Reviews

WWE Network Review: WWE Raw Talk for 4-19-21

By Aneil Komal • Published 20th April 2021

Raw Talks kicks off with hosts Kevin Patrick and The New Day’s Xavier Woods. Patricks brings up Xavier bringing out the guitars but also Kofi losing to Elias. Onto Drew McIntyre, they speak about getting him having to get through Mace and T-Bar. Woods says he has felt the wrath of the former Retribution members but also knows Drew has battled through many obstacles. On the subject of Sheamus’ United States Championship open challenge, they touched on The Celtic Warrior dominating Humberto Carillo. On the flip side, Woods says he was glad Humberto got the opportunity because of how talented he is. Lastly, looking back at the ending of Raw, we see Charlotte Flair’s meltdown where she attacks the referee. Woods says they do not put their hands on the referee because the official is the one who maintains the rules so the match does not end up in chaos. He adds that for someone put their hands on the official, they have to pass angry and frustrated which is what Charlotte was most likely going through.

Aneil’s Take: I like the new combination of Kevin Patrick and Xavier Woods. While some will miss Char-Truth, I think it helps brings more value to this show with someone like Xavier who provides reasonable answers. Good job by them covering much of Raw even though there was not much to miss outside of the Flair meltdown.

The first guest is The Burt Business’ MVP. MVP makes a jab at Woods saying Patrick downgraded in the category of hosts. Woods says while he does not like MVP he cannot deny him and Bobby being unstoppable before congratulating him. Patrick talks about Lashley retaining his championship at Wrestlemania which MVP says was expected. He knew Lashley would walk in and out as champion, adding that he said McIntyre he would lose conscience in his match. There is some more banter between MVP and Woods, before talking about Mace and T-Bar. MVP answers while they downsized, they are not recruiting and do not know the motivation behind the two large men. However, he is excited by what they are doing to McIntyre but backs up his statement that he has nothing to do with it. Patrick asks if they are angering the beast in McIntyre, MVP loudly laughs it off. The interview ends with Woods acknowledging WWE Champion being dominant with MVP concluding that no one will beat Lashley.

Aneil’s Take: I liked the interview with MVP, especially being mum about T-Bar and Mace’s involvement. As for Mace and T-Bar, thank goodness they got rid of the mask. Hopefully, it is a permanent thing and we can finally feast our eyes on Djavokic and possibly see Dio get his revenge on Brock Lesnar.

Before the next guest, Adam Pearce interrupts informing the host that Charlotte Flair has been indefinitely suspended and will be fined $100,000 because of her unprofessional actions. Patrick asks Woods if WWE making an example of Charlotte which he says absolutely since she made an example with the referee.

Aneil’s Take: Finally, WWE using Raw Talk to incorporate some storyline. I wonder what will happen with Charlotte being suspended especially only coming back one week ago.

The next guests are Naomi and Lana. Patrick congrats on the two women on their victory against the Women’s Tag Team Champions. When asked if they could beat the champions without Mandy Rose or Dana interfering, Naomi answers yes since they have beaten Nia and Shayna in the past. Lana says they had a tag team title match before but lost after the champs cheated. When asked if they should challenge for the title, Naomi and Lana simultaneously answered that they are ready to be future Women’s tag team champions. Woods brings up both women making TikTok videos, believing it has helped them understand each other and create a bond. Lana agreed to say dance brings everyone together and as says she looked to The New Day as inspiration. Naomi says they are overlooked because they dance and might not seem serious but they are far off from that notion. Talking about Wrestlemania, Lana says she got emotional because she missed the fans and realized they are nothing without them. Woods asks Naomi about her journey coming back which she answers that she is more appreciative and feels blessed. She says the Wrestlemania entrance was special to have Lana by her side. Lana ends by saying that Naomi has been very encouraging to be herself and believe in her.

Aneil’s Talk: I like this tag team with Lana and Naomi. They are a fun, positive energy team that can be the big babyface team the women’s tag team division needs. I also liked Woods making a point that Lana and Naomi making TikTok videos as a way to create a bond between them. While the older crowd might not be familiar with TikTok, it is big with the young audience (including myself). I hope this pairing works out and possibly find themselves as champions soon.

The final guest is “The Archer of Infamy” Damian Priest. The host brings up Priest interrupted The Miz and Maryse and asked about the bad-tasting champagne. Priest says he knows champagne since his NXT days and knows that tasted awful. Patrick mentions Maryse challenging Priest to face The Miz and being able to avenge his loss from last week. Priest wonders if Maryse and The Miz have beef with each other. Talking about Bad Bunny, Priest says it was cool to have the experience with his friend Bad Bunny, especially with the Wrestlemania entrance. Continuing on Bad Bunny, Priest says the Latin rapper was not even supposed to be successful in his industry but did it his way which worked out. As for wrestling, it was Bunny’s dream since he was a kid and worked to get the opportunity. Priest says he was so happy to see his friend shock the world as he did. As for Priest’s wrestling history, he says he has been wrestling for 17 years. When asked what is next for him, Priest answers that he wants to create moments that will stand the test of time. He wants his name to live forever and to create meaningful memories. He ends by saying he wants championships and main events with more celebration before Raw Talk ends.

Aneil’s Take: Another solid interview with Damian Priest aka DP. While debuting at the age of 38, I think he still has a lot of good years ahead of him. I think he would be a good choice to challenge Sheamus for the United States Championship. I do wonder if he gets tired of hearing Bad Bunny questions, although it did help him gain some popularity in my opinion. Hearing Priest speaks about having the moment with Kane at Royal Rumble and then his entrance at Wrestlemania, you can sense the enjoyment he has doing this job. Hopefully, his love and excitement for the business carry on with continued success.