WWE Raw: This Week’s Ladder Match Was Everything and More

The go-home Royal Rumble episode of WWE Raw this week was decent. While I’m still scratching my head as to why the mixed tag match main evented the show, the Ladder match showcasing the Andrade/Rey Mysterio program was certainly a highlight of the show.

It had been well over a decade (about 13 years to be exact, when Jeff Hardy faced Carlito on December 10th, 2007), since WWE Raw audiences have seen a Ladder match (not to be confused with the ones fans are privy to regularly throughout the year during pay-per-views, or the few times on SmackDown in recent years).

Still, in many ways, it was well worth the wait; in many ways, it helped to set the tone for Raw that night in a big way. It got fans really into the show, and perked up audiences at home. With a pay-per-view (PPV) caliber bout – and two of the top superstars in the company today – the first match of the night over-delivered in a beautiful and refreshing way.

Where does one begin to applaud this Ladder match?

First and foremost, the in-ring chemistry between Rey Mysterio and Andrade (along with Zelina Vega) is phenomenal. I’m not a fan of seeing the same men matched up against each other, over and over again; however, these two feed off each other in a way that makes me wish I could see them in a match, week in and week out. Zelina in the mix of it all, with her own over-the-top interfering ways (not to mention intense expressions when the camera is panned to her), enhances the story these competitors tell in the ring.

As far as this past Monday night, both men pulled out all the stops when it came to high-flying and risky spots. In many ways, I felt like I was watching a PPV match, and not Raw, as these types of moves are often saved for the Network and not television. The match itself was brutal, and you could feel the pain and anguish from each superstar, anytime they took a hit off a ladder.

While yes, it seemed as if Mysterio wanted this win more than Andrade, El Idolo would be the first man up after a huge fall both superstars took of the ladder (into another one); he’d be the one that was able to garner enough strength to climb that ladder and grab that U.S. title to retain his championship.

As disappointing as it was to see Rey lose (and out of the U.S. title race for now), no fan could truly complain, as the match was an incredible watch, and definite 2020 contender for match of the year.

Clearly, this match signified the end of the chapter for Andrade and Mysterio, as El Idolo’s next opponent seems to be Humberto Carrillo moving forward; however, will fans of Monday Night RAW have to wait years – or even a decade – before another Ladder match?

Here’s hoping the answer to that is “no”. While adding this type of bout on the regular would definitely cause its gloss to dull, the idea of seeing more Ladder matches during a three-hour RAW (now and again) might help to entice more people to tune in on Mondays, especially after this last one.