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WWE Raw preview (Mar. 12, 201
: The Road
22
By Sean Rueter@s1rude Mar 12, 2018, 9:00am EDTSHARE
WWE.com
WWE will rock ‘n’ roll all night when Team Red brings the show to Detroit on Mar. 12.
The Headliner(s)
Will he or won’t he?
WWE’s made that the big question regarding Universal champion Brock Lesnar, his future with the company and even his feud with Roman Reigns for WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans on April 8.
Some want them to continue running with the angle (if it is an angle?) of Lesnar as an “entitled” prizefighter who doesn’t care about wrestling fans by having him “no show” again tonight. The company itself is teasing a fight between two of their biggest stars.
Whether or not he plans to leave WWE and re-sign with UFC this summer, we’re being told Brock’s real world negotiating tactic is the same thing as the on-screen story. Supposedly that’s so we’ll all cheer for company man Reigns. Definitely so we’ll all tune in... to the Mar. 12 episode of Raw (and every Monday thereafter, preferably) and to WWE Network for ‘Mania.
Which is the right way to go to achieve those goals?
Which one is more compelling to a casual viewer trying to decide what to do with his free time over the next month? Does cheering on The Big Dog as he tries to get his hands on an evasive prima donna sound more interesting than watching two larger-than-life characters stare each other down and beat each other up, regardless of which man is their favorite?
Many who care enough to complain online and in arenas about either direction are likely sticking around either way. Will they hate one option more than the other, and will their displeasure influence people who are on the fence?
It’s a pretty crucial decision for Vince McMahon and team. Glad I’m not the one who has to decide. But they booked themselves into this corner, so... we’ll see how far they’re willing to go when The Beast Incarnate’s music hits in Little Ceasar’s Arena.
The title scene
Worth noting that nothing else being hyped by WWE.com in their official preview deals with a championship...
After finding out he’ll defend his Intercontinental strap in a Triple Threat, The Miz will probably need to stop handing out insults and mock awards. The A-Lister needs to figure out a way to reverse the trend of getting beat by his ‘Mania challengers Seth Rollins and Finn Bálor.
Now that Asuka’s off to SmackDown LIVE to chase Queen Charlotte’s crown, this scene from last week establishing Women’s champ Alexa Bliss as “Worst. Friend. Ever.” probably also established her next feud. The Goddess will probably need her Mixed Match Challengepartner to survive a pissed off Nia Jax, too.
Will Cesaro, Sheamus and their tag titles even have a match in the Superdome? There doesn’t appear to be a pair on the current roster who can take them.
This will probably be the last time we remind you about the Cruiserweight championship in this space. It’s worth tuning into DRAKE MAVERICK’s 205 Live (and following alive in out results post, natch) to keep up, though.
Other stuff to keep an eye on:
- After The Boss booted her from a pod at Elimination Chamber, Bayley’s been keeping her best friend Sasha Banks at arm’s length. Even saving The Hugster from an Absolution beatdown last Monday didn’t earn her a warm embrace. Can Sasha get Bayles to forgive, or are we headed to the next chapter in their historic rivalry?
- Weirder even than the talk that The Bar might not be on the card in N’Awlins on April 8 is the rumor Braun Strowman is being held in reserve for the show. His latest over-the-top assault seems to have ended his issues with Elias for now, but it’s hard to imagine the fan favorite will be kept off television. Whether he gets added to a multi-man match, subbed in on an emergency basis to Reigns/Lesnar or limited to shenanigans, this could be the most fascinating behind-the-scenes story at this year’s ‘Mania.
- Whatever move it was, Ronda Rousey definitely left Stephanie McMahon laying last Monday. The only thing more surprising than that would be if The Billion Dollar Princess and her husband, Triple H, didn’t return fire against Rowdy and her tag partner, General Manager Kurt Angle, as soon as possible.
- “Ultimate Deletion”, the latest WWE adaptation of Matt Hardy’s TNA work, was actually filmed (at least in part) in Cameron, North Carolina last week. When will it grace our televisions? And what will the schedule say about what Woken Matt and Bray Wyatt will be up to next month for WrestleMania?
- After coming up short in Fastlane’s main event, John Cena is advertised for Raw and not SmackDown again this week. Will the Free Agent’s long and winding road to The Big Easy involve some purple lightning and a funeral dirge? Will we see and hear those things along with a Dead Man tonight to set-up, as Hall of Famer Teddy Long would say, a ONE-ON-ONE WITH DA UNDERTAKER?
Four weeks until WrestleMania 34!
