn't stopped him from improving. Most recently on NXT Corbin cut an excellent promo about what he was going to do to Aries and his work all round has come leaps and bounds.

So who will win the match? Austin Aries would be the safe bet here. It's very unlikely that a guy like Aries would lose his first match in NXT but even if he does beat Corbin, The Lone Wolf will no doubt come out of this match looking good yet again. Personally I think a main roster call up is imminent for Corbin. If they aren't going to give him a run with the NXT Title there is nothing more for him to do in NXT. Perhaps a Mid-Card feud with Cesaro is in order?

Austin Aries to win.

Sami Zayn vs Shinsuke Nakamura

The fact that Shinsuke Nakamura is wrestling in WWE still gives me goosebumps. Nakamura will make his in ring debut for WWE this Friday against Sami Zayn in a match that could have potential to be the Match Of The Year. Nakamura possesses a unique Charisma that just draws people towards him. He is the perfect mix of Athlete and Entertainer. There isn't many better people for him to make his debut against either. Sami Zayn was right in saying he helped get NXT to where it is and he more than deserves this match. In a way I almost feel sorry for him as he will face Nakamura and then have to compete in a Ladder match 2 days later. Don't be surprised if he walks out of Wrestlemania wrapped in Ice Packs.

So who will win the match? You've got to go with Shinsuke Nakamura to win. With such a high profile debut the chances of Sami winning this match are very slim but that doesn't mean he won't come out of this match looking like a loser. Nakamura will prove why WWE broke the bank to sign him and Zayn will prove why he's held in such high regard as well.

Shinsuke Nakamura to win.

Bayley (C) vs Asuka

This match is strange as it hasn't really had much build up in terms of story telling but it's still one of the most anticipated matches of the weekend and that's for one simple reason. Bayley is the standard bearer for Women's wrestling in the WWE right now. She is the one that has caused people to take note. Asuka is the veteran talent from overseas who has come to America to prove herself. I must say that Asuka is arguably my favourite competitor in WWE right now apart from Owens and Styles. She is just so fluid and graceful in the ring but at the same time she has the ability to completely destroy her opponent. So... will The Hugger overcome The Empress of Tomorrow?

So who will win the match? There are lots of potential outcomes for this match. A clean win for Bayley or Asuka are the most likely but could see Dana Brooke get involved, although it's a long shot. I have to say Asuka for this one. Bayley is usually billed as the underdog in her matches and she will be exactly that more than ever in this one. To be fair, The majority of people who face Asuka would be considered an underdog. A main roster call up is also likely for Bayley soon so Asuka winning would almost guarantee that. Either way, expect this to be a great match.

Asuka to win. New NXT Women's Champion.

Finn Balor (C) vs Samoa Joe

This will be the second PPV in a row that Samoa Joe attempts to win the NXT Championship from Finn Balor but by no means does that mean it will be the same as last time. WWE are often criticised for booking the same matches over and over again, with AJ Styles and Chris Jericho being a perfect example. While this may be the second time Balor faces Joe in a row on PPV, the last time they went head to head was 3 months ago. This means this match is fresh and will be completely different from last time. Ever since turning Heel, Samoa Joe has been one of the best performers on NXT TV. He's dominated opponents and made it known that he's coming after the NXT Title. Balor on the other hand has been a rare commodity on NXT TV, which has made his appeareances all the more meaningful.

So who will win the match? Similairly to Bayley vs Asuka there is a chance that The Bullet Club could interefere and make their debut but that's unlikely as the thought is they're main roster bound. Whoever loses this match will more than likely debut on RAW the night after Wrestlemania. For that reason I have to go with Samoa Joe winning this. I don't like the idea of having The Demon be beaten but if The Bullet Club are going to debut, then they're going to need their leader/ Samoa Joe would be an excellent NXT champion and it's been a while since we had a Heel champion. Apollo Crews could be a credible contender down the line for Joe, while Balor could be ripping it up on the main roster.

Samoa Joe to win. New NXT Champion.

Roman Reigns. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Roman Reigns is quite possibly the most divisive man in the world of Wrestling right now and for good reason. The leader of the Roman Empire has been largely resisted by the audience in his ascent to the top and has been spat out by the fans after being shoved down their throats like a foul tasting medicine. However not everything about Roman Reigns is something to boo about as there are several parts of his game that are generally pleasing to watch. So what exactly is the good, the bad and the ugly things about WWE's Big Dog?

