{"id":10785,"date":"2016-07-26T13:45:30","date_gmt":"2016-07-26T18:45:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/prowrestling.net\/site\/?p=10785"},"modified":"2016-07-26T13:36:15","modified_gmt":"2016-07-26T18:36:15","slug":"pruetts-pause-wwe-raw-wwe-makes-a-statement-turning-sasha-banks-and-finn-balor-into-instant-top-stars-on-one-of-the-best-raw-episodes-of-all-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prowrestling.net\/site\/2016\/07\/26\/pruetts-pause-wwe-raw-wwe-makes-a-statement-turning-sasha-banks-and-finn-balor-into-instant-top-stars-on-one-of-the-best-raw-episodes-of-all-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Pruett&#8217;s Pause: WWE Raw &#8211; WWE makes a statement turning Sasha Banks and Finn B\u00e1lor into instant top stars on one of the best Raw episodes of all time"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"prowr-3409260839\" class=\"prowr-apple-podcast-button-link prowr-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/pro-wrestling-boom-podcast\/id1365989370\" aria-label=\"SUBSCRIBE IN APPLE PODCASTS\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/prowrestling.net\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/advanced_ads\/2019\/07\/Logo2019_ApplePodcasts_320wide.png?fit=320%2C78&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"SUBSCRIBE IN APPLE PODCASTS\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/prowrestling.net\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/advanced_ads\/2019\/07\/Logo2019_ApplePodcasts_320wide.png?w=320&ssl=1 320w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/prowrestling.net\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/advanced_ads\/2019\/07\/Logo2019_ApplePodcasts_320wide.png?resize=300%2C73&ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" width=\"320\" height=\"78\"   \/><\/a><\/div><p><b><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10647 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/prowrestling.net\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2016\/07\/newrawlogo1.jpg?resize=299%2C168\" alt=\"newrawlogo1\" width=\"299\" height=\"168\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/prowrestling.net\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2016\/07\/newrawlogo1.jpg?w=299&amp;ssl=1 299w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/prowrestling.net\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2016\/07\/newrawlogo1.jpg?resize=139%2C78&amp;ssl=1 139w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 299px) 100vw, 299px\" \/>By Will Pruett<\/b><\/p>\n<p><i>Full disclosure: To retain his sanity, Will Pruett watches the 90 minute edit of Raw on Hulu. He has no regrets.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>I have to admit something to all of you. I am prone to hyperbole. I know this doesn\u2019t come as a shock to anyone used to reading my content at <a href=\"http:\/\/prowrestling.net\">Prowrestling.net<\/a> for the last five years, but some of you may be new. I overstate some things to make my point stronger or to make a solid joke. This is not a circumstance of me doing this. I can honestly say Monday\u2019s Raw episode belongs in the top five Raw episodes of all time.<\/p>\n<p>It was not just a compelling TV show. It was a special show where WWE set out to make a statement. It looked different than anything WWE was doing for the past ten years. It felt different from the standard WWE show. It was a major step forward for WWE\u2019s vision of professional wrestling.<\/p>\n<p>At the forefront of this major step forward were two stars: Sasha Banks and Finn B\u00e1lor. Sasha had been showcased on Raw for the past year, but with limited success. Fans seemed to want her when she wasn\u2019t around, but refused to rally behind her when she was. Sasha was stuck in an odd position. People were waiting to know WWE was behind her the way they were. On this show, WWE showed got behind Sasha in a major way.<\/p>\n<p>B\u00e1lor was in an even stranger position. He was brought into NXT for a \u201cshort stint\u201d that lasted multiple years. He was the centerpiece of the NXT roster as it moved from a regional developmental system to a national brand. Fans cried out for Finn to be called up and seemed disappointed time after time. Last Monday, Finn was a first round draft pick. On this night, Finn B\u00e1lor was made into a top three star on the Raw brand.<\/p>\n<p>Sasha\u2019s major victory over Charlotte to capture the WWE Women\u2019s Championship seemed to be about more than just making Sasha a star. WWE has payed lip-service to \u201cWomen\u2019s Wrestling\u201d for the last two years, but they haven\u2019t fully embraced it. While WrestleMania included a fantastic match and a giant step forward, the entire division has been depressing ever since.