5 things WWE RAW got right this week: Champion attacked; superstar undergoes character change
With Survivor Series WarGames on the horizon, the company built some fascinating rivalries on this week’s WWE RAW. The night started with the United States Champion standing tall in the ring and ended with him lying flat on the mat.
Meanwhile, Mia Yim joined the babyface team of Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss, and Asuka for Survivor Series WarGames. On the other hand, Rhea Ripley joined the heel team headed by Damage CTRL.
Chad Gable and Matt Riddle competed in a singles match, while Mustafa Ali looked to prove himself against Bobby Lashley.
Overall, it was a solid show with strong matches and entertaining segments. Take a look at the five things WWE RAW got right on this week’s show.
#5. Mustafa Ali held his own against Bobby Lashley
United States Champion Seth Rollins kicked off WWE RAW and talked about defeating Austin Theory last week. He laughed off Theory’s failed attempt at cashing in on his Money in the Bank contract.
Rollins claimed that he made the US Championship the top title on the brand before Bobby Lashley walked in. The All Mighty wanted a shot at the title, but Rollins said he had already given him a chance last week.
Mustafa Ali came in and attacked Lashley before a match between the two superstars was set for RAW. The All Mighty dominated early and threw his opponent around the ring and into the ring post.
Lashley sent him over the announcers’ desk before the match continued inside the ring. Ali beat the 10-count and continued to get back on his feet every time the former WWE Champion took him down. Lashley took him down with a Spear and then applied the Hurt Lock for the win.
Mustafa Ali could not get much offense in the match, but he showed a lot of heart. He took a beating from The All Mighty before losing the contest. WWE is rebuilding Lashley as an unstoppable force, which is always good to see. He will likely face Rollins for the United States Championship in a top match soon.
#4. Alpha Academy benefitted from another win on WWE RAW
Alpha Academy wanted to see if Matt Riddle was up to the challenge on this week’s WWE RAW. Chad Gable took on The Original Bro in a singles match on this week’s show.
Gable took control early on and looked to punish Riddle. The Original Bro fired back with a big kick and hit a gut-wrench suplex, followed by a Broton that Gable countered.
Otis provided a distraction from the outside to allow Gable to come back into the match. He hit a German Suplex but could not put him away. Riddle hit the Death Valley Driver before getting caught in the Ankle Lock.
The Bro fought out and hit a draping DDT before Otis distracted him and did not let him hit the RKO. Gable took advantage and rolled up Riddle while Otis held his partner’s feet down to get the pinfall win.
It was good to see Alpha Academy pick up another major victory on RAW. Otis and Gable are good in the ring, and the win will allow Riddle and Elias to team up down the road for a tremendous tag team rivalry.
#3. Johnny Gargano upped the stakes in the rivalry between The Miz and Dexter Lumis
The Miz came out on WWE RAW to defend himself. He said the accusations against him were wrong and that last week's documentary was merely him playing along to make it successful.
Johnny Gargano came out to add salt to The Miz’s wounds. He said that The A-Lister was lying. The Rebel Heart booked a match between The Miz and Dexter Lumis, saying that if Miz loses, he would have to pay Lumis the money he owes him and a WWE contract.
The Tortured Artist showed up, and Miz ran away to save himself as the segment ended. RAW is building this rivalry well, and Gargano is playing a solid part in it.
Lumis and Gargano have a lot of history from their time in NXT, and it’s good to see them work together in another top rivalry.
The creative team needs to get the matches between Miz and Lumis going so that the latter can start competing in the ring again.
#2. Austin Theory and Dolph Ziggler put on a solid show on Monday night
Austin Theory was backstage on WWE RAW and claimed that Bobby Lashley cost him his Money in the Bank cash-in. Dolph Ziggler appeared and talked him down, calling his cash-in the worst of all time. It led to a match between the two later on RAW.
The Unproven One went hard on the veteran early in the match and tried to slow him down with a headlock. Ziggler caught his opponent on the ropes and looked to dismantle him, but the 25-year-old fired back with a clothesline.
He sent Dolph into the ring post before the veteran hit a DDT. Theory hit The A-Town Down for a near fall and got frustrated. Ziggler hit the Famouser for a near fall before being thrown into the ring post again.
The Show-Off hit the ZigZag before Theory hit The A-Town Down twice and unloaded on Ziggler. He sent him to the announcement table, and timekeeper's area before the referee called off the match. Officials had to take Theory away before he could injure Ziggler on RAW.
The match between the two superstars was solid, and the rivalry will help Theory grow. He needed to come across as a vicious heel to be taken seriously after losing the Money in the Bank briefcase. It was the perfect way for him to come back after losing his briefcase.
#1. Seth Rollins defeated Finn Balor before being attacked on WWE RAW
Seth Rollins defended his United States Championship against Finn Balor in the show's main event. The Visionary mocked his opponent before being sent outside the ring and into the announcers’ desk.
Rollins worked on Balor’s injured arm and sent him outside the ring before leveling him with a big dive. He hit a Slingblade inside the ring and went for the Frog Splash, but Balor got his knees up.
The two men exchanged some good moves before fighting to the top rope. Rollins hit a Superplex before The Prince got the 1916 but could not put the United States Champion away.
Judgment Day showed up after Rollins hit the Falcon Arrow and got another near fall. Balor nearly got a roll-up win off a distraction before The O.C. came out to attack Judgment Day. Balor was about to pick up a win, but AJ Styles got in his way.
The confusion allowed Rollins to hit Stomp for the win. After the match, Austin Theory showed up and hit the United States Champion with The A-Town Down before posing with the title to end RAW.
Rollins and Balor put on a great show before The O.C. cost The Prince a chance to win the title. Theory’s appearance made the entire segment more enjoyable. He will likely continue to target Rollins for the title.