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So, this was the response to the record-low viewership numbers for the WWE RAW brand last week? Rumors emerged that there would be drastic changes on the WWE RAW brand, but it doesn't seem like anything has changed from weeks past.
Remember how Seinfeld was a 'show about nothing'? WWE RAW seemed like it for most of the duration of the episode, until the Alexa Bliss and Randy Orton segment happened, One has to wonder how much of the show was actually necessary, and if one wouldn't have caught up on all the action in the highlights.
So, with that said, we'd love to present the best and worst of WWE RAW in the comments section below, for your reading pleasure.
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#1 Best: Alexa Bliss makes her big WWE RAW return this week
As bland as the rest of the episode was (in the words of SK Editor Alan Jose John, WWE RAW was as tasteless as tofu salad), what happened with Randy Orton and Alexa Bliss was pretty incredible indeed.
Yes, it was not right to keep her out of the mix in the build to the Firefly Inferno match, but the manner in which she returned felt like a horror story.
There is probably nobody nearly as expressive as Alexa Bliss in the entire WWE RAW roster, male or female, and when she sized up to Randy Orton, despite the difference in height, her presence more than made up for it. Alexa's Playground has a good ring to it, and I wonder if we'll go back to it at some point in the near future.
When The Fiend does return, as he invariably will at some point, this feud is pretty much guaranteed to kick into high gear in a pretty big way.
#1 Worst: Why does WWE RAW faction RETRIBUTION want to recruit someone they're defeating so regularly?
Remember how over Ricochet used to be when he first arrived on the WWE RAW brand, tangling with the likes of, among others, Brock Lesnar?
One has to wonder why Mustafa Ali wants Ricochet to join RETRIBUTION when he is suffering losses to the members of the unit. Plus, isn't it the same angle that we saw on WWE RAW, with Cedric Alexander and The Hurt Business not very long ago?
Something about RETRIBUTION in the WWE RAW brand just isn't working, and one has to wonder if the lack of consistency is a part of it. On the one hand, Mustafa Ali is upset at some of the members of RETRIBUTION following their losses, and in the following weeks, they are all on the same page once again.
Ricochet seems like someone who's far lower down the card than he should be, because, with all his attributes, he should be a far bigger WWE Superstar than he is right now.
#2 Best: Garza is back on WWE RAW and picking up wins
It's great to see Angel Garza return to WWE RAW this week, and immediately pick up a win over Drew Gulak in the ensuing contest. Yes, a win over Drew Gulak may not mean much in the current scheme of things, but at least he's back and getting TV time on WWE RAW. One has to believe that he has immense singles potential, and he was being wasted as a tag team performer with Andrade.
Where Angel Garza really shines is during his backstage segments, and his interplay with Sarah Schreiber was pure gold this week. Angel Garza has oodles of charisma, can work his rear end off in the ring, and so, one has to assume that in time, he can be a fantastic heel on WWE RAW. Maybe there's a babyface turn somewhere down the road, waiting for him too.
Consistency is key and for Angel Garza to truly get over, he'll need to be prominently booked in the WWE RAW brand, every week.
#2 Worst: Are we back to square 1 with how Jeff Hardy lost to Bobby Lashley on WWE RAW?
Unless a new challenger steps up on WWE RAW next week, what happened this week makes no sense at all, honestly. Jeff Hardy and Riddle are clearly going to step up to The Hurt Business in the weeks to come, but will they come across as a threat, when they can't even dethrone the squad that's not the real tag team of the faction- MVP and Bobby Lashley? Why would anyone want to see Riddle and Jeff Hardy compete for the WWE RAW Tag Team Championships when they can't even go over the guys in the faction who don't hold the gold?
Does Vince McMahon understand Riddle's character at all, judging from the awful promo that name-dropped the Joe Rogan Experience?
The only good thing about the whole segment was how R-Truth photobombed The Hurt Business on WWE RAW, in what could be the most entertaining moment of the night, not involving Alexa Bliss and Orton.
#3 Best/Worst: The whole Sheamus and Keith Lee storyline on WWE RAW this week
Okay, so the question of whether Sheamus will turn on Keith Lee or vice versa is something that has to be one of the few things keeping the viewer intrigued on the WWE RAW brand. Honestly, the build to the rift and the role Drew McIntyre plays in their dynamic also add to the overall story, in our opinion.
However, why was everyone so polite and well-behaved in the main event of WWE RAW this week, one has to wonder?! Why were the babyfaces and heels both tagging in a match that was supposed to be, at its very core, a street fight?
Yes, if this was the response to the record-low ratings on WWE RAW last week, then one has to be disappointed in WWE. Do check out what former WCW Champion, Vince Russo, and Dr. Chris Featherstone have to say about the WWE RAW brand by clicking on the video above. WWE wouldn't need so many 'legends' night' if they just booked their current stars right!
