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Welcome to this week's edition of things WWE subtly told us on RAW! It was a solid episode, but it wasn't without its flaws. The first half of RAW went smooth, but the second half had a bunch of ups-and-downs.
The central storyline was AJ Styles' pursuit of the WWE Championship, but there were returns and some interesting feuds happening. The Miz and John Morrison defeated Keith Lee in a handicap match, but that aside, most of the episode was relatively consistent.
It was a good RAW to have right before TLC, and it will be interesting to see how the matches play out. Without dragging it much further, here's what WWE subtly told us on RAW!
#5 Jaxson Ryker re-debuts on RAW with a new ally
Jaxson Ryker made his return to WWE programming for the first time in half a year, this time on RAW. If you recall, he debuted on SmackDown after WrestleMania 36 as a part of the Forgotten Sons (alongside Wesley Blake, and Steve Cutler). However, one controversial tweet was all it took for WWE to take him along with the other two out of television.
Since Blake and Cutler are now aligned with King Corbin on SmackDown, Jaxson Ryker will be on RAW, aligning with Elias. The former 24/7 Champion introduced Jaxson Ryker, who proclaimed that his life was changed by his music.
There wasn't too much to the segment, but R-Truth, Akira Tozawa, and Gran Metalik interfered and were on the receiving end of a beatdown by Jaxson Ryker. It wouldn't be surprising to see this newly-formed alliance end in favor of a Jaxson Ryker singles run on RAW.
It's probably a better decision to make, but an ally for Elias on RAW, for the time being, isn't the worst idea.
#4 The field trip turns into a game night on RAW
As advertised, we saw the Firefly Fun House come to RAW, with all the side characters minus Alexa Bliss. It didn't start off great, but Randy Orton invited Bray Wyatt backstage to find him so they could play a little game.
In that time backstage on RAW, Bray Wyatt had crossed paths with Matt Riddle and R-Truth, with the former interaction teasing a potential feud in the future. Randy Orton would capture Bray Wyatt and stuff him in a box.
In a throwback moment, Randy Orton set the box on fire, and while he thought he got rid of Bray Wyatt, he did, only for The Fiend to emerge. Once again, Randy Orton would suffer when The Fiend arrived, and it was quite telling about the potential outcome of their match at TLC.
Was the game played on RAW a teaser for how it's going to be? Hopefully, the match they have at TLC isn't as bad as it was at WrestleMania 33. Who will return to RAW next week victorious?
Alexa Bliss could possibly return at TLC to cost Randy Orton. The former Women's Champion has been away despite being teased as The Fiend's biggest weakness. While that would have been an important part of the story, she was absent for the last couple of episodes due to the filming of outside projects.
The seven-time Champion helping The Fiend would likely prove that she isn't his biggest weakness.
#3 Lana gets the upset of the year on RAW, but at what cost?
Lana didn't just get the upset of the year, but she got one of the biggest upsets in RAW history by defeating Nia Jax. We will be the first to admit that our prediction was wrong, but could you blame us? It was a match where the odds were severely stacked against Lana, but crazier things have happened in WWE.
Even so, Lana got arguably the biggest win of her career. She managed to kick Nia Jax's leg down from the turnbuckle and get her in a pinning predicament. RAW Women's Champion Asuka was backstage and gave Lana the moral support she needed ahead of the match. She was anxiously watching on, so it came as no surprise that Shayna Baszler attacked her.
Shayna Baszler then came out and the Tag Team Champions destroyed Lana before Asuka made the save. Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler stood tall, but one can only wonder how this is going to impact the Women's Tag Team title match at TLC.
As it turns out, Lana is now out of TLC, and Asuka will need a replacement. Mandy Rose returned to RAW after Dana Brooke was attacked and we expect one of the two to replace Lana.
#2 AJ Styles' pursuit of the WWE title on RAW
AJ Styles was the perfect WWE title challenger to Drew McIntyre, and they've had a decent, but quick feud on RAW. AJ Styles opened the show and closed it. At the start, he was with The Miz and John Morrison before he faced Sheamus.
After beating Sheamus, he had him tangled in a rope, where he proceeded to take a steel chair and brutalize him. After that, Sheamus was done on RAW and for some reason, Drew McIntyre didn't come out to save him.
It seems as though The Miz, John Morrison, and AJ Styles are forming an alliance, which could play into the TLC main event. Drew McIntyre didn't have the best showing on RAW despite a good back-and-forth promo in the final segment of the night.
Ultimately, the numbers game caught up with Drew McIntyre and he ate a Phenomenal Forearm, with AJ Styles standing tall on the RAW before TLC. It's a clear indicator that Drew McIntyre will be walking out as the WWE Champion at TLC.
#1 The Hurt Business triumphs again on RAW, but another adversary emerges
The Hurt Business had yet another great night on RAW, defeating The New Day and Jeff Hardy in a six-man tag team match. It was Bobby Lashley who won the match for his team on RAW, once again getting the best of Jeff Hardy to do so.
Before that, however, The Hurt Business were seen backstage pouring milk on a staff member for eating "Bronutts".
Riddle was once again involved, being at ringside to be "Bro E" - Big E's replacement. Riddle's night ended with success after defeating MVP with ease and walking away while eating a doughnut.
It's clear that Riddle is entering the United States title picture, and as of this writing, a match hasn't been announced for TLC, but we expect it to happen. If it doesn't happen at TLC, then it will likely take place on the RAW after the PPV.
It'll be interesting to see how the feud plays out. The Hurt Business has been gaining momentum on RAW, and the feud for the United States Championship could potentially lead to a title change.
