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I hate to begin on a negative note, but I have to. RAW wasn't a very enjoyable watch this week, very honestly. In fact, it has been a pale shadow of SmackDown Live for the past few weeks in my honest opinion. I wonder if SmackDown Live will be the brand that WWE expends all its energy on, in light of the FOX deal.
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In an age when so much entertainment is readily available, WWE really has to kick it up a notch to keep viewers hooked. The men and women always give it their all in the ring. It is the storylines and plots that sometimes disappoint.
However, WWE isn't the biggest wrestling promotion in the world for nothing. Despite the fact that it was difficult to enjoy three hours of action (with a commercial practically every ten minutes), there were some gems along the way.
Here's what I liked and disliked about the episode this week.
#1 Best: Much needed victory
Not very long ago, Sasha Banks was redefining women's wrestling with Charlotte Flair. Since then, somehow, she's just slipped down the ranks. The pop for her entrance has diminished in intensity to the point where she gets a barely audible pop most weeks. I'm glad she won the Gauntlet match this week.
Another point to note is that Ruby Riott and Bayley had strong showings during the match. It's clear that these three women will be the focal point of the division, apart from the women who have already qualified for Money in the Bank, RAW Women's Champion Nia Jax and Ronda Rousey. Each of them proved their worth on this week's show.
Will Sasha Banks go on to win the Money in the Bank ladder match too? She wouldn't necessarily be my pick, but I wouldn't be surprised if she does win.
#1 Worst: No interesting situations during the match
There was so much potential to make this match far more exciting than it turned out to be. Couldn't Sasha Banks and Bayley have faced off, to bring their rivalry to a head? This could have been the stage for one of the women to go heel and get the audience far more invested in their ongoing passive-aggressive feud. Sadly, Bayley and Banks never came to actual blows.
Another missed opportunity, in my opinion, was booking the members of the Riott Squad to face one another. It could have made the match far more exciting than it turned out to be, with Morgan appearing only as a jobber at best.
#2 Best: Kevin Owens on commentary
If Kevin Owens ever decides to hang up his boots in the future, he has a great future as an announcer. Owens is perhaps the wittiest superstar to man the commentary desk since Jerry 'The King' Lawler. This week, it was hard to not laugh out loud during his interactions with Michael Cole and Jonathan Coachman. It was comedy gold.
Owens would also get himself involved in the Braun Strowman vs. Finn Balor match at the top of the show. His interruptions kept the match interesting. I love this Kevin Owens far more than the SmackDown Live 'new face of America' version and I'm glad WWE is letting him run with it on television.
#2 Worst: Bobby Roode being silly
The tragedy of the situation is that we've seen Bobby Roode in far more interesting roles. Whether he was in TNA or in NXT, Roode was always cast at the top of the pile and he invariably delivered every week. We saw him dancing not long ago, and this week, he was a cheerleader as Braun Strowman laid waste to Owens. It was cringe-worthy.
Everyone could see the beat down on Bobby Roode coming from very many miles away. Bobby Roode has probably been the most disappointing call-up from NXT. He needs a heel turn soon!
#3 Best: Seth Rollins
Rollins and Mahal put on a great match on this week's show. Yes, I did use Mahal and 'great match' in the same sentence. The fact of the matter is that Rollins has a Midas touch right now and everything he touches turns to gold. He was exemplary this week too.
Of course, he was brutally attacked on his birthday and that's never a good thing. That said, what better way to celebrate your birthday than in front of a packed crowd filled with people cheering your name?
#3 Worst: The RAW tag team division
WWE's tag team division has lost a lot of momentum since the Nicholas incident at WrestleMania. This week, the entire division became pals as they met for a barbecue. As one would expect, the barbecue became a food fight very quickly indeed. It was quite silly.
We've seen WWE kill off acts with bad humour and this is what I'm afraid will happen to the RAW Tag Team division. Look at what's happened with Bobby Lashley since he made his WWE comeback!
#4 Best/worst: Nia Jax's character switch
It does seem like while Rousey and Jax feud, the latter will be the heel. It's the kind of heel she is that I have a problem with. I think she's become just the kind of character that Bliss claimed she was! After all, she did bully enhancement talent this week.
At the same time, I'm glad that Jax has gone heel-ish. It will add more heat for her match against Ronda Rousey. Having two superstars wrestle as babyfaces may not necessarily be the best idea.
Did you notice how there was no Roman Reigns on TV this week? There was no Stephanie McMahon either.
The Goddess did make an appearance but only for one measly second!
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