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The go-home episode of RAW before the Royal Rumble was an okay show with some good moments, but most of it was very average indeed. It was definitely a star-studded affair with all of the stars coming out to the party, but overall, it wasn't the most memorable episode of WWE RAW that I have seen.
That said, I welcome you to disagree with my assessment and let me know what you liked and what you disliked about RAW in the comments section. I am always willing to listen to opinions that are different from mine and I would love to hear your thoughts.
Also, since we're less than a week removed from the Royal Rumble pay-per-view, I welcome you guys to leave a comment and let me know your picks for the two Rumble matches too. Whom should the winners potentially challenge in your opinion?
The most exciting time of the sports entertainment calendar is fast coming our way very soon indeed and I welcome you along for the ride, dear reader.
#1 Best: Brand new RAW Tag Team Champions
There was no doubt at all that Buddy Murphy joining Seth Rollins' faction was the best move for his career, but that was proved this week when the two men cut in line ahead of the Authors of Pain to etch their names in the history books as the RAW Tag Team Champions. They would defeat The Viking Raiders, arguably the most dominantly booked modern RAW tag team.
This victory did wonders for Buddy Murphy and is certain to take him to the next level. It makes the tag team division which was beginning to seem a little stale feel fresh and exciting again, even though these are two singles performers paired together and not an actual tag team unit.
#1 Worst: Liv Morgan loses her comeback match on RAW
I don't particularly think I like the way Rusev is losing every single week on RAW to Bobby Lashley. I had assumed that Liv Morgan's comeback match would mean that Rusev would pick up a victory but that was not to be as Lashley and Lana triumphed once again.
I understand why WWE is going the whole hog with the whole Lashley and Lana storyline, but the show needs to go off the air on some weeks with the babyfaces celebrating so that there is a feel-good moment. Last week, we saw Buddy Murphy joining the ranks of Seth Rollins and this week, we had WWE's most despised couple celebrating as the show went off the air.
My colleague Rick Ucchino believes that this is all a swerve and it's going to result in Rusev winning the Royal Rumble to take Brock Lesnar on, in a massive WrestleMania 36 match. If that is the direction this feud is taking, then it justifies their booking decisions on WWE RAW.
Until then, I will reserve my judgement.
#2 Best: The incredible ladder match
Before I begin with my assessment of the match, let me just plug in the extraordinary work that my colleague Gary Cassidy has been doing with regard to interviews. Not long ago, he caught up with Charlotte Flair and the man we're going to discuss on this page- Andrade, and you can catch their chat in the link I've shared!
We all know that Andrade and Rey Mysterio cannot have bad matches against anyone at all, but when they're working with each other, the result is just magic. There is no other way to put it, considering that both men push themselves to their limit and then some to entertain the WWE Universe. Zelina Vega got involved in the match too, and in case you haven't seen the ladder match from the United States Championship match from RAW, I do believe that you really should.
Andrade is still the United States Champion and the fact that Humberto Carillo made his huge return this week also made the show very exciting.
#2 Worst: Same shtick, different week
What makes me doubly mad about Erick Rowan pinning Matt Hardy is the fact that so much could have been done with regard to what is in Rowan's box, had Hardy been in his 'Woken' avatar. But instead, Matt Hardy may be approaching the end of his WWE run and because of that, he will be jobbed out on his way out of the company, in all likelihood. To me, this is a real shame because of what could have been and how Matt Hardy was in the 'Woken' persona when he first arrived in the company.
But to get to the point at hand, I just think that it's pretty silly that the story of Rowan and his cage has not been advanced at all, over the course of the last few weeks. There should have been some kind of development with regard to what it is, because by now, I don't think people even care about what's inside, to be honest.
I really hope the contents of the cage are revealed during the Royal Rumble.
#3 Best/Worst: Brock Lesnar & Ricochet
He is a man that can do everything in the ring and some of his feats even defy the laws of physics. But unfortunately, Ricochet is not a good promo at all as was proved from his interaction with Brock Lesnar on this week's episode of RAW.
There was none of the passion in his voice that has made us fans of Becky Lynch or even Samoa Joe, and honestly, Ricochet has a long way to go before he is a superstar in the same league as Lesnar. Even R-Truth's segment with Brock Lesnar last week seemed a lot more entertaining as this week's strange interaction.
But, at the same time, I love the way that Brock Lesnar carries himself and is pretty much running through the roster to prove that he isn't intimidated by anyone. And this makes me wonder who it will be that ends up eliminating him at the Royal Rumble.
Surely they won't have Brock Lesnar win the whole thing because that will just bury the entire roster!
#3 Best/Worst: No AoP in the RAW tag team title hunt?
So, it was Seth Rollins and Buddy Murphy who cut in line ahead of The AoP to take on The Viking Raiders. As I've said earlier in this article, Rollins and Murphy came out on top and they are now the reigning and defending RAW tag team champions.
My main question is where this leaves The AOP, especially if you consider that unlike Seth Rollins and Buddy Murphy, the two of them cannot technically wrestle as singles competitors until they are broken up. Should it have been Akam and Rezar vying for the RAW Tag Team Championships and not Seth Rollins and Buddy Murphy then?
But maybe, a rift in the unit has been planned and the idea is to take on The AOP down the line, with Akam and Rezar possibly becoming babyfaces, turning on Seth Rollins for putting his interests ahead of those of the faction. If this is the route, I am most definitely sold.
I am also sold on Liv Morgan's ring gear.
