7 mistakes WWE made on Raw this week (11 February 2019)

When it's the go home show of Raw and Smackdown Live before a PPV, we know what to expect. In the past, these episodes left a lot to be desired.

Now the question is, did this episode of Raw break the mould, change traditions that we are so set on expecting, and give us something different? The answer is yes and no, and that is due to WWE not really fully committing on giving us an episode that got our excitement levels up.

And to be truly honest, this was not a terrible episode of the flagship show, as we saw a title change, a huge change of Wrestlemania plans, and some development on the Universal Title match.

But the things that dragged this episode down were the repetitive matches, no real cliffhangers for the pay-per-view, and not enough freshness to a product in need for it. So let's go through what mistakes WWE made on Raw this week, and what they could have done to avoid it, as complaining about something without providing a solution is just silly.

New Champs in WWE! More RIGHT HERE

#7 Who Really Wants To Walk With Elias?

What is the main thing that makes Elias entertaining, what makes you an Elias fan if you are one? Please comment down below letting us know, as the main thing that makes us fans connect with a character is their entertainment value, and that is why every fan has their favourites.

If someone says Mojo Rawley is their favourite wrestler, no one can say that is incorrect just because they don't like Mojo's character, as to each their own, and the truth is wrestling built on personal preference, and personal preference of fans makes this industry diverse in variety.

That is why Elias' booking over the last few weeks has really troubled fans, as WWE has booked him some ineffective segments involving Jeff Jarrett and Road Dogg of all people.

And if you thought the segments could not get any worse, then you were mistaken, as this week on Raw Elias shared his screen time with The Lucha House Party. The Lucha House Party, as irrelevant as they are booked, are exceptional wrestlers, but on the mic, let's just say Kalisto isn't the greatest.

This segment was not effective, as it just saw Elias just whack Kalisto with his guitar and run away. Now the question is, are we going to see Elias vs Kalisto on the Elimination Chamber kick-off show?

Well, that could be the reason why this segment even existed. But it doesn't change the fact that Elias as a character is going nowhere, as he is in the same spot he was a year ago, and it is only due to the fans' personal preference of cheering Elias on, he is still retaining his credibility. Elias needs to be moved into a solid programme where WWE can make him a star, and it seems like him feuding with Bobby Lashley for the IC Title could just about do that for now.

#6 Another Tag Team Match

Everyone's reaction when this match was over

Finn Balor is in one of the strangest spots on the roster, as one moment Finn will be in the biggest match of his career against Brock Lesnar, Seth Rollins, and other big-name stars, but the next moment WWE has him jobbing to Kane or some other monster from the ruthless aggression era. For how long will this go on?

Well, that is the question no one knows the answer to, as this week Finn was put on a similar situation when he took on Drew McIntyre in singles action, but it wasn't long before Finn's new enemy Bobby Lashley got involved and took him out. This drew a disqualification, but it wasn't long before Kurt Angle, Baron Corbin, and Braun Strowman got involved thus making this a six-man tag team match, playa!

This match was fine and fun at times, but fans must be tired of seeing WWE crank out these tag teams matches to fill time? We have seen this match a thousand times, and we don't need to see it again.

WWE could have built these individual stories differently. That would have seen them use more creativity for once, instead of booking another tag team match.

#5 Who Is EC3?

That text below the picture might seem like a ridiculous thing to say, but these are questions casual fans who didn't see EC3 in TNA and on NXT are asking. Who is this man that beat Dean Ambrose last week? We ardent wrestling fans know he was formerly known as Derrick Bateman on NXT, and ever since he left WWE, he went on to find some success as EC3 in TNA.

And to be honest here people, WWE has not done him any favors as yet on the flagship show, as the creative team brought him up to Raw with no plan in mind as it seems, as after beating Dean Ambrose on Raw last week, he was beaten by Ambrose on this week's episode of Raw.

Now the 50-50 booking from WWE is not surprising, as who really thought a different result was going to come out from a rematch between these two stars. The main mistake WWE made is by not giving us a character introduction of who EC3 is.

We know he has a great look, he considers himself an asset to WWE, and he will probably go far in Vince McMahon's land of giants, but we won't even care as we know nothing about this man.