The Good

Let's start with the good parts of Roman. The best part about Roman Reigns is his Physicality. While many people associate him with one of WWE's typical strongman types he possesses a unique agility that many men of his size don't possess. We haven't really seen that as of late but it is obviously there and WWE would do well to let him unleash that side of him. Not only is Roman very Agile and Physical in the ring but he's also a better worker than people give him credit for. In his time in WWE he's been involved in excellent matches against the like of Daniel Bryan at Fastlane 2015, Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania 31 and even Bray Wyatt in Hell In A Cell. The perception that Roman Reigns is not very good is the fact that more than half the time he's been booked against someone who doesn't match up with him in the ring. His matches against Big Show were pretty slow and being put against the likes of Braun Strowman and Kane doesn't help either. When Roman is put against people who are able to keep up with him in the ring or people who he has good chemistry with, like Ambrose and Rollins, Reigns is able to put on memorable bouts in the ring.

Roman hits a Superman Punch on John Cena

One of the other things people seem to overlook is the fact that he has greatly improved in the ring. Out of the three original Shield members, Roman is the most Green. Seth Rollins spent plenty of time on the Independant circuit as Tyler Black while Dean Ambrose also spent plenty of time in the indies, most notably in CZW (Combat Zone Wrestling). Roman Reigns on the other hand is a product of the WWE development system which all started once he quit his football career in 2010. Because of this, many people have taken to Dean and Seth a lot easier than they have to Roman. However, to his credit Roman has put the work in and has come leaps and bounds in the ring.

Roman is also actually very young. For example, John Cena is 38 years old and at a stage in his career when he's starting to wind down and eventually become a part-time player. Roman Reigns on the other hand is only 30 which is very young for a wrestler at the top of the card in the WWE. He still has plenty of time left in his WWE career which also means he has plenty of time to win over fans before his body starts to turn on him.

The largest part of Roman Reigns which can be viewed as good is that fact that fans are able to like him. When he was part of the Shield he was the silent muscle and people loved it. He didn't say anything but he destroyed everything. Ever since The Shield was taken apart by Rollins, Reigns has been booked to become the face of WWE, however WWE's idea of what the face of their company is vastly different what Roman Reigns is as a character and a person. Reigns doesn't strike you as the person to crack jokes and smile all the time. He strikes you as the type of person that lets his actions and his fists do the talking. The sooner WWE open their eyes and realise this the sooner we can all stop complaining about it.

The Bad

Roman Reigns isn't good on the microphone let's just get that out here. He's not terrible in the sense that he stutters and forgets his lines but whenever WWE ask him to cut a long, boring promo he struggles. It doesn't help that the material that WWE writers give him is absolutely diabolical, whoever came up with the Tater Tots line should be fired. There are some people in the world of Wrestling that are naturally gifted with the stick. CM Punk, The Rock and Paul Heyman are examples of these. Roman Reigns is not one of them. Because of this WWE should be looking to try and cover the flaws in Roman Reigns' game but having him go out and cut lengthy promo's is doing the exact opposite.

Roman Reigns during his "Tater Tots" Promo

Now time for some of the more simpler aspects and that is the fact that he is completely underdeveloped compared to some of his fellow stars. For starters, his move-set is ridiculously contrived. The Superman Punch is an awful manoeuvre and the Spear is one of the most over used finishers in Wrestling history. John Cena is often maligned for his "Five moves of Doom" and have Roman consistently turn to these abilities when he's in trouble is just asking for trouble. His character also lacks depth. Apart from being that guy in The Shield and who's related to The Rock (depending on who you ask) is there anything that people really know about him? Add all these issues together and then compare him to the likes of Kevin Owens, Bray Wyatt or Seth Rollins and his character looks very simple and lacking a lot that would make him a star.

One of the major things going against Reigns is the audience. It has been no secret that Roman Reigns is WWE's chosen one and the WWE Universe have been openly vocal about their displeasure with the fact that Roman Reigns is the man chosen and not someone else. People see Roman Reigns as just a generic copy of WWE's past company icons like Cena and Hogan. Several legends have made no secret about the fact that people don't like Roman either. Jim Rose, Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Stone Cold Steve Austin have all stated that Roman isn't ready or that he needs a Heel run first and even having The Rock support him at the Royal Rumble in 2015 wasn't enough for fans to buy into him.

