WWE Raw results and observations (11/03/14)

WWE divulged its third quarter earnings last week and the results weren't very good, especially when it came to the WWE Network and its low number of subscribers.

The poor results must have lit a fire under the entire company because Monday's episode of Monday Night Raw was the best it has produced in weeks, maybe even months.

Again, with a live three-hour television program you're going to have your share of lulls, but the things the WWE put an emphasis on during the show hit on all of the right notes.

The WWE even changed up its format a little and presented championship match after Raw that aired exclusively on the WWE Network. Why it took the WWE nine months to finally do something like this is beyond me, but it worked.

Before we delve any deeper, here are the full match results from the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, N.Y.:

- Dean Ambrose def. Cesaro

- The Miz def. Jimmy Uso

- Tyson Kidd def. Sheamus via count out

- Ryback def. Titus O'Neil

- WWE Intercontinental Championship – Seth Rollins def. Dolph Ziggler via disqualification

- Big Show def. Mark Henry via disqualification

- Nikki Bella def. Emma

- Rusev def. Zack Ryder

- Fernando def. Stardust

- Seth Rollins def. Randy Orton

- WWE United States Championship – Rusev def. Sheamus

With that taken care of, let's go through my highlights and observations from the show:

The Authority finishes Randy Orton

Tensions between Randy Orton and The Authority boiled over Monday night when Triple H, at the behest of Stephanie McMahon, reluctantly ordered Seth Rollins, Kane and Jamie Noble to take out The Viper.

This all happened after Triple H gave Orton a match with Rollins under the condition that once the match was over, Orton would end the schism between himself and Rollins and join The Authority at Survivor Series.

However, there was one problem, Rollins found a way to beat Orton. Triple H pleaded with Orton to squash the beef, but the loss was too much for him to bear and he hit Rollins with an RKO after the match.

Orton began taking on The Authority and was ready to punt Rollins into next year, but Triple H stopped him. Instead of listening to his mentor, Orton gave him a forearm to the face and the melee continued outside of the ring.

The Authority finally got Orton under control when Rollins found a way to curb stomp Orton on the announce table, which seemingly cut him open on his forehead, but only added to the drama of the moment.

Stephanie McMahon told The Authority to finish Orton and they did by way of a curb stomp to the steel steps.

Not only was this segment well executed, it was a hot angle that capped off a very good episode of Raw.

Now, Orton can go away for a couple of weeks to heal up in storyline, but in reality, to film the sequel to The Condemned.

The Authority gains more heat by taking out one of its own and all of this should make for an interesting Survivor Series.

I'll have more on Survivor Series in a little bit, but I want to reiterate how good I thought this segment was. It was intense, chaotic and at the end brutal. All of that creates heat, and heat is what sells tickets.

Rusev instantly adds credibility to the United States title

The Bulgarian Brute from Russia won his first singles title in the WWE when he defeated Sheamus for the United States Championship in a very good match that aired exclusively on the WWE Network.

The obvious way of looking at this occurrence was that it made sense for the Russian sympathizer that hates America to win and flaunt being the United States champion, but it putting the title on Rusev brings credibility to a title that's been stale for years.

I wish the WWE would do this more often; put one of the mid-card titles on a guy it has big plans for, not a guy who's you have no intentions on being anything but a mid-card act.

Once upon a time, the Intercontinental and United States champions were the No. 2 men in their respective promotion and were either on their way to the top title or had been there before and was using the secondary title as stepping stone to get back to the top.

That's been lost throughout the years, but Rusev is finally a guy that bucks that recent trend.

Rusev hasn't lost yet and shouldn't lose anytime soon, which will add prestige to the title. As the saying goes, the man should make the title, the title doesn't make the man.

For far too long the WWE has put titles on people in hopes of it getting them over. What they should have been doing is putting a title on someone because they were over.

I don't think there's anyone out there that can say with a straight face that Rusev isn't over as a heel.

But one day, he will have to lose. However, the person he loses to will be better for it, and so will the United States title. The next United States title change will actually mean something.

I'm glad the WWE had him work his way up to a championship instead of having it tossed upon him as soon as he broke in. That type of slow build is very beneficial for everyone involved.

