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The latest installment of Monday Night RAW is in the history books, and the red brand certainly had a lot to live up to after a huge SummerSlam PPV the night before. At the biggest party of the summer, the WWE Universe saw a total 12 matches during the evening but only one title change, as Seth Rollins was able to slay the Beast Brock Lesnar once again, to reclaim the Universal Championship.
With a new champion and much more, the WWE had a tall order to follow up from SummerSlam, though the company was able to deliver during last night's three-hour broadcast. A special appearance by 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin and some a huge title match helped spice things up for the red brand, but not everything was the best it could've been.
Here are three things WWE got right on this week's RAW and two things they got wrong.
#3 Got it right: Co-Champions crowned
The Revival have had a pretty rough year in 2019. After rumors circulated of the pair wanting to leave the company for a while, the WWE didn't exactly help themselves by putting the pair in an embarrassing feud with The Usos.
After that, the pair were at least given a RAW Tag Team Title reign, though this was short and meant very little before they lost the gold recently to the OC. Clearly though, WWE still wants the team of Dash and Dawson around, and on this week's show, the pair become the very first co-holders of the 24/7 title.
Did it make a ton of sense? Probably not. But it was a fun win and another accolade both men can add to their legacies.
#2 Got it wrong: The Rattlesnake Skypes onto the show
Stone Cold Steve Austin has had a career that has led many fans to rightly argue that the Texas Rattlesnake is the greatest Superstar of all time. So when the company announced that Austin was going to be a part of the show, I, like so many others, was excited.
And though it was great to see the former WWF World Champion back on the red brand, fans couldn't help but be disappointed with the appearance of the Rattlesnake. Though it had been announced before the show that Austin would be appearing via Skype, it still didn't make seeing Austin on the Titantron instead of the ring any easier.
Watching Austin speak on this past Sunday's Universal title match between Seth Rollins and Brock Lesnar, I couldn't help but think about The Rock in 2011, as his appearances via Skype became the butt of plenty of jokes. Yes, it was great to see the Rattlesnake on the show, but the Attitude Era star seemed to be wasted in a role which could have been better delivered in the ring by somebody else.
#2 Got it right: The Architect and his friends
As the dust settled on an explosive SummerSlam, it was Seth Rollins who stood tall, toppling the beast Brock Lesnar to become the new Universal Champion.
To open this week's RAW, Rollins was clearly in a good mood tried to do a victory lap with the crowd in Toronto, but instead got interrupted by the OC, setting up the main event between himself and AJ Styles.
A fun match (though admittedly not as good as their first encounter at Money in the Bank), it is what happened outside the ring that has got fans talking.
When the OC led a three on one assault on Rollins, it was Ricochet who tried to make the save, though it was Braun Strowman who evened the numbers up and turned the tide on the OC.
As for Rollins, he didn’t look like he knew what was going on but was certainly pleased for the help.
It looks like the Architect will be working alongside the Monster Among Men for the time being, and this could be a great way to get Strowman back in the Universal title picture after a disastrous year.
#1 Got it wrong: The Viking Raiders
I wrote earlier about how The Revival hasn't exactly been the best-used team on the main roster, but please spare a thought for The Viking Raiders. Renamed Erik and Ivar, the pair have barely been used on the main roster, a stark contrast to how the pair were utilized in NXT as the War Raiders.
Once again this week, the former NXT Tag Team Champions competed in a squash match over some enhancement talent, and though it was good to see Erik and Ivar get a win, it didn't exactly progress the duo any further. The pair are still seemingly nowhere near a future RAW Tag Team Title shot, and don't seem to have any major plans for feuds with actual Superstars in the near future.
You know things are bad when the NXT Tag Team Champions the Street Profits, are better booked on RAW, than this time.
#1 Got it right: The Boss is back!
Though Rollins was able to leave Summerslam as the new Universal Champion, one Superstar who wasn’t so lucky was Natalya, who came up short in her Submissions match against RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch. On RAW this week, the Hart family member revealed she suffered a dislocated elbow during the match, and is scheduled for an MRI.
Natalya also spoke about her father Jim Neidhart, who passed away one year ago today, though her emotional words didn’t stop Sasha Banks finally making her return to WWE TV. After being absent since WrestleMania 35, the Boss hugged Natalya, but showed a new mean streak by attacking the already-injured Superstar.
Pulling off her purple wig to reveal she now has blue hair underneath, Banks didn’t stop, and even though RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch came to make the save, she too suffered Sasha’s wrath, being level with a series of steel chair shots. The first heel turn for Banks in over three years, the Boss clearly felt good about what she did, and has put herself in front of the line for possible opponents for The Man’s Championship.
With Lynch’s reign now heading into its sixth month, it may finally be time for a new champion to emerge, as having Banks beat The Man in her first PPV back would really establish a new top heel in the RAW Women’s Division.
If she does become champion, hopefully, her reign will mean something, as though Sasha is a four-time former RAW Women’s Champion, each of these reigns has been incredibly short