What will you be looking for on Raw tonight?
: The Road22
By Sean Rueter@s1rude Mar 12, 2018, 9:00am EDTSHARE
WWE will rock ‘n’ roll all night when Team Red brings the show to Detroit on Mar. 12.
The Headliner(s)
Will he or won’t he?
WWE’s made that the big question regarding Universal champion Brock Lesnar, his future with the company and even his feud with Roman Reigns for WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans on April 8.
Some want them to continue running with the angle (if it is an angle?) of Lesnar as an “entitled” prizefighter who doesn’t care about wrestling fans by having him “no show” again tonight. The company itself is teasing a fight between two of their biggest stars.
Whether or not he plans to leave WWE and re-sign with UFC this summer, we’re being told Brock’s real world negotiating tactic is the same thing as the on-screen story. Supposedly that’s so we’ll all cheer for company man Reigns. Definitely so we’ll all tune in... to the Mar. 12 episode of Raw (and every Monday thereafter, preferably) and to WWE Network for ‘Mania.
Which is the right way to go to achieve those goals?
Which one is more compelling to a casual viewer trying to decide what to do with his free time over the next month? Does cheering on The Big Dog as he tries to get his hands on an evasive prima donna sound more interesting than watching two larger-than-life characters stare each other down and beat each other up, regardless of which man is their favorite?
Many who care enough to complain online and in arenas about either direction are likely sticking around either way. Will they hate one option more than the other, and will their displeasure influence people who are on the fence?
It’s a pretty crucial decision for Vince McMahon and team. Glad I’m not the one who has to decide. But they booked themselves into this corner, so... we’ll see how far they’re willing to go when The Beast Incarnate’s music hits in Little Ceasar’s Arena.
The title scene
Worth noting that nothing else being hyped by WWE.com in their official preview deals with a championship...
After finding out he’ll defend his Intercontinental strap in a Triple Threat, The Miz will probably need to stop handing out insults and mock awards. The A-Lister needs to figure out a way to reverse the trend of getting beat by his ‘Mania challengers Seth Rollins and Finn Bálor.
Now that Asuka’s off to SmackDown LIVE to chase Queen Charlotte’s crown, this scene from last week establishing Women’s champ Alexa Bliss as “Worst. Friend. Ever.” probably also established her next feud. The Goddess will probably need her Mixed Match Challengepartner to survive a pissed off Nia Jax, too.
Will Cesaro, Sheamus and their tag titles even have a match in the Superdome? There doesn’t appear to be a pair on the current roster who can take them.
This will probably be the last time we remind you about the Cruiserweight championship in this space. It’s worth tuning into DRAKE MAVERICK’s 205 Live (and following alive in out results post, natch) to keep up, though.
Other stuff to keep an eye on:
- After The Boss booted her from a pod at Elimination Chamber, Bayley’s been keeping her best friend Sasha Banks at arm’s length. Even saving The Hugster from an Absolution beatdown last Monday didn’t earn her a warm embrace. Can Sasha get Bayles to forgive, or are we headed to the next chapter in their historic rivalry?
- Weirder even than the talk that The Bar might not be on the card in N’Awlins on April 8 is the rumor Braun Strowman is being held in reserve for the show. His latest over-the-top assault seems to have ended his issues with Elias for now, but it’s hard to imagine the fan favorite will be kept off television. Whether he gets added to a multi-man match, subbed in on an emergency basis to Reigns/Lesnar or limited to shenanigans, this could be the most fascinating behind-the-scenes story at this year’s ‘Mania.
- Whatever move it was, Ronda Rousey definitely left Stephanie McMahon laying last Monday. The only thing more surprising than that would be if The Billion Dollar Princess and her husband, Triple H, didn’t return fire against Rowdy and her tag partner, General Manager Kurt Angle, as soon as possible.
- “Ultimate Deletion”, the latest WWE adaptation of Matt Hardy’s TNA work, was actually filmed (at least in part) in Cameron, North Carolina last week. When will it grace our televisions? And what will the schedule say about what Woken Matt and Bray Wyatt will be up to next month for WrestleMania?
- After coming up short in Fastlane’s main event, John Cena is advertised for Raw and not SmackDown again this week. Will the Free Agent’s long and winding road to The Big Easy involve some purple lightning and a funeral dirge? Will we see and hear those things along with a Dead Man tonight to set-up, as Hall of Famer Teddy Long would say, a ONE-ON-ONE WITH DA UNDERTAKER?
Four weeks until WrestleMania 34!
What will you be looking for on Raw tonight?
