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WWE Tables, Ladders, and Chairs (TLC) was a rather entertaining pay-per-view for the WWE Universe. Superstars of both RAW and SmackDown delivered a few good matches on Sunday, and RAW was expected to continue the momentum.
The Miz was scheduled to host “Miz TV” after failing to cash-in the Money in the Bank briefcase successfully on Sunday night. Drew McIntyre and his friends gave the heels a beating at the end of the show.
New WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Asuka and Charlotte Flair appeared on RAW to compete against Peyton Royce and Lacey Evans. Jaxson Ryker competed in his first televised match after a long off from the ring.
Ricochet was left with a tough choice to make by the end of the night, while Riddle teamed up with Jeff Hardy to compete against The Hurt Business.
In this article, let's look at the 5 things WWE RAW got right during this week’s show.
#5 The Miz's fantastic promo following his disappointing showing on WWE RAW
The Miz tried to cash in his Money in the Bank contract at WWE TLC but failed. He appeared on this week’s RAW with another iteration of “Miz TV” where he spoke about his failed attempt.
He brought out his guest, AJ Styles, who further humiliated The A-Lister. Miz did not seem too happy at that as he conceded that he had made a mistake and apologized. Miz spoke about how he’s been trying hard to become the poster child of the company again, and that he needed to win the WWE Championship to accomplish that.
He spoke about how he wanted to earn the respect he deserved from the WWE Universe. Miz was fantastic on the mic once again and he did well to accept his mistake on RAW. It was great to watch him regret his decision to cash in on Sunday, something that fans haven’t seen too many Superstars do in the past.
After his promo, the WWE Universe watched Styles talk, before Drew McIntyre appeared to remind the heels about their match against him, Keith Lee, and Sheamus later in the night.
WWE needs more segments like these where Superstars speak about the mistakes they’ve made. This was one of the most brilliant segments in recent months.
#4 Ricochet has something to ponder after his loss to T-Bar on WWE RAW
RETRIBUTION has been hunting Ricochet for some time now, and Mustafa Ali believes that the high-flyer belongs in the faction. Ali and Ricochet were friends on WWE RAW for some time. After Ali was revealed as the leader of the faction, he has tried to recruit new faces to the faction.
After being defeated by Slapjac, and Mace on RAW over the past several weeks, Ricochet faced T-Bar on this week’s episode. The One and Only tried to gain the upper hand early in the match, but T-Bar caught Ricochet when he was trying to hit a crossbody.
While T-Bar dominated from thereon, Ricochet got some offense late in the match. Finally, T-Bar hit his finisher Feast Your Eyes to pick up the victory.
Ali humiliated Ricochet, and then told him that he belonged with the rest of RETRIBUTION. After RAW, Ricochet showed an emotional side of himself where he told Charly Caruso on RAW Talk that he needed some time to think about his position.
This was a good segment for a Superstar who needs to be launched to the top sooner rather than later. Keeping Ricochet in the loop and allowing him to think about his position could work wonders for RAW. Will the WWE Universe watch the high-flyer join RETRIBUTION or form his own faction on RAW to take them down?
#3 WWE RAW finds a formula to make Riddle a little more likable
MVP hosted The MVP Lounge on WWE RAW this week where he gave a short promo. The new RAW Tag Team Champions were up next, and Cedric Alexander cut Shelton Benjamin off to boast about their victory.
Bobby Lashley spoke next and stated that there was not a single man who could defeat him for the United States Championship. After some shenanigans from R-Truth, Riddle and Jeff Hardy walked out for their tag team match.
Riddle and Hardy traded some words with The Hurt Business before a match between the teams of Riddle and Hardy, and MVP and Lashley took place. The All-Mighty dominated Riddle from the start and then brought in MVP to dish out some punishment too.
Both teams deliver non-stop action before Riddle went on a rampage late in the match. However, that did not work out well as Lashley was able to lock Hardy in the Hurt Lock to pick up the victory for his team.
It seems like WWE is planning to pair Riddle up with one of the purest and most likable babyfaces on RAW, Jeff Hardy, to help him get ahead on the brand. Allowing Hardy to pick up the loss for his team protects Riddle who could soon end up in the United States Championship picture on RAW.
#2 Sheamus makes a new enemy after the Holiday Street Fight on WWE RAW
WWE Champion Drew McIntyre teamed up with Keith Lee and Sheamus to compete in the final match of this week's WWE RAW. The Miz, John Morrison, and AJ Styles teamed up to try and gain back some momentum after Miz and Styles’ loss on Sunday.
Earlier on RAW, Lee and Sheamus had gotten into a scuffle which hinted that the babyfaces may not work well together. The Celtic Warrior started the match for his team but could not gain much of an advantage early on.
One of the top spots of the match saw Lee and McIntyre work together to launch Morrison far across the ring. McIntyre’s team seemed to work really well together, and the WWE Champion even joined Sheamus in delivering the 10 Beats of the Bodhran to their opponents.
However, things did not come to a smooth end after The Limitless One stole Sheamus’ thunder and delivered a Spirit Bomb to The Miz to pick up the victory. The Celtic Warrior planted Lee with a Brogue Kick immediately to end the segment.
The match was good and gave all six contenders some time to shine. WWE seem to have planted the seeds for a future rivalry between Lee and Sheamus which could end up being phenomenal. Will fans see a few interesting spots between the two men at the Royal Rumble?
#1 Alexa Bliss returns to warn Randy Orton on WWE RAW
After burning ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt alive at the TLC pay-per-view, Randy Orton made his way to the middle to speak about his actions, on WWE RAW. Orton admitted that he’d been called a lot of bad things during his career and that he proved that he was all of those by burning The Fiend on Sunday.
Orton claimed that he could still smell Wyatt’s burning flesh in the ring, and all that he hears now is Wyatt gasping for his last breath. While The Viper was on top in the segment, the lights dropped and The Fiend made his presence felt.
Once the lights came back on, Alexa Bliss was sitting on a swingset. She told Orton that Wyatt had built the swing for her, and invited him to play with her.
She ended the segment by warning Orton that once The Fiend returns from wherever he is, it would be the worst thing Orton has ever seen. This was a great segment and a wonderful way to bring Bliss back on RAW.
The WWE Universe had been critical of The Goddess’s absence, but WWE seems to have timed her return perfectly. It’ll be interesting to see what WWE has in store for Orton and Wyatt heading into the Royal Rumble.
