WWE RAW 25/5/20 | A Coherent Review.

Other than a few nitpicks, I thought this episode of RAW was to put it simply, fantastic. The only thing I disliked though was, unfortunately, the use of NXT trainees as members of the audience. 

They didn't enhance the show and if anything, the empty setting in my opinion actually worked for the most part. 

AEW, however, executed the “wrestlers as crowds' ' idea much, much better (here comes the "sHuT uP AEW mArK' ' mentality). In other words, It's one of those, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" type of decision. 

Kevin Owens Show. Special Guest, Asuka. 

Owens praised the NXT superstars that were as members of the audience and introduced his guest, the RAW women's champion, Asuka. Kevin asked the champ about what Nia Jax said to her last week. 

As she wanted to add some words, out came the NXT women's champion, then Natalya and then Nia Jax and they all (with the exception of Natalya apologizing to Kevin Owens for what happened last week) said that they'll take Asuka's title away from her. 

An okay opening act of the show. It did its job to build the number one contender's triple threat match later in the night. 

Apollo Crews vs Andrade For The United States Championship. 

The match was actually good and the ending kinda shocked me. Andrade pulled out a Del Rio with that stomp when Crews was hanging on the middle turnbuckle. 

The match ended when Crews hit the standing moonsault after the back body drop and became the new US champion. 

Apollo Crews was then interviewed by Charly Caruso about his title win and he said that with hard work and dedication, you will succeed in anything. By far, Crews cut his best promo which is an area that he's weak in. 

The only nitpick I have with this is that I wish the match should've happened at Backlash so that the story would've given more time to breathe. 

In a backstage promo, Seth Rollins, Murphy and the Messiah's newest disciple, Austin Theory talked about how they'll prove to Aleister Black and Humberto Carrillo that with his guidance, they will prevail in this tag bout. 

Seth Rollins as the Monday Night Messiah is something I did not know that he could pull off but he did. It's definitely different from his first heel run as "The Architect" and that is THE thing I've been wanting for years. 

Different heel and babyface run from the same character because it tells the audience that characters do grow, change, evolve, adapt as a person in their own unique ways. Awesome stuff from Rollins. 

The Women's Tag Team Champions Tells The IIconics That They Blew Their Opportunity. 

So, I guess The IIconics are on the same page? Yay, no more tag team breakups cliche that is used in wrestling a gazillion times with no pay off for the most part. This entire segment and the eventual feud has a theme, which is, friendship and whether you can rely on your partner or not. 

The IIconics stood tall in this segment and will see where this feud leads because I thought this segment was actually pretty darn good. 

As a guy that doesn't enjoy the IIconics, this could be a character-defining moment for these ladies and I am all for some character development. 

I've never been this excited for the women's tag team title scene since Kabuki Warriors battled it out with Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch late last year. 

MVP's VIP Lounge. Special Guest, Drew McIntyre. 

After MVP dismissed Lana in a backstage scene, Montel Von Porter in his VIP lounge, introduced his special guest, Drew McIntyre. MVP told McIntyre that because of Lashley, he's now in a WWE title contention. 

McIntyre replied saying that he doesn't need anybody to kiss his ass. Bobby Lashley stormed to ringside and the champ immediately claymore kicked MVP's head off. A decent segment. 

Kevin Owens vs Angel Garza. 

During Owens' entrance, Garza took out his leg and that tactic actually worked because Kevin tried to hit the pop-up powerbomb but Angel Garza delivered the wind clipper to win the match. 

It looks like we're getting a match between Owens and Garza possibly at Backlash aka the greatest show. 

Not gonna lie, I really like this win. It actually put Garza's current spot in the show to the next level with that big victory of his career.

The Street Profits and Viking Raiders Battled It Out In A Golf Contest. 

At first, I thought the basketball segment was a bit corny. But then, I thought about it a bit more after seeing the axe throwing contest they did.  

While I'm not a fan of those scenes, I can at least respect the writers for trying to build a feud for the tag team championship differently by adding a comedic, light-hearted twist to it. 

Bobby Lashley still rejected Lana's managerial and MVP made that especially clear in a backstage segment. 

Humberto Carrillo And Aleister Black vs Murphy And Austin Theory. 

Austin Theory's jacket is looking clean. You know what's also kinda clean? Humberto Carrillo's crossbody to Theory and Murphy on the outside. 

Unfortunately, that didn't amount to anything because he and Aleister Black lost the match with the Theory cutter. 

Then, Humberto was about to get his eye damaged just like what Rollins did to Rey Mysterio a few weeks ago but they backed off after Black put the chair down. 

Edge, in a backstage promo, said that he watched the last ride documentary series and he thought about the time to hang up the boots. 

Edge as a performer, he wrestled everybody at their level and he will wrestle his absolute best at Backlash. A good promo from the Rated R Superstar. 

Natalya vs Charlotte Flair vs Nia Jax. Winner Gets To Face Asuka For The RAW Women's Championship. 

Nia Jax, as Bryon Saxton said "the biggest threat of the match", was taken out for a while with a double powerbomb through the announce table thanks to Charlotte and Natalya. 

Another big move of the match was a triple threat powerbomb suplex combination from the top rope. 

Minutes later, Jax nailed a Samoan drop even with a beat-up and won the match to face Asuka for the championship at Backlash. Probably one of Jax's best matches in her career. A fun bout indeed. 

Kayla Braxton wanted to ask Drew's reaction to the Street Profits facing against his Backlash opponent Bobby Lashley and MVP and Drew told her that he forgot something in the locker room. I wonder what that is? 

Somebody that we haven't seen on WWE TV in several weeks is Rob Gronkowski and he tells R "Lies" (lame) that he gives the pathway for Truth to take his title from him because he is a nice guy. As a whole, the promo was aight. 

Morgan tells the world that she's going full-fill her destiny and her goals. Liv Morgan has improved when it comes to in-ring action but her promos? It's kinda here or there and this one is no exception. 

The Street Profits vs MVP and Bobby Lashley. 

This bout was set up after the Street Profits had a verbal interaction with MVP calling the current tag team champions, "a bunch of clowns" and obviously, The Street Profits had a problem with that because if there's one thing we've learned about pro wrestling throughout the years is that your problems are usually resolved in the ring. 

The match itself was okay. Montez Ford delivered the frog splash aka from the heavens to MVP. When Ford tried to pin MVP, Lashley immediately broke that up and delivered the full Nelson submission on him even though he wasn't tagged in and that can only end one way, a disqualification. 

Drew McIntyre wasted no time to brawl with the number one contender for the WWE Championship and that's how the show ended. I was surprised yet relieved that The Street Profits didn't take the pinfall and they actually looked good in this encounter. 

So, to recap for all of you slow mofos. 

Like: The triple threat number one contenders match, Apollo Crews' big win, the match that took place and the promo after it, the IIconics, Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross segment, Edge promo, Angel Garza scoring his big W of his career. 

Didn't like: The use of the crowd, a nitpick but the match with Apollo and Andrade should've happened at Backlash to give that story more time to breathe, not a fan of the skits between Street Profits and Viking Raiders but understood its purpose. 

What do you guys think about this episode of RAW? Sound off in the comments below. Follow me on the tweets @omartheplayaguy and follow this very blog for honest pro wrestling opinions. Anyway, stay safe smarks.