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Alexa Bliss and Asuka had a big non-title match on WWE RAW that helped lift the show at the end of the night. Earlier on RAW, the company booked a few major matches and segments that did not quite make the impression that could have helped their ratings.
WWE advertised Goldberg’s appearance on the show, but the former Universal Champion did not show up. WWE has once again announced his appearance for next week, but will the fans believe this after being fooled the first time?
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WWE NXT hosted the big Fight Pit match between Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher. While the two men could not outperform the match Thatcher had with Riddle last year, they did give fans something enjoyable to watch.
Curt Stallion arrived to take out Legado del Fantasma along with The Lucha House Party. Will the three men join forces in the near future? And more importantly, what’s next for former NXT Champion Karrion Kross?
Asuka and Charlotte Flair made their way to WWE SmackDown and scored a victory over The Riott Squad thanks to Billie Kay. How long will the partnership between The Riott Squad and Kay last? And how will Roman Reigns get back at Adam Pearce in the weeks to come?
Looking at all that happened this week, let’s look at the biggest questions in WWE this week.
#5 Why was WWE RAW so messy this week?
WWE RAW hasn’t been up to the mark for the past several weeks. This week’s show was particularly messier than the ones before. During RAW, WWE had some big segments and matches planned for the fans.
However, the advertised appearance of Goldberg on The Dirt Sheet did not go as expected. Gillberg appeared on the segment instead of Goldberg and he could not keep the segment from falling on its head.
Apart from that, there were a few major botches in and out of the ring throughout the night. Peyton Royce could not keep up with Charlotte Flair during their match, and fans saw a few botches.
Riddle met Bobby Lashley backstage, and Lashley attempted to stomp on Riddle’s foot and injure him. But Lashley missed Riddle’s foot by a major distance, and even though it seemed like Lashley was going after The Original Bro’s right foot, fans watched Riddle grab his left foot in pain instead.
Mace picked up a victory over The New Day’s Xavier Woods on WWE RAW but delivered a very messy spin-out fireman's carry slam to finish the match. All these spots, along with a few more, dipped the overall quality of WWE RAW this week.
It begs the question of what caused the show to be so messy and botchy overall? Were the Superstars not prepared for what was going to happen during the night? Or was it simply a case of bad luck?
#4 Is The Miz going to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase at WWE Royal Rumble?
The Miz has remained a major part of WWE RAW for some time now. While Miz and John Morrison have been losing several matches in WWE, they’ve managed to stay afloat on the roster thanks to Miz’s Money in the Bank briefcase.
This week’s WWE RAW watched the two men continue their involvement in the WWE Championship picture by hosting The Dirt Sheet. The two men hosted Gillberg and another individual dressed up like Drew McIntyre.
The segment cements the fact that The Miz will likely remain in the WWE Championship picture after losing out on an opportunity at TLC: Tables, Ladders, and Chairs 2020. Watching how The Miz came out to promote the match between McIntyre and Goldberg at the 2021 Royal Rumble, while the two Superstars did not appear on WWE RAW themselves, it seems like the company may have him play a major role during the match.
Will The Miz cash-in his MITB briefcase during the match at the Royal Rumble? This could be the plan of the creatives to protect both McIntyre and Goldberg from a pinfall loss at the show, while allowing McIntyre to retain, or Goldberg to win his first WWE Championship.
#3 Why was Ricochet denied entry into the 2021 WWE Royal Rumble?
Ricochet has been a consistent performer on WWE RAW. Not only is Ricochet a former United States Champion, but he is also one of the best high-flying wrestlers in the company today. Keeping in mind how Riccohet performed in last year’s Royal Rumble match, why was he denied entry into the 2021 WWE Royal Rumble?
Superstars of both WWE RAW and SmackDown have been declaring their entry into the Royal Rumble on a daily basis. However, Drew Gulak was the first man who was denied entry when he lost a match to AJ Styles.
While Gulak has a mountain to climb ahead of him to come across as a legitimate threat, Ricochet has managed to climb that mountain before.
Last year, Ricochet was instrumental in getting the WWE Champion Brock Lesnar eliminated from the Royal Rumble. Ricochet also earned a WWE Championship match against Lesnar soon after.
However, having him compete against Styles on WWE RAW in an attempt to qualify for the Royal Rumble match did not make much sense. Had Ricochet still been in the storyline with RETRIBUTION, where Mustafa Ali kept questioning his position on the card, wouldn't the loss have made more sense?
Now that Ricochet seems to be past his rivalry against RETRIBUTION, WWE should have allowed The One and Only to enter the Rumble match.
#2 Why is Karrion Kross being held back on WWE NXT?
Let’s talk about the man who tore through the NXT roster before picking up an injury. Karrion Kross was a force to reckoned with when he first arrived in WWE. After squashing a few enhancement talents, the Superstar defeated top guns such as Tommaso Ciampa and Dominik Dijakovic before becoming the WWE NXT Champion.
However, an injury sustained in the Championship match against Keith Lee brought him down, and he once again returned to NXT instead of being fast-tracked to the main roster.
This was an interesting choice, but flaws are slowly beginning to show as the weeks are passing by. Kross has made his intentions to attack Finn Balor and take the NXT Championship clear. However, he’s oddly waiting for Kyle O’Reilly and Pete Dunne to get done with Balor first.
Creatives are booking Kross in squash matches every alternate week, something that’s not helping the Superstar get ahead. Which gives the impression the Superstar is being held back in some regard. WWE could have moved him to RAW following his return from injury and put him in a meaningful rivalry there.
Can't NXT give Kross a proper rivalry to keep him busy? Is there no one in NXT who can challenge Kross? Is it just a way to extend his undefeated streak?
#1 What does WWE have planned for Dominik Mysterio on SmackDown?
Dominik Mysterio became a prominent name when Rey Mysterio got into a brief rivalry against Brock Lesnar. The young Mysterio was in a few major spots during that rivalry, and WWE managed to tell a good story using the youngster. In fact, Cain Velasquez’s debut in WWE virtually came from this storyline.
Fans were expecting Dominik to impress and become a big deal before his father retires, but WWE seems to have bailed out on that plan. Dominik’s last victory in the ring came back in September 2020 against Murphy in a Street Fight. Since then, Dominik has picked up five losses on WWE RAW and SmackDown.
Dominik competed against Baron Corbin in a match on SmackDown this week and failed to deliver once again. The youngster was looking to avenge his father but ended up on the losing side. Not only did Dominik lose the match, but he also seemed a bit demotivated and did not impress with his in-ring performance.
Watching the matches Dominik has competed in, one wonders what WWE has planned for Dominik in the months to come? Will the young Superstar get a push soon, or will his father retire while he’s still part of the lower card?
Dominik is a good wrestler and someone who can potentially replace his father as a top babyface. The creatives have been doing well on SmackDown, but the impression is that Dominik is not in their long term plans for now.
Ex WWE writer blasts Liv Morgan HERE
