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WWE RAW delivered a decent show this week. We saw a couple of great matches tonight. Nikki Cross returned to defeat Rhea Ripley in a 'Beat the Clock' match. Additionally, Charlotte Flair defeated Asuka to win a shot at Ripley's RAW Women's Championship at Hell In A Cell.
We also saw Ricochet make a return on the Red brand. The Resident Superhero of WWE attacked Sheamus after the United States Champion's match against Humberto Carrillo. In another shocking result, Jaxson Ryker pinned AJ Styles in the middle of the ring.
In this article, we will take a look at superstars who flopped on WWE RAW this week and those who didn't.
#1 Impressed on WWE RAW: Drew McIntyre
The episode of WWE RAW kickstarted with MVP and Bobby Lashley addressing the latter’s loss against Kofi Kingston last week. They were interrupted by Drew McIntyre, who was followed to the ring by The New Day. McIntyre argued that he still deserves a shot at the WWE Championship. At the same time, Kingston stated that The Scottish Warrior has already received countless opportunities, and it is now time for someone else to get a chance.
McIntyre then insinuated that Kingston only pinned Lashley because of his help, whereas The New Day member said he never asked for outside interference. Their heated argument led to Adam Pearce confirming a match between McIntyre and Kingston on WWE RAW, the winner of which would challenge Bobby Lashley for the title at Hell In A Cell.
Following that, Drew McIntyre and Kofi Kingston faced each other in an epic opening match to start the show on a great note. Both superstars relied on their respective strengths. McIntyre bulldozed Kingston around the ring while the latter used his incredible athleticism to keep the match balanced. Both WWE RAW Superstars looked equally strong throughout the match.
McIntyre started to deliver more and more brutal blows as the match progressed. He dominated Kingston on several occasions, and his demeanor gave us a brief insight into his obsession with reclaiming the WWE Championship. If anything, his performance on WWE RAW tonight justified his continued presence in the world title picture.
Unfortunately, the match ended in a double disqualification after MVP and Bobby Lashley attacked McIntyre and Kingston. The match has been rescheduled for next week, and this time, the WWE Champion can’t interfere in the match unless he wants a 90-day suspension.
There’s a decent chance that this could lead to a triple-threat match for Lashley’s title at Hell In A Cell. It will be interesting to see what will transpire on WWE RAW next week during the match that will give us the No. 1 contender.
#1 Flopped on WWE RAW: Nia Jax
In the main event of this week’s WWE RAW, Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler faced Tamina and Natalya in a Women’s Tag Team Championship rematch. It was quite an underwhelming encounter and unnecessary to an extent. Jax was the weakest performer in the match, delivering barely one or two moments that could turn the tides in favor of her team.
She tried to take on both the champions, but they used their past experiences to their advantage. They quickly dominated Jax inside the ring using swift maneuvers that didn’t fit well for someone who held a championship until recently. Nia Jax ended up taking herself out of the equation when she tried to throw Tamina over the barricade on WWE RAW.
This led to Baszler fighting against Natalya as well as multiple distractions all by herself. The champions eventually retained their titles, and we don’t expect to see the two teams engaging in a title bout anytime soon.
Before the match, Baszler had specifically asked Reginald not to come at ringside, whereas Jax felt that was unfair. A backstage segment featuring this entire discussion teased a potential split between the two superstars on WWE RAW.
#2 Impressed on WWE RAW: Riddle
Riddle is quickly rising through the ranks on WWE RAW, and he deserves every bit of that push. Since his arrival on the Red brand, the former United States Champion has been incredible, but tonight he dialed it up a notch. Owing to the recent tension between R-K-Bro and The New Day, Riddle and Xavier Woods faced each other in a singles match this week.
It won’t be an over-exaggeration to say that this was a pay-per-view level match, from start to finish. Both superstars had the right amount of aggression, which translated beautifully into in-ring storytelling. Woods unleashed hell inside the squared circle, and Riddle kept fighting against all odds to avoid losing on WWE RAW. He slowly gained more momentum and started to push Woods into an uncomfortable zone, teasing a subtle change in his persona.
In the match's closing moments, Riddle surprised everyone by borrowing a page from Randy Orton’s book. Instead of using his finisher, The Original Bro delivered an RKO to secure the pinfall over his opponent. It was great to see that Orton’s company is rubbing off on him, and it’s not the other way around. Woods also deserves a lot of credit for putting Riddle over during this match.
The budding feud between R-K-Bro and The New Day looks quite interesting. Orton and Kingston share a long history, and now Riddle and Woods have engaged in memorable altercations. All four superstars can shake up the entire tag team division on WWE RAW if they are booked in a solid storyline. Hopefully, the creative team will make the most of this opportunity.
#2 Flopped on WWE RAW: Shayna Baszler
WWE RAW Superstar Shayna Baszler is incredibly talented but constantly falls victim to lazy writing. She did most of the heavy lifting for her team in the match against Natalya and Tamina. Before that, she had even warned Reginald not to be present at ringside. But things didn’t go according to plan, and Baszler was once again pinned on WWE RAW.
Natalya and Tamina took turns to lay a brutal attack on Shayna Baszler during the match, and the latter kept fighting to gain momentum. Unfortunately, when she was finally in a good position, a brief distraction from Reginald stopped her from winning the match. Following that, Baszler asked Reginald to go back, but that led to more problems.
While Reginald was walking backstage, he was blinded by a sudden pyro near the ramp. Baszler was also confused, which allowed Natalya to roll her up for a pinfall. A frustrated Shayna Baszler then stated that she would face Reginald in a match on WWE RAW next week. A victory in this match could also fuel her split with Nia Jax. As for the pyro, that seems to be Alexa Bliss’ handiwork as she pulled off something similar last week.
#3 Impressed on WWE RAW: Charlotte Flair
Charlotte Flair was involved in yet another engaging match on WWE RAW this week. She faced Asuka in a hard-hitting exchange and eventually defeated The Empress of Tomorrow to win a shot at the WWE RAW Women’s Championship. Flair will now challenge Rhea Ripley for her title at Hell In A Cell. While it seems okay to criticize a repetitive angle, it would be unfair not to credit The Queen for her in-ring prowess.
Flair and Asuka share a long history that allows them to push each other to their limits in every meeting. Tonight was no different. the former was brutal right from the start, while Asuka dominated majorly with the counters. Both superstars delivered a few fantastic spots while battling for dominance on the mat at WWE RAW.
The Japanese superstar fought relentlessly until the very end and was even successful in countering Flair's creative submission moves.
In the end, she went for the Asuka Lock, but her opponent reversed it for a pinfall. Asuka was too surprised to respond, and Charlotte Flair managed to sneak away with a crucial victory on WWE RAW. She will now prepare to face Rhea Ripley at the upcoming Hell In A Cell pay-per-view.
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