5 things WWE RAW got right this week: Big E tastes the Claymore Kick, tag team splits

Big matches for the King of the Ring and Queen’s Crown tournaments were scheduled for WWE RAW. Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston would take on Ricochet and Jinder Mahal respectively.

Shayna Baszler ran through Dana Brooke to progress in the Queen’s Crown tournament. Duodrop defeated Natalya to progress after a relatively short match.

Riddle challenged Omos to a one-on-one match. Meanwhile, Austin Theory got a big victory over Jeff Hardy. Why is WWE continuing to hand Hardy random losses on RAW for no reason?

Bobby Lashley tried to cut an impactful promo on RAW to build his match against Goldberg at Crown Jewel.

Take a look at the five things WWE got right on RAW this week.

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#5. Riddle and Omos had a gripping match on WWE RAW

Riddle challenged Omos to a one-on-one match this week. The Original Bro started rambling on the mic before forgetting what he was talking about.

He then called for Randy Orton to strike, but Orton didn't appear. AJ Styles realized that Riddle was stalling before the referee started the match.

Riddle was no match for the giant who ended things quickly. He hit a big chokeslam, but The Phenomenal One did not want him to go for the pin right away. He wanted Omos to punish Riddle, and the big man did just that.

Omos delivered a roundhouse kick and slammed Riddle to finally get the pin with one foot, all while Styles watched in glee. After the match, Randy Orton arrived to hit Styles with the RKO before making a quick exit.

The match was enough to show that Omos will have a tough time getting over as a singles competitor. He isn’t the smoothest worker, and his size will restrict him from pulling off many moves.

However, it was the right call to have him compete with Riddle on this week’s show. It was better to watch him slam Riddle around instead of Randy Orton in a singles match on RAW.

Orton’s RKO to Styles was great, and it will add more fuel to the fire between the two teams heading into Crown Jewel. Omos could split from Styles following the pay-per-view.

#4. Mustafa Ali and Mansoor broke up on WWE RAW

After reuniting as The Hurt Business on WWE RAW, Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander were ready for their first match. The two men took on Mansoor and Mustafa Ali in a tag team match.

After some quick action, Mansoor and Ali hit a tag team maneuver to gain the advantage. Mansoor took Benjamin out with a suicide dive outside the ring, while Ali tried to take Alexander out with a dive in the ring.

Cedric caught Ali and hit the Michinoku Driver to pick up the win. After the match, Ali shoved Mansoor and told him that he was sick of losing. This was surprising as Mustafa Ali was the one who took the pin to lose the match.

At one point it looked like Mansoor and Ali would become a good tag team on RAW. However, it could be the right move to break them up now and allow them to return to singles competition.

The two men will face off at Crown Jewel in a one-on-one match. It’s a no-brainer that Mansoor will be allowed to pick up a big babyface victory in front of his home crowd, and maybe even patch up with Ali again.

#3. Xavier Woods moved ahead in the King of the Ring tournament on WWE RAW

Xavier Woods entered the King of the Ring tournament on WWE RAW to fulfill a lifelong dream. He took on Ricochet in the first match of the tournament from RAW.

The two men exchanged holds before Woods hit a running shoulder to get the action started. Ricochet used his speed to try and take advantage of the match soon after.

The One and Only hit a massive top rope superplex but could not put Woods away. The two superstars continued to exchange signature moves, and Ricochet showcased his high-flying skills throughout.

The action spilled outside the ring where Ricochet hit a suicide dive to take out Woods. He went back in the ring for a second, but Woods countered and sent him into the barricade. He brought Ricochet back in and climbed to the top rope for a flying elbow drop to get the pin.

The match was arguably the best one on this week’s RAW. It was good to see Xavier Woods and Ricochet put on a good performance that can likely help highlight Woods’ journey.

The former RAW Tag Team Champion is the favorite to win the tournament this year.

#2. Jinder Mahal defeated Kofi Kingston in the King of the Ring tournament on WWE RAW

Jinder Mahal and Kofi Kingston squared off in the second King of the Ring match on WWE RAW. Veer and Shanky joined Mahal at ringside and supported their leader while Woods joined Kingston.

Jinder used his strength to take down the former WWE Champion early on. Kingston tried to mount a comeback, but The Maharaja kept slamming him down into the mat.

The high-flyer stunned Mahal with a dropkick and hurricanrana to get some offense in. He went for the SOS but both WWE Superstars landed awkwardly. Late in the match, Woods got into a fight with Veer and Shanky outside the ring.

The distraction allowed Jinder to hit the Khallas and pick up the win on RAW. Many fans will be angry that they won’t get to see Woods vs. Kingston in the semifinals of the King of the Ring tournament.

However, WWE has made the right call to award the victory to a heel on RAW. Too many babyfaces could have taken away the appeal of the tournament. It will also be a difficult task for Xavier to overcome Mahal with Veer and Shanky at ringside. The story could turn out much better this way.

#1. Drew McIntyre stood tall to end WWE RAW

Drew McIntyre kicked off WWE RAW before getting into an argument with Big E. The two RAW Superstars were soon interrupted by Usos, who took them down with a couple of Superkicks.

In the main event, McIntyre teamed up with Big E again this week to compete in a tag team match against The Usos. Big E dominated the early proceedings and took down Jimmy Uso with some powerful moves.

The Scottish Warrior joined in the fun and hit the Unicorn Stampede with Big E. Jey Uso tried to take control of the contest and even managed to corner Big E and isolate him for some time.

The Usos kept the upper hand for some time and went on a roll even after McIntyre came into the ring. The Scottish Warrior countered a Samoan drop and hit a couple of neckbreakers on Jimmy.

Big E tagged himself in just as McIntyre was preparing to hit his finisher, but Jey nailed the WWE Champion with a pair of superkicks. McIntyre pulled him outside the ring and the two men started to argue amongst each other. Big E slammed his partner’s head into the announce table as the referee called for the bell.

The Scottish Warrior ended things by hitting E with a Claymore and stood tall. It was a solid tag team match that gave all four men involved a chance to showcase their skills. It also helped build more tension between Big E and McIntyre on RAW before Crown Jewel.