7 bad creative decisions that defined RAW in 2018

Disclaimer: This article is the opinion of the author. Sportskeeda does not necessarily share the same views

The landscape of professional wrestling is completely different to what it was almost two decades ago, and the truth is that we as WWE fans can't say that we are not surprised, as the peak of WWE back in the 90s could not last forever.

From the company constantly breaking kayfabe to management's inability to keep fans enthralled with fresh storytelling, wrestling could not keep the magic from the attitude era going for long, and one of the worst products in decline since the attitude era has been Raw.

Monday Night RAW may be known as the flagship show, but in reality, it is far from anything special, as WWE has mismanaged the brand to such an extent, that wrestling fans can't seem to believe how far the show that once pioneered wrestling has fallen.

And whether most would like to admit or not, Raw in 2018 was lazy, and that is said with disappointment. So let's look at what lousy decisions by WWE ruined Raw for many fans this year.

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#1. The choice to neglect the Raw tag team division

WWE Tag Team wrestling is a novelty that fans cant enjoy anymore.

Think about all the great tag teams that WWE has produced over the years, legendary names such The Hardy Boys, DX and Edge and Christian all come to your mind, and try and think about one standout tag team this year on Raw.

Well, that might be hard as the Raw Tag Team Division has been a wasteland of former part-timers, wrestlers whose careers have peaked a long time go and NXT talent that is mismanaged.

While it is easy to blame the talent for being uninspiring and boring, look at some of the names in the Raw Tag Tema Division, NXT standouts such as The Revival, The Authors of Pain and even the Chad Gable-Bobby Roode duo, but instead of building a division around them WWE completely dropped the ball with Raw Tag Team Titles, as they were passed around like toys this year from one makeshift team to another.

And that is what destroyed the credibility of the division, as WWE made the tag team wrestlers background stars in their own yard. This was a mistake, and it shows now as we look back on this year.

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#2. A stagnant women's division

So much wasted talent.

Sasha Banks, Bayley, Alexa Bliss, Nia Jax, The Riot Squad and freaking Ronda Rousey, how hard is it for the WWE creative team to build a strong compelling division around these stars, it is truly shocking when you realize that those names mentioned above did nothing of importance this year, as WWE ignored the Raw women's division.

Now there is no denying that Ronda Rousey did elevate the Women's Title as she reigns as champion right now, but most her matches with the likes of Alexa Bliss and Nikki Bella were not what we have seen from the former UFC Bantamweight Champion, and instead of getting Rousey in the ring with the likes of Banks and Bayley, WWE made the Raw Women's Title picture a stale showing with repetitive matches and no real consequences.

Speaking of repetitive matches, there has been a record broken this year with regards to most women tag team matches in one year, as that was the standard match to expect every week on Raw. The Raw women's division could have been a driving force in women's wrestling this year, but WWE's inability to create individually compelling narratives for each of these superstars made it feel lackluster and repetitive.

#3. A weak midcard

The Superstar Shake-Up was a disadvantage to Raw.

The 2018 Superstar Shake-Up was probably was one of the most shocking nights of this year, as WWE took all of their A+ players and put them on their so-called 'B Show,' Smackdown Live. Stars like Samoa Joe, Andrade "Cien" Almas, Randy Orton, Jeff Hardy, The New Day and AJ Styles were all on the blue brand, and Raw was left with a broken down Kevin Owens, Jinder Mahal who lost credibility, a failed experiment in Baron Corbin and the underdog who never wins anything in Finn Balor.

Now, all those stars are top notch in terms of being able to deliver in the ring and on the mic, but we all knew that the creative team was not going to develop them to reach their full potential, and we were right as these stars fell hard on Raw and the midcard was shambles as well.

While Seth Rollins Intercontinental title reign was just enough to hold Raw together for some time, he was off doing his own thing in the main event, which left the midcard without its driving force. The midcard supposed to be the strength of a wrestling show but Raw crumbled as theirs was weak and that shouldn't have been the case.

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#4. Title negligence

If only WWE paid more attention to their titles this year, as they did for the IC Title.

The Intercontinental title was the most important title on Raw this year, and it's not surprising to see why, as strong title reigns from The Miz and Seth Rollins, really showed the fans that this once prestigious title could reach that level of success once again.

But not all titles on Raw received that treatment, as the Raw Tag Team Titles and the Universal Title were neglected to such a point that the entire show started suffering the effects of that neglection.

The reason for the Universal Title being in a pitiful state was due to Brock Lesnar's absence from Monday Night Raw, and it just got worse when WWE put the title back on Lesnar to repeat the process.

Lesnar's terrible reign really summed Raw this year, as if your top champion is not interested in appearing on the show why should the fans have an interest in caring anymore. Hopefully, next year we can get a champion on Raw that will revive the show.

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#5. Autocratic authority figures are still a thing

And it is still a thing.

The reign of Baron Corbin as GM of Raw saw the flagship show receive its worst ratings ever, and while WWE managed to use poor old Corbin as a scapegoat for their poor management of Raw, their promise of a new era is clearly a lie.

As McMahon's fired Corbin from his role as GM and put themselves back in charge of Raw, and for anyone watching WWE for more than five years will know that authority figures on Raw is a thing no one wants to see.

Boring, long opening segments, more time dedicated to the McMahon family drama, and superstars taking on the authority for the hundredth time is things fans don't want to see. Raw needs to be centered around the wrestlers and their narratives, but Raw was not about that this year and it showed.

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#6. Incorrect use of part-timers

These legends of the past got more attention from the creative than the current crop of stars.

The use of part-timers in the WWE is an essential one, as WWE has invested more in the superstars of the past rather than the superstars of tomorrow, and while there is still time for future main eventers to grow, WWE needs to sell tickets, pay-per-view, and merchandise, and that's where the drawing power of these 'part-timers' come into play.

And while its good to see some of your nostalgic heroes on TV again, seeing them used foolishly is just disappointing. As Raw roster was full of the biggest superstars of all time like The Undertaker, Shawn Micheals, Kane, Triple H, John Cena, Brock Lesnar, but they were misused.

Instead of using these legends to build up young promising talent, WWE just decided to give the fans matches that would have been hot fifteen years ago. These stars could have made Raw better than was this year if they were fully used.

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#7. A boring main event scene

The worst part of Raw this year was having to sit through this crap.

Nothing sucked more this year on Raw this year than the main event scene, as the ongoing boring war between Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman really damaged Raw to the point, fans stopped tuning in to watch the show.

And it's not the fault of those three men, as the creative team behind the Raw product clearly didn't know how to book a white-hot main event scene. Not only was the main event scene tedious, but the Universal Title also lost a ton of credibility in the process.

The Universal Title has become a championship that many don't take seriously anymore and that is only WWE's fault, as Lesnar's pathetic reign, the absence of the title on Raw and the booking of the title's matches portrayed this so-called 'World Title' as a prop that holds no value. And one could even say the main event scene of Raw this year the reason for all its issues.

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