WWE Raw review (Jan. 1): 3 takeaways

The first Monday Night RAW of 2018 is in the books. Here is a recap of the events that took place in Miami, plus what we learned.

The first episode of Monday Night RAW in the year 2018 is done and dusted. RAW emanated from the city of Miami, Florida, as American Airlines Arena played host to the latest edition of WWE’s flagship program. With the Royal Rumble just a few weeks away, tensions were high, and excitement was in the air. It’s WrestleMania season now, after all. Everything from here is going to be a bit more special. You could sense that things felt different on Monday, and there was a lot to like. And maybe some things not to like, too.

Here are a few noteworthy items:

• The women, for the most part, took a backseat. This was a little disappointing. Although Alexa Bliss faced Asuka (we’ll get to that shortly) nothing else of note really happened. Bayley, Paige and Sasha Banks all cut pre-taped promos, announcing that they’d be entering the Rumble. The job was done well. It definitely would’ve been nice to see more women’s in-ring competition, though.
• Asuka defeated Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss. This was a surprise. Asuka submitted Miss Bliss and picked up yet another victory. The Empress of Tomorrow looked like the woman to beat now. By the way, this was Alexa’s first TV match since October 30. Her sudden fall from grace has been stunning. I honestly cannot imagine the reaction if Bayley or Sasha Banks were champion, and they became such an afterthought. That no one is talking about Alexa’s usage (or lack thereof) is mind-boggling. Her booking before the recent drought might have something to do with it. But let’s play the game fairly, shall we?
• Braun Strowman wrecked shop and bulldozed Rhyno and Heath Slater. This was fun and good usage of Braun. More, please.
• The Club became a thing again. This time with Finn Bálor. Pretty cool moment. Thought that Anderson and Gallows would attack him, but instead, they prevailed. I’ve gotten the sense that this is leading to a Finn-Miz feud. Now that Gallows and Anderson are linking up with Finn, I’m starting to wonder if that’s indeed going to happen. The moment was… too sweet, if you will.

And now, here’s what we learned.

Jason Jordan’s eagerness nearly cost him

WWE seems to be telling a pretty good story revolving around Jason Jordan. His ambitiousness and eagerness seem to constantly be getting him in treacherous situations. That was no different at the start of 2018, where Jordan challenged Cesaro to a match. He used the phrase “refurbished mouth,” which was a great insult if we’re being honest, and that drew the ire of Cesaro.

This brought Seth Rollins out. Rollins, the other half of the RAW Tag Team Champions, had to tell Jordan that he shouldn’t do these things. He told him he got too big for his britches, basically, and it nearly cost him. Jordan was struck from behind and then engaged Cesaro in a match.

To his credit, Jordan emerged victoriously. But it was close. It was damn close. Jason’s ego is at the center of this story. It was displayed there, and it was displayed last week, too. No more than when he told Rollins he’d be a better tag team partner than Dean Ambrose. And hey, he did win the match, so he has that leg to stand on. But it was a close call in Miami. And maybe one he’ll learn his lesson from. Maybe… but likely not.