Tonight’s article will address two of the Prime-time shows of WWE, which is the April 2nd 2018 airing Monday Night RAW. In addition, this article will analyze the April 3rd episode of Smackdown Live.
Monday’s airing was heavily loaded around arcing the final touches for Wrestlemania, which is now four days away and taking place in the Superdome in Louisiana.
However, the “go-home” element and added spark for the show seemed pedestrian and predictable. You wanted to look forward to, and watch Wrestlemania.
On the other hand, not much enticement to keep people watching RAW, the prime-time show lacked hook and drag elements.
Jonathan “The Coach” Coachman opened up Monday’s show with a sit-down forum and poignant Q and A segment pitting the Authority (COO Triple H and CBO Stephanie McMahon). They sat opposite their opponents for Mania, in Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey. Mania plans to be a seven-hour event, with the kick-off show starting at 5:00 ET. The live portion will ensue at 7:00 ET.
In other developments, Seth Rollins defeated Finn Balor in singles competition; with The Miz on commentary. Bayley defeated Absolution’s Sonia Deville. Bayley would get into it and scuffle with Battle Royal opponent and former friend, Sasha Banks. The scuffle wouldn’t last long, as Absolution would return and lay out the former friends.
John Cena will appear at WrestleMania, as a “fan” and without an opponent. The Undertaker did not answer definitively of Cena’s challenge.
Hyped video packages and archived footage of Asuka was shown, and her future opponent in Charlotte Flair. Hype was also depicting the Smackdown Live battle with Daniel Bryan’s triumphant return, teaming with Shane McMahon versus the fired Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.
Other action showed Elias defeating Heath Slater, who was accompanied by tag-team partner Rhino. Matt Hardy was featured in backstage vignettes, (Plus Goldust vignettes as well). This led to Hardy’s victory over Goldust.
Altercations with “Brains” Strowman, the brother of Braun Strowman is a mind game versus The Bar’s Sheamus and Cesaro.
We also saw a Nia Jax interview backstage, hyping her Mania match for the RAW women’s title versus Alexa Bliss. Then Asuka and Dana Brooke won over Mickie James and Alexa Bliss.
Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns closed the show and for their eventual encounter at WrestleMania.
Smackdown Live had Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon open up the show, and hug away their past bickering. All appears that the two men are on the same page. Charlotte wrestled Natalya but Flair was met with Asuka. Asuka and Flair had a stare-down and dialogue, post-match.
Bobby Roode appeared on commentary, and showed mutual respect for Randy Orton; post-match of Rusev and Jinder Mahal, Rusev would win the bout. Orton asserted his dominance and RKO’d Rusev, and Aidan English. Rusev has momentum now coming into the US fatal-four way title bout.
The team of Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, Primo Colon and Mojo Rowley defeated Breezango (Tyler Breeze and Fandango), Tye Dillinger and Zach Ryder.
In the main event, dream-match opponents turned partners for one night, in AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura. Nakamura and Styles would defeat Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable.
In closing, we have a seven hour and thirteen match card for Mania. In quoting a famous legends- Wrestling fans, “Are you Ready?” “Whatcha gonna do, when Wrestlemania comes running wild on you?”