YOU ALMOST DID IT
Three hours is too much to cover. Even if those three hours have great segments in them like this Raw. So I'll cover the only one that was good enough to cover, the US Championship segment(s).
For the record I did mark for the divas debuting on the main roster, but I think it was slightly mismanaged and there's not really much to comment on.
Rusev's return was obviously very anticipated by me and anyone who REALISES HIS INCREDIBLE ABILITY AND POTENTIAL, but when it was Rusev who accepted the US open challenge I was skeptical about the entire thing. Was Cena going to destroy Rusev yet again, just as he returned? I hoped that wouldn't be the case as I also hoped WWE would see the ability and worthiness of Rusev. Thankfully, it wasn't the case, and they did.
With Owens coming out as well, weirdly unexpectedly, I went from skeptical to almost marking. Rusev insulting Owens and almost solidifying Owens' stature as a near perfect tweener was fantastic as well, no doubt. But things went to an all new high when Cesaro even came out.
Three of my favourite wrestlers in the ring fighting to defeat Cena sounded great, and I didn't even realise the match would be directly afterwards, mostly because I just flat-out didn't think about it at all. I was way too euphoric to think logically.
It didn't take long for the triple threat match to impress, apart from having three top-tier talent in the ring at one time. It was a triple threat match... in WWE... booked well! GASP.
Triple threat booking is so easy to see quickly. If someone is knocked out of the ring within just two minutes, it's one of those lame, typical WWE triple threats. If not, it'll be interesting at the least. And that's what happened.
Nothing in the entire match was off. There were a few botches, but nothing major, and sometimes a couple of botches (not screwing up a manoeuvre, but screwing up the execution of a manoeuvre) can make the match look better. For example, the suplex from Rusev to Cesaro. It clearly wasn't meant to look like that, because it looked sloppy, brutal and otherwise unplanned, but because of that, it looked more gritty, more realistic. The same deal with Cesaro's suicide dive as well.
Past the quality of the triple threat booking, the booking of all three talent was done incredibly well too. Cesaro's little pseudo-gimmick right now is being the great wrestler who just can't get it done for some reason, and he lost. Rusev's pseudo-gimmick is being a dominant heel who can't be beat, unless it's John Cena, and he pulled out the win. And Owens full gimmick is being an opportunistic dickhead, and he left the match and got the DQ yet again in the singles match for the title. Not only that, but Owens was able to display his athleticism as a FAT guy, Cesaro was able to display his strength as the comparatively less heavy and lanky wrestler, and Rusev was able to display his wrestling ability as the brawler type. Everything was done in a triangle where it seemed as if one wrestler would trump the other.
The finish to the triple-threat-turned-singles-match may be met with split reaction, but honestly it was well done. Though, commentary could have explained the impact of a kick to the chest after a near 30 minute outing, it seemed to me that was the intention - have Rusev win with his most devastating and logical move virtually out of nowhere which doesn't involve Cesaro tapping out.
However my absolute favourite display was Rusev vs Cena after the match. Not much happened in those minutes, but not much had to. Rusev throwing his hairtie at Cena before the match began, trying his best to defend himself at the beginning but just eventually giving up, asking for Cena to continue as a last resort to, I don't know, tire him out? And lastly Rusev doing so well in this position of getting his ass whipped that even Cena looked like he was legitimately laughing at the hilariousness of the situation.
Ultimately it seemed more like Rusev lucked out of the AA into his Accolade, as opposed to "baiting" Cena in, as Rusev's facial expression was of surprise and amazement. Cena being able to lift Rusev but not able to break the Accolade was probably the best and most important booking of the entire segment, not just the match too. Now Rusev looks like he actually still has a chance to beat these guys, and didn't get clowned by Cena again.
Cena's performance throughout the match was spectacular as well. Though I'm not sure if it was an act or if he was genuine, the fact I can't tell probably makes it better than even I think it was. The douchery of the fifteen time world champion taking on a winded, weak and temporarily handicapped opponent that he has beaten multiple times will never, ever be matched.
And Owens interrupting was expected, but not in a bad way. It was the best finish to the match without a doubt.
In my honest opinion, almost a perfect segment from beginning to end. The matches were fantastic for different reasons, but unfortunately not quite high enough to make it the best it could be.
I would put the triple threat match up as the best Raw match of 2015 so far, with the singles between Cena and Rusev in the top 10, and the segment overall in the top 5.
Everything was great, for once.
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