'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
WWE Backlash delivered a solid pay-per-view that saw some of the biggest stars of RAW and SmackDown shine bright during the event. The stars of RAW did a fantastic job as we got great matches between Edge and Randy Orton, and Bobby Lashley and WWE Champion Drew McIntyre.
Following the events of Sunday night, the stage was for RAW to deliver a great episode and build on the storylines that were laid out on Sunday night. Fans wanted to know the status of Edge who seemed to have suffered an injury at the hands of Randy Orton at Backlash, while the fans of Red brand also wanted to know where the RAW Women’s Championship scene was heading after Sunday’s events.
Most of their questions were answered during the night as fans got much more than they bargained for from a great episode of RAW.
In this article, we will look at the five things RAW got right on this week’s episode after WWE Backlash.
#5 The IIconics set their eyes on another title opportunity
On Sunday at WWE Backlash, The IIconics competed in a Triple Threat Match against Champions Bayley and Sasha Banks and the team of Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships.
Peyton Royce and Billie Kay took most of the offense during the match and also endured the final Twisted Bliss from The Goddess, but Banks rolled up Bliss to pick up the victory and The IIconics were saved the from the pin.
This week’s RAW saw The IIconics compete against the team of Liv Morgan and Natalya in a tag team match. Royce seemed as good as she did on Sunday during this match on RAW, while Kay also managed to get in some offense and look better. While both teams did not get much time during the match, Natalya made a few mistakes that cost her team.
The IIconics hit their finisher on Liv Morgan to pick up the victory and push their case for a one-on-one shot at the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships.
The IIconics have another big match on WWE RAW next week
This was a quick match that helped The IIconics rise to prominence immediately after their match at Backlash. While some may argue that the two women are not the finest in the ring, they are still the only solid women’s tag team WWE has on RAW right now.
#4 Tensions rise between Andrade and Angel Garza
Things have been going awfully wrong for Zelina Vega’s faction on RAW ever since Andrade and Angel Garza took Austin Theory down and led him to a path where he ended up joining Seth Rollins.
Last week on RAW, Andrade pinned Garza during a Triple Threat Match to make things worse for the heel faction, and Andrade then went on to lose the United States Championship match against Apollo Crews on Sunday as Kevin Owens took out Garza at ringside.
This Monday on RAW, Andrade wished Garza the best of luck for his match but the tension between the two men was way very obvious.
Garza and The Prizefighter had a good contest in which Owens ripped Garza’s pants before he could do so himself (it’s a lot better than it sounds). Garza and Andrade then got into an argument at ringside which made Vega leave the two men and head backstage.
As the match neared its end, El Idolo got on the apron to try and help his partner but KO managed to hit the Stunner on Garza to pick up the victory.
Is the secondary heel faction of WWE RAW set to split up soon?
After the match, Vega appeared again and told the two men to work together if they wanted to succeed. This was a good match and segment that seemingly pushed the heel faction brought together by Vega to the brink. The two men will likely split soon and have a rivalry, while it will be interesting to see which side Vega picks.
KO seems ready to get into the United States Championship picture again, and we won’t complain if he turns heel while doing so.
#3 The tag team match for the WWE Championship
A random backstage segment on RAW led to a tag team match between the teams of MVP & Bobby Lashley, and Drew McIntyre & R-Truth. The 24/7 Title and the WWE Championship were both on the line initially, before Truth spoke to the official's on RAW and altered the stipulation. The new stipulation of the match saw only Drew McIntyre's title being defended, and not the 24/7 Championship.
The Scottish Psychopath wasn’t too happy with this but still took to the ring to defend his title.
Lashley and McIntyre started the match and the two big men went at each other just like they did at WWE Backlash. The Superstars watching from ringside on RAW were cheering for the Champion before Truth tagged himself in and started taking some big moves from MVP and Lashley.
Thankfully, McIntyre managed to make it back into the match and delivered a Future Shock DDT to MVP, but The All-Mighty broke up the pin. Truth then showed his value as he threw Lashley into the steel steps while McIntyre delivered a Claymore to MVP and allowed Truth to pin the veteran and pick up the victory.
WWE RAW saw the 24/7 Champion and WWE Champion team up
This was a decent match that came out of nowhere and made things worse for Lashley during this week’s RAW.
He first had an argument with Lana which led to him asking for a divorce, and then his associate cost him the WWE Championship opportunity. If WWE is building him up to dethrone the WWE Champion in the coming weeks, they are doing so in the most unique way possible.
#2 Dominick ambushed The Monday Night Messiah
Yesterday, I’d predicted that Dominick would show up to attack The Monday Night Messiah on RAW and that is exactly what the young man did.
Seth Rollins made it to the ring this week without his Disciples and addressed Rey Mysterio who showed up on the big screen. Mysterio warned Rollins not to hurt his son, and The Messiah of RAW claimed that he only wanted to help his son out and not hurt him.
Rey threatened to end Rollins and his disciples if they laid a hand on his son, after which Dominick appeared and attacked the former WWE Champion from behind. Dominick vented all his frustration on The Messiah of RAW and threw him into the steel steps before Murphy and Austin Theory could arrive to help out their leader. Dominick managed to avoid them and escaped through the crowd of wrestlers behind the barricades.
Dominick could make his in-ring debut soon
This was a great segment on RAW that once again made Rollins come across as one of the best heels of our times. It’s impossible to pick who is more despicable on RAW at the moment, Randy Orton or Rollins.
WWE seems to be building towards a big match between the father-son team of Rey and Dominick and the heel team of Rollins and Murphy or Theory. Will we get an Eye for an Eye match at Extreme Rules from RAW?
#1 Captain Charisma’s sacrifice
This week’s RAW focused a lot on Randy Orton and what he did to Edge at WWE Backlash. Orton was the first to walk out after which Edge’s best friend Christian came out to confront The Viper. Orton played mind games on Christian and pushed him into accepting an Unsanctioned Match for the end of the night.
Captain Charisma accepted the challenge, but Big Show and Ric Flair were seen backstage trying to talk Christian out of it and reminding him that it’s not what Edge would want him to do.
At the end of the night, Christian arrived for the fight in his street clothes, and Samoa Joe was surprised to see Christian continue with this while speaking from the announce table.
Did Christian do the right thing on WWE RAW?
After the two men were introduced, Flair made his way out to plead with Captain Charisma one last time on RAW and talk him out of the match. Flair saw that Christian wasn’t going to change his mind, and delivered a low blow to him before leaving.
Orton took advantage and hit the Punt before pinning the veteran as the WWE Universe looked on in shock. After the three-count, Christian was taken away on a stretcher as The Viper continued to remind him that he wasn’t supposed to do this.
This was a great segment that once again built Orton as the top man on RAW without a title. It will be interesting to see what direction the RAW creatives take, now that Edge and Christian will both be out of action for some time at least.
