Cruz Montana’s surprise arrival on WWE Raw has already produced one of the more talked-about reactions to the latest 946 storyline development. The NXT wrestler was revealed as the person behind the mask during the closing stretch of Raw, joining the faction’s attack on Roman Reigns and his allies. For Bully Ray, the angle worked because WWE kept the identity hidden well enough to create a genuine arena-wide response when Montana was unmasked.
Speaking about the segment, Bully Ray said he was completely caught off guard by the reveal. He described the Barclays Center reaction as the kind of collective moment that WWE hopes to achieve with a mystery character payoff, particularly when viewers have spent weeks trying to identify the person under the mask.
“Nobody knew,” Bully Ray said. “If shock and awe had a sound to it, last night was that sound because of what you said. Nobody knew. When Cruz Montana eventually took off the mask, I’m getting goosebumps thinking about it because it works so well. There was a collective gasp in the Barclays Center. That is shock and awe.”
Montana has been part of the WWE NXT roster since July, making the Raw appearance a significant step up in visibility. The reveal immediately positioned him alongside an act central to one of Raw’s ongoing stories, while also putting him in a closing segment involving Reigns. For a newer WWE name, that kind of placement can quickly alter how audiences perceive a performer.
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The moment was helped by the fact that the masked attacker was not an obvious answer. In an era when mystery angles can be dissected online almost immediately, maintaining uncertainty until the reveal is difficult. Bully Ray’s response suggests WWE succeeded in keeping the twist away from even experienced observers, at least until the segment played out on television.
Bully Ray Initially Considered Other Possibilities
Bully Ray explained that he spent the segment studying the masked figure’s size and movement, trying to determine who WWE had placed beneath the disguise. LA Knight had been his first possibility, but he quickly moved away from that prediction after watching the performer in action. He then briefly wondered whether it could have been Angelo Dawkins.
“The first thing I said to myself was, that’s not LA Knight. I was watching the body movements. I was looking at the size, I’m like, that’s not LA Knight. Then I’m like, who the F is this? They shot the eyes and for a second, I thought it was Dawkins. Now I was clueless. And when they did the reveal, I was like, ‘Wow, got me.’”
That admission is important because it underlines the difference between a reveal that is merely unexpected and one that feels earned. WWE did not simply unveil a returning name or a superstar who had been widely tied to the group. Instead, it used the mystery to introduce Montana into a larger Raw narrative in a way that immediately gave his arrival purpose and scale.
There is also a practical benefit to the presentation. A wrestler moving from NXT to Raw can sometimes arrive without a clear identity or storyline direction. Montana did not appear in a standard introductory match or a brief backstage scene. He was introduced through action, connected to a faction, and involved in an assault at the end of the show. Whether viewers knew him well from NXT or were seeing him for the first time, the segment provided a clear message: he matters to the story WWE is telling.
Questions Remain About 946’s Direction
While Bully Ray praised the execution of the reveal, he also pointed to the larger question now facing 946: why does Cruz Montana belong in the group, and what does his arrival mean for the other members? WWE has not yet explained Montana’s connection to the faction. That answer will be vital, especially because the group has continued to gain new pieces rather than staying fixed around its original presentation.
Bully Ray also noted that WWE has yet to fully lay out why Carmelo Hayes became part of 946. In his view, however, explaining the connections does not have to be a complicated task. The key will be giving the audience a reason to believe these wrestlers share a purpose beyond simply being aligned for the sake of numbers.
Factions often become more compelling when every member brings a distinct role. One wrestler may be the visible leader, another may be the strategic voice, and another may serve as the physical presence or the unpredictable element. Montana’s masked build-up has already given him an aura of mystery. The next challenge is converting that first impression into a defined character position within 946.
The same applies to Hayes. His addition to the faction was itself a major development, and the group now has multiple personalities whose motivations need to be addressed. WWE has room to tell that story over time, but it will need to make sure that the audience understands why these particular names have chosen to stand together. If the explanations are delayed too long, the surprise of the reveal can start to overshadow the logic of the faction.
Montana’s Early Spotlight Compared With Carmelo Hayes
Bully Ray’s other major observation was that Montana currently feels more important than Hayes within the 946 presentation. He did not believe that should remain the case. Rather, he argued that the group works best if its members are presented as meaningful equals rather than allowing one new arrival to immediately eclipse another.
That concern reflects the balancing act involved in expanding a faction. Montana’s unmasking was designed to be a headline moment, so it naturally generated a great deal of attention. He was the answer to a mystery and the final image of a Raw closing angle. Hayes, on the other hand, is already a known commodity to WWE audiences and did not have the same reveal attached to his association with the group.
Still, Hayes is not a wrestler who should be treated as background decoration. His presence carries its own significance, and a faction gains depth when every person involved has credible reasons to be there and opportunities to make an impact. The question is not whether Montana should be pushed following his surprise debut. He clearly received a strong introduction. The question is whether WWE can build Montana’s momentum without reducing Hayes to a secondary figure in a story that should have room for both.
That can be accomplished through the group’s next steps. Promos, matches, confrontations and internal interactions can all help clarify where each member stands. Montana will need to speak or otherwise establish his own identity after making such a dramatic first impression. Hayes will need material that reinforces his importance to 946 rather than merely reminding viewers that he is present. If WWE handles those elements carefully, the faction can emerge with several featured performers instead of one breakout name and a collection of supporting players.
A Strong First Impression for Cruz Montana
For now, the immediate takeaway is that Montana’s Raw debut achieved its central goal. It surprised the live audience, surprised viewers who were attempting to solve the masked-man mystery, and gave an NXT talent a memorable entrance into a major Raw storyline. Bully Ray’s reaction captured why the segment resonated: it did not telegraph the answer before the answer was revealed.
WWE now has the responsibility of following that moment with substance. The unmasking created intrigue, but the story behind Montana’s allegiance to 946 remains to be told. The group’s relationship with Carmelo Hayes also needs further definition, particularly if WWE wants every member to feel essential to the act. Those are not necessarily problems; they are the natural next chapters created by an angle that successfully made people ask questions.
Montana’s reveal was a high-impact beginning rather than a finished story. If WWE provides a convincing explanation for his place in 946 and maintains a balanced spotlight across the faction, the Barclays Center gasp could become the first major moment in a much larger run on Raw.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.