RAW Reactions: Alfred Konuwa & Bin Hamin Talk RAW Opener, Rhyno vs Reigns?, The New Day’s Horns, Ryback’s Big Leap, more

Forbes & Bleacher Report’s Alfred Konuwa’s RAW Reaction

Alfred KunowaEarlier today the latest episode of RAW Reaction was released on WrestleZone Radio. This week’s show was hosted by WrestleZone Daily’s Nick Hausman and featured Forbes & Bleacher Report pro wrestling columnist Alfred Konuwa as the co-host.

This episode of WWE Monday Night RAW included a huge sixteen man, four team, elimination match to start the show between The Wyatt FamilyThe League of Nations, Team ECW and The Family. It also featured a classic between Kevin Owens and Dolph Ziggler, the latest in Rusev’s feud with RybackThe New Day and Team BAD putting unicorn horns on and forming Team Bad Day, hype for this Sunday’s TLC WWE Network special, The Miz continuing to court NevilleRic Flair in Charlotte’s corner during a heated Miz TVRhyno returning to backup his Team ECW friends, Tommy Dreamer wrestling twice, more

Below are some of Alfred’s quotes from the RAW Reaction transcribed as well as the full audio:

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On RAW starting with a big sixteen man match and the promos that preceded the match:

AK: One of the things about them getting away from The Authority that I thought would be good is that we didn’t get these fifteen minute promos from The Authority. It’s like we get the same thing from Sheamus. One of the things that WWE needs to focus on doing is, maybe, just starting off kind of hot. Start off with a match, you know? Someone says, “Hey, get out here. I want to fight.” Just go from there. 

On the stare down between Rhyno and Roman Reigns in the opening match that the fans seemed excited for:

AK: They loved it. I wonder if the officials will take notice of… you know… Rhyno keeps himself in great shape. I’ve always wanted Reigns to feud with one of the things that has evaded him. He hasn’t really feuded with too many older legends who are really over with the crowd. This would be something that I wouldn’t mind seeing at all. It’s a fresh face to these fans and somebody who people would get in to. A feud with Reigns and Rhyno. 

On The New Day’s new piece of merchandise, a headband-unicorn horn combo:

AK: These things can get over. I don’t even know where the whole unicorn thing came from. In terms with how it fits in with The New Day. What they’ve done is such a good job of just embracing it. These things are going to do great. I can see fans just lining up to get them. They are kind of strange looking in terms of having a unicorn horn just pointing out of their head. I think it’s funny. 

Bin Hamin (aka Ben Duerr) Gives His Own RAW Reaction

WZR BinEarlier today Bin Hamin (aka Ben Duerr) was the featured co-host on WrestleZone Daily. Ben regularly appears on the show on Tuesdays and his take on Monday Night RAW has become a staple on the show.

Below are some of Ben’s reactions to last night’s episode of WWE Monday Night RAW as well as the full audio from his appearance on WrestleZone Daily:

On the big sixteen man, four team elimination match that kicked off the show:

BH: That’s a main event, right? They just pop that on there in a time of people hating on ratings and wanting to start with action. Even tho they did fourteen minutes of talking to lead in to it. Still, it did get things going. After that, how are you supposed to top that? You obviously have to break it down backwards and get some singles matches out of there. They didn’t do a bad job doing that. Having to book their show backwards to try and, “shake things up.” That’s the big creative shake up? Take your third act and put it in your first? Well, that’s going to last about two shows.

On the big leap that Ryback took last night over the top rope to the outside on to Rusev:

BH: He was going all in. After surgery and stuff? Janking on his shoulder like that? Then he (Rusev) put him in a pretty shoot clutch on the outside. Pretty hard camel clutch. I’d be like, “Oof.” I’d be worried about that shoulder. Ryback was going off last night. Second rope dropkick too. That’s a bad idea some would say. Setting himself up for getting hurt plus there’s guys on your roster who do that for real. I mean, it’s impressive to see a monster like that do it and not get hurt. Don’t get me wrong. You don’t do it on a RAW just to do it. Especially in a match that’s going to end in a shmozz off of some DQ on the outside. Some business that’s just going to further their relationship and didn’t mean anything. Now you might have gotten hurt. It’s just like an early comeback, he’s already established as a smasher, you don’t need to do that for them. Whoever the agent was that may have booked that might need to get talked to. If they didn’t then he went in to business for himself and that’s scary because he’s an investment. He should know better. 

The rest of today’s episode of WrestleZone Daily featured Ben also giving his take on:

  • The news that there could be major changes backstage in WWE to the creative direction of the product 
  • Tommy Dreamer getting even more WWE TV time
  • Bret Hart’s issues with the WWE Network airing Stampede Wrestling footage
  • Joey Ryan calling out Jim Cornette for comments he made about his manhood
  • Stardust tweeting out that he was injured on RAW
  • More…

You can listen to the full archives of WrestleZone daily in the embedded audio player below:

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