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From Seth Rollins and Dominik Mysterio's entertaining Steel Cage Match to major plot developments with The Hurt Business and RETRIBUTION, this week's edition of WWE RAW featured many contrasting moments.
This special edition of RAW certainly did a good job in terms of entertainment throughout a three-hour timeslot. Although there were some glaring issues that fans pointed out on social media, it is not often that the Red brand can hold an average viewer's attention every week.
With some improvements, RAW could get ahead in the long-term viewership game if this week's precedent is followed. Let us know what you thought about this particular episode in the comments section below.
Here are the five biggest news stories from this week's episode of WWE RAW (September 14, 2020).
#5: Braun Strowman made a surprising appearance and dominated RAW Underground
Mandy Rose was unexpectedly traded to WWE RAW recently, and although Braun Strowman is not officially a part of RAW, The Monster made some headlines by appearing on the Red brand this week.
The last time fans saw Strowman was during the triple threat main event at WWE Payback. And since then, he hasn't been booked on SmackDown in any notable manner. RAW Underground could be The Monster's home for the next few weeks.
Last night, Strowman annihilated his opponents on RAW Underground, as expected. Dolph Ziggler, Riddick Moss, and Titus O'Neil were some challengers that challenged Strowman but ultimately failed to knock him down for good.
WWE fans did get a preview of Braun Strowman's next challenge, as Dabba Kato stepped up to the plate. Both men are set to face each other on RAW Underground next week.
WWE seems to have catered their creative resources into making Kato a legitimate star. After all, the man also singlehandedly beat up Kevin Owens and Aleister Black on last week's episode.
#4: Cedric Alexander's first victory celebration since joining The Hurt Business was interrupted by a message from RETRIBUTION
The Hurt Business received a boost of sorts in terms of the overall scope and development of WWE RAW this week. Both Bobby Lashley and Cedric Alexander won their respective bouts on the show, but Alexander's victory was overshadowed by the looming threat of RETRIBUTION on the Red Brand.
When Alexander betrayed his allies and joined The Hurt Business on the previous episode, there were several ways WWE could have booked this stable, and the company chose to move forward by pitting MVP's group against RETRIBUTION last night.
RETRIBUTION's members elaborated further on their anti-authoritarian ideology through a video message on the TitanTron. Out of all the five faction members who appeared in this segment, the two key speakers were Dominik Dijakovic and Mercedes Martinez. The other three standing beside them were Dio Maddin, Mia Yim, and Shane Thorne, according to a source.
Why RETRIBUTION members only choose to spread their message on RAW doesn't make sense from a kayfabe standpoint and it also feels like a compromise from their overarching anti-WWE motive at the same time.
Later backstage, The Hurt Business offered to help Adam Pearce with the RETRIBUTION problem only if the price was right. This plot thread would also be addressed in the main event of this week's WWE RAW.
#3: Zelina Vega embarked on a solo run and aimed straight for the top by challenging Asuka
If breaking up The Golden Role Models and The IIconics wasn't enough, WWE went ahead and issued further dissent between Zelina Vega's team, Andrade and Angel Garza.
Andrade and Garza couldn't resolve their differences backstage, which is why Zelina stated that she can't waste any more of her time managing a hopeless cause.
On the same episode, Asuka defeated Mickie James to retain her RAW Women's Title. Zelina Vega would show up after the match to announce her solo run in WWE's Women's Division, and her first challenge was aimed directly towards Asuka.
Although Zelina is a valuable addition to the RAW roster, her chances of winning against The Empress of Tomorrow are quite improbable.
Additionally, it's hard to tell if Garza and Andrade can succeed as solo competitors at the same time. WWE did tease a potential romance angle between Lana and Angel Garza, and one can't help but think that this impromptu decision might have been a result of Miro (fka Rusev) taking some shots against WWE during his first promo on AEW Dynamite.
#2: Drew McIntyre and Keith Lee's main event clash was interrupted by RETRIBUTION members
One of the best aspects of this week's WWE RAW revolved around Keith Lee and Drew McIntyre's arc throughout the night.
Both of them have been referred to as good friends this whole time, but the tension surrounding the importance of RAW's main event led to a backstage brawl between McIntyre and Lee.
Lee would get a shot at the WWE Title if he were to defeat McIntyre in the main event. Their match was proceeding in a good way, that is until RETRIBUTION arrived and attacked both men, which resulted in a no contest.
This might have been a way to write out Keith Lee from the WWE Title picture in a way that wouldn't have affected his momentum. On the other hand, the consequences of this main event could lead to a triple threat extravaganza between Drew McIntyre, Keith Lee, and Randy Orton at Clash of Champions.
The Hurt Business arrived to take care of 'business' against RETRIBUTION, and within a short period, MVP's crew, as well as McIntyre and Lee, overpowered RETRIBUTION to end the show.
How six people managed to overcome the threat of more than ten individuals is anybody's guess. But from a storytelling perspective, The Hurt Business gained a lot of steam thanks to their booking on this week's edition of WWE RAW.
#1: Seth Rollins defeated Dominik Mysterio in a Steel Cage Match and assaulted Murphy after the bout
Even though The Mysterio Family's war against Seth Rollins and his disciple has been going on in WWE for quite a while now, it manages to steal the show every week.
Dominik Mysterio put up another great contest against Seth Rollins, this time inside a Steel Cage structure for this special episode of WWE RAW. Rollins being the far-more experienced athlete defeated Dominik in sadistic fashion.
After what happened to Murphy on last week's WWE RAW, Rollins threatened his own disciple to stay backstage throughout the entirety of this match. Murphy still came out anyway, and he made a crucial mistake by accidentally hitting Rollins with the Steel Cage door.
After the match, Rollins responded by assaulting his own disciple. This might be the end for the Mysterio Family's feud against The Monday Night Messiah. And if that turns out to be the case next week, Rollins and Murphy's fallout should be the next storyline for both of these men.
Interestingly, Rey Mysterio's daughter, Aalyah, expressed sympathy for Murphy in a subtle moment after the latter star got beat up at the hands of Rollins.
