WWE Monday Night RAW Review // 26th February 2018

With Elimination Chamber now in the rear view mirror, the road to WrestleMania for the RAW brand was beginning to clear, as this week's show featured the Intercontinental and RAW Women's titles heavily. As The Miz demanded to find out his opponent for WrestleMania he competed in back to back matches with Seth Rollins and Finn Balor, whilst a number of women's divisions storylines and developments were included in a six man tag team match as Mickie James, RAW Women's Champion Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax clashed with Sasha Banks, Bayley & the undefeated Asuka. But how did it all go down in Anaheim? Lets take a look! 

Commentary - Michael Cole, Corey Graves & Jonathan Coachman 
Ring Announcer - JoJo 
Interviewers - Renee Young & Charly Caruso

The Miz demanded to know his opponent for WrestleMania 

This week's main storyline revolved around the Intercontinental Championship, beginning with The Miz discussing his plans (or lack thereof) for WrestleMania XXXIV. The main idea of the segment was that Miz didn't have a scheduled opponent and that General Manager Kurt Angle was doing some mad shit, that might've involved whoever Miz's opponent was on the show. Miz was on good form here, making the most of his time on the mic, as he took the audience on a real journey through a number of clearly identifiable topics, such as being 62 days away from being the record holder for combined days at IC Champion, the lack of his merchandise available at the show and how Angle not having a clear plan for him at The Grandaddy of Them All was a disgrace. Like all good heel promos it was easy to see where Miz was coming from, but also easy to dislike the way he chose to voice those opinions, as he used a variety of vocal levels to keep the crowd engaged, including loudly shouting his point towards the end. The section where he complained about his merch, felt eerily similar to CM Punk's pipebomb promo, whilst having the character also moan about not being in the main event of WrestleMania also felt like a sly dig at the Best in the World from WWE.

then...

Seth Rollins def. The Miz // Pinfall

With the idea that Kurt Angle was considering him for an Intercontinental Championship match at WrestleMania, Seth Rollins continued his rich vein of singles form with a victory over The Miz, following the Revolution Knee and a ridiculous Frog Splash in the best match on the show. The fight built well from a simplistic base of dropdown, leapfrog, hiptoss sequences, with plenty of interference from Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel at ringside and loud invested audience. Seriously, Anaheim reacted to every movement of Rollins' comeback and it was magnificent to watch, making all the difference and showing just how over he's became following last week's superb gauntlet match performance. The action wasn't overly complicated but was done well, but it was the structure of the match that drove it, with match being paced properly and the big moments seeming to come at the extra right moment for the crowd. The energy for the finish, which saw Rollins on an absolute rout as he took out the constantly interfering Miztourage with a suicide dive was off the charts, as Seth continues to be on fire right now. It could've gone a little bit longer, but with the time constraint the two did a bloody good job. Hopefully the hip injury that seemed to occur off a slingblade on his original comeback sequence isn't too serious for Seth Rollins as he's in a great position to do something big over the next 6 months.

After the match - Finn Balor headed to the ring, leading to Seth Rollins walking out of the ring as he shook his head - The Miz vs. Finn Balor quickly ended in disqualification as Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel interfered with Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson evening the odds, before Kurt Angle restarted the match with everyone banned from ringside 

then...

Finn Balor def. The Miz // Pinfall

Finn Balor gave The Miz his second loss of the evening, picking up a pinfall win over the Intercontinental Champion following a Coup de Grace, after an alright match. This match would've been better off if it had taken place next week, for a number of reasons, as whilst there was nothing wrong with the action, I felt a little uninterested in what was going. Firstly, having the heel Miz battle in two unannounced matches in a row felt like a misstep as the first note of this story, because it undoubtedly creates sympathy with a character I'm not supposed to like, whilst also damaging the victory for Balor in the process. Secondly, the match felt like a step down from the Rollins match, because as much as I like Balor, he isn't in nowhere near the same form as Seth is right now, either in the ring or with the crowd. Thirdly, having the Miztourage banned from ringside removed some of the fuel that has been firing Miz's matches lately and after having already lost one match made it more difficult to believe that the A Lister would be able to be competitive with Finn. That being said, there were a couple of nice sequences in this one, including Balor going for a reverse slingblade with Miz blocking and setting up for a Skull-Crushing Finale before Balor rolled through for a good near fall and Finn using the "Yes" kicks on Miz as Corey Graves exploded on commentary.

After the match - Seth Rollins was interviewed putting down Balor for interrupting him, before challenging Miz to an Intercontinental Championship match at WrestleMania

Mickie James, Alexa Bliss and Nia Jax attempted to spring a trap on Asuka

An interesting opening segment, began with Alexa Bliss officially reconciling with Mickie James and boasting about her Elimination Chamber victory and concluded with the RAW Women's Champion nailing Asuka with a right hand that knocked the Empress of Tomorrow to the mat, with Nia Jax, Bayley and Sasha Banks all getting involved. The structuring was a little awkward and felt a little bit forced, but in the middle of it all was a great promo from Bliss who excels when given this kind of character work to do. Bliss can simultaneously come across as a bad ass and an annoying brat when on the microphone, which is a real talent and she did a very good job of controlling a crowd that seemed a little rowdy at the start of the show. She put over James's history in WWE, called Bayley a "sad situation" and claimed she could break Asuka's streak at WrestleMania, all with that trademark Bliss swagger and attitude. I'd like to see more of that permeate her matches. The heat she got for talking loudly and slowly at Asuka was brilliant and managed to fall just the right line of "I'd really like to see you get punched in the face". Indeed, however it was Bliss who'd get to hit Asuka in the face, after it turned to all be a trap for a Nia Jax attack, even after Sasha Banks and Bayley had tried to make the save. 

then...

Sasha Banks, Bayley & Asuka def. Mickie James, Alexa Bliss & Nia Jax // Submission

We weirdly shifted to a six woman tag team match out of the break, which ended up being a real mixed bag, as Asuka tapped out Mickie James with an arm and knee bar combination to win it for her team. There were a number of different storyline developments going on, there was some good wrestling, there was some sloppy wrestling, this was a very busy trios match. The main culprit of the sloppiness was Alexa Bliss, who had a number of awkward moments with both Bayley and Sasha Banks, with the Women's Champion seeming to struggle with her positioning a handful of times in the match. Bayley and Mickie James also looked out of sorts at times, but they also opened with a rather lovely sequence, so I'll let them off this time. Banks put in the best performance of the match, flying in with a fun hot tag, that included lots of meteoras, after tagging herself in on Bayley to audible boos. Obviously, the Banks/Bayley storyline continued after the Chamber with Bayley refusing to tag in when Banks had taken a lengthy spell as the face in peril, which was juxtaposed well when Bayley came back into the match to help Asuka when she was being double-teamed by James and Bliss. This felt like a much more important six woman tag than we've seen for months and even when the action wasn't the best I felt like there was at least a reason to keep watching with the various feuds that were involved.

