The Undercard
Daniel Bryan defeated Fandango to kick off the first match of the night on Raw. The match itself was fast and energetic. There wsa no pacing issues or even a lack of entertainment. Do I love the idea of Fandango in the first match of the night? No, but it gave the crowd their biggest pop and their most popular star the first segment of the night. I expect to see more from Daniel Bryan. After the match, Bray Wyatt cut a fantastic promo about Daniel Bryan joining the family. He is so far above everyone else when cutting a promo because of his diction, his ability to speak and the actual believability. You sometimes forget that he is just a character when he speaks.
Grade: B-
Damien Sandow defeated Santino Marella in a generic match. I wanted to see more of a match out of Sandow tonight, especially since he faces a guy much bigger than him on Sunday. Sandow should have been paired with a man who relies on his strength to win. Give him a bigger opponent to see him beat a guy bigger and stronger than him. It is too logical for that NOT to happen.
Grade: D
The Miz defeated Kofi Kingston. Kingston started off on fire with a dropkick and another kick to the face. Kingston works Miz in the corner only for Miz to come fighting back with some left hands. Kingston hits a kick to the chest a few times to really show his aggression. Miz tries to walk away, but Kofi attacks him on the outside. Miz barely gets any offense until he rolls Kingston up for the win. I was surprised to see The Miz literally do nothing offensively. Kingston ends the match with a Trouble in Paradise, which tells me they will continue this lackluster feud.
Grade: C
The Wyatt Family defeated the Uso's. Good match here in tag team action to warm up the Wyatt's. Jimmy and Jey have really gotten better each week on television. They are a throwback to what tag teams are supposed to be. Harper connects with a massive, JBL like, clothesline to pick up the victory.
Grade: C+
