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Halfway into the show, I was afraid that I'd not have even one 'best' for this post-show recap article. Yes, this week's episode of RAW had one of the most unbearable first halves that I can remember. To be honest, even the second half wasn't extraordinary. But yes, the action did pick up as compared to the dreadful beginning.
They say that you save the best for last. And that really seemed to be the case for WWE this week, because this was a bottom heavy show. Except for the three points that I've outlined here, I don't think there was anything to like about the three hours of action we witnessed.
This was certainly the Becky Lynch show because her thread ran through the duration of the entire program. Three hours built around an apology does not really make for compelling television, I think.
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Here's what I liked and disliked from this week's episode.
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#1 Best: Say yeah!
This was a long time coming for these two highly talented individuals. The Revival made NXT their home when the put on extraordinary matches at every single TakeOver event that they were part of. And then they arrived in the main roster and their momentum just seemed to fizzle out. They would be sidelined for weeks on end, hardly getting TV time at all.
This week, they put on the match of the night against Roode and Gable at the tail end of the show. The crowd grew hoarse as they screamed 'this is awesome'. And most certainly, the match was quite awesome.
I wonder what happens to Bobby Roode and Chad Gable now that they've lost the titles. Do they go to the back of the line once again?
Will Bobby Roode finally turn heel?
#1 Worst: Restarting a pointless match
Maybe you guys felt differently. And if you did, please let me know in the comments below, because this is what I honestly thought. I did not care for a 6-man match with no stakes and no consequences being restarted once again. So what if Finn Balor's foot was on the bottom rope?
Angle, Strowman and Balor, as well as Corbin, McIntyre and Lashley, put on a decent show. But the fact of the matter is that it was a 6-man match made to kill time, that had already gone on for far too long before the referee restarted it again. In fact, had it not been my job to review this show, I'd probably have switched the channel.
Plus, Balor picking up the win probably means that he won't become Intercontinental Champion. The guy who stands tall usually loses at the pay-per-view, doesn't he?
I hope that's not the case this time around.
#2 Best: Kevin Owens' return
Kevin Owens is all set to make a return to RAW this week. We saw a vignette during the course of the show that advertised his return in a month. Owens does not know if he will return to RAW or indeed, to SmackDown Live.
It does seem like Owens is going to return as a babyface considering we saw him with his family, absolutely chilled out and primed to come back and conquer the program. I don't think he will be returning with Sami Zayn either considering he seemed to tease a solo return. And how could this not be a 'best'?
All said and done, Kevin Owens has always been one of the more entertaining characters on the show and he's invariably a top guy on whichever brand he's in. With Dean Ambrose probably making an exit after WrestleMania, Kevin Owens could be just what the doctor ordered for the company.
#2 Worst: The strange 6-woman tag team match
The three teams from RAW that have qualified for the inaugural Women's Tag Team Elimination Chamber match squared off in a triple threat match on RAW this week. It was a pretty weird match because Sasha Banks was ruled out as the result of an injury. And her absence was felt in a big way.
It did seem like Bayley was the only one of the women who could actually work from those remaining. Tamina, in particular, seemed atrocious, especially during her splash. What a horrendous display of wrestling all around.
I like the fact that Sasha Banks and Bayley will be entering the match first because if they have to wrestle the longest, they're the only ones with the gas to see this match through to the very end.
#3 Best: The return of Rollins
In my opinion, this was a much-needed segment with regard to the Universal Championship. And this is because it is almost easy to forget that the match is happening at WrestleMania at all with the buzz around the women.
And that's not all we learned from this particular segment. We learned that Seth Rollins may not be able to compete as we had feared, but he seems to be okay right now to make appearances and cut promos. We also learned that Dean Ambrose is rooting for him to slay the Beast, come WrestleMania 35.
Paul Heyman bombarded Seth Rollins with the gift of the gab and tried to demoralize him, heading into WrestleMania suggesting that Rollins and Lesnar were not even the same species. Rollins held his own during the exchange and pretty much said to Lesnar that come what may, he would be the Universal Champion.
I liked this segment.
#3 Worst: Trading wins
EC3 picking up a big win over Dean Ambrose last week was a questionable decision in many people's eyes. But considering that Dean Ambrose is on his way out, people pretty much came to terms with the same.
The idea was certainly to elevate EC3 as a top dog, to perhaps take Dean Ambrose's coveted spot. This is what they thought before EC3 was pinned by Ambrose in the rematch this week.
By trading wins among the two performers, neither man really got over and if anything, WWE proved to the world that they're just killing time with this feud. EC3 cannot even get over on the merit of his microphone skills, considering that he's been portrayed as a man who cannot even get a word in.
This was perhaps one of the worst booking decisions that WWE has taken in quite a while, especially if Dean Ambrose is on his way out.
#4 Best/worst: The Becky Lynch story
So, let me begin with what I actually liked about this storyline. I liked the fact that it ran across the span of the show, and that Becky Lynch interacted with both friends and foes backstage. Finn Balor, her old friend, gave her good advice. Alexa Bliss did not.
But the inclusion of Charlotte to the match, like we had all feared, came at long last on this show. I personally thought that this was not required at all, considering Becky vs. Ronda is a big enough match. But I can buy into this storyline if Becky Lynch has to defy her boss and return from suspension.
I suppose Fastlane will be built around the return of Becky Lynch and her getting into the title picture once again. Imagine the thunderous roar when this happens.
I leave you with a picture of Alexa Bliss because she's pretty.
