5 Things WWE got right on Raw this week (31st December, 2018)

Monday Night Raw was not one of WWE's strongest shows last year, and now that we have entered a new year, hopefully, WWE can make amends for their terrible handling of the flagship show and give fans quality entertainment.

While one can only hope that WWE's booking of Raw improves drastically in the next year, the truth is that their booking of the final Raw of the year was not that bad.

There is no doubt that WWE still has problems in their booking, but let's look at what WWE got right on Raw this week.

#1 Ziggler puts McIntyre over

The rivalry between Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre has been somewhat entertaining over the last few weeks, as WWE used Ziggler to build McIntyre up as a true force on Raw, and for the most part that has worked to perfection.

And this week on Raw, WWE took things up a notch when they booked Ziggler and McIntyre in a brutal steel cage match, and this match was amazing for many reasons.

From Ziggler's impressive selling to McIntyre's intensity, WWE booked this match with some thought for the future, as McIntyre was finally promoted like the tank he is, and hopefully, this means he goes on to big things on Raw.

#2 Apollo Crews gets a chance

Apollo Crews is one of the most underused stars on the WWE roster today, and while some might blame that on WWE calling him up too early from NXT, the fact is that they just didn't treat him as a priority for many years.

Now it seems like Crews might be getting a chance to shine, as Crews won the fresh start battle royal which allowed him to challenge Dean Ambrose for the Intercontinental Title.

Even though Crews lost, the chances of him getting in a number one contender's position years ago would seem unlikely, so this is the right step forward for him.

#3 Seth Rollins, the face of Raw?

Rollins and Triple H said some interesting things on Raw this week.

Seth Rollins is one of the stars that kept viewers around for Raw last year, and while it seems like Rollins' babyface run was a hit and miss, it looks like WWE is finally making him one of their top priorities going forward.

On Raw this week, Rollins came down to the ring to address a few things that were bothering him but was soon interrupted by Triple H who had an interesting exchange of words with Seth. This promo was really effective as it sold Rollins' ambition to reach the top of WWE once again.

Just like Vince McMahon brought out the animal in AJ Styles, Triple H did the same here, as Rollins was fired up to take on anyone on his path to getting back into the main event.

#4 Ambrose is protected

Ambrose needs to rejuvenate himself in the new year.

Around the holidays WWE likes to give fans what they want, and while the giving of gifts from WWE to their fans usually means we get what they think is good for us, we are getting something in return nonetheless.

And this year it seemed like Apollo Crews was destined to dethrone Dean Ambrose for the IC Title, as it would send fans home happy, but WWE for once didn't let the surprise of a festive upset destroy the credibility of Dean Ambrose.

Ambrose did not have the best time when it comes to the booking of his heel character, but the fact that he beat Apollo Crews clean after the man eliminated a ton of Superstars from the battle royal earlier in the night should give Ambrose a momentum boost.

#5 A good main event

There is so much that one could criticize Rousey, but her in-ring work continues to improve.

Raw's main events had ranged from boring to repetitive last year, so while seeing another tag team match in this slot is annoying, at least seeing Ronda Rousey kicking ass is exciting to some degree.

This was a perfectly alright way to close the show, and while it would have been better to watch something of value in this slot, it's a surprise to see WWE even book one of their biggest stars in one of their least watched Raw episodes of the year.

While some may argue that the steel cage match should have been the main event, most episodes of Raw lose its viewers by the time the main event rolls around, so getting that narrative the most exposure was a smart move. And one couldn't argue that Rousey continues to look impressive in the ring, so it was exciting to see her do her stuff in the ring.

Edited by Raunak J