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This week’s WWE RAW has an equal share of hits and flops for us to note. We saw Bobby Lashley decimate two RAW Superstars. Drew McIntyre introduced a lawyer to Claymore Country, while Reginald showed new levels of athletic agility. But those don’t entail the biggest highlights of the show.
Here, we look at the flops and hits of WWE RAW from this week. So, without further ado, let’s begin.
#6 Flop on WWE RAW: Nikki A.S.H. loses her first match as Women’s Champion
Nikki A.S.H. won the WWE RAW Women’s Championship last week with the help of one of the fastest Money in the Bank cash-ins in the promotion’s history. She lost against Charlotte Flair seven days later in the most underwhelming fashion imaginable. Both superstars faced each other in the main event of the show.
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Flair started the match on a dominating note, but Nikki A.S.H. eventually found a way to fight back. The latter then dragged The Queen outside the ring and laid out a brutal attack. Both superstars eventually got back inside the ring, and Nikki went for a crossbody off the top rope. Flair caught her mid-air and rolled up the champion for a quick pinfall on WWE RAW.
Following that, The Queen continued to mock the RAW Women’s Champion. Nikki took the microphone and said she deserves credit for almost beating Charlotte Flair. It was a horrible promo that ended with Nikki challenging Flair to a rematch on WWE RAW next week.
Now, here’s the problem. Superhero movies dominated the entertainment industry over the last decade, with over fifty films released in that time frame. At this point, writing a basic superhero storyline is as easy as penning a generic Zombie novel. Thus, it was baffling to see that not one person in the entire WWE writing team could see why it was wrong to have Nikki take pride in “almost” beating Flair.
Spiderman “almost” stopped the robber, but he didn’t get to talk about that with Uncle Ben, did he? Can you see where this is going?
Nikki’s loss was disastrous, and while it is understandable that Suicide Squad sponsored the episode, it was not a valid reason to bury a superhero. Sorry, “Almost A Superhero”. It would be an understatement to say that Nikki A.S.H. needs a huge comeback on WWE RAW next week.
Charlotte Flair gets another shot at the WWE RAW Women’s Championship
Charlotte Flair is arguably one of the best female WWE Superstars of all time. She is talented and has worked hard to establish her dominance. That said, is it really necessary to have her involved in a title match at every pay-per-view? The argument about her stardom is valid, but how will we ever see other “stars” when no one else ever gets a chance to step into the spotlight?
It has been confirmed that Flair will get another title match at WWE SummerSlam 2021. WWE should move forward with that idea only if Becky Lynch’s return is on the cards. For now, the creative team should focus on Nikki A.S.H., whose tragedies surprisingly began after she became a superhero.
#5 Hit on WWE RAW: AJ Styles kickstarts an interesting feud
WWE RAW Tag Team Champions AJ Styles and Omos put their titles on the line this week against The Viking Raiders. Both teams previously faced each other in a title bout at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view.
The champions eventually retained their titles after an entertaining match. Erik and Ivar also looked strong as the challengers, and they should be booked for more feuds in the tag team division.
Later in the night, Styles devised a plan with The Miz and John Morrison backstage on WWE RAW. Following that, Morrison faced Riddle in a fantastic match. However, Omos and Styles distracted The Original Bro by breaking his scooter at ringside. The distraction allowed Morrison to construct a sneak attack and pin Riddle on WWE RAW.
Following the match, AJ Styles entered the ring and started attacking Riddle. Omos joined in on the act while the crowd started shouting “Randy” in unison. It appears that the WWE RAW Tag Team Champions will now feud with RK-Bro – a tag team that has quickly turned into a fan favorite.
It is important to note that Randy Orton has not appeared on WWE television ever since Riddle cost him a spot in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match.
However, watching a helpless Riddle struggle against Styles and Omos might eventually prompt Randy Orton to return on WWE RAW. The creative team could also set up a title match between the two teams at SummerSlam 2021.
Both Orton and Styles are working to get Riddle and Omos over, respectively. They are all entertaining superstars, and we have a gripping storyline waiting to unfold on Monday nights.
The dynamic between Randy Orton and Riddle is both innocent and hilarious. Styles, as a heel, is nothing short of brilliant on the mic. The rivalry will craft multiple engaging segments on WWE RAW that can liven up the three-hour-long show.
