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A lot of expectations rested against this week’s episode of Raw as we were already aware of a few matches and segments for the show.
However, once again, creative failed to take advantage of the hype and the talent at hand and made some questionable bookings that left us with quite a few questions after the show.
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Yet, there were some highlights from the show such as the opening segment involving Becky Lynch and Stephanie McMahon, followed by Ronda Rousey dismantling the Riott Squad.
We witnessed an above average tag team contenders match which surely helped elevate the tag team division of the red brand, and also watched two top female superstars make their way to the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.
At the end of the show, we learned quite a bit from this episode which will surely have an impact on the future of the show and the superstars involved. With that said, let's take a look at the 5 things we learned from Raw this week and analyze the same.
#5 The Revival could finally become champions
For a while, there have been rumours going around that The Revival have asked for their release from the company, and could be jumping ship to the all-new All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Even though that might be true, Scott Dawson recently addressed the speculation that the two men are not planning to leave Raw anytime before becoming Raw Tag Team Champions.
The Revival is arguably the best tag team on Raw right now, and their win in the number one contender’s match on Raw this week could signal towards them finally winning the championship.
It’s no secret that the duo and the WWE Universe are unhappy with the team’s position on Raw currently, but all that could change with the threat of AEW trying to secure top talent for the promotion.
This could all work in The Revival’s favour, as they may become Raw Tag Team champions for the first time at Elimination Chamber.
#4 Kurt Angle is far from done
When the news of Kurt Angle addressing Raw this week came out, none of us would have imagined him fighting in a match on the same night.
While most of us thought he'd make it to the ring to either announce his retirement or ask Stephanie McMahon to grant him the position of Raw General Manager once again, the same couldn't happen.
Baron Corbin and Drew McIntyre interrupted the Olympic Gold Medalist and taunted the veteran superstar before Braun Strowman showed up to take Angle's side. A match between the two teams was set which saw Angle compete for most of the time, showing that the veteran believes he still has something left in him.
This could mean that we will see Angle compete in a few more matches before he retires, and the finale could come at this year's WrestleMania where he could face Baron Corbin or some other star in his last match.
#3 Becky Lynch will not slip away
Becky Lynch may be injured, but she won’t back down from a fight.
This week Becky was officially invited to Raw by Stephanie McMahon. She’s made two huge unannounced visits on Raw in the past six months, once when she attacked Ronda Rousey in the locker room, and then again last week when she laid down the challenge to the Baddest Woman on the Planet. Both instances resulted in huge pops and an increase in ratings for the red brand.
While Becky has become one of WWE’s biggest stars of the decade, it’s obvious that she is afraid of slipping away into the mid-cards once again and being forgotten.
This resulted in the aggression she showed on Monday Night when Stephanie forbade her from competing unless she gets treatment for her injured knee and gets fit again, and later suspending her for refusing the orders.
Lynch’s attack on Stephanie and the WWE officials was a clear way of Lynch showing that she won’t be held down at all again.
#2 WWE will continue to tease intergender matches
While there have been instances where WWE has stayed away from intergender matches in the past, they have been teasing a few faceoffs since the Mixed Match Challenge.
Last year at WrestleMania, Kurt Angle teamed up with the newcomer Ronda Rousey to take on Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. While no man laid a finger on the women, Ronda got a chance to show off some offence on Triple H.
Since then, WWE has stepped up with their intergender faceoffs, having Nia Jax enter the Royal Rumble and eliminate Mustafa Ali before falling to a superkick, 619, and RKO from Dolph Ziggler, Rey Mysterio, and Randy Orton respectively before being eliminated.
Since then, we have seen Nia Jax attack Dean Ambrose from behind on the Raw after Royal Rumble, and the two have another faceoff at this weeks show.
Similarly, Becky Lynch too has teased a few matches against the men in WWE, and this week took out the WWE officials with a few punches and throws before being escorted out of the arena.
#1 Finn Balor’s size will continue to be picked on
Even though Finn Balor is arguably one of the best wrestlers in WWE today, he is also one of the lightest men from the two main brands at just 190lbs.
This has made him a target for some time now, as we are seeing him getting picked on since the past month. It started from Vince claiming that he didn’t have the ‘beef’ to match up to the other top guys on Raw and continue into the David vs Goliath story at the Royal Rumble.
Similarly, this week we saw Bobby Lashley and Lio Rush pick on at The Extraordinary Man before changing the scheduled Finn Balor vs Bobby Lashley bout to Balor vs Lio Rush.
This was done to highlight the fact that Balor matches up to 205 Live wrestlers in size, and could even be pushed down to the same division as Rush and other wrestlers who weigh less than 205lbs.
While it would be a big mistake if WWE went that way, we have seen Neville and many other superstars suffer the same fate before deciding to leave the company for good.
