5 things WWE RAW got right this week: Superstar mocks "Stone Cold" Steve Austin; Seth Rollins loses another chance for WrestleMania
Seth Rollins arrived on another episode of WWE RAW hoping to get a spot at WrestleMania 38. While fans expected Cody Rhodes to come out and challenge The Visionary, he had completely different plans.
He was among many superstars looking to push their stories for The Show of Shows. Omos continued to dominate on the show, but it's not yet clear whether he will feature at WrestleMania or not.
Becky Lynch cut a promo to take a shot at Bianca Belair before their match for the RAW Women’s Championship. Meanwhile, RK-Bro defeated Alpha Academy before getting wiped out by an angry Otis on RAW.
Overall, it was an entertaining night of wrestling for fans. Take a look at the five things WWE RAW got right on Monday night.
#5. "Stone Cold" Kevin Owens kicked off WWE RAW to bring more heat towards his character
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin’s music hit as soon as WWE RAW went live. Instead of The Rattlesnake, Kevin Owens came out in an Austin shirt with a bald cap on his head to sell the look.
After defeating his friend Seth Rollins last week, Owens was ready to take things to the next level to push the rivalry. He used all of Austin’s catchphrases to deliver an entertaining promo to sell the character to a tee.
Austin’s music hit again, and KO pretended to be scared. However, the heel revealed that it was just another ruse. He hit a stunner to one of the staff at ringside after asking him to deliver a beer into the ring.
Owens was extremely entertaining on the mic. He is among a handful of top superstars who can play both babyface and heel characters perfectly. This segment helped take his rivalry with Austin to new heights.
Fans can expect Stone Cold to break all hell loose on the former Universal Champion at WrestleMania 38. Will he end up fighting KO in a match to end the event on Saturday night?
#4. Omos continued to improve as he picked up a big win in a handicap match
Omos and Commander Azeez had a decent match on WWE RAW last week. This week, Azeez and Apollo Crews challenged Omos to a handicap match.
The two men tried to get the better of the giant by splitting up. However, Omos did not fall for their tricks and knocked Crews down with ease.
He lifted Azeez to showcase his strength again and hit an impressive body slam. He hit the former Intercontinental Champion with a chokebomb and piled the two men up for the pinfall win.
It was another dominant display from the giant to push ahead on the RAW roster. When Omos and Azeez had their first staredown, it looked like the latter would prove to be a real threat to the giant.
WWE did well to end the rivalry quickly and give Omos a dominant win. It will be interesting to see who steps up to the big man next. He is still not ready enough to enter the top title picture.
#3. Pat McAfee was heavily involved in the contest between Finn Balor and Austin Theory
Finn Balor competed against Austin Theory again this week on WWE RAW. Pat McAfee joined the commentary team for the match. He proved to be a distraction for Theory throughout the contest. The young star looked to intimidate his opponent for WrestleMania 38.
Balor took advantage of the situation at first, but Theory bounced back as the match progressed. Unfortunately, the match wasn’t about the United States Champion at all. The writers continued to build the rivalry between McAfee and Theory while The Prince did his best in the ring.
In the end, Theory fell prey to the distractions as Balor rolled him up for the win. The match wasn’t anything spectacular. That was certainly a disappointment, taking into account the talent involved.
However, McAfee did well in the commentary to breathe life into the contest. The finish helped him get the better of the young superstar before their match at WrestleMania 38.
Meanwhile, WWE will need to do something about Balor and his rivalry against Damian Priest. Will The Prince face The Archer of Infamy at The Show of Shows?
#2. AJ Styles and Seth Rollins put on a barn burner on WWE RAW
Seth Rollins failed to steal Kevin Owens’ WrestleMania spot on WWE RAW last week. This week, he interrupted AJ Styles and looked to take away his opportunity to face Edge at the show.
It did not make sense why Styles had to put his WrestleMania spot on the line in the match. However, fans got an epic contest between the two top superstars.
The two men started with some standard holds and counters to warm up. It took some time for them to pick up the pace. Once the two men got going, there was no stopping them.
The two world-class competitors showed great chemistry as they countered each other’s best moves. It was a contest that could have headlined any premium live event.
As The Phenomenal One prepared to hit the final move, Edge came out and nailed him with a steel chair to cause a disqualification. Styles picked up the win but suffered another attack from The Rated-R Superstar.
WWE did well to protect both men with the finish. Edge got more heat with his actions, while fans got to see a great match between the two stars.
#1. Seth Rollins sent a chilling warning to end the show
After Seth Rollins lost his match to AJ Styles by disqualification, he lost his cool. Out of sheer desperation, Rollins grabbed a mic and said WWE RAW won’t happen next week unless he gets his WrestleMania moment. The Visionary vented his frustration on WWE’s property and vandalized everything in sight.
It was a great way to keep Rollins relevant after failing to secure a spot at WrestleMania. WWE has already dropped hints about Cody Rhodes’ return, and he could come out next week to challenge the former WWE Champion.
Throughout the main event, fans were cheering for Rhodes. It was evident that they weren’t buying the story between AJ Styles and The Visionary. However, both men did not get put off by the chants and delivered a great match.
Nearly every year, fans see a top superstar scramble for a chance to feature at The Show of Shows. Rollins has a good story going, and he could end up having one of the best matches at WrestleMania 38.