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Chicago hosted one of the strongest episodes of WWE RAW in a long time, and that's saying something. Tonight's show was absolutely stacked with a bit of everything: good matches, storyline progression, and some epic moments to book the show.
CM Punk and The Rock both appeared on WWE RAW, making it an even bigger deal. So, without further ado, let's look at the biggest positives and negatives from tonight's episode.
#3. Best: A Final Boss beating
WWE RAW started and ended with Cody Rhodes, albeit in two very different states. The American Nightmare opened the show with a strong promo and went after Roman Reigns. He even took credit for The Tribal Chief and The Rock being unable to have their "little w*nk-fest" at WrestleMania 40.
This led to The Great One appearing unannounced and whispering something to him before leaving. Cody's expression changed, as did the mood in the arena. He refused to repeat what The Rock told him. However, that wasn't the worst part of WWE RAW for Rhodes.
The Hollywood megastar viciously assaulted The American Nightmare at the end of the night, repeatedly sending him headfirst into the exterior of his bus. The visual of The Rock beating up Cody Rhodes in the rain was haunting, indicative of our hopes and dreams getting crushed.
The hero was left a bloody mess at the end of WWE RAW. What a segment this was.
#2. Worst: Who's in the main event of Night Two again?
The Rock's Final Boss persona is epic, and he delivered brilliantly on WWE RAW, but there's just one problem. The final match at WrestleMania 40 isn't between him and Cody Rhodes. The American Nightmare will face Roman Reigns, who feels left behind in this build.
After failing to truly stamp his authority on this storyline on SmackDown, The Tribal Chief feels even more like a secondary player. Despite being the actual "final boss" at The Show of Shows, he is in danger of becoming an afterthought.
Rhodes has to beat Reigns to become champion, not The Rock. And as good as the segment on WWE RAW was, it actively took away from The Head of the Table at a time when he needs to be propped up.
#2. Best: Fists finally fly
While it wasn't as brutal as The Rock's beatdown of Cody Rhodes, another storyline finally kicked into a higher gear on WWE RAW. The staredowns are done, and it's time to get into the action between Rhea Ripley and Becky Lynch. Their brawl added some much-needed life to their feud.
Tensions rose as The Man took a shot at Ripley's Stinkface before The Eradicator claimed Lynch's daughter, Roux, will call her Mami. Following that, Becky punched Dominik Mysterio, and the two got into it. This was a good step ahead of what promises to be one of the best matches at WrestleMania 40.
#1. Worst: Sami Zayn loses?!
While we get the story that is being told on WWE RAW, it's hard to believe Sami Zayn has a chance of beating Gunther if he loses two weeks before WrestleMania. He suffered a defeat at the hands of Bronson Reed following a distraction from The Ring General.
This was a little counterproductive, as Zayn needs as much momentum as possible ahead of The Show of Shows. His loose alliance with Chad Gable does offer some intrigue, though, which could lead to something huge at WrestleMania 40. However, for now, it's not looking great.
#1. Best: CM Punk's WWE RAW return delivers
While not yet medically cleared, CM Punk confirmed on WWE RAW that he will be at WrestleMania 40. The Straight Edge Superstar is set to be on commentary for the World Heavyweight Championship match between Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre, two of his favorite people in the world.
Punk shared the spotlight with both of them on WWE RAW, as they all traded barbs at each other. The Scottish Warrior was the first to interrupt his homecoming promo, and neither man held back, with subtle references galore. The tension was tangible. You can't book that.
Among the highlights was Drew McIntyre sitting cross-legged on the announce table before being put on the spot with a Vince McMahon reference. Seth Rollins would join the fray and warn CM Punk to stay out of his way at WrestleMania. The animosity was beautiful. It's as if the three of them actually hate each other.
The segment ended perfectly, too, as McIntyre ranted about being focused on the world title and not Punk, only to be left prone to a Superkick and Curb Stomp from Rollins. He is distracted. Probably even more than The Visionary, who has an entire main event match the night before. Oh, the irony!
