When the only thing you really liked about RAW is an axe-throwing contest, you know something’s gone wrong somewhere. Don’t get me wrong, Asuka was on top form once again, plus Kevin Owens is back, but it wasn’t enough to give RAW a much-needed boost in the ratings. We had the Women’s Tag Team Championships on the line, a Brand to Brand Invitational with King Corbin showing up, and plenty of other things going down, but nothing stood out at all.

Quick Results

Murphy def. Humberto Carrillo via pinfall

Charlotte Flair def. Ruby Riott via submission

Bobby Lashley def. R-Truth via submission

Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross def. The Iiconics via disqualification

Shayna Baszler def. Natalya via submission

Kevin Owens & Apollo Crews def. Angel Garza & Andrade via pinfall

Aleister Black def. Murphy via disqualification

Drew McIntyre def. King Corbin via pinfall

Eat, Drink, And Throw Some Axes

God bless the Street Profits and Viking Raiders. In a segment that shouldn’t work at all, it was just what we needed to lighten up the evening and bring some enjoyment to the show. Last week, Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins beat Ivar and Erik in a basketball game, even if the Viking Raiders could’ve hustled them if they wanted to. This week, the Street Profits found themselves in unfamiliar territory.

A handful of people dressed in Viking attire drank, cheered, and made a lot of noise as Ford and Dawkins came to challenge the Viking Raiders to an axe-throwing challenge. It was silly and awkward, but both teams made it watchable with their over-the-top action. Montez Ford failed to hit the target until one shot towards the end landed in the bullseye. Dawkins was much the same, except he hit the target with his back turned as a cop car pulled up and seemed pretty annoyed that someone had thrown an axe through their windscreen.

Thankfully, the police let them all off after giving them a telling off. The funniest moment of the segment came when the female police officer said she thought Erik was handsome, although Ivar wasn’t. It looked completely ridiculous on paper, and I think many won’t appreciate the silliness of it all, but kudos for both teams for having a laugh and lightening the mood, especially with everything going off in the world.

Kevin Owens Returns

Five years on from his RAW debut, Kevin Owens returned for a special episode of The Kevin Owens Show. Granted, Natalya didn’t leave the set in particularly good shape, but as always the show turned out to be very eventful. He welcomed to the ring Andrade, Angel Garza, and Austin Theory, led by Zelina Vega. The previous few weeks have been tumultuous, to say the least, and tonight would be no different. After spouting nonsense about how everyone liked to gossip about the current mood amongst her associates, Owens said there was another guest he’d like to introduce to the ring: Apollo Crews. He rushed towards the ring and went straight for Andrade, which isn’t a surprise with him being the reason Crews missed out on a spot in the men’s money in the bank match.

Kevin Owens & Apollo Crews vs Angel Garza & Andrade

In an impromptu match, Crews was the standout. He was back and he meant business, and after landing a devastating toss powerbomb on Angel Garza, he got the victory for his team. After the match, Austin Theory was attacked by Garza and Andrade, removing any dissension amongst the ranks, brutally beating him down at ringside. What WWE did next with Theory stood out as one of the better moments of the night, especially being someone who doesn’t like Theory that much.

Backstage, a match between Apollo Crews and Andrade for the United States Championship was confirmed during an interview with Crews and Zelina Vega for next week. Zelina brought the challenge and said if he wanted to walk again, he shouldn’t take the match. Being the warrior that he is, Crews welcomed it with open arms. Let’s hope it last for longer than five minutes this time.

In Celebration Of An Empress

This week’s show started off by reminding the WWE Universe about Becky Lynch’s pregnancy, as well as Asuka’s win at Money in the Bank being about more than a number one contender opportunity. Her victory meant she was the new RAW Women’s Champion, and she was all ready to celebrate her latest accomplishment. Her best friend and fellow Kabuki Warrior Kairi Sane was more than happy for Asuka, acknowledging all the championships she had won since being a part of WWE. It’s amazing to think what Asuka’s accomplished, especially after her WWE career looked uncertain following the horrendous storyline with James Elsworth. If anyone deserves to be a champion other than Becky Lynch, it’s her.