RAW Tag Team Championship // Two out of Three Falls // Cesaro & Sheamus (C) def. Apollo & Titus O'Neil // 2-0

Why Apollo & Titus O'Neil got another shot at Cesaro & Sheamus' RAW Tag Team Championship wasn't clear, but their 2-0 loss was a much better match than the contest the teams had the previous night at Elimination Chamber. The distraction and Brogue Kick getting the pin on O'Neil within seconds of the opening bell could have come across as one of those lame falls you get in multiple fall matches and I have to admit that I was a little worried when that went down. However, that first fall ended up putting some real steam into the second fall, meaning the action was hotter, more physical and felt more important than what we saw on Sunday. It meant that a wicked series of near falls for Titus Worldwide felt like each one could've seen the scores evened, with a roll-up from Apollo and a standing moonsault standing out as the two best moments of the match. It also meant that O'Neil showed a whole new side of his game, displaying real anger when finally getting tagged back into the match, teeing off on Sheamus and producing a much more satisfying hot tag as the Real Deal looked like he had a purpose for once. The 2-0 victory builds up Cesaro & Sheamus as unstoppable when the belts are on the line and opens an interesting question about how Apollo & O'Neil will be handled heading into and out of WrestleMania.

After the match - During a fun interview, Cesaro & Sheamus claimed that they would be punished at WrestleMania, because "there's no one left to beat"

Braun Strowman def. Elias // Disqualification

Before the match - Braun Strowman claimed he was going to perform a symphony of destruction on Elias - Elias cut a promo about noise pollution, citing Corey Graves' commentary as possible cause, before being cut off by the roar of Braun Strowman's music. 

The Braun Strowman and Elias feud got kicked up a gear this week, as the two competed in a match that ended in disqualification, after Elias used a fire extinguisher. The action was solid, if a little lengthy for what it was, as Strowman dominated the Drifter for a good 90% of the match, with splashes, strikes and biels. Elias got just enough offence in to make it no a complete squash, often using Strowman's offence against him by repeatedly blocking a big splash with a boot to the face, but it was clear that Elias didn't have much to stop the Monster Amongst Men for long. Whether this feud has enough legs to last until WrestleMania I'm not convinced, but the two could get a fun match out of a hardcore based gimmick, perhaps involving guitars and 2018 Hall of Fame inductee, Jeff Jarrett in some way. 

After the match - Elias attempted to continue his assault with the fire extinguisher, but after Strowman rallied Elias was able to escape getting powerslam through the announce table by raking Braun's eye and legging it out of the arena, leaving Strowman to scream "I'm not finished with you!" 

Triple H laid out Kurt Angle, after Stephanie McMahon had apologised to Ronda Rousey 

My main takeaway from this segment was that Ronda Rousey is much better on the microphone when she has an issue to work with, than she is simply addressing a crowd as we saw on Sunday. When she headed out, with her hair tied up, to confront Triple H and Stephanie McMahon she felt like she had a purpose and looked like an absolute bad ass, whilst her later demanding an apology from McMahon upped the ante, putting a real focus on the tension that was present throughout the whole promo. The segment was also peppered with a number of comic moments, that got good laughs from the crowd and kept things feeling comfortably entertaining, amongst the tense scenes that were the rest of the segment. Angle saying he needed the job before trying to back out of what he said on Sunday because he had "double pneumonia" got an audible laugh from Anaheim, as did McMahon getting right up in Rousey's face only to apologise for the slap. The segment ending with Triple H punching Angle in the noggin gave us something to tune in for next week as the story develops, with the commentary team doing a good job of getting that over, even if the punch itself didn't look brilliant.

John Cena tried to work out his Road to WrestleMania

Another intriguing promo came from John Cena, who attempted to lay out his plans for WrestleMania, before announcing he'd be heading to SmackDown Live the next night to try and figure out where he fits on the card for the Show of Shows. The promo focused on a theme which WWE doesn't focus on a whole lot, but really should do more often, that being failure. Cena has touched on this in part during the build to his WrestleMania XXIX match with The Rock, but this felt like a much more effective version of that story. Cena has lost two thirds of his PPV matches since WrestleMania XXXIII, unable to win the RAW vs. SmackDown Survivor Series match, the Royal Rumble, the Elimination Chamber and losing a big singles match to Roman Reigns and this theme catapulted the segment, which remained fascinating throughout because it felt like it had no clear direction, suiting Cena's story. The challenge being laid down to The Undertaker to a great reaction, only for Cena to tell us that match is currently impossible was the most captivating part of it all, because why mention it if we're not going to see that match? It feels like its only a matter of time before the Deadman shows up, but for what reason and why he'd return to face Cena is yet to be discovered. Perhaps we'll see Big Match Cena having to put something on the line to tempt the Deadman out of retirement? 

Roman Reigns addressed Brock Lesnar

Hot damn, this episode's promo streak continued with a hella good effort from the Big Dog, as Roman Reigns slayed Brock Lesnar on the microphone for apparently no-showing the event. This was one of his best efforts on the microphone, calling back to his feud with John Cena last September as it blurred reality with fiction, aided by a real fire that seemed to be burning underneath The Shield member. He ripped into Lesnar for not showing, for flirting with the UFC and only defending his Universal title four times since winning it from Goldberg at WrestleMania XXXIII. The reference to the UFC and the lockeroom feeling disdain towards the Beast for his special treatment felt like they came from a very real place of frustration from Reigns and whether it really does doesn't matter all that much. What did matter was that a crowd that was initially against Reigns when he came out, was mostly onside by the end of the promo and if we can pair that with a couple of good matches on TV heading into the event, then we might see a crowd that isn't attempting to steal Reigns' moment from him in New Orleans on 8th April. 

Also This Week

- Bray Wyatt beat the shit into Rhyno and Heath Slater, before cutting a promo saying that the loss to Matt Hardy at Elimination Chamber had forced him to do so...the feud continues!

- Jarius "JJ" Robertson, a 15 year old double liver transplant survivor who has worked to raise awareness for organ donation, was announced as this year's Warrior Award recipient 

- Seth Rollins, alongside Noelle Trent from the National Civil Rights Museum, discussed the Montgomery Bus Boycott, as part of Black History Month.

