There was a lot to like about this week's episode of WWE RAW, and honestly, while nothing extraordinary happened, there were far more positives than negatives. Unfortunately, SmackDown did not invade WWE RAW which is what a lot of people look forward to, in the build to Survivor Series, but one has to assume that will happen closer to the actual pay-per-view.
How would you rate this week's episode of WWE RAW out of 10, and if you could, what would you have changed about the show were you booking? Be sure to leave a comment in the section below about this week's episode of WWE RAW and tell us your own 'Bests' and 'Worsts' too.
#1 Best: Riddle gets a new and not-so-improved name, and also a massive WWE RAW push
It's totally and absolutely understandable if you're not a fan of the shortened name that Matt Riddle will go by, on WWE RAW, but at the same time, there is no doubt at all that Vince McMahon is high (no pun intended) on Riddle. Not only did he pick up two victories on WWE RAW this week, but there was also a comedy segment that was actually quite funny, where he had a nickname for each and every member of the WWE RAW Survivor Series team.
As funny as all the nicknames were, calling Braun Strowman 'mongoose' and Sheamus 'fire face' made more than one person in Sportskeeda pop big time. Also, can we commend AJ Styles, a man who always used to let his work in the ring do all the talking, for stepping up and becoming a fantastic comedic figure on the WWE RAW brand, based on his work over the last two weeks alone?
#1 Worst: A possible injury could throw Survivor Series plans into disarray
One of the Superstars who's been getting a major push since the brand split has been Mandy Rose, whose momentum has not waned since her feud with Sonya Deville on the WWE SmackDown brand. She was a part of the Survivor Series team and an important component at that. Unfortunately, on the road to Survivor Series, it does seem like she has suffered an unfortunate injury. While the severity of her injury is not known yet, it would be a shame if she is replaced in the Survivor Series team.
Injuries are always unfortunate and while it is too easy to point the finger at Nia Jax at this point in time, injuries are a part of the business and that is what happened on WWE RAW this week. Who would you ideally like to see step in in case Mandy Rose cannot make it to Survivor Series 2020? Naomi could be a good replacement or even Alexa Bliss, if WWE wants to go down that route next week.
#2 Best: Ricochet and Mustafa Ali remind us that they are absolute top-tier talents with a pretty great WWE RAW match
Easily the best match of the night was the one between Ricochet and Mustafa Ali on WWE RAW, which was a clash that both men needed to remind us just how good they are. Even though these men could have ripped it up just as easily without the RETRIBUTION gimmick, it just feels like Mustafa Ali is a bigger star now, after being unveiled as the leader of the WWE RAW faction. Irrespective of what your thoughts about the heel stable may be, it could be the best thing to have happened to the WWE RAW star yet.
One has to assume that nobody would be opposed to seeing Ricochet mix it up with Mustafa Ali over the following weeks.
It is still confusing as to where WWE RAW is going with the whole RETRIBUTION angle right now, but if we get some good matches from it, nobody would mind one guesses. Maybe they could trade wins on the WWE RAW brand.
#2 Worst: No plans for Tucker on WWE RAW at all. Why was Heavy Machinery even split up, to begin with?
Had Tucker from WWE RAW and Otis from SmackDown become a part of the Survivor Series teams, it would have been interesting to see the eventual showdown between the two former best friends. Unfortunately, that is not the case, considering both WWE RAW star Tucker and Otis will not be a part of the proceedings at Survivor Series. Does it make sense, in hindsight, to split up Heavy Machinery and turn Tucker heel on the WWE RAW brand then, especially if he's a part of the 24/7 Championship picture?
Even Otis took a loss to Seth Rollins on SmackDown and it just speaks volumes about just how much faith Vince McMahon has lost in him.
We are probably not going to see Otis vs. Tucker until the Royal Rumble, if that, and one just hopes that the latter is booked strongly enough on WWE RAW to be seen as a worthy contender at the time.
#3 Best/Worst: A pretty solid main event, but do we need another rematch on WWE RAW between Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre?
What a cool spot this was from John Morrison and Drew McIntyre in the WWE RAW main event. The match was just as good as one would expect from two men of their caliber and once you throw in 4 other top WWE RAW Superstars into the mix, you know that you have the recipe for a fantastic main event match.
However, doing yet another WWE RAW match for the WWE Championship after the feud between these Drew McIntyre and Randy peaked at Hell in a Cell, just doesn't seem like an exciting prospect. Yes, the two men are in a feud at the moment, but WWE needed to let his feud breathe so that this match could have happened after Survivor Series was done and dusted.
Bro, if you enjoyed this review, do head on to the Sportskeeda YouTube page to check out what the 'King of Bros' Vince Russo had to say about this week's show.