Professional Wrestling has a long, storied history full of ups and downs. As with anything, we fans like to get nostalgic and take a look back at where we've been, so we can have a clear picture of where we are going in the future.

That said, let's take a moment and reflect on this day in professional wrestling history.

SOULED ALL THE WAY OUT - 2000

image source: YouTube

WCW hosted it's 4th Annual (and final) Souled Out PPV, 19 years ago in the Firstar Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.
WCW 2000 continues to be a laughing stock company year for the professional wrestling industry, and this show, if you were to go back and watch it, can go a long way to showcasing that.
In this show, Kevin Nash defeated Terry Funk in a Hardcore Match to win the title of WCW Commissioner. I'm sure you all remember how well THAT went.
Also, Chris Benoit defeated Sid Vicious to win the vacant WCW World Heavyweight Title. However, Benoit would be stripped of the title on Nitro the next night, as footage would show that Sid's leg was under the ropes during the referee's count.
In reality, Benoit was fed-up with the company and walked out. He would appear on WWF television 2 weeks later.

THE FIRST FINAL - 2005

image source: YouTube

TNA held their first ever Final Resolution PPV from the Impact Zone in Orlando, Florida.
This show was highlighted by an excellent Ultimate X match for the X-Division Championship.
AJ Styles would defeat then-champion Petey Williams, and Chris Sabin.

THE FIRST STEP OF AN EVOLUTION - 2010 

image source: Wikipedia

Evolve held their debut event to approximately 300 people in Rahway, New Jersey.
This event featured names including: Kyle O'Reilly, Bobby Fish, Ricochet, Jimmy Jacobs, Johnny Gargano, TJP, Mike Quackenbush, Davey Richards, and Kota Ibushi.
Evolve has come a long way in 9 years, making quite the name for themselves along the way, evidenced by Triple H and WWE/NXT working closely with the organization, even lending Evolve some talent occasionally for special events.

USO-ONE GETS A BETTER HALF - 2014

image source: YouTube

Naomi and Jimmy Uso (I don't know what their real names are and we don't fact-check at The Spanish Announce Table. We DO however refer to Jimmy Uso as Uso 1), were married in Hawaii 5 years ago.
The ceremony that was taped for an airing on an episode of Total Divas.

THAT HAD TO STING A LITTLE BIT - 2014

image source: YouTube

TNA broadcast an episode of Impact Wrestling on this day 5 years ago; one that would prove to be the final company appearance for a man called Sting. Sting would eventually resurface in November, on WWE television.
Sting had a sizeable career in TNA, and you could argue is one of the reasons it continued to have any legitimacy in the mainstream wrestling fans eyes, during the time he was there.
If nothing else, a whole lot of young, up-and-coming talent had the chance to work with one of the most-revered legends in the industry.

Well, as you can see, a lot can happen on any given day in the crazy world of professional wrestling, so thank you for joining me on this journey, as we reflect upon what happened ON THIS DAY!

Check out our new Spanish Announce Merch Table. A small portion of everything you buy at the table will go to helping us keep this website and podcast free for you!

Also, check out our podcast! You can also watch us record the podcast episodes on our YouTube channel: The Spanish Announce Tube!

image source: Cageside Seats

Admitedly I haven't watched much (any) 205 Live since it began. WWE definitely didn't hit the ground running with the rollout of the show. That said, I notice people are saying good things lately, so I've decided to hop back on the bandwagon and watch some 205 Live. Well, I will probably never watch it "live", but you get the idea.

First thing I like is how they have Drake Maverick, the General Manager of 205 Live, narrating the opening of the show, telling us what happened last week, and what we can expect this week. That's a nice touch to set this show apart.

LINCE FELT THE RUSH

image source: WWE.com

Lio Rush is one of my favorites right now. His work on the main rosters as a hype man for Bobby Lashley is so good that other performers should study it.
Rush did just as well on 205 Live as he does in that main roster role. He is extremely comfortable on the mic, and it's very believable and easy to hate.
I also like how Rush, after getting the victory, assaulted Lince Dorado and how pleased he looked with himself.

BACKSTAGE PROMOS!

image source: YouTube

Noam Dar and Tony Nese got up in each other's face in a backstage interview. Dar has a feel of being that smug guy that you just can't prove wrong; like he's earned every bit of his cockiness, and that makes you super mad.