Perhaps the most controversial female Superstar in WWE is Nia Jax, more famous for her destructive and careless actions in a wrestling ring. It wasn’t long ago where she looked to seriously injure Kairi Sane by launching her awkwardly at the turnbuckle, but for some reason, she keeps getting a push. I’m not a huge fan of her, not just because of her clumsiness, but because I don’t like her character. She’s bad on the mic, has limited ability in the ring, and overall tries too hard to be a heel. All the best bad guys in professional wrestling do so naturally, and every time Nia gets on the mic it feels so forced.

Regardless, Nia Jax made her way to the ring and decided to tell Asuka why she deserved to be champion and not her. Thank God for Auka’s quick feet. She landed a flying hip attack and knocked her out of the ring. Their issues would continue throughout the night, firstly with Nia Jax launching Sane into some storage boxes as she continued to play her flute solo backstage. Again, this looked really nasty, but I don’t know if it’s because I’m waiting for Jax to hurt someone again due to her fine form for it in the past.

Asuka found Sane and was considerably annoyed. As she went off to find Nia Jax, The Irresistible Force appeared from the shadows and did her ‘angry’ face for the cameras. When Asuka did find her later on, she got in her face, but Nia Jax just walked off. Big mistake! Asuka took exception to her rudeness and kicked her in the face with aplomb. There’re plenty of other women on RAW that would’ve made for a much more interesting feud for Asuka, but Nia Jax is the first, so let’s hope she beats her at Backlash (assuming the match will be made) and moves on to the next challenger.

The Messiah’s Next Disciple

Following on from his Money in the Bank loss to Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins was noticeably different last week. When he brutally attacked Rey Mysterio, it seemed as though he could be going through a bit of a transformation. However, as he walked to the ring with Murphy this week, he looked as peaceful as only The Monday Night Messiah could. I’m actually a big fan of the current gimmick, and this is the best we’ve seen of Seth Rollins with a mic in his hands. He called the attack on Mysterio cathartic, stating that Rey would understand the blessing bestowed upon him. Mysterio’s friend, Humberto Carrillo came out, clearly not happy with Seth’s actions, but before he could lay a finger on him, Murphy stepped in.

Murphy vs Humberto Carrillo

Even though Carrillo tried to get some revenge, Rollins helped to distract him, which allowed Murphy to finish him off with Murphy’s Law. The beating continued after the bell until Aleister Black intervened. Black and Murphy were scheduled to have a match later on, but with Murphy being a loyal follower of Rollins, he fought Carrillo on his behalf. As far as matches go, we saw a little bit of a spark between Carrillo and Murphy, but like almost every match this week, it finished long before it should.

Murphy vs Aleister Black

I had such high hopes for this one, but I understand why it ended so soon, and if other matches had lasted longer, I wouldn’t have minded as much. These two are, without a doubt, front-runners to lead the future of WWE into a new era, but this match didn’t showcase their abilities as much as it could. Black got in a lot of offensive with his quick feet, but Rollins had an ace in the hole, and it came in the form of Austin Theory. I liked how they set this up a lot. It was only minutes before that Theory had been left beaten by his former stablemates, Angel Garza and Andrade. Having Rollins offer a hand to a vulnerable and beaten Superstar like Theory laid a solid foundation for things to come. Rollins pointed to the ring, and Theory was glad to follow his orders. After attacking Black, he dropped him with an ATL, but only with Rollins’ clench of the fist.

One thing I did notice was how Murphy reacted to Rollins and Theory’s embrace. To say he looked unhappy was an understatement. Personally, I’d love to see Murphy go his separate way and become a potential opponent for Rollins. He’s so much more than a lackey, but it might take a match with Austin Theory first. I may be getting ahead of myself, so focusing on what happened tonight, it was a great move by creative to give Theory a new lease of life under Rollins’ wing.

A Claymore Fit For A King

The Brand to Brand Invitational made its presence known on RAW for the first time, as King Corbin came to face the current WWE Champion, Drew McIntyre. Corbin couldn’t help but play the heel from the moment he arrived, slating the catering and general running of Monday Night RAW. The two were due to fight and the end of the show, but a certain Bobby Lashley and MVP would play a role in the main event.

R-Truth vs Bobby Lashley

Earlier in the night, MVP stated how he wanted to help Lashley to bring the old Lashley back, assuming he meant the Lashley before the horrendous storyline with Lana happened. He used to be so dominant in the ring, and MVP was keen on helping him out. R-Truth felt that aggression in spades, at one point being launched into the corner post from the shoulders of Lashley. It was all over when Lashley locked in the full nelson, leaving R-Truth reeling in the ring.

