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RAW was fresh off a humiliating loss at Survivor Series, and the Superstars who competed at the event were ready to feel the heat on Monday. The company decided to look back on their past performances, while also building towards the future of the brand during this week’s episode. It was a great show.
The night started with an ordinary, but effective segment which could change the course of the brand in the coming months. The only women’s match which took place during the episode was arguably the best of the night and has given fans something to look forward to.
Apart from that, a huge return by a pair of former WWE RAW Tag Team Champions will also help the creative build on some interesting angles. In this article, we'll look at 5 things the company got right on the RAW episode after Survivor Series.
#5 A possible top feud for Buddy Murphy and Aleister Black
Since moving to the main roster, both Aleister Black and Buddy Murphy have shown huge potential, and fans have been waiting for their big moment to shine, much like the moments Ricochet and Mustafa Ali has gotten.
However, both men have been involved in short feuds and have remained off television for extended periods, making fans wonder what the company has been doing with them.
Last week, Murphy teased knocking on Black’s door, but Aleister opened the door before the Superstar could do so. This week, Murphy defeated the returning Matt Hardy in a good match and then mocked Black after picking up the win.
Black didn't hold back, as he headed to the ring to answer Murphy’s insults. He attacked The Best Kept Secret and sent him to the floor. This possibly marks the biggest rivalry for both Superstars on the main roster and could prove to be a great one because both men are great in the ring.
The difference in their fighting styles and characters could give fans one of the best mid-card rivalries, and we could finally see more of them in the coming weeks, with hopes of a push for both Superstars.
#4 The return of Authors of Pain
Authors of Pain had been seen in several vignettes during the past month or so, and fans have been anxiously waiting for the return of the former RAW Tag Team Champions. This week, both men finally returned to the ring even though it was to battle in a squash match against Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins.
Akam and Rezar hit the Last Chapter, but didn't end the dominance there and continued to attack their opponents. After hitting the Super Collider into a neck breaker/powerbomb, they ended Ryder and Hawkins’ nightmare to pick up a squash victory.
With The Viking Raiders currently holding the brand’s tag team championships, it will be interesting to watch the duo climb up the tag team division quickly, and possibly feud with The O.C. before going for the tag team gold.
AOP continued to make a statement later on in the night as they attacked Kevin Owens during his encounter with Seth Rollins, and possibly injured the Superstar after repeated attacks.
This shows that AOP won’t be wasting time at the bottom of the roster for long, and will be pushed to the top in the coming weeks.
#3 Continued Asuka and Charlotte Flair’s rivalry
During the Survivor Series women’s elimination match, Asuka stunned everyone by getting into a disagreement with captain Charlotte Flair before spraying her with the green mist and walking out on her team. Flair was quickly pinned by Lacey Evans, thus causing a downfall for Team RAW at the event.
This week, a match between Asuka and Flair was booked which was the right move, as it kept the rivalry heated. At the moment, Flair and Asuka seem like two of the biggest Superstars on RAW after Becky Lynch, and having them compete will keep the women’s division at the top of the brand.
While Flair tried to get rid of Kairi Sane who was at ringside early on, a distraction from The Pirate Princess turned the tide in Asuka’s favor late in the match. Asuka sprayed Flair with the green mist once again and pinned her for the three-count.
This was a great match that had nothing on the line except the talents of both women and was a great move away from Survivor Series as well as all the other matches which took place during the night.
Asuka got another great single’s match against one of the top women of RAW and proved that she is no less than the best herself when given the chance. This should be an interesting rivalry and could continue for many weeks, with Asuka’s Women’s Tag Team Championship possibly coming into the equation.
#2 Crowned Rey Mysterio the United States Champion
After The O.C. ruined Humberto Carrillo’s dream of becoming the WWE United States Champion by attacking him before his championship match against AJ Styles, we were handed a Fatal 4-Way to determine a number 1 contender for Styles later in the night.
Ricochet, Randy Orton, Drew McIntyre, and Rey Mysterio geared up to earn the spot to challenge Styles later on. An RKO to McIntyre, followed by an attack on Orton by The O.C. left only Ricochet and Mysterio to continue, after which Mysterio picked up the victory.
Mysterio then squared off against Styles that night, and after an assist from Orton, managed to win the United States Championship for the second time this year.
This was a very interesting piece of booking on a night when no one was expecting to see a new United States Champion, especially not the man who had just come off an unsuccessful WWE Championship match.
The surprise factor was a great one and allows the company to build a more collective story involving several top Superstars going forward, while possibly freeing up Styles to enter the WWE Championship scene once again.
#1 A heel-tease for Seth Rollins
The show started with Seth Rollins’ address to the entire RAW locker room after the brand's dismal performance at Survivor Series. The captain of Team RAW berated each of his teammates and those who were not a part of the pay-per-view.
As each member started to walk out on him, only Kevin Owens remained and stepped up to Rollins. The Architect did not let him speak, calling Owens a Seth Rollins wannabe, after which The Prize Fighter hit him with a stunner.
This teased a huge turn for Rollins who has frequently spoken about how RAW is his brand and he loves it. His statements made it clear that he was growing bitter, especially after losing his Universal Championship and seeing Brock Lesnar at the top of RAW once again.
Later in the night Owens and Rollins faced each other in a match which was going well until the Authors of Pain appeared to attack The Prize Fighter. The heelish duo did nothing to The Architect, teasing that they might allow Rollins to lead them in the future and form a faction.
If that is the path the company is looking to take, then it could prove to be the perfect way to take these three Superstars forward and also build the RAW brand further. With AJ Styles leading The O.C., and Rollins leading his faction, we could see a great rivalry and matches in the months to come.
Even though the company should have turned Rollins heel earlier, it was the right move to have him stay face at Survivor Series and then tease a heel turn right after.
Now you can vote for your favorite matches from the past WWE episodes here!
