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Raw came to us from the Verizon Center in Washington, DC on 24th July, and quite simply put, it seemed rather directionless. WWE had a fair idea about the high points of the show, but a great majority of the episode lacked focus and direction. Many storylines moved along and the central stories did deliver, and yet some parts just seemed put together to fill out the duration of three hours.
This is not to say that the show was bad, but it was far from a perfect show. Let's revisit the show and detail what we liked and what we didn't from this explosive episode.
#1 Worst: The burial of Emma
Last week, Emma completed five years in WWE and sent out this Tweet to mark the grand occasion:
It is clear that she irked someone backstage because she was booked in a squash match against Nia Jax and obliterated in the ring. So much so that Booker T made a mention of Emma running her mouth and Corey Graves alluded to someone getting a shovel to rescue the Australian.
Not only is this unfair considering how talented she is, but we are also certain that this situation could have been handled in a better way. In any case, we don't know the whole story; therefore, we move on with the rest of our list.
#1 Best: Two women stole the show
These two women put on one of the best matches in WWE at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn not so long ago. This year Summerslam happens in Brooklyn, but unfortunately, we won't get to see these two women create history on the main roster. Instead, we got a glimpse of their magic on Raw this very week, at a time when the crowd was absolutely dead still, and they stole the show with their incredible performance. As good as Alexa Bliss is on the microphone, her in-ring skills have been lacking and this match was refreshing to watch.
We wonder if Sasha Banks will go heel as a result of this loss. If so, that should make the division very interesting indeed. A Sasha vs. Bayley match would make total sense then, and could definitely elevate the whole division.
#2 Worst: Predictable segments
Elias Samson plays a song in the ring, much to the chagrin of the assembled crowd. Before he can finish, he is interrupted by Finn Balor and a no-DQ match gets underway. As the match heats up, the lights go out and Bray Wyatt appears to knock Balor down. We knew how this segment was going to play out from the moment it was announced.
So too was the case for the match between Enzo and Big Cass, where the latter got squashed and relentlessly beaten until The Big Show interfered. It is hard to keep a crowd invested for three hours straight if they know what's going to happen next, and we urge WWE to put a little more effort into their segments to make the show far more palatable for their fans.
#2 Best: Big match booked for Summerslam
Remember, we reported it first! However, it was still cool to see Kurt Angle make the match official. Roman Reigns will square off against Brock Lesnar, Braun Strowman and Samoa Joe for the Universal Championship. Honestly, we cannot imagine a bigger main event for Summerslam and are very interested to see how it does pan out. Each of these men seems like a credible threat to Lesnar, and the outcome of the match should be interesting because The Beast does not need to be pinned to lose his championship anymore.
We get a preview of Summerslam next week when three of these bulls lock horns yet again. After they tore the house down at the top of the show, next week, they rain destruction upon one another in a triple threat match. To say we are excited would be a really big understatement.
#3 Worst: Jordan on the microphone
WWE has given Jason Jordan a platform that he would not have had otherwise, as Kurt Angle's son. However, he needs to make the most of this opportunity by cutting compelling promos and hitting the ball out of the park, when he is on camera.
This week was a rough start as he did not deliver in the backstage promo like he should have when the opportunity presented itself. Let's hope his Miz TV segment next week is better than this week's showing.
#3 Best: Jason Jordan in the ring
While Jason Jordan really did not fare well in the backstage area, he made quite an impact in the ring. We're certain Kurt Angle, watching backstage, was not just smiling because he was asked to.
Jordan throws some of the best suplexes in the business and he is a unique talent with a unique background. Will he go up against The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship as a result of next week's segment? We'll have to wait and see, won't we?
#4 Worst: Free agent no more?
We had assumed that Cena would show up on Raw in the episode following Battleground to push his Summerslam program! Why else would he be a Free Agent? Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be seen this week. Has WWE forgotten about Cena's gimmick already? Will he show up after Summerslam?
We cannot answer these questions for you, but we leave you with an image you can cherish forever. That of the Raw Women's Champion, Alexa Bliss!
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
