RAW In A Nutshell: Making It A Memorable Memorial Day

It is time for our final RAW in a Nutshell for the month of May, and WWE is aiming to make it a memorable Memorial Day for us.

On taps for this week, there is a RAW Tag Team Championship title defense…as well as the #1 Contender tilt between Drew McIntyre and Kofi Kingston.

Those two former champions will duke it out for the privilege of being Bobby Lashley’s next opponent, when Hell In A Cell comes around.

If, for some odd reason, that does not pique your interest…how about an intergender battle, as Reginald faces Shayna Baszler?

No? Still not cutting it for you, you say?

Well, look on the bright side…there aren’t many more RAW in a Nutshell events before Hell In A Cell. That means we should see things pick up, relative to setting that show up.

So, with all that in mind, surely WWE will aim toward making it a memorable Memorial Day, no? We hope that also means a memorable RAW In A Nutshell…

Well, I for one certainly hope so. What better way to finish off a long holiday weekend, than with…

RAW In A Nutshell: Making It A Memorable Memorial Day

Let’s crack open this Nutshell and see how things go!

Best Match of the night:

The main event. Solid and clean performance from both Drew McIntyre and Kofi Kingston, as you would expect.

Love that show of respect at the end, too. I am a softy, but it was a nice way to end a RAW in a Nutshell.

Worst match of the night:

Oh, we have choices…

The intergender one should be here…but in the grand scheme, it was not that bad. I don’t like how it feels as though Baszler will be fed to Bliss…but we shall see.

The beat the clock stuff with Charlotte and Ripley? It does nothing.

Probably hurts Nikki Cross too, but at least Cross is involved with something.

Cedric versus Shelton. Yawn.

Mace and T-Bar over Lucha House Party. Like, sure, we need a good tag team…but rebrand those guys, since no one is fooled, the dumb masks came off, and Retribution, as an angle, sucked.

Star of the Night

Going to go for the cheese tonight.

I am writing this as Memorial Day winds down. I recognize that this day is most important to Americans like me, as it is an American holiday.

That said, I thank everyone who gave any measure of sacrifice…whether the ultimate price, or being part of a soldier’s family, who also sacrifice when those brave souls are down range.

Some gave all…all gave some…and for this week…all of you get to be my stars of the night.

Spot of the Night:

That Claymore delivered by Drew to Kofi that ended the main event. Consider the timing that went into that, it was a slick move.

Jobber of the Night:

Going with Lucha House Party here…but so many options, if I really wanted to be honest.

Upset of the Night:

Reginald over Shayna Baszler.

Yes, there’s more in play here than just Reggie…but let’s be honest…Shayna Baszler should have crushed him.

Holy Sh** Moment of the Night:

Sheamus was busted open the hard way…and was bleeding worse than a stuck pig.

And he finished the match.

Honestly, given that he clearly suffered a busted nose of some magnitude, and with the emphasis on health and safety…I am shocked that the match was not stopped.

Botch of the night:

Now, I don’t know that this was a true botch, so much as it may have just been rotten luck.

However, until otherwise stated, I have to say I am going to think Humberto wasn’t supposed to hit Sheamus quite that hard, or quite in that spot.

Oops.

Commentary of the night:

Well…I had been using this space to sporadically rip on Adnan Virk and how he was (or, was not) adjusting to WWE.

Notice I used past tense. Because, shockingly, WWE fired Virk last week.

Sure, they say they came to mutually agreeable terms. Maybe they did…but the decision screams not exactly.

I mean…Virk saying the travel got to him already? Even before he was actually on the road?

Now, WWE brings in another new guy, not a wrestling man…but I like the move so far.

Honestly, if I did not know who it was, I would have been like…wait, did they sign Joe Rogan?

Just one day…but I think a good start.

LOL Moment of the night:

Morrison had garlic. Around his neck…

Some of the reactions and interactions between Randy Orton and Riddle are just too good.

Noteworthy Moment:

Honestly, I struggle to come up with a qualifying point here.

I mean, Drew McIntyre is the official #1 contender again and will fight Lashley at Hell In A Cell…but I’d bet most of us expected that before RAW started.

Also, we did have a team break up. Kind of think this should have not happened, but you could say the same about the formation of the team, too…

Overall lowlights:

Biggest complaint? Too many short matches, or odd matches.

While I like seeing Ricochet and Humberto Carillo get pushed, having both men beat the United States Champion in short matches and in fluke fashion is not the best.

Most of the rest I’ve already called out elsewhere.

In general, over three hours of a show (really, like 2 after commercials), give us 6-8 matches, where most are at least 10 minutes long and a super short one is a rare and purposeful exception.

Overall highlights:

Hats off to Sheamus, that had to be painful finishing a match with what I presume is a busted nose.

I liked the new lead announcer. It’s only been one show, and I still miss Samoa Joe…but Smith may work out OK.

After the final bell:

By the time you read this, we will be in June.

We need to start really seeing Hell In A Cell get some matches. Soon.

What matches get the Cell treatment?

I know we have the bigger title matches. I expect some title match for AJ and Omos…and perhaps ANOTHER triple threat for the US Title?

The matches are getting to be obvious, but we have not seen many booked yet.

The best part? As the calendar flips to June, we are moving ever closer to the return to live touring…

All in all, WWE did what they could to make it a memorable Memorial Day. I think the main event did a good job of supporting the whole show