5 Things We Learned From RAW Last Night

So how did RAW grade last night? Eh, it’s a long story.

At the moment, WWE is having to summon its deepest tenacity. Down John Cena, Brock Lesnar, and the Universal Championship, WWE is creatively against the wall. The tag team division is in time-out. The women’s division is frozen as they await Asuka. Important role players like Jeff Hardy and Samoa Joe are out with injuries. And the Intercontinental Championship has no challenger in sight.

It would be short-sighted for us to blast RAW and WWE for lackluster shows as they are currently in a bind. However, to fight out of the snares of apathy, they’ve stuck all of their best performers in the same storyline. Which means that The Shield, Miz and Braun Stowman have been asked to carry RAW in this gritty time. Even further, guys and gals from the mid-card are now having to step into largerroles (see Amore, Enzo).

This is an exciting time as WWE is forced to experiment with their talent. In a few months, WWE will know who can hang at the top of their card and who was pretending. That said, what did we learn from last night’s batch of tests? Let’s have a look, here are the 5 Things We Learned From RAW Last Night

Elias is the Best Act You’re Not Paying Attention To

Elias gets booed. A lot.

While this may seem like a simple observation, it’s implications are multifaceted. Being a pure heel in 2017 is not easy to do. Despite his wit, timing, and comfort, Elias was resoundingly rejected last night. This is great!

It’s hard to forecast his WWE future, but a turn with the Intercontinental Championship is likely a goal they have in mind. 

Uh, Bray?

Man. Just as we all thought Bray Wyatt was rendered toothless, the Eater of Worlds surprised us. 

Sister Abigail has been part of Wyatt’s shtick since his debut yet she’s only been alluded to. However, thanks to some nifty CGI work, Bray gave us a glimpse of the ghoul. And you know what? It was actually kind of scary. 

The last time WWE opened their budget fro Bray (the bugs at WrestleMania 33) he promptly wasted them by losing. However, this feels more like a layer of character rather than a one-off. It’s a little early, but WWE may have something significant in store for Bray. 

Enzo, The Main Eventer?

This Enzo Amore stuff is fascinating. When he’s alone in the ring cutting a fiery promo, Enzo is a great babyface. If you close your eyes and can switch his New Yorker accent for one of a Texan, Enzo almost sounds like Stone Cold Steve Austin. 

But when confronted by the 205 Live cast, Enzo turns back into a heel. Whatever psychology WWE is using, is working. Tell me, what other WWE Superstar would be handed the closing segment of RAW armed with only a microphone? 

Love him or hate him, Enzo Amore is becoming a vital part of WWE.

Enemies of The Shield

The Miz, Braun Strowman, Cesaro, Sheamus, Curtis Axel, Bo Dallas, The Repo Man, and Luna Vachon are all currently trying to end the Shield reunion before it begins. 

Could this all be leading to a handicap match at TLC? 

It’s certainly possible, especially given that anything involving Roman Reigns is extra. For our money, WWE will write down the adversaries and while reserving the right to involve Samoa Joe if he’s healthy in time. 

The Reunion

It’s not exactly surprising, but the Shield is back. While we didn’t get their homecoming cemented with the triple first bump, we can assume the trio did it off camera or at least at Applebee’s over beers. 

The timing may be questionable, but who cares? WWE is giving fans what they’ve been clamoring about for years. Now that we know it’s happening, what’s next? Will we get another earth-shattering heel turn? Will Roman Reigns actually get cheers?