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Welcome to this week's edition of Best and Worst of RAW! It was an interesting episode this week, being the penultimate one before Hell in a Cell 2021. Given the pay-per-view that they're building to, it was a slightly underwhelming effort on WWE's part, particularly the ending.
But we'll get back to that later. For now, let's look at some of the best and worst bits of RAW this week:
#3. Best: Nikki Cross emerging as a RAW Women's title contender
Out of all the women on the RAW roster, Nikki Cross wasn't a name that many fans expected to emerge as a title contender. When Rhea Ripley won the RAW Women's Championship from Asuka, it was clear that The Empress would be taking a step back in the division that she dominated for the past year.
Rhea Ripley vs Charlotte Flair is the current RAW Women's title feud that will culminate at Hell in a Cell, but they aren't the only two women involved. A woman who isn't even in the match has emerged as an unexpected title contender on RAW.
It all started a few weeks ago when Rhea Ripley failed to beat Nikki Cross in two minutes. Charlotte Flair also failed the following week, and Nikki Cross had another challenge.
Adam Pearce booked a match pairing Ripley and Flair together against Nikki Cross and a woman of her choice. That choice, of course, was the former RAW Women's Champion Asuka.
It was a fun match to watch, and thanks to the breakdown that Charlotte and Ripley had, they ended up attacking one another. Nikki Cross took advantage of the situation to pin The Nightmare.
It's interesting because Cross never asked to be added to the match at Hell in a Cell. She simply asked for a RAW Women's title shot afterward.
While she isn't winning the title anytime soon, it's good to see her get into the mix after being underutilized for so long.
#2. Worst: Alexa Bliss and Shayna Baszler on RAW
The ending of RAW was a bizarre one. Shayna Baszler was invited to Alexa's Playground, and she continued to make a mockery of Lily before throwing the doll down and stomping on it.
She went backstage, but not before pyro explosions ensued on the RAW stage. It was all chaos backstage too, with everybody disappearing. Shayna Baszler locked herself in a room, only to see Lily in the mirror. It was all-round bizarre and not very enjoyable. This feud has started with a weird premise.
#2. Best: Bobby Lashley vs Drew McIntyre inside Hell in a Cell
If the rumors about Roman Reigns vs Rey Mysterio at Hell in a Cell are true, then there's only one match that should headline the show - Drew McIntyre vs Bobby Lashley.
If rumors are to be believed, Roman Reigns will only go on first or last. Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley had a great segment on this week's RAW that ended with the Scotsman slicing the table with his sword.
It was confirmed that this will, in fact, be Drew McIntyre's last opportunity at the WWE title for a while. The Hell in a Cell stipulation is perfect for it, and we can't wait to see how it plays out.
#1. Worst: Elias and "unhinged" Jaxson Ryker on RAW
The Elias-Jaxson Ryker alliance on RAW lasted all but a few weeks and it ended 7 days ago when the former ditched Ryker during their title match. This week on RAW, they were supposed to face off in a blow-off match, but Elias ran away and Ryker won by count-out.
Ryker is playing an unhinged character, and the storyline simply doesn't seem to be clicking. It's a forgettable part of RAW.
#1. Best: The Kofi Kingston-MVP teaser segment
Backstage on RAW, MVP confronted Kofi Kingston, who was in high spirits despite falling short in the tag team battle royal. He addressed his WWE Championship win from 2019 and was full of praise for the Grand Slam Champion.
He told Kofi Kingston that he was comfortable being a loser, seemingly lighting a fire under him. We're interested to see where this storyline goes, especially since Kofi Kingston seems to have been slightly elevated on RAW. If he turns heel, it would be an interesting direction to go in.
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