#CAGED SIDE SEATS FULL#

And maybe WWE’s current production model calls for resetting said expectations since SmackDown serves as the Mania lead these days. Christening this week’s show “ WrestleMania Raw” comes with expectations. Cody defeating Solo, with Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens keeping Jimmy & Jey Uso from interfering, laid some solid track going into the big show.īut other than that, nothing about this episode felt any different than an episode from mid-February. The biggest development, and the best move, came in the main event where Cody Rhodes pinned Solo Sikoa clean in the ring for Solo’s first true L. But that Raw meant something while this week’s Raw in 2023 felt anything but essential. WWE has more programming now than in 1999 and even more avenues for story development. Mankind with some actual stakes involved for the Mania main event, a street fight, and a main event featuring the biggest star in the company with an entire deck stacked against him. And that’s how they started the show! We also got a title for title match between the New Age Outlaws, Rock vs. The Rock tumbled in beer as Austin got one over on the champ, while they both created another indelible moment from an era filled with them.

#CAGED SIDE SEATS FULL#

You know the one even if you don’t remember the full episode because it’s when Stone Cold Steve Austin drove a beer truck to the ring and hosed down The Corporation. I often think about the Raw before WrestleMania 15. With the storytelling mostly in the books and the matches set, WWE goes into cruise control now rather than full throttle so many moons ago. As Kyle Decker pointed out in the Cageside Slack, the Raw before Mania, at least for the last few years, usually feels quite pedestrian. Times changed and everything evolves, but I really miss the days when the Raw before WrestleMania got me hyped.

Not so fast, We've got company! #WrestleMania #WWERaw /EpM8Xscw5x- WWE March 28, 2023

Caged side seats