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The latest episode of WWE RAW ended on an unexpected note, with Aliyah and Raquel Rodriguez winning the vacant women's tag team titles. It was a shocking result, seeing as their opponents, Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky, were fans' favorites to win.
Kai and Sky have been undefeated since returning to the company and had built up a considerable wave of momentum before the upset.
The finish to the match was controversial, with Aliyah pinning Kai, who was not a legal woman. It is unclear where this storyline goes next, but we have a few theories as to why WWE pulled off this shocking result.
Here are three possible reasons why Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah won the women's tag titles.
#3. Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah needed to win more than Kai and Sky
Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah have both struggled, albeit in different ways, since getting called up to WWE's main roster. Rodriguez has found it hard to recapture her momentum from NXT, where she was one of the top powerhouses in the women's division. Aliyah, on the other hand, has struggled to strike up a rapport with the WWE Universe as she tries to make her way up the card.
However, Kai and Sky have taken the company by storm with Bayley by their side, establishing themselves as top threats in a very short time. With the latter team already having a match at Clash At The Castle and a stacked RAW women's division to interact with, they needed the win less.
Aliyah and Rodriguez, along with the SmackDown women's division in general, stand to benefit much more from having the tag team titles.
#2. WWE's new creative team did not want to be predictable
Ever since Triple H took over creative control of the WWE product, his vision has been overwhelmingly well-received. The Game has largely lived up to the reputation he gained as head booker of NXT for listening to the audience. With this reputation comes the risk of becoming predictable and hence boring.
Over his short time at the helm, The King Of Kings has made a habit of keeping the audience on their toes with swerves. Johnny Gargano was expected to return to his hometown of Cleveland, but his reintroduction was delayed to ensure that it came as a surprise.
It is entirely possible that the decision to have Aliyah and Rodriguez to win the tag team championships was mostly done for shock value.
#1. The Sasha Banks and Naomi factor
The biggest story surrounding the WWE women's tag team division is the rumored return of Sasha Banks and Naomi. The return of the duo, who were the last holders of the tag titles before they were vacated, has been greatly anticipated since the tournament was announced.
The WWE Universe expected Banks and Naomi to return and challenge the winners of the tournament, preferably Kai and Sky.
Banks and Naomi did not return to challenge Aliyah and Rodriguez after their win, implying that they were not ready to resurface. The controversial finish to the match could have been a device to extend the current storyline until the Boss-N-Glow connection is ready to return. At such a time, Kai and Sky would receive a rematch and win the titles, after which the former champions would return and confront them.
That way, the much-anticipated feud between Kai and Sky and the returning duo can be executed later whilst allowing Aliyah and Rodriguez a taste of the gold.
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