WWE Raw Results: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for October 2

Source: WWE.com via Twitter

Seth Rollins vs. Braun Strowman

Result: Braun Strowman defeated Seth Rollins via pinfall

Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars

After a (very classy) tribute to the victims of the horrific Las Vegas mass shooting, Raw got things started with one of its two advertised matches. The announce team (featuring Tom Phillips filling in for Michael Cole) kept referring to the Rollins/Ambrose/Reigns connection in the wake of the Miztourage’s assault on the Big Dog. Jeez, guys, lay it on a little thicker, why don’t ya?

What I really liked about this match was that it made Braun look like a genius. Anyone else get the feeling Strowman studied up on Rollins? Think about the difference between his match tonight, and last week against Dean Ambrose. The Lunatic Fringe kept it fairly close, possibly because he was an unknown opponent.

This week, Braun had a whole week to gameplan for Rollins, and he came out like he spent the time watching video. It’s a great wrinkle to Braun’s character – not only can he annihilate you, but he’ll research the most effective way to do it. Absolutely terrifying.

After the suicide dives Rollins hit, I really thought he was going to win via countout, which would be a terrible decision in my opinion. Thankfully, Rollins tossed Braun back into the ring, hitting a blockbuster for a one count. Superkicks didn’t faze the monster, either, as he reversed the ripcord knee strike into a vicious lariat.  Braun followed it with a running powerslam and a 1-2-3.

A second powerslam served as an exclamation point, and Braun was going back for more until Dean Ambrose attempted to make the save. It wasn’t super effective, as Braun laid out the tag champs single handedly. The Bar came out to pick the bones, and we started this show off with a bang.