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Alright, let’s get into it. You’re a very nice person - maybe a curious party, maybe a relative who found out their cousin or what have you is trying to be a writer, maybe a coworker of my wife’s who has been put into a wrestling video game without prior consent. You’re trying to get into wrestling because that’s what I write about and it seems interesting, but you haven’t watched since Hulk Hogan fought Jake the Snake, or maybe when The Rock and Stone Cold ruled RAW. Or maybe you’ve never watched at all, who’s to say? This is going to be a little series I’ll try to put together where I sum up the regulars on each show, why they’re fighting, and what they’re fighting over.
Image Credit WWE (I’m trying to get better at tagging images because you gotta)
WWE Monday Night RAW - An Introduction
Monday Night Raw is the longest of the weekly wrestling shows, WWE’s flagship three hour sports entertainment extravaganza, airing from 6-9 MST. It’s loosely connected to WWE’s Friday Night SmackDown!; there is a “brand split”, meaning wrestlers from RAW don’t go on SmackDown and vice versa, but it’s rarely enforced. WWE also has a two hour show on Tuesday nights called NXT 2.0, which is kind of a mix between a developmental program and a regular wrestling show.
Was that too much at once? I never know when I’m overdoing it. Basically, RAW is the show you probably watched back in the 90s, when Stone Cold was undermining Mr. McMahon at every turn, and Mankind and The Rock were teaming up to win tag team gold.
Most wrestling shows are built around the same framework. It’s kind of a variety show, with some comedic segments, some wrestling matches, and a lot of talking to set up future matches and to build up rivalries between matches. And, yes, like all pro wrestling, it’s mostly scripted. But it’s scripted in the way an improv show is - there are talking points the wrestlers (or superstars, as WWE calls them) have to hit, but for the most part they make up their promos and matches. And while the results are predetermined, the matches are called on the fly, or planned out in advance depending on the performers involved. Regardless of the setup, they are putting themselves in real danger every night, and there’s a level of trust between all wrestlers because one is literally putting one’s life in another person’s hands during some wrestling moves.
The Performers and Rivalries - Who are these dudes and why are they so mad?
This is probably one of the toughest parts to just jumping into a wrestling show. There’s a lot of storylines, some that have been going on for months. It’s like going into my grandma’s house while she and my aunts were watching telenovelas - there’s no way to know what’s going on and if you ask while the show is on you’re likely to get a chancla whipped at you.
But I don’t wear chanclas, and I want you to know what’s going on! To start off right, let me tell you my wife’s best contribution to the wrestling discourse.
Mo Good’s Four Reasons For Every Wrestling Rivalry:
I don’t like you and I want to fight you
I misunderstood something and want to fight you; later, we will come to an understanding.
Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!
I WANT THAT CUMMERBUN!
That being said, here are the rivalries we’ve been following as of last week’s RAW:
Finn Balor, Rhea Ripley, and Damian Priest form the Judgment Day (Image Credit WWE)
Dominik Mysterio, Edge, and Rey Mysterio (Image Credit WWE)
The Judgment Day (Finn Balor, Damian Priest, and Rhea Ripley) versus Edge and the Mysterios - Rivalry Reasons 1 and 3
The Judgment Day is a stable – a group of like-minded wrestlers -- put together by Edge a few months back. Edge is a Legend, which is how WWE refers to any of their older, notable Superstars after they retire (no wrestler ever REALLY retires, it seems). He’s been wrestling for around thirty years, and has gone from being a vampire to a violent tag team specialist to the “Rated R Superstar”. Now he’s just a cool older wrestler, but back in May of this year Edge decided he would assemble a group of younger, underutilized performers and give them EVIL GUIDANCE, and the Judgment Day was born. He, Damien Priest, and Rhea Ripley beat up some folks and recruited others, and when Irish superstar Finn Balor was accepted into the group they seemed to be going somewhere. Then Finn took over the group a day after joining, they beat up Edge and kicked him out, he was off TV for a bit, and recently he returned as a good guy (or face, as opposed to a bad guy, or heel) to destroy the group he created.
One of the teams the Judgment Day has picked on is the father/son team of Rey and Dominik Mysterio. Rey is probably the most famous masked wrestler America has ever seen, and he’s been doing it for so long that he’s had time to raise his son and bring him into the WWE as his tag team partner. They actually became the first father/son team to win the WWE Tag Team Championships, which is nice! What’s less nice is that the Judgment day, Rhea Ripley in particular, seems to really enjoy beating up the Mysterios. Finn has hinted that maybe Rey isn’t a great dad, and Dominik should join up with the Judgment Day. Rhea focuses her attacks on Dominik despite WWE frowning upon intergender violence these days. During one attack recently, Edge made his dramatic return to help the Mysterious out and now the teams have been battling ever since.
