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The episode of WWE RAW that followed the Royal Rumble will certainly not go down in history as three of the best hours in television programming, but they were watchable and, to an extent, even enjoyable. Dare we ask for more as wrestling fans, considering the fare that has been dished to us WWE RAW loyalists over the last few weeks?
As always, we shall separate the wheat and the chaff in this week's edition of Best and Worst, dissecting the good from the bad, of which there was plenty. That said, this edition of WWE RAW was the first part of the jigsaw, on the road to WrestleMania, so the need of the hour is to be patient and see how it all unfolds going forward.
With that said, be sure to air your thoughts about WWE RAW in the comments section below. Also, what did you think of the Royal Rumble, and where do you think it ranks among all the Royal Rumbles in history?
Did you think that this episode of WWE RAW got you pumped for WrestleMania?
#1 Best: Edge wrestles on WWE RAW in a match that ends his long-standing rivalry with Randy Orton
Edge used to be a vampire in The Brood, so it makes all the sense in the world for him to receive supernatural help in the WWE RAW main event match from Alexa Bliss. But the reason he won the big WWE RAW match against Randy Orton is to bring their rivalry to a firm conclusion.
This allows Edge, the Royal Rumble winner, to do his own thing, and it allows Randy Orton to focus on his feud with Bray Wyatt. Plus, can you imagine the Royal Rumble winner losing on the following episode of WWE RAW?
#1 Worst: Xavier Woods' feud with RETRIBUTION on WWE RAW isn't really doing any favors for either party
The WWE RAW feud between RETRIBUTION and Xavier Woods is just the oddest thing ever, even though Mustafa Ali has cited a valid reason why he wants to punish The New Day (he believes he should have enjoyed the many advantages of KofiMania, instead of Kofi Kingston).
The matches are good, but just going back and forth on WWE RAW isn't doing either party any favorites, to be honest. One of the issues with the feud is that we're still unclear about who RETRIBUTION is...are they vandals? Are they hackers? Are they a cult, much like The Dark Order?
Had The New Day had their ranks full, with Big E in the mix as well, then a battle with RETRIBUTION would have made a lot of sense. Right now, it just seems like even WWE doesn't know how to book RETRIBUTION at all.
The sad aspect of all of this is that RETRIBUTION consists of talented men and women, all of whom can be legitimate WWE RAW stars.
#2 Best: The WWE RAW Women's Champion gets pinned
Wait, shouldn't the WWE RAW Women's Champion getting pinned be in the 'worst' column and not the 'best' one? The only reason we've slotted it as such is that what's happening right now with Asuka is the best that she's been booked in months, where there seems to be a clear sense of direction about where we are headed next. Asuka believes that Charlotte Flair's head is not in the game because of her father and Lacey Evans.
Also, we have a new team on WWE RAW in Naomi and Lana, and as odd and sudden as this pairing is, it's better than both of them sitting on the sidelines biding their time for a return.
Asuka is turning heel soon, and it's a shame that the company didn't do anything with the WWE RAW Women's Champion back when she was still a babyface. However, we'll make do with what we're getting and hope that we get a massive Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair showdown at WrestleMania.
#2 Worst: Bray Wyatt is still nowhere to be seen on WWE RAW, and also Randy Orton's reaction to Alexa Bliss on the ramp
Wait, so Randy Orton and Alexa Bliss meet on the ramp during WWE RAW, and they pass by each other without even glancing at one another, huh? It's one thing that Randy Orton's face seems to have miraculously healed after being hit by a fireball on WWE RAW not long ago. Maybe it's just us, but if someone were to throw a fireball our way or even hit an RKO, a WWE RAW meeting on the ramp wouldn't have been nearly as cordial.
Isn't it strange that the oddest thing about a storyline that involves magic is not the magical elements but, instead, the booking?
Also, it just makes no sense for Bray Wyatt to sit out for so very long, considering the delay means that this program will stretch out far past its expiry date. Hopefully, he returns sooner rather than later to continue his feud with Randy Orton on WWE RAW.
#3 Best/Worst: Sheamus turns heel on WWE RAW but does anyone think he's becoming the next Champion?
WWE RAW this week started with a swerve that everyone saw coming from a million miles away. From pundits to critics to analysts to fans to just about everyone on the internet has been predicting a Sheamus heel turn for quite some time now, and well, it happened.
Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus is a situation that is pretty much guaranteed to be a good feud because both men are great workers, and there's a story to be told between the two. But let's face it -- Sheamus will not head into WrestleMania as the WWE Champion, so this is just a program that kills time until McIntyre's eventual opponent is revealed.
At least with the Goldberg feud, there was an element of unpredictability to everything. Now that you know what we thought of WWE RAW this week check out what Vince Russo had to say by clicking on the link that's been shared above, as he joins Dr. Chris Featherstone to dissect the show.
