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I actually thought that RAW this week was a very solid show. It was also painfully obvious that this was a lot more Paul Heyman than Vince McMahon.
Of course, I have no way to verify this, but certain aspects of the business have become synonymous with Paul Heyman over the years, all of which were on full display this week. Even after three hours were done, I was not exhausted like other weeks.
In fact, after last night's Bound For Glory show, I had a feeling that anything WWE dished out would be disappointing in comparison. I'm glad to report that such was not the case at all, and it was a refreshingly good week of wrestling.
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Thankfully, all the confusion around the draft has settled and we can get straight back to the action.
#1 Best: Heyman and Mysterio exchange harsh words
So many Superstars seem more confident when they're allowed to speak in their native tongue, be it Rey Mysterio or even someone like Asuka. This week, Mysterio cut the ultimate babyface promo and even though a lot of it was in Spanish, the audience hung on to every word because they could sense the sincerety of his words and his delivery.
And then Paul Heyman would show up on the big screen, not as the Executive Director and creative mind behind RAW, but instead as the advocate for the Beast Incarnate. The two veterans exchanged barbs and harsh words in a manner that only they could, and kept the audience captivated throughout. It was a great segue to the Cain Velasquez segment that followed.
The one aspect I didn't like about this whole segment is how Mysterio would not resort to violence. Even if he's injured, he should never back down from a fight!
See WWE RAW Results, Highlights of event, & more on WWE RAW Results page
#1 Worst: Cain Velasquez's punches
Because of my position at Sportskeeda Wrestling, I've had a chance to interact with several greats in the business of professional wrestling. And a lot of my friends are professional wrestlers as well, and each of them always tells me one thing.
They are always learning! Even though professional wrestling is dubbed as 'fake' by so many, the very act of making a scripted fight seem unrehearsed and real is an art in itself and one that not a lot of people are necessarily good at.
Cain Velasquez may have been training in the act of Lucha Libre, but he is still not competent enough to be in a title match at a stage like WWE Crown Jewel, at this point in his career. His punches looked phony, as one would expect when someone has had as little experience as he has had.
His cameo was a 'worst'.
#2 Best: Carillo vs. Rollins
Carillo cut a pretty shoddy promo before his match, which can be excused because English probably isn't his first language. The one language he can speak fluently is the language of storytelling when the bell rings, in my opinion. Carillo and Rollins put on a great performance this week, one that established the former as a breakout WWE star.
Sometimes, there is a victory in defeat as well, as they say. Buddy Murphy discovered this when he took on Roman Reigns in a competitive match and the two men took each other to the limit. Rollins did the same with Carillo and, almost overnight, made him a breakout star.
I have a feeling that this is not the final time that the two men will be facing one another and we can expect several clashes between them over the coming weeks. It's pretty clear that they enjoy working with one another.
#2 Worst: Rollins and The Fiend on two separate brands
There was many a rumor going around about FOX not being fans of the Firefly Fun House, which is why Seth Rollins burned it down to the ground. But I'm glad to report that Bray Wyatt's dreaded funhouse is back and it will be a part of SmackDown, going forward.
What I do have an issue with is the fact that the Universal Champion and Bray Wyatt will be on two different brands in the lead-up to Crown Jewel. If one man shows up on the other brand, it will effectively dilute the draft, which just happened last week.
Also, I do believe that it's a spoiler about the outcome of the WWE Universal Championship match, that Bray Wyatt is on SmackDown. There's no way that WWE will allow both World Championships to be a part of the same brand!
#3 Best: McIntyre vs. Ricochet to start the show
Drew McIntyre was revealed as the final member of Team Flair and he put on quite the match with Ricochet to start the show. Many claim that WWE's main roster does not emphasize the in-ring aspect of the roster enough and this was WWE's answer to those critics.
McIntyre obviously picked up the big win, but more importantly, this was a great way to bring him back to RAW. An injury had derailed his momentum, and it was great to see him come back without having lost a step!
As for Ricochet, he's proved with every passing week that he's one of the best workers of our generation. Many have labeled him a spot-monkey in the past, but he's a smart worker who can tell great athletic stories, in my opinion.
I could watch these two men tussle again and again.
#3 Worst: Where have the women gone?
Well, they have all gone to Australia, but this was not a fact that was brought up at any point during the broadcast. And because of this, many were left scratching their heads by the end of the show, asking where the women had disappeared.
Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and the other women of RAW did not get any TV time this week because of their other commitments, meaning the only ones that did were Lana, the backstage announcers, and Zelina Vega. Even those who were at RAW, like Natalya, did not get any TV time.
This is a shame, especially if you consider that this year's WWE programming has centered around the Women's Evolution, particularly the Four Horsewomen. It does not help matters that the next pay-per-view- Crown Jewel, does not have a spot for the women.
Even a Liv Morgan appearance would have sufficed!
#4 Best/Worst: Lashley and Lana
By no means are love triangles new in terms of sports entertainment content. We've seen several such storylines in the past, but for some reason, this one just doesn't seem to click. Lashley and Lana and Rusev are giving it their all, but somehow, professional wrestling fans are rejecting this storyline.
I like that this gives them something to do and that it is a sub-plot in the Team Hogan vs. Team Flair match. But beyond that, this is a storyline that just seems to make people uncomfortable, and not in a good way either.
What I did like this week is how Rusev shut the 'What?' chants down, by simply being nice. The only other person who I've seen shut these chants down with any degree of conviction, is The Goddess.
As is tradition, I will end this article with a video of her!
