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WWE RAW started with a multi-person match this week to create an impact right away. A surprise early in the show set the pace for the night as WWE booked several big matches.
A six-woman tag team match led to a clash between Asuka and Rhea Ripley later on RAW. Jinder Mahal also returned to RAW this week. Instead of The Bollywood Boyz, the Modern Day Maharaja had two heavyweights named Veer and Shanky alongside him during the show.
The New Day teamed up with R-K-Bro to compete against AJ Styles, Omos, Elias, and Jaxson Ryker. An unfortunate mid-match injury forced Humberto Carrillo to pull out of his match against Sheamus.
Former RAW Tag Team Champions Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin also fought in a singles match.
Damian Priest defeated John Morrison once again, while Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley had a good contest at the end of the show. Let’s take a look at the five things WWE got right on RAW this week.
#5 Alexa Bliss and Lilly continued to keep a close eye on the WWE RAW women’s division
WWE RAW got down to action right away this week rather than kicking things off with a promo segment. Charlotte Flair, Nia Jax, and Shayna Baszler joined forces to compete against Asuka, Dana Brooke, and Mandy Rose.
The Queen of Spades took control of the contest early as she kept Rose down in the ring. Rose fought her way out and made the tag to Asuka who came fresh into the match.
A standoff between the six RAW superstars followed, after which Alexa Bliss suddenly appeared on the stage with her swing set and her doll — Lilly. Bliss claimed that she and Lilly wanted to keep a close eye on someone without revealing their target's identity.
The two teams traded action for quite some time before Baszler was unable to make her way across the ring. She acted as if her foot was stuck, and this allowed Asuka to hit her with the Shining Wizard for the victory.
The match itself was decent and allowed Asuka to pin a top superstar on RAW before WrestleMania Backlash. However, WWE has hurt Baszler’s image with several pinfall losses over the past year.
Alexa Bliss and Lilly’s appearance was surprising, and the two could be responsible for Baszler’s inability to move at the end of the match.
Bliss did not make it clear who she had her eyes on, but it could be Flair or Asuka.
#4 Shelton Benjamin got the better of Cedric Alexander on WWE RAW
A loss to The Lucha House Party on WWE RAW prompted Cedric Alexander to break ties with Shelton Benjamin last week. The two former RAW Tag Team Champions immediately received a match against each other on this week’s show.
Benjamin went for the Paydirt early but Alexander was too quick for the veteran. He kept the pressure on and took out Benjamin’s knee with an impressive strike.
The two superstars continued to trade some impressive moves as they kept the action ticking for some time. It was good to see these two talented RAW Superstars fight each other after teaming up for so long.
Alexander delivered a kick to the head and then taunted Benjamin. However, the young star's temper cost him the match as Benjamin hit a t-bone suplex out of nowhere for the win.
Both men were outstanding in the ring, and RAW needed a mid-card rivalry between two superstars who could deliver their best without a title on the line. Alexander and Benjamin seemed to be the right men for the job as their latest encounter proved to be entertaining and did not stretch for too long.
Will one of the two superstars get a major push following this rivalry?
#3 Randy Orton remained unpredictable on WWE RAW
The New Day and R-K-Bro teamed up on WWE RAW to take on AJ Styles, Omos, Elias, and Jaxson Ryker in an eight-man tag team match. R-K-Bro has been on a roll since teaming up, as Riddle and Randy Orton looked to make an impact again.
Riddle and Elias started the match and The Bro went after The Drifter’s arm right away. He locked him in an armbar and Elias made it to the rope to force a break.
Ryker came in for a short while before Omos tagged himself into the match. The giant took out Riddle with ease before taking out Kingston and Woods. The Viper avoided fighting Omos after the giant spotted him setting up for the RKO.
Styles tagged himself into the match and fought off his opponents for some time. Once Woods got into the ring, he became the target of an attack from the heels. They continued to make quick tags and kept the pressure on Woods for some time.
Omos tried to overpower his opponents once again before The New Day distracted him. This sequence allowed Orton to hit the RKO on Elias for the win on RAW. After the match, The Viper struck down The New Day with a pair of RKOs.
The match was fun, and it also enabled R-K-Bro to continue their golden run. Orton’s antics at the end confirmed that he has not turned face completely and that he can snap at any time.
The storyline between him and Riddle on RAW will surely get more interesting in the weeks to come.
#2 Rhea Ripley took down Asuka on WWE RAW
After their rematch was interrupted on WWE RAW after WrestleMania, Rhea Ripley and Asuka received another match this week. Sonya Deville booked the clash between the two superstars.
Initially, Rhea Ripley and Asuka took each other down with some clean holds and takedowns. Ripley taunted Asuka and got wiped out with a leg sweep.
Flair’s arrival distracted Ripley, and Asuka got a chance to take advantage of the situation. The Queen joined the commentary team and lived up to her heelish status as her WrestleMania Backlash opponents competed in the ring.
The Nightmare kept Asuka on the defense for some time, and a distraction from Flair allowed Ripley to take her down at ringside. Ripley picked up the victory with a Riptide to make a statement.
The match was decent as a whole. It also allowed both superstars to compete again after WrestleMania. The physical contest worked well to hype the upcoming triple threat RAW Women's Championship match at WrestleMania Backlash.
Ripley will need to fine-tune her heel character in the weeks to come. She is doing well as a dominant force, but the former NXT star doesn’t seem to use any heelish tactics during her match to gain unfair advantages.
#1 Braun Strowman unleashed the monster on WWE RAW
The final match of WWE RAW was a WrestleMania rematch between Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre. Lashley, McIntyre, and Braun Strowman are scheduled to compete in a triple threat match for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania Backlash.
In the main event of this week's RAW, Lashley went for the Hurt Lock right away to take out McIntyre. McIntyre escaped the hold and the two got down to hard-hitting business soon after.
The All Mighty used his impressive power to keep the headlock applied to McIntyre early in the match. McIntyre fought back and sent Lashley into the corner to gain control of the bout.
Both men traded some big moves to keep the action ticking. The Scottish Warrior hit a Spinebuster, and MVP lost his cool at ringside. Just as McIntyre was looking to pick up the victory with a Claymore, Strowman came out to create chaos.
He attacked The Scottish Warrior and caused a disqualification. After ambushing McIntyre, he turned his attention to the WWE Champion. Strowman put Lashley through a barricade with a Running Powerslam and then delivered another one to McIntyre.
Last week, McIntyre came out on top at the end of RAW. This week, Strowman got to do the exact same thing. Lashley also came close to a loss this time around before Strowman interfered.
This seemed like a good way to keep the two challengers on top before WrestleMania Backlash.
The Monster Among Men has been unleashed following his loss last week, and he could run through his opponents to put in a dominant performance on Sunday.
