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Welcome to this week's edition of things WWE subtly told us on RAW! It was a stacked episode as predicted and we had multiple grudge matches, the emergence of new contenders, legends continuing to prove why they're a level above the rest, and more.
Since the episode was so packed with incredible matches, let's jump right into it!
#8 A preview on RAW of what could come at Extreme Rules for Rey Mysterio
We saw a WrestleMania 36 rematch on RAW between Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins. At ringside was Aleister Black and afterward, Rey Mysterio and Dominik as well. They were the difference makers at the end as they surrounded the ring, allowing Kevin Owens to hit the stunner and beat Seth Rollins again.
The night ended for Seth Rollins with him heading back in defeat, but that could be a sign of things to come. Seth Rollins hasn't been winning all that much in his big matches, but we expect him to brutalize Rey Mysterio in their "Eye for an Eye" match, where the Superstar can only win when they "take out" the opponent's eye.
However, it could be the stepping stone and final straw for Dominik to finally transition into WWE programming. If that is the endgame here (which we believe it is), then it won't be a bad way to have Rey Mysterio go out.
Whether it's going to be an outright retirement or not, we can't be sure. But we must remember that Rey Mysterio promised Dominik that his first match will be the two of them teaming up together. It's certainly a lot of pressure to put on a 23-year old with no previous TV experience, but given how he's been impressing so far, we have reason to believe that WWE is taking into account the progress he's made behind the scenes as well.
However, WWE might have spoiled the Extreme Rules result by having Seth Rollins lose the way he did on RAW.
#7 The continued domination of Bobby Lashley on RAW
Bobby Lashley's redemption arc continued this week on RAW, courtesy of MVP - the man who is partially responsible for his current push. MVP is set to face Apollo Crews at Extreme Rules: The Horror Show for the United States Championship, and while we don't expect him to beat Crews, Bobby Lashley could enter the fray at any point.
Right now, Cedric Alexander and Ricochet are back on TV and the latter lost to Lashley clean. Cedric Alexander, who MVP has been trying to recruit, tried to make the save but suffered a similar fate.
It looks like Cedric Alexander might not be joining just yet. While we feel he would be better off with MVP, he could be used as the "sacrificial lamb" in WWE attempting their rebuild of Bobby Lashley.
Either way, we expect big things for Lashley if his string of dominance continues on RAW. Ultimately, however, it should end with him getting his desired dream match against Brock Lesnar. We wouldn't be surprised if WWE's goal in this is to build Lashley as Brock Lesnar's next opponent. Nobody can say that he hasn't earned it.
#6 Shayna Baszler is back on RAW
This was one of the best parts of RAW. Shayna Baszler has been absent from WWE TV since Money in the Bank 2020, where she failed to capture the briefcase despite being an overwhelming favorite.
There have been a lot of rumors floating around about how Shayna Baszler has 'fallen out of favor' with Vince McMahon, but it's hard to believe it until we see it. Another rumor suggested that she was being kept off TV because there simply wasn't a good storyline for her - and that makes a lot more sense.
We're not sure when, but Asuka vs Shayna Baszler seems to be an inevitable direction for the RAW Women's Championship. We all thought that Shayna Baszler would dethrone Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 36, but she was narrowly defeated and The Man would take a while off before announcing her pregnancy and hiatus.
It's going to be interesting to see what's in store for Shayna Baszler on RAW now that she's back. The RAW women's division needed her.
#5 Is Drew McIntyre "unprepared" for Extreme Rules?
Dolph Ziggler was the guest on MVP's VIP Lounge Show - something that's become more frequent on RAW. As you know, Dolph Ziggler earned the right to choose the stipulation for his WWE title match at Extreme Rules: The Horror Show.
He seems to have an idea in mind as to what he wants, but he hasn't let Drew McIntyre in on it yet. The story seems to be that Drew McIntyre has no time to prepare for the kind of match it's going to be. An advertisement seemed to suggest that it'll be a TLC match.