- Braun Strowman and The Big Show imploding the ring with a superplex from the 17th April 2017 episode of Monday Night RAW was shown for some reason.

ATPW Scale Rating - 6.18 out of 10 

Written by James Marston // @IAmNotAlanDale

WWE Elimination Chamber 2018 Review

Elimination Chamber 2018 was the final PPV for WWE's RAW brand before WrestleMania XXXIV as the final pieces of the puzzle were slotted into place for the Show of Shows. The show was main evented by the first seven person Elimination Chamber match as John Cena, The Miz, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Finn Balor, Braun Strowman and Elias battled it out to see who would challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania XXIV. But how did it all go down in Las Vegas? Lets take a look! 

Commentary - Corey Graves, Michael Cole and Jonathan Coachman
Kick-Off Panel - Renee Young, Booker T, Peter Rosenberg and David Otunga 
Ring Announcer - JoJo
Interviewers - Charly Caruso and Mike Rome
Theme Music - M.O.M. by Will Roush 

WWE Universal Championship #1 Contendership // Elimination Chamber // Roman Reigns def. John Cena, The Miz, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Braun Strowman and Elias

Before the match - The Miz cut a promo about entering #1 and how he's used to being #1 and stuff - Highlights from RAW's gauntlet match - Seth Rollins was interviewed claiming that "All that matter is beating Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania" - Paul Heyman joined the Kick-Off and pushed the idea that the winner would face Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania and announced that Lesnar would be on RAW the next night - Braun Strowman cut a promo, mostly focused on Lesnar, calling the Universal Champion a "Beastie Boy", I guess Strowman was fighting for his right to party with Lesnar in the Chamber match - Roman Reigns was interviewed and cut a good promo mimicking Paul Heyman's "this isn't a prediction, this is a spoiler" line

Roman Reigns won the longest Elimination Chamber match in history, to book his spot against Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania, by lastly eliminating Braun Strowman following a superman punch and two spears. This was a match that for better or worse was completely dominated by Strowman as he eliminated The Miz, Elias, John Cena, Finn Balor and Seth Rollins with his running powerslam finish. Honestly, I wasn't mad for this as once Strowman had come in and started picking up eliminations it was pretty clear the direction that we were heading. The crowd were mad into Strowman however as he ploughed through everyone, so maybe it came off better within the arena where you can get swept up in Strowman's dominance and power, but as a viewer at home, I almost found myself switching off after a few eliminations. With five eliminations (surely the only reason that this match was made to feature seven men, instead of the usual six) Strowman broke the record for most eliminations, passing the previous record of three, set jointly by the holy trinity of wrestling, Goldberg (2003), The Undertaker (2008) and...Carlito (2006).

I think the main problem I had with Strowman's dominance was the once the pattern became painfully clear, there was very little done to make it feel like we might be deviating for the path. Yes, Strowman took a tonne of offence, including pretty much everyone's finishing move, but not at any point was there a convincing near fall on the Monster Among Men. He felt untouchable in the match, which isn't a surprise considering his previous booking, but in order for the chamber match to remain interesting in this period, I think we could've done with a few moments where Braun looked vulnerable to elimination. The closest we came was on a variant of The Shield powerbomb with Reigns and Cena as the based as Balor and Rollins provided the extra momentum, with all four piling on for the pin. Once you'd seen Strowman kick out of four men stacking his legs on top of his head, it became extremely difficult to buy that a single man could put him away with a simple Attitude Adjustment or Coup de Grace. 

Whilst I would've liked to have seen a little more variation on the eliminations, there's no doubt that this method resulted in the biggest pop of the match when Strowman appeared about to putting a stop to Roman Reigns' comeback as he got the Big Dog up for the move and the crowd went mad. Obviously, Reigns escaped and went on to pick up the win, but having seen five other men fall to the running powerslam, the crowd believed for a split second that if Strowman had nailed the move he'd be heading to WrestleMania. The whole finishing sequence actually was a lot of fun, bringing the energy that had made the Strowman vs. Reigns feud in 2017 one of the year's highlights as Reigns looked to dodge the North Carolinian and hit his big offence at any opportunity. The over-the-top rope suicide dive looked lovely using the Chambers raised floor and chain link effectively, before being followed up Strowman send himself through a pod with real force, setting up for the aforementioned finish. The booing wasn't any near as loud as it has been for Reigns in previous years and there was a decent sized pop for Roman winning. 

Whilst the finish was solid, it was the action at the start of the match that ended up being the highlight of the clash, as The Miz, Seth Rollins and Finn Balor kicked things off with some very good action. Rollins had nice sequences with both opponents in this early stage and whilst I would've liked to have seen Rollins positioned in a similar spot to how he was used in Monday's Gauntlet match, the crispness and pace made this a very enjoyable start. I'm not sure why Jonathan Coachman was criticising the pace on commentary because I couldn't see anything wrong with it, whilst the threesome connected well for a nice series of schoolboy near falls. Introducing John Cena into the mix, allowed for a nice moment as he chatted shit with Rollins, before another brief sequence of action between the two rivals. For me, the match began losing some of its sting once Reigns entered the match, as his dominance of all four men by the time Strowman entered the Chamber slowed the pace down and removed some of the excitement that had been prevalent when no one had the upperhand for all that long. 

For the longest Chamber match in history (just under a minute longer than the original Survivor Series 2002 contest), the match had a surprising lack of highspots involving the chamber structure. Strowman bieling The Miz off the top of a pod onto everyone bar Elias below looked brilliant and whilst Rollins hitting a frog splash off the pod onto Strowman looked a little contrived and was signposted by the Monster moving awkwardly into position following a Reigns samoan drop on the outside, the spot itself was still spectacular. However, there wasn't a whole lot of anything else here. Balor used the chain-link to deliver stomps to Cena at one point, but I couldn't work out why in kayfabe he wouldn't go for a Coup de Grace using the chain link, which would've have been the most creative spot in the match had it taken place. Overall, I think that was the main problem this match ended up having, with everyone but Reigns, Strowman and Cena ending up feeling up like bodies to tell other people's stories and severe lack of creativity when it came to the Elimination Chamber itself.

After the match - Braun Strowman continued his assault on Roman Reigns, hitting a pair of powerslams before throwing Reigns through one of the pods - John Cena appeared on RAW Talk in a sublime interview, showing real emotion as the lines between reality and wrestling were blurred heavily, with the interview concluding with Cena hinting at a heel turn - Reigns also appeared on RAW Talk, but unfortunately let himself down by not selling the effects of the Chamber and Strowman's post-match attack and instead cracking jokes.

