The biggest winners and losers from last night's Raw (February 11)

Jumped the shark.
Jumped the shark.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are that of the author himself and not necessarily of Sportskeeda.

Last night's Raw was a full return to the underwhelming, insipid norm that reigned throughout 2018. In everything from officially halting the hottest angle in the company to unnecessary fillers that got blasted over most of the three hours, this Raw felt like a post-WrestleMania slump episode rather than a Road to WrestleMania show.

Who got the most and least out of last night's show? Let's find out.


#1 Winners: Sasha Banks and Bayley

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Yes, Banks couldn't compete in the match. Yes, "reverse momentum" doesn't mean as much as it used to. There's a real chance Nia and Tamina win on Sunday because of WWE's obsession with getting heat on heels. However, selling Banks and Bayley as the big time underdogs is the perfect setup for a surprise of sorts on Sunday, with The Boss being fine, getting into the Chamber, and cleaning house.

I think that will be the case on Sunday, and for the sake of the match, it better be. With an underwhelming lineup, at best, it needs Sasha Banks in there to help carry it. Banks and Bayley winning would tell the best story, given how things were set up this week.


#1 Loser: Elias

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A month ago, Elias looked like he would be a sure bet to win his first title at some point later this year. Now he looks anything but. After a random heel turn for the sake of a 50-year-old returning hall of famer, and now what looks like a feud with the Lucha House Party, all of his momentum is gone. Don't look for him to be booked well any time soon.

He's still got the ability to command a crowd better than almost anybody else on the roster, but that apparently isn't enough for him. It's clear that he's just going to be wandering around the mid-card for the foreseeable future.

#2 Winner: Finn Balor

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Finn Balor looked strong against Drew McIntyre, winning the bout by disqualification, and then followed up with a victory for his team in the ensuing six-man tag team match.

Balor's feud with Boddy Lashley is set to continue, and while it's questionable that it can last all the way until WrestleMania, there's a good chance that he might finally taste championship gold after having gone over two years without winning a championship of any kind.


#2 Loser: Nikki Cross

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It's understandable that WWE wanted Ruby Riott to look strong ahead of Sunday, but let's be real, everyone knows that she has little chance of beating Ronda Rousey. The match is in place as WWE doesn't have anything better for Rousey before 'Mania. So why sacrifice anyone to it?

And if someone did need to be sacrificed, why Nikki Cross instead of somebody more established on the main roster, like Alicia Fox?

With the events that came later in the night, Asuka is going to need a strong WrestleMania opponent. Many would like to see her and Cross renew their feud from NXT. Instead of building her up for that or anything else, this made Cross look weak and took away some of her credibility.

#3 Winners: The Revival

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Their long quest finally came to a head last night, as The Revival at last captured the Raw Tag Team Championships. It was a good match, too.

One wonders whether this is just a way to throw a bone at talents that are clearly unhappy with the company, in an attempt to prevent them from leaving in a year or so. Regardless, a legitimate tag team like The Revival being champions is as good a way as any to help rebuild the dilapidated Raw tag team division.


#3 Loser: EC3

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Speaking of sacrificing new NXT talent, EC3 found himself involved with Dean Ambrose again, and this time, he found himself on the other end of a fluke rollup - the opposite of what occurred last week.

50/50 booking! We knew you'd come around at some point!

Why build up EC3 for weeks if this is what they were going to do with him? Why put Ambrose over him with the latter supposedly being on his way out of the company (for reasons that are entirely understandable)?

#4 Loser: Becky Lynch

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Well, it was fun while it lasted, but the warning signs began to show themselves prior to the Royal Rumble. It accelerated in the shows after it. The magic moment Becky Lynch had with Ronda Rousey is all for naught now, because this injury and suspension angle led to what everyone expected it to lead to - Charlotte got shoehorned into the match.

I still expect Becky Lynch to walk out of WrestleMania 35 as the Raw Women's Champion, but the road is now officially a cluster instead of a satisfying journey. Becky's organic popularity was instead used as a way to get the McMahons and Charlotte into the angle where they didn't need to be. It's the millionth repeat of the authority angle.

New era, right?

One of Samoa Joe's colleagues had harsh words for him HERE