WWE Raw: Results, Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for April 9

Photo Source: WWE.com via Twitter

Titus Worldwide (Titus O’Neil & Apollo, w/ Dana Brooke) vs. Woken Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt

Result: Woken Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt defeated Titus Worldwide via pinfall

Rating: 2.75 out of 5 stars

Astonishingly, this was the better of the two Tag Team Eliminator matches. A seemingly random pairing of Wyatt and Hardy has thus far paid dividends for both superstars. But being a better match than that between The Revival and Gallows & Anderson? Shocking.

Babyface Bray Wyatt is a damn revelation. I like the explanation that the Lake of Reincarnation didn’t “reincarnate” him, but cleansed him of the “succubus” Sister Abigail. It’s a perfect way to retcon his creepy side, while allowing him to maintain his supernatural qualities. Whoever came up with this idea deserves a raise (probably either Hardy himself or Jeremy Borash, if I had to guess).

https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/983529375042695168

The teamwork between Hardy and Wyatt was much stronger than I was expecting. If Jeff Hardy is getting a solo run — which seems likely based on what happened earlier in the night — then Matt needs someone by his side. If he continues to make it work with Wyatt, it’s gold. After all, both men are former Tag Team Champions, so they know what it takes to succeed and have a partner’s back.

One negative here: it looks like the bloom is off the rose for Titus O’Neil and Apollo. Granted, the purpose of this match was to push Hardy and Wyatt forward. But for a team that got a bunch of chances at the tag titles in recent months, they sure went downhill fast.

(And are we really doing “Matt Hardy does a dueling chant with every other chanting superstar” thing?)