'%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 RAW opened up with a big segment that effectively ended one of the biggest partnerships on the Red brand. Things picked up from there and the RAW superstars worked towards their rivalries for WrestleMania.
Rhea Ripley and Asuka had an interesting face-off during their contract signing before The Nightmare got the better of the RAW Women’s Champion. Ripley also accepted a challenge from the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.
Omos showed off his strength and moves before his big debut at WrestleMania against The New Day. Plus, Alexa Bliss had a warning for Randy Orton before his big match against ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt.
Fans wanted to see who had accepted Bobby Lashley’s challenge to take out Drew McIntyre on RAW. Also, Braun Strowman took down Jaxson Ryker to show off his strength before WrestleMania. Will Shane McMahon make it out of the Steel Cage alive at The Show of Shows?
Let’s take a look at five things WWE got right on RAW this week.
#5 The way The Hurt Business came to an end on WWE RAW
The Hurt Business came out to the ring to open up WWE RAW this week. MVP kicked off proceedings before Bobby Lashley took over. The WWE Champion offered a title match to anyone who could take out Drew McIntyre on RAW.
MVP made it clear they were looking to give someone deserving a shot at the WWE Championship. But Lashley turned his anger toward Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benajmin. He talked down to the two WWE RAW Superstars and belittled them for losing to McIntyre in a two-on-one handicap match.
MVP allowed the two men to speak, and they expressed their displeasure at being spoken to like a child. Benjamin shoved MVP before Lashley took both men out.
Benjamin and Alexander left the ring as Lashley and MVP watched on. It was odd that the creatives decided to end one of the most dominant factions on WWE RAW. However, it was better to pull the trigger now, rather than continuing to show tension between the former RAW Tag Team Champions.
Benjamin and Alexander are a good team and they should stick together to keep the RAW tag team division on top. This new development will help them forget about The Hurt Business and work on their own individual careers.
#4 Sheamus and Riddle put on a good show on WWE RAW
After a brief interaction on WWE RAW last week, Sheamus and Riddle competed in a non-title match on this week’s episode. The Celtic Warrior once again tried to gain an advantage by attacking Riddle early on.
The two men exchanged some takedowns early and tried to counter each other’s moves. They found the right chemistry as the match progressed and started taking each other down with ease.
The Original Bro kicked Sheamus through the ropes and then hit a Floating Bro outside the ring. Sheamus took back control soon after and tried to overpower Riddle with some big strikes.
Riddle countered White Noise and hit a belly-to-belly suplex from the top turnbuckle. He applied the triangle choke on Sheamus who broke it by reaching the bottom rope. Soon after, Sheamus hit a few big moves followed by a knee to the face to pick up the victory.
The United States Champion wasn’t too happy with the loss and attacked Sheamus after the match. This sets up a contest between the two WWE RAW Superstars for WrestleMania. Sheamus has another good chance of winning gold after transitioning out of the WWE Championship picture.
#3 “Hey Hey, Hop Hop” on WWE RAW
The Miz and John Morrison gave fans a glimpse of a future hit music video on WWE RAW last week. They came out this week to release the full version of “Hey Hey, Hop Hop” on RAW this week.
Miz and Morrison entered the ring in their flashy attire for the big moment. The A-Lister spoke about his WrestleMania opponent and put himself over before playing the video for “Hey Hey, Hop Hop.”
Damian Priest and Bad Bunny arrived as soon as the "future Grammy Award-winning song" was over. Priest and Bunny praised the video before Miz got in Bunny’s face.
Bunny took Miz down with a right hand, and The A-Lister sold the attack to perfection. The segment wasn’t great, but it was entertaining nonetheless. Bunny was put over by The Miz once again, and it’s likely that he will take the fall for the music sensation at WrestleMania.
“Hey Hey, Hop Hop” was fun and it helped change the mood on WWE RAW. The entire rivalry is quite bizarre, but the song added the perfect touch. Miz sure knows how to add the entertainment factor to WWE.
#2 Bobby Lashley dominated Shelton Benjamin on WWE RAW
Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin weren’t too pleased with how their night began on WWE RAW. The RAW Superstars confronted Adam Pearce backstage, demanding a match for Benjamin against Bobby Lashley this week and another for Alexander next week.
Benjamin got his wish and faced off against The All Mighty, giving him a tough fight. Lashley took control of the match early and delivered some big blows to Benjamin. The WWE Champion chased off Alexander and turned his focus to Benjamin again. However, the distraction allowed Benjamin to hit the Pay Dirt for the two-count.
Lashley became more aggressive soon after and hit a couple of Spinebusters before locking in the Hurt Lock, making Benjamin pass out. The victory allowed Lashley to look strong against a competitor who’d been doing great on WWE RAW over the past several months.
There seems to be no good reason to break up The Hurt Business. However, MVP could have some plan in mind that could help Lashley retain his title against Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania.
Alexander will face off against the WWE Champion next week, and the match will allow him a chance to perform his heart out against the top WWE RAW Superstar.
#1 Ricochet and Mustafa Ali held their own against Drew McIntyre; Bobby Lashley finds a new ally on WWE RAW
Drew McIntyre wasn’t ready to back down from any challenge on WWE RAW this week. Bobby Lashley and MVP were looking for someone to take down The Scottish Warrior on the Red brand. MVP approached Ricochet backstage, but the RAW Superstar did not seem too interested in what he had to say.
McIntyre stormed into the locker room daring someone to fight him, before confronting Ricochet. The high-flyer said he was not interested in Lashley’s offer but was always up for a fight.
Ricochet tried to get an early advantage in their match with his speed, but McIntyre’s power proved too much. McIntyre took him down with a belly-to-belly suplex. However, Ricochet countered soon after by landing on his feet.
After a few big moves, Ricochet set up for the 630 Splash. McIntyre rolled out of the way and hit a Claymore to pick up the victory. After the match, Mustafa Ali arrived and attacked McIntyre’s leg, beginning a brand new match between the two.
Ali took control of the match for some time before McIntyre flattened him with a Claymore and picked up another victory. Both Ricochet and Ali were impressive and got a chance to perform in the main event of WWE RAW.
After the match came to an end, McIntyre called out the WWE Champion. The All-Mighty obliged and talked some trash, before the two men started to brawl.
King Corbin came out of nowhere and attacked McIntyre, allowing Lashley to apply the Hurt Lock. The entire segment was good for both McIntyre and Lashley. Both WWE RAW Superstars got a chance to shine and go one-up over each other before the big match at WrestleMania.
