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The latest episode of RAW saw several last-minute changes as WWE Champion Drew McIntyre was out of action after testing positive for COVID-19. As a result, the scheduled match between McIntyre and Orton was scrapped. What we got instead was a clash between two of the most fierce rivals in recent WWE history- Randy Orton and Triple H.
On the other hand, Charlotte's story with her father, Ric Flair, and Lacey Evans took an interesting yet questionable turn. A rising Superstar was surprisingly squashed, while former rivals turned friends, possibly joining the tag team division.
That said, let's dive in and discuss the major talking points coming out of RAW that has already gotten the WWE Universe talking. Do share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section.
#1 Triple H vs. Randy Orton ends in disqualification as Alexa Bliss returns to attack Orton on WWE RAW
Triple H opened this week's episode of WWE RAW. Just as he was about to speak up, he was interrupted by his former Evolution stablemate and long-time rival, Randy Orton. The two engaged in a verbal back-and-forth, after which The Viper challenged HHH to a match. Though initially reluctant, the former 14-time world champion seemingly accepted the challenge after he punched Orton in the face.
The scheduled match between the two started with only ten minutes left in the show, and it became abundantly clear that the bout wouldn't be the fight everyone had expected it to be.
Five minutes into the match on RAW, the lights dimmed, and The Fiend's appearance had become apparent. However, as it turned out, Triple H's sledgehammer was caught on fire, after which he simply vanished. Alexa Bliss then appeared in the ring, much to the shock of Orton. She threw a fireball into the eye of The Viper, almost blinding him. The show ended with The Viper screaming in agony.
Yet another episode of RAW ended on a cliffhanger. To be honest, WWE hasn't really delivered on any of the cliffhanger endings with a satisfying result. The biggest talking point of this segment was HHH's fate.
Did Triple H team up with The Fiend and Alexa Bliss to unsettle Orton? Or is he a victim of the sinister games of the duo? All of this and more have to be answered in the coming episodes of RAW. Otherwise, all of this would be termed as a desperate attempt to get the ratings up.
#2 Ric Flair helps Lacey Evans secure a victory over his daughter Charlotte on WWE RAW
Charlotte took on Lacey Evans in singles action on RAW this week after last week's developments where Lacey caused a misunderstanding between Ric Flair and his daughter. Though things between them seemed fine afterward as they exchanged apologies on the internet, today's events on RAW flipped the dynamic.
While the match was going on in the ring, Ric Flair made his way to the ringside to watch the action. However, once The Queen pinned Evans after hitting the 'Natural Selection', The Nature Boy placed the latter's leg on the rope to break the pin. Ric then helped Lacey defeat Charlotte, who was visibly stunned by this.
No matter how great the performers are, stories like these are always a hard sell due to their frivolous nature. Even though it may end up with the father-daughter duo realigning, WWE must be wise enough to not venture too far by making the storyline tasteless.
The focus should be on giving Lacey the experience of working with a legend to further strengthen the women's division rather than narrating stories that have no place in this day and age.
#3 Bobby Lashley squashes Riddle for the US Championship on WWE RAW
In quite a shocking development, Riddle was squashed by Bobby Lashley in a US Championship match on RAW. Yes, Riddle was the victim of a pre-match attack from Lashley, but such a brutal loss makes The Original Bro look very weak. He was built up as a viable challenger for weeks, and losing like this doesn't bode well for his chances of winning that title.
After the match, Riddle laid down a challenge to MVP, saying he can surely defeat him. However, the match between the two didn't last long, as Lashley interfered and brutalized Riddle once again. If nothing else, the beatdown ensured Riddle would get another shot at the title, possibly at Royal Rumble 2021 or on another episode of RAW.
It's really hard to determine where WWE wants to go with Lashley. If they want him to be a main-event player, he has to drop the US title sooner rather than later. On the other hand, a Rumble win and an eventual marquee WrestleMania match, ending with Lashley walking out as a double champion, will make him look the strongest in the company.
#4 Keith Lee and Sheamus put aside their differences to face The Miz and John Morrison on RAW, only to have another tussle
Rivals Keith Lee and Sheamus seemingly resolved their differences to take on The Miz and John Morrison on RAW. While the match was pretty entertaining, the spot where Lee broke the ropes was memorable. The rest of the bout was a competitive affair, with Miz and Morrison getting enough offense to make the match longer than expected.
However, Lee and Sheamus got into another face-off soon after the match ended as The Celtic Warrior tagged himself in just when The Limitless One was looking to secure the win. A singles clash between the two was booked, and the ensuing action was fun.
Though nowhere close to the blistering encounter they had a couple of weeks ago, it was entertaining and ended with Lee coming on top once again. After the match, the two embraced, ending all their differences for good.
Going by the developments on RAW, it wouldn't be surprising if WWE turn Lee and Sheamus into a tag team. One of the biggest positives from this storyline is it has become clear that Lee hasn't fallen down the order on RAW and will continue to be presented as an upper-mid card talent.
#5 Ricochet and The New Day to possibly team up to take on RETRIBUTION on RAW?
Xavier Woods took on RETRIBUTION's T-Bar today on RAW with his The New Day stablemate Kofi Kingston conspicuously absent from this week's episode. Mustafa Ali and other members of RETRIBUTION were present at ringside.
The match was a pretty one-sided affair, with T-Bar destroying Woods in a matter of minutes. Even Ricochet was surprisingly absent today, with no explanation given for the same.
Considering Ricochet has been dealing with RETRIBUTION trying to enlist him for weeks now, Woods and Kingston may too join him now in his attempt vanquish them away. It's about time that RETRIBUTION does something noteworthy, except just Ali cutting terrific promos on RAW Talk.
A series of tag matches between the two sides could lead to some fun viewing and possibly help Ali catapult to the next level. On the other hand, the events may also lead to Ricochet siding with RETRIBUTION, leading to some mouth-watering possibilities of tag matches between 'The One and Only' and Ali against The New Day.
