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With just two weeks away from one of the biggest wrestling events in the world, WWE decided to present an uneventful episode of Monday Night Raw, which generated little excitement. However, while the creative team lagged behind in progressing some narratives there were a few hidden gems of great booking that was scattered throughout the show.
These triumphant booking decisions will allow WWE to take the momentum they garnered from this week's edition of the flagship show. They can maintain the same as they head towards the go home show of Monday Night Raw next week, which will add anticipation for WrestleMania.
#1Bayley and Banks get the predictability out of the way
build
Sasha Banks vs Bayley is a money match that will guarantee a show-stealing performance on any pay-per-view. These two talented Superstars have been regulated to the WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal due to the event card not having enough time to accommodate their intense blow off match, WWE has done a stellar job in making each of their weekly interactions build up towards their programme.
This week, on Monday Night Raw, the backstage brawl between these two former best friends was heated and intense. With stinging insults and classic backstage brawling, these former Women's Champions devastated each other.
Now that Banks and Bayley have come to blows before Wrestlemania, the question remains, what the next step in their rivalry? Well WWE asked an intriguing question and the WWE Universe will have to wait to find out.
#2 The Miz crafts a masterplan
When a WWE Superstar performs in front of their hometown crowd, it is a special moment. And the audience in attendance doesn't fail to make that moment special. They rally in support of the Superstar whether they are portraying a heel or face. When that hometown Superstar is a snarky heel and can manage to get even his hometown to hate him, you know that the Superstar doing his job right.
And that Superstar this week was The Miz, the IC Champion proved to be the most conniving heel in WWE, as he crafted an excellent plan on Raw with his lackeys. From utilising The Miztourage to play with the WWE Universe and mislead Seth Rollins and Finn Balor to think that they were manipulating Axel and Dallas when in reality it was Miz who was pulling the strings. This will be a genius booking, and it portrays Miz as a more cunning heel than most expect.
#3 A white-hot start
When an episode of Raw starts with Kurt Angle or the Authority coming out into the squared circle to deliver long monotonous promos that mean nothing, fans immediately tune out. However, when this week's episode of Raw started with Brock Lesnar making his way down to the ring flanked by promo artist Pual Hayman, in the words of JR "business was about to pick up”.
And when Roman Reigns came out of the crowd with a steel chair in hand, the WWE Universe knew they were in for a violent fight. This time around, WWE booked this segment without the US Marshals, or a dozen security guards separating Lesnar and Reigns, it was a straight fight that saw Lesnar absolutely destroy Reigns once again.
This booking makes Reigns look like unrelenting babyface and Lesnar as an unforgiving badass. While WWE could’ve booked reigns better this opening gave this match more heat.
#4 Asuka decimates her opponents
When WWE brought Asuka up from NXT and sent her to Raw, many wrestling aficionados doubted that the company wouldn't handle her right. Unfortunately, ever since Asuka's debut WWE have been doing just that. From long unnecessary matches with jobbers talent to awkward promos that were not needed to progress any narrative.
Therefore, this week on Monday Raw Asuka was finally handled in the best way possible, and that was by taking the enhancement talent, Jamie Frost. Asuka was booked to perfection here, as a quick decisive win made her look as ready as ever and it might have made Frost the new female James Ellsworth, as many fans are calling her.
WWE making the first-ever women's Royal Rumble winner look strong is the best way to prepare her for her match against Charlotte.
#5 Ronda shows her power
When WWE signed Ronda Rousey many were sceptical of her ability in the ring and on the mic. While Rousey is has proven to be inexperienced in both, WWE has finally found a small niche on how to utilise the former UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion and that is to book her as a legitimate badass. As this week on Monday Night Raw, Rousey was confronted by Absolution, and to no surprise Rousey decimated them.
Having the Absolution jobbing out to Rousey is a mistake. The sight of Rousey decimating Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose was exciting, but one small moment in that confrontation is the greatest way Rousey can kick off her career as a serious pro-wrestler.
That was when Rousey took down Rose and had the ability to broke her arm. That priceless moment should sum up Rousey's place in professional wrestling. She is a fighter and has the strength to take on her opponent and make it seem legit.
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