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From Drew McIntyre dominating Brock Lesnar in a one-sided brawl to Randy Orton and Beth Pheonix's confrontation at the end of the episode, this week's edition of Monday Night RAW featured several contrasting moments.
This particular episode was one of those cases where the entire show ended up being greater than the sum of its parts. Despite its weak moments, the greater aspects of the episode made it a turning point for the Red brand on the Road to WrestleMania 36.
What were your thoughts on this episode in general? Let us know in the comments section below.
Here are the 5 biggest news stories from this week's episode of WWE RAW (March 2, 2020).
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#5: Street Profits became the new RAW Tag Team Champions with a little help from Kevin Owens
The Brooklyn crowd were hyped for Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford's arrival.
Street Profits were set to take on Seth Rollins & Buddy Murphy with the RAW Tag Team Titles on the line.
The Authors of Pain were lurking nearby, but their shenanigans ultimately resulted in the referee throwing them out of the match. Ultimately, The Monday Night Messiah's goons cost him the match as Kevin Owens slipped inside the ring and executed a Stunner when the referee wasn't looking.
Montez Ford went up to the top and hit a Frog Splash for a successful three-count.
Ford & Dawkins are straight-up entertainers, and their charisma was perfectly showcased in front of the Brooklyn crowd for everyone to see.
Afterward, a rematch between both teams was made official for the Elimination Chamber Pay-Per-View, thanks to The Monday Night Messiah's demands.
Putting the RAW Tag Team Titles on Street Profits was a good decision in the end, and let's hope that the champions keep on entertaining us during their reign as well.
#4: AJ Styles took advantage of Aleister Black in a display of dominance against The Undertaker
After WWE Super ShowDown, it became more than apparent that AJ Styles is on a collision course with The Undertaker during this year's Road to WrestleMania.
AJ Styles versus Aleister Black was scheduled for the episode, but Styles got out of this situation by confirming or twisting some facts related to the match contract itself.
Apparently, Black had to go through Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows before he could barely stand up to The Phenomenal One.
Even though he lost, Black's momentum didn't hit a huge downward spiral since we all know that AJ Styles versus The Deadman is the primary overarching plot at hand.
A No Disqualification Match between AJ Styles and Aleister Black is set for the Elimination Chamber Pay-Per-View and with The O.C. (Gallows & Anderson) standing by The Phenomenal One's side, it is very likely that The Undertaker may come to Black's aide at the event.
Chances are that The Dutch Destroyer might have had a better showing against Styles last night if The Phenomenal One wouldn't have collided with The Deadman at this stage.
#3: Erick Rowan's mystery creature turned out to be a goofy tarantula
After months of building suspense behind the mystery creature inside Erick Rowan's cage, we finally got an answer during an unadvertised backstage segment this week.
You would have to imagine that the mystery behind Rowan's cage was primarily built to develop a spike in ratings when the actual reveal would occur.
But this wasn't the case since all someone needed to do was ask politely to see what was inside that cage all along. No Way Jose asked politely, and out came a giant, fake tarantula that looked like something you could buy at a toy store.
Honestly, WWE has a knack of developing a weird fascination for unconventional ideas at times, and it is pretty apparent that Erick Rowan is being pushed as a comedy act at this stage.
He could have made more impact if the reveal itself wasn't so goofy, but the damage is done already. Whether or not Rowan acknowledges that he is playing a prank with a fake spider is yet to be seen, but it would be a slapstick decision if WWE acknowledges that the fake-looking tarantula is actually real the whole time.
#2: Drew McIntyre took down Brock Lesnar in a one-sided confrontation
Usually, Brock Lesnar's opponents are the underdogs heading into their match with The Beast Incarnate, and while that stood true for someone like Drew McIntyre before, WWE turned the tables through one segment only.
Not only did Drew McIntyre take down Brock Lesnar in overpowering fashion, but he also cemented himself as an equal to one of the most dominant men in WWE history.
Right from the very beginning when McIntyre came out last night, it was clear that he wasn't afraid of the WWE Champion at all. Lesnar sold the Claymore kicks pretty convincingly, and he did a great job in putting McIntyre over in the best way possible.
Through this lone segment, WWE has changed the power dynamic between Drew McIntyre and Brock Lesnar. This isn't a story about an underdog trying to achieve the impossible, it has now become Lesnar's story of finally facing a man who can outperform and take him down at any given instant.
This confrontation was definitely a turning point for the WWE Championship feud on the Road to WrestleMania 36.
#1: Randy Orton delivered an RKO to Beth Pheonix after explaining his actions towards Edge
What makes Randy Orton such a compelling superstar to watch is that there is something deeply wrong with the morals of Orton's character, and this has come into play during several instances in Orton's career.
One of those instances occurred last night when The Viper interrupted Beth Pheonix, the latter of whom came out to give a medical update on Edge's situation.
Then, fiction blended with reality as Randy Orton went on to explain what makes his bond with Edge so special. From the time he met Edge alongside his dad, "Cowboy" Bob Orton, to the time when Edge pulled Randy out of the deepest and darkest holes of his life was a perfect setup towards the more twisted part of the explanation.
There was a mark of silence during Orton's passionate promo, where people hung on to every word he said. But the payoff occurred when Randy's twisted logic actually resonated with several members of the audience.
Orton's way of protecting Edge from this business was to inflict physical pain in one of the most dangerous ways possible. Beth Pheonix did an amazing job and cried on cue during a live segment.
Even though we all saw the RKO coming, it was the segment's presentation and the separate performances from Orton and Pheonix that made fans appreciate it even more.
Now, the stage is set for Edge to return and play his part of the ultimate hero.
