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WWE Raw (11/18/24): 3 Hits And 3 Misses From This Week's Show

Zack Heydorn

WWE.com

This week's episode of WWE Raw has wrapped and featured a major return from Rhea Ripley ahead of WWE Survivor Series at the end of the month.

What worked? What didn't? This column breaks down the hits and misses from this week's show.

Hits

1. Bron Breakker vs. Sheamus

Sheamus doesn't miss on TV these days. The guy can't have a bad match on Raw and the match with Breakker proved why. The hard-hitting style works for shorter TV bouts with commercials and can capture the audience quickly. Breakker played in the Sheamus sandbox just fine and was able to work the strong style well.

Spot of the match was Sheamus countering Breakker's spear with a knee to the face. Sheamus delivered it well and Breakker expertly sold it. Yeah, Ludwig Kaiser getting involved was odd and out of place, but it didn't hurt the overall quality of the match.

2. Rhea Ripley

Rhea Ripley pops are a thing on WWE Raw and a reason to watch the show each week. Ripley looked like a killer in the mask protecting her face and dished out some nice punishment to Liv Morgan in the ring. She's a true lead babyface on the show and this week's showing and connection with the audience is why.

3. Bronson Reed

Heck of a night at the office for Bronson Reed. Not only did Reed beat Seth Rollins, but he got more time around the biggest storyline going in WWE -- The Bloodline. Reed looked like a monster this week and acted like he belonged in the spot. Beating Seth Rollins is a feather in any stars cap, but it also gives depth to the Bloodline vs. Bloodline War Games match at Survivor Series.

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Misses

1. Gunther backstage attack

That's it? One kick to the gut and Gunther, the mighty world champion, gets dropped? I get that the segment was designed to further the narrative of Gunther losing confidence since his Crown Jewel loss to Cody Rhodes. I get that Damian Priest is supposed to have an increased confidence in the storyline. I get all of that.

But, you've got to do better than this if you're WWE. Gunther is a prized talent on the roster and a true heel on WWE Raw each week. He's important. If you're going to show weakness, it has to be done in a more creative and protective way that still maintains his aura of dominance.

2. Women's War Games

There is nothing wrong with having a women's War Games match at Survivor Series. WWE should have one every year -- just like the men. The issue here is it seems WWE forgot about it until a couple weeks ago. This week on Raw, they set the match up and Rhea Ripley returned, but it felt very forced. These women don't really hate each other and the audience can feel that pretty clearly.

3. Bo Dallas and The Wyatt Sicks

If that Bo Dallas vignette sounded familiar, it's because we've heard it before. We've gotten a lot of the same out of The Wyatt Sicks and with that kind of act, it stops resonating quickly. The Wyatt Sicks production and effort behind their presentation will always garner a pop from WWE audiences, but do people care? They don't and these meandering promos don't help to that end.

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Published
Zack Heydorn
ZACK HEYDORN

Zack Heydorn has been covering the pro wrestling industry for nine years. He's a former Assistant Editor of PWTorch and Managing Editor of SEScoops. Zack is the author of the Hybrid Shoot book Stunning: The Wrestling Artistry of Steve Austin, which is available on Amazon. You can follow Zack on

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