By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Raw Hits
Gunther vs. Sami Zayn for the World Heavyweight Championship: Another great match from Gunther and Zayn. The live crowd clearly didn’t think this was going to be Zayn’s night going into the match based on how quiet they were early on, but it was impressive to see the way the wrestlers were able to make the fans believe as the match went on. Gunther going over clean was the right call. Zayn is now a man without a program. Is that by design because he will be taking part in an OG Bloodline reunion at WarGames?
CM Punk promo: Punk did a terrific job of selling the toll that the Hell in a Cell match took on his body. That’s how it’s done. When you’re trying to rebuild Hell in a Cell, it’s just as important to sell the effects of the match afterward as it is to talk in advance about how violent the match will be. Punk, Drew McIntyre, and the creative team deserve a lot of credit for the work they’ve done to make HIAC feel like the ultimate blowoff match. Seth Rollins coming out and going face-to-face with Punk on the stage was a nice reminder of their friction, and I was surprised by the tense moment that Rollins and Jey Uso ended up having in the ring.
Sheamus vs. Pete Dunne in a Good Ol’ Fashioned Donnybrook match: Both wrestlers worked really hard and worked a stiff style. This was my least favorite of the three Donnybrook matches, but it was still an enjoyable brawl.
Jey Uso vs. Xavier Woods for the Intercontinental Title: A quicker than expected win for Uso. This match wasn’t about showing that Woods could hang with Jey, it was about adding to the frustration of the Woods character. The post match angle with Bron Breakker attacking Uso only to have Woods try to stop Kingston from making the save was nicely done. Was Breakker acting like a babyface last week meant to be a swerve or did they make a quick change of plans? It will be interesting to see what makes Woods snap or get back on the same page with Kingston just in time for the New Day tenth anniversary next month.
WWE Raw Misses
Lyra Valkyria, Kayden Carter, Katana Chance, Natalya, and Zelina Vega vs. Sonya Deville, Shayna Baszler, Zoey Stark, Alba Fyre, and Isla Dawn: It felt like the creative forces wanted to fill a quota by having a women’s match on the show and couldn’t be bothered to actually come up with something better than a meaningless ten-woman tag match.
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