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This week’s episode of WWE RAW started out slow but the final hour of the program ended on a high note. From teasing new alliances to the last-moment appearance of The Fiend, there’s a lot that happened on the Red brand this week. We also saw several Superstars gain momentum as we inch close to TLC.
In this article, we will take a look at three Superstars who impressed us on WWE RAW and two who didn’t. So without further ado, let’s begin.
# Impressed on WWE RAW: Drew McIntyre
This week on WWE RAW, Drew McIntyre once again teamed up with Sheamus to face The Miz, John Morrison, and AJ Styles in a two-on-three Handicap match. All the Superstars involved in this match first met up during Miz TV, and their banter eventually led to a massive beatdown. The WWE Champion came out on top after he took out almost everyone from the equation.
During the match, McIntyre and Sheamus worked extremely well alongside each other as they took on Miz, Morrison, and Styles. The Celtic Warrior also looked extremely strong which further contributed to the rumor about him eventually betraying his friend for the WWE Championship. He also accidentally hit McIntyre with a Brogue Kick in the closing moments of the show that allowed Styles to take advantage of the situation.
The Phenomenal One wasted no time in delivering a perfect Styles Clash to seal a victory for his team. Even though McIntyre and Sheamus ended up losing this match on WWE RAW, The Scottish Warrior looked better than ever inside the ring. He single-handedly turned things around as he effortlessly dealt with all his opponents, nullifying the entire concept of a ‘handicap’ match.
Following the match, Drew McIntyre and Sheamus were also involved in a backstage brawl that saw both Superstars going after each other in full force. For a few minutes, it appeared as if the backstage speculations about Sheamus might be coming true. However, that was far from the truth. Both McIntyre and Sheamus quickly got back on the same page and took the person who tried to separate them backstage.
Eventually, they hugged it out and proved that their backstage brawl didn’t actually put a dent in their friendship. That said, we got a slight glimpse of a possible feud between these two Superstars who share a long history between them. WWE’s booking of McIntyre has been brilliant this year. Between his upcoming title match with AJ Styles at TLC, the looming threat of Miz and his Money in the Bank contract, and a potential feud with Sheamus, there’s a lot of great things in store for McIntyre on WWE RAW.
#1 Flopped on WWE RAW: Reckoning
This week, on WWE RAW, RETRIBUTION’s Slapjack and Reckoning teamed up to take on Ricochet and Dana Brooke in a mixed tag team match. To everyone’s surprise, the match ended quickly with Brooke picking a huge victory over Reckoning. This has happened for two consecutive weeks, and it has taken away every bit of credibility from Reckoning on WWE RAW.
Following the match, an agitated Mustafa Ali walked up to both Reckoning and Slapjack and insulted them for ‘disappointing him’. This slap certainly felt like a slap across his face after he was literally slapped by Brooke last week. Amidst all the humiliation, Reckoning ended up taking the biggest fall tonight on WWE RAW.
The entire WWE Universe is familiar with Reckoning’s in-ring talent. In fact, it was her toughness inside the squared circle that saw her rise through the ranks on the NXT roster. But now, the beginning of her chapter on WWE RAW looks far from promising. The creative must acknowledge Reckoning’s caliber and book her accordingly. If not, the downfall is inevitable not just for her but also for RETRIBUTION.
#2 Impressed on WWE RAW: Cedric Alexander
Last week on WWE RAW, Cedric Alexander locked horns with Xavier Woods and won that match. This week, his tag team partner Shelton Benjamin, faced Kofi Kingston. Unfortunately, he couldn’t secure a victory for The Hurt Business that ended up angering Alexander. He took it upon himself to face Kingston in a singles match, and one-half of the WWE RAW Tag Team Champions obliged.
Both Kingston and Alexander looked great inside the ring as they capitalized well on their respective momentum during the match. Eventually, Alexander managed to come out on top as he successfully pinned Kingston after a series of devasting blows. This account for one of the biggest victories for Alexander on WWE RAW and he celebrated accordingly.
Just like last week, Alexander looked distant from the rest of The Hurt Business after his victory which concerned both MVP and Shelton Benjamin. It is difficult to assess as to what is going on with Cedric Alexander. However, one can be certain that he is thinking of himself as better than the rest of his teammates – something that will govern his actions heavily in the coming weeks.
#2 Flopped on WWE RAW: Shayna Baszler
Before anything else, allow this author to state that Shayna Baszler’s match against Asuka on WWE RAW this week was quite promising for the most part of its duration. They started out well, keeping their in-ring battle in complete balance. Both Superstars took turns to gain dominance inside the ring and Baszler looked a lot like her old, brutal self.
The closing moments of the match saw Nia Jax attacking Lana who was present at ringside. The latter managed to overturn the attack and sent Jax crashing into the ring post. Following that, she skilfully escaped from Nia Jax and ended up pushing one-half of Women’s Tag Team Champions through the announce desk. This series of events distracted Baszler who fell victim to a quick roll-up that eventually allowed Asuka to win their match on WWE RAW.
This marked the third week when Baszler ended up taking a pinfall. Despite a good match, the result ended up making Baszler look extremely weak inside the ring. Unfortunately for WWE RAW, they can’t afford to make the toughest competitors of their women’s division go through such booking at the moment. Hopefully, this will lead to a good storyline where Baszler eventually unleashes the beast inside of her. As unfair as it may sound, this week Baszler had to be included in the list of flops, but the creative should be the one taking the blame for this mess.
#3 Impressed on WWE RAW: Bray Wyatt
The ongoing feud between Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton got a lot more interesting on WWE RAW as soon as the latter figured out The Fiend’s weakness. This week, both Superstars opened the show as The Viper challenged Bray Wyatt to a match. The latter responded by saying that accepts and it led to their in-ring battle in the main event of the show.
The standout point from tonight’s booking of Bray Wyatt was the fact that he actually looked exciting inside the ring. We saw a glimpse of his former self, and for the first time in very long - Bray Wyatt looked as great as his alter-ego when he was fighting against Orton. In fact, he looked like he could hold off on his own, which is something that Bray Wyatt has deserved for a while.
The biggest advantage of Bray Wyatt looking great inside the ring was that The Fiend’s eventual appearance during the final moments of the match made it more exciting than ever. Wyatt clearly has great chemistry with Orton, and this match was enough to get the fans excited for their upcoming match at TLC.
