'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
This week’s episode of WWE RAW was average at best. There were very few good parts on the show, and they were limited to one good match and the main event. On the brighter side, Randy Orton returned with a face mask after Alexa Bliss attacked him with a fireball last week. Overall, the show struggled to maintain its momentum throughout its duration.
In this article, we will take a quick look at Superstars who impressed on WWE RAW this week, and those who didn’t, So, without further ado, let’s begin.
#1 Impressed on WWE RAW: Alexa Bliss
Alexa Bliss has been nothing short of brilliant ever since she turned heel and joined forces with ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt. She is also the kind of performer who would not let anyone overshine her presence, and it shows. Last night, she finally got a chance to prove her mettle inside the ring once again, and Bliss made the best use of that opportunity.
She locked horns with none other than WWE RAW Women’s Champion, Asuka. Both Superstars engaged in a promising battle that saw them put up an equal fight. Mid-way into the match, the lights went off, and Bliss returned to the ring in her gimmick that’s inspired by The Fiend. It is worth noting that she is doing very well in keeping The Fiend’s presence felt on the show despite Bray Wyatt’s absence.
Back to the match, Bliss relied on the ‘horror elements’ of her gimmick that took Asuka by surprise. The latter put up a good fight, but she was outsmarted by Bliss at ever step of the way. After an exciting match, Bliss picked a dominant victory by pinning the WWE RAW Women’s Champion in the main event.
Alexa Bliss deserves a lot of credit for making her persona exciting, and at this point, she has even surpassed The Fiend when it comes to nailing a supernatural gimmick. Now that she has pinned the champion, it is expected that Bliss will soon a receive a title shot against Asuka on WWE RAW, something that she thoroughly deserves.
During the episode, Bliss also declared her entry in the Women’s Royal Rumble this year. There is a chance that this WWE RAW Superstar will walk out of the pay-per-view with a huge victory in the Royal Rumble match. Even if she doesn’t, it would be fairly easy to push her into the title picture on the Red brand as we inch closer to WrestleMania.
#1 Flopped on WWE RAW: Peyton Royce
This week, Charlotte Flair locked horns with Peyton Royce in an average match on WWE RAW. While their in-ring encounter started well, Royce lost a great deal of momentum after a couple of minutes. She even attacked Flair before their match, which led us to believe that this would still be a well-balanced meeting between the two Superstars. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
Royce struggled against Charlotte Flair for the most part of their match on WWE RAW. It wouldn’t be too far-fetched to say that the creative should take the blame for this one. They are determined to book Charlotte Flair as a babyface, and yet, she looks no different than when she was a heel. It is difficult to accept someone’s dominance when their opponents are frequently booked in a weaker light.
Peyton Royce is a good performer. She can pose a serious threat to the Women’s Tag Team Championships alongside Lacey Evans on WWE RAW. Thus, she should be used in a better fashion rather than someone who is being crushed inside the ring as fuel for another story. The only interesting thing about this match was Lacey Evans teasing a possible run as The Nature Girl when she walked out with Ric Flair in his robe.
#2 Impressed on WWE RAW: Cedric Alexander (with The Hurt Business)
'You win as a team.' Last week on WWE RAW, MVP offered this advice to Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin who are far from being on the same page. Last night, Alexander, Benjamin, and Bobby Lashley teamed up to take on Riddle and The Lucha House Party. While Lashley picked the win for The Hurt Business, Alexander managed to steal the show with his story-telling efforts.
The friction between Alexander and Benjamin was evident throughout this match on WWE RAW. At one point, Benjamin lost his cool and ended up pushing Alexander out of the ring, and the latter was not happy about the same. It will be interesting to see how these two Superstars will work word’s resolving their differences, especially when they need to defend their WWE RAW Tag Team Championships.
Over the last few weeks, Alexander has been booked as a conflicted Superstar on WWE RAW who is now arrogant about his achievements. His attitude is causing problems in The Hurt Business, and there are indications towards a possible split. Alexander has been nailing this role and has the fans invested in this storyline that will have a huge impact in the Red brand's tag team division.
#2 Flopped on WWE RAW: Mace
Last night, on WWE RAW, RETRIBUTION’s Mace locked horns with Xavier Woods in a singles match. It would be safe to say that this match did not live up to our expectations. Despite claiming a victory over Woods, Mace did not look promising inside the ring. Some may argue that he is a lot more talented and probably deserves a little more time.
While that is acceptable, it is important to point out that tonight’s match was laced with multiple botches throughout its duration. Mace did not come across as a huge threat unless he had help from his fellow teammates who were also present on the ringside. Mace got the worse of this in-ring meeting with Xavier Woods because the latter is already an established performer on WWE RAW.
We hope that Mace will make the best of his upcoming opportunities as he is someone who could improve immensely inside the ring. However, for now, the creative should use Mustafa Ali and T-Bar more often, especially since it is Ali who has kickstarted this feud against The New Day. The leader of RETRIBUTION believes that Kofi Kingston took his spot back in 2019 and he now wants to make the New Day member pay on WWE RAW.
#3 Impressed on WWE RAW: AJ Styles
AJ Styles fought against Ricochet in arguably the best match of WWE RAW this week. It all started when Ricochet was talking to Adam Pearce about more opportunities on the Red brand. Styles interfered in their conversation and decided to belittle Ricochet and Pearce, which led to a match between the two Superstars.
Throughout their in-ring battle, both Styles and Ricochet took turns to assert their dominance. They both looked good as they relied extensively on their respective strengths. Styles implied his heelish tactics to better his opponent while Ricochet showed incredible resilience in fighting back against The Phenomenal One on WWE RAW.
In the end, Styles picked a deserving victory. Ricochet also deserved credit for his performance last night, and the two Superstars can be involved in a feud on WWE RAW. The only thing missing from this match was a good build-up, and it is something that the creative should invest in the following weeks. This may just be storyline that will push Ricochet higher up on
One of Samoa Joe's colleagues had harsh words for him HERE
