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The final episode of WWE RAW before TLC 2020 delivered an interesting episode. We saw top Superstars exchange final blows ahead of their respective matches scheduled for the upcoming pay-per-view. There were also quite a few memorable spots from the show that saw a huge shift in momentum in several ongoing storylines.
Tonight, we saw Lana pick the biggest victory of her career as she defeated Nia Jax on WWE RAW. But that didn’t end well for her as she was attacked brutally by Jax and Shayna Baszler. As a result, Asuka will now look for another tag team partner ahead of TLC as she is scheduled to face Jax and Baszler on Sunday.
In this article, we will take a look at Superstars who impressed us on WWE RAW and those who didn’t. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
#1 Impressed on WWE RAW: ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt
On this week’s WWE RAW, Bray Wyatt went on a ‘Field Trip’, and it turned out to be extremely interesting. He first apologized to Randy Orton for The Fiend’s interference in their last match and was quite comfortable making jokes about The Viper. At this point, Randy Orton interfered and asked Bray Wyatt to come find him backstage.
Bray Wyatt started hunting for Randy Orton and met several Superstars backstage including Riddle. In the end, he saw an empty chair in a dark room and thought this might be the place where he will finally find Randy Orton. As it turns out, this was a trap set up by the latter on WWE RAW as Orton successfully lured Bray Wyatt inside the room.
He then appeared from behind and started attacking Bray Wyatt. Finally, Orton put the latter into a wooden box and then set it on fire. He stood in front of the burning box, and the entire sequence accounted for a compelling segment on WWE RAW. But Orton had his world turn upside down as Bray Wyatt came out of the box as The Fiend.
The latter went on to attack a shocked Orton and laid a fantastic groundwork for their upcoming match at TLC. This storyline on WWE RAW has made The Fiend’s gimmick interesting once again – something that is needed for a long time. Not to forget, Randy Orton deserves equal credit for making this storyline more and more interesting with each passing week. The fans are now excited to see what’s in store for this rivalry.
#1 Flopped on WWE RAW: MVP
In the final match of WWE RAW this week, we saw MVP lock horns with Matt Riddle in an extremely brief in-ring encounter. The leader of The Hurt Business wanted to teach a couple of lessons to Riddle, including one about respecting The Hurt Business. Unfortunately for MVP, things did not go according to plan.
Within one minute of entering the ring, Riddle attacked MVP with a couple of punches and quickly followed them with a Floating Bro. He then rolled up MVP to pick a swift victory over his opponent on WWE RAW. Bobby Lashley tried to enter the ring after the final bell, but Riddle saw his opportunity and escaped from the squared circle along with his Bronuts.
MVP’s quick loss against Riddle made several onlookers question the entire point of this match. It barely did anything to make Riddle look strong, especially if you consider his previous altercations with MVP. On the contrary, it ended up making MVP look extremely weak inside the ring, a booking decision that the creative should have avoided on WWE RAW.
#2 Impressed on WWE RAW: AJ Styles
We are set for a dream match at TLC as AJ Styles prepares to take on Drew McIntyre in a WWE Championship match. It is safe to say that The Phenomenal One gained a lot of momentum on the go-home episode of WWE RAW before the final pay-per-view of the year. First, Styles locked horns with Sheamus in the opening match of the night.
This match was entertaining from start to finish, and both Superstars looked very appealing inside the squared circle. Ultimately, a little help from Omos allowed Styles to pick a much-needed win on WWE RAW. It is evident that this 7-ft 3-inch friend of Styles will end up playing an important role in the title match at TLC. But that’s not the only ally that The Phenomenal One is banking upon.
During the Ascension Ceremony at the end of WWE RAW, Styles made it clear that McIntyre will also have to keep an eye out for Miz and John Morrison. In fact, Miz has made it clear that if Styles fails to beat McIntyre, he will cash-in his Money in the Bank contract. Finally, the closing moments of the match saw Styles attack the WWE Champion with ladders and chairs before the latter was finally put through a table.
In the end, Styles climbed onto a ladder and held the WWE Championship in his hand as WWE RAW came to an end. This spot certainly made it seem like The Phenomenal One has a lot of momentum on his side – something that was quite important for his title match against a dominant champion. But most importantly, we now know what Miz is planning and how this match will possibly end at the upcoming pay-per-view.
#2 Flopped on WWE RAW: Dana Brooke
On this week’s episode of WWE RAW, we saw Dana Brooke go toe-to-toe with Shayna Baszler. Now, it was pretty apparent that one-half of the Women’s Tag Team Champions will dominate this match and Baszler did precisely what was expected. However, it was Brooke’s underwhelming performance tonight that didn't go well with the fans.
Dana Brooke was booked quite well on WWE RAW in the last few weeks, which actually made her look better than before. But tonight, all that build-up crumbled in front of Baszler who threw her around like a pinata. Towards the end, we saw the return of Mandy Rose who helped her friend out of the beatdown at the hands of Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler.
Understandably, the creative wanted Baszler to regain her momentum on WWE RAW, especially if you look at the losses she picked on the Red brand in the last few weeks. However, the champion would have looked more credible if her opponent was not booked in such a poor light. Hopefully, Dana Brooke will have an opportunity to revive herself on WWE RAW because its women’s division cannot afford to bury whatever competitors they have left.
#3 Impressed on WWE RAW: Cedric Alexander
We saw Cedric Alexander, Bobby Lashley, and Shelton Benjamin take on The New Day and Jeff Hardy in a six-man tag team match on WWE RAW tonight. This match ended with The Hurt Business picking a convincing victory over their opponents, and Alexander came out looking as the most impressive performer from the mix.
Over the last few weeks, we have seen Alexander's performance improve with each episode, and that has also started to get into his head. The fact that he is so proud of his actions on WWE RAW is noticeable, and his Hurt Business teammates have certainly made a note of the same. There are a lot of exciting possibilities here and hopefully; the creative will make the best use of the same.
Alexander and Benjamin will take on Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods for the WWE RAW Tag Team Championships on Sunday. The subtle changes in Alexander and his sudden rise as the best performer of The Hurt Business might work out very well for his momentum. Not to forget, he has picked huge victories over Kingston and Woods in the previous weeks which has made the entire title challenge all the more appealing ahead of TLC.
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