The biggest winners and losers of last night's RAW (September 16)

Disclaimer: The views of the author do not necessarily reflect that of Sportskeeda

Despite a litany of poor booking decisions, WWE RAW was a largely good show last night emanating from Knoxville, Tennessee, so we should have expected an appearance from a certain legend-turned-mayor. It was executed perfectly, and this angle alone made up for the slew of poor booking and badly done angles throughout the rest of the show. That's how you know you have something great on your hands.

With Hell in a Cell only a few weeks away, things look like they're heating up, but who got the most and least out of last night's show? Who looked better? Who looked worse? Let's dive in and take a look.

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Losers: Braun Strowman and the Tag Team Division

This was pointless and it only made everyone involved look worse. Braun Strowman, fresh off his loss of yet another Universal title shot, stormed out and laid everyone flat, but it was another reminder of his place in the company - as a guy to keep all the other geeks in line, but as a geek himself whenever he's in a big match.

And obviously, the tag team division itself just looked like bigger geeks, and the tag team titles not worth getting invested in as a viewer.

With AEW's tag team division set to be nuclear hot right off the bat, this was the wrong message for WWE to send.

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Loser: Cedric Alexander

Cedric Alexander again looked outmatched against AJ Styles last night, and following the humiliation at Clash of Champions in front of his hometown crowd, the former Cruiserweight Champion suddenly looks like a pipsqueak in the Red brand's ranks.

This is the kind of booking that prevents people from getting over - start someone off with a lot of heat and momentum and then snap it all away in an instant.

Alas, Cedric Alexander didn't look nearly as formidable as his tag team partners did here.

Loser: Chad Gable

This was a great match, certainly one of Baron Corbin's best, but unfortunately, and as expected, WWE took the boring route and went with Corbin as the King of the Ring. The accolade isn't likely to do much for him. We can expect him to occupy roughly the same position that he does right now, so it's not much of a step forward in his career.

For Chad Gable, it's a much bigger step backward. Yet again, we had another superstar that was getting hot only to be snuffed out in an instant. Gable will probably drop back down right to where he was before the tournament, meaning he'll be off TV for extended periods.

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Losers: Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross

This was a good match, and obviously, Bayley and Sasha Banks needed to win, but it's questionable why this match needed to take place, to begin with. Why undercut your own Tag Team Champions? That's exactly what WWE did, reminding us just how little the Women's Tag Team titles are regarded backstage.

Hopefully, they'll be able to bounce back in the weeks to come, but we saw the pecking order firmly established here. There is a hint of irony in this, given Alexa Bliss' earlier steamrolling of Bayley and Banks, although obviously, Cross took the pin.

Loser: Lacey Evans

It's puzzling why Lacey Evans continues to get so much airtime. It's still obvious that her arrival on the main roster was premature. Every time she comes out, we're reminded how much improvement she really needs. It isn't doing her or fans any favors.

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Winner: Bray Wyatt

Despite the bad booking throughout the rest of the night, this made the whole show worth it. Bray Wyatt and The Fiend will be the talking point from last night, to RAW's credit. First, Wyatt taunted Seth Rollins from the Firefly Fun House, then he laid out Kane with the Mandible Claw to close the show.

Again, that's how you use a legend in a cameo appearance - to get younger talent over.

Bray Wyatt is the hottest thing in the wrestling world right now and it would be a grave mistake to not crown him at Hell in a Cell.