5 things RAW got right on the episode after TLC 2019 (December 16, 2019)
The recently concluded Tables, Ladders, and Chairs 2019 (TLC 2019) PPV had all three major titles from RAW missing (although Becky Lynch did compete for the Women's tag titles).
The RAW Tag Team Championships were the sole Red brand titles on the line at the event, as The Viking Raiders' open challenge was answered by The O.C. Even though The O.C. couldn’t win the titles, they returned this week to teach Erick & Ivar a lesson.
This week's episode also saw Asuka dispatch a new competitor easily, staking her claim for Lynch's title.
However, most of the drama circled the United States Champion Rey Mysterio and Seth Rollins and the Authors of Pain.
In this article, we will look at the five things that the company got right on the night after TLC 2019.
#5 Seth Rollins’ opening promo
Seth Rollins set the ball rolling (pun intended) last week after he paired up with Akam and Rezar to take down Kevin Owens backstage.
This week, the company did the right thing by allowing The Architect and the Authors of Pain to open the show. Rollins is always good on the mic when he’s playing a heel character, and coming out early on helps any Superstar build up momentum in the show.
The Beast Slayer in his opening speech said that K.O. paid for his resistance last week and called himself a visionary, promising to drag the fans into 2020 along with the A.O.P.
This cemented him as the self-proclaimed leader of RAW, someone who everyone will come to hate sooner than later and help him become a bigger heel. It was evident that he was masking his insecurities with his words, and this could work extremely well in the long term, especially against an outspoken opponent like Owens.
Rollins' speech, wherein he also claimed he had some unfinished business which he’ll tend to later on in the show, really helped set the mood for the rest of the night.