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The latest edition of Monday Night RAW turned out to be an absolutely fascinating one. We must give WWE credit where credit is due, because they talked about a major change coming and the programming has been surprisingly refreshing.
Even the nostalgia RAW last week was expected to be another recycled episode with old legends, but WWE did a great job of it. This week, it wasn't about the legends but the build to SummerSlam - and they have done a good job in the limited time that they have, especially given that they had less than a month from Extreme Rules to build to the second biggest PPV of the year.
Either way, Summerslam looks absolutely promising and with just one episode of RAW to go, there were quite a few things that were revealed and subtly told to us. Here is what WWE subtly told us on RAW!
#5. Without AJ Styles, Gallows & Anderson don't get pushed
If there is anyone who benefited from a brand trade without actually trading brands this year, it's Gallows & Anderson. AJ Styles' arrival to RAW opened up the door for them to reunite and for Styles to turn heel, meaning that the trio would reform - only with a brand new name this time around.
Gallows & Anderson were practically neglected for all of 2018 and most of 2019 and it's become very clear that without AJ Styles, Gallows & Anderson won't get pushed. If anything, it's the complete opposite. For some reason, WWE only seems to value Gallows & Anderson when they're with AJ Styles and now that they are, they can actually enjoy an extended run with the championships and more importantly - more TV time.
Gallows & Anderson have essentially been beneficiaries to AJ Styles' RAW move.
See WWE RAW Results, Highlights of event, & more on WWE RAW Results page
#4. The 24/7 Championship is where creative never fails...for some reason
The Mike-Maria Kanellis story is not as one-dimensional as many people had thought it to be. This week, the two moved from 205 Live to RAW to the 24/7 title storyline as Mike Kanellis captured the 24/7 title from R-Truth.
Truth and Carmella were coming off a mixed tag team match win against Drake Maverick and his wife Renee Michelle, but Mike Kanellis would play the spoils and capture the title himself. His wife, Maria, who has been dominating him the whole time, demanded that he lay down for her so she can win the title to satisfy her ego.
Merely because she's pregnant, she could freely walk around the backstage area hoisting up the title, because nobody was going to try and steal a quick one from a pregnant woman. Since the title changes hands every week, you know for a fact that creative will come up with something brilliant, like they always do for the 24/7 title.
#3. WWE is playing up on Alexa Bliss being "injury-prone"
2019 may very well be the worst year that Alexa Bliss has had on the main roster. From 2016-2018, she was easily among the top 2 most dominant females in WWE, racking up 5 Women's Championships in a relatively short period.
However, 2019 has seen her sit on the sidelines to the most part with injuries and concussions. Her storyline with Nikki Cross has been the most she's been involved creatively this year and it's clear that WWE is trying to make up for last time.
On RAW, her match had to be stopped due to her suffering an injury to the leg. It seems quite clear that WWE is playing up on Alexa Bliss' "injury-prone" nature over the last year or so and trying to work fans into believing that she may actually be injured.
#2. Becky Lynch vs. Natalya has a stipulation
Becky Lynch vs Natalya has been one of the matches for SummerSlam that has had surprisingly little hype. The Man had a rather rough night after beating Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross back-to-back.
She was put in a sharpshooter by Natalya, who challenged her to a submission match at WWE SummerSlam 2019. We must admit, we love the stipulation because it goes perfectly well with both competitors' arsenal and it makes it all the more interesting.
However, with that being said, we don't think that Natalya is going to walk out as RAW Women's Champion. While it would be nice to see her win another well-deserved title, she isn't the person being pushed right now and Becky Lynch seems set to have a reign for at least another couple of months.
Do you want to see Natalya winning at SummerSlam?
#1. Cedric Alexander is finally getting a big push
Cedric Alexander looked like an absolute star on RAW tonight. While he has been on the sidelines, we do admit that we as fans have jumped the gun too early on him and Buddy Murphy, wondering why they haven't been utilized.
Alexander had the last laugh on RAW as he took out a whole set of heels and it's clear that his regular TV appearances are only going to increase now. Ultimately, what WWE fans need to realize is that TV time in WWE can often be rotational and just because a popular star isn't being utilised, it doesn't mean that there are no plans for them in the future.
Sometimes, it's hard to consistently give TV time to everybody, which is why it makes sense that only now are they giving Cedric Alexander and Buddy Murphy TV time. Either way, Alexander really impressed and is set to get a big push.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
