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Last night's Raw was a hot and cold show. On the men's side, it was explosive. On the women's side, though, things didn't always work out so well, until the end, that is.
On the final show before Survivor Series, how well did Raw and its Superstars deliver in hyping up the last major pay per view on the WWE calendar? Let's find out.
#5 Winner: Braun Strowman
After embarrassing himself at Crown Jewel, Braun Strowman needed to start some kind of redemption story if he wanted to have any hope of staying relevant and keeping the fans behind him. No one will support a choke artist.
We may have seen the start of that last night when Braun Strowman was offered a chance to settle the score with both Baron Corbin and Brock Lesnar if he did well for Raw's team at Survivor Series. The Monster agreed.
One wonders the utility of setting up such a storyline at this point, because fans probably don't have much interest in seeing Strowman vs. Lesnar again, so it will be up to the creative team to set it up well.
With the lights of WrestleMania starting to appear over the horizon, this is something to watch closely.
#4 Loser: Ember Moon
Leave it to WWE to decide that Tamina is more worth investing resources in than Ember Moon. It's at times like this where you just have to stop and ask yourself: "Why? Just why?"
Not only did the former NXT Women's Champion lose to Tamina on Raw, but she was passed over on the women's Survivor Series team in her favour. This is an extremely questionable decision with few upsides.
It also means we won't see any fun between Ember Moon and Asuka at Survivor Series, which is bad on its own.
#3 Winners: Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose
This is officially the hottest feud in WWE at the moment. Once Survivor Series ends, it's going to pick up very quickly. This heel turn has reinvigorated Dean Ambrose and he's at his best right now. It was sorely needed. Burning the Shield vest was a great visual to show the direction the story is heading in - and a reminder that the reunion was holding both Ambrose and Rollins back.
Seth Rollins, meanwhile, is set to cement his place as the hottest babyface on Raw during this feud. We'll just have to see where upcoming WrestleMania plans will take both of these Superstars, because I don't think their feud will be able to be carried that long.
If Seth Rollins is going to get in the main event picture, pay close attention to how he performs during the feud with Dean Ambrose during these coming months.
#2 Winner: Drew McIntyre
If you had any doubts that the company has plans for Drew McIntyre to be a major star, this promo should have erased whatever ones lingered in your mind.
Drew McIntyre came across like a star here in this expertly delivered promo. He looked and sounded the part, taking pride in showing the beloved Kurt Angle up as an over the hill old man.
Finn Balor interrupted. Drew McIntyre told Balor that he could have a match with Dolph Ziggler before any thoughts of the two of them going toe to toe. Ziggler didn't look pleased and went on to lose.
Everyone should have had a feeling that this was on the way, and last night's segment should be the first concrete sign that the breakup between them is coming. When it does, expect McIntyre to be a major player heading into WrestleMania season. Brock Lesnar, anyone?
#1 Winner: Becky Lynch
Becky Lynch....on Raw?
Yep!
We thank her for it, too.
Ending the show with an exclamation point, Becky Lynch led an invasion of the Raw women's locker room, putting her Survivor Series opponent in the Dis-Arm-Her and smirking with blood on her face as she exited the premises.
After a night of disappointment on the women's side, this was sorely needed. Sure, it's typical Survivor Series cliche, but it's always fun, and that's what matters.
Becky Lynch looked completely convincing. There shouldn't be any question that she's the hottest thing going in the entire WWE right now, NXT included. Her story arc this year has been masterful, and while she's highly likely to lose on Sunday, that doesn't need to be a bad thing, depending on how she loses.
Watch Becky Lynch closely at Survivor Series. It will be a revelation as far as WrestleMania plans are concerned.
