WWE RAW Flops and Hits: Kevin Owens gets a big reason to turn heel, fan-favorite superstar finally enters the title picture (November 1, 2021)

WWE RAW had a solid show planned for this week. There were very few questionable moments on the show, with the episode featuring the right mix of top WWE Superstars and budding talents taking turns to impress viewers.

The Red brand undoubtedly needed to look strong in the weeks leading up to the Survivor Series pay-per-view, and the creative team has done well in reviving the credibility of the Monday night show since the Draft came into effect.

Here, we look at the biggest flops and hits on WWE RAW this week. So, without further ado, let’s begin.

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#5 Hit on WWE RAW: Kevin Owens in the main event, potential heel turn on cards?

Kevin Owens’ booking on SmackDown over the last few months has been appalling. Fans desperately wanted the former world champion to be involved in compelling narratives, and it appears that the creative team has finally seen the light.

Last week, KO stole the show in the Ladder Match to determine the next contender for Big E’s WWE Championship. This week, he returned to compete in the main event against the reigning champion himself.

Before his match, Seth Rollins had approached Owens backstage and offered help. The Visionary said that he would help KO win the match against Big E, and then when he wins the WWE Championship, Owens can have the first shot at the title.

Kevin Owens refused the offer and went to the ring to face Big E with a determined look on his face. Both superstars then faced each other in a well-balanced encounter that allowed them to bring their absolute best inside the squared circle on WWE RAW. KO and Big E relied on devastating maneuvers to establish their dominance as they unleashed hell in the main event.

Seth Rollins also wanted to make his presence known, and he walked out right in between the main event, but he confined himself to the commentary desk. Back inside the ring, Owens was in complete control of the match as he skilfully fought against each of Big E’s planned attacks.

The WWE Champion finally managed to overturn the equation at one point, but Rollins hit him with a cheap shot. Owens saw the opportunity to pick up a big win on WWE RAW and went for it. However, Big E eventually used a roll-up pinfall to secure his victory.

It can be argued that the roll-up pinfall was both underwhelming and boring because we see it way too often on the show. But the events that followed weren’t that bad. Owens took the microphone and blamed Rollins for everything before challenging him to a match next week on WWE RAW. He then tried to apologize to Big E, but the latter reciprocated with a Big Ending instead.

Owens tried to do the right thing, but we could see him seething in anger after Big E’s unexpected response. It is also safe to say that we saw glimpses of an opportunistic KO, and he now has enough ammo to fuel his heel turn on WWE RAW.

While Owens has been nothing short of brilliant as a babyface, his booking went completely downhill after his feuds with Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn on SmackDown.

Before moving to the Red brand, Owens was taking punishment at the hands of Happy Corbin of all people. He made a much-needed move to WWE RAW, where he can now finally turn into a heel. KO is a brilliant performer who can play both a hero and villain while putting up an extremely convincing performance in both those personas.

But as a heel, he is unbeatable on the microphone, and WWE RAW needs that kind of entertainment at the moment. Moreover, this booking might be the company's one chance at keeping him from moving on to AEW once his contract expires in January.

#4 Flop on WWE RAW: Omos’ unnecessary interference

This week on WWE RAW, The Dirty Dawgs and The Street Profits faced each other in an entertaining tag team match. Montez Ford took a back seat for a change this time, and Angelo Dawkins did most of the heavy lifting.

Their opponents relied on clever in-ring work to remain in control of the match. It is essential to note that Randy Orton and Riddle’s presence at the commentary desk helped elevate the said bout.

Ziggler and Roode are RK-Bro’s next contenders for the WWE RAW Tag Team Titles and, thus, needed an excellent victory before facing the champions. However, their credibility was undoubtedly compromised when Omos once again walked out to cost The Street Profits another triumph.

Since Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode are being built as clever in-ring veterans, do they really need assistance from someone else?

Moreover, The Street Profits already have enough reasons to feud with AJ Styles and Omos; they definitely don’t need another one just yet. It would have made more sense to have the 7'3" giant attack Dawkins and Ford after they lost on WWE RAW. After the match ended, Riddle intended to confront Omos while Randy Orton tried to stop his tag team partner.

The Original Bro's plan backfired when the behemoth lifted him and mercilessly threw him at the ringside. WWE RAW teased a confrontation between Omos and The Viper before cutting it abruptly.

