WWE Raw: Results, Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for March 19

The Miz, flanked by Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel (Photo Source: WWE.com via Twitter)

The Miz, Bo Dallas, & Curtis Axel vs. Finn Balor, Luke Gallows, & Karl Anderson

Result: Finn Balor, Luke Gallows, & Karl Anderson defeated The Miz, Bo Dallas, & Curtis Axel

Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars

You know how you can tell The Miz is a great heel? Because he can spit forth logical points, but still deserve a punch in the face. He’s got evidence – the WrestleMania program – to back his points, and you actually have to think when he says, “Am I the bad guy?”

But, yes, of course he’s the bad guy. Miz doesn’t deserve to be treated as he has by Kurt Angle in recent weeks. In general, though, Miz is a sneaky weasel who takes shortcuts left and right. That makes you less honorable, which makes you morally weak, which generally tends to equal bad person. And dropping old indy names? Savage, Miz. SAVAGE.

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/975923845172310016

But the Miztourage is out for a six man tag match, so they get interrupted by their opponents in the Balor Cub. And it’s perfectly serviceable for what it is. No one crapped the bed, the action told a fairly coherent story, and Miz and Balor were kept mostly apart to help build to the triple threat match at WrestleMania.

Speaking of the triple threat match, the third guy – Seth Rollins – joins the broadcast team. And it was probably one of the best guest commentary spots in a long time. The focus was pretty much only on a) the match in the ring, and b) the match coming up at WrestleMania. That’s how you do it. And for a guy who resorts to “man” and “dude” a lot in promos,

Tyler Black

Rollins was pretty solid on commentary.

So of course, keeping Miz and Balor apart results in Balor picking up the pin on the Intercontinental Champion (check off “champion loses non-title match” off your list now if you didn’t do it when Cesaro lost to Strowman earlier). A post match beatdown left Balor at a three on one disadvantage, but Rollins (stupidly, if you ask me) ran in to make the save.

I get that Rollins is a “good guy” to Miz’s “bad guy,” but why run in to help and still be outnumbered? It’s a grey area in my opinion, and Rollins has pretty much always been black or white. The Blackout looked sick, though, so there’s that.

Special shout out to Karl Anderson for being way better in the ring on a regular basis than anyone notices. Best spinebuster in WWE, non-Bobby Roode division, and his karatay kicks complete with “HIIIII-YA!” are awesome. Keep doing you, hoot.