Elimination Chamber // RAW Women's Championship // Alexa Bliss def. Sasha Banks, Mickie James, Bayley, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville 

Before the match - Paige joined the Kick-Off panel for a dull interview that included lots of repetition as the panel kept asking similar questions - Bayley and Sasha Banks shared some interview time, before Mickie James interrupted to tell them they didn't know anything about her relationship with Alexa Bliss, in a promo that was much better than it sounds written down like that 

Alexa Bliss held on to her RAW Women's Championship, last eliminating Sasha Banks with an elevated DDT, in what was the match of the night. This was mostly down to the strength of the storytelling throughout the match, mostly around the relationship between Sasha Banks and Bayley. Beginning with Bayley fighting against Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville, both members of Absolution, for five minutes before Banks entered the match, through the pair aiding each other in eliminations as Bayley stopped Deville breaking up the Banks Statement that eliminated Rose and the two combined to send Mickie James out of the match, before culminating with Banks sending Bayley crashing off the top of a pod, this was compelling and fascinating all at the same time. Whilst many had expected Banks to turn on Bayley, because of how strongly they worked together earlier in the match, it still ended up feeling like a shock when it happened. Bayley eventually being eliminated by a Bliss roll-up after hitting a mid-rope Bayley to Belly on Banks was a great moment of "neary was" with Bayley able to get an element of revenge before having it ripped away from her. This is how the Hugger should have been booked on RAW months ago! My only criticism with the bout's narrative was how weak the two Absolution lasses ended up coming off, being eliminated first and second, despite also having the opportunity to double-team Bayley for a significant amount of time.

Even if, like the men's, the match wasn't packed with spectacular moments, there was enough to keep me happy, helped tremendously by a number of very creative moments using the structure and the size of the competitors to the bouts advantage. Mickie James' Lou Thesz press off the pod to eliminate Deville and the stunning Twist Bliss to a standing Banks stand out as the most memorable highspots, but the best use of the chamber was actually much more simple and character based. This occurred after Bayley had pinned James and Bliss realised that it was down to her and the two supposed best friends, whilst stilling locked inside her pod. Bayley and Banks hunting down Bliss as the champ at first tried to lock herself in her pod and attempted to climb the structure to avoid the pair was lovely stuff, with Bliss' character performance always having been the strongest part of her game. Any risk that the champ could've come across as the babyface, when she eventually pulled out the victory was cut down when Bliss cut a promo on the crowd after the match, telling them they'd never live out any of their dreams in a wonderfully hyperbolic moment. 

The finish of the match worked in a number of twist and turns, as Banks and Bliss worked a well-structured sequence of action, that could've done with having a little more pace behind it. In fact, on that note, Banks looked a step or two of pace throughout most of the match, whether it was the surroundings of the chamber throwing her off or just an off day, I'm not sure, but had she been on point throughout the match would've been taken up a notch or two. The aforementioned Twisted Bliss off the pod spot was followed by Banks rolling through into the Banks Statement, a spot that would've been superb had Banks rolled straight into the submission hold off the dive (similar to someone rolling through a diving crossbody into a pin) but Bliss was left weirdly attempting a pin on the outside, before Banks eventually appeared to no-sell a move that had hit and flip into the submission. The crowd was still up for it, however, given Banks a loud reaction when she was able to manoeuvre Bliss into the ring, before Bliss escaped, was able to smash Banks' face off a pod, before hitting an elevated DDT for the win. With a little more finesse and better timing this would've been a brilliant conclusion to the match, but even then it still ended up being an exciting ending between the two most over women in the contest.

Ronda Rousey signed her RAW contract

Before the segment - Ronda Rousey was shown entering the building - RAW General Manager Kurt Angle was shown entering Rousey's dressing room

Ronda Rousey was back in WWE, this time to sign her RAW contract in a segment that concluded with Triple H going through a table and RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon slapping the former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion. Man, this was a weird segment. I'm not even quite sure where to begin, because it was such a Jekyl and Hyde type affair. Basically, anything before Kurt Angle began stirring the pot with Rousey, telling her that McMahon had called her a bitch in private, was trash and everything afterwards was good theatre-style WWE. Rousey's promo felt like she'd never had a mic in her hand before and even felt like the crowd could turn on her if she was allowed to speak for much longer, but Angel's mischievous meddling was a joy to watch, especially when you knew it was leading to Rousey kicking someone's arse. Rousey putting Trips for a table was an intriguing piece of female on male violence, which has been bleeding into WWE over the last year, whilst McMahon's slap looked rough, with Rousey's selling of the moment as McMahon escaped doing a good job of making a scrap between the pair seem more desirable than it did before the segment. Overall, the segment did its job of setting up the issue between all four before an inevitable and heavily rumoured WrestleMania match, but also could have done with being, at least, five minutes shorter and with a whole lot less of Rousey awkwardly talking into the mic. 

After the segment - Stephanie McMahon appeared on RAW Talk, pushing that there would be consequences on the following night's RAW and that she expected an apology from Kurt Angle

Asuka def. Nia Jax // Pinfall

Asuka's WWE undefeated streak grew to 13-0 as Nia Jax joined Alicia Fox, Emma and Dana Brooke on the list of women who the Empress of Tomorrow has beaten twice since moving to the main roster. Under regular circumstances, this was a good match, using the size of the competitors well and featuring a couple of fun highspots. However, with the matches stipulation that if Jax won she'd earn herself a Women's title shot at WrestleMania, the match did a poor job of making me believe Jax was going to win, with the Irresistible Force having a severe lack of convincing near falls, whilst Asuka's various submission didn't lift the drama as a tapout resulted in nothing actually changing. Jax saved the majority of her intensity for after the clash, which meant we didn't really see the most out of Asuka. Whilst the match did feature some cool action like Jax attempting a Bonsai Drop and Asuka's funky victory roll that sealed the win, I felt like the match lacked the physicality it needed to fully satisfy and therefore the match never fully engaged the audience.

After the match - Nia Jax attacked Asuka, hitting a pair of samoan drops before charging Asuka through the barricade, in an attack way too similar to what Braun Strowman would do to Roman Reigns later in the night.

Matt Hardy def. Bray Wyatt // Pinfall

Before the match - Matt Hardy cut a mad promo about something.

