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The WrestleMania Backlash go-home show episode of RAW was one of the best outings for the Red brand in recent memory. This week the RAW superstars brought everything into play as they hyped up the upcoming pay-per-view.
Drew McIntyre was in action as he faced WWE Champion Bobby Lashley ahead of their Triple Threat Match for the title this Sunday. Meanwhile, Sheamus once again showcased himself as the United States Champion, increasing the legitimacy of the title.
There were several other matches, including the team-up of The New Day and the new tag team, R-K-Bro against the RAW Tag Team Champions as well as Elias and Jaxson Ryker.
The show also started with a good performance from the women as the female stars set the tone for the entire show with a tag team match.
The following are the five superstars from WWE RAW this week who managed to stand out from the crowd.
#5 Asuka opened RAW with style
While being a part of the opening match of the night, it's important for a superstar to make the right impact. That's exactly what Asuka did for RAW this week.
RAW opened with a six-woman tag team match where Charlotte Flair teamed up with Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler. Meanwhile, Asuka was flanked by Dana Brooke and Mandy Rose.
On top of that, Alexa Bliss was sitting on the entrance ramp. Bliss let all the stars know that she was there to keep her eye on one particular person without revealing who it was.
Despite all of this taking place, there was one woman who shone in that match. Asuka looked amazing whenever she entered the ring, taking on whoever dared come face to face with her.
Unfortunately for Shayna Baszler, Asuka's knee proved to be too much, and she ended up taking the pin after the Shining Wizard.
Later in the night, Asuka faced Rhea Ripley in her second match thanks to some manipulation by Charlotte Flair. The Empress Of Tomorrow managed to hold her own for most of the match and nearly defeated the champion, but in the end, Rhea Ripley ended up picking up the win.
Despite the loss, Asuka proved her dominance once again, putting on two amazing performances on the same night.
#4 Shelton Benjamin defeated his former tag team partner on RAW
Following his incredible performance on RAW against Cedric Alexander, Shelton Benjamin deserved a spot on this week's list.
The breakup of The Hurt Business left Benjamin and Alexander without a storyline of their own. The two started to team together even outside the faction, but that didn't last long. After a loss to the Lucha House Party, Alexander had enough.
He blamed Shelton Benjamin for the losses they have been racking up recently, making it apparent that he no longer wanted to team up with him. They broke up but had unfinished business with each other.
This week's episode of RAW saw Cedric Alexander face Benjamin in a match. Alexander dominated for most of the outing, with the former IC Champion on the backfoot.
Cedric looked like he was about to finish things when Benjamin suddenly came out of nowhere with a T-Bone Suplex.
The move was enough to put away the stunned Alexander. Despite Cedric looking good, Benjamin's experience proved him to be the better star during this week's RAW.
It would be interesting to see if the Gold Standard will be pushed as a singles star in the coming weeks.
#3 Jinder Mahal and his new faction debut on RAW
Jinder Mahal returned to WWE in a big way on RAW. The former WWE Champion had a lot as he has been away from the red brand for almost a year.
Mahal was also set for a major push last year, but the plans were derailed after he suffered an untimely injury. The Modern Day Maharaja had to undergo surgery to correct the issue.
During RAW, Jinder Mahal returned to the show, and he did so with two new superstars by his side. Veer and Shanky appeared to be veritable giants, a noticeable change from Mahal's previous association with The Singh Brothers.
With two strong superstars in his faction, Jinder Mahal's stock looks to be on the rise. His match with Jeff Hardy proved he will be one of the major stars on RAW in the coming months.
Hardy started fast and tried to use his speed, but Jinder overpowered him soon enough. He knocked him down, and despite The Charismatic Enigma's attempts to mount a comeback, Mahal was too much for him to handle on the night.
Jinder Mahal didn't even need his new faction members as he hit Jeff Hardy with a knee before hitting the Khallas to pick up a formidable win on RAW.
#2 Randy Orton continues to impress on RAW
Omos almost claimed the spot and would have done so had it not been for the cunning Randy Orton, who scored the win for his team on RAW.
Randy Orton joined forces with Riddle and The New Day on this week's episode of RAW. They faced the team of AJ Styles, Omos, Elias, and Jaxson Ryker. The match was largely dominated by Omos.
He threw around Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, and Riddle as if they were nothing, but Orton managed to stay out of his way and avoid the wrath of the giant. The match looked like a lost cause for a while, as Omos attacked anyone in the ring.
The New Day caused an outside distraction, forcing Omos to get out of the ring and help his tag team partner. Randy Orton took advantage of this and hit Elias with the RKO.
However, Orton is far from a babyface. After the match, he asserted his dominance by hitting Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods with two RKOs. Riddle was spared by Orton and The Viper's partnership with him on RAW is looking better with each passing week.
#1 Braun Strowman dominates his Backlash opponents on RAW
Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley faced each other ahead of WrestleMania Backlash in the main event of RAW. They put on a show for the fans, but the mission for Lashley was simple as he looked to take out McIntyre before the pay-per-view.
On last week's episode of RAW, Braun Strowman faced Lashley, only for McIntyre to get involved during the finish and costing The Monster Among Men his match.
During the latest edition, McIntyre faced off against the WWE Champion in a WrestleMania 37 rematch. Drew McIntyre managed to get the upper hand with a Claymore, but he would not get the win.
Instead, Strowman made his way down to the ring. Earlier in the night, MVP asked the former Universal Champion to attack Drew McIntyre to help his chances of beating Lashley at WrestleMania Backlash.
He took the advice to heart and attacked the Scotsman, hitting him with three running powerslams.
But Bobby Lashley would not go free either, as Strowman hit him with two running powerslams as well. One of them put the WWE Champion through the ringside barricade.
Strowman stood tall at the end of this week's RAW main event and has all the momentum heading into the WrestleMania Backlash pay-per-view.
