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RAW this week was the calm before the storm. That is the best way to describe RAW, a show that was clearly building to Backlash. Not much happened on this week's episode for sure, but the think tank in WWE did a commendable job on RAW with regard to putting the pieces in place when it comes to making the upcoming pay-per-view a must-watch affair. Expect the fallout on the forthcoming episodes to bear fruit.
So, what did I think was good on this week's show and what did I not particularly care for, you ask? I have the answers right here and invite you to weigh in with your comments in the section below.
Without taking up any more of your precious time, I present the best and worst of RAW.
#1 Best: Natalya and Shayna Baszler tear it up on RAW
A lot of us tend to overlook Natalya but she is definitely one of the best in the ring, at least in the women's division. In a lot of ways, I would say that she is like the Dolph Ziggler of the division, the seasoned veteran who can have a whole bunch of good matches with just about anyone in the card and she proved how good she is by tearing it up with Shayna Baszler on this week's show.
I found the meltdown that followed a little dramatic, but it set the stage nicely for Kevin Owens' return and for Apollo Crews to make his comeback as well. Natalya is a gem and does not get the respect that she deserves from wrestling fans.
I wouldn't mind seeing a Lion's Den match between Natalya and Shayna Baszler on RAW at some point down the line.
#1 Worst: Peyton Royce and Billie Kay lose their minds on RAW
It was the right decision to have Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross retain the Women's Tag Team Championships on RAW, in my opinion at least. I have no idea what the creative direction of the RAW think tank is but this is a critique of the way they're getting there.
Peyton Royce snapped for a very strange reason this very week on RAW and she bashed Alexa Bliss against the corner until the referee had no choice but to just call the match off. This is not behavior that one would expect from a woman who was posing in the manner pictured below, only moments ago on RAW.
But what happened backstage with the slap and the subsequent hug was even more confusing. Are the two being primed to split or is it something that will bring them even closer than they once were? And the most important question to ask at this point is will the change in character affect their position on RAW in any significant way at all?
#2 Best: Bobby Lashley and Nia Jax enter the RAW title picture
Even though this is essentially a RAW review, I want to start off this slide by saying that Sportskeeda's own Gary Cassidy has been doing a great job when it comes to conducting exclusive interviews with pro wrestling stars from across the whole world. If you want to hear what Lio Rush feels about his time on RAW when he was paired with Bobby Lashley, please have a look at this interview. And now we return to your regularly scheduled programming- the best and worst of RAW this week.
I love the idea of Bobby Lashley, now with MVP by his side taking on Drew McIntyre. Even if he comes up short, WWE has been building him up in the right way and this should reflect fantastically in the months that follow. Also, Nia Jax vs. Asuka should be a great feud based on how strongly both women have been booked.
The title matches at Backlash (presumably) should be very fun to watch for fans.
#2 Worst: The ax-throwing segment on RAW
Speaking about certain RAW stars getting pushed in the right manner so that they appear formidable and serious, The Viking Raiders are clearly not part of that plan. The RAW Tag Team Division is so dull at the moment that we're being treated to skits outside the ring that are absolutely ridiculous and not funny at all. I mean The Street Profits are supposed to be cool and a group that has a connection with today's youth, but these skits aren't doing them any favors really.
This was a little better than the basketball skit from last week because of the arrival of the policewoman who found one of the two Viking Raiders cute and the other, not so much. I don't know, guys. I just thought that this entire thing would have felt right at home in the 80s or the early 90s, but for 2020, this just seemed like too much of a throwback to be taken seriously.
I love how Miz and Morrison are presented, and they're able to be cool, even in their skits.
#3 Best: A brand new faction is formed on RAW
See, I was going to include the fact that Zelina Vega's faction broke up in my 'Worst' column of my weekly RAW review. But the way that everything came together at the end of RAW, where Seth Rollins invited Austin Theory into his fold was absolutely brilliant and now that I think about it, it's a massive step up for the young man.
I will tell you why I believe that this is one of the most exciting developments on RAW in quite some time as well. It is because MVP's faction has also picked up steam in quite a big way and now, we could potentially see factions square off against one another. And when The Undisputed ERA arrives, it's going to take this whole landscape and turn it on its head significantly.
And of course, Zelina Vega could always recruit someone new. Humberto Carillo, who's not had the best of luck recently could be a welcome addition to her Latino faction. It would make things very interesting on Monday Night RAW.
#3 Best/Worst: The Orton and Edge segment to start RAW
I really liked the passion that Edge showed to kickstart RAW but that wasn't a surprise if you consider just how much of a legend the man is. Plus, Edge is an actor when he is not a part of RAW and he brought his acting A-Game to this week's show, building up his feud with Randy Orton in the best possible manner.
Usually, I am a big fan of hyperbole, but I just thought that this week's episode of RAW suffered from the tagline of 'greatest wrestling match ever' and it did so significantly. Also, we all knew that the match would be confirmed for Backlash and we didn't really need to see a whole segment for knowledge of the fact.
All in all, it was an okay episode of RAW. How much do you think the product has suffered because of the lack of a live crowd, in your opinion?
Before you sign out, do spend a minute and check out our tribute to The Goddess of WWE.
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