Theory with his Money in the Bank briefcase (Image Credit WWE)
Dolph Ziggler (Image Credit WWE)
Theory versus Dolph Ziggler - Rivalry Reason 1
Theory is a newer addition to the WWE roster. A young talent that was handpicked by Vince McMahon before real life took him out of the picture, Theory holds the Money in the Bank briefcase and with it, an unconditional shot at either of the WWE Championships whenever he chooses to use it. There is a women’s and men’s briefcase, both of which are awarded in a ladder match at the Money in the Bank branded premium live event (WWE’s new name for pay-per-views). Liv Morgan won the women’s case and cashed it in later that same show, defeating an injured Ronda Rousey immediately after Rousey defended her championship. Seems like a bad guy move, but Liv is portrayed as an underdog and a babyface so we just kinda go with it.
Anyway, Theory (formerly Austin Theory, but WWE had a period where they dropped a lot of wrestlers’ first names) is a jerk. A young, brash, overconfident heel. Dolph Ziggler is a WWE veteran, wrestling in the company’s developmental promotions back in 2004. He’s often used as a “gatekeeper” for WWE, as he’s incredibly good at making his opponents look tough by “selling for them”, or reacting well to their attacks. Ziggler has taken offense to Theory’s attitude and general douchery, and so they must fight.
Ciampa with The Miz (Image Credit WWE)
Bobby Lashley, celebrating a victory over fellow good guy A.J. Styles (Image Credit WWE)
Ciampa versus WWE United States Champion Bobby Lashley - Rivalry Reason 4
These are pretty easy to figure out. Bobby Lashley, a mountain of a man who has been a good guy lately and is really excelling in that role, has held the WWE US Championship since July, when he won it from Theory in a weird rivalry involving lots of posing and baby oil. When you’re the champ, people want to fight you, and Bobby is currently involved with Ciampa.
As for the United States Championship, think of it as kind of a B-tier belt. It’s not as important as the WWE World Heavyweight Championship (normally defended on SmackDown) or the WWE Universal Championship (defended on RAW), but it’s defended more often, usually on free TV as well as premium live events.
Ciampa (formerly Tomasso Ciampa) had been an integral part of NXT for years, a multi-time champ and a mainstay with that brand. When they overhauled to NXT 2.0, Tomasso was pushed aside for brighter colors and sillier characters. Fortunately, he was able to move onto the main WWE roster as an ally to The Miz, one of WWE’s premier veteran bad guys. Ciampa is small, wiry, tough as nails, and looks like he would eat raw meat while never breaking eye contact with you just to gauge your reaction. This is more of a rivalry over the belt than one of passion, although Miz’s involvement seems to be waning and maybe Ciampa will be moving on and turning into a good guy soon. You’d be surprised how often good guys turn heel, or babyfaces turn bad.
Kevin Owens appears pretty worked up! (Image Credit WWE)
Ezekiel, mid match (Image Credit WWE)
Kevin Owens versus Ezekiel - Rivalry Reason 1
This one is kinda out there. Kevin Owens is a bad guy, recently reintroducing himself as the tougher, angrier, more aggressive persona he’s had in the past. He has been locked in a rivalry with Ezekiel for months, and it all stems from the assumption Owens has made that Ezekiel is a liar.
Ezekiel made his WWE debut a few months ago, the day after WrestleMania. The RAW after ‘Mania is considered one of the biggest shows of the year, as new and returning superstars often debut, new storylines begin, and the WWE generally gets a bit of a refresh. A fresh faced, clean shaven good guy, Ezekiel was billed as the younger brother of Elias, a wrestler who hadn’t been on TV for months. In actuality, Elias shaved and changed his wrestling gear. But we all just kind of went along with the bit. Except KO didn’t - in fact, Owens (or KO) immediately questioned what was happening. Other performers went along with the change, but Owens was driven mad by his insistence that Ezekiel and Elias were the same person. In lesser hands, it might not have worked. Owens is an incredibly talented worker on the microphone and in the ring, and he really did his best to make this silly feud work as long as it did. We’ll see how much longer it goes now that it’s been rekindled.
Seth Rollins, lookin’ stylish as ever (Image Credit WWE)
Riddle, wearing one of those subtle shirts WWE loves (Image Credit WWE)
Riddle versus Seth Rollins - Rivalry Reason 1
Riddle is a former MMA fighter turned WWE wrestler, a free spirited goofball who makes a lot of not too subtle weed references. Until recently, he was one half of a tag team with Randy Orton, a cruel veteran wrestler whose heart was warmed by Riddle’s insistence that he and “Raaaannndeeeee” would make a great team. Orton turned face, took Riddle under his wing, and the two won tag team gold and were happy.
