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It was quite an interesting episode of RAW this week. A huge improvement from last week, the only real underwhelming part of the show was the Bobby Lashley segment because there was nothing in it other than a standard promo warning Goldberg, who wasn't present in the first place.
As a result, we won't be going too much in detail about that segment, other than the fact that it was what it was. Mansoor and Mustafa Ali seemed to have strengthened their bond following the latter's defeat to T-Bar. Mansoor got both men out of the ring, saving Ali from a post-match attack as a repayment from the previous week. Ali's face turn has been cemented.
Elias, meanwhile, teased a new character. He said Elias is "dead" and threw his guitar into the fire. Reginald continued to impress as the 24/7 Champion, impressively getting past R-Truth and Akira Tozawa backstage.
Here's what WWE subtly told us on the rest of the RAW episode this week:
#6. Was it RK-Bro or RK-No on RAW?
Understandably, when Randy Orton was announced for RAW, Riddle was the happiest man possible. In the six weeks that Orton has been gone, The Original Bro did everything possible to pay tribute to him on RAW and even at Money in the Bank 2021.
He assumed that they would simply get back together, but Orton told him that RK-Bro is no more. This was understandably heartbreaking for Riddle and the storyline played throughout the night.
Randy Orton was confronted by AJ Styles and Omos, and the main event was set between The Viper and The Phenomenal One. Orton told Riddle that he wanted to go at it alone and not with him by his side.
It appeared as though Randy Orton was playing a heel as a face, similar to Sheamus in late 2016 when he united with Cesaro as a part of The Bar. This odd-pairing tag team was something the WWE Universe wanted to see, but Orton was having none of it.
In the main event of RAW, Randy Orton faced AJ Styles, but Omos did what he usually does and caused a distraction. He even egged Orton to go at him, but he didn't. Riddle came out of nowhere and tried to put the giant in a sleeper hold, only to get slammed on his back against the ring post.
Right around this time, Styles was in an advantageous position and went for the Phenomenal Forearm that transitioned into an effortless RKO. When Riddle once again tried to rejoin Randy Orton, they finally hugged before he received an RKO himself.
Despite this, the commentary team seemed to confirm that RK-Bro is officially back on the Red brand. The duo will be expected to face and beat AJ Styles and Omos to capture the RAW Tag Team Championship at SummerSlam 2021.
#5. The long-drawn-out face turn plays out on RAW
Baron Corbin was a pleasant surprise on RAW this week. A year ago, many fans wouldn't have considered that to be the case. But "down on his luck" Corbin has been a lot more entertaining.
We're not necessarily big fans of brand crossovers unless necessary, but this was an exception on RAW. Trying his luck, Baron Corbin felt that beating Drew McIntyre could solve all his financial problems.
Unsurprisingly, he didn't get too much offense in. He was on the receiving end of a beatdown and just as McIntyre was ready to finish things, he asked Corbin how much money he needs.
Baron Corbin hilariously replied "a $100,000" to which Drew McIntyre laughed before hitting him with the Claymore. The face turn for Corbin is inevitable and overall, it's simply an entertaining story to watch unfold. WWE is making it play out as long as possible and so far, it's been done well.
Jinder Mahal came out with Shanky and Veer post-match, but turned back when The Scottish Warrior got his sword out.
#4. Damian Priest is getting the biggest push of his career, but is a mistake being made on RAW?
Damian Priest vs. Sheamus was teased on RAW before the feud even started. Once The Celtic Warrior finished his rivalry with Humberto Carrillo, Priest came to the forefront. Ever since his feud with The Miz and John Morrison concluded, he didn't do too much on the Red brand.
But last week, Priest was involved with The A-Lister and Morrison again, seemingly restarting the feud. This week on RAW, he defeated the latter and called out Sheamus for a match at SummerSlam.
Surprisingly, the US Champion came out and accepted his challenge, making it official. It seems as though we could see Damian Priest rising to his first Championship victory in WWE. Despite an inactive couple of months in between, Priest has been on a positive trajectory so far this year in the company.
However, there is one mistake being made. There is no actual reason to renew the Priest and The Miz/Morrison rivalry. The A-Lister revealed that he could stand and even ran away from the ring, indicating that he is fine. But the necessity of the feud is what we can't fully understand.
#3. Karrion Kross unleashes the monster within on RAW
Rather than going with a Karrion Kross vs. Keith Lee trilogy match on RAW, we saw a rematch between the NXT Champion and Jeff Hardy. As you know, Kross shockingly lost in his debut to Hardy, but the story wasn't the same this week.
He convincingly defeated The Charismatic Enigma and launched a post-match attack on him. It was probably the best thing that could have happened and a big indicator about the character direction that we could see from Karrion Kross on RAW.
While it was rumored that Kross would go on a losing streak until Scarlett unleashed the monster within, that doesn't seem to be the case. Either way, it doesn't seem as though WWE is waiting for her to start pushing Karrion Kross.
Either that, or we could see the NXT Champion go on a relatively inconsistent run. His record on the main roster so far is 1-1 against Keith Lee and 1-1 against Jeff Hardy, which means that his win rate so far is only 50%, as opposed to his undefeated run before his RAW debut.
Karrion Kross could be a big star for the Red brand, but Scarlett would help that a lot more.
#2. It's always about Charlotte Flair on RAW
RAW Women's Champion Nikki A.S.H. took on Rhea Ripley in a singles match. While the lack of confidence in the Champion and uncertainty might take the edge off Nikki's character, but it seems to be loved by the audience, who cheered her backstage and in the ring.
Unfortunately, the match ended with interference by Charlotte Flair, who took exception in a backstage promo. It's always centered around The Queen and we may only get a drastic change in the RAW Women's division once Becky Lynch returns.
#1. Alexa Bliss is getting a big push
Alexa Bliss faced the much larger Doudrop on the Red brand and the match didn't go as expected. While the latter would normally have won in a squash match, Lilly being at the top of the turnbuckles seemed to make a difference.
Ultimately, Bliss got a powerful pin on Doudrop and walked away victorious, while Eva Marie was left frustrated once again. We're not sure what the endgame of this storyline is, but Marie and Doudrop are being used to elevate Alexa Bliss more.
You can check out this week's edition of Sportskeeda Wrestling's Legion of RAW in the video above.
How did Ric Flair spend $1500 at a pizza place? More details here
