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This week’s episode of WWE RAW delivered beyond expectations. Despite a slow start, the show picked up as we entered the second and the third hour. The show was put together at the last minute, allowing the creative to script a couple of good surprises. Overall, the show was decent, and we saw a few Superstars gain momentum ahead of Royal Rumble.
In this article, we will take a look at three Superstars who flopped on WWE RAW and three who impressed. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
#1 Impressed on WWE RAW: Randy Orton
Before we proceed with this discussion, allow this author to clarify that Randy Orton was not the most dominant performer on WWE RAW tonight. Neither was he like his fierce self. Instead, he was the one who helped in a good narration that made the show progressively better – something that the Red brand has lacked over the last few months.
In the opening segment of WWE RAW, Triple H stepped inside the ring to address the fans. However, he was interrupted by Randy Orton who was involved in a war of words with The Game. Eventually, a match was booked between both these Superstars as Randy Orton looked keen to slay another legend on the show.
In the main event of WWE RAW, we saw Triple H and Randy Orton lock horns in a brief yet impressive in-ring encounter. They went after each other’s throat right after the first bell. It was also pleasant to see that Triple H didn’t look out of place during this match. Instead, he seemed quite convincing when he managed to gain dominance over The Viper.
Overall, Orton looked good inside the ring, and it was evident why his longevity inside the ring is praised so often. In the final moments of the match, Triple H got his hands on a hammer, and he wanted to attack Orton with the same. However, their match was interrupted as the lights went off and Triple H’s hammer caught fire.
When the lights came back on, Alexa Bliss was standing inside the ring while Orton stood shell-shocked on WWE RAW. For lack of better expression, Bliss threw a fireball at Orton’s face just like they do in Dragon Ball Z. The show ended with Orton clutching onto his face. Even though he was at the end of receiving punishment during his segments, Orton did very well in putting up a convincing performance as this week’s WWE RAW ended with another cliff-hanger.
#1 and #2 Flopped on WWE RAW: Charlotte Flair and Lacey Evans
To put it plainly, this was the most boring match on WWE RAW tonight - something that you don't usually expect from Charlotte Flair and Lacey Evans. Both Superstars lacked chemistry inside the ring to the point that it was almost tormenting to sit through this entire bout. As harsh as it may seem, this was not the only flaw in this match. We also saw Ric Flair make a return to the Red brand a week after the Legends Night because somehow, someone thinks it's a safe decision.
In case you didn't know, Lacey Evans started flirting with Ric Flair last week, which led to him betraying his daughter Charlotte Flair. The latter ended up losing that match and wanted to avenge her loss against Evans on WWE RAW tonight. She thought that her father was at home, but he actually had his eyes set in Evans. (It took a lot of willpower not to make a joke right here). Now, both Lacey Evans and Charlotte Flair locked horns, and Ric Flair helped Evans in pinning her opponent, who by the way, is his daughter and is carrying his legacy in the promotion.
This match looked incredibly pointless, especially considering a storyline involving a rift between father and daughter and their eventual reconciliation. Instead, WWE RAW could have used this time to book a tag team match to help identify potential challengers. Or, they could have booked a singles match involving actual individual competitors who could use some screen time. The only reason why Lacey Evans appeared slightly better than Charlotte Flair is that she ended up winning the match.
#2 Impressed on WWE RAW: Riddle
Riddle delivered one of the best performances on WWE RAW this week. He was scheduled to face Bobby Lashley once again, and both Superstars locked horns in an extremely aggressive match. Lashley also deserves a lot of credit for ensuring that Riddle didn’t look weak even when the United States Champion appeared to be the dominant one.
Riddle looked like an absolute star inside the ring, going after Lashley with every shred of determination that he has in him. His emotions translated very well into the match as he picked his moments to get the better of the champion. Eventually, Riddle was busted open, and he ended up losing his match on WWE RAW, but there was still a lot left in the promising Superstar.
Riddle called out to MVP and demanded a match which the latter obliged. However, their encounter ended in a disqualification after Lashley intervened and delivered a devastating spear on Riddle. The US Champion then continued to lay a vicious attack on Riddle. It is expected that both these Superstars will soon battle it out for Lashley’s title on WWE RAW. The only complain against Riddle’s current run is the forced humor that seems very out of place with his current gimmick. He is a good talker and should be allowed to say what comes naturally to him.
#3 Flopped on WWE RAW: Elias
This author genuinely wonders if the WWE RAW creative has forgotten all about Elias' caliber. Somehow, he finds himself involved in storylines against some of the best Superstars on WWE RAW, and then, he is booked for one disappointing segment after another. It would be safe to say that this week's show was no different. Tonight, Elias faced Jeff Hardy in a singles match right after the latter locked horns with Jaxson Ryker.
It is important to mention that during the match between Jeff Hardy and Jaxson Ryker, Elias decided to distract The Charismatic Enigma. This led to Ryker rolling up his opponent from behind, and he pinned Jeff Hardy within seconds. Following that, Jeff Hardy called out Elias for his cheap theatrics because he claimed that he was 'injured'. Anyway, we move forward to the match that saw Jeff Hardy easily dominate his opponent throughout its duration on WWE RAW.
Elias struggled to gain control over their match at any given point. He should have received a couple of chances to look like an equal, if not better, than his opponent inside the ring tonight. This rivalry is quite promising, but it is on the brink of losing its charm if Elias is continuously booked as an afterthought on WWE RAW. He is a good heel and can account for a short, entertaining narration unless booked as a boring heel who has no ounce of credibility left in him. We hope that the creative will put a little more effort into booking Elias over the coming weeks.
#3 Impressed on WWE RAW: Keith Lee
Tonight, on WWE RAW, Keith Lee teamed up with Sheamus to take on the team of The Miz and John Morrison. It was interesting to see both Lee and Sheamus join forces after what has transpired between them over the last few weeks. Fortunately for them, both Superstars were in complete sync inside the ring.
Sheamus went above and beyond to ensure that Lee gets the spotlight and the latter didn’t disappoint. One of the spots in this match saw Lee push Morrison against the turnbuckle and rip it open. They won this match on WWE RAW in a convincing fashion and then went on to lock horns in a singles match.
Both Lee and Sheamus poured their heart into the match in an attempt to deliver something better than their previous meeting. They took turns to gain the upper hand, and eventually, it was Lee who prevailed. Following the match, both Sheamus and Lee hugged to press a pause button on their ongoing feud in WWE RAW.
