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Roman Reigns and The Usos were scheduled to show up on this week’s WWE RAW. The Bloodline suffered a beatdown from RK-Bro and Drew McIntyre on last week’s SmackDown, and it was expected that their rivalry would be in the spotlight before WrestleMania Backlash.
Sonya Deville’s powers were also suspended on the episode. She was made to team up with Becky Lynch & Rhea Ripley to take on Liv Morgan, Bianca Belair & Asuka in a tag team match.
The rivalry between Kevin Owens and Ezekiel was also pushed through a six-man tag team match. Meanwhile, Veer Mahan continued to portray his dominance by taking down another local talent on RAW.
Cedric Alexander proved to be no match for Bobby Lashley on Monday night. MVP held Omos back after Lashley defeated Alexander and dared the colossal superstar to enter the ring.
It was an entertaining episode before WrestleMania Backlash. Take a look at the five things WWE RAW got right on this week’s show.
#5. Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre came to blows once again to kick off the show
Roman Reigns came down to the ring with The Usos and Paul Heyman by his side on WWE RAW. The Tribal Chief was looking to get acknowledged before WrestleMania Backlash.
RK-Bro came out of nowhere to take The Usos down with stellar RKOs. They had a staredown with Reigns as Drew McIntyre made his way to the ring. The two powerhouses unloaded on each other before The Usos recovered and went after Riddle and Randy Orton.
A massive brawl ensued, and several referees and officials tried to break the two sides up. It was a short but effective segment that fueled one of the biggest matches for WrestleMania Backlash.
McIntyre is ready to go at The Tribal Chief, and it was good to see him get physically involved with the biggest name in WWE. Meanwhile, RK-Bro’s attack on The Usos was spot on. The segment was perfectly done and made the necessary impact.
RK-Bro & McIntyre are favorites to win the match on Sunday night. It will help build towards a big match between Reigns and The Scottish Warrior.
#4. Kevin Owens & The Alpha Academy got the better of Ezekiel & Street Profits
Kevin Owens got into an argument with Ezekiel and The Street Profits backstage, leading to a six-man tag team match with Alpha Academy taking Owens’ side.
Chad Gable worked on his opponents early on and hit some big moves in. Montez Ford bounced back with a dropkick to take Gable off his feet. Otis used his strength to get the better of his opponents. Street Profits and Ezekiel teamed up to take the big man down.
The two teams exchanged good moves before KO and Ezekiel beat each other down. Otis saved Gable from a pin attempt to keep the match going. A brawl broke out, and Kevin Owens tripped Ezekiel in the ring. His actions allowed Gable to roll up Ezekiel for the win.
The match was decent and helped push the rivalries. It was surprising to see The Street Profits play babyfaces again after what they did to RK-Bro a couple of weeks ago.
WWE will need to book a match between KO and Ezekiel at WrestleMania Backlash. It could turn out to be one of the most entertaining contests of the show.
#3. Finn Balor saved AJ Styles from a beatdown after his win on WWE RAW
Edge came out with Damian Priest by his side on WWE RAW. They introduced themselves as Judgment Day before The Rated-R Superstar sent another warning to AJ Styles. He told The Phenomenal One to stay home if he wanted to avoid pain and suffering on Sunday night.
Styles took on Priest in a match right after the promo. The Archer of Infamy hit some excellent moves early and followed it up with Broken Arrow. Styles sent Priest over the ropes and outside the ring before bashing his head against the ring post with the forearm.
He hit a sunset flip to nearly put Priest away. Styles stayed on top of the match and continued to counter some of his opponent's best moves. He went for a calf crusher before turning it into a pin for a surprise victory.
Edge and Priest unloaded on The Phenomenal One after the contest. The Archer of Infamy hit the Reckoning before the two men looked to destroy Styles by bringing in some steel chairs.
Finn Balor arrived in time to chase Edge and Priest away. He stood tall with Styles to end the segment and hint toward a possible partnership.
RAW needs Styles and Balor to get together and go on a good run. It’s the best way to utilize the two veterans without getting them in the title picture. Their partnership could lead to some excellent tag team matches down the line as well.
Watch: Finn Balor and other wrestlers who wasted no time by quickly becoming World Champions
#2. Mustafa Ali had a tough night on WWE RAW
Mustafa Ali joined The Miz on his talk show on WWE RAW. The A-lister mocked Ali and targeted him before the two nearly came to blows. Theory walked out and said that he and Mr. McMahon believed that Ali deserved a No.1 contender’s match after his win over Miz last week. It led to a handicap match between Ali and the team of Miz & Theory.
The Miz tried to take control of the contest early, but Ali outsmarted him. Theory tagged himself in and punished the former Retribution leader for some time.
Ali hit a dropkick and worked over the United States Champion. However, Miz and Theory worked together to distract him before The A-Lister hit the Skull Crushing Finale for the win.
Ciampa attacked Ali after the match and laid him out on RAW. It was unfortunate to see Mustafa Ali lose in his second match after returning. He also seems to have fallen out of the United States Championship scene.
However, a rivalry with Ciampa will work well for the superstar. The Blackheart knows how to be a vicious heel, and he could help Ali get a good push as a babyface.
#1. Liv Morgan picked up the win for her team in a six-woman tag team match
The main event of WWE RAW saw Asuka, Liv Morgan & Bianca Belair team up to face Becky Lynch, Rhea Ripley & Sonya Deville. Lynch and Asuka squared off early before Deville was tagged into the contest, followed by Belair.
Ripley was tagged in by Deville, who took Belair down by the hair. The two teams got going soon after and hit some excellent moves. A ringside brawl broke out, and Lynch took Morgan down with a top rope move.
The Nightmare isolated Morgan for some time before the latter tagged Belair into the match. The EST went on a roll and hit a beautiful suplex before being taken down by Ripley and Deville.
The two teams continued to trade some signature moves. Deville tried to take Morgan down with some pinfall attempts but failed. She tried to use the ropes to her advantage, but the referee caught her. Morgan used the distraction and hit Ob-Livion to get the win for her team.
The match was fast-paced and exciting. It was good to see Morgan pick up the win for her team. The victory will give her some confidence and keep her on top. Plus, the rivalry between Lynch and Asuka seems very exciting. Fans hopefully won’t have to wait too long to see them go head-to-head again on RAW.