Seth Rollins is one of the best performers on RAW, a great bad guy with an evil cackle and a messiah complex who is convinced of his own superiority. He walks to the ring in garish outfits, gleefully laughing and prancing like a madman. Once he’s in the ring, though, Seth is all business. He’s brutal, efficient, and often victorious. He recently had a three match series with returning superstar Cody Rhodes that culminated in an amazing Hell in a Cell match that Rhodes won despite wrestling with a torn pectoral muscle. Rollins takes credit for Randy Orton’s absence, and that’s reason enough for him and Riddle to fight.
Iyo Sky, Dakota Kai, and Bayley celebrate Kai’s win on Raw (Image Credit WWE)
Bianca Belair during her SummerSlam match with Becky Lynch (Image Credit WWE)
Bayley versus WWE Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair - Rivalry Reason 4
Bayley had been missing from WWE TV for over a year, returning to action to threaten Bianca after Bianca’s title defense at SummerSlam last month. The WWE’s embodiment of a Karen, Bayley is a talented wrestler who has held several championships. She’s also a jerk! She returned with a newly formed group of bad guys, former NXT stars Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai. The trio haven’t gotten a name yet, but they’ve made their presence known by interfering in matches and intimidating their opponents.
Bianca Belair has been the Raw Women’s Champ since WrestleMania, and it’s her second title reign. She is an incredible presence in the ring - charismatic, funny, smart, and incredibly powerful. You’ll see her regularly lifting women twice her size over her head and tossing them around. She radiates friendliness and personality, and she’s deserving of everything she’s gotten in WWE. She’s also been known to use that long braid she has as a weapon, and it’s also been used against her from time to time. The “EST of WWE” because she’s the smartest, the fastest, the strongest, etc., Bianca is a great performer and champ, and that’s enough to make Bayley want to take everything she’s got.
Drew McIntyre (Image Credit WWE)
Roman Reigns with his “special counsel” Paul Heyman (Image Credit WWE)
Drew McIntyre versus WWE Heavyweight Champion AND WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns - Rivalry Reason 4
Drew is primarily a SmackDown guy, as is Roman. But we should at least mention them because Roman Reigns happens to hold both major men’s championships in WWE. As the “Tribal Chief”, Roman represents a multigenerational family of WWE wrestlers, one that includes the Wild Samoans, The Usos, Rikishi, and The Rock. He’s also held both titles for months, and has held the SmackDown title for over a year now. He wins via intimidation, and usually with help from his cousins, The Usos, who also hold both the Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Championships. They call themselves The Bloodline, and despite holding much of the championship gold, Reigns doesn’t really work full time anymore. He’s survived leukemia and also has worked with WWE for years as a top talent, and that means he’s got enough clout to work a reduced schedule if he so desires. We’ll get more into this rivalry when I write about SmackDown, but I figured I’d say something about it so you’d know why the WWE Universal Championship isn’t defended on Raw.
(Image Credit WWE)
Women’s Tag Team Championships
We’re also in the middle of a tournament for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships, which have been vacant ever since former champions Sasha Banks and Naomi left the belts on a WWE official’s desk and walked out of the company. They were simply not mentioned for months, until Vince McMahon was unceremoniously forced out of the company and his son–in-law, former WWE wrestler Triple H, took over. Triple H had been working as a booker, or showrunner, for the NXT brand until heart surgery forced him to step away for a while. Since Vince’s departure, Trips has been promoted to head of talent relations as well as head of creative, meaning he’s basically in charge of who works in WWE and what they do. He’s a big proponent for women’s wrestling and one of his first moves after getting creative control was to put together this tag team championship. While not exclusively built on rivalries, it’s a way to get a lot of women on TV for every show, and that’s never a bad thing.
Iyo Sky and Dakota won their first round match, they being the new bad guys on Raw we spoke about earlier. Alexa Bliss and Asuka are two of the better women on the WWE Roster, Asuka being a veteran in both Japanese and American rings and Bliss being a career WWE star. Raquel and Aaliyah are both pretty new to Raw, with Raquel in particular being a massive powerhouse. And in that last slot in the image, the team of Toxic Attraction (Gigi and Jacy) replaced Nikkita Lyons and Zoey Stark of NXT after Zoey was injured, and Toxic Attraction has moved into the next round. They are a pair of bad guys from NXT who held the women’s titles on that show for a good, long run.
So that’s it! Hopefully you get a chance to read this before Monday Night Raw airs on USA tonight, and maybe it’ll help you understand the madness that is pro wrestling. Feel free to hit me up with any questions you might have in the comments, or on Twitter! I tend to tweet along with most of the wrestling I watch, and if you have questions during the show you’re welcome slash encouraged to hit me up!
I’ll also post on Twitter and on Facebook when I update, but I probably have a busy week ahead of me with basement tile FINALLY having arrived and my paying gig generally being a Monday-Friday thing. I was just feeling inspired while my wife continued her binge of the show Alone, so I started writing and here we are. Have a great week, everybody!