WWE News: Dark Match takes place in the middle of Raw

What's the story?

As is the norm, WWE holds a dark match for the fans in the arena after Raw goes off the air. But this week was different, as a dark match took place during the show itself! Thanks to Ringside News for the update.

In case you didn’t know…

Usually, there is a dark match after Raw goes off the air, before SmackDown Live stars rolling, and after 205 Live is finished.

This week's Raw saw three Money in the Bank qualifying matches, an interview segment with Bobby Lashley, an Intercontinental Championship open challenge and other singles and tag team matches of lesser significance.

The heart of the matter

Bobby Lashley and Braun Strowman defeated the team of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn last Sunday night at Backlash. On the fallout episode of Raw, Lashley was not present on the show in person, instead appearing in a pre-recorded interview segment with Renee Young.

While the interview segment played out on TV, the fans in the arena witnessed the dominant team from NXT - Authors of Pain - Akam and Rezar defeat two local enhancement talents in a squash match.

The dark match on Raw this past week

Last week, when Raw was held in Montreal, AoP took on two local talents Francois and Jean-Paul and defeated them easily.

AOP debuted on the main roster on the Raw after WrestleMania 34 and after defeating Heath Slater and Rhyno on the same show, Akam and Rezar seemingly got rid of their manager from NXT - Paul Ellering. The two have been involved in similar squash matches since then, with no apparent storylines.

What's next?

It remains to be seen what WWE has planned for the former NXT Tag Team Champions.

Author's take

After the Superstar Shakeup 2018, it looks like the Raw Tag Team division might have ended up with the shorter end of the stick. However, this is an opportunity for teams like AOP to carve a place for themselves as a dominant force in the company.