<\/p>\n<p>Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte was, for over 50% of WWE\u2019s audience, the first long WWE Women\u2019s Championship match they have ever seen. Most people watching WWE don\u2019t watch indie wrestling, NXT Takeover, or any of the other places one could seek out great women\u2019s wrestling. They don\u2019t even watch WWE Network. For these people, Sasha vs. Charlotte was a completely new and revolutionary moment in wrestling. For the rest of us, it was a culmination of everything we\u2019ve wanted for years.<\/p>\n<p>I completely understand and am willing to defend putting Sasha vs. Charlotte on TV this way. WWE needed to make a major statement. They did so. This match was the longest on this episode of Raw. It was presented as a major deal on Raw. It was a main event match and it was placed in one of the most-watched slots on the show. WWE set Sasha and Charlotte up to succeed and they did.<\/p>\n<p>Sasha\u2019s promo after her match marked the second time wrestling has made me cry in as many days. This was a beautiful moment.<\/p><div id=\"prowr-365013999\" class=\"prowr-content-4 prowr-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: prowrestling_incontent_2 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"prowrestling_incontent_2\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"prowrestling_incontent_2\", slotId: \"prowrestling_incontent_2\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Not only were stars made, but Raw itself changed in a major way. WWE rolled out a new set, a new song, a new logo, a new announce position, and a new feel for the show. Even the interview style changed, with wrestlers being asked about their matches directly before or directly after. It had the feel of a major competition with sideline reporters. It was nice.<\/p>\n<p>WWE set out to make a statement with this first episode of Raw post-brand split. Not every episode can be as great as this one, but this was the right time to display this level of greatness. I know I\u2019m already looking forward to WWE Raw next week.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n<p>The mini-tournament to crown the second contender for the WWE Universal Championship provided three delightful matches and one star-making turn. WWE introduced their largest audience (again, more than half of Raw viewers don\u2019t have the network and don\u2019t see NXT) to their hot new star in Finn B\u00e1lor. In the process, they gave us B\u00e1lor defeating Roman Reigns and earning his respect.<\/p>\n<p>When I talk about making statements, this turn with B\u00e1lor was just that. WWE wanted people to stand and take notice of what they could consider a centerpiece star.<\/p>\n<p>Finn B\u00e1lor had his best night of the last couple of years. I had grown bored of B\u00e1lor in NXT. His matches were formulaic and his character lacked dimension. More often than not, his main events have left me underwhelmed. B\u00e1lor often seemed to coast in NXT. On his first night on the main roster, Finn B\u00e1lor delivered his best WWE or NXT performance to date.<\/p>\n<p>WWE embraced B\u00e1lor\u2019s strengths, letting him fight from underneath in both of his matches, display his fantastic entrance in front of an arena receptive to him, and minimizing his \u201cscripted wrestling promo\u201d style speech. They allowed him to face adversity and overcome the way a babyface hero should.<\/p>\n<p>Just as WWE used Sasha Banks to show us what the new era of Raw would look like, they used B\u00e1lor. They catapulted him into Raw\u2019s biggest match at SummerSlam against Seth Rollins without a second thought.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; \u201cThe WWE Universal Championship\u201d name doesn\u2019t bother me at all. Brining in a second world title is a necessary step in this brand split. A floating world champion moving between brands causes major story disruption. WWE wouldn\u2019t be able to produce multi-month personal feuds for their biggest title anymore. They\u2019d be forced to bounce the champion back and forth. I know people are upset because the idea of a unified world champion is best to them, but it\u2019s not how WWE works or tells stories. It\u2019s not a realistic idea and everyone will be happier with two world titles.<\/p><div id=\"prowr-583088139\" class=\"prowr-content-5 prowr-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: prowrestling_incontent_3 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"prowrestling_incontent_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"prowrestling_incontent_3\", slotId: \"prowrestling_incontent_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>&#8211; I\u2019m happy to see the squash match return to Raw. With so many new and rising stars on the roster, fans deserve an opportunity to get to know them. I am especially glad to see unknown talent playing the victims of the squashes. For too long, WWE has reduced an entire tier of talent to jobber instead of bringing in a jobber tier.