You only get one chance to make a first impression, or so they say. The RAW after Mania has become infamous for the raucous crowd, but the bread and butter of this show is the many debuts and repackaging of talent. This past Monday in particular felt like a deluge of new faces and gimmicks. Maryse and Cesaro both returned but I would consider them established superstars. I’m going to get into the fresher faces with this list and talk about the many flavors of debut we saw on Monday night.
Apollo Crews- Apollo was given a shine, but not a spotlight, on NXT. We were only given a taste. On RAW, we were shown an “Up Next” video package before a commercial break. Following that break we headed directly into a match featuring Crews and Tyler Breeze. (Side note on Breeze- he did a lot of jobs on NXT and he will do a lot of jobs on the RAW roster. Get over it.) This was a classic “Squash Match”. Crews showcased his high impact signature moves while dealing with little offense from Breeze. For any 20+ year wrestling fan, this format should have felt like a blast from the past. This is how top stars used to get over with the crowd.
The Vaudevillians- This team is unique. They have a “early 1900’s” type of gimmick. These guys are a deep throwback, one guy even uses “Gotch” in his ring name. It plays to a heavy, almost hipster, wrestling crowd. We are shown a simple announcement that they are to debut on SmackDown. This is a perfect spot for them to debut considering their entrance relies on some heavy editing and SmackDown is a pre-taped show. This team of “Gentleman Brawlers” has a boatload of potential.
Baron Corbin- Baron got to address the crowd after a “shock the world” moment at the previous night’s WrestleMania. He had some unkind words for the WWE universe before a no contest finish. Baron got to show some of his mean streak as well. It was made very clear that Baron has no respect for the rules and is here to make a statement. Some serious establishment of his character went on in this segment.
“Greetings from Puerto Rico”- Again, any long time fan should have felt the nostalgia. Nothing beats a good vignette. Primo and Epico have both been hidden under masks for years now as “Los Matadores”. The promo mimicked the style in which Carlito debuted over a decade ago, as all three men are members of the legendary Colon wrestling family. This vignette gave us a glimpse of their attitude but left us with a little mystery. We are not even sure of their official tag team name. A welcome refresh of two young talents.
Enzo and Cass- The expected yet unexpected surprise debut. The music hits, the crowd goes wild. Behind the New Day, Enzo and Cass are arguably the most popular team in the WWE Universe. The long overdue debut of this team delivered on every level. Enzo and Cass are a versatile and dynamic duo. These guys have it all, mic skills, wrestling ability and team chemistry. As a New Jersey native myself, These guys are instantly relatable. The accents and attitudes are all too familiar to any member of the Tri-State area. Excuse my bias, but these guys are the real deal. The powers that be must see the dollar signs in this team and even more money in Big Cass as a singles act. The WWE has always been the “land of the giants”. It is easy to see why this marquee debut was saved for late in the show. These guys are already title contenders.
Throw everything at the wall and see what sticks. I have never seen the WWE throw so many pitches in one single night. Though it was a lot to take in, the future looks bright for these newer superstars. The WWE looks like they are willing to do anything and EVERYTHING to get talent over in 2016. Using all of these debut devices in one night almost felt like a experiment. Couple this with making A.J. Styles the No.1 contender for the WWE Heavyweight Title and we now have all the makings for an interesting year of WWE television. If you are not excited to see the results of these new developments, maybe you should check your status as a wrestling fan.
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