Either way, we believe that this is going to be another excellent title defense for Drew McIntyre. His first major defense against Seth Rollins at Money in the Bank was a solid, technical contest between two elite superstars, while his match against Bobby Lashley was closer to a brawl. Either way, both matches were fantastic and we expect Dolph Ziggler to give his best in what could be his last WWE title opportunity.
Drew McIntyre vowed to destroy Dolph Ziggler on RAW, not just beat him.
#4 A long-overdue return to the RAW Women's division
Bianca Belair was a name who debuted on the RAW after WrestleMania and seemed to finish her time with NXT. However, she went missing for a few months just like that and after three months, she's back on TV.
Ruby Riott hasn't been on the greatest run, losing to both members of The IIconics, Peyton Royce and Billie Kay. With Liv Morgan absent, Riott sought the help of Bianca Belair.
Oozing of talent and charisma, the former NXT superstar was the difference-maker and ended up getting the win for her team on RAW. It seems like this will be the program going forward and for the next few weeks, we'll be getting various versions of singles matches including Bianca Belair, Ruby Riott, Peyton Royce, and Billie Kay.
Hopefully, this is the start of frequent television appearances for Belair. While she didn't find Championship success in NXT, she's still widely regarded as one of the best homegrown talents WWE has had in years and we fully expect her future to be filled with accolades.
#3 What did the ending of RAW mean for Kairi Sane?
The main event of RAW saw Sasha Banks and Bayley defend the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships against Asuka and Kairi Sane - The Kabuki Warriors. While we're fresh off the match while writing this, it's safe to assume that this was the best WWE Women's Tag Team title match since the introduction of the belts in 2019.
It was an incredible match that could have even main evented a PPV. The quality of the athleticism, the in-ring psychology, and the fact that we had some of the most talented female wrestlers in the world sharing the ring meant that it was always going to be a great match.
As expected, The Golden Role Models retained, but The Kabuki Warriors came close on many occasions. On RAW Talk, Kairi Sane said that she's ready to face Asuka if she retains her RAW Women's Title against Sasha Banks on Sunday.
This could be what leads to her retirement. However, we're interested to see how Asuka vs Sasha Banks plays out. It has all the makings of a classic!
#2 On the same page, at last?
Normally, tag teams are built between those that have incredible and natural chemistry together. Minus the 2016 formation of 'The Bar' where Sheamus and Cesaro hated each other at first before becoming a unit, it's not too often that we see a tag team built on the differences between them. That's the story that WWE has been going with on RAW with Andrade and Angel Garza.
The Mexican duo has been entering the RAW Tag Team division and has found early success, but their differences and clash in egos were clear from the start.
It has been Zelina Vega who has been trying to be the mediator and after the latest episode of RAW, it seems to be working. Andrade was eliminated in the Tag Team Elimination match, but he still managed to assist Angel Garza, who ended up pinning Ivar of The Viking Raiders with a counter powerbomb.
The fist bump between the two seemed to indicate that they're finally getting on the same page and it seems like they will be by the time they challenge The Street Profits for the RAW Tag Team Championship.
#1 Is Ric Flair poised to become Randy Orton's next victim?
If you want to see an example of what the art of a promo is like, watch Ric Flair on the latest episode of RAW. He had a backstage segment with The Big Show where he warned him and told him that he didn't need to face Randy Orton to gain the respect of the people.
He told him that handling film and TV while also being in WWE was next to impossible, which is why The Rock never came back. The Big Show recognized his manipulative tactics and called him out on it. As for Randy Orton, he praised R-Truth for being a man who has entertained fans for years.
Ric Flair even told R-Truth that he won't suffer the way Edge and Christian and many others have - and that it would be a simple RKO. That's what it was and all Randy Orton needed to do was defeat R-Truth with one RKO. He teased going for the punt, only for The Big Show to come out.
Orton revealed that it was a ruse and that he never planned to hurt R-Truth, but he ended up challenging The Big Show to an unsanctioned match next week on RAW.
It's going to be interesting to see what happens on RAW next week. Randy Orton has been one of the most exciting parts of RAW and we can't help but feel like Ric Flair is going to suffer a similar fate to those before him.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