The Ugly

Without doubt the ugliest part about Roman Reigns is his rise to the top. It has been known news for a long time that Roman Reigns is WWE's guy but they have failed to create compelling storytelling in order to get people to get behind Reigns but nothing has worked.

It comes from 2 basic faults. The first being that Roman hasn't had very many high quality Heels to work against. Sheamus was one of the better ones due to the fact that people really didn't want Sheamus but apart from that WWE hasn't really put him up against a top Heel. Triple H in this day and age won't be viewed as a Heel and was only viewed as such against Daniel Bryan because it was Daniel Bryan which brings me on to the next point. WWE have not come up with any new ideas. To push someone new to the top is like starting all over again which means they need to come up with a completely fresh idea. Instead they've tried to copy and paste him into storylines such as the Stone Cold role against The Authority and the Daniel Bryan role as Underdog. No one has even remotely bought into these ideas. After TLC there was a period of about 2 weeks where Roman Reigns had the support of the majority of the crowd and WWE failed to capitalised on it and now we're at a point where the reaction to him is worse than it was at this point last year.

Why Roman Reigns should be moulded like this NXT Superstar

I heard on the most recent episode of the New Age Insiders podcast a comparison between Roman Reigns and Baron Corbin which I thought was very interesting. Personally I've had the same sort of idea with Roman for a while now but I wouldn't make him like Baron Corbin. While I can see the reasons to turn Roman Reigns into a lone-wolf type are there, It wouldn't be Corbin that I would model Reigns around. The personality I think Roman Reigns would thrive with is that of the current NXT Championship #1 contender Samoa Joe.

There are a few reasons for that, the first being the success of his original Face run in NXT. I'm not saying that Samoa Joe was a poor Babyface because he wasn't, he was very good in the ring and very entertaining to watch, however It always felt like there was something missing when he was a Babyface. I think we all get that same feeling with Roman Reigns. Reigns has the talent in the ring but it just feels like there is something missing which right now Is the connection to the crowd.

Now look at Samoa Joe after he turned Heel on his friend Finn Balor. That situation worked out for everybody. Not only did Finn Balor gain more support from the NXT fans but Samoa Joe was able to come out of his shell and fully embrace a role that he looks very comfortable in. After turning Heel, Samoa Joe's stock has risen and he looks to be a good bet to dethrone the demon at NXTTakeover: Dallas.

On the most recent episode of NXT, Joe was yet again at his badass Heel best. First he stormed out of a backstage interview without saying a word, later that night he interrupted a match between Bull Dempsey and Danny Burch, choking them both out and sending a brutal message to Finn Balor. Every time Samoa Joe gets into the ring or even stands next to someone you just get the feeling someone is going to get hurt, that's the feeling we need right now with Roman Reigns.

This formula would be so simple to put into practice on the main roster as well. Just substitute Finn Balor for Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns for Samoa Joe. For example, have Triple H retain at Wrestlemania 32, giving us all a swerve we didn't see coming. Then at the next PPV, Ambrose wins the WWE title. The next night on RAW, his "brother" Reigns celebrates with him and then proceeds to dismantle him. Ambrose becomes the most over babyface in WWE and Reigns can fully embrace a role that we all know he will be more comfortable in.

WWE fail to see that their fanbase continues to evolve. Fans want to see an asskicker in the WWE and while Brock Lesnar can occasionally satisfy fans desire for that, he's not around for long enough. Have Reigns drop this whole "One vs All, Believe That" rubbish and turn him Heel. No catchphrases, no talking, all destroying. Why not give him a submission as well, the majority of top superstarrs in Wrestling have had famous submissions in the past, Ric Flair, Sting, John Cena, Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, Bret Hart, hell even The Rock brought out the Sharpshooter every now and again.

WWE Creative are struggling right now but for this to work the blueprint is already there, all the need to do is put into action, as many people have said, there is more money to be made in a Heel Roman Reigns than a Face Roman Reigns and ultimately that is WWE's goal, to make money.

Wrestlemania 32, 5 reasons to be fearful and cheerful

It's almost time for Wrestlemania! The build up for this years Wrestlemania has got people swinging off both sides of the table and they can't really decide how they feel. Some people think that WWE have done OK for the Injuries they've had to deal with so far whereas others feel like WWE have dropped the ball and that they really should've done a better job. The whole Wrestlemania week itself looks to be a great week out for fans but Wrestlemania itself? maybe not so much. That being said, here are 5 reasons to be fearful and 5 reasons to be cheerful heading into this years Show of Shows.

