5 Ups & 6 Downs From Last Night's WWE Raw (Oct 2)

5. Nia Jax Reverts To Type

Nia Jax Mickie James
WWE.com

Eight days after impressing everyone with her most monstrous main roster performance to date, Nia Jax defaulted on Monday Night Raw. Her match with Mickie James (one of the most accomplished performers in the division) was no good, and a sad reminder of her in-ring deficiencies following an excellent showing at No Mercy.

Nia looked sloppy throughout. Working with a veteran like James should've helped ease her through her control segments, but no: she struggled to keep things interesting, with a slow-motion mid-match spear the biggest low point. For all the deserved praise she received the other week, she still has a lot to learn between the ropes, as this match starkly reminded us.

Mickie won after executing a sloppy DDT of her own, before Alexa Bliss jumped in for the disqualification. The scene closed with the new number one contender laying the Raw Women's Champion out. There's a chance Nia could be inserted to make this a three-way feud, but if this match is anything to go by, that'd be a bad, bad idea.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.