WWE Raw Results: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for May 29
By Bryan Heaton
Kalisto vs. Titus O’Neil (w/ Apollo Crews)
Result: Titus O’Neil defeated Kalisto via pinfall
Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars
Ugh.
It’s bad enough that this nothing feud is taking up time on Raw that could be going to literally anyone else (example: where have Heath Slater and Rhyno been since the Superstar Shake-Up?). It’s also bad that somehow Titus O’Neil hasn’t improved in the ring since he was a contestant on NXT nearly seven years ago. But for Crews to be at ringside with zero personality? Kalisto ditching the really cool dark gear already? Can’t anything not take a turn for the worse?
The in ring action with this one was not great. Titus has never been accused of being a master of the mat, but this was glaring in its flaws. Kalisto worked his butt off for the 45 seconds the match got, but he couldn’t do it all.
The finish was awkward, mainly because Titus is so much bigger than Kalisto and he can’t control his body. After he reversed the casadora into the pin, Titus left way too much space between him and Kalisto, so it didn’t look like he was even pinning him. Grabbing the trunks was necessary for the story, but should a guy who’s twice the size of his opponent need a leverage advantage?
The good thing is that Apollo seems to be questioning the Titus Brand philosophy, and this story may be mercifully ending. One can only hope.