Matt Hardy seemingly bought his never-ending feud with Bray Wyatt to a close, pinning the Eater of World's clean with a Twist of Fate in a flat match. After the opening, which saw Wyatt appear and Hardy disappear at the same time, the bout failed to entertain, losing the crowd early on, relying on a number of repetitive tropes and being fought at a super slow pace. Considering the match went under ten minutes, it would be weird to suggest it should have been shorter, but it should've been shorter. A more impactful five minute bout, could have done a much better job at keeping the crowd involved than this drawn out match that was mostly Hardy attempting to hit the Twist of Fate a bunch of times. It wasn't a terrible match by any stretch of the imagination, but considering this feud has been rumbling since the end of November and still doesn't feel like its developed, it needed something different here than a regular wrestling match. WWE continues to show a misunderstanding of the Broken/Woken gimmick, that began with their take on the Final Deletion with the Wyatt Family and The New Day in July 2016. It's going to need a massive effort to rescue this at this point.

RAW Tag Team Championship // Cesaro & Sheamus (C) def. Apollo & Titus O'Neil // Pinfall

Before the match - We found out that Titus O'Neil took a load of kids to see Black Panther, because he's a well nice guy.

Apollo & Titus O'Neil of Titus Worldwide unsuccessfully challenged Cesaro & Sheamus for the RAW Tag Team title with Cesaro picking up the pin on Apollo following a White Noise and Springboard elbow drop combination. On paper, this match had potential, but was poorly put together in practice, as Apollo spent too long as the face in peril, killing the crowd, before a weak O'Neil hot tag did even more damage. For me, we needed to see more of Apollo's athleticism early on, but there was very little in the way of face shine and with Titus Worldwide only being thrown into the title picture on Monday, the audience had no reason to care about this match or anyone involved. A near fall off the Clash of Titus was solid, but O'Neil struggling to work with what should have been a straightforward transition hurt what was the best moment of the match. O'Neil works as Apollo's manager, but their act as a tag team is far from polished with Titus clearly the weaker of the pair in almost all areas. Where Cesaro & Sheamus slot into WrestleMania I'm not entirely sure right now, but the possibilities of a multi-team mosh seems high once again.

Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson def. Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel // Pinfall

The other tag bout on the show saw Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson get back to winning ways with a convincing victory over Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel in a sound opening match. Certainly nothing special happened here, but the basics of tag team wrestling were all on display, lifted by a big spot that saw Dallas push Anderson off the top rope to the floor following a blind tag. A couple of neat sequences thrown into this as well, like Axel attempting to cut off an Anderson hot tag, only to get clattered with a Sick Kick and a decent distraction nearfall for The Miztourage with Axel coming close with big jumping knee strike. The crowd weren't massively into it, because they had no reason to be, but the four guys managed to come out, put on a watchable match and not outstay their welcome. 

After the match - An interview with Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder, The Revival, was cut off before the pair had a chance to say anything interesting.

Also on the show 

- Kurt Angle was interviewed by the Kick-Off panel about a variety of topics and somehow managed to say nothing at all.

ATPW Scale Rating // 5.31 out of 10

Written by James Marston // @IAmNotAlanDale 

WWE Monday Night RAW Review // 19th February 2018

It was the final Monday Night RAW before Elimination Chamber and WWE threw us a curveball with one of the longest matches in company history. The match included all seven competitors for Sunday's Universal Championship #1 Contendership Elimination Chamber and produced a number of interesting clashes including Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns, Rollins vs. John Cena and The Miz vs. Finn Bálor and took up around two thirds of the episode. But how did it all go down in Phoenix, Arizona? Lets take a look! 

Gauntlet Match // Seth Rollins def. Roman Reigns // Pinfall 

Wowza, what a unique way to kick off RAW this week and what should hopefully prove a brilliant way of promoting the upcoming PPV. I'm going to go match by match on this one, I think, so lets begin by discussing Seth Rollins pinning Roman Reigns with the Curb Stomp, evening the pairs series at three a piece, following a very good opening match. The match went a surprising twenty minutes and the two put in a lot of effort, mixing a number of their previous spots with some early technical exchanges and a superb sequence for the finish. Reigns worked well in the tweener roll here, taking his time and playing to the crowd as Rollins took a beating and looked every inch of the top babyface I've been asking for since he turned in September 2016. He sold the beating and a leg/knee/hip injury whilst making a fierce comeback that included a pair of suicide dives and the Talking Stick Resort Arena was super into it. They were more into the finish though as Rollins managed to counter both a spear and a O'Connor roll attempt to pin Sunday's favourite clean with a roll-up and getting a big pop from the crowd in the process. 

then...

Seth Rollins def. John Cena // Pinfall

The match of the gauntlet however would come as Rollins was able to pick up a second victory, pinning John Cena, after a curb stomp. This was an epic match, going over 30 minutes and taking the gauntlet match to just shy of an hour. After the excitement of Rollins match with Reigns, the pair cleverly brought the crowd down and held them exactly where they wanted them for a good twenty minutes, with Cena taking on the heel role and soaking up time with a methodical approach, with the commentary team doing some of their best work explaining how Cena was looking to conserve energy. This was helped by Big Match John pulling out a number of moves that he's used rarely, if ever, on television, including a modified TKO-style stunner and a trifeca of belly to belly suplexes, meaning the bout didn't actually feel like seeing a John Cena match. Seth Rollins continued to give what may have been the performance of his WWE career, a performance full of gorgeous selling, for both the injury and his desperation to defeat Cena and good old fashioned fighting spirit. Not all of the spots looked as good as they could have, but when one considered that Rollins had been wrestling for north of 50 minutes, I think we'll let that pass. With the crowd growing with the match with the performers and following the story, the finish bought the whole thing together as Rollins missed a Phoenix Splash, Cena nailed an Attitude Adjustment and then did a Mark Haskins-esque roll through to go for another (because I don't think anyone but Baron Corbin has been pinned with just one in the last three years), only for Rollins to slip free and nail the Revolution Knee and a Curb Stomp to advance once more. The sequence was lovely, pulling together all the elements of the story that had been told, with Cena frustrated at being unable to put Rollins away and Rollins desperate to prove himself. The match with Reigns was very good, but Rollins' match with Cena should be required viewing. 

then...

