Grading Monday Night Raw these days is becoming anincreasingly difficult task. A company that sells out arenas weekly and garners strongratings should be judged to a high standard. But that high standard also meansthat what once was given a pass no longer should skate by.
A decent match orlogical plotline shouldn’t automatically merit positive marks. At the same time, Raw post-draft has become a much less-entertainingshow, most notably losing Cody Rhodes while CM Punk has mostly disappeared. Theresult is a show that at times feels like it’s flatlining.
Matches have rangedfrom “decent” to “good” to the occasional “ really good.” Backstagesegments have been hit-or-miss, at times being dull, but also still managing tofire up crowds at key moments. Monday’s program offered the full gamut of material, with Sheamus/LudwigKaiser earning honors of the night and Chad Gable’s maniacal descent being truehigh points.
But Raw also featured impromptu matches, bland action, and astable that has to outsource its own protection. Raw has sunk to mediocre status, whether due to more criticalgrading, a downturn in quality, less entertaining segments, or a combination ofall of the above. It’s far from unwatchable, but this is not the must-see programfrom two-plus months ago.
Let’s get to it...
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