WWE RAW Flops and Hits: Seth Rollins’ blunder, potential big plans for Kevin Owens and Finn Balor (29th November 2021)

This week’s episode of WWE RAW was one of the best we have seen this year. There were no drawbacks in the show, certainly nothing that can be classified as a “flop.” Thus, our review will look at the impressive aspects of the red brand. There’s nothing better than watching the Monday night show improve its standards.

Here, we look at some of the biggest hits from RAW this week. So, without further ado, let’s begin.

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#5 Hit on WWE RAW: Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor

The opening match of RAW saw Seth Rollins and Finn Balor face each other in an entertaining encounter. The Prince showed his intent as he attacked Rollins even before the bell could ring, mirroring the events from last week.

Both superstars then engaged in an intense in-ring battle that saw them push each other to their limits. They share a long history in WWE which contributed well to the storytelling.

Finn Balor was at his aggressive best, which in turn made The Architect look a lot stronger inside the ring. They took turns to dominate the bout, allowing both superstars to showcase their in-ring prowess in all its glory.

We saw multiple jaw-dropping spots, but Rollins turned the tides in his favor by poking his opponent in the eye. Following that, he quickly took advantage of the situation and hit Balor with a Stomp to seal his victory.

The crowd was not as energetic in the match, but that did not impact its hype too much. One might complain that Finn Balor once again lost a big match in the company. However, this could lead to an angle where he is frustrated with his results, which would motivate him to gain momentum over the next two months.

If WWE writers play their cards right then, Balor could easily become the top favorite to win the Royal Rumble next year.

At the moment, he is the only superstar on the roster who can deliver a convincing performance as part of long-term storytelling. He had to forfeit the Universal Championship, and things were never the same.

Everything that Balor has gone through since his return from injury, including being pushed into the mid-card picture, hiatus, return to NXT, turning heel and winning the title, returning to the main roster, and the unfortunate end to his match against Roman Reigns, can collectively account for an unforgettable narrative.

As problematic as Finn Balor’s loss may seem, fans shouldn’t forget that a loss for Seth Rollins would disrupt the title picture, whereas The Prince can still be saved with the booking decisions mentioned above.

On the other hand, Rollins now has to focus on a jeopardizing situation involving the WWE Championship that he created himself.

#4 Hit on WWE RAW: Kevin Owens

Kevin Owens was in the main event of WWE RAW, and that’s his deserved spot. He told Seth Rollins that he would be added to the WWE Championship match scheduled to take place on Day 1 pay-per-view, provided he beats Big E in their singles match.

Rollins first went and discussed this with Adam Pearce, who initially refused to promise any such stipulation. However, after Sonya Deville thought it was a good idea, they raised the stakes in the bout.

Owens then faced Big E in an epic main event match that saw both superstars look equally strong. KO decided to attack Rollins mid-way, which almost got The Architect to interfere and attack him.

However, Seth Rollins realized that he would be responsible for Kevin Owens’ victory in the match in doing so. He refrained from interfering and said that he was smarter than that. Well, he wasn’t.

Owens eventually got the better of the champion and was moments away from pinning Big E. However, he left the ring and went to attack Rollins. This didn’t sit well with the No.1 contender, who then entered the ring and attacked him, thereby sealing KO’s victory.

Kevin Owens was brilliant in the way he played Seth Rollins, staying true to every bit of the negative adjective that has been used to define him in recent weeks. We now have a star-studded triple threat WWE Championship match to kick off next year.

#3 Hit on WWE RAW: Liv Morgan

Liv Morgan and Becky Lynch met on WWE RAW to sign their championship contracts. Lynch started to brag about herself but was interrupted by the No.1 contender who had to prove a point.

Morgan cut a brilliant promo mocking The Man’s hypocrisy. For the first time in their feud, she looked just as good as Becky Lynch during their conversation, which was a great decision on the creative team’s part.

Later in the night, we saw a 10-women tag team match between Team Becky and Team Liv. The RAW Women’s Champion had Carmella, Queen Zelina, Doudrop, and Tamina on her side while Morgan had Rhea Ripley, Nikki A.S.H., Bianca Belair, and Dana Brooke fighting for her.

It was a good match between all ten superstars who did well in delivering an entertaining in-ring battle amidst the chaos.

