'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
This week's episode of RAW was as average as a show can be, in my opinion. There was definitely a lot of good, but it's not going to go down in history as one of the best RAW episodes of all time.
If I had written this article before the show was over, I would have asked you to take a shot every time they called the upcoming Money in the Bank ladder match 'unique'. I can definitely imagine you being quite tipsy by the time that this episode of WWE RAW was over and done.
In any case, it's time for the 'Best and Worst of RAW', where I separate the good from the bad from the mundane and invite you to weigh in with your thoughts and views in the comments section right below.
#1 Best: The return of AJ Styles
A lot of people have been critical of putting Drew McIntyre against Seth Rollins right away because the question is that when he is done running through the Monday Night Messiah, are there any competent heels for him to face? With the return of AJ Styles to RAW, that question has been answered and then some.
With AJ Styles returning to RAW, I would have to say that he may even be the favorite to win Money in the Bank 2020. And this is because not only is he ready to become the WWE Champion, he is also a heel and will look for a sneaky way to cash in on Drew McIntyre who rules the roost on RAW currently.
Also how good is Samoa Joe on commentary because he is someone who put AJ Styles over in a big way, from a first-person perspective. I have to say that I look forward to seeing the two men clash when Samoa Joe is cleared again.
#1 Worst: Losses for Ricochet and Cedric Alexander
This is not a slight at Brendan Vink or Shane Thorne, both of whom are really talented. I love the fact that they are now associated with MVP since their move to RAW but what I did not care for was how they defeated the team of Ricochet and Cedric Alexander.
I understand the need to capture the Australian market with two Superstars like Shane Thorne and Brendan Vink on RAW but did it have to come at the expense of Ricochet and Alexander, both of whom have been on a bit of a winning streak lately? I really thought that they could have gone all the way and defeated either The Viking Raiders or the Street Profits to become the next RAW Tag Team Champions and I really hope that this isn't the end of their push on RAW.
This was also the issue with Liv Morgan's loss on this week's RAW, in my opinion at least. I don't mind her losing to Charlotte Flair, of course, but it should have happened down the line after she racked up a few more wins.
#2 Best: Murphy in the main event
On last week's episode of RAW, we saw Murphy come to Seth Rollins' aid in the main event ahead of the match between McIntyre and Rollins at Money in the Bank. And this week, the main event of RAW featured Drew McIntyre going one-on-one with the man who's been hailed as the 'Disciple', Murphy.
The two men had a solid match and one has to commend McIntyre on the fact that he is a Champion who always makes his opponent look very good indeed, elevating the WWE talent roster on RAW every time he steps into the ring.
Even though Brock Lesnar did the same back when he was the WWE Champion, McIntyre actually has competitive matches with everyone he faces, even if he goes over comprehensively, like he did tonight. But it was Murphy who really shone in the match and proved that he is definitely main event material.
Eventually, when Murphy decides to turn on Seth Rollins, we could see the greatest rivalry in the history of WWE RAW in some time.
#2 Worst: Bringing back the big stars to counter declining ratings
I have no issue at all with Edge returning to RAW again, but the way it was presented just felt a tad underwhelming to me. This is one of the greatest stars of all time, someone who came back after being told that he would never wrestle again and I just felt that his return to RAW should have been a lot bigger than it is. And the way that Randy Orton was just coupled into the same announcement also felt like a desperate bid for better ratings.
I get that there is no crowd in the arena for the live pop but at the same time, the audience watching at home could still pop for a big return. The way that AJ Styles returned on this week's episode of RAW is a testament to the fact because it was clearly the highlight of the entire night. This is also the topic that Tom Colohue and Korey Gunz from Sportskeeda have discussed on their RAW fallout episode of Dropkick DiSKussions, last week.
#3 Best/Worst: The whole Tag Team Championship picture
There is no denying the fact that The Street Profits and The Viking Raiders have chemistry when they clash but somehow, the match this week on RAW did not feel special at all. Maybe it was because the RAW Tag Team Championships were not on the line or maybe because both teams are babyfaces, but I just do not 'feel' this feud at all, honestly.
Also, I just don't think that The Viking Raiders have a gimmick that resonates with fans in the year 2020 to any degree. It's just a very dated gimmick that would have been right at home on RAW in the 90s, but in the age of smartphones and Instagram, I doubt anyone will take adult men pretending to be Vikings seriously.
However, I cannot dispute the fact that this was a very good match and that the two teams have great chemistry. Let's see how this feud pans out in the coming weeks on RAW and if indeed Ricochet and Cedric Alexander can step into the mix.