Fans could turn on Reigns/Triple H

This just seems to be the main event no one wants. It was obviously not the main event that was planned months in advance before the injury curse befell WWE but this is the best they've managed to come up with. The idea in itself isn't particularly bad but fans just don't want it. People continue to spit out their Roman Reigns, WWE endorsed medicine and instead have taken to eating the junk food option which is Triple H, wow that was bad, anyway the point stands, people don't really want it. What worries me the most is that this match will most likely be the main event of the show. That means this will be going on after Dean Ambrose vs Brock Lesnar in a Street Fight and Shane McMahon vs Undertaker inside Hell In A Cell. How on earth are Triple H and Roman Reigns meant to follow that without fans turning on them?

It's understandable that WWE want their main title to close out their biggest show but in this case that could potentially be a big mistake. Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar will undoubtebly go all out and Shane McMahon will no doubt be stupid enough to take a ridiculous bump. Following that up with a simple one on one match between Roman Reigns and Triple H and even the most hardcore of Roman Reigns fans may struggle to "get hyped" for this match, how do you think other people will react?

Inevitable WWE Network Streaming issues

This one is more for people who will be watching The Showcase of the Immortals from the comfort of their own home instead of making to long trip out to Dallas, Texas. WWE Network is a great thing. The quality of the WWE Network however leaves something to be desired. Even at their most recent PPV, Fastlane, the network was yet again plagued with issues.

Fast forward to Wrestlemania now which is the biggest show of the year, with people getting a free month of Wrestlemania there's a good chance that the network could go into overload and break down such is the luck of WWE right now.

A lacking Undercard

Personally there are only 3 matches I'm pumped for at Wrestlemania as of writing this. AJ Styles vs Chris Jericho, the women's Triple Threat match and Dean Ambrose vs Brock Lesnar. Apart from that I really have no interest in anything else at this moment. The Intercontinental Title match is simply WWE pushing as many people on the card as they can which sacrifices Kevin Owens chance at a one on one match. I haven't seen many people who care for Ryback vs Kalisto, the multi diva tag match or The Usos vs The Dudleyz

They aren't going to be particularly bad matches but the build up to those matches has failed to get people emotionally invested in the bouts. Ryback doesn't particularly have any heat right now, good or bad, The Usos vs The Dudleyz have had very little time on the microphone to further their bad blood with each other and the multi woman match is just WWE wanting to squish more women on the card to try and show they're changing their stance on Women's wrestling.

All those celebrity appearances taking up time from wrestling matches


It feels like it's going to get to a point where WWE have their own sponsored show which is just a celebrity pop concert while Wrestlemania is going on. WWE want to have mainstream celebrity appearances at Wrestlemania in order to try and get more people interested in it. Fair enough, that's OK, having maybe one performance by a musician is OK, it allows people who don't want to listen go to the bathroom, get some snacks, whatever, just don't fill the damn card with them. The more celebrity cameos we have, the less wrestling we have which means that people are less interested in the people in the ring and therefore struggle to gain support from the crowd.

The whole thing has clearly been rushed. 

You can't tell me that the current card was planned by WWE 6 months ago because it wasn't. The only match that you could say has been set in stone for a long time is maybe the women's triple threat match and the fact that Roman Reigns would be wrestling for the title. Everything else has more than likely been thrown together in the past couple of months. It would be OK if they managed to put some intriguing match ups together but they haven't and fans have seen right through it. Why have Kalisto vs Ryback instead of Kalisto defending in a multi man Ladder match, it's as if they forgot that Kalisto won a Slammy for his spot at TLC.

WWE are the largest promotion in the world. They should've been able to put together a card that satisfied fans even with the injuries they have. There are plenty of fans out there, including myself, who have put together their own fantasy cards that make WWE's Wrestlemania card look like a pile of rubbish. If WWE just listened to the people then maybe they wouldn't be in this mess.

Now that those awful negative vibes are out of my system, let's get onto the positives.

