WWE RAW - Best and Worst - Rhea Ripley involved with top babyface, 17-time champion joins faction, Cody Rhodes injured
Another week, another solid episode of WWE RAW. Quite a few things happened as the road to Crown Jewel heated up. New matches were made while existing storylines continued to progress.
The Judgment Day's saga with Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso continued seamlessly while Drew McIntyre, Becky Lynch, and others were in action.
So, without further ado, let's look at the main positives and negatives from tonight's episode of WWE RAW.
#3. Best: A simple angle to bookend WWE RAW
While not the most epic show-long story thread, Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso's angle with The Judgment Day on WWE RAW was solid. They opened the show with a promo that turned violent, leading to an ankle injury for The American Nightmare.
Main Event Jey took on Damian Priest in the, you guessed it, main event. Interference from Finn Balor gifted Señor Money in the Bank the win before Rhodes limped his way to the ring. He managed to save Jey Uso from a post-match beatdown while saving most of the tasty action for Crown Jewel.
Priest will face Cody Rhodes in Saudi Arabia, as the stage is finally being set for the feud-ending War Games Match at Survivor Series.
#2. Worst: Piped in boos
Dominik Mysterio is legitimately one of the top heels on WWE RAW. He gets tremendous heat from audiences, but the company still feels the need to add more sound. Organic reactions have made Dirty Dom a great villain, but the piped-in boos have become pretty distracting lately.
It was noticeable during his segment with Logan Paul. The audio on Dominik Mysterio's microphone was also turned down, which is counterproductive. Following his success on WWE RAW, he should be trusted to garner that kind of heel heat regularly, especially with Paul alongside him.
#2. Best: Tozawa joins the Academy
Akira Tozawa is one of WWE RAW's understated MVPs. He is always up to wacky antics backstage, but now it seems like the Japanese star will get some direction. Tozawa has officially joined Alpha Academy. While it is unknown how long he will remain in the faction, it is a fun change.
Tonight's episode of WWE RAW saw Akira Tozawa get squashed by Bronson Reed, but this can turn into a heartwarming tale of friendship and perseverance. It will be interesting to see how Chad Gable helps to improve the former 24/7 Champion and how far he can go.
At the very least, Tozawa will deliver some laughs in a prominent role on the red brand. He finally has some direction.
#1. Worst: What was that promo?
The contract signing for the Women's World Championship match at Crown Jewel delved into chaos. While the action was fine, what preceded it confused the fans on WWE RAW. Nia Jax's promo felt long and cringeworthy.
She spoke slowly to "mock" the crowd before it was mercifully cut short. Rhea Ripley avoided the brawl, as Jax and Raquel Rodriguez were left on their own in the ring. They went back and forth before the Samoan star ended up on top.
If Nia Jax does become champion at Crown Jewel, we can only hope she will cut better promos than what we witnessed tonight.
#1. Best: Rhea Ripley is a busy woman
The women's contract signing wasn't Rhea Ripley's main contribution to WWE RAW tonight. She is actively looking to get some top babyfaces onside with The Judgment Day. Mami offered Seth Rollins a spot in the group, promising him equal standing to Roman Reigns.
While initially rejected, Ripley allowed The Visionary time to think about it. She then emerged during Drew McIntyre's match against Sami Zayn. Her distraction eventually helped The Scottish Warrior win, raising doubts in Rollins' mind.
The Judgment Day's involvement in the World Heavyweight Championship match at Crown Jewel makes it even more exciting. Something big is going down. What if this is all a smokescreen from Rhea Ripley, allowing Damian Priest to cash in his Money in the Bank contract easily?