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This week’s episode of Raw was no less than last week’s and delivered some solid punches on the Road to WrestleMania.
The night was set to make some big announcements, such as Kurt Angle’s opponent for WrestleMania, Elias' role at the grand stage, and also further build on Batista and Triple H’s feud without any physicality.
The night also saw the return of Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix to the ring, who will most probably get a chance to compete for the Women’s Tag Team Titles along with Natalya.
Even though there were a few questionable bookings during the night, such as Ricochet’s match against Jinder Mahal, and Ronda Rousey's match and aftermatch against Dana Brooke, quite a few things happened during the night which made the episode good.
Take a look at the 3 good things that happened on this week’s Raw, and share your favorite moments from the show in the comments below!
#3 Braun Strowman pinned Lio Rush
In a surprising turn of events, Finn Balor announced The Monster Among Men Braun Strowman to be his partner last night on Raw.
Why was it surprising? It’s because Strowman seems to be falling down the ranks, and many other better options existed backstage who could have partnered with Balor and gotten a push.
However, WWE was correct to book the outcome of the match the way it was played out. Balor took part in most of the match for his team, while Lio Rush and Bobby Lashley did well to restrict The Extraordinary Man from making the tag.
Once Balor made the hot tag to Strowman, Strowman laid waste to Lio Rush and pinned him for the victory while Lashley left Rush for dead.
Strowman pinning Rush was the right move to make, as it protects both Balor and Lashley for the future. Balor has also pinned Rush for the championship earlier, and WWE may have shied away from that ending now, giving Strowman a chance to show his monstrosity.
#2 The introduction of Travis Browne
Travis Browne is an MMA fighter who’s fought for UFC in the past and is currently signed with the promotion.
Additionally, Browne is also Ronda Rousey’s husband and has appeared in the crowd at WWE events many times since Ronda signed with the company.
While Browne has usually remained on the sidelines, even when Becky Lynch has attacked him both verbally and on Twitter, he has never been actively involved with anything to do with the matches and storylines. That was true until this week’s Raw.
Browne punched down a security guard as his wife lost control on Raw this week. This could signal towards the addition of Browne to the storyline WWE is continuing between Becky Lynch, Ronda Rousey, and Charlotte Flair.
While it’s not clear whether this was just a one-off angle or not, it could lead to something interesting heading into the Raw Women’s Championship match at WrestleMania 35.
If not, it will still keep the fans and the crowds on the edge of their seats in anticipation of what could happen with Travis Browne around.
#1 Drew McIntyre defeated The Shield’s second member
Last week on Raw, Drew McIntyre attacked Roman Reigns before his scheduled match against Baron Corbin could begin.
He battled against Dean Ambrose later in the night as Ambrose tried to avenge his Shield brother. However, Ambrose was completely destroyed by The Scottish Psychopath in the Falls Count Anywhere match and was defeated decisively.
This week McIntyre was out to lay waste to Seth Rollins and prove his dominance over The Shield. WWE was right to allow McIntyre to pick up the victory in an evenly fought match after Rollins was distracted by Brock Lesnar.
This now sets the stage for Roman Reigns to return, and challenge Drew McIntyre for WrestleMania 35 to end this rivalry once in for all. If the match is booked, the stakes will be very high and will make the match extremely interesting.
