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It almost seemed as if this week's edition of WWE RAW would be a very standard affair until the very last hour when Mustafa Ali joined RETRIBUTION. Until then, WWE RAW featured a countdown clock that was ticking down to an apology from Seth Rollins, one of the most ridiculous things one has seen in the history of the show.
However, in retrospect, this was not the worst episode of WWE RAW and enough plot points advanced to give it a thumbs up, despite the fact that a lot of 'nothing' happened as well. So, let's look at the good, bad, and ugly from WWE RAW this week, and gauge whether the show was a success or if it was a bust.
As always, your opinions may differ from those expressed in this column and you are invited to share your thoughts in the comments.
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#1 Best: After weeks of getting bullied on WWE RAW, Murphy turns babyface
Many wrestling fans say that the Seth Rollins 'Monday Night Messiah' storyline on WWE RAW has been a complete failure, especially if you consider how 'over' the man was, back when he was the Beast Slayer and the Kingslayer, but there has been a very clear benefit as a result of the storyline, and that comes in the form of Dominik Mysterio, who has become one of the biggest stars in the company in almost no time.
But Murphy could be the man to benefit the most from the storyline with Aalyah Mysterio and a feud with his former mentor Seth Rollins, in the weeks that follow. On WWE RAW this week, Murphy became a babyface and many dramatic moments await this young man as he goes on a redemption arc in the weeks that follow.
#1 Worst: Yet another episode of WWE RAW, where Lana goes through another table
Listen, the sight of Lana going through yet another table on WWE RAW was just disturbing in a lot of ways. She is clearly being punished for Miro's comments about the brass ring on AEW Dynamite, and the very fact that she is signed to the company and cannot leave for a while does not mean that she should go through a table every week.
Hopefully, things change for the better once the draft happens, so that Lana can come into her own as a wrestler or a manager on either WWE RAW or SmackDown, and makes a fresh start.
It's just that having her go through a table just feels very petty and for the company to bury active talent on their roster in this manner, week after week could just harm the locker room morale.
There is a reason why so many performers are looking for alternative places of employment, and this is not a good sign for WWE.
#2 Best: Mustafa Ali goes hard on WWE RAW...right into the RETRIBUTION faction
Mustafa Ali was a big part of 205 Live and of course, he had a great showing on the SmackDown brand as well, but what happened this week on WWE RAW, with him being showcased as the leader of RETRIBUTION has to be the biggest career achievement for the promising young man. RETRIBUTION needed a leader as well, from the WWE RAW roster, because none of the masked men could have been realistically able to be in the same league on the microphone as someone like MVP. And so, with Mustafa Ali leading RETRIBUTION, the equation has changed and this feud has entered a new level.
The outpouring of support for Mustafa Ali on social media has been immense and everyone seems thrilled at what transpired on WWE RAW this week.
One hopes that this newly accrued momentum for Mustafa Ali can lead RETRIBUTION into a full-fledged feud with The Hurt Business following the draft. Whether it happens on WWE RAW or SmackDown, it's guaranteed to be good.
#2 Worst: A terrible WWE RAW skit featuring Bianca Belair airs
Somehow everything that was cool about Bianca Belair just dissipated after this skit on WWE RAW, where she came across as a know-it-all and an annoying one at that. Bianca Belair should be in the ring, proving why she is the roughest, the toughest and the strongest instead of participating in these silly skits, that do far more harm to her character than help her. She has only been a shade of what she used to be on NXT ever since she arrived on WWE RAW, and if this continues, her path to the WWE RAW Women's Championship may not be smooth.
The amount of silliness on WWE RAW and SmackDown can be absolutely unbearable at times.
But thankfully, the remedy is quite obvious and it is an easy fix for the WWE RAW Superstar, who just needs to step into the ring and showcase just what makes her the EST of WWE with her exceptional in-ring performances. Bianca Belair is a star and this needs to come across.
#3 Best/Worst: Two monsters clash on WWE RAW in an exhibition match
Keith Lee and Braun Strowman are two of the biggest men in the company, and for the duration that their clash lasted on WWE RAW this week, it did seem like Godzilla vs. King Kong in a battle of the big men. Unfortunately, it ended in yet another no-contest for Keith Lee on WWE RAW and this has become a disturbing trend for the man. Keith Lee will end up losing a lot of his momentum in this manner if it so happens that his matches keep ending in this particular manner.
As you may be aware, we lost Road Warrior Animal, who was a very important part of the Sportskeeda family not long ago, and so in a special treat for you guys, his widow, Kim joined us for a very special edition of Legion of RAW, where she joined Chris Featherstone in remembering her late husband and reviewing WWE RAW as well. Please do give it a moment of your time.