The women will (hopefully) get time

The Wrestlemania card overall may be a little underwhelming but the women's triple threat match is sure to be an entertaining one. As long as WWE give Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Charlotte enough time to go out there and tell a story then this match will be great. On Twitter I saw @DCMatthewsNAI mention that in 90+ hours of Wrestlemania. Only 90 MINUTES of that have been dedicated to women, including bra and panties matches and catfights. That in itself is just shocking. If WWE go ahead and let this match go on for about 20 minutes then it's an outside shot for match of the night but again this all relies on WWE changing their stance and we all know Vince's view on changing his ways.

Dean vs Brock will be a war

While I've made my dislike of the Wrestlemania card well known, this is the match that I am most looking forward to. Dean Ambrose vs Brock Lesnar is an interesting one for two reasons. The first is that there is no Heel in this match. If you had to pick one it would be Brock but Brock is what he is and people aren't going to boo him. The second reason is that this is a Street Fight. In a one on one wrestling match there is no doubt that Lesnar would absolutely annihilate Ambrose, but with the Street Fight rules in play, Ambrose can tap into his CZW past and long story short, this will be a bloody war. We've all seen Brock's willingness to shed the crimson stuff for the cause and Dean more than likely will do the same. This is one of those matches where the winner of the matches really doesn't matter because whatever happens, both men will come out of this looking like a million bucks.

Shane McMahon vs Undertaker will be intriguing

This Shane McMahon vs Undertaker feud has as much of a foundation as a wooden house made on sand next to the Atlantic ocean. There is just nothing there for people to understand why this is really happening. That being said, this match will be intriguing because people don't know what's going to happen. Will WWE give Shane the win to have him control RAW? Will Undertaker win and continue his Wrestlemania legacy? There could also be a swerve to the match as well. There is time to put a special referee the match. We could also see the debut of a certain New Japan Stable but in fairness that's a bit far fetched. Even so, this match will be entertaining.

The Rock will be a Wrestlemania

FINALLY, THE ROCK, HAS COME BACK, TO WRESTLEMANIA!! And he has no idea what he is doing!!! Yes we have no idea what WWE's biggest mainstream star will be doing at Wrestlemania but he is still The Rock and he is still entertaining to watch. Whatever he does will add something to the show, as long as it isn't a long drawn out segment like last year. Personally I think a simple celebrity appearance will be enough. If he supports Roman Reigns then it makes Roman look weak and he needs to get over by himself. Nevertheless, The Rock will be at Wrestlemania and you can bet you're candy ass that he will be doing something good.

It will still be a good spectacle

I'll be honest I'm clutching at straws here. Despite the fact that Wrestlemania may be full of B-list Celeb appearances and poorly told storylines that have culminated in matches that nobody is particularly interested in, it is still Wrestlemania and it is still one of the biggest sporting events of the year. Wrestlemania will be talked about all round the world and this is pretty much what WWE wants. I doubt they are particularly bothered about the quality on the show this year due to the fact that they've been cursed with injury but as long as the show itself is the massive spectacle we expect it to be, WWE will be happy.

Monday Night RAW Review - 21/03/2016

Lets all just say it, RAW in Philadelphia sucked last night. In my opinion it was pretty average at best and if there were people out there who actually enjoyed the entire show, well, good for you and I'm glad you were able to while the majority of us couldn't. We are just 12 days away from what some people have called potentially the biggest Wrestlemania of all time and right now it doesn't even feel like the biggest Wrestlemania of the past two years. Obviously WWE will probably have some sort of surprise in store for Wrestlemania but right now the card makes for pretty difficult reading. Last night should have been an all out attempt to get people to buy in to the show of shows at Dallas, Texas but in all honestly it was a pretty weak attempt at trying to fill 3 hours.

The night started off with Stephanie McMahon and Roman Reigns in the ring. Philadelphia didn't shower boo's upon Roman Reigns but they were noticeably louder than any positive reactions he got when he entered the ring. WWE were wise in their showcase of Reigns in the fact that he went to the ring, said his piece and then left, as he should. He didn't pander to the crowd, he didn't try to make any wisecracks, he went out there and was completely serious and then left. He also entered down the ramp again which could hopefully signal a change in his portrayal, I.E new gear and new music as well.