Elias def. Seth Rollins // Pinfall

The fairytale run for Rollins was brought to half by Elias, who downed the two-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion with a pair of jumping knee strikes and a Drift Away. The shortest match of the gauntlet, this was a suitable end to Rollins' story as he battled well against the Drifter, leaving Elias looking like a ruthless bastard in the finish. Seth's fire and determination to stay in the match shone through and he even got a decent roll-up near fall on the way, with the crowd still very much behind the Architect. It felt like the right decision to give the defeat of Rollins to Elias, who as the most unlikely to win the Elimination Chamber on Sunday, he was the one who most needed a big victory. Whilst it came after Rollins had already competed for almost an hour, a victory over a top competitor like Rollins gives Elias something to hang his hat on heading into and out of WrestleMania. Personally, I think a cheap win (something simple like holding the tights on the pin) would've helped Elias even more, as the crowd were so hot for Rollins that the heat for this could have been incredible.

then...

Finn Bálor def. Elias // Pinfall 

Beginning a pattern that would last for the rest of the match, Finn Bálor eliminated Elias from the match with a Coup de Grâce, in what was the least interesting match of the gauntlet. That isn't to say that there wasn't any good work here, because there certainly was and on a normal episode of RAW this probably would've been a highlight, but the crowd and the match was coming down from the drama of Rollins' three matches and this bout was a little drawn out to keep the momentum going. I would've preferred to have seen a bit more of a sprint here, with both men looking to put each other away early, perhaps learning from the mistakes that John Cena made in his match and throwing all their top moves at each other early, in an attempt to get the win in kayfabe and to grab the crowd in reality. The pair both did some solid work however, with the match using some sound psychology with Elias viciously focusing on Balor's injured shoulder, whilst Balor didn't go after the ribs that had been injured by Braun Strowman last week until the very end, hitting a double stomp that would eventually launch him to victory. Balor sold well, with right arm held against his body, but after Rollins performance it felt like the Irishman struggled to gain sympathy from it.

then...

The Miz def. Finn Balor // Pinfall

After losing to John Cena last week, the Intercontinental Champion The Miz needed a victory this week and he duly got that win this week, pinning Balor with a Skull-Crushing Finale, after a match that was full of interference from Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel, The Miztourage. This match continued in very much the same vein as the Balor vs. Elias match, but with Miz able to garner more heat by using the Miztourage to distract Balor during the entrance and with about five minutes lopped off the runtime. Having Dallas go after Balor's right arm with the Miz blocking the referees views may have been my favourite bit of the contest, until Balor launched himself past the Miz and over the top rope onto the Miztourage, nailing a lovely topé con giro on Dallas & Axel, before flying into his comeback sequence of enziguiri, slingblade and shotgun dropkick. The final two minutes bought a match that had lost most of its momentum following Rollins' elimination back up, before after fighting Axel and then Dallas off whilst on the top rope, Balor found himself crotched on the top rope, with Miz getting the win with the SKF. 

then...

Braun Strowman def. The Miz // Pinfall

The gauntlet concluded with a perfectly booked Braun Strowman vs. The Miz match, with Strowman putting the Intercontinental Champion away with a running powerslam at around the ten minute mark. This ended up being a lot more fun than I was expecting, with the cowardly Miz and the dominant and destructive Strowman working well together, with the match featuring a number of spots that emphasised the characters. Miz running away from Strowman at the start the match, only for the Monster amongst Men to charge him down like a stampeding rhino, Strowman hitting a ridiculous English dropkick out of the corner and then a well-worked near fall that saw Dallas diverting Strowman's attention before a Skull-Crushing Finale gave Miz his only near fall of the bout. Miz worked as a great foil for Strowman throughout the match, from his facial expression when he realised he'd have to fight Braun to getting launched out of the ring onto the Miztourage after the Skull-Crushing Finale, Miz really helped to get over Strowman as a force of nature. Of course, after the match, Strowman continued to plough through Miz, Dallas and Axel with multiple running powerslam to the delight of the crowd. I'll be interested to see how this plays into Elimination Chamber on Sunday, where The Miz is scheduled to enter the match at #1.  

Sasha Banks, Mickie James & Bayley def. Alexa Bliss, Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville // Submission

Outside the Gauntlet match, the bout afforded the most attention on the episode was six woman tag bout between the competitors from the first women's Elimination Chamber as Sasha Banks, Mickie James and Bayley went over RAW Women's Champion Alexa Bliss and Absolution members Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville (with Paige at ringside) as Bliss tapped to the Banks Statement. Considering this went on last and had a good deal of time, I felt a little underwhelmed by this one, as beyond a really good hot tag from Banks, that included her hitting the meterora in various positions, there wasn't all that much of note in the match. Bliss not wanting to be in the ring with James was a nice bit of storyline development, but could've been used more often, whilst James' first hot tag looked extremely sloppy. We've seen so many women's six person tags on TV over the last few years that I'm not sure why they didn't go for a three way tag match here with Banks & Bayley vs. James & Bliss vs. Rose & Deville, as a more effective way to setting up the idea that their are three sets of partnerships in the Chamber this Sunday. After the match, Absolution beat down Bayley and Banks, before James made the save for Bliss and the pair hit a double DDT on Rose. I think its worth pointing out that whilst the men received an hour and twenty five minutes to promote their Elimination Chamber bout, the women got just over fifteen minutes. 

Apollo & Titus O'Neil def. Cesaro & Sheamus // Pinfall 

The newly surnameless Apollo and his Titus Worldwaiiiidddee boss Titus O'Neil picked up their third victory over RAW Tag Team Champions Cesaro & Sheamus in the last month and half in a match that certainly happened on RAW. The match only went about four and a half minutes, with the heel tandem dominating before Apollo got a roll-up win on Cesaro, with nothing to get all that excited about, other than the fact this was a clear case of WWE shoe-horning a match onto a PPV card when they realised they hadn't booked enough for the show. It is however good to see Crews getting a continued push after taking a number of opportunities that WWE have given him over the last few weeks, including wrestling a RAW main event two days after a three match excursion to PCW. Hopefully, he doesn't get lost in the mix at WrestleMania and continues to be featured more on TV as 2018 goes on.

Nia Jax attacked Asuka

The final push for Nia Jax vs. Asuka on Sunday featured a promo from the Empress of Tomorrow before an impactful beatdown from the Irresistible Force. Asuka's in-ring interview with Renee Young seemed like a mistep, that put Asuka in a vulnerable position, with the live crowd seemingly impatient when the former NXT Women's Champion stumbled over some of her lines. For the most part, Asuka was very clear and has a good promo style considering she's not speaking in her first language, but after the stumble it seemed the crowd decided not to listen to the rest of what she had to say. Perhaps, a pre-tape would've worked better. Jax's attack initial saw Asuka get the upperhand with some massive strikes, including a vicious spinning backfist, before Jax's size and untamed power saw her able to catch Asuka off the top rope for a samoan drop. The scrap worked as a nice preview of what we might see on Sunday, whilst also showing us undoubtedly the most vulnerable Asuka we've ever seen, setting up both an interesting tussle and the idea that Asuka's undefeated streak might come to an end at Elimination Chamber.

