WWE Monday Night Raw Review: October 11

WWE RAW TAKES FOR OCT. 11, 2021

This week's episode of Raw was not very good. It was a bit of a backslide from the episodes of the past three weeks. Here are the highlights:

DREW MCINTYRE AND BIG E

Drew and Big E kicked off the show with an entertaining face-to-face confrontation. Despite liking and having great respect for one another, they are both determined to win at Crown Jewel.

Surprisingly, the Usos showed up as messengers from Roman to build towards Survivor Series before challenging the two to a match in the night's main event. I predicted before the matches start that one of the faces would tag themselves in unexpectedly and that the episode would end with one dropping the other. Unfortunately, both my predictions came true in a predictable, uninteresting match.

THE TOURNAMENT MATCHES

Kofi and Xavier were asked twice to comment on the possibility of the two facing each other in the semi-finals. They laughed the question off both times. Xavier's match with Ricochet had some excellent technical back-and-forth and was thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end. It's easy to forget how good Woods is as a singles competitor as he beats the one and only to advance.

Jinder Mahal and Kofi face off in a less exciting match that saw Kofi lose. I don't know why they were teasing a New Day face-off if they weren't going to go for it. The two can go against each other and not turn on each other. It's a competition and the nature of the business. They both entered, knowing it could happen. It would have also been the most interesting outcome.

The Women's tournament matches were very disappointing. I don't think either bout got more than two minutes. Shayna Baszler and Doudrop both advanced and will face each other next. There are grumblings that many in the Women's division are dissatisfied, to say the least, about how they are being booked, and these results are not a good sign that it will get better. WWE really dropped the ball with this tournament.

ALI AND MONSOOR VS. THE HURT BUSINESS

This match shouldn't have even happened. The faces have been losing in short matches for the past few weeks, and the Hurt Business has just reformed. Neither team could afford a loss.

Unsurprisingly, Ali's team lost quickly, followed by the duo dissolving. The two later meet up backstage in a confrontation that ends in Ali attacking his now former partner. They could have been a great tag team. Having formed just a couple of months ago, WWE quickly began to lose interest in building them. This happens to all of their tag teams at some point.

I predict Ali and Monsoor will have a match or two. Past that, we won't see either again except on Main Event, if that.

JEFF HARDY VS. AUSTIN THEORY

The match doesn't go two minutes before the 24/7 crowd runs through trying to get Reggie, distracting Theory and allowing Jeff to catch him off guard. Jeff almost got the win, but Theory pulled the tights to secure the roll-up victory.

This was yet another disappointing and short match. It's a three-hour show, and they have to build a new star, for God's sake. It was a bit of a backslide for Hardy as well, who just began to get momentum back after fan complaints. I was excited for the match when it was first announced and expected a good showing for Theory.

BECKY AND CHARLOTTE VS. BANKS AND BELAIR

I suppose Charlotte is in this to set up Survivor Series, where both titles may be on the line. It was indicated yet again that the titles could be merged, the word "merging" being used for the first time. I don't think they would be teasing it if they weren't going to do it.

The match went about as well as can be expected but still managed to be entertaining. The four women started brawling before the bell and had to be broken up. Pearce and Deville came out and are actually mad as if everyone and their mom didn't think this would happen. They call for the match to be restarted after order is restored.

Although very begrudgingly, Sasha and EST show the most teamwork. Banks turns on her partner first, followed by Charlotte, who tags/slaps herself in. Soon after, the match fell apart and ended in no contest as the melee began again, ending with Becky as the last woman standing. The whole segment was one of the only good things about the show. Both the match at Crown Jewel and the implications for afterward were built well.

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Dakota Mayes is our resident wrestling expert at The Pyrrhic. Be sure to keep on top of all the latest in news, previews, and reviews in the world of professional wrestling right here with Dakota at thepyrrhic.com

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