Best and Worst of RAW: 2-Time WWE Champion to suffer a big defeat soon, Popular star loses another match

Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville (left); MVP and Omos (right)

It was an interesting episode of RAW - the second edition post-WrestleMania. There was a lot to look forward to, but unfortunately, the show didn't live up to fans' expectations.

Perhaps there was a bit too much expectation, but not having a world champion on RAW is affecting the show negatively. But that wasn't the only issue. Here were the ups and downs of a rather underwhelming episode this week:

#3. Best: MVP and Bobby Lashley's story

The All Mighty @fightbobby will show no mercy against @TheGiantOmos AND @The305MVP!

#WWERaw https://t.co/kRvhgAEmLR

A new feud has begun as MVP has aligned with Omos in favor of Bobby Lashley. While Lashley may have gotten the better of him on the first occasion at WrestleMania, they look to be set for another collision at WrestleMania Backlash.

This time, MVP has aligned with Omos and Lashley is the babyface who is well-loved by fans. The shift in dynamic was well-timed, and WWE pulled the trigger on MVP's turn when the time was right.

The promo battle was one of the highlights of RAW this week and built a good level of anticipation for the upcoming rematch.

#2. Worst: Liv Morgan suffers another defeat

Imagine being @YaOnlyLivvOnce right now; the title match you were booked to have gets changed yet you still lose to @NaomiWWE
#WWERaw
https://t.co/SEbTT3XtIx

Naomi appeared on RAW this week to face Liv Morgan. While the WWE Women's Tag Team Titles were supposed to be defended, it wasn't and the match was postponed to a week later. The only reason why is presumably a minor injury to Rhea Ripley.

Either way, Morgan suffered yet another defeat on RAW as she lost to Naomi. It's unfortunate that only earlier this year, she was one of the hottest female superstars in WWE, and now she has taken a dip again.

#2. Best: The twist with Sonya Deville and the RAW Women's Championship

"Your next opponent ... is ME!"

@SonyaDevilleWWE just signed the open contract to challenge @BiancaBelairWWE for the #WWERaw #WomensTitle! 😲😲😲 https://t.co/H0XZSnNQvS

Sonya Deville's abuse of authority got tiring with Naomi, but it has a fresh angle now. Bianca Belair was supposed to find out who her next challenger was, and even signed a contract in advance.

However, when Deville played the drumroll and the moment of anticipation came, it was the authority figure who attacked Belair from behind.

She would announce herself as the next in line for the RAW Women's title and signed the contract. Although it gave Bianca Belair a bad look, it was a nice way to re-introduce Sonya Deville, especially into the title picture.

#1. Worst: The random finish of AJ Styles vs. Damian Priest

👀 @ArcherOfInfamy #WWERaw https://t.co/GOQS4w8bMG

AJ Styles took on Damian Priest in a rematch from February on RAW. It should have been a crucial bout that furthered the storyline with Edge. Instead, there was an inconclusive finish as the lights went off, and Priest stood in the center of the ring frantically smiling while Styles disappeared backstage.

He did an interview a minute later, which made it all the more confusing. Why not simply go back to the ring? It was clearly a move to protect both superstars, but it wasn't well executed at all.

#1. Best: The Cody Rhodes-Miz segment and match

"What I NEED to do is win the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship!" - @CodyRhodes

#WWERaw https://t.co/sSFJS6SpZr

Cody Rhodes was in the first segment of RAW again as he appeared on Miz TV. Rhodes said years ago that The Miz works just as hard as John Cena without getting the same credit for it.

You could see that internally, both men have immense respect for each other. However, they did brilliantly to portray the opposite on TV. It led to a tense segment between two strong characters and also Cody Rhodes' first match on the red brand in over six years.

The match was a good one too, and the feud with Seth Rollins is intriguing now that the first match is done. The American Nightmare continues to impress nine days after his WWE return.