WWE Raw: Results, Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for February 5

Photo Source: WWE.com via Twitter

Finn Balor & Karl Anderson (w/ Luke Gallows) vs. The Revival (Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder)

Result: Finn Balor & Karl Anderson defeated The Revival via pinfall

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

This was originally supposed to be a singles match for Balor, but The Revival announced that they were tag team specialists. And since they’re better at the whole tag team game than anyone on the planet*, they goad Balor into picking one of his “Club buddies” to join him for a good old fashioned tag team match.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/960689195751649280

There’s a lot of reasons to love this, not the least of which is The Revival understanding their strengths like no other superstars on the roster. They work better as a team than anyone – why should they go on a disadvantage in a singles match? Couple that with the fact that, while friends, Balor and Anderson aren’t a regular team, and now Dash and Dawson are way out in front before the bell rings.

For a big chunk of the match, Dash and Dawson did exactly what they proclaimed they would do – be the better unit. I’m a big fan of Dawson being such a student of the game that he’d work Balor’s arm and shoulder. How much of The Revival’s offense is arm based? Not much, but Balor has a well documented history of shoulder problems. Why not weaken the torubled area?

But Finn Balor is in that weird limbo between upper midcard and quasi main event. Sometimes he looks like he’s about to break through, others he stumbles back. This week, he’s more towards the former – he and Anderson withstood the onslaught from The Revival to set up a Coup de Grace for the victory.

Underrated highlight of the match – Karl Anderson channelling his Hot Asian Wife with a HIIIIIII-YA on the front kick in the corner. Dude has crazy charisma, but never really had the chance to show it – Gallows, too. Hopefully the Balor Club run will provide the much needed character rehab both need.

(* – planet means WWE Universe; I’m aware the Young Bucks exist, you know)

Photo Source: WWE.com via Twitter

Trouble in Paradisde

Sasha Banks keeps watching herself lose to Asuka, because she’s a masochist, I guess. Bayley tells her to lighten up, Sasha won’t. Sasha says she knows how to beat Asuka, but won’t share it with Bayley, who has a match against The Empress of Tomorrow later tonight. The two friends bicker, and god won’t one of you just turn on the other one already? This is worse than Jim Halpert and Pam Beesley.