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Welcome to this week's edition of RAW Preview. In a surprising move, the main event of RAW last week featured WWE Champion Bobby Lashley squashing and brutalizing Xavier Woods inside Hell in a Cell.
In the process, Lashley became the first person in WWE history to compete inside Hell in a Cell two nights in a row. The WWE Championship match at Money in the Bank is set, but we'll get back to that.
The build to Money in the Bank has started well on the Red brand, with three superstars securing their spot in the men's ladder match, while four did so for the women's ladder match.
There hasn't been as much progress on SmackDown, with only Big E and Carmella getting spots in their respective ladder matches. With less than a month left for the pay-per-view, here is what will happen on RAW this week:
#6. A Triple Threat "Last Chance" MITB Qualifying match on RAW
Last week on RAW, the three men to secure their spot in the Men's Money in the Bank ladder match were Ricochet, John Morrison, and Riddle. The fourth and final spot from the Red brand will be taken by one of the losers from last week.
AJ Styles lost to Ricochet, Randy Orton lost to John Morrison, and Riddle beat Drew McIntyre to complete a trilogy of upsets. What it's left us with is a star-studded match to headline RAW.
It's three different tales for each superstar. For McIntyre, it's the only possible option to get back into WWE title contention after losing out to Bobby Lashley. For Orton, it's the chance to join his tag team partner Riddle and try to secure his second-ever Money in the Bank briefcase.
For AJ Styles, it's about potentially adding more gold to his collection. He hasn't done too much with Omos as RAW Tag Team Champions. It seems unlikely that McIntyre will win, although it's not unrealistic.
At this point, it makes a lot more sense to keep him out of the WWE title picture for the rest of the year. That leaves Orton and Styles. It would be a fun story to see The Viper and Riddle try to compete in the same match. AJ Styles would arguably be the best option for the fourth man on RAW.
#5. Jaxson Ryker to end his feud with Elias in a Strap Match on RAW
The controversial Jaxson Ryker has been silent on RAW lately. His partnership with Elias ended after the latter was weirded out by his behavior. They didn't have a conclusive match and this week on the Red brand, it could finally come to an end.
It was a short-term feud, perhaps meant to highlight Ryker and his new character. Elias hasn't done too much on RAW this year, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him lose to the newer star on the roster.
#4. What will come of the Money in the Bank dispute on RAW?
Last week on RAW, there was a dispute between Jinder Mahal, Cedric Alexander, Jeff Hardy, and Sheamus. They all argued to Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville that they should have been in the Money in the Bank qualifying matches.
While three superstars had valid points, Sheamus didn't. He left quickly to avoid competing and potentially defending the United States title again. Can Jinder Mahal, Cedric Alexander, or Jeff Hardy manage to slide their way into the Money in the Bank picture?
#3. A Six-Woman tag team match on RAW
This week on RAW, a six-woman tag team match will take place, with one Champion on one side, and two on the other. RAW Women's Champion Rhea Ripley will team up with Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke to take on Charlotte Flair, Natalya, and Tamina.
Ripley has been feuding with Flair since post-WrestleMania 37 and their match at Hell in a Cell ended in a bizarre disqualification. Sonya Deville hasn't hidden her bias when handing The Queen another title shot.
On the other end, Natalya and Tamina have started a feud with Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke. It's likely that one of Rose or Brooke will pin Natalya or Tamina, instantly setting themselves up as title contenders.
The RAW Women's Championship feud has understandably not been well-received. It's been criticized for dragging on longer than it needs to, with fans hoping that it will end at Money in the Bank 2021.
Who will walk out of the six-woman tag team match victorious?
#2. Eva Marie, Doudrop and the Women's MITB picture on RAW
Last week on RAW, four women secured their place via tag team Money in the Bank qualifying matches. The first match saw Eva Marie introduce Piper Niven as Doudrop before they took on Asuka and Naomi.
"Doudrop" wasn't pleased with the name Marie gave her, and it took her all but a week to turn on the returning superstar. As a result, former RAW Women's Champion Asuka and Naomi easily qualified for the Money in the Bank ladder match. The Empress won the briefcase last year before Becky Lynch passed over the RAW Women's title.
On the other end, Nikki Cross debuted a new character and reunited with Alexa Bliss for one night to face Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler. It was Cross who picked up the victory for her team as both she and Bliss qualified for the women's Money in the Bank ladder match.
What will happen with Eva Marie and Doudrop following their failure to qualify? Also, what's next for the two-time Women's Tag Team Champions Baszler and Jax after their downward skid continued?
#1. Kofi Kingston to confront MVP over Bobby Lashley's actions on RAW last week
Last week, RAW ended with Kofi Kingston looking helplessly from outside the Hell in a Cell structure as Bobby Lashley brutalized Xavier Woods. After The All Mighty concluded his feud with Drew McIntyre, Kingston stepped up to try and complete some unfinished business.
In an unexpected move, Lashley faced Woods inside Hell in a Cell, with the outcome predictable. Bryan Alvarez noted on WOL that the New Day member may have been written out of the storyline.
It will play right into the main feud on RAW heading into Money in the Bank 2021. Kofi Kingston is set to confront MVP over Bobby Lashley's actions last week. With an extra chip on his shoulder, he will look to regain the WWE Championship after two years by defeating Lashley.
But it isn't going to be easy. Lashley is on top of his game, and with no Xavier Woods, the numbers game are uneven for Kofi Kingston. What will happen on RAW this week when the former WWE Champion confronts MVP?
