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WWE RAW had a lot of fantastic components for sure, but in an attempt to showcase all of them to mark the new season, it just seemed like there was no sense of cohesion, no real sense of keeping the viewer engaged for three long hours. Everything on WWE RAW should have been given some time to breathe, but it just seemed like everything was put together at the last minute, with no sense of direction.
Take the opening sequence from WWE RAW, for instance. RETRIBUTION strode to the ring to surround The Fiend and Alexa Bliss, and then suddenly, they mixed it up with The Hurt Business, once Bray Wyatt and his ally disappeared from the ring. The Fiend would reappear following the RETRIBUTION vs. Hurt Business match, and then take out the outlaw faction.
Let's just hope that the next episode of WWE RAW, once things settle down, is a better show. In any case, here's the best and worst of WWE RAW, this week.
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#1 Best: AJ Styles gets a bodyguard on WWE RAW
AJ Styles is one of the best performers not just on WWE RAW, but perhaps in the history of the business. But he was never the largest guy in the yard, and therefore, the sheer visual of him allying with Jordan Omogbehin, whom you may remember as the guard from RAW Underground is not necessarily a bad thing.
Back when AJ Styles was on SmackDown, they tried to do the same thing with Joseph Park/Abyss to an extent, but AJ Styles' bodyguard on WWE RAW just cuts a far more imposing figure. The big man also gets the rub through an alliance with AJ Styles, one of the most beloved (and as a consequence, despised, when he is a heel) figures in the business.
#1 Worst: The IIconics broke up to create the most random WWE RAW team in history
What was the point of splitting up Peyton Royce and Billie Kay, both of whom were great together when they were a part of WWE RAW to form the strangest alliance ever, with Lacey Evans and Peyton Royce? One has to hope that they were just put together for the time being as a loose alliance on WWE RAW, and that from next week on, they will both their own thing, separately.
The Asuka vs. Lana match was exactly how we expected it to play out, and the WWE RAW Women's Championship picture needs some realistic, believable contenders, at the moment. Couldn't some of the women who were a part of the match have instead, bided their time and entered the WWE RAW Women's Championship picture instead, one wonders? Billie Kay made it known that she wasn't a big fan of the new WWE RAW alliance on social media, and one has to agree because of how little chemistry Peyton Royce and Lacey Evans seem to have.
#2 Best: Otis brings the comedy to WWE RAW, and The Miz brings the fire
You may say that the idea of bringing Otis from SmackDown to WWE RAW immediately after the draft wasn't the best idea at all, and the same could also be said about The Riott Squad showing up on RAW, for a silly match. But Otis as a luchador was comedy gold, and while this brand of comedy may not be everyone's cup of tea, somehow this segment on WWE RAW just seemed to work. And then, The Miz cut one of the best promos of his career on WWE RAW, reminding us what a natural he is, on the microphone.
One of the criticisms leveled at the WWE RAW creative team is that a lot of Superstars aren't allowed to be, who they really are.
This is not the case with Otis at all, who remains very much himself, at this point in time. Let's just hope that his appearance on WWE RAW was one and done, because otherwise, the whole concept of the brand split will not make sense.
#2 Worst: Did RETRIBUTION get buried on WWE RAW?
The best thing about RETRIBUTION this week on WWE RAW was the promo that Mustafa Ali cut backstage, which was pouring with genuine emotion. However, it was very weird to see them lose to The Hurt Business and then to see The Fiend destroy all of them at once. RETRIBUTION is supposed to be a WWE RAW faction that we all fear and dread but they haven't done anything of note yet, and honestly, they all seem rather harmless.
Also, did The Fiend, who is doing well on his own, away from the RETRIBUTION storyline, need to suddenly be involved with them? It just seems too haphazard and convoluted at this point. Under no circumstances is it okay for RETRIBUTION to get run over by one man, as they were on this episode of WWE RAW.
What do you think Mustafa Ali can do as the hacker, to take the fight to The Hurt Business, The Fiend, and Alexa Bliss in all the weeks that follow?
#3 Best/Worst: The gates to hell through WWE RAW aren't really that robust
There was nothing really wrong with the final segment as Randy Orton cut a good promo to close WWE RAW out, and then Drew McIntyre came out with bolt cutters and with the utmost of ease, broke through the chains that locked the Hell in a Cell cage. And then, when it just seemed like things would get interesting, WWE RAW ended.
Had the segment happened at some point earlier during the night, it would have been far more interesting. The whole Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton feud on WWE RAW has been the very definition of Best/Worst, where there's nothing wrong with it per se, but it just seems like everything has been stretched out way past the expiry date.
However, that is just one person's opinion, and you are welcome to share your thoughts about WWE RAW in the comments. Also check out Dr. Chris Featherstone's thoughts about how this week's episode of WWE RAW played out, by clicking on the link shared above.