Before Drew McIntyre faced King Corbin, MVP wanted to turn Lashley’s attention to Drew McIntyre, so they headed to the top of the ramp just before the bell rang. MVP said McIntyre was on notice, and Lashley and himself would be watching closely.

Drew McIntyre vs King Corbin

We were finally given a decent match, with Corbin trying his best to overcome the power of Drew McIntyre. Things looked to move in Corbin’s favour after he dropped McIntyre with a superplex from the top rope. Drew hit a Future Shock DDT, and almost hit a Claymore until Corbin countered with a Deep Six. However, it wouldn’t be long before McIntyre caught Corbin with a Claymore, laying out the King of the Ring champion and getting the pin.

As the match ended, MVP and Lashley stared down McIntyre, leading to a potential showdown between the two. I’m all for these two going at it, but Lashley needs some personality. Even when he’s trying to be a heel he comes off as boring. Maybe this newfound partnership with MVP will help him out.

Highs And Lows From The Rest Of The Show

Highs

Edge coming out an accepting Randy Orton’s challenge for Backlash was inevitable, but that doesn’t stop both men killing it on the microphone. I don’t agree with calling it “the best wrestling match ever,” but it will still be one for the ages, especially if Edge can wrestle remotely like he used to before retiring. They have superb chemistry together, and if Backlash solely featured these two guys, I’d still watch.

Natalya and Shayna Baszler was probably the second-best match of the evening, and the way Natalya reacted could provide something entertaining over the next few weeks. The women’s division on RAW isn’t exactly on fire at the moment, and I’d be a big fan of Nattie turning heel. She could very well disappear for a while – something Samoa Joe suggested on commentary – but I’d rather she stuck around and helped rebuild the division in Becky Lynch’s absence. Asuka needs more challengers than Nia Jax, and Natalya is right near the top.

Lows

I’m sure I’m not the only one who expected The Iiconics to become new Tag Team Champions, but it wasn’t to be. They didn’t even have a good match, another one finishing far too early. Not only was it short, but it ended with a weird disqualification call. It got worse when Billie Kay slapped Peyton Royce backstage, potentially hinting at them breaking up. They’re the only real tag team in the women’s division, and to split them up would be a real shame.

Charlotte Flair took on Ruby Riott in a non-title match, but it was just another opportunity to highlight Charlotte Flair’s impressive record. She’s working harder than most at the moment, and although I’m a huge fan of hers, squashing Ruby Riott like that was a waste. It highlights how little WWE seem to think of the women of RAW, and this did nothing for the brand.

Liv Morgan delivered a promo about how much of an inspiration her mother is to her, and how the loss to Charlotte Flair affected her. She keeps losing, and although she has a great look and has talent in the ring, it seemed out of place and a waste of her natural ability to entertain.

Final Thoughts

It’s difficult to enjoy RAW right now. There’re so many storylines happening, but very few are being given the time to breathe. As for the actual wrestling, the main event was the only match worth watching, and it’s something really affecting my enjoyment at the moment.

Aleister Black and Murphy’s match could have been fantastic, but instead, it fizzled out due to Seth Rollins acquiring a new ‘disciple.’ I’m warming to Rollins as The Monday Night Messiah, and when Rey Mysterio returns I’d love the two of them to have a match. For now, though, Austin Theory’s new path could create some interesting dynamics amongst Murphy and Rollins.

The Women’s Tag Team Championship match was another one I had high hopes for, but it ended far too soon and lacked a satisfying conclusion. Much of this week’s show felt like too many cooks spoiling the broth. Asuka brought it once again, but the painfully bland Nia Jax did nothing to build her new run as RAW Women’s Champion.

The RAW women’s division as a whole is lacking any standout Superstars at the moment. SmackDown has the likes of Bayley, Sasha Banks, Naomi, and Lacey Evans standing tall in the division, and until the likes of Liv Morgan, Ruby Riott, and Natalya stop being treated as jobbers, it could get a lot better.

Finally, the Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley angle could end up working really well. They’re both superior athletes who know their way around a wrestling ring, but Lashley needs to evolve his angry big man persona before it fizzles out completely.

All images and videos courtesy of WWE