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The final episode of WWE RAW in 2020 delivered an exciting episode that ended with a huge cliff-hanger. We now have a big title match scheduled for next week, a promising rivalry in the making, a huge heel turn in the works, and most importantly, no news about Randy Orton possibly setting Alexa Bliss on fire.
In this article, we will take a look at three Superstars who impressed us on WWE RAW this week and two who didn’t. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
#1 Impressed on WWE RAW: Keith Lee
In the opening segment of this week’s episode of WWE RAW, Drew McIntyre decided to address everything that unfolded on the Red brand last week. After the main event, Sheamus had hit Keith Lee with a Brogue Kick to kickstart their feud. It would be safe to say that McIntyre had a mixed reaction to Sheamus’ actions last week.
This week, McIntyre kickstarted the show by talking about Sheamus’ decision to attack Lee. He then proposed a match between both Superstars that would determine McIntyre's next challenger on WWE RAW. Following that, Sheamus immediately hit Keith Lee with a Brogue Kick to get an instant advantage over his opponent.
Both Lee and Sheamus then locked horns in an interesting match. The two Superstars engaged in a battle that showed how much they wanted an opportunity to challenge for the world title on WWE RAW. It was a good match with both Sheamus and Lee trying things outside of their comfort zone throughout this in-ring encounter.
There were a few memorable spots from this opening match on WWE RAW, including the ones that saw Sheamus going on the top rope and Lee taking big bumps against the table. Both Superstars played to their respective strengths. In the end, it was Lee who prevailed and won a chance to challenge McIntyre for the WWE title.
This was a massive win for Lee on WWE RAW, especially if you consider the recent backstage reports about the former NXT Superstar being sent back to the Performance Centre for certain improvements. If anything, this match allowed the fans to believe that Lee can pose a credible threat to McIntyre’s title run shortly. The two are now scheduled to lock horns for the WWE Championship next week.
#1 Flopped on WWE RAW: The Miz
Let’s take a quick look at the last couple of weeks involving WWE RAW Superstar, The Miz. First, he cashed in his Money in the Bank contract at TLC and failed to win the WWE Championship. On the episode of WWE RAW that followed, Miz teamed up with John Morrison and AJ Styles to face Drew McIntyre, Keith Lee, and Sheamus in a losing effort.
While Miz sought redemption on WWE RAW this week, there were other plans in store for him. He locked horns with Gran Metalik in a singles match, during which he looked far from his usual self. Miz was distracted throughout the match. Despite gaining the upper-hand at several instances during the match, Miz failed to use the momentum on his side to seal a victory for himself.
Finally, the match ended with Metalik picking a huge victory over The Miz while the latter stood inside the ring, trying to comprehend his shocking loss. The subtle changes in his demeanor hinted towards plausible long-term storytelling involving the former WWE Champion.
However, can the creative really afford to book their top Superstars in a weak fashion, especially when the show is gravely struggling for viewership? Hopefully, there are better plans in place for The Miz on WWE RAW, especially now that he has the Money in the Bank contract once again.
#2 Impressed on WWE RAW: Shayna Baszler
Following a rather disappointing run this month, Shayna Baszler finally looked like her usual self on this week’s episode of WWE RAW. She locked horns with Dana Brooke in a singles match and delivered a dominant performance inside the ring. Baszler was brutal in her approach, looking keen to seek her redemption on the Red brand.
It is also important to note that Brooke looked sharp inside the ring this week. This led to Baszler’s performance looking even better on WWE RAW. She left no stone unturned in showing how ruthless she can be to her opponents. Baszler delivered one devastating blow after another and finally forced Brooke to tap out to her submission move.
However, that was not enough for Baszler. After her match on WWE RAW, she ended up attacking Mandy Rose as well. It was good to see Baszler revert to her brutal, carefree self after spending weeks as a vulnerable champion. She is an extremely talented Superstar who deserves a lot more on WWE RAW, and hopefully, the creative will make the best use of her talent in the future.
#2 Flopped on WWE RAW: Nia Jax
This writer is not sure if Nia Jax deserves the blame for this performance or the WWE RAW creative. In either case, the former women’s tag team champion did not impress us with her performance on WWE RAW this week. She faced Charlotte Flair in a match tonight, and it ended with the latter dominating their entire encounter.
Charlotte Flair has already established herself as one of the best performers in the women’s division of WWE. She doesn’t really need her opponents to look weak in order to overcome them. Unfortunately for Jax, that’s exactly how her match was booked on WWE RAW. Jax visibly struggled against Flair throughout their encounter that snatched away a lot of credibility from the former champion.
The match's closing moments saw Shayna Baszler running an interference that allowed Charlotte Flair to win the match via disqualification. This booking decision protected Charlotte Flair on WWE RAW, made Baszler look ruthless, but it ended up making Jax look extremely weak. We hope that all of this will eventually lead to a betrayal between the former tag team champions, or else, it would end up belittling a big competition in the women’s division of WWE RAW.
#3 Impressed on WWE RAW: Riddle
This week on WWE RAW, Riddle teamed up with Jeff Hardy, Kofi Kingston, and Xavier Woods to take on The Hurt Business. In this four-on-four tag team match, we saw the top Superstars lock horns in a highly-entertaining battle. Amidst all those who were present inside the ring, two Superstars managed to steal the show – Cedric Alexander and Riddle.
Over the last few weeks, we have seen Riddle involved in altercations with MVP and Bobby Lashley. It was great to see him emerge as a credible challenger in the match against The Hurt Business. He was as technical as one could be inside the ring but didn’t make any bit seem nearly as boring. Even though eight Superstars shared the spotlight in the final match of WWE RAW, Riddle managed to steal the show with his resilient performance this week.
Even though his team ended up losing the match, Riddle managed to sneak the final blow to his opponents. After Bobby Lashley forced Jeff Hardy to tap out, Riddle got back inside the ring and hit the United States Champion with a devastating kick. It is evident that we are heading closer to a title rivalry between Riddle and Lashley on WWE RAW. It will be interesting to see if Riddle will finally get his hands on the gold.
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