WWE RAW: 2 superstars who flopped and 3 who impressed – Randy Orton’s devastating RKOs, 3-time world champion brutalized by returning superstar (May 10th, 2021)

The go-home episode of WWE RAW before WrestleMania Backlash accounted for a decent show. The Red brand teased possible feuds that could start following the pay-per-view. Things got heated up between the top superstars who will compete in the high-stakes matches at the upcoming event. There was also a fair share of disappointing segments and performances on Monday Night RAW.

In this article, we will look at the superstars who flopped on WWE RAW and those who were impressed.

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#1 Impressed on WWE RAW: Randy Orton

Randy Orton was the best performer on WWE RAW this week

This week’s episode of WWE RAW featured an eight-man tag team match. Randy Orton and Riddle teamed up with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods to take on AJ Styles, Omos, Elias, and Jaxson Ryker. It was an action-packed encounter that ended with Orton’s team picking up a big victory. The match also added to the dominance of Orton and Riddle’s tag team.

All eight superstars seemed determined to brutalize opponents right from the start. The tension between AJ Styles, Omos, and The New Day was evident, and it appears that their rivalry will continue on WWE RAW. Elias and Ryker had an excellent opportunity to showcase their potential, and they were impressive too.

"𝑶𝒉, 𝑹𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒚..."@SuperKingofBros@RandyOrton#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/T9q8xz5s0m

— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) May 11, 2021

However, Randy Orton still managed to steal the show with his performance tonight. He was entirely focused on winning and easily dominated everyone inside the ring. Orton also had a brief altercation with AJ Styles, and their chemistry was impeccable. Their in-ring exchange teased a plausible feud on WWE RAW between their respective teams.

In the closing moments of the match, Orton hit a devastating RKO and pinned Elias for the victory. Soon after that, Kingston and Woods entered the ring top to celebrate with R-K-Bro. However, Orton had other plans. He hit both New Day members with an RKO while Riddle stood there in shock. The Viper confirmed that he still prefers ending careers on WWE RAW.

Got dang it, @RandyOrton!! 😫😫😫#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/fQ2UjQUmRP

— WWE (@WWE) May 11, 2021

The WWE Universe has a lot of expectations from Randy Orton and his current run alongside Riddle. Fans are hoping to see an interesting story unfold on the Red brand, and The Viper is doing well in keeping us engaged in the narration. It will be exciting to see how this new tag team will fight to the top of the division on WWE RAW.

#1 Flopped on WWE RAW: Jeff Hardy

Jeff Hardy could have done more on WWE RAW

Jeff Hardy returned to action on WWE RAW this week. He faced Jinder Mahal in a singles match that resulted in an easy victory for the latter. It was quite an underwhelming booking involving Hardy, and the creative should be blamed for not doing enough with his presence inside the ring. Hardy barely had a couple of spots during which he was seen fighting back.

This match was evidently set up to introduce Shanky and Veer. However, Mahal never had to seek help from two of his allies who were present at ringside. Instead, he dominated Jeff Hardy throughout the match and used the Khallas to pin his opponent in the middle of the ring. It would have been much better if the match was well-balanced between the two WWE RAW Superstars.

Jeff Hardy is brilliant at putting over younger talents. However, it would barely make a difference if Hardy is continuously subjected to weak booking on WWE RAW. The creative should use him to help elevate heels that are actively pursuing feuds at a mid-card level. Hopefully, we will see him involved in better matches and storylines going forward.

#2 Impressed on WWE RAW: Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre was incredible on WWE RAW this week

The main event of this week’s WWE RAW saw Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley face each other in a brutal singles match. We have seen both these superstars engage in several good matches recently, and once again, they didn’t disappoint. McIntyre looked at the top of his game and pushed the reigning WWE Champion to his limits.

The Scottish Warrior moved Lashley all around the ring with ease. He also kept an eye on MVP throughout the match and dodged the blows that have hurt him before. McIntyre took a lot of punishment but eventually managed to gain complete control of the match. He was very close to pinning Lashley on WWE RAW, but Braun Strowman’s interference led to the main event ending in disqualification.

Earlier in the show, MVP had asked Strowman to help Lashley in the main event and take McIntyre out of the equation. The Monster Among Men first attacked McIntyre and then manhandled Lashley to make a strong statement ahead of their triple-threat title match for the WWE Championship. All three superstars were booked strongly on WWE RAW’s final show before the pay-per-view, but McIntyre looked the most promising.

#2 Flopped on WWE RAW: Dana Brooke

Dana Brooke was not t her best on WWE RAW this week

This week on WWE RAW, Dana Brooke and Mandy Rose teamed up with Asuka to take on Charlotte Flair, Nia Jax, and Shayna Baszler. The six women share a long history inside the ring. Unfortunately for Brooke, she ended up looking like the weakest performer during the match. A couple of her spots involving Nia Jax were also botched.

Towards the end of the match, Brooke was left inside the ring with Baszler. None of her offenses landed on one-half of the women’s tag team champions. However, she kept Baszler distracted long enough for Asuka to hit a Shining Wizard from behind. Asuka then pinned Baszler for the win on WWE RAW.

Interestingly, we also saw Alexa Bliss and her friend Lilly observing ‘someone’ during this match. It appears that Bliss has her eyes on one of the six aforementioned superstars, and that includes the tag team champions. It will be interesting to see which feud will kickstart on WWE RAW following WrestleMania Backlash.

#3 Impressed on WWE RAW: Asuka

Asuka was excellent on WWE RAW this week

This week’s episode of WWE RAW proved why Asuka is one of the best performers in the women’s division of the company. Ahead of the crucial title match at WrestleMania Backlash, Sonya Deville revealed on the show that Rhea Ripley and Asuka will face each other in a singles match. This, of course, was Charlotte Flair’s idea who was present at ringside during this bout.

Asuka was impressive right from the start. Although Ripley unleashed her brutality inside the squared circle, The Empress was far from intimidated. She managed to land successful counters and forced the champion to step back on multiple occasions during WWE RAW. At one point, she took out both Flair and Ripley with a hip attack off the top of the announcement desk. Towards the end, she was understandably tired as it was her second match of the night.

Asuka came close to sealing the match, but Ripley countered with a Riptide that helped her pick a big win. Despite losing the match, Asuka looked good inside the ring, and she still poses a big threat to Ripley’s title reign. She will go up against two heels at WrestleMania Backlash when they fight for the WWE RAW Women’s Championship. Asuka was impressive in both her matches tonight, and she is bound to steal the show at the upcoming pay-per-view.