TJP did an amazing job of appearing annoyingly flippant and arrogant while talking to Drake Maverick backstage. He capped the performance nicely by turning and walking away, laughing, while Maverick was still talking. Little character nuances like that can go a long way into making the crowd love or hate a performer.

Next week there will be a Triple Threat  between Hideo Itami, Akira Tozawa, and Kalisto; winner gets a Royal Rumble title match against current Cruiserweight Champ Buddy Murphy.
This week they treated us to promos from the competitors. Well, sort of; Kalisto spoke for himself, but Tozawa had THE Brian Kendrick doing his talking, and Hideo Itami's voice was lended by Ariya Daivari. They have some good mic talent in 205 Live.

MAIN EVENT

image source: YouTube

It's time for the Main Event which has the Champion Buddy Murphy issuing a long-time open-challenge.
Murphy didn't do so well in the pre-match promo. He seemed a little unsure of his lines, and the crowd didn't really seem to care about him.
His challenger was revealed as NXT's Humberto Carrillo (known to indy fans as Ultimo Ninja, look him up).
These two put on a very solid match that saw Carrillo five Murphy everything he could handle; yet Murphy would escape with the victory in the end.

So I'll say it; 205 Live was good. I'll watch again next week!

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image source: Uproxx

If you're like us here at The Spanish Announce Table, you're busy (or lazy) and don't have the time to follow along with all the various professional wrestling news websites and stay up-to-date, with up-to-the minute, breaking news. 

We can, however, skim through the various articles of all of YESTERDAY'S news; and give you all the tidbits and links you need to know to stay up-to-date on YESTERDAY'S NEWS!

STROWMAN CANT WIN; NOT ALLOWED TO LOSE

image source: What Culture

Pretty much every wrestling news outlet covered this story, and the basic idea being put out is that WWE isn't ready for Strowman to win the Universal Title and they also don't want him to LOSE at The Royal Rumble. Therefore, they pulled him in this way, to not make him look weak, and to buy time. 
Is any of that true? Well, WWE has made no official statements, and likely won't ever even come close to doing so. So our offiical answer would be: maybe.
Links
http://www.AllWrestling.com/Content.aspx?ID=123056
https://wrestlingnews.co/wwe-news/real-reason-why-braun-strowman-was-pulled-from-the-wwe-royal-rumble/
http://www.AllWrestling.com/Content.aspx?ID=123058
https://wrestlingnews.co/wwe-news/reason-why-finn-balor-will-be-facing-brock-lesnar-at-wwe-royal-rumble/

JERRY THE KING LAWLER WILL BE ON THE ROYAL RUMBLE COMMENTARY TEAM

image source: Quickmeme

According to Ringside News, Jerry The King Lawler will be joining Michael Cole and JBL to provide commentary for the Men's Royal Rumble match. 
Also of note, Lawler signed a new WWE contract, something he is accustomed to doing every year. This time, however, Lawler signed for two years. 

WWE THOUGHT THE ALEXA BLISS SEGMENT WAS PG-SEXY

image source: YouTube

Many outlets also covered this story of Alexa Bliss being not-so-covered. The most-discussed idea is that WWE is trying to add back some "Attitude Era-esque" qualities to their show in any way that won't hurt their PG standing. 
The YouTube video of the segment reached 1 million views in one day.
Links:
https://www.ringsidenews.com/2019/01/15/why-wwe-booked-alexa-bliss-angle-dressing-room-on-raw/
https://www.ringsidenews.com/2019/01/15/alexa-bliss-scandalous-segment-on-wwe-raw-goes-viral/
https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2019/01/alexa-bliss-dressing-room-segment-garners-big-views-on-649853/
https://wrestlingnews.co/wwe-news/backstage-wwe-news-on-alexa-bliss-topless-segment-from-raw/

TUESDAY NIGHTS JUST GOT LIVE

image source: Cageside Seats

205 Live is returning to Tuesday nights on the WWE Network, and will air at 9 p.m. U.S. Central Standard Time. (The one true time zone)
Reminder; this is YESTERDAY'S NEWS, and that means you missed the 205 Live return to Tuesday nights. But hey, if you have the WWE Network, then you can watch it whenever the hell you want. 
Links:
http://network.wwe.com/shows/in-ring/205-live
http://allwrestling.com/content.aspx?ID=123060