WWE can't make the same mistake with EC3 as they made with Bobby Roode, and while Roode is better than EC3 on many levels, WWE could mould EC3 into a great heel like NXT Roode if they actually tried, but now it seems like he is destined to trade victories with an exiting Ambrose.

#4 No One Wants To Play With Nikki

From unpredictable crazed badass to just another face

How many interesting wrestlers from NXT had been moved to the main roster only for their momentum to be halted in a matter of weeks, and this is not a complaint it is the truth. As the creative team has ruined wrestlers like Bobby Roode, Tye Dillinger, Sanity, The Authors of Pian on the main roster, and while WWE may be able to rebuild them eventually it will never be the same.

And it seems like Nikki Cross has possibly joined that group of stars, as her loss to Ruby Riott on Raw this week has given us an indicator of how Cross' career on Raw is going to go. Now, this is the early stages of Cross' time on the main roster, and since we are deep into Wrestlemania season, we can't expect WWE to come up with a career-defining narrative for Cross.

But come on, this booking of Nikki has been lacklustre, and it only adds to further the notion that NXT should become a third brand in the company and retain all their star talent.

#3 Heard This Before Seth

The Universal Title feud on Raw is not even the main programme on the brand, as the war between Rousey and Becky has been highlighted more by WWE, and while that is not a bad thing in any way, WWE has been a tad bit disappointing in the booking of this programme. There is something about a babyface Seth Rollins that just doesn't work, and that is when he tries to pander, and play the sympathetic victim.

Now, by all means, it doesn't mean Seth is that, but it's what WWE is trying to make him in this programme, as he is using the same failed template Roman Reigns used in his programme with Brock Lesnar a year ago.

Fans are really past the fact Brock is a part-timing champion that wrestles for the money and not the passion, they are past the whole babyface's motto of "doing it for the greater good of Raw," people just want to see one thing, and that is intensity.

And while Seth's promo was intense to a certain degree, it was everything we have heard before, WWE needs to inject life into this programme, because if this Wrestlemania match build is filled with repetitive promos, locker room brawls and the predictable contract signing, we could have a huge, missed opportunity being played out in from of our eyes.

#2 The One Criticism With The Main Event

The main event of Raw is no more about Seth Rollins vs Brock Lesnar because Brock is missing half the time and Seth is currently injured, so that left Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey to fill that void perfectly. And so far so good with this programme, as Becky is playing her part perfectly, even though some feel she is acting too much.

While on the other hand, Rousey is adequate as the ass-kicking champion that doesn't let anyone bad mouth her, everything was going well here until WWE decided to add a subplot, and this is a subplot that is not needed at all.

The narrative of Becky vs The McMahons is such a forced story, fans saw it for what it was from a mile away, as WWE is building up Becky for a huge moment at Wrestlemania. And for those fans who actually think Becky won't compete at Wrestlemania because WWE replaced her with Charlotte Flair, come on guys, it's clearly just another subplot to make Becky's triumph much sweeter.

Are these subplots necessary though? Well, for starters the entire misdirection with Charlotte taking Becky's place is just great booking as it leaves room for awesome weeks of storytelling, but making Becky, the next Stone Cold who takes on The Authority is just forced.

That part of this narrative doesn't do Becky any favours, as she just overacts in this role which doesn't make her any more of a badass. WWE needs to stop overbooking this angle and let things play out naturally.

#1 What Are You Doing With Dean?

Dean Ambrose is leaving WWE in April, it has been discussed, people have hurled hate at WWE for releasing him, and wrestling critics have published a thousand articles on the matter. It is the most talked about thing in wrestling today.

So WWE has all this hype, all this attention they so dearly wanted from this news and what do they do with it? Absolutely nothing. How can they ignore this hot story? We are only a few months away from Wrestlemania, and yeah that is a long time for things to start to take shape, but it seems like Ambrose will have no story at Wrestlemania as long as he battles EC3.

Now is EC3 is a decent wrestler but him feuding with Dean is doing nothing for his career, as WWE is clearly using this as filler feud, but the question is for what? Will Ambrose be inserted into a high profile Wolrd Title match or will he take on a huge star, what will be his last feud before he leaves and is WWE working all of us?

So many questions, so little information given by WWE, but there is some truth to the fact WWE may be are making us question all this to create anticipation for this narrative, but people lose interest fast, and WWE should do something before fans forget entirely who Dean Ambrose is.

Edited by Ben Roberts