5 things that should have happened on Raw this week

There is no sugar coating it, Raw was sort of a dud this week, and after last week's broadcast, fans actually thought the WWE creative team would learn from their errors and book a go-home episode of Monday Night Raw that was explosive and entertaining.

But once again, we were proved wrong by the bunch of blunders WWE made on Raw this week, which you can read here. But could WWE have made this edition of Raw a whole lot better? The answer is definitely; by making a few changes WWE could have made Raw more watchable this week.

#1 Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns contract signing

A much-needed segment to round this narrative to an important conclusion

The rivalry between Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman has been chaotic over the last few weeks, and not in a good way. WWE has thrown every possible angle they could into this fued, from The Shield reuniting, Kevin Owens returning to aid Strowman, Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler inserting themselves into the main event scene to Braun Strowman turning heel and so much more. But the company lost sight of what is important, and the main goal of this entire fued, the elevation of the Universal Championship.

The Universal Championship was in the shadows when Brock Lesnar was champion and now it's sort of the same story with Roman Reigns as the champion. WWE should have scrapped the snoozefest of a brawl that concluded Raw this week, and had Strowman and Reigns sign a contract to make their match official.

WWE could have thrown in a few stipulations such as no interference just to make things interesting, but the main reason for this gimmick could have been to remind fans that this entire programme is about the Universal Championship and not a faction war.

#2 Bobby Roode shows some of his NXT personality

Bobby Roode should be the catalyst in this narrative

This week on Raw, Bobby Roode and Chad Gable continued their programme which was ignited last week when Gable teamed with Roode to take on The Ascension, and fans knew from the onset that this narrative would not be the saving grace for Raw, but instead one that could give a nice little angle that propels Roode and Gable into the limelight once again. And after Gable gave an inspiring performance against The Ascension last week, fans were convinced that WWE had cracked the code on how to get these men over.

But then they did the same thing all over again this week, and it was a bit confusing, to say the least. Instead of repeating the same plot, WWE should have taken this programme to the next level by slowly introducing Bobby Roode's heel tendencies, as the rumor of Roode turning heel on Gable already spoils the big reveal for this narrative. Therefore, by avoiding the predictable setup, WWE could have given us a different side of Roode that would have been a highlight on a lackluster Raw.

#3 The Shield cause havoc

A revenge ark that should have been strategic and concise

The Shield's big revenge plan they had been teasing all week turned out to be poor booking from WWE, as Ambrose, Rollins, and Reigns pulled up to Raw this week, with nothing but mere sticks to beat a ring full of heels.

It was a cool sight, but a missed opportunity from WWE, as these men could have shown some of their old tactics by taking out each member of Strowman's army throughout the night.

From kicking ass in the parking lot to destroying these heels in their locker rooms, WWE could have made this episode of Raw so much better if The Shield were not booked like a bunch of rookies but like the badass strategists they were in 2013.

#4 Seth Rollins' open challenge

Raw is missing that classic match-up

Seth Rollins has been the glue that has held the wrestling aspect of Monday Night Raw together for the last few months, as his IC Title open challenges and the pursuit of the title has made for thoroughly enjoyable television. But of late, WWE has saddled Rollins in The Shield narrative which has made his IC Title reign feel inconsequential.

Moreover, it has left a glaring gap in the three-hour runtime of Raw, as there are no other superstars on the roster that are given a chance to produce classic matches like "the architect" every week.

Therefore, this week WWE should have booked Rollins to defend his IC Title, as it would have given Raw a saving grace. It would have reminded fans that Rollins is the IC Champion, and it would have given a mid-card star a chance to craft a classic. The reasoning for Rollins having to defend his title could have ranged from acting GM Baron Corbin punishing the Shield member to the man himself wanting to keep his word as a fighting champion.

#5 Another special guest referee

A decision that didn't make much sense

Mick Foley's promo on Raw this week was a thing of beauty, as the man summed up his legendary Hell in a Cell match with The Undertaker in thrilling fashion, and it was possibly the best thing on the show. But the announcement of Foley being the special guest referee for the match between Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman was a mistake by WWE for one simple reason, it made no sense; how does Foley factor into this match?

Moreover, if WWE wanted to sell fans on the idea that Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman needed a special referee to contain them, then they should have got another, more convincing superstar or legend. At least WWE should have got a special referee that factored into this Universal Championship storyline, as this now makes little sense.