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The final episode of WWE RAW before Royal Rumble looked to set the tone for Sunday’s event where fans will watch several big matches take place. Drew McIntyre and Goldberg were scheduled to appear on the show, and WWE did not go for the bait-and-switch policy this time.
The biggest match of the Red brand was scheduled between Alexa Bliss and Asuka with the RAW Women’s Championship on the line. Riddle was also scheduled for a big match this week as he was set to take on three members of The Hurt Business in a Gauntlet Match.
Sheamus competed in two matches during RAW, while Charlotte Flair’s match against Shayna Baszler turned into a six-woman tag team match that had two messy finishes.
Superstars continued to declare their entry into the Royal Rumble Match in the final episode of RAW before the pay-per-view.
Keeping in mind all that happened on RAW, let’s take a look at the 5 things WWE got right on the show before Royal Rumble.
#5 Drew McIntyre and Goldberg show up on WWE RAW before Royal Rumble
Roman Reigns has been providing WWE SmackDown with a hot start week after week. RAW needed the same treatment ahead of Royal Rumble. To do the job, Drew McIntyre was given the chance to open up the show. The WWE Champion returned two weeks after testing positive for COVID-19.
The Scottish Warrior spoke about his recovery from illness and then turned his attention to his opponent for Sunday night. McIntyre vowed to put an end to Goldberg’s latest streak, but The Miz and John Morrison appeared to interrupt the WWE Champion.
The Miz teased cashing in his Money in the Bank contract on the WWE Champion at Royal Rumble. This brought in Goldberg who came face to face with McIntyre. The two massive Superstars wiped Miz and Morrison with a Spear and Claymore Kick respectively.
They had a staredown to end the segment. RAW needed to plan something big to put over this match, and they did just that thanks to the return of the WWE Champion.
The Miz will likely cash in his contract at Royal Rumble and take the pin to protect the two Superstars. This has played out well in WWE’s favor, and McIntyre has a big chance of proving himself against a tough opponent on Sunday.
#4 The Miz gains some momentum on WWE RAW ahead of Royal Rumble
Sheamus and John Morrison announced their entry into the Royal Rumble Match before the two men got in the ring to compete on WWE RAW. Coincidentally, The Miz watched on from ringside in his ring gear.
The two Superstars had a good contest where Sheamus looked like a true champion. He was able to counter his opponent’s moves well and stayed in the competition even when Morrison delivered his best strikes.
Sheamus was able to hit Morrison with the White Noise to pick up the victory, after which The Miz challenged Sheamus to a handicap match. Miz’s ring gear did not go to waste as both the heels were able to get the best of The Celtic Warrior.
Mr. Money in the Bank caught Sheamus with the Skull Crushing Finale and picked up a big victory ahead of Royal Rumble. Both Miz and Morrison have not had a great time on RAW in terms of match results. However, it was good to watch Miz score a pinfall over a top Superstar just before a pay-per-view where he could end up cashing in his MITB contract.
#3 Edge makes a blockbuster announcement on WWE RAW
Drew McIntyre has held the WWE Championship in two different reigns over the past year on RAW. McIntyre has since carried RAW on his broad shoulders, and that has been made possible due to the absence of one top Superstar.
Edge returned to WWE after an absence of almost ten years during last year’s Royal Rumble Match. While McIntyre won the Royal Rumble Match, fans will likely remember Edge’s return more than McIntyre’s victory for a longer time.
This week on RAW, Edge returned to cut a promo after a long time. The Superstar not only spoke about his long journey back and the injury that hampered his comeback, but he also made a huge announcement.
Edge announced that he would enter the Royal Rumble Match this Sunday to win back the WWE World Championship that he never lost. This segment instantly increased the fans’ interest in this Sunday’s 30-man Royal Rumble Match.
Edge’s emotional promo was spot on, and even though WWE could have waited until the Rumble to have Edge enter as a surprise entrant, the creatives decided to announce on RAW instead.
#2 Riddle wins the Gauntlet Match on WWE RAW; Cedric Alexander impresses
WWE RAW hosted a Gauntlet Match for Riddle on this week’s show. The Hurt Business’ MVP, Cedric Alexander, and Shelton Benjamin came out for a match against Riddle on RAW.
Benjamin was the first man to enter the ring with Riddle and tried to dominate the former MMA fighter. While Benjamin could have taken down Riddle early, an interference from Alexander took the opportunity away from him. Riddle was soon able to put away his first opponent.
MVP entered next and fell prey to a heel hook that forced the veteran to tap out. Riddle advanced to the final round of the Gauntlet Match where Alexander entered the ring. The former WWE Cruiserweight Champion proved to be the most impressive of the lot and took the fight to Riddle.
While Alexander stood the best chance of taking down the former NXT Tag Team Champion, Riddle rolled him up to pick up another victory and book a date with Bobby Lashley. After the match, Lashley beat down Riddle to send a clear message to his future opponent.
Having Riddle pick up roll-up victories is rather odd. However, the match was good and continued to show the tension between the members of The Hurt Business. Alexander did a great job in the match and showcased his potential once again.
#1 Randy Orton RKOs Alexa Bliss on WWE RAW
Alexa Bliss sent a loud and clear message on WWE RAW last week, and she was back for a bigger opportunity this week. Bliss had defeated Asuka fair and square on the Red brand and got a RAW Women’s Championship opportunity on this week’s episode.
Bliss hosted Alexa’s Playground earlier in the night but did not seem too happy as The Fiend wasn’t around with her. However, the segment ended with The Fiend’s laughter ringing through the arena.
Later on RAW, Asuka faced off against Bliss and had a hard time staying on top of the action. Bliss’ antics kept the match entertaining, and it seemed like she’d end the night as the new RAW Women’s Champion.
Asuka mounted a comeback late in the match before Bliss’s old theme music played and she appeared in her old Goddess apparel. Soon after, the lights dimmed and Bliss applied the Mandible Claw to the RAW Women’s Champion.
Randy Orton appeared out of nowhere to take down Bliss with an RKO to end the match in a no-contest. He ended the night standing tall over Bliss. WWE had an intergender match on SmackDown and followed it up with an attack from Orton on Bliss. The shift in the content is clear, and the segment did well to set up The Fiend’s return during the Royal Rumble match where he could take down Orton.
