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WWE Monday Night Raw: Finally, The Rock comes back

ByGlenn Moore|

The WWE got it right with the return of The Rock and Dean Ambrose’s continued rise

It was an unbelievable night for WWE Monday Night Raw as a legend returned and Dean Ambrose continues to steal the show.

We finally figured out what the main event of Hell in a Cell will be in three weeks. And we actually got some progress on a few feuds.

Roman Reigns came on to talk about his injury. He said ‘um’ a lot and there were some awkward pauses, like he was waiting for the cue cards to change. It last forty seconds. That’s the future of the WWE? Yikes.

But the highlight of the night was the return of The Rock. There are a few moments in WWE history that makes me literally jump out of my seat and last night was one of them.

Here are my takeaways from last night’s Monday Night Raw:

1. The Great One returns

Nothing that the WWE has done in the last few months can beat this. We knew The Rock was already in the area for business but no way we expected to see him on WWE television.

While Rusev is not a main event talent (yet), it was the perfect opportunity for The Rock to come out and be just as effective as he would if John Cena was in the ring.

Why? Well, he’s defending America. Rusev doesn’t have to talk that much for the segment to be epic. And finally, The Rock can beat Rusev out of the ring and you don’t make Rusev look weak and lose the momentum he’s been building for months.

Now, will The Rock take on Rusev in a match sometime? Probably not. But the segment did it’s job. Rusev needs a title belt on him soon. Maybe the United States Championship. In a few months, he’s going to be ready for main event status.

The WWE sees that too, judging from last night.

After John Cena appears on “Today,” hosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb pay a visit to Raw and party with Adam Rose and his Rosebuds. (WWE.com)

2. The ugly side of Raw

While there are a few moments that shocks me and makes me “mark” out (see The Rock), there are moments in WWE programming that makes me want to turn the TV off.

Last night, I had a high and a really bad low.

That low was Kathie Lee and Hoda appearance’s on Raw. So bad. And I almost gave up on this week’s episode. If I would have turned the channel, I would have missed The Rock’s return. You are sneaky, WWE

I don’t even want to recap what happened. But I get it. Cross-promotion. Kathy Lee and Hoda get to come out, get a few cheap pops that stopped that booing for a few seconds and shill some wine.

But what is the point? Viewers who watch their show are not watching WWE Monday Night Raw. And WWE fans will not be tuning into Kathie Lee and Hoda’s show. Unless I’m wrong about middle-aged housewives who love wine also love watching a wrestling show at 11 p.m. Monday nights.

The point is it was worthless. The whole point was for them to bring awareness to breast cancer and they only mentioned that once. Plus, Kathie Lee blasted wrestlers in her 1992 book.

No more, please WWE. Stick with actors. Or even country music artists. This was so bad, I wanted Florida Georgia Line to come out. And that is saying something.

3. Dean Ambrose continues to shine

The WWE is not dropping the ball with Dean Ambrose. Each week, he seems to top what he did in the previous show and make magical Raw moments. Last night was no exception.

Ambrose returned from Coney Island, wheeling a hot dog cart down to the ring. It wasn’t a milk or beer truck, but it was just as hilarious. And he brought all the condiments.

Triple H’s announcement of Ambrose vs. Cena makes sense, with the winner taking on Seth Rollins in a cell later that night. Rollins seems to escape severe punishment each week and pitting him in a cell forces a match to happen.

Only question is, who will face him? My money is on Cena. Any reason to have Cena wrestle twice in the same night, WWE will jump all over that.

3. Still no Brock Lesnar

Where, oh where, is Brock Lesnar? The WWE World Heavyweight Champion still hasn’t made an appearance since retaining his belt against Cena at Night of Champions.

And with last night’s announcement of the main event at Hell in a Cell, it seems like he won’t be defending his title in a few weeks.

This is ridiculous.

Back in the days before Monday Night Raw, the champion wouldn’t make every show. I get that. But for him to miss a pay-per-view (and possibly more), is going against any reason for a fan to buy the WWE Network (which is only $9.99).

The champion should defend his title at every pay-per-view. No questions asked. I don’t care if you don’t have a feud built up. Throw some guy to the wolves and have Lesnar beat him quickly. There, the title is defended and Lesnar continues to look like a monster.

Maybe something will be announced in the coming weeks before Hell in a Cell, but I won’t hold my breath. If you are going to have Lesnar show up once a month, take the title off him. Because with him having it, I’m losing interest.

After his confrontation earlier in the night with teammate Dean Ambrose, John Cena must face The Authority alone in a Handicap Match. (WWE.com)

4. Poor Kane and Randy Orton

These two guys have been in the WWE for a long time. Each have held championships and are respected. But they continue to be used as henchmen instead of building a feud that is on their level.

Having them do Rollins’ dirty work makes them irrelevant and something needs to change. Problem is, what would Orton and Kane do? Who would they feud with?

I would like to see Orton vs. Rollins before the Royal Rumble. They would have a great match and you could still keep Orton heel and it would go over just as well with great spots and moves.

5. Post-Raw note: Edge and Christian rule

If you missed Edge and Christian recapping some of the best highlights of Smackdown in the last 15 years, you missed some of the greatest comedy in recent WWE history.

The pair have been known for their antics and even though it’s been years since they have been together, they didn’t miss a beat.

They poked fun at themselves, other wrestlers and some of the moments that happened on Smackdown.

The WWE needs to give them their own show. Well done, Edge and Christian.

Moore Thoughts: Love the Miz-Sheamus program…poor Tyson Kidd; any amazing wrestlers being lowered to wearing headphones in the ring…Cesaro and Ziggler have me excited for their feud…more respective tag teams, please…no more animal costumes.

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