The 5 Things We Learned From RAW Last Night

With the 25th Anniversary of RAW and the Royal Rumble looming, it would have been understandable for WWE to mail in Monday’s episode of the Red Brand. But that didn’t happen. Instead, WWE delivered a fantastic show.

It’s always nice when RAW feels shorter than its colossal 3-hour run time. And for our undying commitment, WWE rewarded us with the timeless spectacle of Braun Strowman breaking things.

But there was way more to RAW than Strowman’s rampage (as fun as it was). So let’s get into it.

Here are The 5 Things We Learned From RAW

1. Godzilla + Stone Cold = Braun Strowman

When Kurt Angle “fired” Braun Strowman to open RAW, I think we all knew that Strowman wouldn’t quite gather his things and leave. So when the chaos began the question was if it would ever end.

After dismantling a security team, flipping a production truck, and giving Michael Cole a near-fatal wedgie, Angle would eventually re-hire Strowman per Stephanie McMahon’s orders.

Strowman the Destroyer is a really fun thing to watch. This marks the second consecutive RAW that he stuffed in his pocket and him winning the Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble is a realistic option.

2. Nia vs. Asuka is the Rivalry We Need

As good as Asuka maybe, I’ve been underwhelmed with her on the main roster. However, that’s no indictment on the Empress of Tomorrow as much as it is WWE’s booking. For the most part, WWE ran out its spare parts and let Asuka destroy them. She did beat Alexa Bliss, but even that felt incongruent. But her match with a Jax was a much different story.

Given the natural juxtaposition, Nia and Asuka were forced to tell a new story. Asuka utilizing new psychology to defeat an open net was a blast to watch and now I’ve made the transition from skeptic to the optimist. This is a rivalry in the making and I hope WWE gives it a bigger stage in the near future.

3. John Cena vs. Samoa Joe Elias

Last week Samoa Joe let the world know that John Cena was on his To Do List. Well, the next day Joe came up lam and it looks like he’ll miss the rest of January. Enter Elias.

After he chided the San Antonio crowd, Elias sang a little verse about John Cena. Maybe Cena’s no just happened to fi the lyric, but we know better than that. Everything that happens on WWE camera has a purpose. And the purpose of this segment, outside of getting San Antonio to wish terrible things upon him, was for Elias to call out the 16-time Champion.

In short, look for Elias to eliminate Cena at the Rumble.

4. WWE Slow Plays Paige’s Status

WWE formally acknowledged Paige’s injury on Monday’s episode of RAW. However, it was only a partial confirmation of the stories surrounding 25-year old’s health.

On RAW, WWE revealed that Paige will miss the Women’s Royal Rumble. Tom Phillips broke the news citing a “neck injury” as the reason for her being unable to compete.

This is only a slight corroboration to the news from this weekend that reported Paige’s injury is career ending. While that may very well be the case WWE looks to be taking its time in confirming the morbid news. Given Paige’s actions of the social media and the total lack of denial from any party, including WWE, the situation does not look to have changed.

5. Curb Stomp!

Not long after Seth Rollins became WWE Champion at WrestleMania 31, Vince McMahon and Co. banned his unique Curb Stomp finisher. For Rollins, it was a decision that severely hampered him over the next few years because wrestler without a finisher is like a movie without an ending. To Rollins’ credit, he’s tried new ideas, but none of them compared to his old weapon.

So when he used it on Finn Balor to end RAW, the WWE universe exploded. WWE is rebranding it as The Blackout, and I’m totally cool with that. Seth Rollins hasn’t been the same since WWE neutered him and now that he’s whole again, I think he’ll be back in the main event by SummerSlam.