5 things WWE RAW got right this week: Big E finds new challenger; Keith Lee makes a dominant return

Seth Rollins made a very successful return to WWE RAW
Seth Rollins made a very successful return to WWE RAW

WWE RAW Superstars returned to action after Crown Jewel with a new roster.

Big E made it back to the United States as the WWE Champion, while Becky Lynch made her way over as the RAW Women’s Champion.

Damian Priest returned as he competed against one of RAW's largest men in a singles match. Liv Morgan and Carmella wrote another chapter in their rivalry to make the feud even better.

Austin Theory took on Dominik Mysterio and defeated him with ease to continue his golden RAW return. Meanwhile, RK-Bro met new challengers for their RAW Tag Team Championships.

RAW had some good matches and segments that helped build towards future rivalries. Take a look at the five things WWE got right on RAW this week.


#6. Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode qualified on WWE RAW

WWE RAW tried something different after Crown Jewel and booked a Triple Threat Match to determine the next challengers for RK-Bro. The Dirty Dawgz, Street Profits, and Alpha Academy came out to compete for a chance to face the RAW Tag Team Champions.

Omos laid out Montez Ford at ringside, giving Dolph Ziggler and Big Bob the upper hand. The veterans went on a roll and hit their Famouser-Spinebuster combination to pick up the win.

The match was short but gave The Dirty Dawgz a good push. The veterans served as enhancement talents for some time, and it was good to see them reach the RAW Tag Team Championship picture again.


#5 The Dirty Dawgz failed to put away the RAW Tag Team Champions

The RK-Bro put their RAW Tag Team Championships on the line against Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode later in the night. The heels tried to take control early, but Riddle didn’t allow them to keep the upper hand for long.

The veterans eventually isolated Orton, but The Viper fought back to create separation. Riddle went on a roll soon after and hit a few brilliant moves.

The two teams traded some finishers before Riddle pinned Ziggler with a saddle pin. The ending suggests that the rivalry will go on for a little longer.

The RAW Tag Team Champions could do with some different competition after taking on AJ Styles and Omos repeatedly. Ziggler and Roode proved to be good opponents for RK-Bro.

#4. Becky Lynch and Bianca Belair had another throw down on WWE RAW

RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch made her appearance as the Red brand champion for the first time since the night after Money in the Bank 2020. She had an awkward exchange with Charlotte Flair on Friday night that saw the two women swap their titles.

The Man was still proud of her victory over Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks as she made her way to the RAW ring. She touted her victory and talked trash about her opponents before Belair made her presence felt.

The EST reminded Lynch that she pinned Banks at Crown Jewel and that too by cheating. A war of words led to a brawl between the two superstars. Lynch tried to use a kendo stick, but Belair caught her and delivered a few strikes of her own.

The Man managed to escape and accepted Belair’s challenge for a RAW Women’s Championship match on another night. It was later confirmed that the two superstars would compete in a championship match next Monday.

WWE did well to bring Belair back into the top title picture. She is still not done with Lynch, and the two could put on a few good matches for the fans before moving on to other rivalries.

#3. Damian Priest and T-Bar put on a slugfest on WWE RAW

WWE United States Champion Damian Priest walked out for a championship contenders match on RAW. He took on former RETRIBUTION member T-Bar.

The two big men came into the ring for one of the biggest matches of the night. T-Bar tried to showcase his strength, but was soon matched by The Archer of Infamy.

The action escalated pretty quickly after T-Bar threw a chair at Priest. The United States Champion snapped and obliterated his opponent. He sent him into the barricade at ringside, and threw him around to show his dominance.

Priest ended the match with The Reckoning to T-Bar. The match was short but competitive. It showed off The Archer’s darker side, something fans will get to see much more once he turns heel.

The two big men put on a good contest, and the finish helped Priest get over as the United States Champion. Fans can hope to see T-Bar return to his previous gimmick and get a push on RAW. He is just too talented to serve as an enhancement talent on the Red Brand.

#2. Keith "Bearcat" Lee returned with a new attitude on WWE RAW

Keith Lee returned to WWE RAW once again in hopes of making it big. This time, he returned as Keith "Bearcat" Lee to debut his new character.

The former NXT Champion took on Cedric Alexander in a one-on-one match. The Limitless One started strong and threw his opponent around like a ragdoll. Alexander was stunned and failed to get much offense.

Lee hit a few big moves before ending Alexander’s misery. He hit the Big Bang Catastrophe to pick up an easy one-sided win. After the match, Cedric’s partner Shelton Benjamin entered the ring to confront Lee. However, he backed down moments later.

Keith Lee is one of the top performers in WWE today. However, the creative team has failed to put him over in recent months. The superstar has now turned heel and could soon go after Big E’s WWE Championship.

The creative team will need to give him a good build in the coming weeks to make him a force to reckon with. This was a good match for the RAW Superstar who took on a former NXT Cruiserweight Champion. WWE needs to put him up against established superstars instead of local talent.

#1. Seth Rollins became the No. 1 contender to the WWE Championship on RAW

WWE RAW opened up with a segment involving Big E and his potential challengers. The arrival of Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, Rey Mysterio, and Finn Balor led to a Fatal 4-Way ladder match between the four superstars.

The night's main event saw the top four men compete for a chance to get their hands on the WWE Champion. KO did some damage to himself while bouncing his head off a steel ladder during his entrance.

All four men delivered good moves in the match to keep the action ticking. KO put Mysterio through a table to keep him out of the action. Meanwhile, Rollins took out KO with a powerbomb through a ladder.

Finally, Rollins hit Balor with a Stomp and climbed the ladder to retrieve the contract. After the match, Big E and Rollins came face to face and talked some trash to close the show.

It was great to see the top four men from RAW compete in a high-stakes match on television. The match was action-packed and delivered as expected.

Rollins was the only heel in the match and looks like the perfect opponent for Big E. The two men have already competed in numerous live shows over the past few months.

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