5 things WWE RAW got right this week: Champion pinned first time; Seth Rollins and Bobby Lashley attacked

We have stepped closer to Royal Rumble with this week's WWE RAW. Becky Lynch teamed up with Doudrop for a big tag team match against Liv Morgan and Bianca Belair to kick off the show.

Lynch and Doudrop struggled to stay on the same page during the contest even though they picked up the win. After the match, the latter hit the champ with a Bonzai Drop. WWE did well to build the rivalry between the two superstars ahead of the Royal Rumble.

Meanwhile, Austin Theory got another shot at Finn Balor. Vince McMahon issued an ultimatum to The Unproven One before the contest.

Alpha Academy was expected to celebrate its first title victory on RAW in style. Maryse also got the better of Beth Phoenix after tricking her.

Nikki A.S.H. and Rhea Ripley were booked for a match on the show. The former attacked The Nightmare before the match even began.

The biggest segment of the night saw Seth Rollins and Bobby Lashley compete in a one-on-one match in the main event. Let's take a look at the 5 things WWE got right on RAW this week.

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#5. RK-Bro remained in the WWE RAW Tag Team Championship scene

In a surprising turn of events, Alpha Academy defeated RK-Bro to win the WWE RAW Tag Team Championships last week.

Gable hosted an Alpha Academy "Graduation Ceremony" for Otis this week. They came out dressed in gowns to celebrate their big moment. The Dozer showed no emotion even though he won his first big title in the company. Riddle and Randy Orton interrupted them soon after.

Riddle pitched a rematch between the two teams. Gable said they'd agree if RK-Bro faced them in an academic challenge. The exchange soon turned physical, and Orton snuck into the ring and hit Gable with an RKO before accepting the challenge.

The two former champions celebrated as the segment came to a close. It was good to see the storyline between the two men continue a week after RK-Bro lost their titles.

Alpha Academy has already put on some good matches with the duo. WWE could book a RAW Tag Team Championship rematch between them at Royal Rumble. It could also allow the creative team to plant the seeds for a rift between Orton and Riddle.

#4. Austin Theory continued to impress Vince McMahon on WWE RAW

Finn Balor returned to WWE RAW to take on Austin Theory this week. It was Balor’s first appearance on the show since his match against the star three weeks ago.

Before the match, Vince McMahon told Theory that if The Prince won, he would personally beat up Theory and take a selfie with his motionless body. The young star was desperate to impress the WWE Chairman.

After exchanging some basic holds, Theory hit Balor with a back elbow. The match spilled to the floor, where the former sent his opponent into the barricade. He tried to do the same again, but Balor fought back and took him down with a Sling Blade.

The former Universal Champion took control before Theory made a comeback. Balor reversed an ATL into a roll-up for a near-fall. The Unproven One avoided the Coup de Grace and caught Balor with his finisher for the win.

While the segment helped elevate Theory as a breakout star, RAW should not be handing Balor losses against the newcomer. The creative team gave him the initial push, and it looks like WWE is ready to take The Unproven one to the top soon.

#3. Street Profits were victorious in an eight-man tag team match on WWE RAW

The Street Profits and The Mysterios teamed up on RAW to take on The Dirty Dawgs, Apollo Crews, and Commander Azeez in a big eight-man tag match.

The heels took control early and punished Dominik for some time. Rey came into the match and took down Roode with a hurricanrana. Soon, a brawl broke out at ringside before things settled down again.

Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins kept their team in control for some time. Later in the match, everyone took turns to take out an opponent before the Street Profits were left to finish things off in the ring.

They hit Crews with a spinebuster before Ford hit a Frog Splash to pick up the win for his team. The match was decent and provided the tag teams of the brand with some TV time.

Crews and Azeez have fallen off the card, but the creative team could look to give them a meaningful feud soon. Meanwhile, The Street Profits could prove to be great future opponents for Alpha Academy and their tag team titles.

#2. Kevin Owens stunned Damian Priest on WWE RAW

Kevin Owens invited Seth Rollins to be his special guest on The Kevin Owens Show on WWE RAW. The two men exchanged some punchlines and put each other over, taking their friendship to the next level.

KO announced himself for the men’s Royal Rumble match before Damian Priest insulted both men. The exchange led to a match between KO and the United States Champion.

Priest used his strength early and shook off a shoulder tackle before rolling Owens over. The latter rolled out of the ring to catch his breath and get back in the game once again.

The Archer of Infamy stayed aggressive throughout the contest and put KO on the backfoot. Owens avoided a superplex and hit a senton bomb for a near-fall. After nothing seemed to work, The Prizefighter faked a leg injury. The distraction allowed him to pin Priest with a Stunner.

It was a good contest that put both men over. It was also the first time Priest had been pinned on an episode of RAW.

KO now seems to have a future United States Championship shot under his belt. He could become the next mid-card champion if Rollins wins the Universal title at Royal Rumble.

#1. Seth Rollins and Bobby Lashley prepared for their Royal Rumble matches on WWE RAW

The main event of RAW saw Seth Rollins take on Bobby Lashley. The two challengers for the WWE and Universal Championships were ready to prove their worth during the contest.

The All-Mighty overpowered Rollins with ease but could not match his speed. The Visionary hit a Sling Blade and attempted a Pedigree early on. The action picked up as both men delivered some of their best moves.

Rollins locked in a single-leg crab to punish the former WWE Champion. Lashley escaped and took him down with a flatliner. He threw his opponent around with some suplexes and tried for a vertical suplex.

The Visionary fought out and soon hit a Pedigree for a near-fall. Just when The All-Mighty got back in control, Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander pulled Lashley out of the ring, attacking him to cause a disqualification.

As Rollins looked on, The Usos took him out with double superkicks. It was the most enjoyable bout of the night and brought the best out in both superstars.

The end helped WWE protect both the RAW Superstars. However, it doesn’t make sense for Benjamin and Alexander to get involved with Lashley now. It looks like WWE will use the two men to protect Lashley from a clean loss against Brock Lesnar at Royal Rumble.