#4 Flop on WWE RAW: Eva Marie
WWE RAW Superstar Eva Marie returned to action this week as she teamed up with Doudrop to take on Women’s Tag Team Champions Natalya and Tamina. Marie didn’t land a single punch and was pinned after she got distracted by a parody video. The only good part of this match was “Lilly” mocking Eva-lution.
Alexa Bliss's mind games cost Marie her match, but frankly, she was not doing anything before that either. Things have been the same for weeks, and at this point, it is difficult to figure out if anyone is benefitting from a feud with Eva Marie, including herself? Would Bliss look strong if she dominated a superstar who has not connected a single blow since her return on WWE RAW?
To make things worse, one-half of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, Natalya sustained an injury during this match and had to seek medical attention. As of this writing, there are no official reports confirming the seriousness of her injury, but we hope that she recovers soon.
Doudrop was uncharacteristically dull in the match, but Tamina looked confident and displayed the right kind of aggression during her brief in-ring appearance.
#3 Hit on WWE RAW: Damian Priest enters in the United States Championship picture
This week on WWE RAW, Damian Priest faced the United States Champion, Sheamus, in a Championship Contenders Match. It was a well-balanced encounter between two talented superstars. The Celtic Warrior was excellent with the minute details of story-telling inside the squared circle, leaving no chance to draw more heat from fans in the audience.
Priest had a fair share of chances to dominate during the match and establish himself as a credible challenger. At one point, he removed Sheamus' protective mask and kicked him right in the face. He eventually pinned the champion to seal his title shot. Following their match on WWE RAW, Sheamus desperately started calling for doctors while claiming that Priest broke his nose.
The Celtic Warrior and Damian Priest can deliver an interesting title rivalry in the weeks leading up to SummerSlam 2021. The former needs good feuds to elevate his title reign. It would also be a huge opportunity to push Priest further up the roster.
Considering how the former NXT talents are booked on the main roster these days, it is a relief to see Priest finally getting a deserving title shot on WWE RAW.
#2 Flop on WWE RAW: Keith Lee loses, again
WWE RAW witnessed Keith Lee and Karrion Kross face each other in a match this week. Last week, the NXT Champion made his debut on the Red brand and lost his match against Jeff Hardy. Lee also returned on RAW last week and lost his match against Bobby Lashley. There was no reason to bring them face to face and create a lose-lose situation.
Karrion Kross picked up a dominant victory, but it was evident that WWE is only trying to restore his credibility by making up for his loss from last week. Lee lost in an underwhelming fashion, and a believable title challenger was just pushed further down the roster. It is difficult to spot any positives from this match on RAW, including the in-ring action.
Lee was missing from WWE RAW for months, and fans were excited about his return. However, he has now competed in two matches since coming back and lost both of them. He is the same Keith Lee whom Brock Lesnar hyped during Royal Rumble. WWE won’t have a lot of opportunities to redeem Lee as a credible threat unless they start acting immediately.
#1 Hit on WWE RAW: Mustafa Ali and Mansoor impress together
WWE Superstars Mustafa Ali and Mansoor teamed up to take on Mace and T-Bar on RAW this week. It was a good match that played to each superstars’ strengths. Mace and T-Bar dominated early on, while Ali and Mansoor took some time to make an impactful comeback. Ali’s frustration with T-Bar and Mace, owing to their history during RETRIBUTION days, was also well-narrated in the match.
He was adamant about leading by example and wanted Mansoor to follow in his footsteps. However, the latter surprised everyone with his performance and picked up a big win by pinning Mace. His victory also meant that Ali and Mansoor will now compete as a tag team on WWE RAW. They are expected to continue their feud with Mace and T-Bar over the coming weeks.
It is an excellent way to put all four superstars into the limelight. WWE RAW desperately needs new feuds, and this one can help build more competition in the Red brand’s tag team division. It would be a big mistake to underestimate the potential of this rivalry.
Fans tend to forget T-Bar or Dominik Dijakovic’s in-ring potential and his impressive run on WWE NXT right before his main roster call-up. The creative team should invest in this storyline and allow all four superstars to showcase their potential.
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