Team Liv eventually won the bout after she pinned Tamina. Soon after the match, all hell broke loose as everyone started taking on their respective nemesis. But the best was still between Lynch and Morgan, who went after each other with every bit of hatred that they could muster.

Big Time Becks thought that she could keep her opponent down for long, and Liv Morgan ultimately got the last laugh. This was an excellent way to push her before she challenges Becky Lynch for the women’s championship on next week’s RAW.

#2 Hit on WWE RAW: RK-Bro

This week on WWE RAW, RK-Bro put their tag team championships on the line against Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode. This match has been in the making for weeks, and it was as good as one would expect.

The Dirty Dawgs posed an impressive challenge against Randy Orton and Riddle, but RK-Bro stood tall. They successfully defended their titles in an entertaining match that borrowed elements from Orton and Riddle's incredible dynamic.

The Viper made history this week as he became the superstar with matches in RAW's history.

Ziggler and Roode looked to punish the champions and very nearly succeeded. However, this time, both members of RK-Bro were well prepared and put up epic tag team action on display on RAW.

At one point, we even saw Riddle and Orton get in the stance to deliver RKO together inside the ring. They couldn't go through with the plan as their opponents came up with an effective counter.

In the end, Randy Orton was battling against Dolph Ziggler inside the ring. While the latter fought well, he couldn't keep The Viper down for long. He eventually delivered a picturesque RKO, and the crowd burst into "Randy Randy" chants.

Riddle kept Roode from interfering during the pinfall at ringside, and Orton pinned Ziggler to successfully retain the RAW Tag Team Championships. This was the second-best thing for The Original Bro, the first being Randy Orton in a blonde wig.

#1 Hit on WWE RAW: Edge

Edge made his much-publicized return on WWE RAW tonight. The crowd cheered for The Rated-R Superstar as he listed all the big names that could make for an excellent opponent against him on the red brand.

However, he was interrupted by The Miz, who also returned to the show tonight alongside his wife Maryse. Both superstars then engaged in an excellent war of words that was both entertaining and relevant to real-life events.

The A-Lister brought up Edge’s multiple hiatuses in the company and how he always takes a long break after his big matches. He even took offense at the different treatment given to both superstars upon their return.

The Hall of Famer then took the mic and delivered a memorable promo. He put The Miz over by counting all his accomplishments in WWE and made sure to stress out the fact that nobody expected this from him.

He also referred to CM Punk calling MJF a “less-famous Miz” and said that the former world champion’s name is used on other shows to get a cheap reaction. After all that, Edge made sure to point out that The Miz left his partner “high and dry to get fired”, referring to John Morrison’s recent release.

The A-Lister refused to face Edge on the show this week, but it is certain that both superstars are headed towards the direction of an unforgettable rivalry. The Miz is an excellent talker and we hope he will engage in a promo war with The Rated-R Superstar who has made quite a few bold statements on the red brand.

Honorable mentions from WWE RAW: AJ Styles and Austin Theory

While AJ Styles did not compete inside the ring on WWE RAW this week, he did well to draw attention towards himself. He pretended to have lost his vision after the fogging incident last week.

The Phenomenal One sat with the commentary team during The Street Profits’ match against Alpha Academy. At one spot, he tried to interfere while Montez Ford was at the top of the turnbuckle.

Ford saw it coming from miles away and immediately derailed all of Styles’ plans with a kick right to the chest. He fell ringside while The Street Profits picked up a victory. Omos looked at AJ Styles quite confused while The Phenomenal One stared at his tag team partner in disappointment.

The segment seemingly sowed the seeds of a potential split. Will we finally see Styles in a singles run?

Another good part of the show was Austin Theory. Vince McMahon appeared on the red brand in multiple segments, all of which featured Theory. The WWE Chairman wanted the RAW Superstar to sit and watch the show with him, and he even asked for his opinions on top matches.

It is evident that Theory has a huge push awaiting him, and McMahon has done brilliantly in letting us know that he has invested his trust in a particular next-generation star.

Throughout the show, Vince McMahon told Austin Theory to expect the unexpected. To prove his point, he slapped Theory when the latter thought he was about to shake hands with the boss. It’s great to see McMahon back on television, but it is even better to see him use his appearance to push new faces in WWE.