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WWE Raw Results: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for April 17

By Bryan Heaton

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Chris Jericho vs. Samoa Joe

Result: Samoa Joe defeated Chris Jericho via submission

Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars

Because Strowman took the show opening promo spot, Seth Rollins is relegated to talking too much on commentary instead. With a match at Payback against Samoa Joe coming up, of course the Kingslayer needs to be a part of Joe’s match somehow.

What I enjoyed about this match is that it’s proof that sometimes, the “old” guys can still go. Between the two of them, Joe and Jericho have almost 50 years of experience in wrestling. At this point, they’ve learned a thing or two about how to put on a good show.

They also understand their role in the larger picture: tonight they’re opening the show, rather than main eventing. Their job is to get the crowd read for what’s coming later tonight, while still putting on a good match and furthering a couple of different storylines at the same time. Mission accomplished.

The finish aggravated me a little, though. Up to this point on Raw, the Coquina Clutch had been beyond bulletproof. It injured Rollins, it made Sami Zayn pass out. But Jericho is able to hold out, try a reversal, get locked in even tighter, look like he’s going to reverse it again, and then tap out after like two minutes in the hold. I don’t like that – it makes Rollins, Zayn, et al seem weaker than they were, and it removes some of the mystique from the move itself.

The promos after the match were like night and day. Joe offers up an eloquent diatribe about how he was just doing what he was hired for, and he cares about his “clientele,” namely Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. Rollins answers with an overused, possibly profane cliche that adds nothing to the situation. Bang-up job, Seth!

BRAAAAAAAUUUUUNNNNNNNN

Two things:

  1. I’m glad that if Elias Samson was getting called up to the main roster, he ended up on Raw just for the Corey Graves reactions. We may not get Graves calling the Kinshasa anymore, but hating on Drifter is always welcome.
  2. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Braun Strowman is a man of his word and no one can stop him.
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