5 Biggest Takeaways from Monday Night Raw (January 10th, 2022)
Photo Credit: WWE.com
I like to keep things as positive as possible.
I like WWE.
I like AEW.
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As Raw inches closer towards the Royal Rumble, the show continues to move in the right direction. Each passing week brings fewer segments that the fans are groaning about and whereas we may only be 2 episodes in to 2022, Raw is batting a perfect 1.000 with great programming. Last night’s episode saw the first confrontation amongst titans, new champions, a break up, a new number 1 contender and the start of one of the most anticipated programs leading into Wrestlemania season. That is a lot packed into one episode but not any of it felt rushed or out of place in the night. I could spend the next hour praising WWE for turning around their flagship show but I’ll spare you guys the time. Instead, I’ll just jump right into the 5 biggest takeaways from last nights episode of Monday Night Raw. Here we go!
#5: Hurt Business Closed… Again
In a night that littered with great content, this part of the show was a downer. Of all the things WWE did wrong last year, the biggest flop was when they ended The Hurt Business for seemingly no reason at all. Just a little over a month ago, they seemed to rectify that mistake by putting the faction back together before Bobby Lashley would get his next push and the fans rejoiced. Only problem? It was only done for the name because Cedric & Shelton would only be seen by Bobby Lashley’s side for one night only before moving right back to the bottom of the show, doing nothing.
Looks like @Sheltyb803 & @CedricAlexander didn't take that news too well…#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/G4Bxl5isT7
— WWE (@WWE) January 11, 2022
So what happened this week shouldn’t have come as no surprise. Before Bobby and MVP would make their way out to confront Brock and Paul Heyman, Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin would try and say hello to their fellow Hurt Business friends but would be met with a distant Bobby. Lashley informed them that he didn’t need them and that he never needed them. This business arrangement was finished and he would leave them high and dry. After Lashley’s face to face with Brock, Alexander and Benjamin tried to attack Lashley out of frustration but would be dismantled for their trouble. Almost identical to how it was done just a year ago and now fans are once again left wondering what went wrong with The Hurt Business. You can expect a handicap match on next week’s show.
#4: Superhero No More
The Nikki, Almost a Super Hero, gimmick was met with a lot of flack from the fans. Whereas the kids were eating it up, the older audience just wasn’t buying it and for that, her championship run would be cut short. In true WWE fashion, they would pair her up with Rhea Ripley in the good ol’ opposites attract tag team scenario with the popular Rhea Ripley in hopes of turning things around for her. The pairing seemed to have worked for a short period of time and Nikki & Rhea would be rewarded with a tag team championship run. But much like the Woman’s championship run, the honeymoon would be short and that reign would end rather short as well. In the process, WWE started telling the story of self doubt creeping in on Nikki as she would eat pinfall after pinfall after pinfall. This lead most fans to speculate Rhea turning on Nikki, which would have made sense. Not so fast though as it would be Nikki who would end this friendship after Rhea tried to walk away and stay friends. Rhea wanted a handshake and a clean break but that wasn’t enough for Nikki. She snapped and laid Rhea out. As she left, she uttered the words “superhero’s don’t need friends!” She clearly won’t be a superhero moving forward and we all know what the exact opposite of that would be, the villain. This might have been the best thing to happen for Nikki moving forward as she has gone from fan favorite to channel changing talent. Should be very interesting to see where this character arc takes Nikki in the next few weeks leading into the beginning of Wrestlemania season.
#3: New Challenger
Becky Lynch was able to prevent Bianca Belair from becoming the next victim of fans turning against a fan favorite. Before her run would get stale, Becky stepped in and gave fans reason to get behind Bianca all over again. Liv Morgan was elevated from journey woman to main eventer in the women’s division in the span of 2 months during her feud with Becky. The women’s division for Raw went from stale and repetitive to exciting with fresh face challengers because now that Liv has had her time, Doudrop is next in line.
That was a mistake, @BeckyLynchWWE…@DoudropWWE#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/aFpPf2TuCg
— WWE (@WWE) January 11, 2022
Will Doudrop be leaving the Royal Rumble as the next champion? Is Doudrop going to be the one to dethrone Big Time Becks? Absolutely not. Much like Liv, this will be a trial run for Piper and will be the next challenger for Becky Lynch to elevate. This is the thing that makes Becky one of the best in the business. She makes superstars and she is able to do so almost effortlessly. Bianca was a fun challenge as she is stronger and faster than Becky. Liv was equally as fun as she played the underdog very well and with Becky’s help was able to get the fans to truly believe she was gonna overcome the odds. With Doudrop, the size and power will present a brand new challenge for Becky to figure out and if the last two challengers are any indication, Doudrop will be a main event player in no time.
#2: Alpha Champs
The bigger story here might be the beginning of the end for RKBRO but it would be a disservice to Otis and Chad Gable to not give them the spotlight here. Alpha Academy is a true tag team and having them win the tag team titles is a step in the right direction to make the tag team division it’s own again. With Street Profits and Dirty Dawgs being the only other true tag teams on the roster at the moment, the division will still need some help to get back but with the right amount of time and effort by WWE, it’s not an impossible task. Calling up a few teams from NXT would be a good start to help Alpha Academy make the most of this title run. Chad Gable has made vast improvements on the microphone which is good for helping him get on TV without having a match. Otis has been established as a true powerhouse with big wins over the last month which makes this team the perfect suitors to try and rebuild the division once again. Here is to hoping this is not a short lived reign or that it is not completely wasted by not surrounding them with legitimate competition.
#1: Having Fun
During most of Brock Lesnar’s run during his return in 2012, the fans have had a real love/hate relationship with Brock. They love to see him return. They love to see him put on stellar matches and hand out his realistic beat downs. What is it that they hate? Brock wins a title… and disappears.
NEW CHAMPIONS. NEW CHALLENGERS. NEW SURPRISES.
Who had the best night on #WWERaw?#WWETop10 pic.twitter.com/dDF2mO282f
— WWE (@WWE) January 11, 2022
This current run, Brock has done a complete 180 degree turn and for the first time during his run, maybe ever, Brock looks to be genuinely having fun. The fans are seeing that and they are absolutely loving this version of Brock. Not only is he having fun but he’s appearing on a much more frequent schedule, allowing the fans to see the dedication. And most importantly of all, Brock is showing his ability to not only entertain in the ring but on the microphone. He is showing an ability to have chemistry with anybody he shares the screen with and steal the show every single time. Brock Lesnar is making a strong case for the best thing in all of professional wrestling right now and it is an absolute joy to see. The only question left to ask is, how long will this last? Is Vince burning through all of Brock’s appearances from the most recent contract and will he be around after Wrestlemania? Let us all hope so!
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