WWE Raw Match Ratings And Notes For 1/29/18 From Sean Ross Sapp

Rating guide

10- Perfect, 9- Excellent, 8- Great, 7- Good, 6- Above Average, 5- Average, 4- Slightly below average, 3 or below: Poor
The rating starts at 5, and slides up and down accordingly. 

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Opening Segment

• Asuka comes out and cuts a pretty charismatic promo. Stephanie announces that there will be a women's Elimination Chamber match next month.
• Sasha Banks comes out and stumbles her way through a promo, but challenges Asuka

Elimination Chamber Qualifier
Last Man Standing
Braun Strowman defeated Kane

• This is very short and ends with Braun Strowman dumping the entire announce table platform on Kane. Wow.
• This is too short to give a rating too, but that was impressive. I'd imagine Kane is written off the show now.
• Backstage Kurt yells at Braun, but Braun AIN'T HAVIN' THAT!

Elimination Chamber Qualifier
Elias defeated Woken Matt Hardy 
5/10

• I can't believe we're 45 minutes into the show during this match. It's flown by.
• Matt Hardy gets his arm worked over on the ring post. 
• Some back and forth before Wyatt's music distracts Hardy, allowing Elias to hit Drift Away for the win.
• Wyatt laughs at Hardy. This is dumb

WWE Intercontinental Championship
The Miz (c) (w/ Miztourage) defeated Roman Reigns
6.75/10

• Dumb phone promo from The Miz backstage. More dumb because of the phone than anything. 
• Reigns no sells a few strikes by Miz and drops him with an uppercut that Miz sells great. 
• After a clothesline to the outside, Miztourage is ran off. Then the ref has to remind Reigns that a chair shot is a DQ. Why does Reigns need to be reminded?
• Reigns breaks the countout, then gets thrown into the ring post.
• Miz hits a great chop block on Reigns during a spear attempt.
• It Kicks to powerbomb attempt to sunset flip into a Figure Four. Really nice series of counters.
• Miz's facial expressions tonight have been great.
• A thumb to the eye, and Skull Crushing Finale, but Reigns kicks out. These two have unbelievable chemistry.
• Superman Punch gets two. The crowd is COOKIN'.
• Miztourage are back out and they get beaten up. Miz rolls up Reigns for the win.
• Good match, but DO AWAY WITH MANDATORY TITLE REMATCHES. It books you into a corner of having someone beaten twice.

The Revival defeated Heath Slater & Rhyno

• Slater gets his leg worked over, before Rhyno briefly comes in on fire.
• Rhyno is not the person I would have wanted to give the Shatter Machine to, but it all ended up okay.
• Charly Caruso doesn't know who the Graham Brothers are. Revival cut a "you people" promo about Philly Fans and ECW.

Backstage Crappenings

• Phone promo from Balor Club. I've preferred these turdy phone promos more than turdy promos where an interviewer has to stare into space.

Asuka defeated Sasha Banks
7.25/10

• I like Renee Young interviewing Sasha Banks in Gorilla position. Banks heels it up a little. 
• Coach really isn't adding anything to color commentary right now, but it's his first week back.
• After Sasha working over Asuka for a while, a tilt a whirl Banks Statement is applied. A struggle, then another Banks Statement is on. 
• One of the grossest suicide dives I've EVER seen results in Sasha eating canvas.
• Fortunately she's okay, but gets a ton of stiff strikes from Asuka. A missile dropkick only gets two.
• Armbar applied by Asuka, but Sasha gets out. Sasha dodges a flying ass and Asuka takes a sick fall. Double knees to the floor from Banks, then another from the top rope.
• Asuka Lock is countered into the Banks Statement, but then back into the Asuka Lock. Submission! Really fun match. 

WWE Raw Tag Team Championship
The Bar (c) defeated Titus Worldwide (w/ Dana Brooke)
5.25/10

• A nice point of continuity by WWE booking this. Titus beats the crap out of Cesaro in the corner. 
• The Bar work over Titus for a while, and he battles back with a clothesline and makes the hot tag. Nice to see Crews as the hot tag.
• Shout outs to Corey Graves explaining flips. 
• The Bar almost kill Apollo on a pop up powerbomb, but he makes it out for a couple of two counts. Finally, The Bar finish him off.
• This was physical

John Cena defeated Finn Balor
5.75/10

• Who on earth called a test of strength spot in this match?
• This is the typical John Cena really milking the crowd early at a snail's pace match. 
• Balor and Cena go back and forth after Balor dodges a Five Knuckle Shuffle. It was a good tide-turning point in the match without exhausting the audience.
• A solid AA gets a two, and Coach plays up the fact that Cena is too worried about the crowd.
• STF applied, Balor gets out. A super AA hits for the win.