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WWE RAW after SummerSlam accounted for a good show. There were very few negatives to note on the Red brand this week, but one mistake was too big to ignore. Other than that, the creative team did well in booking good matches, entertaining segments, and compelling swerves. There weren’t any bad performances, and we saw several new feuds being teased on the show.
Here, we look at the flops and hits from WWE RAW this week. So without further ado, let’s begin.
#5 Hit on WWE RAW: AJ Styles and Riddle steal the show, again
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When you see the same match in quick intervals, you are bound to lose interest after a point. But not when the match is between AJ Styles and Riddle. Both these superstars have given us amazing matches, and they once again delivered a jaw-dropping encounter in WWE RAW’s main event this week.
It all started when Riddle planned a celebration for Randy Orton as the duo defeated Styles and Omos to become the new RAW Tag Team Champions at SummerSlam. The Original Bro had a couple of surprise gifts, including a scooter, for The Viper and the crowd intensely rallied behind RK-Bro.
However, the celebrations had to come to a halt after AJ Styles walked out and demanded a match against Riddle.
He accepted the challenge and decided to redefine 'resilience' inside the squared circle on WWE RAW. He fought against vicious Styles in a highly engaging match that forced the crowd to stay on its feet throughout its duration. At one point, we saw Omos trying to distract Riddle, but that rubbed Randy Orton in a wrong way.
When Orton tried to attack the giant, the latter swung him around like a bat, and The Legend Killer crashed against the barricade. He then picked up a scooter – a gift from Riddle – and slammed it against Omos, and kept attacking him long enough to distract AJ Styles. Riddle took advantage of the situation and hot Styles with Bro Derek to seal his victory on WWE RAW.
After the match, AJ Styles tried to confront Orton, but he flung his title at Riddle and delivered an RKO to the former tag team champion. The entire segment was great, from start to finish. Randy Orton’s evident soft corner for Riddle and the latter’s impressive efforts inside the ring were perfectly put on display.
Styles also deserves credit for going beyond measure to help put Riddle over with the crowd during their match.
RK-Bro are extremely popular among fans and arguably the best part of WWE RAW these days. They deserve a memorable title reign on the Red brand after drawing so much attention towards its tag team division.
Styles said that he wouldn’t give up unless he gets his title rematch. Thus, we might see him and Omos extend their feud with RK-Bro while the creative team builds up the next challengers.
#4 Flop on WWE RAW: Missed opportunity with Karrion Kross’ arrival on the main roster
WWE RAW after SummerSlam featured the actual beginning of Karrion Kross’ single’s run on the Red brand. This past weekend, he put his NXT Championship on the line in a match against Samoa Joe. They delivered a good match that eventually ended with Joe becoming the three-time NXT Champion.
While Kross has made multiple appearances on WWE RAW over the last few weeks, tonight’s when he officially graduated to the main roster.
He faced Ricochet and picked up a dominant victory within a couple of minutes. While the idea behind booking this segment was good, the execution may not be the best. The match made Ricochet look extremely weak, and it did little to make Kross look like a monster? He would have looked much more impressive if he had won after at least engaging in a decent battle with his opponent.
They are both talented superstars and can deliver a good feud on WWE RAW. Ricochet can blame this loss on the unexpectedness of the situation and return next week to challenge Kross to another match. Following that, they should both be allowed to wrestle for some time and showcase their respective strengths.
They are two different kinds of wrestlers – one likes to rely on his brute strength which the other has superhuman agility. With the correct booking, they can deliver a good storyline that will help both their respective positions on the WWE RAW roster.
Karrion Kross needs to build credibility to avoid meeting the same fate as Keith Lee on the Red brand, but the creative team’s insistence on pushing him into underwhelming matches won’t help his cause.
#3 WWE RAW: New interesting tag teams on the show
While we saw one popular tag team part ways on WWE RAW this week, the show also had quite a few interesting tag teams. We saw Damian Priest and Bobby Lashley engage in a war of words that led to their singles match in the opening segment. However, Sheamus soon interrupted them, followed by Drew McIntyre, leading to a good tag team match.
McIntyre and Priest teamed up to take on Lashley and Sheamus in an excellent bout. Somehow, The All Mighty felt he had taken a lot of punishment and abandoned his partner on WWE RAW. McIntyre and Priest picked up the victory and even enjoyed a good chat backstage.
Neither of them is a naïve babyface that we traditionally see in WWE. Even though they aren’t actually a tag team, one can’t dent they form an exciting alliance. Unlike the aforementioned pair, things weren’t smooth between Lashley and Sheamus, who were involved in a heated exchange backstage. Can we see them engage in a title feud moving forward?
Later in the night, we saw yet another tag team compete in an entertaining match as former RAW Women’s Champions Nikki A.S.H. and Rhea Ripley joined forces to take on Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax. They worked well together and would make for an excellent addition to the women’s tag team division.
#2 Hit on WWE RAW: The Miz turns on his best friend, and John Morrison finally gets the singles run
This week’s WWE RAW saw the popular tag team of The Miz and John Morrison finally split up on the show. Morrison invited Logan Paul as a guest on his TV show, and the San Diego crowd booed the YouTube sensation at the top of their lungs. The Miz then walked out and eventually got into an argument with Morrison before Xavier Woods walked out to face The A-Lister in singles action.
Both superstars engaged in a good match that ended with the New Day member picking up a victory. The match could have ended in Miz’s favor, but the referee was distracted by John Morrison. He didn’t like the loss and laid out an attack on his former best friend, setting both of them free from their tag team.
The Miz and Morrison have done everything they could since getting back together as a tag team and were sometimes admittedly funny. But this split was necessary on WWE RAW. It will finally give us John Morrison’s singles run and potentially allow The Miz to turn back into the intense superstar who delivered scathing promos on talk shows.
#1 Hit on WWE RAW: Alexa Bliss teases a feud with Charlotte Flair
This week, newly crowned WWE RAW Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair declared the start of a new revolution. She cut a brilliant promo establishing herself as the top heel on the Red brand and said she wants people to be proud of watching the Monday night show. Of course, that is a huge task to attempt, but at least someone acknowledges certain drawbacks.
Hopefully, she will stay true to her words and help elevate the women’s division on WWE RAW. The best part of the segment was Alexa Bliss making a much-needed appearance. She only greeted the champion, but we all know that things can get real dark real quick. You wouldn’t find better news than Bliss finally turning her attention towards the championship.
She is a talented performer who has done well with an intriguing gimmick. There are layers to her character, but all that accounts for nothing if she is not booked in good storylines – a prominent mistake with ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt. Alexa Bliss teased a potential feud with Charlotte Flair that could end with the RAW Women’s Championship changing hands next month at Extreme Rules.
Before we end the review, it feels important to note that WWE 24/7 Champion Reggie dodged R-Truth and Akira Tozawa with 'ice-creams.' Do with that information what you will.
What did you think of WWE RAW after SummerSlam 2021? Let us know in the comments section below.
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