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RAW last night wasn't anything remarkable, but was not too dull either. With TLC still a few weeks away, the company took a slow approach in building up its storylines for the last major event of 2020. We did find out who will challenge Drew McIntyre there, though, and other feuds bloomed or started to blossom.
Is there anything we can discern about WWE's plans beyond TLC? Whose career prospects on RAW look brighter or dimmer once the Christmas lights start to come down and all eyes turn toward the Royal Rumble?
Let's take a look at last night's RAW and see what the bookers gave us!
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Winners from RAW: Randy Orton and The Fiend
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RAW began with 'A Moment of Bliss', with the title character again killing it in her role as The Fiend's pixie. Randy Orton insisted that he knew what The Fiend's weakness was, though, and grabbed her in the darkness.
When The Fiend appeared, he demanded Alexa Bliss be returned to him.
A feud between these two is already on, with Orton already having hinted that as he burned down the Wyatt compound a few years ago, he would do similar harm to The Fiend's weakness now, Alexa Bliss. It's an intriguing angle that should extend well beyond TLC. If written correctly, it's potentially a program that could go all the way to WrestleMania.
Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt had a disappointing feud a few years ago. A feud with The Fiend and Bliss might just right the ship. One has to think that Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt both want to rectify their poor match at WrestleMania 33, which was rightly regarded as one of the worst matches of 2017.
We'll have to stay tuned and see what the red brand has in store for them.
Losers from RAW: RETRIBUTION
RETRIBUTION had a poor night on RAW, to say the least. Late in the program, Reckoning, the former Mia Yim, lost to Dana Brooke in her RAW debut, with Ali yelling at her as a result.
Even though Slapjack won his match against Ricochet, it didn't make RETRIBUTION come across as any stronger. Ricochet, who hasn't done anything of note since being squashed by Brock Lesnar at the beginning of the year, might well end up joining RETRIBUTION at the end of it all.
What were all those months of build for?
Losers from RAW: Asuka, Nia Jax, and Shayna Baszler
Once again, the three champions were overshadowed in favor of Lana, which is questionable enough on its own, but it was even more questionable when she was still made to look like a lucky loser. Asuka made the decisive move on Shayna Baszler, but Lana was in the right place at the right time to get the pin.
Whenever the viewer watches these segments, the question must inescapably come to mind, "Why is Lana getting this pseudo-push?"
Of all the potential women's programs on RAW, this is what the Red brand's brass goes with? There must surely be something better to do with Asuka, Jax, and Baszler.
Winners from RAW: The Hurt Business
Something akin to 50/50 booking took place last night, as Cedric Alexander defeated Xavier Woods in a singles match. MVP was keen to remind us that The Hurt Business actually won the first match on RAW via count-out, so they were essentially even with the New Day.
At any rate, expect The Hurt Business to move on to TLC and challenge for the tag team titles, after all. One questions why the RAW writers would book that match so many times if they're only going to do it at TLC later, but maybe their belief is that the inevitable stipulation there will spice things up. We will see.
Whoever wins will carry the titles as we get into WrestleMania season proper, so the stakes are higher than they initially appear.
Winner from RAW: Riddle
As predicted last week. MVP and Bobby Lashley didn't like Riddle's business ideas, so they laid him out.
Let the feud between Riddle and Lashley begin.
Whether it's only for this month or whether it goes beyond that, feuding with the United States Champion can only mean good things for Riddle's future on RAW. We'll see how it plays out in the coming weeks. It's certainly Riddle's biggest opportunity on the main roster thus far.
Winner from RAW: AJ Styles
Keith Lee was the highlight of the Sudden Death Triple Threat match on RAW last night. One thinks that his time is coming soon and that WWE wants it to be on a bigger stage (perhaps he's even a dark horse for the Royal Rumble?), but AJ Styles walked away with the victory last night, putting him back in the WWE title picture for the first time in a while.
AJ Styles has little chance of actually beating Drew McIntyre at TLC, even with the gigantic Omose with him, but the match should be a good one and increase McIntyre's credibility as champion that much further.
The Miz will be lurking with the Money in the Bank briefcase as part of this equation as well. We saw that clearly on RAW last night, but AJ Styles walks away with the most momentum here, even if it is likely to be short-lived. It remains to be seen what he'll do during WrestleMania season. There is a chance this feud could last into the Royal Rumble.
