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I did like quite a bit of stuff on this week's episode of RAW, but it was unbearably long. Had it been a two-hour show, I just think it would have hit the mark.
But that said, I must say that in the fallout of Crown Jewel, the Survivor Series build has been quite exciting. And because NXT is involved in the mix, the programming is more unique than it has ever been in the past, leading up to a big event.
I wonder if this also means that someone from the main roster will be part of TakeOver, the night before Survivor Series comes around. It will make all the sense in the world because of the crossover element that surrounds the whole event thus far.
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With that in mind, I bring to you, the best and worst of WWE RAW.
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And after you guys are done reading my analysis of the whole show, I would love to invite you to leave your own match ratings and comments at this location, dear readers. We are always checking out your analysis and your thoughts, so please be sure to cast your vote.
#1 Best: Triple H invites Seth Rollins back to NXT again
In the age of scripted promos, Triple H often reminds us why he is the greatest of all time when he shows up for his rare segments. I love the tease of whether or not Seth Rollins will join NXT, and this will be a great storyline in the build to Survivor Series 2019.
Triple H also brings out the best in Seth Rollins, who stepped up his game and seemed all fired up after the segment. In a sense, I was glad that Shawn Michaels wasn't around, because he just seems to make everything goofy with the facials he chooses to do!
#1 Worst: Still continuing Team Hogan vs. Team Flair
It's one thing to continue the whole Lashley and Rusev story that is doing nobody any favors at all. It's another to waste Superstars like Randy Orton, Ricochet, and Drew McIntyre in the storyline because Team Hogan vs. Team Flair is now over.
Sure, the match was good, but it was meaningless because it was just a hastily put together concept to get two legends to visit Saudi Arabia and be a part of the overall proceedings. The only person benefiting from the storyline is Lana because it keeps her on TV.
Lashley could be doing so much more, taking on the likes of Lesnar, after he is done with Rey Mysterio. He just doesn't seem like the kind of guy who'd ordinarily fake a groin injury, with his legitimate MMA credentials.
In any case, this is a storyline past the expiry date.
#2 Best: Becky and Shayna exchange words on camera
Now, this was just awesome, was it not? Becky Lynch was in the midst of an interview when Charly Caruso was asked to make way for Shayna Baszler. Baszler and Lynch had a staredown and the world was instantly excited.
I know that Bayley will be a part of the clash too, but it's almost like she's a background character in this whole rivalry, with Lynch and Baszler in the forefront. There's history between the two women as well, with the personal rivalry that Becky Lynch had with Ronda Rousey.
With the exception of Sasha Banks, everyone that Becky Lynch has faced since WrestleMania has pretty much paled in comparison to her. Shayna Baszler is a true powerhouse and a match between The Man and this MMA practitioner, with Bayley thrown into the mix sounds a lot more difficult to predict than usual.
#2 Worst: The Viking Raiders keep wrestling enhancement talent
We get it, Viking Raiders. You are big and you are mean and you are tough, and you cannot be stopped. You do not need to go back to wrestling enhancement talent on RAW to prove that you're any of this.
In a show where there's a danger of your audience tuning out and switching to another network, do you really want to see The Viking Raiders take on The East Hampton Polo Boys? Was there anyone in the whole wide world that thought that the latter had a chance of upsetting the RAW Tag Team Champions, really?
The RAW Tag Team Division is absolutely unexciting right now and I do think that a team like the Street Profits needs to step up to the plate to inject a sense of excitement to the division.
Make tag team wrestling great again, WWE Creative!
#3 Best: Brock Lesnar searches for Rey Mysterio on RAW
Anytime Brock Lesnar is part of multiple segments on RAW, you know that it's leading to something special. Thankfully, he did not bid farewell after the opening promo segment and went backstage to scour the area for Rey Mysterio, who simply could not be found.
It would lead to him arriving at the commentary area, where Dio Maddin would stand up to Brock Lesnar. And that would lead to Lesnar taking his ire out on Maddin, laying him out with an F5.
But Rey Mysterio was lying in wait, to destroy Brock Lesnar with a pipe. All in all, it was a lot more physical than your regular Brock Lesnar segment is, and I'm glad to see that this is the route that WWE is adopting with the man and that The Beast Incarnate is game for it.
But then, it leads to a 'worst'!
#3 Worst: No Brock Lesnar vs. The Fiend
Firstly, let me preface this segment by saying that Paul Heyman is speaking as much Spanish as Rey Mysterio seems to be in his promos. The fact of the matter is that he's doing all in his power to build Rey Mysterio vs. Brock Lesnar as a big match.
But the issue is that fans may feel like they've been cheated out of a match between The Fiend and Brock Lesnar. Even without any kind of build, it is a significantly bigger match and one that can potentially be the main event of WrestleMania 36.
I do not mean to bury the match between Lesnar and Mysterio, but we all know how it's going to turn out. Rey Mysterio's going to go to Suplex City, before mounting a comeback and then succumbing to The Beast Incarnate in a squash.
There's no way to predict how The Fiend vs. Brock Lesnar would play out!
#4 Best/Worst: The main event
Adam Cole and Seth Rollins took each other on in the main event, and it was a good match like one would expect it to be. But it did not set the world on fire like Daniel Bryan did when he battled Cole on SmackDown.
Maybe because the crowd was worn out, they did not seem like they were as much into the match as one would have assumed they would be. It just felt flatter than it actually was, and the fact that the match ended with the Undisputed Era interfering did not do it any real favors.
Maybe Daniel Bryan just is the best wrestler in the world, who can bring the best out in anyone he wrestles. Maybe RAW needs to be 2 hours long too because 3 hours of content is just way too much.
Maybe Alexa Bliss needs to return to WWE again!
