When it comes to pulling off a successful go-home episode of Monday Night Raw, just days before a major pay-per-view, a balancing act is important.On one hand, it needs to give fans just enough of a taste of the compelling matchups and storylines set to culminate Sunday night so theyll come running for more. But it needs to be equally careful not to give away the recipe at the same time.The WWE might have been guilty of the latter on Monday as it set the stage for Sundays loaded SummerSlam card at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The result was an undermining of what had otherwise been a fast-moving and entertaining three-hour showThe biggest point of contention was the 27-minute main event that saw?Roman Reigns?defeat WWE United States champion?Rusev?clean in a non-title match.Reigns proved once again he can put forth a PPV-quality match against a top superstar. But therein lies a problem -- why give away a PPV-quality match just six days before the same superstars will meet again on a much bigger stage, with ostensibly higher stakes?Its a recipe for customer fatigue, and it threatens to outright steal from Sundays payoff.Mondays Raw also continued to promote the oft-maligned Reigns?despite his lower billing -- featured in no bigger than sixth-most-important feud entering SummerSlam.Reigns slip from the main-event level -- hes held the WWE championship three times since November -- to a U.S. title feud with Rusev was thought to be a demotion after his recent 30-day suspension for a wellness violation. Not only did Reigns close the Aug. 8 episode of Raw by spearing Rusev moments before the final credits rolled, but he was also unquestionably the featured player of Mondays show for the second straight week, bookending the opening and closing segments.To his credit, Reigns delivered. He was effective in going back to the well of comedy for the second straight week by insulting Lana in the opening segment. His backstage brawl with Rusev at the shows midway point might have been the weeks top moment, with both wrestlers thrown viciously into a garage door before Reigns was slammed onto a catering table.I TOLD YOU YOUD PAY FOR THIS! I TOLD YOU! - @RusevBUL assaulting @WWERomanReigns backstage... #RAW pic.twitter.com/9p0B82jfDB- WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) August 16, 2016Had their interactions for the evening ended there, the anticipation for Reigns retribution would have been high for Sunday. Instead, Reigns has closed two straight episodes with the upper hand against Rusev, continuing the narrative that hes been forced down the throats of ?growing (and increasingly vocal) segment of the WWE universe.Speaking of giving things away prematurely, a similar point can be made for the main-roster debut of?Finn Balors?alter ego, the Demon King. After a lengthy promo by?Seth Rollins, Balor made his unique entrance, complete?with makeup -- a spectacle that until that point had been saved exclusively for big events like NXT: TakeOver cards.Like Reigns, Balor executed to near-perfection on Monday, as he met the challenge of Rollins, who had called him out throughout Raw. Balor was creepy and almost sinister in his body language and movements, adding more depth to the dark side of his character than we had seen in NXT.The #DemonKing @FinnBálor was finally summoned by @WWERollins on #RAW just six days before clashing at @SummerSlam! https://t.co/de47pZSaaY- WWE (@WWE) August 16, 2016Announcer Corey Graves perfectly summed up Balors transformation.Somewhere deep in the mind of Finn Balor theres a door that is kept under lock and key. When Finn opens it, he undergoes this sort of metamorphosis. Its an otherworldly aggression that Finn Balor unleashes. Its surreal to see, Graves said.But considering Balor has a history of saving the gimmick for the biggest stages, why risk distracting from the attention he would have received in Brooklyn?Hits and missesGive?Heath Slater?full credit for taking a comical gimmick -- going undrafted after the brand extension -- and making it a must-see part of both Raw and SmackDown Live. This isnt Damien Sandow going all-in?on a Macho Man Randy Savage impersonation; its even better. Slaters work opposite?Brock Lesnar?on Monday was top shelf, which made Lesnars stinging comeback of I dont give a s--- about your?kids even more memorable. We all enjoyed watching a hard worker like Zack Ryder gain some level of career redemption with his surprise Intercontinental title win at WrestleMania 32. Heres hoping Slater can find his own.EXCLUSIVE: Back to the drawing board for free agent @HeathSlaterOMRB after getting an #F5 from @BrockLesnar... #RAW https://t.co/H5UpEmEuQ4- WWE (@WWE) August 16, 2016Was Rusevs comment to?Stephanie McMahon?in the opening segment a continued tease for a possible trade between the two brands down the road? Rusev threatened he would call the little Daniel [Bryan] and your big?brother?Shane [McMahon] before adding that they appreciate talent. Last week it was Bryan, the general manager of SmackDown Live, who made a surprise appearance on Raw -- putting over?Cesaro?by mentioning how underutilized he was on the WWEs flagship brand. Its something to watch closely, at the very least.Speaking of Cesaro, fans can be forgiven for not being overjoyed about his current feud with?Sheamus, especially considering how overdue The Swiss Superman is to be booked into something meaningful. So?what does the WWE do? How about a best-of-seven series between the two set to begin on Sunday at SummerSlam? In addition to their matches in the past two weeks? No thanks.Raw general manager Mick Foley dyed his beard jet black in a move Im