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I've reviewed over 200 episodes of RAW thus far and I believe that this has to be the most unique episode I've covered, by a long shot. The Coronavirus pandemic has taken over the world and as a result, WWE hosted this week's show live from the WWE Performance Center.
I have to say kudos to WWE for pulling off a show in such a manner because of their commitment to fans worldwide. But the charm of SmackDown from the Performance Center wore off for RAW and while there were certainly some high spots during the show, it was a tepid affair overall, I felt.
So, with that said, I present the 'best and worst' of WWE RAW. Be sure to leave a comment and let me know if you agree or disagree with my assessment.
If I sound harsh in this review, it's because, all said and done, I wasn't entertained for the duration of the three hours. At the same time, I have to salute WWE for their efforts.
#1 Best: Asuka on commentary
This may be sacrilege to some but I prefer this funny and animated version of Asuka a lot more as compared to the undefeated version. It did seem that for a long time she could not find her footing after her streak was broken, but there was a comedic side to Asuka that nobody knew about. She was the best thing about RAW this week, and it was a show that included Edge, The Undertaker, and Stone Cold Steve Austin.
Jerry 'The King' Lawler seemed to be especially flabbergasted by what she was saying, and it made for some comedic viewing every time the camera cut to the commentary desk. This was absolute gold, in my opinion.
#1 Worst: Andrade loses his match
Rey Mysterio is a legend and he should be winning a lot more matches than he is, right now. But it just seems like Andrade is on a bit of a losing streak after his recent Wellness Policy violation occurred.
It's a shame that this makes it to the 'worst' column of this week's list considering that this was the only match that took place on RAW. My only issue with Andrade losing yet another match is that the title should be taken off his waist if the company is currently disillusioned with him.
I mean with Brock Lesnar not appearing on the show every week, Andrade is technically the top male Champion on RAW, at the moment. I wonder if this is leading to a Rey Mysterio vs. Andrade match in WrestleMania, and if so, I'm not sure I want to see it really.
With all due respect to the two men, we've seen this match way too many times. This loss seemed to serve no purpose but to teach a lesson to the United States Champion.
#2 Best: The Undertaker changes his look
It did seem for a fleeting moment that The Undertaker would revert to his classic biker persona, but he still has the powers of the supernatural from what we could see this week, appearing behind Gallows and Anderson. It was a really good segment, with The Undertaker showing up and tossing the table for the contract signing segment aside, obviously enraged at the fact that AJ Styles was making it personal by mentioning The Phenom's wife. With Beth Phoenix and now Michelle McCool as a part of two of WrestleMania's biggest storylines, the event does feature the involvement of the wives of multiple performers in a very big way.
In any case, I love the fact that The Undertaker has the clear edge going into WrestleMania, even though AJ Styles has the numbers advantage on his side. I even wonder if it means that it will be AJ Styles who picks up a big win at WWE WrestleMania, especially if you consider that The Undertaker has gotten the better of him in every single altercation.
#2 Worst: Replaying the entire men's Royal Rumble match
WWE did the same thing on SmackDown where they replayed the entire Tag Team Elimination Chamber match from the recent pay-per-view. It was even more tiresome on RAW, where WWE chose to show us the whole men's Royal Rumble match this week. And they kept the carrot dangling at the end of the stick with Stone Cold Steve Austin's appearance on the other side of the match, so viewers had to stay tuned.
At a time such as this where WWE's putting on heavily compromised shows, they need the goodwill of fans, and I'm not sure that replaying things from the past is always necessarily the best thing to do. Maybe a match or two more on the card could have made things interesting. I mean most people who're watching RAW on the road to WrestleMania have already watched the Royal Rumble match.
I understand that WWE had their backs against the wall but there could have been a better way to handle the whole situation.
#3 Best/Worst: Stone Cold Steve Austin and Becky Lynch
Yes, it was great hearing the sound of the glass breaking and seeing Stone Cold Steve Austin march to the ring in all his glory this week, in my opinion. But I was equally excited when he ended the night by celebrating with Becky Lynch, because it was a moment where he passed the torch, in a sense.
What I did not really care for personally is seeing Byron Saxton interact with Stone Cold Steve Austin. And this is not a dig at the man who played his part to the best of the ability, but why would anyone willingly rate Stone Cold's lines, knowing what Stone Cold does to people that cross him like this?
Moreover, why was Stone Cold Steve Austin reading from a bunch of cards? What made Stone Cold Steve Austin the greatest character of all time was the fact that he was so uncensored and so unfiltered in his heyday.
That said, who doesn't love the sight of Becky Lynch arriving in her very own truck?
