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Welcome to this week's edition of things WWE subtly told us on RAW. You may not find too many bests in the "Best and Worst" section this week, but we do have a bit to break down from RAW on this week's episode. It was an eventful one, though the pacing of the show could have been better.
Here was what WWE subtly told us on RAW:
#5. Edge rips into The Miz on RAW - questions on the MITB holder
Edge appeared on RAW, and once again, it was all show and no substance. Since Edge has decided to come in "full time" for this upcoming WWE WrestleMania 37 run, we wondered how the company would fill his time.
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Edge appeared and only teased his decision, but nothing came of it. The Miz and John Morrison appeared as well, and the former, who is also Mr. Money in the Bank, revealed to Edge that no matter who he chooses, he will be waiting to cash in his Money in the Bank contract.
Edge berated the RAW Superstar, reminding him of who The Ultimate Opportunist truly was. He insulted The Miz for giving out his strategy on WWE RAW. After the segment was done, Damian Priest took on Angel Garza - who was suddenly aligned with The Miz and John Morrison for some reason.
Either way, it was Bad Bunny who accompanied Damian Priest, and after The Miz and Morrison tried costing Priest, Bad Bunny cleverly found a way to get both men ejected from ringside.
It was an all-around bad night for The Miz, who was made to look foolish by Edge first and then Bad Bunny. It adds further questions to the purpose of him holding the Money in the Bank briefcase.
#4. Keith Lee is title-bound on RAW
Keith Lee essentially entered the United States title picture on RAW. It started off backstage with Lee telling Riddle, The King of Bros, that he deserves to have a crack at Bobby Lashley and the United States Championship.
Keith Lee then faced Riddle in a friendly singles match on RAW and defeated him. It was easily the best match on RAW. The two acknowledged each other in a show of respect post-match, but United States Champion Bobby Lashley came from behind and attacked both men.
Lashley looked great, and a Triple Threat Match was teased for WWE Elimination Chamber. Later in the night, it was confirmed that Bobby Lashley will defend the United States title in a Triple Threat Match at Elimination Chamber.
If so, we fully expect Keith Lee to become the next United States Champion. Bobby Lashley has had tremendous momentum on RAW - arguably having the best run of his WWE career so far.
While he should ideally remain the US Champion, Keith Lee and Riddle are both ready for their first big title win on RAW.
#3. Charlotte Flair hands Lacey Evans a RAW Women's title shot
Charlotte Flair and Lacey Evans went face-to-face in a bit of an intense promo battle on RAW. It led to Charlotte Flair challenging Lacey Evans, and the latter believed that a win over Flair would earn her a RAW Women's title shot against Asuka.
The two women went at it, and the match was going well until Charlotte Flair got out of control. The referee was forced to stop the match and Lacey Evans won by disqualification.
It was only after Asuka had a promo segment with Royal Rumble winner Bianca Belair that we found out about the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view match that was made official. Asuka will defend the RAW Women's Championship against Lacey Evans at Elimination Chamber.
Lacey Evans has a rather awful pay-per-view title match record, so it wouldn't be surprising to see her fall to The Empress of Tomorrow later this month. It's a small diversion from the bigger story - Lacey Evans and Charlotte Flair. The two were having a good match, but it ended abruptly with a DQ.
#2. Lana gets the payoff on RAW after nearly half a year
Remember how Nia Jax put Lana through a table on RAW for nine weeks in a row? It started in September and happened all throughout October and November. The two finally went at it on RAW - a week after Lana and Naomi became No. 1 contenders to the Women's tag team titles.
The Tables Match stipulation was appropriate, given the circumstances. We were hopeful that Lana would win, and she actually did, after shoving Nia Jax through a table outside the ring. It was a big payoff to a storyline that has lasted for five months. We also feel that it was the best part of RAW - proving that you don't need to be the most technical wrestler to steal the show.
Lana and Nia Jax kept it simple, and the storytelling on RAW was effective. After the match, Naomi saved Lana from Shayna Baszler and went on to beat The Queen of Spades in a quick but effective match.
Both halves of the Tag Team Champions have now lost to the No. 1 contenders. While we don't expect Naomi and Lana to beat them for the titles, we hope they do.
#1. Drew McIntyre has a massive WWE title challenge, but RAW presented its own hurdles
For some odd reason, Shane McMahon returned to RAW for the first time since the cancelation of RAW Underground. He came to stand by Adam Pearce, who revealed that Drew McIntyre will be defending the WWE Championship inside the Elimination Chamber.
Not only that, but the five other contestants happen to be former WWE Champions themselves - namely, AJ Styles, Sheamus, Randy Orton, The Miz, and Jeff Hardy. AJ Styles faced and defeated Jeff Hardy, but given how the latter sold a leg injury, he could still be replaced in the match.
The primary story, however, is the feud on RAW between Drew McIntyre and Sheamus. The WWE Champion revealed on RAW that he expected to only face Sheamus at Elimination Chamber, but welcomed the challenge of having to defend his title against five other stars.
The main event of RAW saw Drew McIntyre and Randy Orton renew their feud for one night as they faced off in a non-title match. Sheamus interfered and was at ringside. The finish of the match on RAW saw Sheamus accidentally Brogue Kick Randy Orton - causing a DQ. Right after that, Drew McIntyre hit his former friend with the Claymore Kick and stood tall as RAW ended.
We fully expect Drew McIntyre to walk out of the Elimination Chamber as the WWE Champion.
