Five ways Monday Night Raw got better this week

#4 Opening Match

Will Ricochet be the new United States champion at Stomping Grounds?

A five-man elimination match to determine the new number one contender for the United States title was an interesting way to start off the show, but it also a decision that ended up paying huge dividends. Beyond that, the finish to the match and Ricochet being the one to win the whole thing was only icing on the cake.

Maybe this ends in WWE just using Ricochet until a more permanent contender can be decided upon, but it does give fans a reason to start watching the United States picture more closely. It even allowed all the competitors in the match to get their stuff in, which only helped make it the classic that it ended up being.

From Strowman running laps around the ring and destroying everyone in his path, to Ricochet and The Miz battling it out in a white-hot sequence, this match had everything for fans to enjoy. In the end, it also showed that sometimes sticking with the formula can work to WWE advantage depending on how they wield it.