5 Big takeaways from WWE RAW (September 19, 2022)

WWE RAW aired from the SAP Center in San Jose, and the show was 'California Cool' once again. The past few weeks under the Triple H regime have made these three hours a more easy-going watch.

Despite the vibes, the show wasn't all sunshine and shades. The heat coming from the ring was even hotter than the West Coast weather.

Storylines continue to progress slowly as we head towards Extreme Rules on October 8. However, that time and space didn't hinder this episode of RAW. Based on the reaction of the arena crowd, the WWE Universe wholeheartedly approved of what they saw.

Here are five big things that stood out about this week's edition of WWE Monday Night RAW.

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#5 - Seth Rollins challenging WWE United States Champion Bobby Lashley was a terrific way to kick off the show

You have to love it when they jump right into the action to start the show. No in-ring promos or video packages -- just two experienced veterans kicking things off with a banger.

Rollins and Lashley set the tone for the night, which is probably what the creative team had in mind when they booked this match. The action captured not only the attention of people in the arena but also the viewers at home.

The two masters of their craft traded some incredible maneuvers. One particularly unique move was when Rollins jumped into the air and came down on top of a spearing Lashley. The Visionary turned one of The All Mighty's moves into a makeshift pedigree - all on the fly.

Great match here between the two future Hall of Famers. Lashley retained the gold with a bit of help from Matt Riddle. But the real winners here were the fans.

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#4 - The KO train rolls on...

The follow-up to the Rollins-Lashey battle was a grudge match between Kevin Owens and Austin Theory. KO had previously tried to slap some sense into the Money in the Bank winner, but the latter has remained undaunted. The dynamics of it all made for an intriguing match-up.

Kevin Owens' babyface saga continues, and the WWE Universe loves it. It's been refreshing to see his return to form. With his 'average guy' look and hard-hitting moves, it's easy to see Owens as a two-fisted hero. It's a role that has been long overdue for him.

Owens won convincingly after Theory was momentarily distracted by Johnny Gargano. Regardless of the result, the real victory for Owens will be when he's challenging for the Universal Championship again.

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#3 - Judgment Day has appeal because it is such a various group of talent

This group didn't get off to a great start but has begun to turn things around over the past few weeks. Despite the start-stop-start of the launch of the faction and the confusing quick exit of Edge, the group has gotten stronger with time.

Dominik Mysterio's inclusion in Judgment Day has given them an extra, evil wrinkle. The heat they generated before their tag team encounter with Riddle and Rey was a raging fire. Dom nearly got booed out of the building by the WWE fans in attendance, which was the point of the whole angle anyway.

Each of these moving parts has a different backstory, and the mixture of the four makes for a perfect cocktail of chaos.

Great win for the quartet in this showdown, with Dom heeling it up at ringside - including daring his dad to hit him. Rey (of course) refused, only to eat the pin from Balor.

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#2 - WWE has never seen a stalker angle they didn't like

Following the creepy stalker genre made famous by WWE luminaries such as Diamond Dallas Page and Kurt Angle, Dexter Lumis continues to torment The Miz.

While Page and Angle were pursuing their opponents' wives, the Lumis storyline isn't quite that clear yet. And it's certainly a far cry from the comedy skits he was involved in during his NXT days.

This week, during Miz TV, The A-Lister called out Lumis, only to see him cut a hole through the canvas and try to capture his prey. Tomasso Ciampa thwarted him, but The Miz was left shaken nonetheless.

Lumis' weirdness plays into this angle. Unfortunately, that doesn't hide the fact that this is a rehash of old WWE storylines.

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#1 - Main event

The ladies took center stage in the main event of the program. Bayley and Alexa Bliss are as decorated as anyone in the women's division. Even though the two have feuded before, this bout felt refreshing.

Bayley and Bliss have spent their fair share of time on the sidelines in the past few months. Needless to say, the pair had a lot of rocket fuel behind them going into this clash. They didn't leave any behind, either.

Damage CTRL, of course, had to get involved, allowing Bayley to gain an ill-gotten victory.

The end of the match saw the faction beat down Bliss, Asuka, and the WWE RAW Women's Champion Bianca Belair. This six-woman feud leaves much to be desired, as there seems to be no real stakes.

That, even though the angle was featured as the Red Brand's main event and featured legitimate star power. It still wasn't enough to consider that this was them 'going home strong.' This spot should probably have been saved for a different match-up.