Yes, it is RAW In A Nutshell, but you get a Cell…and you get a Cell!
Am I crazy? Perhaps.
However, tuning in to this week’s show, you would have wondered…is this RAW, or is this Sunday’s Hell In A Cell PPV.
The answer? It is indeed RAW, and this is indeed it’s Nutshell.
However…for the third straight show, we have a Hell In A Cell match.
I can only make a guess as to what the real reason is that RAW gets a Cell too…but it’s not too challenging a guess to make.
Now, this RAW in a Nutshell is not all about the Cell.
Actually, the bigger point for this week is that Money In The Bank is here. The PPV has been announced (we knew about it, but it’s the focus now), and qualifying matches began this week on RAW.
So, with apologies for the corny Oprah reference…
RAW In A Nutshell: You Get A Cell…And You Get A Cell!
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Let’s crack open this Nutshell and get into it!
Best Match of the night:
The Cell match was good…but it was not as good as Sunday’s. Or even Friday’s.
For me, my favorite of the evening was Riddle-McIntyre. A good part of it was putting Riddle over…though I also think it has set up an eventual RK-Bro split.
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I mean…Riddle was sort of the distraction that caused Orton to lose versus John Morrison.
Worst match of the night:
Sure, I need to give it time to work…but I already don’t like what they did with Eva Marie and Piper Niven…err…Doudrop.
Seriously, who TF decided that Doudrop was better than Piper Niven? Or,that Doudrop was good at all?!
What goes around most DEFINITELY comes around, @natalieevamarie!
DOUDROP is outta here.#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/FiYIubtEQ2
— WWE (@WWE) June 22, 2021
Also, not so much bad as it was…weird…
But just too much going on in that bout between Jax, Baszler, Bliss and Cross.
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Star of the Night
Man, I am torn here…
Lashley was built up as an even bigger monster heel as the show closed, so I think that’s the right call.
Even though I loved Riddle winning, and I hope he has a shot at the briefcase…but I know better.
Spot of the Night:
Not a single spot…but all the stiff kicks from Riddle to Drew McIntyre’s back.
The same back we saw last night get all sorts of beat up. Welts and all.
Jobber of the Night:
Not the Brooklyn Brawler types tonight…but here’s a very unusual trifecta.
Drew McIntyre, AJ Styles and Randy Orton.
Why?
Because each of them worked matches tonight with a shot at qualifying for Money In The Bank.
And, all three of them lost. I actually applaud the move, because it means three fringe guys who could use the rub are getting it.
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Of course, with a final shot next week, one of the three will get in.
Upset of the Night:
Sure, there may have been some outside help for some…but…
When WWE announced Money In The Bank qualifying, did you expect Ricochet, Riddle and John Morrison to be in?
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Holy Sh** Moment of the Night:
Seriously, two Hell In A Cell matches in 24 hours for Bobby Lashley?
Scripted or not…that is seriously insane.
Botch of the night:
There were a couple spots in the Riddle-McIntyre bout that were not all that crisp.
They ended up working out OK, but the execution was lacking.
Commentary of the night:
Not a line…but I swear, the new guy sounds so much like Joe Rogan.
LOL Moment of the night:
Nikki Cross with a long overdue wardrobe refresh.
Channeling her inner Molly Holly or Shane Helms perhaps, but why not.
Noteworthy Moment:
Jinder Mahal is setting himself up to be a backup/replacement for someone in the Money In The Bank match…so I kind of expect that now.
He officially asked Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville to consider him to fill a spot, should someone be unable to compete.
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Anyone taking bets on Indus Sher and/or Mahal taking out one of the qualifiers? This looks like why poor Ricochet qualified…just to be a sacrificial lamb.
Also, interesting interactions between both Ryker and Mansoor…
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And then Mansoor and, once again, Ali.
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Overall lowlights:
Still not overjoyed that we had a 3rd night with a Cell match…feels like it cheapens the PPV.
And what’s worse…this particular Cell match wasn’t the best. It was more a vehicle to further things between Lashley and Kofi…which then makes me wonder if it doesn’t also lead to an eventual end of the New Day.
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Overall highlights:
Money In The Bank qualifiers went in a direction I did not expect, which is a positive.
I’d still love to see one wild card entrant, to be someone from NXT or NXT UK (like say, WALTER or Pete Dunne or Adam Cole). But getting some fresh faces in there is a start.
And by fresh, I mostly mean…mid-card guys who need the chance, versus guys like AJ Styles and Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre, who have been on top of the mountain.
Also, even if he was basically sacrificed to him…It was nice to see Xavier Woods, in a singles match, as the main event on RAW. That was a pretty nice ending to this Nutshell…except for the actual end of the match.
After the final bell:
We’ve seen reports that Vince McMahon knows his product is stale. The expectation then became that things won’t really change until some talent returns along with the fans.
Is this RAW booking an indication of things already beginning to change? Maybe.
I fear that the backstage segment about a MITB qualifier getting hurt and needing to be replaced will come in to play for at least one of the early qualifiers…WWE does not say things like that for no reason.
All in all, not a bad show, and hopefully, a decent RAW In A Nutshell, too.
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