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This is the third night of action from the Toyota Center in Houston Texas, and at Sportskeeda Wrestling, it's been three straight days of non-stop coverage.
In some ways, each successive day has not fared as well as the night before, with a great Takeover special, a good Survivor Series, and at best, an okay episode of RAW. No, this was not the RAW we were expecting after an extremely action-packed Survivor Series.
In certain ways, it was a disappointment, despite the high points. Let's glance across the action that transpired over the last three hours and list out the best and worst from the show.
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#1 Best: A strange but welcome alliance
We were very excited at the conclusion of Survivor Series and listed five possibilities that could play out on screen. Unfortunately, most of them did not really transpire, but yes, Paige did return from injury. However, she did not return alone. She brought a few friends along with her.
MMA specialist Sonya DeVille (WWE's first openly-lesbian Superstar) and Mandy Rose joined the fray, as Paige took over the Women's Division again. In many ways, this was like an NXT invasion, with the first NXT Women's Champion and two of NXT's promising stars, invading the main roster with force.
The three women made an instant statement. Their arrival has changed the topography of the RAW Women's Division. We wonder how their equation will be with the rest of the roster, especially with a woman such as Asuka running roughshod over the division currently.
And hey, it's always great to see Paige again.
#1 Worst: No real aftermath
Last night's main event ended in a very strange manner with Triple H delivering a pedigree to his own teammate Kurt Angle in the middle of the ring. We were certain that the aftermath of Survivor Series would play out with the two men coming to blows on RAW.
Unfortunately, it was a very tepid start to the show, as Stephanie McMahon announced that Kurt Angle's job was indeed secure. Everything was back to normal, with Angle assuming his position as the General Manager of RAW yet again. The finish of the Survivor Series match felt pointless.
The same holds true for someone like Asuka, who led Team RAW to victory at Survivor Series and yet wasn't booked in the Fatal Fourway match to determine who faces Alexa Bliss next. Asuka was content to just be in a squash match against Dana Brooke in the first hour of the episode.
What was the point of Survivor Series in that case?
#2 Best: A title change
Some of you may be disappointed to not see the Intercontinental Championship on the Miz's rather capable shoulders. While we feel your agony, it's never a bad thing to do a title change on television, to keep things interesting.
This is especially because Survivor Series was a brand vs. brand affair, with only the Cruiserweight Title on the line, in the Kickoff show. Reigns as champion can have a great feud with The Miz, going forward, judging by their chemistry in the main event.
Speaking of the match itself, the near falls were works of art. The audience were really into the nailbiting action as the two men took each other to the limit. Congratulations to the Big Dog for becoming a proud grand slam champion.
#2 Worst: Bayley's promo
Bayley is a woman who can go in the ring, whenever she is given the opportunity to shine. Unfortunately, she's a step behind the rest of the women's division on the microphone, and she proved it this week when she cut a promo following Alexa Bliss and Mickie James. It was cringeworthy.
Unfortunately, Bayley is one character who's just lost momentum on the main roster, for good reason. Her gimmick does not connect with too many people, and the pop that she was greeted with this week diminished in intensity when she started to speak.
A manager would do her a world of good. Unfortunately, the era of managers is long gone (unless you're an advocate, Paul Ellering, or a business associate like Zelina Vega).
#3 Best: The Balor-Joe rivalry
We are glad to see that Finn Balor and Samoa Joe have continued the feud that started right before Survivor Series. Much like Sheamus and Cesaro proved with their incredible matches, these two men can elevate each other based on their in-ring work.
Their matches feel real, and we already know from NXT, that these two men have incredible chemistry when they face off. Joe has won this particular match, but we were glad to see that Balor did not tap out. This makes him look pretty strong.
It would be great to see these two men have a series of matches in due course of time. We predict that each will be better than the one before.
Remember, Joe is the only person to have ever defeated the 'Demon' avatar of Balor
#3 Worst: Still the same old story
With the possible exception of Enzo Amore, every single Cruiserweight in the division is a world class worker. Yet Amore holds the title. Why? Because, he's also the only person with a well sketched out character, that is 'over' with fans.
Booking the Cruiserweights in multi-man matches will always be a nice showcase of athletic moves, but there will be no drama to get the crowd invested in the match at hand. We implore WWE to give the Cruiserweights a platform to showcase their characteristics on RAW.
Yes, RAW and not 205 Live, considering that the former brand is a show with a significantly larger viewership. Maybe bringing in someone new from NXT to challenge Enzo Amore (like Hideo Itami) would also create interest in the product.
3 hours of RAW and only one significant development. Let's leave you with an image of the present, and the future. The Goddess and her enemies.
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