On the heels of the Fastlane pay-per-view, WWE presented a Monday Night Raw that wasted little time stunning the wrestling world.
Shane McMahon made his shocking return to the company, interrupting the Vincent J. McMahon Award presentation and winding up booked in a Hell in a Cell match against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 32.
Roman Reigns found himself on the receiving end of a beatdown that bloodied him and left him lying at the feet of WWE world champion Triple H.
His so-called brother, Dean Ambrose, also was handed a beating at the hands of Brock Lesnar, who accepted his challenge for a No Holds Barred Street Fight at The Showcase of the Immortals.
With so many high-profile occurrences taking place, it was easy to ignore the matches that unfolded live from Detroit.
Who won, who lost and how did each match grade out?
Take a look now with this recap of the February 22 episode of Raw.
Vince McMahon kicked off this week's episode of Raw by presenting the Vincent J. McMahon Award to his daughter, Stephanie—a decision that drew tremendous heat.
The Billion Dollar Princess was overly emotional as she accepted the award, only to have her speech cut off by the returning Shane McMahon.
Shane refused his father's offer of an embrace and handshake. He took on his sister first, claiming that Stephanie and Triple H have not done what is best for business. Instead, they have driven it into the ground.
Shane said he still had his spot in line, and he had not been passed over by his sister. Vince reiterated it, and Stephanie left the ring flustered.
The segment dragged on before Vince booked Shane vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania in Hell in a Cell, with his son winning control of Raw if he can do the unthinkable and beat The Phenom.
Grade
B+
Analysis
Do not let the above grade change the fact that seeing Shane McMahon skip his way back onto WWE television was an amazing moment. The fans reacted strongly for him—and rightfully so. It was proof positive that, sometimes, keeping a talent off television and letting him make the unexpected return can make for extraordinary television.
The blend of reality and entertainment was also nice, with Shane pointing out the ratings, wrestler injuries and the company-stock price dive. Furthermore, the WrestleMania announcement finally gave the event a can't-miss match.
So why only a "B+"?
The segment, at 30 minutes, was ridiculously and unnecessarily long. That could have been compacted into a shorter segment that would have had the same effect.
Did it undeniably change the course of WWE programming heading into the biggest show of the year? Yes.
But it did it with the continued McMahon family drama that overstayed its welcome nearly a decade ago.