Also This Week

- Jeff Jarrett was announced as the fourth member of the 2018 Hall of Fame class, joining Goldberg, The Dudley Boyz and Ivory.

- Highlights of Ronda Rousey's WWE return at Royal Rumble, alongside comments from Charlotte Flair, Naomi and Stephanie McMahon, interviews from various talk shows and training footage that is surprisingly not from the Performance Centre. Rousey signs her RAW contract on Sunday at Elimination Chamber. 

- Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy both cut promos that were spliced together, after it was announced they'd be facing off at Elimination Chamber. 

- Roman Reigns & Titus O'Neil discussed the Memphis Sanitation Strikes as part of Black History Month.

- A moments silence for the victims of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting that occurred on 14th February. Our thoughts are with the victims families and friends. 

ATPW Scale Rating // 5.58 out of 10

Written by James Marston // @IAmNotAlanDale 

WWE Monday Night RAW Review // 12th February 2018

The penultimate RAW before Elimination Chamber featured a number of big matches as WWE loaded the show for the second week in a row. The main event saw Seth Rollins, Matt Hardy, Bray Wyatt, Finn Balor and Apollo Crews fight it out for the final spot in 22nd February's Elimination Chamber bout, whilst we got a rematch of the WrestleMania XXVII main event with John Cena facing Intercontinetal Champion The Miz in a match where the loser would have to enter the Elimination Chamber first and a collision between best friend as Sasha Banks met Bayley one-on-one. But how did it all go down? Lets take a look! 

Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match // Seth Rollins and Finn Balor def. Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt and Apollo Crews // Double Pinfall

So Seth Rollins and Finn Balor both find themselves having qualified for what is going to be the first ever seven person Elimination Chamber match, after a rubbish ending to what had been a very good multi-man bout up to that point. So, Balor and Rollins ended up both pinning Bray Wyatt after a tower of doom spot that also involved Apollo Crews. Firstly, when have you ever, ever seen anyone take the pin off a tower of doom? Especially when they weren't even the top part of the tower? I can't remember such a thing ever happening, but admittedly I haven't seen all the wrestling matches in the history of wrestling matches. Even when you factor that two people were pinning Wyatt and therefore it would've been more difficult to kick out, how dumb does that make Rollins and Balor look? You're lying next to another competitor as you're getting the pin, but somehow believe it was you who won the match? Come on, lads. With a little extra thought I'm sure a better finish could have been configured, such as Balor and Rollins both hitting their finishers on different chaps and not realising the other was getting a pin at the same time. 

The finish was a shame, because as I said the rest of the match had featured some brilliant action. Perhaps, that's why the finish felt so weak and anti-climatic, as so much thought had been put into a number of intricate sequences, that the sheer lack of thought in the conclusion stood out like a sore thumb. The match began hot with lots of action, as we joined the contest in progress after the break, with Wyatt nailing Matt Hardy with a DDT onto the apron, before Crews hit a moonsault off the apron. From there it felt like the match didn't let up, with a real sense of urgency (even during replays you had Balor hitting shotgun dropkicks on the outside), with the bout peaking during a slick sequence that saw Hardy hit a Twist of Fate on Wyatt, with Balor breaking up the pin with a Coup de Grace, only for Rollins to catch Balor with the curb stomp for a superb near fall as Crews recovered to make the save. Whilst that was exciting, I think a personal highlight was the sequence between Rollins and Crews that followed, as it seemed like WWE was finally beginning to put some faith in Apollo as he got a good deal of time to show what he could do one on one with a top guy. He came into the bout looking like the odd one out, but hopefully the strength of his in-ring work here will be enough for a continued push at some point in 2018.

Of course, Rollins hadn't been originally announced as part of the match, but managed to get himself inserted into the main event after a segment with RAW General Manager Kurt Angle earlier in the show. The segment made headlines for Angle announcing that Ronda Rousey would sign her RAW contract as Elimination Chamber, but it was Rollins' performance that stole the segment for me. It feels like it's been a while since we've seen a real fiery Rollins on the microphone, a while since we've seen Rollins speak with a purpose and desperation, a style that brings out the most in The Kingslayer. Yes, his partnership with Jason Jordan (who was announced as being injured and missing WrestleMania) was entertaining at points and before that the feud the stuff with Dean Ambrose and feud with Cesaro & Sheamus has provided some great matches and moments, but this felt much more like the Rollins that invaded NXT Takeover in January 2017. "I don't want to be a part of RAW anymore...I want to BE RAW!" set the tone as Rollins asked to placed in the qualifying match as he wanted to challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at WrestleMania. Angle through the decision open to the public, like a modern day Davey Cameron, with the audience obviously loudly showing their approval for Rollins getting his opportunity. 

Loser enters Men's Elimination Chamber first // John Cena def. The Miz // Pinfall

For the first time in almost five and a half years, John Cena and The Miz went head to head on our TV screen, with Big Match John picking up the win with a middle rope Attitude Adjustment after a very good opening match, to make Miz the first entrant into the Elimination Chamber on 22nd February. For me, this may have been the best match out of the fourteen the two have had on TV and PPV together as they worked strong WWE main event style contest, that wouldn't have looked out of place on a PPV. The crowd was hot for both men and the two rewarded that with some hard work as they crafted a couple of rather lovely submission sequences, that perhaps one wouldn't expect for these two performers. The two near falls with Cena kicking out of a Skull Crushing Finale, before Miz escaped after an Attitude Adjustment, felt even sweeter because of the stature of the contest and by the end of the match it had become something much more than I think many people were expecting. After being caught going for a middle rope Skull Crushing Finale, Miz seemed to be crushed following the loss and sold that loss wonderfully on the ramp with some delightful facial expression with some great direction on the camera positioning helping to sell the moment as well.

The match came about from the show's first segment with The Miz interrupting Cena's opening monologue. Both bought energy to the segment that was aided by the San Jose crowd being well up for joining in, with a mixed reaction for both men, that gave the segment a real off-kilter type feel. It seems like WWE is putting some real effort into building the importance of the Elimination Chamber and showing how much it means to those who are taking part, with Cena spending a good deal of time putting over his desire to get a shot at the Universal Championship, even going as far as to say that he might not compete at the event if he doesn't win. There was also a thinly veiled reference to The Undertaker, which knowing Cena was slotted into the promo to add fuel to the rumour fire that the two are set to finally square off at the Grandest Stage of Them All this year. Miz brought the passion that's made him one of the most popular acts in the company to his promo, claiming he stacked up better than Cena against Brock Lesnar, before Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel attacked Cena and Kurt Angle made a match between the pair official.