That was strange, considering fans had been chanting “We want Randy” ever since RK-Bro walked out to call the in-ring action. Although the tag team match was good, one can’t deny that Omos’ unnecessary interruption compromised the quality of the entire segment.

#3 Hit on WWE RAW: Becky Lynch retains title, Liv Morgan to finally get title opportunity?

The opening match of WWE RAW saw Becky Lynch put her title on the line against Bianca Belair. The two superstars have been feuding ever since The Man won the title in under thirty seconds. Once again, they battled in a championship bout and delivered an epic encounter on the Red brand.

Their match featured a lot of high-flying maneuvers. Both superstars took turns to dominate the encounter, engaging in multiple jaw-dropping offenses. The crowd was divided in its support as “Let’s go Becky” and “EST” chants echoed in the arena throughout the match.

Belair came close to winning the title on multiple occasions, and at one point, she even put Lynch face-first into the commentary table.

The closing moments of the match saw The EST of WWE attempting to deliver a KOD. But while Becky Lynch was in the air, she held onto the ropes and removed the protective covering from the top turnbuckle. She then pushed Belair against the exposed metal and used the small window of opportunity to secure the pinfall and successfully retain her WWE RAW Women’s Championship.

Given that it was an unclean finish, it is expected that Bianca Belair will soon be back in the title picture, but for now, Becky Lynch has the chance to look at other challengers.

Later in the night, Lynch said she wanted a fresh challenger before Liv Morgan interrupted the interview without saying a word. Fans have been waiting to see Morgan get a much-deserved push for a very long time, and it appears that she now finally has the opportunity to make a big statement while competing in the WWE RAW Women’s Championship picture.

#2 Flop on WWE RAW: The women’s tag team division’s booking

This week on WWE RAW, Women’s Tag Team Champions Rhea Ripley and Nikki A.S.H. faced Queen Zelina and Carmella. While fans wanted to see Ripley as her dominant self on the main roster as well, she is still doing a good job even with a lack of big opportunities. Additionally, the contrasting personalities of Ripley and Nikki account for an entertaining watch most of the time.

Both teams put up a decent match despite the few slow spots in between. Zelina and Carmella targeted Nikki while the latter relied on her tag team partner to bring her out of the misery. Unfortunately for the champions, the heels took Ripley out of the equation before double teaming on Nikki. Following that, the Queen's Code Red helped her in picking up a victory over the reigning champions.

The problem with this type of booking is that no one really poses a threat to Ripley and Nikki. While the aforementioned match was not that bad on WWE RAW, it still lacks the intensity that one would expect from the tag team division.

The champions alone cannot elevate the entire division if they don’t have enough credible challengers. The only thing worse than the lack of promising build-up is Carmella's mask.

It was a big mistake to split up every woman’s tag team on the roster during the recent Draft. If the creative team intends to build Carmella and Queen Zelina as the next title contenders, then they should entirely commit to the idea. Otherwise, it will end up making all four WWE RAW Superstars look weak by the time this angle comes to an end.

#1 Hit on WWE RAW: T-Bar redeems himself on the main roster

T-Bar was always one of the underused gems on WWE RAW. He is an incredible in-ring competitor who has never been booked strongly since his arrival on the main roster. But things have been different for him since this year's Draft. He finally has the opportunity to showcase his potential, and he is making the most of the spotlight.

After last week's brawl between Damian Priest and T-Bar, the two superstars returned for a no-disqualification match on WWE RAW. The United States Champion also brought out his brutal side when pushed to his limits by his opponent. T-Bar moved like a cruiserweight inside the ring without compromising the impact of his blows.

Both towering superstars continued to battle back and forth, involving multiple weapons at their disposal. At one point on WWE RAW, T-Bar tied Priest to the ropes and hit him with a kendo stick until it broke into two pieces.

The United States Champion then got his hands on a steel chair and used it to turn the match in his favor. Eventually, he put his opponent through the table before hitting him with a Reckoning to secure his pinfall.

Although T-Bar lost the match, he made a strong statement about his potential on WWE RAW. Even the crowd rallied behind the talented superstar throughout the match. It is evident that fans would like to see him involved in more exciting matches, allowing him to craft a prominent spot for himself on the main roster.