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This week's episode of WWE RAW had some filler segments and matches, but the overall show was fairly good.
Randy Orton returned to the brand to possibly continue his partnership with Riddle. Meanwhile, Nikki A.S.H. was set to take on Rhea Ripley in one of the show's biggest matches.
Alexa Bliss picked up a victory over Duodrop after a bizarre spot by Lily distracted the superstar. WWE seems to be losing its way in the storyline involving Bliss and her imaginary friend.
A WWE SmackDown Superstar made his way to RAW for a big match. The NXT Champion Karrion Kross was also present on RAW to take on Jeff Hardy in a rematch.
Bobby Lashley and MVP appeared to send a loud and clear message to Goldberg before the WWE Championship match. The segment helped put Lashley over on RAW as he will be up against one of the most notable stars in wrestling history.
Take a look at the five things WWE got right on this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW.
#5 WWE is trying to build Baron Corbin’s new character on RAW
Baron Corbin appeared in a backstage interview on RAW and claimed Jinder Mahal offered him a payday to face Drew McIntyre.
Corbin tried to explain his situation to McIntyre early on, but the former WWE Champion did not seem interested. He attacked and punished Corbin during the match as Mahal, Veer, and Shaky watched from backstage.
Corbin made a comeback of sorts and tried to put down McIntyre but failed to do so. The Scottish Warrior set up for the Claymore, but Corbin begged him not to do it. He said he didn’t have anything else and needed money to get by.
Corbin told McIntyre he needed $100,000 before being nailed by a Claymore from the former WWE Champion. Corbin is great in the ring and that’s why WWE continues to trust him with big matches and rivalries.
It was odd that Corbin came over to RAW for a match, but his current character made the entire thing work. Oddly enough, Mahal did not trust his henchmen to do the job on his behalf and instead sent Corbin into the match.
Nevertheless, McIntyre and Corbin made things work well, and the entire segment gave the former King of the Ring’s character a big push.
#4 Karrion Kross tried to make up for previous his loss on WWE RAW
Karrion Kross appeared on WWE RAW for a rematch against Jeff Hardy.
The Herald of Doomsday thumped Hardy with a few strikes to gain the advantage in the match. The WWE Universe was behind Hardy, but Kross threw him around like a ragdoll to show his dominance.
The fight spilled outside the ring where Kross got thrown into the steel steps instead. The former WWE Champion tried to go for the Swanton Bomb, but Kross tripped him and took control of the contest again.
The Charismatic Enigma tried his best to counter Kross’s big moves and keep control of the contest. However, a Saito Suplex from the NXT Champion loosened up Hardy to fall prey to the Kross Jacket.
Kross continued to punish Hardy even after the match came to an end to make a point to the RAW fans. It was good to see Kross pick up a dominating victory over Hardy this time around. However, fans will have to wait and see if the rivalry heads to WWE SummerSlam from RAW in the weeks to come.
#3 Mustafa Ali and Mansoor further built their strange partnership on WWE RAW
Mansoor and Mustafa Ali lost on last week’s WWE RAW, and Mansoor gave Ali a new jacket to apologize for messing up. Ali accepted the gift and told Mansoor to watch closely what he does to T-Bar in their match.
Ali tried to gain the upper hand in his contest against T-Bar but failed to outmatch his opponent’s size and strength. T-Bar threw Ali into the barricades with ease and controlled the action for most of the contest.
Ali tried to stay alive by finding ways to break up pinfall attempts by T-Bar. Mace took out Mansoor at ringside as Ali mounted a comeback into the match. He hit a great Tornado DDT to nearly pick up the win.
T-Bar countered the 450 splash attempt and hit a knee to the face to pin his former leader on RAW. The match was decent and gave all four men involved a chance to appear on RAW this week.
What’s interesting is the new partnership between Mansoor and Ali. They are working well together and could turn into one of the better tag teams on the Red brand if given the chance. It looks like the two have the same energy as RK-Bro.
#2 Ricochet and Sheamus put on a good show on WWE RAW; Damian Priest entered the United States Championship picture
Ricochet and Sheamus competed in on WWE RAW yet again this week. Ricochet had been saving other superstars from Sheamus for some time, but he hasn’t received his own United States Championship on RAW.
Ricochet tried to take down The Celtic Warrior early but was no match for his size and strength. Sheamus dominated the action until the fight spilled over to the floor. Ricochet took advantage of his surroundings and hit Sheamus with a kick followed by a crossbody from the top rope to the announce table.
The Celtic Warrior made a comeback into the match soon after and shook off Ricochet’s best moves. He drilled his opponent with a Brogue Kick to pick up the win on RAW.
Later on, Damian Priest defeated John Morrison without much problem on WWE RAW. After the match, The Miz and The Archer of Infamy came face-to-face, and it was revealed that Miz had been faking his injury.
Later, Priest challenged Sheamus to a United States Championship match which was accepted by the champion. Ricochet put on another good show on RAW even though he lost the match. This was one of the best contests between him and Sheamus on RAW.
Meanwhile, Priest has proven himself worthy of winning a title on the main roster, and he could go win at SummerSlam.
#1 Randy Orton continued his love-hate relationship with Riddle on WWE RAW
Randy Orton opened WWE RAW and received a grand welcome from the WWE Universe. This was the first time he appeared since the ThunderDome was wrapped up.
Orton soaked up the WWE Universe’s response to his return before speaking. Before he said much, Riddle came down to the ring and said he wanted to team up with Orton, but The Viper was not in favor of the idea.
Unsurprisingly, AJ Styles and Omos made their way out to the ring, and a match was booked between Styles and Orton. Orton and Riddle both tried to RKO the massive Omos but failed miserably before the giant chokeslammed The Original Bro.
The main event of RAW saw Orton and Styles go head to head in the biggest match of the night. The Viper was distracted by Omos who was at ringside but did not miss a beat in the ring.
Late in the match, Riddle disobeyed Orton’s command and came out to push Omos into the steel post. The Viper took advantage of the situation and hit Styles with an RKO to pick up the victory.
Orton and Riddle hugged it out in the final moments of RAW before The Legend Killer nailed The Bro with an RKO. The match was good and gave fans a big contest between two of the best on RAW.
The partnership between Orton and Riddle is still in the development phase, and it looks like they will be teaming up for a RAW Tag Team Championship match at WWE SummerSlam. The two superstars look like the perfect team to dethrone Styles and Omos on RAW.
You can watch a detailed review of this week's RAW.
