Tonight, the superstars of the World Wrestling Federation invade the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, for the final Monday Night RAW before Crown Jewel, and they’re getting things started a little earlier than usual. RAW will air live on Netflix at 5 PM Central, two hours ahead of its regular start time, so don’t come wandering in at seven expecting to catch the opening segment. By that point, you might have missed John Cena, a championship match, and whatever other chaos Adam Pearce has managed to organize for the evening.
And speaking of organizing things, would you look at that! We actually have three matches and two major appearances advertised in advance. Somewhere, the author of the latest A View From the Rafters is smiling approvingly. Granted, that author is me, and I wouldn’t go so far as to say the WWF has suddenly discovered the lost art of promoting a wrestling show, but credit where it’s due. There’s a decent lineup for tonight, and with Crown Jewel coming up Saturday, the company has some important business to handle before everyone heads to Saudi Arabia.
John Cena Returns With a Special Announcement
John Cena is returning to Monday Night RAW tonight, marking his first appearance on the program since his retirement last December. He’s also bringing what Adam Pearce has described as a special announcement, and considering the John Cena Classic that was announced earlier this year, it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s what we’re finally going to hear more about.
The Classic has been hanging out there as an intriguing idea without all the details fans would naturally want to know. When is it happening? Who’s involved? What’s the format? Those are the questions I’m hoping Cena answers tonight. The man has already had his farewell, so if we’re bringing him back to television, I’d like to see something meaningful come from the appearance rather than another opportunity to remind everybody how many championships he’s won. We know, John. Seventeen. Congratulations, and welcome back.
Of course, there’s also the question of whether Cena can make his announcement without somebody deciding to interrupt him. This is Monday Night RAW, after all, and an uninterrupted in-ring promo might be considered a violation of company policy. We’ll find out, because, yes, my friends, anything can happen in the World Wrestling Federation!
Roman Reigns Has Something to Say to Sami Zayn
WWF World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns will also be in Brooklyn, where he’s expected to address Undisputed WWF Champion Sami Zayn ahead of their champion-versus-champion confrontation at Crown Jewel. Zayn successfully defended his championship against Trick Williams on SmackDown, ensuring that he’ll be the man standing across from Roman in Riyadh.
I like this matchup because there’s plenty of history between these two, and Sami has reached a point in his career where he doesn’t need to be treated as the lovable underdog who should simply be grateful for sharing the ring with Roman Reigns. He’s the WWF Champion, and he deserves to be presented as somebody who can legitimately beat the World Heavyweight Champion. Whether the company actually allows that to happen Saturday is another question entirely, but the story works better when both men feel like equals rather than Roman showing up to remind everyone that he’s Roman Reigns.
There’s also the ongoing trouble between the Bloodline and 946, which means Roman has more than one situation demanding his attention. We’ll see whether tonight stays focused on Sami or whether the larger family war finds its way into the conversation.
Intercontinental Championship: Chad Gable (c) vs. Ethan Page
One of the more interesting matches on tonight’s card sees Chad Gable defending the Intercontinental Championship against Ethan Page. Page has been pursuing another opportunity at the title, and last week’s tag team victory alongside Big Cass over Gable and Dragon Lee helped put him in position to get it.
This should be a good wrestling match, provided they’re allowed to have one without half the locker room getting involved. Gable is a tremendous technical wrestler, and Page has the personality and ability to make a championship program interesting. I’m not convinced we need a title change tonight, especially with Crown Jewel just days away, but I certainly wouldn’t dismiss the possibility. Page has enough momentum that a victory wouldn’t come completely out of nowhere.
What I’d really like to see is a competitive match with a decisive finish. Two talented wrestlers, one championship, and a winner. Imagine that.
Penta, Je’Von Evans & Dragon Lee vs. The Vision
Penta, Je’Von Evans, and Dragon Lee will join forces tonight against The Vision, represented by Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, and Austin Theory. This one has direct implications for Crown Jewel, where Penta and Evans are scheduled to challenge Breakker and Theory for the World Tag Team Championship.
There’s plenty of athletic ability involved here, and I expect the match to move at a pretty ridiculous pace once Penta, Evans, and Lee get going. On the other side, Breakker brings his usual explosiveness, Reed supplies the power, and Theory is perfectly capable of being the guy everybody wants to see get punched in the mouth. That’s not a criticism of his wrestling ability, mind you. Sometimes being irritating is a valuable professional skill.
My concern is that we’re going to get the familiar six-man formula where everybody takes turns hitting their signature moves before all six men somehow end up outside the ring waiting for somebody to dive onto them. Yes, I know, I just wrote an entire column complaining about this stuff. I’m not going to pretend I’ve suddenly forgotten about it.
Still, this match has the potential to be entertaining, and with the tag titles on the line Saturday, the result should help establish some momentum heading into Crown Jewel. I wouldn’t be surprised if the challengers get the better of The Vision tonight, although a little interference wouldn’t exactly shock me either.
Solo Sikoa vs. Royce Keys
The Bloodline’s conflict with 946 continues tonight when Solo Sikoa steps into the ring with Royce Keys, and considering everything that’s happened between these groups, I wouldn’t expect a friendly handshake when the bell rings.
Keys and his faction have made life miserable for the Bloodline, including the ambush and abduction of Solo several weeks ago. The Bloodline has fought back, and what started as another faction rivalry has grown into something that could eventually require a much bigger stage to settle. With Survivor Series approaching later this month, the possibility of this escalating into a WarGames situation is difficult to ignore.
As for tonight, I’m interested in seeing how much of an actual singles match we get before everybody’s friends decide they need to participate. Solo has every reason to want revenge, and Keys has an opportunity to make a statement by defeating one of the Bloodline’s most dangerous members. A decisive result would accomplish quite a bit for either man, but considering the number of people involved in this rivalry, I’m not holding my breath for a perfectly clean conclusion.
Stinger’s View
On paper, tonight looks like a pretty solid edition of Monday Night RAW. We’ve got an Intercontinental Championship match, a six-man tag with Crown Jewel implications, a significant singles match in the Bloodline’s ongoing war with 946, and appearances from John Cena and Roman Reigns. That’s enough material for an entertaining show without needing to invent another three matches halfway through the broadcast. But we know they certainly will. Adam Pearce is practically begging two wrestlers to pick a fight tonight so he has another match for the show.
The biggest question for me is how effectively they use the time. Crown Jewel is Saturday, so the company needs to make the important matches feel important without giving away everything before the event. Cena’s announcement could be a nice attraction on its own, while Gable and Page have an opportunity to deliver the best actual wrestling of the evening.
And remember, RAW begins at 5 PM Central tonight on Netflix. Set your reminders, adjust your schedules, and don’t blame me if you tune in at the usual time and discover that the show is practically over.
Then again, it is Netflix, and you can simply start it from the beginning. So watch it live, watch at the regular time, you can basically watch it whenever.
That’s quality journalism, my friends. Enjoy the show, or don’t; it may be crap. But remember one thing: even if it is shit, wrestling matters.
— Stinger, reporting from the rafters of Titanquisitor Hall, where John Cena remains the unseen seventeen, Crown Jewel looms, and Adam Pearce is desperately looking for more matches.
