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The Royal Rumble is in the past and we're heading full throttle towards WrestleMania 35 and beyond. This week's episode of RAW came to us from Portland in Oregon. It was a show that had its moments but also had some major issues. Presenting the 'Best and Worst' from RAW this week.
I daresay that the good and the bad evened itself out overall. I'm still not really excited about the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view per se, but I guess as more matches are made, I will be. RAW definitely fell short in that particular department.
But then again, there were some brilliant bits during this episode too. I liked quite a few seeds that were sown during the show, to be honest.
So, here is an overview of the good and the bad from the episode.
#1 Best: Becky's Stone Cold Steve Austin storyline begins
Yes, I know that we're all sick of an Authority storyline. But the fact of the matter is that a feud with Stephanie McMahon will only be beneficial to Becky Lynch over time. After her feud with Ronda Rousey is done, she lacks a credible opponent except for Charlotte Flair. By sparking off a feud with Stephanie McMahon, Becky Lynch could potentially face her minions after WrestleMania.
Also, for Stephanie McMahon to take a personal interest in a Superstar means that she is going to push her to be the 'man', in a very literal term. We could even see a match between the two women somewhere down the line. And this allows for Charlotte Flair to enter the match quite seamlessly indeed.
Becky Lynch will be a red hot commodity once she returns from suspension. Things are bound to pick up big time then!
#1 Worst: The burial of Dean Ambrose
Yes, we all know that Dean Ambrose is on his way out of WWE after WrestleMania. It just makes me cringe to see how much WWE is burying him before he leaves. Not only did they make him lose to EC3, but they also made him tease a romance with Nia Jax. And his wife is on commentary while he does the same.
Is Ambrose going to take a pinfall every day of every week until his departure? We know that he's been taking the pin at Live Events as well. I am pretty certain that they're going to have him lose to Nia Jax on the way out.
I just think it's a shame if WWE decides to completely destroy a star before his exit. I genuinely hope that EC3 benefits from this win over the long haul.
Also, why doesn't he speak?
#2 Best: Sasha Banks and Bayley qualify
This was pretty much a given if you consider the field. But considering that Sasha Banks is not at a 100% as multiple reports have stated, I was beginning to have doubts. Bayley carried this match and I thought she was great.
I liked everything about the match honestly, from the deranged pair of Alicia Fox and Nikki Cross attacking Sasha Banks and Bayley before the match to the fact that the babyfaces soldiered on. The emotional celebrations at the end were a thing of beauty as well. If you know just how much Sasha Banks and Bayley care about winning these Championships, it was a great moment.
They are now the favorites to win the whole thing and become the first Women's Tag Team Champions of the modern era in WWE. Let's hope that their lifelong dream does eventually come true.
#2 Worst: Turning Elias heel
I simply do not get it. The audience absolutely loves Elias. WWE made him a babyface not long ago and he was great in the role, making fun of his opponents instead of making fun of the city that he was currently in.
And then all of a sudden, WWE made Elias go heel when confronted by Jeff Jarrett. He is back to dissing the towns he is in and taking potshots at the audience. I understand that they wanted to make Jarrett and Road Dogg appear as babyfaces, but why is this coming at Elias' expense?
Elias has the legs to be a breakout star for the company in the weeks and months that follow and he also has the charisma to be a babyface much on the lines of The Rock, with his gimmick and his guitar. A heel role may be a step back!
#3 Best: The Kurt Angle saga
I liked the idea of Kurt Angle teasing his retirement earlier during the show. If he had not done the same, there would have been significantly lesser heat for the eventual tag team main event match, I feel.
Kurt Angle has been suffering a string of humiliating defeats this late in his career. I am glad that the losses were not forgotten as they are in WWE and that this was used as a device in the eventual main event match.
Kudos also to Baron Corbin who has improved by leaps and bounds in the ring to the point where he's an athletic big man. McIntyre and Strowman were always great in the ring but Corbin was always a step behind them in the past, but thankfully not anymore.
And do I need to speak about just how fluid Angle is in the ring, to this very day?
#3 Worst: Apollo Crews' promo skills
We often ask ourselves why Apollo Crews isn't a much bigger star. He has the physique and certainly the in-ring ability to be one of the best in the entire roster, doesn't he?
And then you hear him cut a promo backstage and you're reminded where he's sorely lacking. The promo that he cut with Drake Maverick and Rezar was so devoid of any expression or emotion, it was almost like a robot reading lines out from a teleprompter or a cue card.
As much as I don't like to put Crews down because of his innate ability and the fact that he can perform extraordinary feats in the ring at any given time, I have to call this a worst and I know you guys agree with me. I just hope that he puts in some work into developing his overall character.
He was called up too soon from NXT. There is literally no other explanation.
#4 Best/worst: Cancelled title match
Do I want to see Finn Balor become the Intercontinental Champion after defeating Bobby Lashley? You bet I do. But I was fine with what we got this week too.
Balor never gets an opportunity to work with someone smaller than himself. Let's be honest, there aren't too many superstars in the roster who're smaller than Finn Balor is. Lio Rush is one such individual and we got to see a very different kind of match from Balor this week.
It also gave the main roster a chance to see just how gifted a performer Lio Rush is. With all due respect to a competitor like Bobby Lashley, Rush can do things in the ring that Lashley can't even imagine doing.
So, that was RAW in a nutshell. Be sure to share your thoughts, comments and views in the comments section. Here's a picture of Alexa Bliss because she's gorgeous.
Bayley gives us a HUGE update on a top Superstar's upcoming return RIGHT HERE.
