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There was nothing particularly wrong with RAW this week, but it just did not seem like a big deal in any sense whatsoever. It was a show with very little that was actually bad but also, very little that actually stood out.
In my opinion, at least, the show has been hurt immensely by the lack of a live crowd in the arena. The least RAW can do until the audience returns, is put on shows that keep the audience invested for the duration of the three hours.
And even though the men and women of RAW worked hard to ensure that this happened, I just felt like the show did not quite deliver. So, let's look at the best and worst of RAW this week and separate the good from the bad.
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#1 Best: 3 potential new challengers for Becky Lynch
Remember how there was once a point where it seemed like Becky Lynch had no equal in the women's division and that she would hold the RAW Women's Championship until the end of time? One may argue that nothing has changed since then but this week, RAW really had a few women pick up some major victories.
I will not count Shayna Baszler and Charlotte Flair because despite their impressive wins, we've seen them tussle with 'The Man' far too many times already. I thought that Liv Morgan did a very commendable job picking up a win and if you notice how she's been booked in recent times, WWE is clearly high on her right now.
But Bianca Belair and Nia Jax were portrayed as absolute powerhouses during their matches, both picking up impressive wins and proving that Lynch cannot rest easy when they are a part of the active women's roster.
#1 Worst: Carpool karaoke
Here's how the creative meeting probably went. Someone in WWE saw James Corden and Paul McCartney in the legendary, viral Carpool Karaoke clip and the millions of views that it did, and probably decided that it was a popular enough format to replicate within the RAW tag team division.
They were so off the mark with this that I cannot tell you how much I cringed. It could have possibly worked with someone like Elias or even The Street Profits, but why would you have The Viking Raiders, who have a ridiculous gimmick that doesn't connect with fans to begin with, participate in such a segment?
If anything, it made them even less serious than they were and while Asuka has embraced her comedic side, it works because of how natural she is at her role. On the other hand, The Viking Raiders and comedy go together as chalk and cheese do.
No, WWE, somehow, this week's episode helped me lose even more interest in them. Not the best effort from the creative team.
#2 Best: Zelina Vega shines through the night
They say that the more the boss believes in you, the more opportunities Vince McMahon will provide you. Zelina Vega is getting more airtime on RAW than anyone else in the roster, so it's amply clear that both Vince McMahon and Paul Heyman believe in her in a very big way indeed. And she is returning their faith by being an absolutely fantastic manager, adding a lot of flavor to every match with her expressions and her actions too.
Zelina Vega also had a very entertaining face-off with Montez Ford and I would really like to see the two of them actually have a segment in the middle of the ring because of just how expressive the both of them are. I genuinely do believe that she has the capability to be the best manager of our era, and if she's allowed to lead this faction to gold and glory, it may soon be the case.
I'll go so far as to say that she is the Paul Heyman of our era.
#2 Worst: What is Bobby Lashley even doing?
Now, this is one of those guys, who at one point of time was primed to face the likes of Brock Lesnar in the ring. He is a complete monster of a man who has a legitimate MMA background as well. And yet, Bobby Lashley is portrayed as Lana's kayfabe husband on RAW, instead of everything he could be doing.
While I would ordinarily be okay with something like that because of the numbers it does, this week, all Lashley did was flip tires. I kid you not...that is all he did, while Lana looked impressed with his feats of strength dotingly. It is probably the worst that Lashley has been booked since his arrival in WWE, and mind you; this is something that includes his whole stint with Sami Zayn, where three men dressed up like his sisters.
It's almost like WWE does not even realize that they have a potential main-eventer in their midst in Bobby Lashley and are determined to relegate him to the mid-card.
#3 Best: Black and Crews win
I really like the fact that WWE is taking a chance with Apollo Crews considering just how talented the man is. I know he was brought up from NXT before he was quite ready and hence, was relegated to the mid-card but it just seems like the company has realized the value and the equity of the man.
And the fact that he scored a win over MVP on this week's show is indicative of how, just how much value the company places in Crews. Of course, the same could be said of Aleister Black but that is far less surprising to me.
Aleister Black is just one of those performers who has been destined for success from the time that he first arrived on the scene and it was not surprising that he picked up a win over Austin Theory on this week's show. I would go so far as to say that he's one of the favorites to win the Money in the Bank contract this year.
#3 Best/Worst: Rey Mysterio wins
Sometimes, you just have to invest in the future even if it comes at the expense of the past. We saw how Goldberg was squashed by Braun Strowman at WrestleMania and that has made the 'Monster Among Men' a far bigger star than he once used to be.
Yes, the addition of Rey Mysterio to the Money in the Bank ladder match will certainly make it a must-see attraction. But at the same time, Murphy is one of those individuals that the company should build around.
It is safe to say that even though Mysterio doesn't seem to age at all, there will come a day soon when he is forced to hang up his boots and then, someone like Murphy will have to take his place. WWE should have taken a chance with him and given him a shot at participating in this huge contest.
But then again, I don't really have a problem with Rey Mysterio in the actual match, so this entry makes it to the Best/Worst column.
