2018 Ongoing MOTY List: BRAUN/Lashley vs. Zayn/KO

34. Braun Strowman/Bobby Lashley vs. Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens WWE Raw 4/23

ER: The double monster babyface tag team is a pretty hard thing to pull off, so this is basically worked like the Road Warriors pummeling John Tatum and Jack Victory, and while Zayn isn't Tatum and Owens isn't Victory, they take a mauling just fine. Zayn was the ultimate crash test dummy throughout, really great at putting over the beating by selling moves while taking other moves, Braun gets fully unleashed and both get slung around the ringside area while the fans go absolutely mad with GET THESE HANDS chants. I thought Sami was pretty great throughout and loved his smarmy face while punching Lashley and gleefully tagging in Owens, and Lashley was good at musclehead in peril, bumping to the floor and eating a big Owens senton. The moments preventing Lashley's hot tag were really good, with Zayn getting launched by a huge belly to belly but Owens still preventing the tag, Zayn leaping onto Lashley with a choke, Owens yanking Braun off the apron, all good stuff. Braun on the apron looked like a rodeo bull just waiting for his chance to buck around the arena, and his hot tag run was one for the ages: Constant motion, Owens gets plastered into the barricade, Zayn gets leveled with a lariat, insane running dropkick on the floor to Owens, Zayn trying to run away but getting dragged back, just a complete ass beating once Braun was unleashed. Smoldering crowd, fun tag teases, monsters running wild, just a total blast.

PAS: I have never been huge fans of Zayn or Owens, I was a low voter on Steen and Generico too, but I think they may have found their calling as a super Canadian version of the Rock and Roll RPM's. They just need an obnoxious Canadian Jim Cornette style manager, what is Tom Green doing these days? Zayn has a really great smirky heel charisma and just gets hurled around the ring with abandon, the height on that belly to belly was down right Pat Tanakian. I like the idea of Lashley and Strowman as a monster babyface tag team, although I have no idea what combo of heels that would look credible against them, maybe Brock and Big Show? What is Nathan Jones doing these days?


2018 MOTY MASTER LIST