Tuesday Raw Roundtable: Dean Ambrose Calls Out Lesnar, Thoughts on Daniel Bryan, Divas

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WWE had another new Raw on Monday, what did the Pulse Wrestling crew think of the show?

CB

Thank you Daniel Bryan, for the memories, the matches, your sense of humor, your humility, the moments, and for being such a genuine person.

Darren Paltrowitz

I had tickets to a live event and wound up watching from 10:30pm until the end of the broadcast. In turn I saw:

– The New Day cut a promo, with a smily Mark Henry, and then wrestle.

– The Dudley Boyz turn heel.

– Daniel Bryan give an excellent retirement speech.

Almost an hour of great TV, so I feel great about the direction of WWE.

When I watch the rest of the show on DVR tonight, I doubt I’ll still feel that way.

JT

1. It’s all about Daniel Bryan tonight, which doesn’t mean I have any interest in hearing Steph talk, even if it is about Bryan. Fast forward time.

2. Back to normal speed with Brock in the ring with Ambrose & Reigns for another pointless contract signing. And I’m immediately rewarded with Steph saying ‘Everybody knows who your name is Paul.’ FFS… Heyman rescues the segment as the crowd chants for Suplex City. The beast obliges and hits Roman with a table, then hits an F5 on Ambrose.

Check out my full 10 thoughts!

Penny Marie Sautereau

I put off watching it for hours. I kept hoping to read he’d pulled a Mark Henry. I didn’t want it to be real. Read all the rumours about WWE “forcing” him to do this and “frozen contracts” and all. Knew in my gut it was all bullshit, that he’d only retire if he couldn’t go anymore. Finally watched it arouund 3AM. Bawled my eyes out.

Brittney Soban

Fastlane Contract Signing: So this could’ve been bad and boring. Instead the crowd shouted down Stephanie McMahon with chants for Daniel Bryan, Stephanie essentially told Paul Heyman to shut up and Lesnar threw a table at Reigns before delivering the F-5 to Ambrose. A decent way to open Raw, in my opinion.

Kevin Owens v. Dolph Ziggler: A decent match giving both Owens a chance to power over Ziggler and Ziggler a chance to use his speed and actually show-off a little, as his nickname suggests. Ziggler picking up the win with an underhanded tactic didn’t automatically put him as a heel, just sneaky and determined to win. Owens’ tantrum after the match was well suited to his “out of control” character lately. Let’s see if this feud can keep going without a title belt for them to chase.

Charlotte v. Alicia Fox: A dead kind of match to me, didn’t see much out of either Diva here. There was no real reason to this match other than Charlotte winning going into the pay per view.

Miz TV/Highlight Reel: Having Jericho and the Miz face off (the arrogance of both) along with the tension between Styles & Jericho, as well as everyone’s tension with the Miz, worked well in this segment. Overall a fun segment. I like Styles’ strong, silent type action as things move forward. We’ll see how it goes but I’m hopeful that WWE doesn’t screw this up.

Ryback v. Bray Wyatt: Let’s face it, they want people to fear the Wyatts. The actual action wasn’t impressive but Wyatt is always good in terms of speaking. Seeing the Wyatt’s unified in their attack makes me think they are headed for a push as a group but we’ll see if it happens before the fans are bored with the group attacks and Wyatt’s rambling speeches.

Titus O’Neil v. Adam Rose: A pointless moment except for the laugh of Rose being the “Radical Mongoose”. I find both O’Neil and the Social Outcasts to be good in ring (at the very least decent) but they don’t offer a spark of interest for me. The group dynamic is entertaining, to a point.

Dean Ambrose Calls Out Lesnar: Okay, if you all don’t know by now, I’m an Ambrose girl. Time on screen for him is good in my book. Ambrose plays his unhinged role well while Lesnar plays a monster and Reigns the middle ground between chaos and power. I have a sinking feeling Fastlane will have a predictable end but at the same time the fact that they’re allowing Reigns and Ambrose to run along side by side we’ll have to see how it turns out in the long run.

The Lucha Dragons v. Albert Del Rio & Rusev: We want Lana chants and the return of Sin Cara puts a big question mark over the Kalisto & Del Rio stand-off that has been happening lately. The League of Nations has so far been a pointless incarnation which has lead to nothing of consequence. So, at this point, I’m just waiting to see what they decide to do with Kalisto & Del Rio. That will determine where both teams go, I think.

Becky Lynch v. Tamina: Two divas matches in a night is interesting but it felt like they were trying to pack in so many matches tonight. I’m not complaining about this one (if anything I’d point a disapproving finger at Charlotte & Alicia earlier in the night). There was a bit of chaos with Naomi & Banks at ringside and it looks like they’re trying to sell this tag match for Fastlane but right now I’m not sold on anything other than being glad that Becky and Sasha will team up together.

The New Day & Mark Henry v. The Dudley Boyz & The Usos (Table Match): This match felt weird from the start as the random addition of the tables, and then the Dudley Boyz & Mark Henry felt forced. Add in Mark Henry with a Unicorn horn and I was kind of tired of this match before it began. The Usos & the Dudley Boyz picking up the win was a nice touch for the veterans but it was interesting to see they Dudley Boyz slide down the spectrum into heel territory, a spot they know well and where they can add a new dynamic to the Tag Team Division. I hope this is handled well as this division deserves some time & attention.

Daniel Bryan Addresses the Fans: Okay, you make not love him, you may hate him and think he’s overrated but for a young Superstar to be forced into early retirement sucks. It was a special and fitting moment for this to take place in his home state and I liked Bryan’s self-deprecating jokes about his beard, hair & size. He went out speaking of his gratitude and his enjoyment of his time and if you didn’t feel sorry for him I don’t know what else to tell you. As a fan of the sport you should appreciate when someone has worked hard, no matter if you liked their character or not. I enjoyed his segment and was glad to see him close out the show and go over his allotted time. It was a fitting ending for the young man who literally gave his health to the business.

Jonathan Widro is the owner and founder of Inside Pulse. Over a decade ago he burst onto the scene with a pro-WCW reporting style that earned him the nickname WCWidro. Check him out on Twitter for mostly inane non sequiturs