Although there were some thrilling moments in the ring, the Feb. 16 edition of WWE Raw isn’t the type of show that fans will look back on in order to savor all the great wrestling.The go-home show’s success comes from it turning up the volume on the intensity for the feuds set for Fastlane. Sting unsettled Triple H from afar, John Cena balled up his fists on the hunt for revenge and the night ended with Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns tossing respect aside in favor of scrapping.WWE added to the pay-per-view’s card as well. Dean Ambrose will now face Bad News Barrett. Cesaro and Tyson Kidd are set for a title match against The Usos.
Monday’s Raw had his warts, namely mistiming and odd choices.
In the end, though, it did its job. It made Fastlane more appealing. Much of the credit for that goes to the two brawls that bookended the show.
After playing to the Orlando crowd, Cena told the fans that Rusev is not unstoppable. He promised to beat him by taking the fight to him.
Lana and Rusev interrupted, the pair receiving loud “U.S.A.!” chants. Lana laughed it off before claiming that Rusev was the best United States champ ever.
Words quickly morphed into blows. Cena and Rusev pounded on each other on the entrance ramp. The babyface smashed Rusev with right hands, far more aggressive than he usually is.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
“This Sunday, there ain’t gonna be no high-fives. All there will be is five fingers balled up for rearranging your face. This Sunday, there will be no smiles, you will only feel reckless abandon.”—Cena.
“This time, there is no coming back.”—Lana.
“Your will will be crushed.”—Rusev.
Cena hurls Rusev into the LED board.
“You think you’re untouchable?”—Cena to Rusev.
Grade
B+
Analysis
Even though this was your standard-issue Cena promo, it held the audience’s attention with sheer intensity. This is part of why WWE is so enamored with him. He’s hugely dependable on the mic.
Cena only touched on the fact this match was for the U.S. title. That’s certainly something that should have been a bigger focus.
What fans will talk about afterward is how much more vicious Cena looked. In beating down Rusev, he looked as if he was heading toward a heel turn, although history says that’s not going to happen.
Letting Cena get that much damage in suggests WWE is going with the reverse momentum technique here. It will only make Rusev’s win at Fastlane more impressive.
Dressed in a suit, Dean Ambrose sat at a fake news desk reporting that he would get Bad News Barrett to sign a contract for an Intercontinental Championship match.
Once it was match time, he focused on Luke Harper, the second former IC champ he would face in the last two weeks.
The Lunatic Fringe and Harper’s match was 90 percent slugfest. The two men traded chops, elbows and clotheslines in a bout where every strike seemed to have extra oomph.
The big man took control by bringing the contest to a grinding pace. Ambrose, though, kept charging at Harper. They each delivered stunning haymakers and signature moves before Ambrose hit Dirty Deeds for the win.
Result
Ambrose wins via pinfall.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
Harper catches Ambrose mid-air during a suicide-dive attempt.
Ambrose hits a tornado DDT that leaves Harper wobbly.
“Dean Ambrose is just a like a cockroach; you just can’t kill him.”—John “Bradshaw” Layfield.
Grade
A-
Analysis
This is a really good win for Ambrose leading up to his showdown with Barrett. Harper looked like a beast, and Ambrose was the fearless hunter bringing him down.
Having Barrett evade Ambrose’s challenge isn’t great for him, but this increasingly intense chase is an excellent way to showcase The Lunatic Fringe until he heads to the main event scene again.
The angle where Ambrose defeats former IC titleholders en route to Barrett is a good idea, but it’s something that should have been played up more beforehand.
Before the match, Dusty Rhodes spoke with his sons backstage. He seemed to have Stardust in line, willing to work with Goldust again.
Kofi Kingston used his quickness and high-flying to control much of the action. Stardust shifted momentum briefly, but confusion in the ring followed. That led to him getting in the way, allowing his brother to get a Trouble in Paradise to the head.
After the bell, Goldust struggled to stand. Stardust seemed to embrace his brother, but he soon moved to attack him.
Result
The New Day wins via pinfall.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
“It’s common blood here.”—Rhodes.
“Cody Rhodes was destined to live in the shadows of his polka-dotted freak of a father.”—Stardust.
Grade
C+
Analysis
What a poor way to reach this point in this story. Stardust’s turn was anticlimactic, WWE hinting so strongly that this would happen now that it had no element of surprise.
And for some reason, WWE decided to have his big speech to his father play during the commercial break rather than air live. That took a good chunk of the momentum out of the moment.
Stardust did, however, display his underrated mic skills. He is one of WWE’s best when offered a dramatic speech like this.
In an interview backstage with Byron Saxton, Roman Reigns talked about having to fight for his spot at WrestleMania. He showed off a darker side, insulting Daniel Bryan and refusing to give diplomatic answers.
Bryan sat in at commentary. Early in the match, he led a “Yes!” chant that distracted Reigns, allowing Kane to take control.
Kane measured Reigns, clobbering him in the corner and hitting him with power moves.
After taking a beating, Reigns charged back. He speared Kane on the outside and rolled back into the ring just before the referee reached a 10-count. Reigns then watched on as Bryan circled the ring with another “Yes!” chant.
Result
Reigns wins via pinfall.
Memorable Moments and Quotes
“If I was in the Royal Rumble match, and I got thrown over the top rope, I’d take it like a man.”—Reigns on Bryan.
“I had one less title defense than Brock Lesnar.”—Bryan.
Kane catches Reigns with a right hand in mid-air.
Grade
C-
Analysis
Commentary veered from the action, making a subpar match even less enjoyable. The bout offered few highlights.
The changing relationship between Reigns and Bryan is the element worth noting here. Reigns continues to be more of a tweener than a true babyface. He and Bryan have mutual respect, but their animosity is beginning to bubble over.
