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This week’s WWE RAW did better than we expected. There were a few matches that took us by surprise tonight. Some bouts boasted of several jaw-dropping spots on the Red brand. Overall, the show was decent, and it successfully set the momentum for the upcoming pay-per-view, the 2021 Elimination Chamber.
In this article, we will take a look at Superstars who impressed us on WWE RAW this week and those who did not.
#1 Impressed on WWE RAW: Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre is carrying WWE RAW, which is a huge statement considering the recent run of the three-hour-long show on Monday Nights. This week, he faced Randy Orton in the show's main event, and it was a battle that we have already seen in the past. In fact, their rivalry was the biggest storyline on the Red brand for the most part of 2020.
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This week, we saw these two Superstars come face to face once again. It would be fair to say that the fans were not expecting a lot from the main event, but both McIntyre and Orton worked hard to make their in-ring battle look fresh. The two Superstars intended to kickstart the match on a dominant note as they both attempted to go for their finishers as soon as the bell rang on WWE RAW.
Following that, we saw McIntyre exert his dominance by overpowering his opponent. He was quick to read Orton’s intended moves and successfully countered most of them. However, their match was interrupted after Sheamus walked out and the brief distraction allowed Orton to gain complete control over the match on WWE RAW.
He continued to brutalize the champion, dragging him all around the ring. Both Orton and McIntyre channeled their aggression throughout their encounter until the latter eventually gained the upper hand. He was close to winning the match. Unfortunately, Sheamus’ interference led to the match ending in disqualification which was also the only questionable spot in the main event of WWE RAW. Despite the abrupt ending, McIntyre stood tall over both Sheamus and Orton.
Drew McIntyre looked strong inside the ring and almost as brutal as he used to appear when he was a heel. Following his performance on WWE RAW, McIntyre looks ready for Elimination Chamber. At the pay-per-view, he will defend his title against five former WWE Champions - Jeff Hardy, AJ Styles, Randy Orton, Sheamus, and The Miz.
#1 Flopped on WWE RAW: Nia Jax
Before discussing Nia Jax’s performance on WWE RAW this week, it is essential to highlight Lana’s impressive victory tonight. She put one-half of the Women’s Tag Team Champions through the table and completed her arc of redemption. Nia Jax spent weeks putting Lana through the table, and tonight the latter returned the favor.
Both Superstars locked horns in a Tables Match on WWE RAW. One would expect a champion to assert her dominance over her opponent, but that was far from the truth for Nia Jax. Although she started well, Jax began to look more and more lost as the match proceeded. At one point, Lana started to look stronger than Jax, and that should have been a point of concern for the latter.
The closing moments of the match saw Jax land on her backside and hurt her bottom on the apron. This spot was quickly followed by Lana putting Jax through the table on WWE RAW. Following the match, Shayna Baszler and Naomi started to brawl, which led to their match that ended with the latter picking up a victory. Overall, it was not a good night for the Women’s Tag Team Champions on the Red brand.
#2 Impressed on WWE RAW: Keith Lee
This week on WWE RAW, Keith Lee locked horns with Riddle in a brutal match. Both Superstars were competing for a shot at Bobby Lashley’s United States Championship, and it would be fair to say that they gave their all to win that opportunity. Both Lee and Riddle are familiar with each other’s styles since their days on NXT, which accounted for great chemistry between them tonight.
Lee and Riddle took turns to dominate the match throughout its duration. Riddle relied on his pace and hard-hitting moves while Lee was dependant on his size and powerful blows. There were several spots during this match on WWE RAW that made for jaw-dropping highlights. In fact, it is the one match from tonight that you should watch in case you missed the show.
Following an engaging in-ring battle, Lee managed to win the match on WWE RAW. After the match, both Lashley and Riddle shook hands to show their mutual respect for each other. Unfortunately, their moment was cut short by Lashley who came from behind and laid a vicious attack on both Riddle and Lee.
Lashley drove Lee through the barricade and then went on to attack Riddle to make a big statement on WWE RAW. Despite what transpired after the match, Lee and Riddle were great inside the ring, and they deserve credit for their impressive performance on the show this week.
#2 Flopped on WWE RAW: The Miz
The Miz is an entertaining Superstar, but he deserves a much better booking on WWE RAW. Yes, he has the Money in the Bank briefcase, but even he will struggle to keep that angle entertaining unless he is involved in feuds that make him look like a credible threat in the world title picture. As harsh as it may seem, he is not having the best of runs on the Red brand.
This week on WWE RAW, we saw Miz and John Morrison form an alliance with Angel Garza as the latter was scheduled to challenge Damian Priest in a singles match. The match ended with Priest picking a victory after Miz and Morrison were sent away from ringside. The Miz already worked hard in his match against Priest last week and did everything he could to put the NXT graduate over on the show.
He deserves to be a part of something bigger on Monday nights as we inch closer to WrestleMania. Of course, we are enjoying the brief interactions between Miz and Bad Bunny, but the creative can always make more use of someone who is as talented as him. Miz is a heel and he is brilliant at portraying himself as a bad guy.
Even if the creative are trying to establish him as an opportunistic person on WWE RAW, they should at least give him a few moments to make him look like someone who can win the WWE Championship down the line. He has gone through a lot to keep that Money in the Bank contract, and it would be unfortunate to see him not make the most of that opportunity just because he was not involved in compelling narrations during the build-up.
#3 Impressed on WWE RAW: AJ Styles
AJ Styles locked horns with Jeff Hardy in the first match of WWE RAW this week. Their in-ring battle was aggressive right from the start, and it had everything you would expect from both these Superstars. Styles was relentless in his attack and brought back elements from the rivalry between the two Superstars, which was an excellent addition.
Halfway through the match, Styles started focusing on Jeff Hardy’s knee. He laid multiple blows to his opponents’ knee, which led to Hardy struggling for the rest of the match. However, that was not enough to keep The Charismatic Enigma down for a long time. Jeff Hardy showed a lot of resilience on WWE RAW and kept fighting back against Styles throughout the match.
In fact, Jeff Hardy looked more vicious than how he has looked on the Red brand in the last few weeks. The pace, the counters, and the continuous to-and-fro between Styles and Hardy accounted for an incredibly engaging match on WWE RAW. As a result, Styles’ victory on this week’s show looked very impressive. It gave us a taste of what we could eventually watch in the Elimination Chamber Match later this month.
Ex WWE writer blasts Liv Morgan HERE
