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I have to say that this was one of the weakest episodes of RAW that I remember watching in quite some time. I mean NXT saw one of the strongest episodes in quite some time, AEW had a confrontation between Mike Tyson and Chris Jericho, SmackDown had an angle that blurred the lines between reality and kayfabe, and RAW had bowling?
Also, with all due respect to Randy Orton and Edge and everything that they have accomplished through the length and span of their careers, how could you possibly call their upcoming contest the greatest wrestling match ever, I wonder. It just makes the whole process of watching RAW a chore when the essential premise of the show in itself is so difficult to buy into!
However, it is my job to separate the wheat from the chaff and so, with that in mind, I present the best and worst of RAW this week.
#1 Best: Dominick teases a big debut match with Seth Rollins via satellite, on RAW this week
It is very clear that even after Rey Mysterio hangs up his boots, he will want his son Dominick to continue his legacy on RAW and SmackDown. And we saw the first glimpse of that with Dominick issuing a threat to Seth Rollins via satellite on RAW and Seth Rollins responding to the same too.
Seth Rollins is doing an exceptional job when it comes to elevating the whole roster and the biggest example of this is the fact that he allowed Aleister Black, who's in the mid-card to pin him on RAW. He is likely to do the same for other members of the RAW roster, now that he's pretty much the elder statesman in the locker room. A debut feud for Seth Rollins vs. Dominick is as big as it can get.
#1 Worst: Wasting a RAW appearance from the legendary Shawn Michaels
One's mind tends to wander to the weirdest of places while watching RAW and as a result, Anirban Banerjee, Sportskeeda's own living legend, asks the tough questions. Speaking of living legends, how do you have a guaranteed appearance from Shawn Michaels on RAW and have him address a weird concept like 'greatest wrestling match ever' and nothing more?
Shawn Michaels actually spoke about a lot of his matches that will live on in wrestling lore as some of the greatest wrestling matches ever, so for him to address Edge vs. Randy Orton and their upcoming bout in the manner that he did sounds absolutely ridiculous. Last week, Ric Flair showed up on RAW and yes, he shared his thoughts on this absolutely nonsensical concept as well. I have to say that much like you, I wasn't a fan.
All I have to say is that in an era where the audience craves for something 'real' instead of 'ridiculous' (look at the popularity of Better Call Saul, as an example), RAW is just going the other way!
#2 Best: Charlotte Flair and Asuka tear it up on RAW
Sorry, Seth Rollins and Aleister Black, I wouldn't really say that you guys had the best match on RAW. If anyone did, it was definitely Charlotte Flair and Asuka in the much-hyped Champion vs. Champion contest that was advertised for this week's episode of RAW. The two women just went out there and tore it up, telling a great story of two athletes who were equally matched in the ring.
Sure, they had the whole history between them that played out on RAW in the right manner, but I have to admit that this was a contest between two top-tier performers. And the interference from Nia Jax who cosplayed Asuka was pretty awesome too because it builds to their contest. RAW wasn't all that creative this week but I have to say that this particular segment was a clear exception.
As for Charlotte Flair and Asuka, I have to say that I am very intrigued by their matches and really want to see them slug it out in a full-fledged contest when they are on the same brand again.
#2 Worst: MVP in the RAW main event
One had to wait for almost 3 hours to catch the main event of RAW. And to see MVP vs. Drew McIntyre in the main event match must have been disappointing for everyone who had tuned in to watch the show. With all due respect to MVP and everything that he has accomplished in his career, he is perfect for the managerial role that he is in but he is nowhere close to being a believable contender for Drew McIntyre in the RAW main event segment, I do believe.
Something about the whole Lana vs. MVP feud just seems a little off to me as well. It is fine and both performers are professional enough to put their best foot forward on RAW, but something about the whole thing just screams unimportant to me. And the fact that their interplay is likely to be the reason why Bobby Lashley loses at Backlash doesn't sit well with me either.
There's a lot about RAW that just doesn't resonate with me, or fans, to be quite honest.
#3 Best/Worst: A good match followed by a typical RAW match
I was actually excited about the contest between Kevin Owens and Apollo Crews for the United States Championship on RAW because these are two amazing performers who were sure to put on a showcase for the ages. And as one would have guessed, the heels would interfere halfway through the contest and it would become your typical RAW tag team match thereafter.
Some part of me knew that when the match was first announced, it was far too good to be true especially if you consider that Kevin Owens lost to Angel Garza on RAW last week. Sure, he could have taken another loss to Apollo Crews this week but that would have reduced his stock significantly in the RAW roster.
In any case, Apollo Crews is being made to look strong and we all know that the man deserves it after being such an underrated performer for so long. Also, Zelina Vega's really changing her look in the best manner possible and making it work every single week!
#3 Worst: A bowling segment on RAW
There's a way to do comedy in the right manner and we saw how from AEW when they did the Stadium Stampede match, which was absolutely hilarious. AEW has a connection with the audience of today that RAW just seems to lack because their segments seem dated and the performers seem miscast as well.
Gallows and Anderson would have probably worked very well with The Street Profits in skits like these because they were known to be goofy and silly back when they were still a part of the RAW roster. But the Viking Raiders, with their obsession with turkey legs, just seem a little too outrageous for segments such as these, I fear.
In any case, that was RAW in a nutshell and I must admit that I have seen a lot of better episodes in the 4 years that I have been writing this column. I do hope that the show picks up next week, because this week was a chore.
When you have a minute, please check out Gary Cassidy's interview with the WWE Champion, Drew McIntyre on our YouTube channel.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
