30 Man Ironman Match
It was billed “End of the Line” for a reason. Charlotte and Sasha Banks battled one last time, with Sasha entering as WWE RAW Women’s Champion. She won the first championship in Pittsburgh in July. We learned that you never bet against Charlotte in Pay-Per-View matches, no matter what.
Let’s break down their multiple title reigns: Charlotte held the title for 114 days and lost it to Sasha Banks. Sasha Banks held the title for 27 days and then dropped it again to Charlotte. After 44 days, Sasha Banks reclaimed the RAW Women’s Championship, only to lose it again after 28 days. Charlotte would drop it 30 days into the feud, only to get it back last night after 20 days. So, Sasha Banks has held the championship on three separate occasions. She was not able to hold it a month.
I will say that, as a wrestling purist, I really enjoyed this match. I am not going to agree with the multiple championship changes, but the 34 minute battle aY WWE Roadblock did what it needed to. It made RAW’s best feud end with certainty. A battle that would end up with blood pouring down Sasha’s mouth before she tapped out made you feel that these women did all that they could in this 5-6 month feud. It gave us two legit contenders and felt like a Rock vs. Austin feud. You have the two best women in the company battling week after week, month after month. History was made and I applaud these women. It is hard to not think of the hot potato of championship reigns, but it really won’t be a big deal in a few months. This should be remembered as a historic and ground breaking feud for all the right reasons.
Hell in a Cell. Main Event of RAW. Falls Count Anywhere. 30 Minute Ironman Match.
A Beating That Lasted Ten Minutes
Could Sami Zayn last ten minutes with Braun Strowman? That is the stipulation and it looked like he was only going to last about 5 minutes. Mick Foley would walk down and want to throw in the towel, but Sami did not allow him. Braun continued the punishment, but Sami battled back. He hit a few moves, dodged some of Strowman’s and landed a Helluva Kick before the time ran out.
The booking was good. Braun needed to dominate and Sami needed to show he was not going to quit. Mission accomplished. Now, what do they do? Where does Sami go from here? Who does Braun Strowman face next? I would actually continue this for another few weeks and then let Braun dominate heading into the Royal Rumble match. What I will say is that WWE made me interested in this feud and I give partial credit to Mick Foley’s promo last week. I give more credit to the two men who were able to execute this feud in the ring more than outside of it. Braun is a beast, a monster among men. He is marketable, but could be a booker’s nightmare. Luckily, January is about one match and 30 men.
