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WWE RAW’s final show before the Hell in a Cell event was quite an exciting one. We saw a few brilliant matches unfold during the show. This week’s episode also did well in adding more intensity to the ongoing storylines ahead of the upcoming pay-per-view. We witnessed a couple of big returns, but they were not nearly as fruitful as one would expect. Overall, it was a decent show with its fair share of ups and downs.
In this article, we will take a look at WWE Superstars who flopped on RAW and those who impressed. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
#4 & #3 Impressed on WWE RAW: Randy Orton and Riddle
Last week on WWE RAW, Riddle made a huge mistake inside the ring that cost him his match against Kofi Kingston. Despite a dominant performance, Riddle got distracted in the match's final moments as he was busy imitating Randy Orton. Meanwhile, Kingston capitalized on the opportunity and delivered the perfect Trouble in Paradise to seal his victory.
The loss came as a shock to RK-Bro, and Riddle felt guilty about not listening to The Viper. This week on WWE RAW, he apologized to Orton, and both partners got on the same page before their tag team match against Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods.
From jaw-dropping action to subtleties in the overall story-telling, everything about this match was brilliant. Riddle and Orton took some time to get in the right flow. After that, their tag team offenses were beautifully executed. They complimented each other well throughout the bout and worked in complete sync. In fact, it was arguably one of the best matches we have seen on WWE RAW this year.
Kingston and Woods also deserve a lot of credit for putting up an excellent fight. Both teams got close to securing pinfalls on multiple occasions, but no one seemed ready to give up. In the end, Woods was left inside the ring with Orton.
The New Day member went for an Honor Roll, but Randy Orton caught him mid-air and countered with a devastating RKO. He then pinned Woods for the win on WWE RAW.
RK-Bro picked up an important victory tonight, but we could still see them involved in an extended feud with The New Day.
Interestingly, MVP once again approached Kingston for a conversation backstage. He implied that Kingston is being held back by his team, whereas The New Day member denied all of MVP’s claims. MVP can be quite persuasive, and it will be exciting to see if his influence shows effect on Kingston in the next few weeks.
#2 Flopped on WWE RAW: Elias
For the third week in a row, WWE RAW Superstar Elias was one of the most underwhelming performers on the show. Once again, he faced his former partner, Jaxson Ryker.
Both superstars locked horns in a rematch from last week that again ended in the same fashion as before. Elias started the match well by unloading top-notch offense.
He even managed to keep Ryker pressed against the ropes for several minutes before the latter could fight his way out. However, soon after that, the entire equation of the match entirely changed as Ryker began dominating Elias with ease on WWE RAW.
Towards the end, he threw Elias off the top rope and the latter crashed into the floor. Ryker then met his opponent at ringside and continued to lay a brutal assault on him.
After Ryker got back to the ring, Elias looked like he would fight his way back into the squared circle as well. However, he shockingly changed his mind just as the referee counted him out.
It was pretty disappointing to see Elias being booked like a coward on WWE RAW once again. Ryker stated that things are not over between them. But what is the point of dragging this storyline when each fight ends in the same manner?
#2 Impressed on WWE RAW: Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre has emerged as a top performer on WWE RAW once again. Initially, he was supposed to lock horns with AJ Styles this week. Both superstars met in an engaging in-ring battle where they took turns asserting dominance. Bobby Lashley was also present during this much as he remained seated in the VIP lounge, right near the entrance area.
After a compelling back and forth, McIntyre managed to gain complete control of the match. Instead of focusing on Styles, he decided to taunt Lashley, leading to the WWE Champion coming down to ringside. The Viking Raiders also walked out to even things out for McIntyre on WWE RAW.
McIntyre came close to winning his match against Styles, but Lashley interfered. This led to a six-man tag team match which saw Drew McIntyre and The Viking Raiders fight against AJ Styles, Omos, and Lashley in the main event of WWE RAW. This was again a good match in which all the superstars got a decent amount of time to showcase their mettle.
Drew McIntyre emerged as the best performer during the match. In the final moments of the bout, Styles tagged Lashley instead of Omos. McIntyre was prepared to deliver Claymore, and Lashley couldn’t defend himself at all. The Scottish Warrior then went on to pin the WWE Champion for a huge win before his title match at Hell In A Cell.
