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From Randy Orton's match against R-Truth to a major return for the Women's Division, this week's edition of WWE RAW featured many contrasting moments.
The Red brand's go-home episode before Extreme Rules was a good show from an overall standpoint, and I can surely say that this Sunday's Pay-Per-View is looking to be a night full of bizarre stipulation matches.
The only thing more "horrifying" than "The Horror Show" would be if WWE reverts back to their nonchalant ways of booking Monday Night RAW.
Let us know what you thought about this particular episode in the comments section below.
Here are the five biggest news stories from this week's episode of WWE RAW (July 13, 2020).
#5: Drew McIntyre proved that he is superior to Dolph Ziggler in most ways possible
Dolph Ziggler is a master manipulator and a recent example of that was last week, with Heath Slater.
Big E, Mandy Rose, and even Drew McIntyre have been through this routine with Dolph Ziggler's character, and our current WWE Champion aims to put The ShowOff down for good this time.
McIntyre crashed Ziggler's appearance on MVP's VIP Lounge, and after both heels were done patting each other's backs for this week, McIntyre dropped his Extreme Rules opponent with a single jab.
Throughout their feud, the WWE Champion has always been one step ahead of Dolph, and even in the last RAW episode before this Sunday's Pay-Per-View, Ziggler failed to get any sort of legitimate physical advantage against Drew McIntyre.
Sure, a temporary brawl broke out later in the night, which was initiated by Dolph Ziggler. But heading into Extreme Rules, it is very unlikely that The ShowOff will be able to dethrone Drew McIntyre as the ultimate WWE Champion.
The secret stipulation is the only big advantage Ziggler has by his side.
#4: Shayna Baszler and Bianca Belair made their respective returns on WWE RAW
With Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch out of the equation, it felt that the Women's Division on both WWE brands needed strong names to stay relevant. Asuka and The Role Models (Bayley, Sasha Banks) rose up to the occasion and grabbed this opportunity.
That won't be the limit of WWE's Women's Division though, as Shayna Baszler returned last night and put the entire locker room on notice.
In what was supposed to be another one of WWE's comical 24/7 title segments, The Queen of Spades showed up and beat down Akira Tozawa's ninjas. Both R-Truth and Tozawa got the message and steered clear of Baszler's rage.
Bianca Belair also returned and aided Ruby Riott in a tag team contest against The IIconics. If Baszler was a solid heel addition to the RAW Women's Division, then Belair can contribute a lot to the babyface side of that equation as well.
But after Extreme Rules, Baszler might be the one to quickly aim for the top female title on WWE RAW.
#3: Seth Rollins lost to Kevin Owens before his "Eye for an Eye" match at Extreme Rules
The "Eye for an Eye" stipulation might just be one of the most unimaginable situations that WWE has ever created.
The dynamics of Rollins and Mysterio's rivalry is a complete reversal of most WWE feuds, where The Monday Night Messiah is surprisingly outnumbered here. On top of that, Rollins lost a match against Kevin Owens on the go-home edition of RAW before Extreme Rules.
It was a good win for Owens, who hasn't really been at the forefront of WWE RAW in recent memory. But a part of the reason why that is the case pertains to the fact that babyfaces like Kevin Owens and Aleister Black have been slotted as secondary players amidst Rollins and Mysterio's overarching plot.
It is hard to imagine what WWE has in store when it comes to the visualization of how the "Eye for an Eye" match will end, and by default, the only way to make such a gruesome act possible is for a heel to commit the deed. Based on this week's episode of WWE RAW, I have a feeling that Rollins may be picking up the victory at Extreme Rules.
#2: Bayley & Sasha Banks successfully defended their Women's Tag Team Titles against The Kabuki Warriors
WWE fans got to witness an incredible main event between The Role Models and Kabuki Warriors this week.
If you're unaware, then WWE had recently announced that they would be celebrating Women's Evolution Week, and the main event of RAW certainly encapsulated this idea perfectly.
A lot of fans wanted The Kabuki Warriors to win since it would be a fine addition to Kairi Sane's WWE career just before she leaves the company (as has been reported lately). But at the end of the day, Sasha Banks & Bayley captured a successful victory against Asuka & Kairi Sane.
The Role Models have beaten most duos in the Women's Tag Team Division, and yet, Sasha and Bayley's act keeps the momentum alive. On the flip side of this example, WWE's RAW Tag Team Titles have somehow become less important than the women's equivalent of the same.
Such was not the case a few months ago, where the Women's Tag Team Titles were completely forgotten about at that point in time. However, the current situation just goes on to show that any title can get over if the storyline or gimmick is relevant and engaging.
#1: Randy Orton baited The Big Show into an Unsanctioned Match next week
From a storyline point of view, Randy Orton's recent WWE run has been quite excellent.
You can say what you want about a marketing blunder such as "The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever", but the performers included in this long-term arc, from Edge to The Big Show, have brought out their best game here.
This week's WWE RAW wasn't an absolute masterpiece when it came to Big Show and Orton's rivalry, but it was enough to reel viewers in for a Big Show vs. Randy Orton match in 2020.
Ric Flair proved to be an important factor here, as we finally got to know that the WWE Hall-of-Famer was only trying to suppress Orton's sadistic tendencies. Even though he may take Orton's side at the end of the day, "The Dirtiest Player in the Game" lived up to his moniker last night.
Did Flair help Orton to stage a scenario where The Viper only wanted to bait The Giant into an Unsanctioned Match, or does he actually care about the consequences of Orton's actions?
Either way, it was good to see how Orton defeated and used R-Truth to his own advantage, which balanced out the goofiness we might have endured otherwise.