SLIGHTLY-MORE THAN ALMOST-NOBODY IS WATCHING RAW

image source: Wrestling-Edge

RAW saw a significant ratings jump this week; seeing the highest ratings for the show since September. Of note, Monday Night Football is no longer on, so WWE typically sees significant ratings increases this time of year.
Links:
http://allwrestling.com/content.aspx?ID=123077
https://wrestlingnews.co/wwe-news/this-weeks-wwe-raw-sees-big-viewership-increase/
https://www.ewrestlingnews.com/news/wwe-raw-viewership-for-11419-up-from-last-week
https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2019/01/this-week-wwe-raw-draws-best-viewership-in-months-649856/
https://www.cagesideseats.com/wwe/2019/1/15/18184453/wwe-raw-viewers-up-big-this-week-braun-strowman-finn-balor-universal-championship-royal-rumble-2019

ANOTHER NAME BITES THE DUST

image source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Another WWE Superstar had their names removed. This time Andrade Cien Almas is now just Andrade.
Links:
https://wrestlingnews.co/wwe-news/wwe-star-gets-a-slight-name-change/
http://www.prowrestlingsheet.com/andrade-almas-name-change/#.XD7FK1xKjIU
https://www.ewrestlingnews.com/news/wwe-changes-ring-name-of-smackdown-superstar
https://www.ringsidenews.com/2019/01/15/wwe-makes-change-to-superstars-name/
https://www.cagesideseats.com/wwe/2019/1/15/18184648/wwe-changes-name-andrade-cien-almas-wwe-smackdown.

Obviously this isn't all of yesterday's news, but this is the biggest items that we found noteworthy here at The Spanish Announce Table. There is typically a bunch of indy news, ROH news, etc., but you're on your own for that stuff. Please check out the various links to the great news websites that we look through to find these stories. 

Remember to listen to our PODCAST, watch our YouTube videos, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Check out The Spanish Announce Merch Table and a portion of anything you buy goes to us to help with expenses for all of our entertainment-producing endeavors!

Professional Wrestling has a long, storied history full of ups and downs. As with anything, we fans like to get nostalgic and take a look back at where we've been, so we can have a clear picture of where we are going in the future.

That said, let's take a moment and reflect on this day in professional wrestling history.

HAPPY BARBIE BIRTHDAY - Jan 15, 1987

image source: DeviantArt
Barbie Blank, better known to wrestling fans as Kelly Kelly was born 32 years ago in Jacksonville, Florida.
Kelly Kelly has a unique reputation/legacy in professional wrestling, much of which I won't get into, you can do some google research if you want to look more into it.
In the meantime, you can learn about Kelly Kelly on her Wikipedia Page. 

THE ROYALIEST OF RUMBLES - Jan 15, 1989 

image source: TJR Wrestling
The WWF held the first ever PPV edition of The Royal Rumble 30 years ago at The Summit in Houston, Texas.
The original Royal Rumble was not a PPV event, but it was so well liked that WWF moved forward with a yearly event around the match.
The highlights of this particular version include The Ultimate Warrior defeating Ravashing Rick Rude in a posedown competition; Haku defeating Harley Race to the undisputed "unofficial" King of the Ring, and Big John Studd winning the Royal Rumble, having entered at Number 27.

THE RINGMASTER ARRIVES - Jan 15, 1996

image source: Wrestling News Source
The ill-fated debut gimmick for Steve Austin in WWE was The Ring Master, which was really no gimmick, outside of a name. Then they decided he, being a plain-Jane, basic ring-gear wearing, mat technician, should be the protege of the Million Dollar Man and start wearing the Million Dollar Championship.
Yeah, all that really happened. On this date, 23 years ago, The Ringmaster debuted, defeating Matt Hardy by submission via The Million Dollar Dream.

