WWE Raw Results: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for March 6
By Bryan Heaton
WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match
Neville (c) vs. Rich Swann
Result: Neville defeated Rich Swann via submission
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Even before this one started, you could hear the Chicago crowd perking up – just with “CM Punk” chants instead of interest in the match. In my head, I was pulling for these two to just basically put on a Dragon Gate match and hope the agents in the back were too busy to notice. It would have gotten the crowd on their side real quick.
But the start we got was pretty good. Swann came out like a maniac, which was great. The entire 205 Live division has been stymied by exciting wrestlers being forced to wrestle generic, boring WWE heavyweight-style matches. It’s not what these guys got popular by doing, you know?
The @WWE #Cruiserweight Title is on the line as @WWENeville defends vs. @GottaGetSwann LIVE NOW on #RAW on @USA_Network! #205Live pic.twitter.com/9Gm6nCopuv
— WWE (@WWE) March 7, 2017
But Swann got stopped in a big way right before the commercial break by getting launched into the apron/screen not once, but twice. It looked nasty.
Swann managed to make a bit of a comeback. This was by far the best cruiserweight match on Raw to date. Both guys pulled out everything in their arsenals. Swann executing a literal swan dive to the floor was poetic.
This is what you call pulling out ALL THE STOPS! #RAW #205Live @GottaGetSwann pic.twitter.com/aCTomzXkdO
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) March 7, 2017
Aside from Michael Cole calling a modified Falcon Arrow a Michinoku Driver (which he does all the time), this was a pretty flawless match. Good story, good length of time without dragging, and exciting. If more cruiserweight matches followed that blueprint, you wouldn’t get CM Punk chants.
The finishing sequence was great. Swann’s Phoenix Splash was beautiful, and the transition into Neville’s Rings of Saturn was seamless. And even the post match interview with Austin Aries was fantastic – even if his last “question” should have been a thumb to the eye. I’m all in for Aries vs. Neville, bring it on.
Looks like @WWEAaLLday21 and @BigCassWWE want @WWECesaro and @WWESheamus to watch their #RAW #TagTeamTitles rematch TONIGHT! pic.twitter.com/TeOgvwmzPC
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) March 7, 2017
Enzo & Cass Have a Death Wish Against Cesaro & Sheamus
Did I miss a subtle Enzo Amore heel turn or something? He’s just straight up acting like a jerk lately, not the lovable jerk he usually is. Although, an Ace Ventura-esque “Le-who…se-her” is always welcome.
But seriously, Cesaro is going to legit murder him, I think.