WWE.com and Pat McAfee Show contributor Mark Kaboly gives his thoughts on Monday Night Raw from Madison Square Garden, from John Cena’s last appearance at the World’s Most Famous Arena to the ending, after the ending.
(Let me apologize out of the gate for you hardcorers: This is going to be an extremely positive run down, because, well, it was difficult to find something not likable about this program.)
• Call me a mark, but Monday’s Raw was easily the best one of the Netflix era, which is another way of saying it was the best start-to-finish Raw episode of the year. Honestly, I don’t think there is one close. Sure, Cena’s last appearance inside the Garden had something to do with who was in the arena and available to make the show what it was, but it was quality entertainment for two-and-a-half hours and that cannot be debated.
• Seeing The Vision arrive at the arena in a black SUV to start the show set the tone for things to come, and it got me thinking: Who exactly is the leader of this new iteration faction? You know, the guy out in front of it all? The Alpha Dog, if you will? With Seth Rollins kicked out, somebody had to step up. That opening arrival moment showed Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, Logan Paul and Drew McIntyre, but the unquestioned leader is not one of them. It’s Paul Heyman. This is his baby and he’s the new Rollins, if you will.
• Subtle nuance that McIntyre was introduced with his entrance theme and not Paul. I am sure that means McIntrye is still his own entity, as well he should.
• Dominik Mysterio may not be Cena’s final match next month (most likely not unless something crazy happens), but we may look back at "Dirty" Dom as the biggest winner of this Cena Farewell Tour. Mysterio competed against Cena in Boston, at The World's Most Famous Arena and now has a very good chance of regaining his Intercontinental Title at Survivor Series: WarGames in his hometown of San Diego on Nov. 29. Dom handled himself glowingly in what had to be another pressure-packed mic moment, standing face to face with one of the best to do it. Even when Cena acknowledged the crowd’s colorful language directed at the "Dirty" one, Dom responded with a quick-witted yet simple, “You done?” Great stuff.
• Who would’ve thought 10 months ago that a Cena vs. "Dirty" Dom rivalry would be so captivating?
• The Cena, Sheamus and Rey Mysterio Six-Man Tag Team Match didn’t come across as a match of happenstance. Cena with two old heads, one last time, was dripping with nostalgia and was fun to watch.
• What a choreographed ending to that match: A double 619, Brogue, Attitude Adjustment. OK, maybe it was a little corny, but who cares? It was fun and entertaining, and that is what this night was about more than anything else.
• Asuka approaching Bayley backstage to offer her a spot on her WarGames team said more about Asuka than Bayley. Asuka is quite the confident Superstar, isn’t she? Either that or a manipulative one. One of Bayley’s personalities said no, but we didn’t hear from the other one yet. Something to think about.
• Call me a sucker for a callback that you just didn’t see coming. It’s been two years since we’ve seen Dolph Ziggler in WWE, and nobody could’ve imagined that he'd be Solo Sikoa’s mystery opponent in a First Round match in the Last Time is Now Tournament. It was a quick but effective match for what it was and a nice feel good moment for the fans.
• On the surface, some may say that Becky Lynch lost the Women’s Intercontinental Championship more than Maxxine Dupri won it. I disagree. Lynch might be the best female Superstar on the planet today, but forget about Dupri just being able to hold her own in a match of that magnitude; she showed tremendous ring awareness, athleticism and technical moves that, let’s face it, not many of us really knew about until Monday. It was a very impressive performance by Dupri on a huge stage. But, darn, The Man is good.
• Dupri might hold onto the Intercontinental Title longer than you might think with an impending Becky Lynch vs. AJ Lee showdown looking imminent. Lee showing up for the first time since Wrestlepalooza and doing nothing but skip down to the ring just added to the overall "wow" factor of the show.
• Gunther’s return with his old entrance music spoke volumes: He’s focused and didn’t come back after three months off to be without gold around his waist for long. Je’von Evans gained some valuable experience (he’s only 21) on a big stage (and looked good doing it), but we are talking about Gunther here. He has to be the favorite to meet Cena in his swan song match.
• I still don’t buy that Charlotte Flair is 100 percent committed to Survivor Series and even Alex Bliss’ friendship. There is something more than meets the eye, and that was evident when Bliss complained about her "friend.” Yeah, sign me up for a nice, long Charlotte vs. Rhea rivalry. Hope, hope.
• Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns returned on the same night. At Cena’s final Raw. At MSG. Get out.
• What a nice touch that the credits to the show came up before Reigns came out and took care of Lesnar. It fooled many people watching (ahem). Even though Reigns got the better of Lesnar, the smirk on The Beast’s face made him seem unfazed.
To sum up, Cena’s final match at MSG; Cena hooking up with vets Rey Mysterio and Sheamus; Ziggler returning; Maxxine winning the IC Title; Gunther’s return; Evans putting up one heck of a fight; Lesnar and Reigns joining up on opposite sides for WarGames; and, at one point, CM Punk, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Cody Rhodes, Reigns, Breakker, Reed, Paul, McIntyre and Lesnar in the ring at the same time – and you wonder why I labeled it the best Raw of the year?!
