'%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)
This is a special edition of things WWE subtly told us on RAW, solely because of how the show ended. Looking back, this will be considered one of the great endings to RAW this year, and it culminated with the biggest possible title change.
We'll be covering virtually every aspect of RAW, minus the 8-man tag team match featuring The New Day and Mansoor & Mustafa Ali against Mace, T-BAR, and AJ Styles & Omos.
It was a good episode of RAW with an incredible ending. Let's jump right into it:
#7. The big change in landscape on RAW
RAW opened with a fun segment between Bobby Lashley & MVP, RK-Bro, and SmackDown's Big E -- the Men's Money in the Bank winner this year. Big E wasn't exactly subtle about teasing a Money in the Bank cash in.
Bobby Lashley wasn't happy on RAW. He said that Randy Orton politicked his way to a WWE title match on RAW despite Lashley and MVP being #1 contenders for the RAW Tag Team titles.
Lashley also warned Big E that if he came near him with the contract, he would shove it far up his backside. Big E's role on RAW seemed to be purely psychological, as he could be seen entering the RK-Bros locker room.
While Randy Orton was zoning out and trying to focus on his potential 15th world title, Riddle was rambling on as usual. Big E simply came in and made his presence known.
It was also a bit of a reunion for The New Day, with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods urging him on backstage. The main event of RAW saw Bobby Lashley face Randy Orton in what was originally scheduled to be a TV match.
If you never understood the importance of television ratings and weekly television, you might now understand why it holds more weight than even pay-per-views. TV broadcast deals are WWE's biggest revenue source, and although pay-per-views have traditionally been where all the payoffs are, that isn't necessarily the case anymore.
The Bobby Lashley vs Randy Orton match was meant to be a rating boost. Big E directly saying he was going to cash in the Money in the Bank briefcase was for a ratings pop.
With that said, we were a bit surprised that Big E wasn't lying or trolling. Big E and WWE did everything to make it seem as though it would simply be a tease and not a cash-in, but it turned out to be exactly that.
Bobby Lashley faced Randy Orton in a good match. MVP was taken out by Randy Orton at ringside, after which Lashley took advantage and picked up the win. Post-match, Big E came out and the cash-in was announced before cutting to an ad break -- deflating the moment a bit.
When we returned from the break, Big E and Lashley started their WWE title match, with the latter first refusing to defend due to a supposed injury. He still managed to put up a fight, but Big E ultimately won the bout and became the new WWE Champion.
There is a lot of fallout in that alone, but we'll dedicate another article to that. For now, Big E is the face of Monday Night RAW, and the Almighty WWE Championship reign has come to an end after an incredible 6 months.
For Bobby Lashley, there are two clear-cut routes for him post-WWE title -- a rematch against Big E at Extreme Rules and a match against Goldberg at Crown Jewel.
It seems obvious that Goldberg will get his vengeance over Bobby Lashley at Crown Jewel, especially since no title will be involved.
#6. Did Tamina and Natalya quietly change characters on RAW?
Tamina and Natalya have been the reigning WWE Women's Tag Team titles for a while now, with their latest assignment being on RAW. As the Women's Tag Team Champions, they're essentially the only full-time superstars on the roster who can jump from brand to brand defending their titles.
Lately, they've been feuding with the newly-formed tag team of Rhea Ripley and Nikki A.S.H. Since they teamed up on the RAW after SummerSlam, Ripley and Nikki A.S.H. have only tasted victory.
This continued on the latest episode of RAW as Nikki A.S.H. beat Tamina, and following that, Rhea Ripley submitted Natalya.
Even though Nikki A.S.H emerged victorious, Tamina was announced the winner and her music started playing in a pretty memorable botch.Between the two matches, there was a beatdown on Ripley and Nikki A.S.H., with Natalya and Tamina quietly turning heel in the process.
It's interesting because they weren't exactly babyfaces recently. However, they seemed to maintain a "tweener" character that leaned a bit more towards the heel side, especially after they began a feud against Rhea Ripley and Nikki A.S.H.
This seems to have been a quiet heel turn for the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions on RAW.
#5. Damian Priest vs Sheamus continues to intensify on RAW
Damian Priest faced Jeff Hardy on RAW. There are few stars on the show with more momentum than Damian Priest, and it could be argued that he has had the most popularity growth in 2021 of anyone on the entire RAW roster.
WWE's handling of Priest has admittedly been impeccable so far. He has been an entertaining character to watch, and his United States title reign that started at SummerSlam is getting off on the right foot.
This week on RAW, Priest faced and defeated WWE legend Jeff Hardy. He was attacked by his Extreme Rules opponent post-match, but Priest managed to get a Brogue Kick in revenge.
The feud continues to intensify, but nothing has indicated that Sheamus will regain the United States Championship.
#4. Drew McIntyre continues to march on
Drew McIntyre's run on RAW right now is a mixed bag. He shouldn't be in the main title picture, and WWE are doing the best they can to ensure that he stays relevant.
This week on RAW, Drew McIntyre teamed up with the Viking Raiders to defeat Jinder Mahal, Veer, and Shanky. He did exactly that, with the Claymore Kick ending the match in no time.
Unfortunately for Jinder Mahal, a push on RAW doesn't seem to be on the cards. However, WWE is carefully pushing and protecting Drew McIntyre for when they eventually need him for a high-profile feud.
#3. Charlotte Flair in for another short RAW Women's title reign?
It seems like every week on RAW, Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler are on the verge of a break-up. We're a bit surprised it hasn't happened already. Last week on RAW, it was Shayna Baszler who cost Nia Jax in her Women's title match against Charlotte Flair.
This week, it was Nia Jax who cost Shayna Baszler against Charlotte Flair. Without much fallout, it was announced that next week on RAW, Jax vs Baszler will finally happen.
It seems as though the two may have had a break-up without it even being official. Either way, the main Women's title feud on RAW is between Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss. The RAW Women's Champion was approached by Alexa Bliss, who gave her a gift.
It was the doll version of Charlotte Flair, named Charly. Later backstage, Charlotte Flair ended up trashing "Charly", likely infuriating her Extreme Rules challenger. We're not sure as to whether the RAW Women's title will change hands, but Alexa Bliss hasn't won a singles title in over three years now - so WWE might feel that it's long overdue for her to get one.
#2. Doudrop ends her feud with Eva Marie on RAW?
Doudrop finally had an actual match against Eva Marie on RAW. The last time they were scheduled to face off, Doudrop launched a pre-match attack, and Eva Marie was deemed unfit to compete.
This week, it finally happened and the payoff was done well. Despite Eva Marie seemingly gouging Doudrop's eye, she wasn't able to get her entire bodyweight down for a cheap pin. In fact, she couldn't get any weight on at all.
This resulted in Doudrop squashing her former manager and officially ending their feud. It's a step ahead for Doudrop, but what's next for Eva Marie? Does WWE have any long-term plan whatsoever for her?
#1. WWE continues to do right by Karrion Kross
After losing twice in three weeks, Karrion Kross is officially back on track. WWE is using the traditional method to build Kross up as a monster heel - having him squash opponents in low consequence matches.
His victims list continues to grow, and on RAW, he cut a promo about not getting lost in the shuffle. His objective is clear, and it's a great way to handle a superstar like Kross. We're not sure how Scarlett Bordeaux plays into all of this, but we imagine that there is a plan at some point for the two to align.
Even if Karrion Kross continues on this route for another month, it will be a good way to build him up.
