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The night after WWE Hell in a Cell was bound to be great, and RAW returned with a good episode to ensure that fans did not lose interest in the product. The Red brand immediately started the build towards the next big pay-per-view, Survivor Series, and booked some great matches to pick the entrants for their team for the event.
AJ Styles, Elias, Keith Lee, Jeff Hardy, Matt Riddle, and Sheamus were the hopefuls for the first three spots on the men’s team, while WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax entered the women’s Team RAW along with Dana Brooke and Mandy Rose.
However, the main drama surrounded the new WWE Champion Randy Orton who came face to face with an old foe, and a new one.
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In this article, we will look at the five things WWE RAW got right on the show after Hell in a Cell.
#5 The Hurt Business defeat RETRIBUTION on WWE RAW
The Hurt Business has been on a roll since the arrival of RETRIBUTION. While they were stuck in a rivalry with Ricochet, Apollo Crews, and Mustafa Ali before Ali was revealed as the leader of RETRIBUTION, this is the rivalry that will likely make them the top faction of WWE.
MVP and Bobby Lashley informed the WWE Universe that they’d spoken to the management and requested an elimination match against RETRIBUTION to get rid of the faction on RAW.
Lashley and T-Bar started the match and both men had a very physical exchange before MVP came into the ring.
While the initial phase of the match was going well, Reckoning pretended to have a seizure or be possessed, or something along those lines, to distract MVP long enough for Slapjack to eliminate him.
Lashley eliminated Slapjack with a Spear and he and T-Bar fought out outside the ring until the referee counted both men out.
Mace controlled the match for some time before Shelton Benjamin caught him with the Pay Dirt to eliminate him. Mustafa Ali got himself disqualified by bringing a steel chair into the equation.
At one point, the WWE Universe was expecting to watch an epic battle between The Hurt Business and RETRIBUTION at Survivor Series this year. However, after watching the exact same thing on an episode of RAW, it seems like RETRIBUTION is done for good.
Dominik Dijakovic was one of the most lethal men in NXT who is nothing much as part of RETRIBUTION on RAW now. Shane Thorne is also not having the best of times on the Red brand in his Slapjack persona.
As for Mace and Ali, well things haven’t gone well for them too. It’s slowly looking like RETRIBUTION will be used to push The Hurt Business to the moon before disbanding the rebellious faction.
#4 AJ Styles storms into Team RAW for WWE Survivor Series
Right after WWE Hell in a Cell, Jeff Hardy and AJ Styles competed to claim the first spot on Team RAW for Survivor Series. Styles came out with his mammoth bodyguard and cut a promo on why he shouldn’t have to compete in a qualifying match and should automatically be made the captain of Team RAW.
Hardy came out to the ring and hit a dropkick on The Phenomenal One right away. Styles’ bodyguard kept getting involved in the match which began to make things difficult for The Charismatic Enigma.
Both men had a really good match and fans got to watch a great contest. Styles picked up Hardy in a torture rack and then spun him around for a powerbomb.
The Phenomenal One kept control of the bout for some time and then hit Hardy with a Phenomenal Forearm to pick up the victory. After the match, Elias arrived to smash a guitar over Hardy’s back to continue their rivalry.
This was a good match that allowed Styles to become the first member of Team RAW for Survivor Series. Styles could end up becoming the captain of the side as he is arguably the most capable and experienced performer on the Red brand.
#3 Keith Lee Spirit Bombs his way into Team RAW for WWE Survivor Series
Elias was in the ring to talk about his brand new album that dropped the same night as Monday Night RAW. He was scheduled to take on Keith Lee for a spot on Team RAW at WWE Survivor Series.
The Limitless One used his strength over The Drifter right away and ran him over with a crossbody. Lee then took on Elias at ringside and sent him over the announce table to assert his authority.
The Drifter managed to get some offence in, and even countered a powerbomb attempt with an impressive hurricanrana. Just when we thought that Elias was taking control of the match, Jeff Hardy’s music played to distract Elias.
The distraction allowed Lee to hit the Spirit Bomb to pick up the win and qualify for the RAW Survivor Series team. After the match, Hardy struck Elias with a guitar shot to the back.
This was a decent match that allowed The Drifter to get some offence in against The Limitless One but gave Lee the chance to become the powerhouse of Team RAW.
Lee’s inclusion will be vital in Team RAW’s success at Survivor Series as he had a great outing during last year’s show for Team NXT.
#2 Sheamus shows his technical side on WWE RAW
Two powerhouse brawlers took to the ring for a spot on Team RAW for WWE Survivor Series after AJ Styles and Keith Lee already made their way into the side. Sheamus was looking to regain some momentum after losing in a couple of big rivalries, while Matt Riddle was looking to make a big impact on RAW.
The two men locked up and Riddle immediately took Sheamus down, forcing him to exit the ring to rethink his strategy. The Celtic Warrior got in the game from there on and took Riddle to the apron for the Beats of the Bodhran.
He managed to keep the super athletic Riddle ground for long periods and used his power to ensure that the former MMA fighter was unable to take advantage for too long.
Sheamus managed to counter The Original Bro with his knees and focused on Riddle’s back in the later stage of the match. He finally drilled him with the Brogue Kick to pick up the victory after a hard-fought match.
The match was good and it was great to watch Sheamus perform well after losing against Jeff Hardy and Big E. The former WWE Champion showed why he’s so good at what he does, and it seemed like Riddle was the perfect opponent for him on RAW. This was also one of the best matches The Original Bro has had since making his way to the main roster.
#1 A Moment of Bliss takes WWE RAW on a ride
Randy Orton was over the moon after his WWE Championship victory at Hell in a Cell, but he was aware of the fact that he would be the new prime target on RAW.
Earlier in the show, Bray Wyatt and Alexa Bliss appeared in a weird episode of the Firefly Fun House where The Goddess hyped her interview with The Viper. Wyatt reminded the WWE Universe that Orton had burned down his cabin in the woods some time ago.
Later on in the night, Bliss welcomed The Viper to 'A Moment of Bliss' on RAW. While he was asked standard questions by Bliss, he was aware of the fact that ‘The Fiend’ was lurking somewhere around.
Orton asked Bliss if she had any surprises planned for him, and The Goddess quickly reminded him of the time he burned down Wyatt’s cabin.
She just started smiling maniacally until Drew McIntyre’s music hit and he rushed out to start a brawl with the man who took away his WWE Championship.
Soon after, the lights went out, and when they came back on, Bliss was gone, The Viper was up on the ramp, and McIntyre was in the ring. The Fiend showed up behind Orton, but he rushed back to continue his fight with McIntyre.
This was a great segment that immediately took The Fiend back into the title picture on RAW. After a couple of lacklustre reigns as the WWE Universal Champion, it would be good to see him compete against two of the best men on RAW for the WWE Championship.