TNA GIVES UP - Jan 15, 2013

image source: Wrestling With Text
TNA dropped a lawsuit stemming from former TNA office worker Brian Wittenstein, who stole confidential information from TNA and attempted to hand it over to WWE.
WWE, to their credit, contacted TNA and informed them what Wittenstein was doing. However, TNA felt they needed to sue WWE for being targeted, since at the same time this stuff was happening, Ric Flair was trying to leave TNA to go back to WWE.
TNA would eventually advise the cour that both sides had agreed to cover their own legal costs and they withdrew the lawsuit.
Fans may remember how restricted talent were at that time from even mentioning the letters T, N, or A.
You can read more about the lawsuit on Wikipedia.

SUPER FLIES AWAY - Jan 15, 2016 

image souce: Rolling Out
Superfly Jimmy Snuka passed away at the age of 73 years. Snuka had been battling stomach cancer and dementia.Also of note, at the time of his passing, officials were looking back into the early 1980's death of Snuka's girlfriend, in which Snuka was an initial suspect. 
Snuka was one of the biggest babyfaces of his era; he had a charisma that is hard to describe. People just loved Superfly.
Read more about him on his Wikipedia Page.

Well, as you can see, a lot can happen on any given day in the crazy world of professional wrestling, so thank you for joining me on this journey, as we reflect upon what happened ON THIS DAY!

Check out our new Spanish Announce Merch Table. A small portion of everything you buy at the table will go to helping us keep this website and podcast free for you!

Also, check out our podcast! You can also watch us record the podcast episodes on our YouTube channel: The Spanish Announce Tube!


RAW is live in Memphis and I'm going to be completely honest; I feel as though WWE is still going through the motions, and is still unaware of the problems they say they are fixing. 
That said, I still look for the positives in things, so I'm going to give this a go.

They start with showing us that Mr. McMahon has arrived to the building; and any good wrestling fan knows that means something will go down tonight! (In all honesty, that's what it's supposed to mean. We'll see if that still holds true.)

BRAUN IS BACK

image source: YouTube
So this wasn't bad. Braun can't keep his temper in check, so now he has to cut a check to Mr. McMahon for $100,000 for his demolished limo. 

Oh, and Strowman also won't be getting his title shot anymore! 

Is this the seeds of a new McMahon vs Superstar angle? Will that even work anymore? 

SASHA & RONDA vs SNUKAJAX

image source: YouTube

WWE LOVES to make tag teams out of wrestlers who have a big match against each other in a few weeks. I feel like they tell that story every single month.

This time the babyface duo survived their match virtually unharmed and with no bad blood between them; until the post-match interview. 

Shout out to Sasha for a confident promo right up in Ronda's face, but I REALLY don't get why they're playing Rousey as the nerdy girl that doesn't understand how to have normal conversations.

LUCHA HOUSE PARTY vs THE REVIVAL

image source: YouTube
Here's the latest Funkasarus/Adam Rose/No Way Jose gimmick that they keep trying. 
At least it gives easy ammunition for The Revival to use for promos.

I just don't see anything to care about in this match, and it really didn't help that they cut away from the match to show jobbers lining up and fighting over a title shot against Brock that they're never going to get. The whole presentation feels like a cartoon.

The Revival cheated; they won. I think four people in the front row seemed to care.

FOURWAY FATALITY

image source: YouTube
So 4 different competitors tried to convince the authority figure that they deserve the open title shot. 
That authority figure then decides a Fatal 4Way will determine who gets the title shot. 

We've been here before. I only keep mentioning this because THEY promised things would be different and there would be "new matchups". They can't honestly think this is it.

RIOTT SQUAD vs BAYLEY, NATALYA, & NIKKI CROSS

image source: YouTube
My interest in this match went from 0 to 100 the moment I heard the music for Nikki Cross, revealing her as the surprise partner for Natty & Bayley. 
No offense to the other competitors, but I find Nikki Cross to be ten times more entertaining than the rest of them.
Nikki's team won. 

JINDER MAHAL vs FINN BALOR

image source: YouTube
Did anyone think Jinder Mahal  was going to beat Finn Balor? I'm not even sure Jinder believed that.
Balor won; big surprise.