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Nia Jax\u2019s theme music is my jam.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Roman Reigns losing in the main event really helped Finn B\u00e1lor. Roman\u2019s performance in the match was admirable and his promo after the match displaying both disappointment over his loss and admiration for B\u00e1lor was well done. WWE has an interesting path set forth for Roman Reigns and, for the first time in a couple years, I want to watch it.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The New Day\u2019s celebration was pretty fun. I want to see them truly get serious about Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows now. This is where they need to stop joking and dancing in favor of getting angry. WWE doesn\u2019t have babyface do this enough and I\u2019m worried they won\u2019t here.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The Raw broadcast team of Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Byron Saxton had a fantastic first outing.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; This was as perfect of an episode of Raw as I can imagine. It had major surprising moments, new exciting stars, a focus on actual wrestling, and the prioritizing of a major title (well, two). WWE did a great job kicking off their new era and I can\u2019t wait to see where it goes.<\/p>\n<p><i>Got thoughts on this show or my review of it? Hit me up with them! Check <\/i><a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/itswilltime\"><i>the Twitter @itswilltime<\/i><\/a><i>, leave a comment,\u00a0or email me at itswilltime@gmail.com.<\/i><\/p>\n<div id=\"prowr-2210209132\" class=\"prowr-after-content prowr-entity-placement\"><a class=\"spreaker-player\" href=\"https:\/\/www.spreaker.com\/show\/pwboom\" data-resource=\"show_id=3275525\" data-theme=\"light\" data-playlist=\"show\" data-width=\"100%\" data-height=\"340px\">Listen to \"Pro Wrestling Boom Podcast\" on Spreaker.<\/a><script async src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/widgets.js\"><\/script><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Will Pruett Full disclosure:&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":10647,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[50,27,76],"tags":[185,47,104,54,205,101,370],"class_list":["post-10785","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mustreadarticles","category-viewpoints","category-willpruett","tag-charlotte","tag-finn-balor","tag-raw","tag-roman-reigns","tag-sasha-banks","tag-wwe","tag-wwe-raw"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Pruett&#039;s Pause: WWE Raw - WWE makes a statement turning Sasha Banks and Finn B\u00e1lor into instant top stars on one of the best Raw episodes of all time - Pro Wrestling Dot Net<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/prowrestling.net\/site\/2016\/07\/26\/pruetts-pause-wwe-raw-wwe-makes-a-statement-turning-sasha-banks-and-finn-balor-into-instant-top-stars-on-one-of-the-best-raw-episodes-of-all-time\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pruett&#039;s Pause: WWE Raw - WWE makes a statement turning Sasha Banks and Finn B\u00e1lor into instant top stars on one of the best Raw episodes of all time - Pro Wrestling Dot Net\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Will Pruett Full disclosure:...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/prowrestling.net\/site\/2016\/07\/26\/pruetts-pause-wwe-raw-wwe-makes-a-statement-turning-sasha-banks-and-finn-balor-into-instant-top-stars-on-one-of-the-best-raw-episodes-of-all-time\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Pro Wrestling Dot Net\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-07-26T18:45:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/prowrestling.net\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2016\/07\/newrawlogo1.jpg?fit=299%2C168&ssl=1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"299\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"168\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Will Pruett\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Will Pruett\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/prowrestling.net\\\/site\\\/2016\\\/07\\\/26\\\/pruetts-pause-wwe-raw-wwe-makes-a-statement-turning-sasha-banks-and-finn-balor-into-instant-top-stars-on-one-of-the-best-raw-episodes-of-all-time\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/prowrestling.net\\\/site\\\/2016\\\/07\\\/26\\\/pruetts-pause-wwe-raw-wwe-makes-a-statement-turning-sasha-banks-and-finn-balor-into-instant-top-stars-on-one-of-the-best-raw-episodes-of-all-time\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Will Pruett\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/prowrestling.net\\\/site\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/18b8715fbf4523811238ea1695047f37\"},\"headline\":\"Pruett&#8217;s Pause: WWE Raw &#8211; 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