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WWE RAW delivered a good show with several rivalries shaping up ahead of Fastlane 2021. We saw Bobby Lashley’s first title defense, and he came across as a promising champion. In the absence of Asuka, Charlotte Flair declared her intentions about searching for a championship opportunity at WrestleMania.
In this article, we will take a look at Superstars who impressed us on WWE RAW and those who did not.
#1 Impressed on WWE RAW: Drew McIntyre
This week on WWE RAW, we saw Drew McIntyre face Sheamus in an epic rematch from last week. McIntyre talked about his plans to reclaim the WWE Championship in a backstage segment when Sheamus attacked him. This led to a brawl between both the Superstars, and McIntyre ended up demanding match against his former best friend.
Soon after that, Adam Pearce confirmed a no-disqualification match between McIntyre and Sheamus. The expectations were high from their in-ring encounter, especially after their battle last week. McIntyre and Sheamus were prepared for the challenge and left us in awe with a great rematch on WWE RAW.
It started with McIntyre furiously looking for ways to dominate the match. He landed a couple of hard-hitting blows before Sheamus began to counter. The Celtic Warrior then began to inflict punishment on his opponent. Once again, the creative did well in booking both Superstars at an equal level.
Since it was a no-disqualification match, both McIntyre and Sheamus used kendo sticks and barricades to tip the scales in their favor. The closing moments of this match saw both Superstars hitting each other with steel steps and getting knocked out. As a result, the match ended in no contest. It is pretty evident that this storyline will continue on the Red brand in the coming weeks.
Both McIntyre and Sheamus were left with bruised backs after their match on WWE RAW. Their feud has been exciting right from the start, and they deserve to face each other at a pay-per-view. It would be nice to see them engage in a grudge match on Fastlane later this month. We hope to see the creative making the most of this storyline.
#1 Flopped on WWE RAW: Braun Strowman
Braun Strowman’s booking since his return on WWE RAW has been underwhelming. He couldn’t compete for the WWE Championship at Elimination Chamber because it was limited to former WWE Champions. However, he is being kept far away from the title picture even after the pay-per-view, and he is now a part of a storyline that involves Shane McMahon.
Last week on WWE RAW, McMahon implied that Strowman is stupid, and the latter wanted an apology. Shane McMahon insinuated the same thing during his apology and tricked Strowman into following another car out of the arena. This feud will most likely lead to a match at WrestleMania 37, but Strowman deserves to be part of a more significant match at The Grandest Stage of Them All.
There is not much in this rivalry that can help Strowman on WWE RAW after it ends. It might be an absolute necessity to keep Strowman away from the world title picture in order to protect Bobby Lashley. However, the creative could have still invested in feuds to establish Strowman as a credible threat.
#2 Impressed on WWE RAW: Bobby Lashley
Bobby Lashley walked out to a new intro theme on WWE RAW, where he successfully defended his WWE Championship in his first title defense. He faced The Miz, who he defeated for the gold on last week’s show. The latter demanded a rematch, and Lashley used that opportunity to assert his dominance as the newly crowned champion.
He was impressive right from the start as he single-handedly focused on brutalizing his opponent while the latter resorted to playing games. However, The Miz couldn’t avoid his fate for long as Lashley soon managed to get his hands on the challenger. He then delivered an All Mighty Spinebuster and then caught The Miz in the Hurt Lock to defend his gold on WWE RAW.
The creative has been building up Lashley as a beast, and it could lead to exciting storylines ahead of WrestleMania. He has deserved this title run for a long time, and it is off to a great start. He should face some of the top names on WWE RAW, and maybe he will find the next big babyface on the Red brand.
#2 Flopped on WWE RAW: Slapjack
RETRIBUTION’s Slapjack competed in a singles match on WWE RAW this week. He faced Riddle in an exciting matchup but couldn’t beat the United States Champion. While his loss isn’t the biggest problem, his overall booking on the show limits him. He may not be the best performer, but he certainly deserves a shot at exploring his potential inside the ring.
Slapjack started the match well, but he soon got outmatched inside the ring. Riddle managed to get the better of his opponent and found a quick way to end the match. He hit Slapjack with Bro Derek to seal his victory on WWE RAW. Riddle walked back while Slapjack stood next to Mustafa Ali at ringside.
Ali did not take the loss very well and slapped Slapjack for not being able to beat Riddle. He has grown more and more arrogant over the last few weeks. It could lead to a leadership feud between him and T-Bar as it is one of the few angles that can save RETRIBUTION’s future on WWE RAW. As for Slapjack, we hope that both he and his teammates will find their dominance on the Red brand once again.
#3 Impressed on WWE RAW: Randy Orton
Randy Orton is dealing with a haunted run on WWE RAW. This week on the Red brand, he was involved in a backstage altercation with AJ Styles. It led to a singles match between them, which then main-evented the show. Even though Orton ended up losing the match, he managed to nail his performance while dealing with both Styles and Alexa Bliss.
Orton looked brutal right from the beginning of this match on WWE RAW. The exchange was well-balanced, with both Superstars taking turns to dominate the match. Orton used great counters against his opponents' high-flying maneuvers. We even saw The Viper taking a lot of punishment that made Styles come across as a huge threat.
In the final moments of the match, a video of Alexa Bliss played on the titantron in which she was seen summoning The Fiend. Soon after that, Orton started throwing up the black liquid. Styles made the most of this distraction and pinned Orton to pick up another big victory on WWE RAW.
As for Orton, he looked scared and frustrated, especially when the ring posts were on fire. He will now be desperate to come face to face with Bliss, but it appears that he will have to wait for a while.
