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With this week's WWE RAW being the penultimate episode before Hell in a Cell, fans expected a number of developments for the upcoming pay-per-view.
While the show may not have included a lot of announcements related to Hell in a Cell, a few storylines, for better or worse, took some intriguing turns this week.
Nowadays, the common trend is to point out the poor aspects of RAW, but what did you like the most about the show this week? Let us know your thoughts about this particular episode in the comments section below.
Here are the five biggest news stories from WWE RAW (June 7, 2021).
#5 Alexa Bliss and Lilly had a bizarre surprise for Shayna Baszler on WWE RAW
The most discussed segment from this week's RAW is, of course, what many are now calling the worst thing to happen in WWE since WrestleMania Backlash's zombie-themed lumberjack match.
It's no coincidence that the said lumberjack contest and the Alexa Bliss-Shayna Baszler segment from RAW featured supernatural elements.
Baszler thought that her trip to Alexa's Playground this week wasn't going to get her in trouble. After all, the former MMA fighter believed Lilly was nothing but Alexa Bliss' "stupid doll." Perhaps she should have taken horror movie tropes into consideration, as Lilly turned out to be more than just a stupid doll by the end of the episode.
Bliss and Baszler engaged in a brawl during Alexa's Playground, and when the latter stomped on Lilly to prove her point, everything turned into chaos.
The superstar-doll combo took over the ThunderDome. Baszler had no choice but to escape as set pieces from the arena fell around her. At the end of the episode, she got trapped in a room with a mirror reflection of Lilly, and RAW concluded with the former MMA fighter screaming as a result of being spooked by Bliss and Lilly's tricks.
Now there's a difference between displaying magic tricks for the sake of it being "cool" and incorporating supernatural shenanigans with some intriguing philosophy behind it. The latter case is why many fans fell in love with the initial stages of Alexa Bliss and The Fiend's pairing.
So let's hope WWE can deliver on the storytelling department of Bliss and Baszler's feud instead of only relying on magic tricks to move the plot forward.
#4 Stipulations for the WWE Championship match at Hell in a Cell revealed
This week's RAW featured a contract signing segment between Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley ahead of their WWE Championship clash at Hell in a Cell.
Since losing the WWE title earlier this year, McIntyre has been in the world championship picture for a while. This week, MVP and Lashley raised the stakes for the WWE title match at Hell in a Cell, conveying that McIntyre wouldn't get any more world championship opportunities against Lashley if he lost the bout.
Not only did The Scottish Warrior accept this stipulation, but he also gave his own proposal for the upcoming WWE Championship match. He wanted to fight Lashley inside the Hell in a Cell structure to minimize the possibility of any unfair interferences.
As both parties came to a mutual agreement, Drew McIntyre made a defiant statement by breaking a table with his sword in the ring.
The contract signing segment was indeed significant. With the addition of a few important stipulations to the WWE Championship match at Hell in a Cell, Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley's futures could drastically change after the upcoming pay-per-view.
#3 Nikki Cross once again made her mark against two of WWE RAW's top stars
During the upcoming WWE Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley will fight each other with the RAW Women's Championship at stake. But amid their feud, Nikki Cross has proven to be a nagging problem for both of them.
Cross recently gained separate victories over Ripley and Flair. This week, the WWE RAW Women's Champion teamed up with her Hell in a Cell opponent to take on Cross and Asuka.
As expected, Ripley and Flair's team broke apart due to their pre-existing animosity against each other. When the latter got the upper hand in a brawl against her tag team partner, Cross capitalized on the opportunity and pinned Ripley to win the match.
Nikki Cross also became the first woman to successfully pin Rhea Ripley in 2021. While Ripley and Flair are still involved in the main RAW Women's Championship feud, Cross' involvement is certainly an interesting subplot.
After this year's Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, Nikki Cross' recent record should earn her a women's title shot against either Rhea Ripley or Charlotte Flair.
#2 The Viking Raiders earned a major opportunity in WWE's Over the Top Rope Battle Royal
The tag team division kicked off this week's WWE RAW. Several duos fought in an Over the Top Rope Battle Royal, and the stakes were quite high. After all, the winning team would be guaranteed the number one contenders' spot for the RAW Tag Team Championship.
Teams like R-K-Bro and The New Day seemed like the clear favorites in this scenario. However, due to the current rivalry between these two tag teams, Erik and Ivar of The Viking Raiders were able to capitalize on their tussle and eliminate Randy Orton to win the match.
Since returning to Monday Night RAW as a duo, Erik and Ivar haven't had a tag team championship bout. But that is set to change now that The Viking Raiders have become the top contenders for AJ Styles and Omos' titles.
While R-K-Bro is arguably the most exciting tag team on WWE RAW today, the company seemingly wants to push them to the tag team championship picture after the live crowds return.
#1 WWE surprisingly teased a heel turn for Kofi Kingston
This week on WWE RAW, MVP and Kofi Kingston had an excellent backstage interaction with each other.
During the segment, MVP spoke about how proud he was of Kingston in 2019 when the latter became the WWE Champion at WrestleMania. Back then, Kingston's world title win meant a lot more than just another new champion being crowned. It encapsulated his years of struggle that eventually paid off in the best way possible.
However, KofiMania abruptly ended later that year. Last week, when Kofi Kingston fought Drew McIntyre, MVP thought The New Day member could re-create his 2019 stint in WWE.
But when the former WWE Champion shook McIntyre's hand after being defeated, MVP believed that Kingston had become comfortable in losing matches. His comments lit a fire under Kofi Kingston, who went on to defeat Riddle in singles action later in the night.
Could Kofi Kingston possibly join The Hurt Business in the long run? A heel turn from a member of one of the most popular babyface teams would be a significant moment in modern-day WWE.
MVP and Kofi Kingston's backstage interaction from this week's RAW has gone viral among wrestling fans on social media. As a result, it would be a missed opportunity for WWE if they don't follow up on this segment.
While you're here, feel free to check out the latest edition of 'Legion of RAW' with Dr. Chris Featherstone and former WWE Head Writer Vince Russo in the video embedded above.
