Why Jacob Fatu Will Beat Roman Reigns, WWE's Failed PLE Strategy, More Raw Fallout
The May 4 edition of Raw on Netflix from the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska featured big showdowns ahead of WWE's next premium live event Backlash.
Roman Reigns struggled against the Tongan Death Grip of Jacob Fatu again while Seth Rollins got laid out by Bron Breakker. Asuka misted Iyo Sky in their final showdown.
"All Ego" Ethan Page also managed to pin the Intercontinental champion Penta in a tag match with Rusev. Roxanne Perez also helped JD McDonagh defeat Finn Bálor in a showcase of Judgment Day loyalty.
It was an important night especially to build Backlash, which is coming up far quicker than it should be in the fallout from WrestleMania 42.
Jacob Fatu is Ready for the Ultimate Upset
1 of 5Could Roman Reigns lose the World Heavyweight Championship less than three weeks after winning it?
All signs point to a possible upset courtesy of a driven Jacob Fatu.
His aggressive focus and overwhelming threat to The OTC has set the stage for The Samoan Werewolf to give Reigns a short world title reign.
The OTC is also no longer advertised for any appearances on the June episodes of Raw in the build-up to Night of Champions, which would be odd if he was still World heavyweight champion.
While it may seem unrealistic to believe Reigns could lose so soon, he has a history of short world title reigns, not holding the title for even 80 days in his first four world title runs.
While his legacy is built on the longest reign in modern WWE, The OTC has also shown that he can be bested by the right opponent.
Fatu has done enough to sell that he might just be the right opponent, and defeating Reigns with the Tongan Death Grip would solidify him as the next big problem in WWE for everyone to overcome.
Whether Reigns or Fatu hold the gold, they will likely collide with Oba Femi at SummerSlam, and both are intriguing options to build the future of WWE.
Ethan Page Should Dethrone Penta as IC Champion
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"All Ego" Ethan Page has arrived with a pair of valuable victories on Raw, including a pinfall over the Intercontinental champion Penta.
This should set up Page for a title match sooner than later, and the man that won the NXT Championship in his first NXT match could be Intercontinental champion in his first main-roster title match.
That would be the best path forward for Raw. All Ego has constantly over-delivered in WWE and has the experience to leverage a quick rise to the top.
His promo ability will elevate anyone he works with. He has plenty of chemistry with the other top contender Je'Von Evans.
The only problem is that Penta still feels too fresh to lose his gold. However, he could easily benefit from chasing the gold and eventually reclaiming his title for a second reign in a crowd-pleasing return.
Sol Ruca Stumbles in 1st Big Main Roster Performance
3 of 5Sol Ruca is one of the best young stars in the business, but she does have clear flaws as a performer that were exposed in her 1st official appearance as a member of Raw.
NXT did not often challenge Ruca on the microphone. Even in her final feud with Zaria before the call-up, she was out-shined by her former friend.
This showed as she tried to bad mouth Becky Lynch, not answering the natural charisma of The Man with her own confidence.
Moreover, as a high-flier that relies on big athletic feats, she cannot afford botches like her stumble on the Sol Snatcher.
All of her struggles could indicate nerves or a bad night, but it could also highlight issues that will remain for Ruca in her attempted rise to the top.
In particular, if Ruca cannot match up to the best women on the microphone, she will struggle to take over the business the way WWE hopes she can.
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It's Groundhog Day For Finn Bálor and The Judgment Day
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Once more, The Judgment Day is back to its standard formula: beat up any rival while fighting amongst themselves.
Roxanne Perez teased dissension against Liv Morgan last week by speaking with Finn Bálor in the clubhouse.
This week, she worked with Morgan to take down The Prince, who lost to JD McDonagh before he even got back to facing "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio.
This reiterated that Judgment Day will remain in constant argument as The Prodigy could turn on Liv next week or in two years.
Meanwhile, Bálor walking away from the group has put him right back where he was before, losing to most anyone that stepped up to him.
If the point was not to bring Judgment Day to a new standard or get The Prince over, what was the point?
Backlash Build Has Exposed WWE's PLE Strategy
5 of 5Less than three weeks after WrestleMania 42, WWE will host Backlash, a show that is supposed to respond to the biggest moments from The Show of Shows.
However, it does not feel like WWE has genuinely built much up in the aftermath of 'Mania.
Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu has rushed quickly from family dispute to grudge over three encounters.
Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker has been built up over a handful of impressive Spears.
Iyo Sky and Asuka got one pre-taped promo segment to sell the need for their one-on-one match.
Over three hours, SmackDown has built just two matches for Backlash, and both are built off comedy-laden violence.
None of this comes off as a genuine Backlash to The Show of Shows and further emphasizes that WWE needs more time between big shows to sell the impact of these PLEs.
Each rushed build leads to a lackluster event and waters down the potential for these PLEs to match up to 'Mania and SummerSlam.
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