Roman Reigns and Stephanie McMahon get Physical on RAW

This segment was good. It wasn't the type of long drawn out segment we've come to expect at the start of every RAW which is great to see. WWE look like they are starting to understand how Roman Reigns should be booked, unfortunately it's about 3 months later than the rest of us. The majority of people have stated this is how Roman should be portrayed for months and WWE are only just starting to listen so for some people, and to a degree myself, it's too little too late and they just aren't that bothered any more.

After that we got a mouther watering match between AJ Styles and Kevin Owens, what many people believe should have been the match at Wrestlemania. This match just screamed PPV quality. They were given 20 minutes of time to showcase their skills and even with 2 ad breaks this match still blew our socks off. Kevin Owens hit a beautiful frog splash and AJ Styles pulled out a nice Torture Rack. Eventually Chris Jericho interfered yet again to cost AJ the victory.

Kevin Owens faces off with AJ Styles

Who'd have thought Kevin Owens would be facing AJ Styles on RAW? This was such an entertaining match and it's another meaningful contribution from Styles early on in his WWE career. Personally I think the distraction from Y2J was unnecessary. Styles was made to look like a fool like he was on SmackDown but nevertheless this match made for great viewing.

Next WWE aired a segment of Dean Ambrose at a bar in Philadelphia where he runs into none other than Terry Funk! WWE's buildup of Ambrose has been excellent going into Wrestlemania in terms of having him receive endorsements from legends such as Funk and Foley. The match between Ambrose and Lesnar is arguably \WWE's best booked match right now and I dread anyone who has to follow it, because you just know that both Ambrose and Lesnar will go all out and will probably even draw blood to make this entertaining.

Following on from their match last week, Big E went up against League of Nations member Rusev. As you would expect, both teams got involved in this match. Big E took a partcularly nasty bump when he speared Sheamus through the ropes near the end of the match. Eventually Kofi Kingston snuck in a kick to the head of Rusev and Big E landed the Big Ending for the win.

Rusev hits Big E with a kick during their match

To be honest this is a little confusing for me. New Day have turned Face, OK. Any reason as to why apart from simply being over? That's not really enough for a casual fan to understand why New Day have suddenly had a change of heart. Personally I think their face turn is already a little weird. I said before that New Day were so excellent as Heels because they were able to insult whichever city they were in, they can't do that as Faces. Overall this rivalry just doesn't feel like it has enough momentum going into Wrestlemania. League of Nations are yet to pick up a victory against New Day and WWE waited too long to make them look strong.

Now the Andre the Giant Battle Royal should be a way for WWE to elevate a new star. To an extent it kind of worked for Cesaro but eventually his momentum fizzled out and having Big Show win was just a pointless move, this year WWE need to use it to create some momentum for somebody. Right now nobody gives a crap about the match. Who's in it right now? The Social Outcasts, Big Show and most likely Kane. Not really much reason to get excited. The segment on RAW between Show, Kane and The Social Outcasts just felt like it didn't do anything. Is Kane a Heel now? Why did he help Big Show? The Battle Royal at Wrestlemania needs to add some good names to the mix, The Wyatts would be a start as well as some names from NXT hopefully who can shine given a bigger stage, Tye Dillinger, Samoa Joe and Apollo Crews to name a few.

Remember when Fandango beat Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania 3 years ago? Chris Jericho would probably like you to forget that. We had a rematch of that match on RAW which was OK I guess. Eventually AJ came out to interrupt the match, however Jericho still managed to execute the Codebreaker on Fandango for the win and afterwards AJ challenged Jericho to a match at Wrestlemania.

Chris Jericho delivers a nasty chop to Fandango

This match wasn't exactly a technical masterclass but It was good in helping showcase Jericho as the mean and nasty Heel he was. This whole feud with AJ and Y2J feels largely unnecessary to me. I understand that they are doing it to help get casual fans to side with AJ by having him face a Heel Jericho but they could've done this at Fastlane, freeing up AJ for a match against someone like Kevin Owens at Wrestlemania.

Earlier in the night Kevin Owens managed to persuade Stephanie McMahon to allow him to make a Triple Threat match to decide a No. 1 conteder for the Intercontinental Title at Wrestlemania. Instead of it being between Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler and The Miz, Kevin Owens decided to have Stardust, Sin Cara and Zack Ryder compete. Eventually the match ended in a DQ and Stephanie McMahon announced a 7 man Ladder match at Wrestlemania.

