WWE Raw: The Old, the New and the Now from Monday Night's Show

As a wise man once said, the times they are a-changing (And no, I’m not talking about Michael Cole at Extreme Rules.).

Over the course of the last few weeks, we’ve seen the very best of the past, present and future in the WWE. Rob Van Dam, Wade Barrett and of course Evolution have each returned to the company recently, and Daniel Bryan has established himself as the top babyface of the modern era.

And with the likes of Cesaro, Bray Wyatt and The Shield continuing to go from strength to strength, the future looks equally as bright as the present.

This theme of the old, the new and the now was once again present at Extreme Rules, as I recently did my best to illustrate. But how would we see this “evolution” present itself in this week’s instalment of Raw?

This article reviews Monday night’s show, looking at what transpired through the lens of the old, the new and the now.

The Old

Photo courtesy of WWE.com

The Shield vs. the Wyatts

Sometimes it’s good to stick with what you know—and that’s exactly the mantra that was behind the main event of Raw this week.

The Shield took on the Wyatts in another stellar six-man tag match, and though some fans took issue to the unclean finish, I don’t see it as such a bad thing. For the Wyatts, the victory makes Bray and company look ever stronger, and the interference from Evolution not only protects The Shield somewhat but furthers their feud with Monday’s interlopers.

We’ve often criticised the WWE in the past for a lack of variation. But in the case of these six aforementioned men, I’m sure most of you will agree that more of the same is by no means a bad thing.

Bray Wyatt Promo

Again, if it’s not broke then don’t try to fix it.

Wyatt delivered another top-notch promo, and in all honesty I could watch this guy talk all day. The spiel about his Extreme Rules victory turning him into a somebody was reminiscent of his words in Sunday’s night’s post-show promo and added further depth to this fantastic character that he and the WWE have created.

One thing that was slightly different here, though, was that the story seemed to switch its emphasis from John Cena to Wyatt himself. Previously, this feud had been about Cena caving in to his supposed inner evil, but now it’s firmly about Wyatt's own story and the spreading of his message.

Though we weren’t told exactly where this rivalry is headed, expect it to continue over the coming weeks with just as much intrigue as it has already displayed.

The New

Photo courtesy of WWE.com

Sheamus wins the U.S. Title

For the first time in nigh on a year, we have ourselves a new United States champion.

Sheamus overcame 19 other superstars in a Battle Royal to win the gold, eliminating former champion Dean Ambrose last after catching The Shield member with a Brogue Kick.

It’s worth noting that Ambrose’s strong performance and numerous eliminations mean that despite losing the strap, he still looks strong. In that sense, this was the perfect way to get the belt off of him without damaging his growing reputation.

And as for the United States Championship itself, how big a boost is it to see the company put the belt on a superstar of Sheamus’ calibre?

Many (such as Mike Killam of Wrestle Zone) are speculating that this title win could set up a potential heel turn for the Irishman, though I’d suspect that any character change would come after the upcoming European tour. With Bad News Barrett, Paige and Sheamus each holding WWE gold, expect a huge reaction from the U.K. crowd when Raw hits London in a fortnight’s time.

All in all, I think this was a great development from Monday Night Raw.

Adam Rose Debuts

First of all, I’m going to confess that I’m not a huge fan of Adam Rose.

For me, the gimmick looks doomed to midcard obscurity, which is a shame because Rose’s former character (Leo Kruger, a vicious South African huntsman) looked very promising indeed.

That being said, I think the WWE utilised Rose well on Raw this week. It would have been good to see him actually compete in a match, but that match would most likely have been a run-of-the-mill squash with minimal entertainment value.

But in pitching Rose against Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter, we’ve now got an interesting feud to look forward to. Furthermore, the contrast of Colter and Swagger’s seriousness with Rose’s abundant joviality could create some genuinely humorous segments in the coming weeks.

It’s yet another example of the WWE bringing through new talent, and though I wouldn’t expect Rose’s success to rival that of The Shield or Bray Wyatt, personally I’m no longer as sceptical as I once was.

No John Cena

After Wyatt’s victory at Extreme Rules, we witnessed a rarity on Monday Night Raw this week: The show went on without John Cena. Okay, so it's not entirely new as we've seen Raw without Cena before, but it certainly doesn't happen very often.

This will likely cue the usual debate as to whether the company can draw ratings without Cena’s presence, but for me the talking point is that this sells Wyatt’s victory all the more and suggests that Cena is rattled.

I must say that it seems a little odd to now sell Cena’s defeat after the lengths they went to protect their No. 1 guy on Sunday night. But at least this atones for much of the damage that was done at Extreme Rules, where it essentially took three men (and one small boy) to put Cena to bed.

Either way, it’s really not the norm to see Cena absent from Raw. Expect him to be back very shortly, though, as his feud with Wyatt looks to be far from over.

The Now

Extreme Rules Feuds Continue

It appears that for the time being, many of the feuds that we saw at Extreme Rules will continue in the build to WWE Payback.

Daniel Bryan and Kane’s story is far from over, and the same can be said for Cena and Wyatt. Evolution’s assault on The Shield showed that they still have unfinished business with the Hounds of Justice, and Cesaro’s disqualification victory over Rob Van Dam means that those two could also continue to battle over the course of the coming weeks.

I guess in many ways this isn’t a huge surprise—after all, the name of the upcoming "Special Event" does suggest that rematches will be a common theme.

But it’s always going to be difficult to extend rivalries that had such an intense and extreme theme last time out. Added stipulations are traditionally used at the end of a feud when the animosity is at its greatest, and thus it could be difficult to go from steel cages and flaming tables to straightforward one-on-one bouts.

That being said, the prospect of Evolution facing The Shield once more is likely to deter no one. And Bryan vs. Kane has so far been much better than many may have expected, so perhaps these rematches will live up to their previous instalments.

Of course, plans may yet change, but for now it appears that the WWE is intent on continuing with existing storylines at the present time. But is that the right choice to make?

Conclusion

I thought this week’s episode of Monday Night Raw was another solid showing from the WWE. Two title defences, an in-ring appearance from the WWE World Heavyweight Champion and the always-impressive Shield and Wyatts made for some exciting action.

If we look ahead, there’s plenty to look forward to in the build for Payback.

Sure, the feuds may appear to be largely unchanged, but we know that the participants in said rivalries are more than capable of putting on a good show.

Furthermore, with the U.S. title seemingly back in the picture—and around the waist of one of the company’s top assets—that’s another dimension that is added to the current product.

But what did you think of Raw this week?

And furthermore, what did you think of the article itself and the topics that were discussed?

Please feel free to comment below with your thoughts on these matters, and let me know if you shared my views.