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This week's edition of WWE RAW was broadcast live from the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. The crew continued their roll of solid shows as we move closer to Extreme Rules this weekend.
It's lining up to be a very good Premium Live Event, despite the fact that Roman Reigns will not be defending his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. With a healthy amount of rousing rivalries settled over a series of gimmick matches, it promises to be a fun watch.
As far as the final RAW before the event, it was a terrific build-up to what will likely be an eventful weekend. We still have SmackDown, Extreme Rules, and the 25th-anniversary celebration of D-Generation X on next Monday's RAW.
With all that going on, you can probably figure out that the program featured a lot of athleticism and intrigue. Here are five things that stood out from this episode of WWE RAW.
#5. Who is turning heel here?
After insulting both AJ Styles and Rey Mysterio, Judgment Day squared off against the babyface duo in the opening bout.
Prior to the match, however, Dominik did his best to play the Lost Sheep. He insulted his father and told him that he hated him. So, the saga continues, but with some extra intrigue this week.
The dastardly duo of Damian Priest and Finn Balor defeated Styles and Mysterio. Once again, Rhea Ripley and Dominik got involved, distracting Rey while Balor got the pin on The Phenomenal One. This led to some post-match hard feelings between Styles and Mysterio.
After Rey exited, The Judgment Day beat down Styles, with Balor screaming at him that he should listen to him and join his faction. It now looks like Styles might eventually play the "if-you-can't-beat-'em-join-'em" card.
At the same time, it might end up being Rey Mysterio who falls into that category instead. It will all likely play out by the time we get to SummerSlam.
#4. Bobby Lashley should retain the WWE United States Championship through Survivor Series... for a very important reason
While Bobby Lashley has spent three months as the titleholder, there's absolutely no reason for him to lose the title yet. He's looked great in the role, despite having several targets on his back.
This week, he defeated Mustafa Ali with the Hurt Lock. After the match, Seth Rollins laid him out before also dropping Ali with a stomp.
Thankfully, it appears WWE is less interested in putting the United States title on Rollins right now as they are in having him feud with Matt Riddle. He would make a great champion, but Lashley has a much bigger fish that he must fry.
A head-to-head confrontation with Intercontinental Champion Gunther at Survivor Series on November 26 should be the next big-time match on The All Mighty's dance card.
The match between The All Mighty and The Ring General is something that the WWE Universe has been clamoring for. So whatever feud or angle that Lashley is involved in should just be a means to an end. At least for now. Everything should lead to a titanic clash with Gunther.
#3. Rollins, Riddle, and a Rumblin' Referee
Seth Rollins continued his reign of terror on RAW during a one-on-one confrontation with Matt Riddle. The two will meet in a Fight Pit match at Extreme Rules. Both men were warned that they could say what they wanted, but there would be no physical contact.
In the end, the only stipulation that matters is who will be the third man in the middle of the action. Legendary UFC Champion Daniel Cormier will act in that capacity, and he came on the Titan Tron to make it official.
No one can be sure what the MMA star's future is with WWE, but it's long been rumored that he's a huge pro-wrestling fan and has dreamed about getting involved.
It would be a major coup for the promotion if they can make that happen. For now, he's simply an interesting piece of the puzzle for this contest.
An old song says, "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting," and this battle should prove that quote true. It could be the show stealer on the Extreme Rules card.
#2. Building a better Braun
The re-birth of The Monster Among Men continued as he defeated Chad Gable, despite being outmanned and falling victim to some of Alpha Academy members' nefarious tactics.
In the end, however, Strowman rallied back to SHOOSH the former Olympian with another convincing win.
Strowman is still rehabilitating his image, both onscreen and off. He fell out of favor with the fans. While it's good to see him back, WWE is doing the right thing by pushing him slowly but surely.
This tactic allows him to regain the trust of the fan base, while also leaving behind any baggage he had been previously carrying. This is Braun Strowman's long-awaited second chance. Hopefully, he makes the most of it.
#1. The Battle for Solo's soul
Solo Sikoa won in fairly convincing fashion again, this time over one-half of The Street Profits, Montez Ford. The Street Champion will likely remain fairly dominating to kickstart his time on the main roster.
His talents, along with WWE's high hopes for him, are pretty obvious. There's no reason for him to lose until he starts facing marquee talent. In the meantime, he should dominate the mid-card.
On his way to his destiny as a mega-star, he's starting off in the middle of a family feud of sorts. He's shown a close association with Sami Zayn, and it's one that his brother Jey disapproves of.
Meanwhile, everyone else in The Bloodline seems okay with the Honorary Uce, especially after he was personally endorsed by Roman Reigns a couple of weeks ago on SmackDown.
This has helped to immediately establish Sikoa as an important part of the roster, while allowing him to stack his resume at the same time. It's a win-win for everyone. Solo's factor helps further a fascinating storyline, bringing depth to the faction and positioning him as a huge star in his own right.
So far, so good. He's already being viewed as an important part of the company's future going forward. Not because of his famous family name, but because of his tantalizing talent and astounding upside.
The decision he makes in this storyline could have a huge ripple effect on WWE programming, and he's still just a main roster rookie.
Solo Sikoa's development is just another example of all the things that Triple H and WWE are doing currently. Let's hope they keep up the good work as it's lit a fire in the hearts of the promotion's loyal fan base.