Seth Rollins vs Bobby Lashley vs Dean Ambrose - IC Title Triple Threat Match

image source: YouTube
Before this match kicked off we got a series of damn good promos all around. Lio Rush made me believe Bobby Lashley was going to come steal my life and family from me; Dean Ambrose was somewhere in the dark in a trailer park pimp jacket, and Seth Rollins felt like he was about to cry telling us how much he cared about this.

Lio Rush got involved with just enough of a distraction to give Bobby Lashley the pinfall for his first IC title reign. I did not see this coming. I like it!

A MOMENT OF BLISS WITH PAUL HEYMAN

image source: Ringside News
Boy, THAT headline sure doesn't sound that appealing, does it? 
Anyway, before interviewing Paul Heyman, Alexa Bliss unveiled the new WWE Women's Tag Team Titles.

Paul Heyman manages to do a good job talking about Brock Lesnar and how he'll beat up any of the chumps that win the Fatal 4Way later; but the issue I have is that it all sounds the same anymore. We've run this well dry.

I think they thought ending it with Otis Dozovic acting like he can't even talk would be a unique, fresh way of doing things. It felt random and meaningless; which feels like a theme. 

#1 CONTENDER FATAL 4WAY - CENA vs BALOR vs CORBIN vs MCINTYRE

image source: 411 Mania
This was a good match, no doubt about it. You could argue that it SHOULD be with that much talent involved, but in the end, they did a damn good job and Finn Balor scoring the pin on John Cena is of note.

I think WWE is about to start featuring Finn Balor more now that his Bullet Club buddies are gaining notoriety with All Elite Wrestling. 

And that's it! RAW goes off the air with Balor celebrating his victory and his Universal Title shot later. I'm guessing Braun's latest post-surgery visit didn't go as planned.

We'll see how much more DIFFERENT they can throw at us next week!

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Professional Wrestling has a long, storied history full of ups and downs. As with anything, we fans like to get nostalgic and take a look back at where we've been, so we can have a clear picture of where we are going in the future.

That said, let's take a moment and reflect on this day in professional wrestling history.

SID VICIOUSLY BREAKS HIS LEG - Jan 14, 2001

image source: Fact5
The headliner of the day HAS to be the leg injury to Sid Vicious. I can't even think of what else would be more noteworthy of almost ANY day.
If you haven't seen/heard about this nasty injury, then let me go ahead and say "you're welcome" for introducing you to it now.
Of note, it was on possibly the worst-named PPV in WCW (or any promotion) history; SIN. That's it. Just "Sin". (Conseco Fieldhouse - Indianapolis, IN) This show would also feature the final WCW match of Goldberg.
At any rate, here's a video of Sid Vicious snapping into his leg like a Slim Jim!


Hacksaw Is Born - Jan 14, 1954 

image source: YouTube
Hacksaw Jim Duggan was born 65 years ago in Glens Falls, NY. 
Any child of the 1980's Golden Era can't help but remember Hacksaw Jim Duggan. From his thumbs-up, to his 2x4, to his trademark "HOOOOOOOOO", I don't think I've ever encountered the person that said they really didn't like Hacksaw Jim Duggan. 
Learn more about Hacksaw on his Wikipedia Page.

The End Of An Era? - Jan 14, 2007

image source: Big Gold Belt
Christian Cage defeated Abyss to win the NWA World Heavyweight Champion at TNA Final Resolution from the Impact Zone in Orlando, Florida.
The reason this is noteworthy is because Cage would be the final NWA World Heavyweight Champion while the title operated under the TNA brand. Cage held the title until the end of the TNA/NWA agreement in May of 2007.

A Bro Is Born - Jan, 14, 1986

image source: Pinterest
The King of Bros Matt Riddle was born 33 years  ago in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Riddle is very new to the WWE Universe, but he looks to have many of the necessary tools to have an exciting career.
I'm looking forward to what the future will bring with The King of Bros!

A Legend Passes Away - Jan 14, 2014 

image source: ProFightDB
If I may be allowed to end today's article on a sad note; Mae Young passed away on this day in 2014 of natural causes, just a few weeks shy of her 91st birthday.
Mae Young might have a case for the claim of owning the most unique personal wrestling career in the history of the industry.
Most notably, Mae Young wrestled in NINE different decades! NINE!
If you don't know much about Mae Young, then you should definitely read her Wikipedia Page.

