“I’m Better Than You, And You Know It”

"Every Man Has A Price For The Million Dollar Man"

"The Best There Is, The Best There Was, And The Best There Ever Will Be"

"Whatcha Gonna Do, When Hulkamania Runs Wild On You"

"And That's The Bottom Line Because Stone Cold Said So"

<h3><strong>A Whole Bunch o’Them</strong></h3>
<p>The opening segment did check some boxes. First was the explanation for the controversy that went down at the Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia. Second was the mandatory home-town hero pops. Third,… well… the segment did not really do much else of worth. Jinder Mahal, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Bobby Lashley, and Braun Strowman were thrown in from out of nowhere, but apparently this is how WWE starts storylines nowadays, so no complaints.</p>
<p>Anyhow, the segment led to one hell of a main event line-up, so we were cool. Just kidding…NO WE WERE NOT! The hottest returnee to the company and the Monster Among Men apparently are stuck together in an unbeatable tag team now, while either should be well on the cirrocumulus of the main event atmosphere. And no, we do not need another monster tag team on RAW right now, as enticing as Strowman and Lashley vs Authors of Pain may sound.</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><strong>Hurt At Home</strong></h3>
<p><em>(Elias def. Bobby Roode via Match Stoppage)</em></p>
<p>Yes, whenever you have a show in Canada, all Canadian stars must make an appearance. It was Bobby Roode’s turn this time, but it was not as GLOOOORIOUS as he might have expected, since his shoulder got “hurt” after being smashed into the steel bar that connects the ring post to the ring buckle. Seemed to be the start of a midcard feud with loads of potential, considering the collective charisma of Seth Rollins and Triple H. Wait, what were we thinking?</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><strong>A Challenge Laid Down</strong></h3>
<p>Six days before Backlash, and we were treated to a pairing that was more mouth-watering than the PPV match itself. Finn Balor vs Seth Rollins is well on its way to become one of those classic workman feuds, fighting all over the place for different championships before being cemented in WWE history as a classic rivalry. And you know what, we do not even have a problem with that. Guys, keep doing your thing.</p>
<p>The Miztourage’s attempts at joining forces with Finn Balor and/or Seth Rollins are becoming more and more amusing. Keep it goin’ boys.</p>
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<p></p>
<h3><strong>Tricks In The Book</strong></h3>
<p><em>(Ruby Riott def. Sasha Banks)</em></p>
<p>Ruby Riott used help from not one, but both her henchwomen to get the W against Sasha Banks, and to be frank, we liked it. It harked back to the AWESOME times… Seriously, matches like this could show their potential to work smoothly as a unit and help Ruby win championships. Go girls.</p>
<p>On the other hand, what with the cooldown of Bayley vs Sasha Banks? One week they were brawling all over the locker room, and the other Bayley was just looking at Banks through a backstage screen? Sure, WWE might want to save Bayley vs Banks for Summerslam (or next week, as far as WWE’s women booking is any indication), but if there suddenly was a stand-off, there should have been some sort of explanation.</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><strong>Mismatch Of Power</strong></h3>
<p><em>(Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman &amp; Bobby Lashley vs. Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn &amp; Jinder Mahal)</em></p>
<p>Strowman, Lashley, and Reigns is a team that could pretty much beat every trio imaginable. The Shield, The Wyatt Family, The Three Stooges,… well maybe except for the last one. But pretty much every other trio that had existed. So it was no surprise they handily took apart Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, and Jinder Mahal. Really good match though, with an exciting finishing stretch.</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><strong>TITUS WORLD SLIDE!</strong></h3>
<p>We had to give WWE kudos: They really knew how to surf off the organic momentum of Titus O’Neil after his tripping incident at The Greatest Royal Rumble, giving Titus a backstage interview and inserting Titus O’Neil in a tepid Corbin – Jose feud that desperately needed traction. And it made sense! This feud could turn out to be fascinating with the additional character and the direction Titus is going.</p>
<p>A time has come when we have to put an exclamation mark after the phrase “made sense”. Unbelievable.</p>
<p><em>(No Way Jose def. Baron Corbin)</em></p>
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<p></p>
<h3><strong>Another OP Trio</strong></h3>
<p><em>(Natalya def. Mickie James)</em></p>
<p>An MMA star, a veteran technician, and a towering wrestler walked into a ring…</p>
<p>There is no way in hell Alexa Bliss is going to reclaim the title at Backlash. There is just no way, even if Mickie James and The Riott Squad joined forces to try and pry the championship off Nia Jax. At this point, it looks like RAW is overstocked with powerful faces. We think the show needs more strong <em>heels</em>. But still, the sight of Nia Jax, Ronda Rousey, and Natalya standing together was pretty cool.</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><strong>Instant Classic</strong></h3>
<p><em>(Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins def. Finn Bálor)</em></p>
<p>Fast-paced action, full of reversals, and an amazing crowd – three components essential to a great match were present in RAW’s main event tonight. That was precisely what RAW needed, and something it can totally pull off on a weekly basis. It has so many talented guys on their roster that can pull off a spectacle like that the Montreal crowd was treated to tonight. Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, or Roman Reigns, and even big guys like Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley could regularly give the crowd great to awesome matches. But for tonight, A++ for Rollins vs Balor.</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><strong>Random thoughts that did not deserve their own entrance:</strong></h3>
<p>Gosh, what was wrong with Elias’ sense of fashion lately?</p>
<p>Authors of Pain squashed a pair of slightly good-looking local talents. So long, hotshots.</p>
<p>Bayley watching Banks from a backstage TV screen in an awkward angle.</p>
<p>The Moment of Bliss thing was pretty unique. We liked it.</p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><strong>Overall Review:</strong></h3>
<p>Tonight’s RAW had bright spots both in storylines and in-ring offerings, but the undisputed highlight was TITUS WORLD SLIDEEEEEEE! Yeah, expect to see us capitalize TITUS WORLD SLIDEEE for a while. For the first time in a while, we could see <em>some </em>effort being put into all the feuds up and down the totem pole. And also for the first time in a while, WWE knew how to feed off some organic popularity without turning everything into a huge cringe-fest. <em>A</em> tremendous RAW to get everyone excited for Backlash.</p>

WWE Monday Night RAW Results & Review: April 30th 2018

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