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This week, RAW came to us from The Nassau Coliseum from Uniondale, New York. This show dealt with the fallout of Backlash. It was also concerned with the build to 'Money in the Bank'. It wasn't a particularly good or bad show, it was just about okay.
WWE did not pull up their socks after the disappointment that was Backlash. There were moments that impressed during the course of the evening, but nothing extraordinary. Seems like we will be in a holding pattern for a while then.
For what it is worth, here's what Iliked and disliked from the show. I invite you to leave a comment and let us know your thoughts and views about the same.
Presenting the 'Best and Worst' of RAW.
#1 Best: Matches with actual stakes
Three wars were waged this week to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder matches. The first one saw Braun Strowman take on Kevin Owens, the next one was a Triple Threat between Ember Moon, Sasha Banks and Ruby Riott and the third, the triple threat main event between Roman Reigns, Finn Balor and Sami Zayn.
RAW was guilty of a lot of meaningless showcase matches this week. Thankfully, these three matches kept my interest because it was difficult to guess who would qualify for the same. Sadly, there was no storyline beyond this stipulation.
Let's hope that the following weeks continue the excitement by actually having stakes for matches. Even the Jinder Mahal-Chad Gable match had stakes, but it didn't play out like Mahal would have wanted it to.
#1 Worst: Lashley and his sisters
Bobby Lashley has only been portrayed as a brute since he returned on the night after WrestleMania 34. Therefore, I was thrilled when we found out that there would be character development with regard to him. The anecdotes and stories he related were quite confusing. Why did he talk about his sisters, all of a sudden?
The objective was right but the execution was all awry. I do hope that there is more compelling storytelling done with regard to Lashley to make him seem more relevant in coming weeks. This is turning out to be one of the most confusing storylines of 2018.
#2 Best: Taking a big chance with Ember Moon
Ember Moon was the first woman to qualify for the women's Money in the Bank. It is great to see WWE give her such a big opportunity, right off the bat. It had seemed that after her incredible arrival, she had cooled down a little bit. I was glad to see that the company wants to push her onward and upward.
The Double Eclipse was also a great spot. Corey Graves made a pretty cool save by explaining how it worked. The other two women sold wonderfully for her as well.
Moon's post-match promo wasn't the best. But I'm sure she'll only become better with time.
#2 Worst: The Sasha-Bayley equation
The Sasha and Bayley feud is way past its expiry date. WWE had an opportunity to kick it off into high gear but refused to pull the trigger. Moreover, can the two women decide if they're friends or foes?
When The Riott Squad took out their ire on Banks, Bayley interfered to support her former friend. Or is it her current friend? I really can't tell based on how the booking has been.
Can we just have the two of them turn on each other already? Please let one of them go heel and get over, WWE!
#3 Best: Continuity in storyline
WWE's storytelling is often weak and confused and therefore, when they do manage to maintain a sense of continuity, they must be commended. I particularly liked the fact that despite Zayn's insistence, Kevin Owens did not show up to support him during the main event. This should play out in a big way, over the coming weeks. At least, I hope so.
I also liked how Mahal figured into the scheme of things. He won a match that should have guaranteed him a spot in the main event, but that did not transpire, causing him to go after Reigns. One of my colleagues had his reservations about Jinder, and he raises a valid point:
#3 Worst: Bobby Roode as a babyface
WWE clearly realizes that they have a fabulous talent in Bobby Roode. Sadly, they don't seem to know what to do with him. He took on Elias for the third week in a row. Let's hope he moves on to something else, very soon.
One needs to only look back at his NXT run to figure out how good he is as a heel superstar. Let's hope that Triple H is showing Vince McMahon a lot of NXT footage in the back.
#4 Best/worst: The Intercontinental Championship open challenge
John Cena elevated the US Championship with the Open Challenge. Rollins can certainly do the same with the Intercontinental Championship. Therefore, we were thrilled when the title returned. We were just a little disappointed when Mojo Rawley answered the challenge.
There hasn't been any character development with regard to Mojo Rawley. It would have made more sense to have someone like Dolph Ziggler or Chad Gable answer instead. Even Baron Corbin would have been a better bet.
Why not Zack Ryder? The crowd was hot for him considering he was the 'hometown hero'.
Let's ask a Goddess for the answer.