all for. Granted we should all be afforded the chance to age gracefully, but Foley was trending too far away from the Cactus Jack gimmick we originally fell in love with and giving off more of a late 1980s Jerry Garcia vibe.While Im not a big supporter of the name for?Chris Jericho?and?Kevin Owens superteam, dubbed Jeri-KO, their subtle comedic work remains a highlight of the show. Credit both for their quick wit in constantly?calling?backstage interview Tom Phillips by the wrong name. Sometimes its the little things that leave the biggest mark.Graves continues to shine during his evolution as a heel announcer on Raw. While its too early to call him great (or make any knee-jerk comparisons to the likes of Jesse Ventura), he has developed a style all his own by picking his spots perfectly thus far. His commentary is efficient and meaningful, without undermining his characters credibility with throwaway humor. He was also largely competing with himself for line of the night on Monday, including this gem to Michael Cole about?Nia Jaxs?opponent Rachel Levy: You didnt exactly expect a logical answer from a young lady with blue hair, did you Cole?Strong work from?Charlotte?on Monday, with a well-executed misdirection backstage -- teasing a breakup with?Dana Brooke, only for Brooke to blindside?Sasha Banks?and give Charlotte the upper-hand going?into?Sunday.?Without saying much of anything, slapping Sasha in the Figure-eight and not letting go gives their match more depth to work with before the bell even rings on Sunday night.Move of the nightIf this weeks theme was how easily PPV-quality moments are given away, consider?Nevilles?absurd corkscrew moonsault from the top rope against?Jinder Mahal?firmly in that category.?No one?on the roster can do exactly what Neville can, which makes you hope WWE can book him a feud worthy enough to showcase everything hes capable of. Thats two straight weeks for Neville, which should come as little surprise.Line of the nightYou know what they call people like that Byron? Often times they call them champion. - Graves, in response to Byron Saxtons notion that there is nothing Charlotte wont do to get an edge.Cheap Colombia Jerseys . - Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is not a fan of his teams use of the wildcat formation, saying "it makes you look like a high school offence. Cheap Uruguay Jerseys . They were putting most of their energy into a record-setting offensive display. http://www.cheapsoccerjerseysoutlet.com/?tag=cheap-france-jerseys . LOUIS -- Cardinals cleanup hitter Allen Craig says hes recovered from a foot injury and ready to be put on St. Cheap Manchester City FC Jerseys . Traditional contenders Brazil, Greece and Turkey drew the other three spots to complete the 24-team field for this summers tournament in Spain, basketball governing body FIBA announced Saturday at its meeting in Barcelona. Cheap Paris Saint-Germain FC Jerseys .4 million title. Ryan Riess emerged with the title after a session in which he started behind, but used expert skill to gather the chips to his side amid the unpredictability of no-limit Texas Hold em. Riess put his final opponent Jay Farber all-in with an Ace-King.Larry Collmus has stepped down as the wintertime racetrack announcer at Gulfstream Park. No replacement has been named.Collmus, 49, who began calling the races at Gulfstream in January 2007, cited the desire to lessen his workload, which includes calling races at the New York Racing Association tracks -- Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga -- seven months of the year as well as being the voice of the Triple Crown and Breeders Cup. Collmus informed Gulfstream Park management of his decision Wednesday morning.I will not be returning as the announcer for the winter meet at Gulfstream, Collmus said. Its been a good 10 years, but I feel at this time of my career that its in my best interests to cut back my schedule. Ill be 50 years old in October, and the wear and tear of nearly year-round race-calling will catch up to my body and brain eventually.A winter break will boost my energy levels and give me an opportunity to keep the creative juices flowing. I am extremely fortunate to work for the NYRA and for NBC Sports, and I think I owe it to them to be the best I can be for many years to come.Pete Aiello calls the races at Gulfstream from early April through November. Though Gulfstream officials said Wednesday that no decision has been made on Collmuss replacement, it is expected thaat Aiello will be offered the wintertime position.dddddddddddd Last winter, Aiello called the races at Oaklawn Park, which means that track could need an announcer for the 2017 meet.In a statement, Gulfstream Park president and general manager P.J. Campo said: We totally understand where Larry is coming from. Hes under tremendous stress each day with everything hes doing, and Larry is a perfectionist. We appreciate everything Larry has done for Gulfstream. Hes been a true professional and a great friend to Gulfstream. We wish him all the best moving forward.Collmus, who has called races at a plethora of tracks starting in 1985, said he worked at Gulfstream on a year-to-year oral contract. In the summer of 2014, Collmus signed a five-year contract to call the races at NYRA, taking over for the retiring Tom Durkin.In April 2015, Collmus began his NYRA duties. He calls the races at Aqueduct, Belmont, and Saratoga from April through October.Asked if he planned to pick up any more work from NYRA, Collmus said, At this point, nothing changes with my NYRA schedule.From November to March, John Imbriale and Travis Stone split the race-calling job at NYRA. ' ' '