Bayley def. Sasha Banks // Pinfall

This week's biggest women's segment featured Sasha Banks still looking for her first singles win since the end of October as she fell to Bayley after a mid-rope Bayley to Belly at the conclusion to a stellar contest. The first two thirds of the bout were particularly strong, beginning with some of the best back and forth chain wrestling that I've seen in WWE's women's division in quite some time, pushing the idea that the pair were best friends and this was a mere athletic exercise. Gone was the sloppy Bayley we saw against Asuka last week and in her place was the motivated Bayley of old, trading holds at pace with the Legit Boss. The bouts second act developed on this as Banks began to heel up just a little bit, showing hints of her criticically acclaimed NXT badass bitch character as she targeted Bayley's injured shoulder by wringing it across the top rope. There was great moment with Bayley escaping Banks' signature double knees in the corner, only to catch Banks on the injured shoulder and allow her friend to take control once again. Unfortunately, this was undone a little bit later in the match, when Bayley hit a stunner through the ropes using the injured shoulder, which she then didn't sell. As the tension built after the match, Nia Jax would wipe out both women, hitting a pair of Samoan drops, before revealing to Charly Caruso that this was meant as a message for Asuka (who would receive a "by the numbers" hype package later in the show) 

Roman Reigns def. Sheamus // Pinfall 

After I'd been dissapointed with Roman Reigns' reigniting his feud with Bray Wyatt for a singles match last week, the Big Dog revisiting his 2015/16 feud with Sheamus was a much more fruitful affair with the two putting on a wild contest that concluded with Reigns getting the pin with a spear that caught the RAW Tag Team Champion coming off the top rope. After a hectic opening, that included a rolling fireman's carry slam on the floor from Shamo, the match did lose its way slightly after the Celtic Warrior was in control, with the crowd drifting and beginning to chant "Rusev Day" ("We're so random" someone probably said to their mate), with Reigns locked in a weardown, but the pair soon recovered for a series of top-drawer near falls and momentum shifting sequences that had the crowd eating out of the palm of their hands. The two best examples of these were Reigns hitting a Superman Punch with perfect timing as Sheamus attempted a Brogue Kick and the Irishmen getting two convincing near falls one of another, first off a roll-up from a Cesaro distraction and then with a nasty knee strikes straight after. The finish continued the theme with some exciting back and forth, with Reigns fighting off Cesaro, Sheamus sent into the ringpost, before blocking a Drive-by with a clothesline that sent Reigns onto the apron, before Reigns hit a massive spear after Shamo attempted a dive off the top rope. 

Braun Strowman hit Elias with a double bass 

HOLY SHIT, BRAUN STROWMAN HIT ELIAS WITH A FUCKING DOUBLE BASS! A DOUBLE BASS! A. DOUBLE. BASS. This segment was fantastic and probably the best thing on a show packed with good TV matches. Both men were on real form with Elias introducing us to the Elimination Chamber Blues song, ripping on his opponents on 22nd February with a number of entertaining lines, whilst receiving a hell of a reaction from San Jose, moments after calling the city a shithole. The reveal that Strowman was sitting on the ramp, complete with introduction from JoJo, was utterly brilliant and then got even better when the Monster Amongst Men pulled out his instrument and then somehow Braun can actually sing. The whole segment was a series of "What the fuck is going on?" moments in the absolute best way, topped off by Strowman hitting Elias with a double bass. The tease that this would happen earlier on as Strowman left the instrument outside of the ring as he beat down the Drifter added to moment when it finally happened and got a monster reaction from San Jose. Both these men have developed into stars over the last twelve months and this may have been the best thing either has done to date.

Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville def. Mickie James & Alexa Bliss // Pinfall

A short and solid match saw Absolution's Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville get back to winning ways against Mickie James and RAW Women's Champion Alexa Bliss with a little help from their manager, Paige. We got to see some brief tandem offence from James & Bliss, after the RAW Women's Champion had attempted to reconcile the pair's differences in a backstage segment (Side note: Please stop using the phrase "biscuit butt"). However, the majority of the match was Rose & Deville working over James, as any potential hot tag from Bliss was cut off as the finish. It meant the match ended up feeling a little incomplete, but was actually done rather well, with Paige distracting Bliss on the apron just as James was readying for the tag, before Deville completed the job by pulling Alexa off the apron. Rose's Bed of Roses finish looks like it could still do some work or perhaps it's just James that can't take the move, but apart from that there was nothing to moan about here. Bliss would save James from another Absolution attack post-match, so it looks their storyline is going to continue until at least Elimination Chamber, therefore it will be interesting to see if WWE is deciding to turn Bliss babyface heading into WrestleMania.

Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder def. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson // Pinfall

Whilst the booking of the feud has been counter-productive, The Revival's victory over Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson was a fun tag encounter that appeared to cap of the rivalry between the two groups. After being called "nerds" in a pre-match promo, Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder kicked off the match by attacking Gallows & Anderson on the ramp, giving the match some nice energy from before the bell even rang. This was followed up some lovely tag work from Dawson & Wilder as they target Gallows' knee, pulling down his knee pad and rolling up his tights and working a number of holds on the area. Anderson's hot tag has become a strong part of the Balor Club's babyface act and this week saw probably the best example of that, as after Gallows had limped to the corner, Anderson came flying out the gate with a series of strikes, including a tasty looking running knee in the corner. Eventually, Anderson was left fighting alone against The Revival in an energetic sequence which saw him eventually succumb to the numbers gave as he walked straight into a Shatter Machine to take the loss. I'm interested to see what The Revival do going forward, as with the RAW Tag Team belts currently around the waist of fellow heels Cesaro & Sheamus, the tag team division on the red brand feels like it's in a state of flux right now.

Also this week

- Ivory was announced as being apart of 2018 Hall of Fame class, seemingly because of her relationship with GLOW.

- The spotlight moment was AJ Styles winning the WWE Championship from Dean Ambrose at Backlash 2016.

- Alexa Bliss and Titus O'Neil discussed the Freedom Rides as part of Black History Month. 

ATPW Scale Rating // 6.30 out of 10

Written by James Marston // @IAmNotAlanDale