6 Ups & 4 Downs For WWE Raw (22 Sept - Results & Review)

2. Bad Habits Don’t Die, They Thrive

Got a WrestleMania-worthy match between two top stars in the deck? Why not just throw it out there on free TV? Better yet, have it be confirmed an hour into the same show for an hour later! What could possibly go wrong?

Rhea Ripley and Asuka have met in singles action several times in the past, but this is probably the first time in their shared history where both are at or near the top of their game. Rhea was on the ascent in 2021-22, while Asuka’s star had diminished from her initial run. Now they’re both extremely popular and entertaining performers at the same time on Raw.

Like a child who insists on having their dessert before dinner, WWE decided to have Ripley and Asuka argue backstage and set up a match for later that night… which became the main event. That’s not to say that it wasn’t deserving of the placement, but WHAT WAS THE RAW MAIN EVENT GOING TO BE AN HOUR INTO THE SHOW? If not for Rhea and Asuka sniping and laying down challenges, was the red brand going to air a test signal for 20 minutes to close the show?

Once again, if this were a rare occurrence, one could make an excuse when it really fits the “these two wrestlers really need to face each other tonight” motif. But multiple times every week (Raw opened with viewers finding out Jey Uso had just requested and received a match against LA Knight) is lazy and inexcusable.