7 mistakes WWE made on Raw this week (18 February 2019)
The Raw after the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view was not mind-blowing at all, and what can really be said about an episode of Raw after a pay-per-view that has not been said before? Every episode just feels the same.
Maybe it's the fact that WWE has implemented the same booking methods they do every single time when it comes to structuring these shows, and the thing is WWE has all the tools to make Raw a show that stands levels above any other wrestling show out there.
But WWE has become lazy with their booking; there is no creativity anymore, there is no surprising aspect to any of Raw's episodes, everything we see on a three-hour episode of Raw is something we have seen before.
And look at this week's episode of Raw, it was a broadcast that had all the creative freedom to be a thoroughly entertaining show, as WWE called up four of the most popular NXT wrestlers right now to turn up the heat on Raw, but due to a dull crowd, it was a failure. The question the head honchos at WWE need to ask themselves is why was the crowd so unenthusiastic.
Well, that question can be easily answered if you take all the factors affecting the show and sum it up into one answer, that answer would be the WWE Universe not expecting much from WWE anymore, and who could blame them? The company gives us the same matches, angles, and story beats every single week. It has become embedded in wrestling culture to not expect much from WWE and Raw in general.
While this may sound like a rant, it is not. It is just the truth. As fans, we always hope things could get better, and they do. With all that said, let us now go through some of the key mistakes WWE made on Raw this week.
#7 A Throwback To The Old Era
The biggest complaint fans had with the "old era" of Raw was the fact that every single episode started with an Authority figure coming out to the ring, giving fans a rundown of what is going to happen throughout the show, take out their frustrations on a superstar that would defy them and set up the opening match in predictable fashion.
Last night on Raw, Triple H did all three of those things, as he came down to the ring to recap the events of the Elimination Chamber, spoke about Becky Lynch's actions and set up Braun Strowman vs Baron Corbin.
It may seem like a petty thing to point out, but why can't Raw start with a match or a segment between the hottest superstars on the roster? Those things will at least get the show off to a hot start.
Instead, the creative team took the easiest route possible and set the bland tone for the show which the crowd decided to emulate the entire night. We need exhilarating opening segments to open Raw that get the crowd on their feet and fans all over the WWE Universe excited to sit through three hours of wrestling.