WWE RAW - Best and Worst - Major reunion after 44 months, Rhea Ripley to break up with Dirty Dom?
Many things happened on the go-home episode of WWE RAW before Fastlane 2023. From massive teases to match announcements, tonight's show was pretty eventful.
Seth Rollins, Gunther, Jey Uso, and The Judgment Day, among others, contributed heavily to the episode. But what went well and what didn't? Let's look at the main positives and negatives of WWE RAW tonight.
#3. Best: Is "judgment day" near for The Judgment Day?
Rhea Ripley returned on WWE RAW and called out The Judgment Day's failings. Mami isn't happy after Dominik Mysterio lost his NXT North American Championship at NXT No Mercy.
If Dirty Dom fails to win his rematch against Trick Williams tomorrow, he's out of The Judgment Day. Ripley pretty much confirmed his potential fate, while Damian Priest openly disobeyed her orders, and Finn Balor wasn't even present.
Who knows, maybe The Judgment Day will be dead at this time next week. Balor and Priest will defend their Tag Team Titles against Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso at Fastlane, potentially ending the red brand's long-running saga.
#2. Worst: Not this week, Tegan (again)
It may have been out of everyone's hands, but Becky Lynch's inability to compete on WWE RAW left the show much worse. The Man suffered a pretty gruesome injury at No Mercy, postponing her match against Tegan Nox again.
Lynch will defend her NXT Women's Championship against Nox next week. The alternative plan for the Welsh star saw her defeat Chelsea Green. The Women's Tag Team Champion shouldn't suffer so many losses, especially with several other stars Tegan Nox could have faced instead.
#2. Best: Final build to Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura on WWE RAW
Seth Rollins had much to say on the final stop before his feud with Shinsuke Nakamura ends. The World Heavyweight Champion said he would leave everything in the ring at Fastlane to set an example for his daughter before things went sour.
Nakamura's promo on the titantron was a smokescreen for him to attack Rollins from behind. The Japanese star decimated The Visionary and counted to 10, offering a preview of their Last Man Standing Match.
Hopefully, Shinsuke Nakamura retains this sinister version of himself following Fastlane. Because of this, he has been one of the most compelling characters on WWE RAW.
#1. Worst: Why is Jey Uso returning to SmackDown?
Jey Uso joined WWE RAW because he was so fed up with everything going on with his family. He quit SmackDown and the company to get away from The Bloodline. This is why his upcoming appearance on the blue brand makes no sense.
With The Judgment Day set to appear on SmackDown, Cody Rhodes declared he and Jey will be there too. A confrontation with Jimmy Uso is almost guaranteed, but is it too soon? The former Bloodline member should remain on WWE RAW for months before the prospect of meeting his twin brother is even mentioned.
The American Nightmare showing up on SmackDown still makes sense. The difference between Cody and Jey Uso is that the former wants to confront The Bloodline, while the latter wants to escape them.
#1. Best: FINALLY
It seemed like Gunther's Intercontinental Championship match with Tommaso Ciampa would happen at Fastlane, but that wasn't the case. Their contract signing on WWE RAW led to the match happening tonight. Ciampa put on one hell of a fight in the main event but came up short.
The main story came after the match, as Johnny Gargano saved his best friend from an Imperium beatdown. So, after months of waiting, it finally happened. Gargano is back on WWE RAW, and DIY is back together. They haven't been an official tag team since January 2020.
This is a major positive for the tag division. If pushed correctly, Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa could become one of the top acts in the company. It'll be interesting to see what happens next, beyond their inevitable match against Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci.