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WWE RAW’s go-home show before Royal Rumble delivered a decent show. We saw Randy Orton return on the Red brand during the main event. We also saw Goldberg and Drew McIntyre involved in a final exchange ahead of their title match at the upcoming pay-per-view. In addition to that, we saw a top Superstar emerge as the next challenger for the United States Championship.
Before we move on with our list, it is essential to mention that R-Truth is arguably the most entertaining Superstar in WWE RAW. His brief exchange with The Hurt Business accounted for a fun segment. His chat with Adam Pearce about getting more opportunities also fetched a few laughs and a match with AJ Styles. R-Truth, without a doubt, should appear more often during the three-hour show.
In this article, we will take a look at Superstars who impressed us on WWE RAW and those who didn’t. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
#1 Impressed on WWE RAW - Riddle
This week on WWE RAW, Riddle competed in a Hurt Business Gauntlet Match for a title opportunity. He has delivered good performances in his previous encounters against the members of The Hurt Business, but this one certainly tops them all.
Riddle first locked horns with Shelton Benjamin. Their brief yet brutal match brought out the best from both the Superstars. Benjamin carried himself as a champion on WWE RAW, and Riddle was impressive in handling that threat. Towards the end, a distraction from Cedric Alexander caused Benjamin to lose his focus and Riddle used the opportunity to eliminate his opponent.
Following that, it was MVP’s turn. He was busy sorting out the rift between Alexander and Benjamin when Riddle caught him from behind. He then managed to make MVP tap out within few second and moved onto Cedric Alexander. The latter then entered the ring and locked horns with Riddle to deliver one of the best matches on WWE RAW this week.
Alexander and Riddle took turns to dominate this match. In the end, Riddle managed to overcome his opponent and win his shot at the United States Championship. Following the match, Bobby Lashley came out and attacked Riddle to send a message to his next challenger. This feud on WWE RAW looks promising, and it is a huge opportunity for Riddle – something that he has deserved for a while.
#1 Flopped on WWE RAW - Ric Flair (with Charlotte Flair and Lacey Evans)
This author hates to include a legend’s name in a list of flops on WWE RAW, but the storyline involving Ric Flair, Charlotte Flair, and Lacey Evans is corny at best and irksome at its worst. Over the last few weeks, we have seen Ric Flair help his daughter’s opponents which is obviously a setup to show Charlotte Flair as a babyface. The question remains, is this the only way to go ahead with that booking on WWE RAW?
Every time the creative want to show Charlotte Flair stepping out of her father’s shadows, she inevitably finds her way back into the same. It is difficult to separate the two when her face and heel turns are associated with Ric Flair every step of the way. On WWE RAW this week, Lacey Evans got the better of Charlotte Flair because Ric Flair kept her involved in a trashy exchange.
More than anything, Ric Flair’s continued presence on WWE RAW is unnecessary – not to mention, it’s unsafe in the current environment. If anything, the creative should reserves such backstage segments for only a few episodes if they insist on going ahead with this storyline. In the meantime, they should allow Lacey Evans and Charlotte Flair to carry the feud by themselves – a decision that would help both the Superstars.
#2 Impressed on WWE RAW - Sheamus
Sheamus competed in two consecutive matches on WWE RAW this week, and he was impressive in both of them. First, he faced John Morrison in a lengthy match that allowed both Superstars to push themselves inside the ring. Sheamus eventually found a way to assert his dominance and picked an impressive victory after an entertaining match.
However, this result did not sit well with The Miz who present on the ringside. He urged for a rematch that led to a two-on-one Handicap Match on WWE RAW. Sheamus took on both Miz and Morrison. The Celtic Warrior took a lot of punishment during this in-ring encounter. Ultimately, he found a brief window of opportunity and did his best in capitalizing upon the same.
In the end, he was outnumbered and could not secure a victory while competing against both Miz and Morrison. That said, his performance on WWE RAW this week deserves a lot of credit. It would be fair to say that Sheamus should be in the conversation about the WWE Championship on the Red brand as we move forward.
#2 Flopped on WWE RAW - Shayna Baszler
Shayna Baszler’s recent booking on WWE RAW has been borderline criminal. One of the most dominant names in the women’s division constantly takes the punishment for petty mistakes. It might not seem like a big deal at the moment but Baszler is losing a lot of her credibility in the process. This is the one thing that the creative need to avoid at any cost.
This week on WWE RAW, Baszler featured in three consecutive matches and somehow, she came across as a weak contender in all of those. First, she locked horns with Charlotte Flair, and it looked like she was struggling against her opponent throughout their match. If not for interference from Nia Jax, Baszler could have easily been beaten after a forgetful exchange.
Following that, Baszler teamed up Jax and Lacey Evans to take on Charlotte Flair, Mandy Rose, and Dana Brooke on WWE RAW. This match ended abruptly after Baszler pushed Flair inside the ring but couldn’t get back inside the squared circle before the referee’s 10-count. As a result, Charlotte Flair’s team won via count-out.
Baszler, Jax, and Evans then demanded a rematch and it was far from an exciting in-ring encounter. Baszler’s only good moment was when she managed to break up a pinfall before Flair delivered a spear. In the end, her team ended up winning the match but the victory did little to nothing to show Baszler’s strength on WWE RAW.
#3 Impressed on WWE RAW - Alexa Bliss
In the main event of WWE RAW this week, Alexa Bliss once again got an opportunity to lock horns with Asuka. It was good to see Bliss have her moments of dominance inside the ring as she posed a serious threat to the WWE RAW Women’s Champion on multiple occasions. Asuka also deserves credit for an engaging match with Alexa Bliss.
The switch in the Bliss’ character mid-way into the match made the entire exchange all the more exciting. Unlike last week, Asuka was not intimidated enough to give up too soon, which accounted for a good change. On the other hand, Bliss started to look better as time passed and got very close to beating the WWE RAW Women’s Champion once again.
Unfortunately for Bliss, Randy Orton had other plans in store for her. The Viper returned to the ring and delivered a devastating RKO. Bliss sold the move perfectly, allowing Orton to send a big message to ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt ahead of Royal Rumble. Overall, this match worked well in closing the final episode of WWE RAW before Royal Rumble.
How did Ric Flair spend $1500 at a pizza place? More details here