A brawl ensues during the Triple Threat match on RAW

For me, this match was definitive proof that WWE has no idea what their own fans actually want. For starters. This match ended in a Disqualification. Yes, a Triple Threat match ended in a Disqualification, WWE are clearly making up their own rules now. Secondly Kevin Owens has been one of WWE's most standout acts over the past six months, while others have floundered he has consistently been the best Heel and arugably the best performer on the roster ever since Seth Rollins tore his Knee apart. In short, Kevin Owens deserves his own match at Wrestlemania one on one with a good narrative instead of just being thrown in as part of the annual Ladder match. Kalisto and the US title are much more suited to that because A) Kalisto is suited to Ladder matches B) nobody really cares about Ryback vs Kalisto and C) The prestige of the US title has already been damaged in recent months so why do the same to the IC title. I'm glad that |Zack Ryder is on the Wrestlemania card as he deserves to be there but if a man who hasn't won a match on RAW since 2014 can get a title shot, don't be surprised to see Kevin Owens vs Michael Cole at Payback next month.

Roman Reigns followed up his promo by assaulting Triple H in the parking lot. Again it was how Roman should be portrayed but this should've closed the show. It would've had more effect and the show closes on a high note for Reigns.

Next Charlotte faced off against Natalya with Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch on commentary. It was a good match as you'd expect between these two women and it ended with Charlotte eventually getting the win over Natalya via Pinfall.

Charlotte nails Natalya with a Big Boot

It was hard not to be focused on commentary rather than what was going on in the ring. This just all felt like WWE tried to cram everything into one segment. Natalya deserves better than the cards she's being dealt at the moment. Hopefully in the near future we may see Natalya vs Sasha/Becky for the title at a PPV as that would be an excellent match all round.

WWE followed that match with R-Truth vs Bubba Ray Dudley. Seriously. The match was pretty tame and Bubba Ray eventually beat R-Truth with a kick to face. Goldust then came out to make the save and was attacked by D-Von. Then out came The Usos to try and put D-Von through a table but The Dudleyz managed to escape.

Jey Uso nails Bubba Ray with a Superkick

This whole rivalry just feels completely rushed. Neither The Usos nor The Dudleyz have been given any microphone time to add anything to their feud, instead relying on in ring beatdowns to try and get this feud over, which hasn't worked. This whole thing is more suited to a PPV like Fastlane rather than Wrestlemania. Bubba is doing pretty well in his Heel role it must be said, as you would expect after his stint as Bully Ray in TNA.

The second to last segment of the night featured Vince McMahon annoucing a surprise stipulation to the Shane McMahon vs Undertaker match at Wrestlemania. The promo was accompanied by video packages designed to put over the match by legends such as Steve Austin, Mick Foley, Shawn Michaels and they even squeezed Road Dogg in there! Eventually Vince announced that should Undertaker lose to Shane in Dallas, it would be his last Wrestlemania.

Vince McMahon prepares to address the WWE Universe

The video packages were a good addition as it made this match feel bigger than it already does. Having said that, this was pretty much a waste of time. There are just so many ways to get around this that it felt like WWE trying to make this seem more important but it didn't work. The fact that neither Shane nor Undertaker were there didn't help matters.

Finally, RAW ended with Dean Ambrose facing Braun Strowman in the main event and I can't believe I actually just typed that sentence. The match itself was poorly recieved both online and by the crowd who even resorted to "This Is Boring" chants that were hard to argue with. Eventually the match ended in DQ and Ambrose nailed Strowman with Dirty Deeds on a chair.

Dean Ambrose attacks Braun Strowman with a Steel Chair

What a disappointing end to a disappointing show. Even listening to Paul Heyman on commentary couldn't save this. I understand why WWE did this. They wanted Ambrose to look strong against a beast going into Wrestlemania but this wasn't the way to do it. If Lesnar isn't going to be at RAW then they have to let Heyman and Ambrose go at it verbally.

Overall this episode of RAW was pretty bad. The main event was given "This Is Boring" treatment and you can't really blame Philadelphia after having to sit through three hours of that. Brock Lesnar, Undertaker and Shane McMahon were not in attendance which was dreadful. During an Injury crisis like this it is the time that WWE should be shelling out more money and asking Lesnar and Taker to do more dates. Right now we are 12 days away from Wrestlemania and fans should be frothing at the mouth impatiently and instead quite a few are rather disinterested. Next week in Brooklyn, WWE need to step up their game.