As is often the case, the superstar, with a dominant performance on the go-home shows, rarely repeats the same pay-per-view.
Given how McIntyre got a clean victory over Lashley, there is very little chance that he will successfully pin the champion at Sunday's Hell in a Cell event.
As previously confirmed on WWE RAW, if McIntyre loses the upcoming match, he won’t get another shot at the world title as long as it resides on Lashley’s shoulder. As a result, The Scottish Warrior's loss would eventually pave the way for the creative to then transition into Lashley's possible feud with Brock Lesnar.
#1 Flopped on WWE RAW: Naomi
WWE RAW Superstar Naomi was subjected to an unfairly harsh booking on the show this week. The red brand originally advertised a match between Naomi and Eva Marie. The latter’s return was promoted religiously across all WWE brands but was as dissatisfying as it could get. Somehow, NXT UK Superstar Piper Niven replaced Marie in the match against Naomi last night.
Their in-ring battle was far from decent. Niven dropped her opponent every time she tried to go for an offense. She then went on to slam Naomi in the middle of the ring and followed up with a big senton. Niven executed the Michinoku Diver to pin Naomi within a couple of minutes.
It was disheartening to see the two-time women’s champion being subjected to such a loss on WWE RAW.
Surprisingly, it was announced that Eva Marie, and not Piper Niven, had won the match.
The turn of events left fans wondering about Marie’s possible role on WWE RAW. Will she eventually step inside the ring, or will Marie work as Niven’s manager? Is she planning to use the NXT UK Superstar as her muscle? The entire segment was extremely bizarre. Hopefully, the creative will have interesting answers to these queries.
#1 Impressed on WWE RAW: Rhea Ripley
WWE RAW Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley looked like her brutal self for the first time since her arrival on the main roster. Despite winning the title at WrestleMania 37, she didn’t get enough time and attention to prove herself a dominant champion.
However, Ripley showed her ruthless side this week, and we witnessed glimpses of her NXT days.
Ripley first appeared on the latest edition of WWE RAW during the match between Charlotte Flair and Nikki Cross. She even attacked The Queen after her loss to make a strong statement. Later in the night, Ripley locked horns with Asuka in an action-packed encounter. Both superstars pushed each other to their limits, but in the end, Ripley prevailed.
However, her celebration was cut short by Charlotte Flair, who returned to the ring and laid out a brutal attack on the WWE RAW Women’s Champion. Both superstars started punching each other, which prompted backstage officials to interfere in the brawl.
Things quickly escalated between Charlotte and Ripley as the two mercilessly attacked each other.
Ahead of their Hell in a Cell encounter, an unhinged Charlotte Flair continues to pose a serious threat to Rhea Ripley’s title reign.
However, Ripley is now looking more comfortable in her role, and she won’t let her WWE RAW Women’s Championship slip away so easily.
Honorable mention: Flopped/Impressed on WWE RAW: Alexa Bliss sets up a betrayal at Hell In A Cell?
WWE RAW Superstar Alexa Bliss returned to in-ring action for the first time in four months, and there were both positive and negative outcomes for us to observe during her segment.
Bliss faced her former friend Nia Jax in a singles match, reminding us just how good she is as a performer. Their match was booked after Jax confronted her backstage for targeting Shayna Baszler over the last few weeks.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Bliss carried this match on WWE RAW. She was quick with her movement and surprisingly brutal in her attack. Jax struggled to keep up with her opponent and eventually lost her match. Interestingly, Reginald interfered during the bout, but Bliss skillfully took care of him.
Before leaving the ring, Bliss even hypnotized Reginald. Several speculations suggest that he could help her win the match against Shayna Baszler at Hell in a Cell on Sunday.
While it was great to see Bliss back in action, her current storyline on WWE RAW simply lacks the excitement that can grab the audience's attention. On one side, she controls darkness and can do anything to anyone from anywhere. On the flip side, why was she booked to win via disqualification, when the character needed to look strong ahead of Sunday's pay-per-view?
Bliss’s previous association with ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt allowed her to borrow some aspects from his gimmick.
But WWE might make the same mistake as before. Every ominous tease will amount to nothing if she isn’t involved in good matches frequently. Alexa Bliss is an entertaining superstar, and she shouldn’t be just limited to supernatural shenanigans on WWE RAW every week.
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