Well, as you can see, a lot can happen on any given day in the crazy world of professional wrestling, so thank you for joining me on this journey, as we reflect upon what happened ON THIS DAY!

Check out our new Spanish Announce Merch Table. A small portion of everything you buy at the table will go to helping us keep this website and podcast free for you!

Also, check out our podcast! You can also watch us record the podcast episodes on our YouTube channel: The Spanish Announce Tube!

image source: Sporting News
I don't know much about U.K. wrestling, but I know enough U.K. wrestling fans to gather that it's supposed to be pretty fun to watch. So, I decided to put my $9.99 a month to good use and watch NXT UK Takeover Blackpool!

To be clear, there are definitely spoilers in here, but I don't go into tremendous detail, so if knowing the outcome doesn't bother you, you should be fine.

Moustache Mountain vs James Drake & Zack Gibson - NXTUKTagTitles

image source: WWE

This match was flat-out fun, and a lot of that was due to the electric atmosphere the crowd was supplying!
Being from the U.S., my impressions of U.K. wrestling have always included strong mat-based storytelling; and this match lived up to that.
The crowd also appreciated the performance, at one point chanting "this is wrestling".
The crowd didn't appreciate the outcome as Gibson & Drake would hit a Ticket To Mayhem to secure a pinfall victory and become the first-ever NXT U.K. Tag Team Champions.

Travis Banks vs Jordan Devlin

image source: WWE
These two couldn't even wait for this match to start, something we learned from footage of Devlin attacking Banks earlier in the day, as he arrived to the venue.
Turns out; they WOULDN'T have a match, as Devlin attacked Banks again, this time on his way to the ring. 
Banks would be unable to compete and Devlin began to brag, but was interrupted by Johnny Saint and Sid Scala who informed Devlin that they anticipated his actions, and they secured a solid backup plan.

Finn Balor vs Jordan Devlin

image source: WrestlingNews.co
The announcers are quick to tell us that Devlin was actually trained by Balor.
As you may expect, the crowd was going nuts.
The student would have an excellent match with the teacher, but ultimately the first-ever WWE Universal Champion would be too much for this former pupil; hitting a Coup de Grace to get the pinfall win.

Eddie Dennis vs Dave Mastiff

image source: Big Gold Belt
The announcers billed this match as a human demolition derby, and they were correct! 
If you like smashmouth hardcore wrestling, mixed with power moves; then you should definitely watch this match. 
The battle of the behemoths ended as Mastiff rammed Dennis through a table with a cannonball, giving him an easy pinfall victory.

Toni Storm vs Rhea Ripley - #UKWomensTitle

image source: Wrestling Inc

I was excited to watch this match; I've heard a lot of positive things about both of these performers.
This felt like a big time title match; the look and feel of the whole performance reminded me of Shawn Michaels vs Diesel.
Both of these wrestlers would be an improvement to any roster, including the WWE main rosters.
Toni Storm would be crowned the new NXT UK Womens Champion after hitting Ripley with a Storm Zero to get the pin.

Joe Coffey vs Pete Dunne - #UKChampionship

image source: Bleacher Report

The Bruiserweight is a badass and I have yet to see a match with him on it that i didn't enjoy. This title match was no different.
What I was not expecting, was how impressed I would be with Joe Coffey; this guy is an aggressive, confident alpha-male fighter that helped give this match an extra punch.
Dunne would get Coffey to submit, by nearly breaking his fingers; ending a brutal match that rivals anything I've seen recently for overall quality.

image source: WrestlingNews.co

Then, as if this exciting show hadn't entertained you enough, we get the debut of a name I've seen making headlines; Walter. 

I don't know much, but I do know that people love Walter and it was big news that he signed with WWE/NXT UK. 
There was a nice staring match in the ring that the crowd seemed to love, and then Walter left, with this story clearly to-be-continued. 

As the show was ending, I realized there was nothing I thought was bad about this show. The NXT Train keeps rolling along, putting out great pro-wrestling. 
This time, that train is rolling through the United Kingdom, and shows no sign of stopping anytime soon. 
If you haven't watched this show yet, then you need to finish this article and immediately turn it on and watch it!
WWE RAW is Detroit! 
Thankfully there was only one mention of, and ZERO appearances by Kid Rock!