The WWE should try this with Roman Reigns, who is a guy that's got main event written all over him, but isn't quite there yet. Give him a run with the Intercontinental title, give him time to grow into the role of being a champion and grow the prestige of the title at the same time.

United States title match on WWE Network a good idea

This was obviously a reactionary tactic to the low subscriber numbers, but the WWE presented the title match between Sheamus and Rusev on the WWE Network.

I thought this was a very good idea because it actually showed people what the network actually has to offer instead of repeating that it costs $9.99 over and over again.

If the WWE wants to see a bigger uptick that 31,000 subscribers in the fourth quarter of this year, the WWE Network needs more original programming and it needs to improve the quality of the product that we all watch on television on a weekly basis.

Vince McMahon raises the stakes for Survivor Series

In yet another reactionary tactic to the low subscriber numbers, the chairman of the board, the genetic jackhammer Vince McMahon popped up on Raw to try to increase ratings and create some tension with The Authority.

Vince McMahon told the people in Buffalo and the good folks watching at home that he was going to up the ante on the Team Cena versus Team Authority match at Survivor Series.

Now, if The Authority loses, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H will be removed from power, which didn't sit well with the power couple.

Vince McMahon left the building early, but not before Stephanie McMahon and Triple H hurried him out of the building. It looks like we may get the power struggle that we were reportedly supposed to get last year.

I like the added stipulation to the big Survivor Series because this match was in need of something hanging in the balance besides the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

Dean Ambrose shouldn't be shaking Vince McMahon's hand

Before Vince McMahon left the building, Dean Ambrose went to the ring for his match against Cesaro.

Before getting in the ring, Ambrose inexplicably shook Vince McMahon's hand. That shouldn't have happened.

Ambrose his called "The Lunatic Fringe," which means he is off his rocker. It also probably means he is not fan of authority. We already know he's not a fan of The Authority, but why would a guy like Ambrose really want to be all buddy-buddy with Vince McMahon?

It didn't work when Steve Austin did it and a character of a similar ilk should learn from that and avoid it.

I understand that Ambrose is merely doing what he's told, but whomever thought that was a good idea doesn't understand that shaking Vince McMahon's hand doesn't quite fit Ambrose's character and persona.

John Cena missing in action

I watched the entire show and didn't even realize that John Cena was not there. He was completely missing from the show.

The fact that I didn't realize it he wasn't even there is very telling. There should be a gaping hole where Cena usually is, but in reality, there wasn't.

To be fair, there were some differences. Some guys worked twice in one night like Rollins, Sheamus and Rusev. I have to imagine one of those matches would have been for Cena.

But I didn't miss his long, routine promo telling the fans how much they matter and how much their freedom of speech means to him. What we got instead was a good, clean show.

Xavier Woods becoming Ernest "The Cat" Miller?

To be fair, this was only a vignette. There may be more on the way that gives this character more context, and by context I mean Kofi Kingston and Big E.

But from what we were presented Monday night, Xavier Woods looks like a 2014 version of Ernest "The Cat" Miller from World Championship Wrestling.

I didn't want to believe it at first, but when the women put the James Brown cape on his back I almost pulled a hamstring reaching for the remote to change the channel.

Why do we need another black wrestler that sings and dances? We already have R-Truth. He raps and dances. Now we're going to get Xavier Woods, who is very talented and doesn't need a lot of bells and whistles for him to get over with the fans.

But apparently, he will be getting some. I will be fair, though. I will give it a chance just like I have with every other character the WWE debuts on television, but it's not looking good so far.

Dolph Ziggler turns down The Authority

The Authority tried to persuade the Intercontinental Champion to leave Cena's team at Survivor Series in exchange for whatever he desired.

What Ziggler desired, however, was for Stephanie McMahon and Triple H to be removed from power.

Ziggler didn't get to say too much, but it was nice to see him involved in some type of angle for once. For as charismatic as Ziggler is, we don't get to hear him talk very much.

Tyson Kidd's heel persona grows

Tyson Kidd may have used his wife Natalya do it, but he found a way to defeat Sheamus by count out.

Kidd has gotten something with this heel persona, especially with Natalya involved. He's always been talented, but his new cowardly ways should give him a good amount of steam as a heel.