One of NXT’s most charismatic stars made their WWE Raw debut in The Coolest Thing on Raw Last Night!
Welcome to Laser Time’s post-wrestling show article series that plucks out the best part of the biggest rasslin programs. With so many hours of content on TV each week (5 prime time WWE hours and one each for NXT and Lucha Underground), it can sometimes be difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. That’s where The Coolest Thing on Raw Last Night (or CTORLN) comes in. We pluck out the best part(s) and tell you exactly why it’s so awesome.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
SAMI ZAYN VS THE MIZ
In a middling Raw that tried to mine its surprises out of roll-up finishes and disappointing DQs, Zayn-Miz was refreshing. Even this probably won’t be remembered all that well in Sami Zayn’s oeuvre, and though it didn’t get the proper time to develop, Zayn-Miz did have a nice mixture of Sami’s top-notch offense and Miz’s brilliant heelishness. Zayn busted out some good “flippy shit” with his ring-entrance counters and the barricade moonsault before igniting the audience with his wonderful exploder suplex-Helluva kick combo (they both look so brutal that it’s a wonder nobody’s been injured from it). The Miz’s contribution shouldn’t be undersold; beyond his brilliant heel tactics like grabbing the ropes during a pin, he’s also got a great knee-high DDT, and even if he oversells the figure four, I have to give props to using his own fist to add leverage against a reversal. Plus now we get Sami Zayn in a match with Kevin Owens and Cesaro, but this match proves you shouldn’t scoff at Miz’s involvement.
THE COOLEST THING ON RAW LAST NIGHT:
DANA BROOKE’S DEBUT
What a difference a year makes. In may of 2015 I was bemoaning Dana Brooke as a lady who flexed too much and couldn’t hang with the likes of Bayley and Sasha Banks. Here’s Twitter proof! In the ensuing months, she’s proven herself in feuds with the likes of Asuka, created a great tag team with the revitalized Emma, and showed her dedication on the NXT documentary/reality show Breaking Ground.
After months out of the limelight due to an injury suffered while practicing, Dana Brooke put the D and B in debut when she laid out Becky Lynch during a segment on Raw. In a matter of moments, she added a ton of fire to the secondary women’s feud, showcased her style, and revived a great women’s tag team. Dana works best alongside Emma, so it’s good that the two are sticking together. As good as Carmella is in the ring, she’s been a bit of a lame duck when Enzo and Cass jumped to the main roster, so I’m glad the same sad fate didn’t hit DB, too. Now, when can we get a Women’s Tag Team Championship that’s defended on NXT and WWE?
THE SICKEST MOVE FROM THE COOLEST THING ON RAW LAST NIGHT:
Isn’t it a bit early to call Carmella a lame duck? I mean we’ve only seen one episode of NXT that was recorded post-wrestlemania. I think she’s the obvious choice to be the next babyface of the NXT women’s division when Bayley gets called up.
But anyway, I’m delighted to see Dana and Emma reunited. They compliment each other well by making each other seem more important. I also want to see Dana pat Stephanie’s head.
I still think she could do with a bit longer in NXT, but hey new faces on raw so… Also, so glad Emma has had a second chance and brought her Evil Emma NXT schtick up to the main roster. Love that shit. Remember her first RAW run with Santino? *shudder*
Should I be ashamed that I thought that whole thing was really hot? 🙁
I imagine that WWE would be happy as a pig in shit if Omaha’s audience was representative of the nation. Between chanting for Reigns and even Stephanie; and not giving two craps about Ryder, it seemed like one of the least smarky crowds this year.
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I don’t agree, look at:
http://entertainment.time.com/2012/12/30/top-10-les-mizzes-better-than-the-new-les-miz/