Big E vs. Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley exceeded expectations in the main event

Now talk about a main event! We not only got the WWE Champion (Big E), but we were also granted the Universal Champion from SmackDown in Roman Reigns and the former WWE Champion, Bobby Lashley. Now if that isn’t something special, I don’t know what is. In the end though, they gave us a main event that delivered and more than exceeded expectations for sure.

WWE hasn’t been delivering the greatest episodes of Raw over the last few months, but things certainly seem to be turning around for the better. WWE is perhaps turning the heat up primarily because of AEW’s moving into the territory of that top spot in the professional wrestling industry. But with episodes like this past episode of Monday Night Raw, it can surely be claimed that they’re moving in the right direction.

I’m writing this on the morning after the September 22nd episode of Dynamite, and after watching the match between Bryan Danielson and Kenny Omega, I cannot in good conscience state that the main event on Raw was as good as that, but they delivered the caliber of match that certainly exceeds anything they’ve put on in recent months.

I most definitely enjoyed it and it had the kind of build throughout the episode that reminded me of the Attitude Era in WWE. The whole thing started as a 3-man tag match between The Bloodline and The New Day—and that was how the episode opened, in case you missed it—but when Bobby Lashley got involved—an irate Bobby Lashley—the main event was made.

The thing that got my attention first was of course the story build, which in professional wrestling is so important. They built this thing up properly as the show progressed and when that bell rang to start the match, you were more than ready for the mayhem they delivered.

You had an explosively upset Lashley, as I stated, Lashley was upset at having lost his WWE Championship to Big E the week before. You had Roman Reigns, who is always set to prove that he is the greatest and that he should be acknowledged by one and all (what else could we expect by the Head of the Table?). And you had Big E, a man that is hungry and ready to prove that the Power of Positivity Era is a thing that needs a run and a long one at that.

Essentially you had three top athletes and performers (one face and two heels) in the business going at it and it was a pleasure to see because as I stated, we haven’t been getting this quality of the product in recent months so it was more than refreshing.

And a word on Big E for just a second, if you will permit me. Talk about a rise amongst the ranks. This man has put in the work, time, and dedication. He has the respect of his colleagues most certainly, Kofi Kingston stating in an interview with Sports Illustrated of his long-time friend: “He refused to sell his soul to become the best…When you lose yourself, that taints the experience. E was true to himself. To see Big E get to the top seeing him do it his way, it just amplifies this even more….”

Kudos to Big E for that, as that isn’t often seen these days.

Again the match was nowhere close to the caliber of match we would see two days later on Dynamite between Omega and Bryan, but it was good for what WWE’s been giving us. The pace was perfect for the caliber of athlete in the ring—three big guys that can go…their cardio and stamina are at par with smaller guys and their strength is quite obviously through the roof, they all showing that off with some of their better moves.

Some may have had a problem with the end result, though. Spoiler alert! Roman Reigns ended up taking the victory in his visit to Monday Night Raw, but dare I say it, I personally didn’t mind. I like the way it was executed.

It was almost as if each of them were covered, essentially they all saving face by the time the final bell rang. Big E was bashed repeatedly with a chair, so he was out, and Bobby Lashley was distracted in delivering those chair shots, leaving the door wide open for Reigns to take advantage (something the sly devil is quite obviously great at) he securing the win.

But despite who won and lost, the message was delivered that there is a shift finally happening in WWE, and despite the fact that Roman Reigns is still Universal Champion. For me, that was never the problem.

I think that the momentum shift on Raw is what was needed and it looks like we’re finally going to start seeing some much-needed character development and hopefully more matches like this, if not even better in the future.

Hope they can keep it up and truthfully, I hope Big E gets to hold that belt for a while and depending on how he deals with his chance, he may just be the new face of Raw and perhaps the company moving forward. He definitely has the support, and more than deserves it; not to mention the charisma and physique to succeed in a company like WWE.

An interesting thought I did have was if they turn this into an ongoing feud, perhaps culminating in a match that would pit Universal Champion, Roman Reigns, and WWE Champion, Big E to see who can reign supreme (no pun intended) and hold both belts. That individual would be embarking on one heck of a travel schedule doing both shows, but it would be oh-so-worth-it in getting over as the new face of the business.

Only time will tell, but that isn’t a bad idea if you ask old Dom, dear readers. Till the next one, folks.