Regular watchers of WWE’s flagship Raw program have likely noted that in recent weeks the promotion has made a renewed effort to showcase the Viking Raiders tag team. They were brought up to the main roster shortly after Wrestlemania. As part of this effort, each week the Raiders have beaten opposing teams of ‘local competitors’ in dominating fashion. Basically “squash matches”. If the matches have gone more than a minute that is only because the Raiders have delayed going for a pin in order to inflict more punishment.
On the August 5th edition of Raw, which took place from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, one of their opponents was Idris Abraham. He is one half of Halal Beefcake, the Smash Wrestling tag team champions. He was identified on Raw as Eric Abraham. Abraham isn’t local to Pittsburgh, though, he is actually from Ontario, Canada, Smash’s home province. Abraham was not teaming with his regular tag team partner Joe Coleman though. Instead, he was paired with James Alexander (identified as Jay Alexander on Raw). Alexander himself is from Michigan, so neither man actually fits the bill of ‘local competitor.’
This was actually Abraham’s second appearance on Raw. He was previously on the program in October of 2018. He was one of the participants in Baron Corbin’s Global Battle Royal. On that occasion he was identified as the ‘Sultan of Shawarma.’
A video of their brief battle with Eric and Ivar can be seen here:
It was interesting to see Abraham on this episode of Raw, as WWE is making it’s way to Toronto, Ontario for SummerSlam. The August 12 edition of the program will also emanate from that city. Abraham will be in the same city participating in two events for Smash Wrestling in the days prior to SummerSlam.
He will be in an eight-man tag match that is part of the Smash vs. PROGRESS Wrestling show on Wednesday, August 7th. Then Coleman will defend his Smash tag team titles against the team of Fight or Flight at Smash’s Super Showdown VII on Friday, August 9th.
With WWE being in his home territory, perhaps we will see a return appearance for Abraham next week. And if WWE needs some more ‘local competitors’ to feed to the Raiders, there will be lots of the stars of Smash in town ready, willing and able to step up.