New Matchups...

WWE promised us a whole bunch of new matchups, so to prove this point; we begin RAW with Dolph Ziggler vs Drew McIntrye!
Hey, at least this time it's in a STEEL CAGE!!!
image source: GiveMeSport.com
I like that WWE is writing McIntrye to look strong and vicious, but I'm not sure there was much else to this segment, other than to remind me that Drew is strong and vicious.

Coach Trips To The Rescue

image source: Bleacher Report
I liked this segment. 
Even if it takes Triple H coaching it out of him, it couldn't hurt for Seth Rollins to turn up the agression. 
It couldn't hurt for EVERYONE in WWE to turn up the aggression a little bit. 
I also like the odd-couple pairing of Triple H and Shane McMahon in an authority role.

A Start So Fresh And So Clean

We were treated to a "Fresh Start" Battle Royal.
The winner gets an IC Title Match TONIGHT! This is not a bad play, except the talent involved made it feel more like the Jobber Battle Royal; which is fitting since Apollo Crews won.
image source: YouTube

Watch Ya Backs For Dat Snukajax!

image source: RoundaRousey.com
I like that they kept this part short. 
Nia's interruption of Natalya was too short to screw up, and the surprise beat-down was quick and mean. 
I especially liked Jax taunting Natalya as she left, asking her "Where's your friend now?"

Even More New Matchups...

Baron Corbin complains about life, then Elias makes fun of Corbin in song-form. 
They fight, rinse, repeat. 
To be fair to Corbin and Elias; they were good enough in what they did, and there was some fun moments. 
I'm just still searching for a decent point to this story to care about.

More Different Stuff; Coming Soon...

Bayley, Sasha, and Ember Moon battled The Riott Squad. 
Again, there seems to be no real reason to any of this, except to highlight that they want Bayley and Sasha to appear as the favorites to win the WWE Women's Tag Team Titles; coming soon. 
Just more of those changes that we keep hearing are coming soon.

Not So Almighty

image source: Youtube
 Lio Rush hit a home run while hyping up Bobby Lashley before the match. 
He was super passionate during the whole promo, and I really like how he commanded Lashley to "DOMINATE". 
However, that was all for nothing, as Seth Rollins would eventually be the one who dominates, after taking both Lashley AND Rush out; leaving them laying in the ring. 
Great for Rollins, but it feels like Rush and Lashley have been KILLING it lately, and this kinda sets a ceiling on how high that can go.

Why Is This Happening?

Jinder Mahal and The Singh Brothers wrestled Slater and Rhyno. 
This is actually a thing that happened on WWE Raw. 
Who cares about this? 
Why are they doing this?

Taking The Champ To The Fringe

Dean had a decent backstage promo. Nothing terrible, but certainly nothing amazing. 
It did make it easy enough to not like Ambrose, which is basically what you want in a heel. 
The timing in this match felt off, especially in the transitions, and was therefore hard to find believable. 
Dean sold the match well by having to crawl up the ramp after his victory.

A Moment Of Bliss For WWE RAW

Alexa Bliss rarely fails to deliver a good heel promo and it was no different on RAW when she announced her new talk show coming to WWE RAW next week: A Moment of Bliss!
Alexa's first guest will be Ronda Rousey. 
The diss on Roddy Piper and Piper's Pit was a real nice, subtle touch.

More New Matchups...

It's getting seriously hard to continue to listen to WWE talk about new matchups when the main event of WWE RAW is Ronda Rousey and Natalya vs. Snukajax! 
The match wasn't the worst, but it certainly wasn't anything that moved me; which is precisely the same thing I could say about this entire storyline.

WWE RAW feels, at the end of 2018, EXACTLY like it did for ALL of 2018. 
The McMahon-Helmsly Regime promised us big changes, but I haven't seen them yet; so color me skeptical. 
I never thought I would be anticipating the next move of The Young Bucks; hoping it would be able to provide me with entertainment, but here we are; I'm ALL IN!

Here's hoping for something TRULY DIFFERENT for WWE RAW in 2019!

                                                                 - Tim



Listen to The Spanish Announce Table Podcast for more in-depth analysis of WWE RAW and many more wrestling topics.
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