Randy Orton’s Return, Alexa Bliss and Lilly Weirdness, More WWE Raw Fallout

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Credit: WWE.com

With SummerSlam rapidly approaching, the August 9 edition of WWE Raw had a lot to cover before one of WWE’s biggest events in years.

That began with the return of Randy Orton from a short hiatus. He made clear he did not need Riddle, although it looks like the two are still very much entangled in a rivalry with AJ Styles and Omos.

Karrion Kross has started to pick up wins, taking one back from Jeff Hardy. However, he has failed to capture the attention of the audience. The NXT champion needs Scarlett to elevate his act beyond what feels like a pale imitation of his work on the black-and-gold brand.

Elias set his guitar ablaze as the final act of The Living Truth. It seems like the star will be rebranding himself in the near future, though it’s hard to say if it’s necessary.

Alexa Bliss managed to defeat Doudrop in singles action, although it was only thanks to the interference of Lilly, who managed to wink on her own in the ring. This story has lacked any care behind it since the departure of Bray Wyatt, and it feels appropriate that it continued to draw “We Want Wyatt” chants.

Monday’s Raw did little to fully build up SummerSlam, but the show did make some clear statements about the future of the red brand.

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Randy Orton’s absence was felt on Raw. The former world champion is a required presence on a show that is fumbling for big names, and his story with Riddle is a rare bright spot on the red brand.

It did not always look like the partnership angle would work, but nights like Monday show just why it has made such an impression: It brings out the life in The Viper.

Orton is far more interesting when he is playing deadpan off someone who can sell it. Just like his tag team with Pete Dunne in NXT, Riddle has a signature comedic style that is perfect when played off The Viper.

Together, they make each other better. RK-Bro is the only good thing in the Raw tag team division at the moment, as WWE struggles to properly utilize talent such as The New Day and The Viking Raiders.

AJ Styles and Omos have been a solid pairing, but it’s unnecessary for them to carry gold. The Phenomenal One is relevant no matter what, while Omos is a clear attraction on his own.

RK-Bro should be the team to take down the champions.

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It is rare to see an NXT title carried around on Raw. Karrion Kross should be a special competitor, a one-of-a-kind talent who should be treated as such. Instead, he walked into WWE with a loss and lost again two weeks later.

He is now running a 50-50 record against Jeff Hardy and Keith Lee. This isn’t the same unstoppable man fans got to see in NXT. He feels half-complete, like pieces of the gimmick that make him special are missing.

The right answer is often the most obvious. Scarlett has been built up in NXT as the one who gives Kross his power and adds charisma to his strength. Together, they come off better than they do apart.

While Kross and Scarlett are occasionally cheesy, it’s wrestling and that’s kind of expected. What matters more is that the character stands out, and The Herald of Doomsday just isn’t doing that.

If Scarlett does arrive on Raw, it could be the turning point to finally draw in the crowd. At the moment, no one cares about Kross on Mondays despite him being one of NXT’s most interesting names.

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Elias lit a funeral pyre for his original gimmick as he fed his guitar to the flames. It was a simple symbolic vignette that stated the old Elias is behind him. But is that a positive?

The Living Truth has shined at times on Raw and SmackDown. He has been one of the most recognizable stars of WWE, but he has lacked consistency. The company has never let him shine as a formidable figure or fully embrace a comedic side.

Letting go of a well-liked character for something unknown can work out, but it can also sink a talent entirely. Nikki A.S.H. has made her “almost a superhero” gimmick work, so why can’t Elias win gold as a musician?

His latest album charted on iTunes, and he has musical talent that can be utilized without sacrificing his credibility. If WWE wants to start afresh, it is important that the booking starts that way as well.

Elias cannot continue to play second fiddle to lesser talent. He must be allowed to embrace the potential WWE sees in him without awkward 50-50 booking to slow him down.

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WWE has always struggled to deliver coherent supernatural storylines, with The Undertaker being the sole exception. Even Bray Wyatt was not often able to fully stand on his own without falling into awkward stories and matches.

Alexa Bliss took his power as The Fiend and transformed it into Lilly, who is clearly inspired by Annabelle, the doll from The Conjuring franchise. Supernatural horror seems to be the only way for odd gimmicks to get on the air in WWE.

However, the wink Lilly gave Doudrop during her match with Bliss on Monday serves no one well. This latest wrinkle in the story just turned the former Piper Niven into a punchline while her opponent did little beyond stealing a roll-up win.

It is no wonder the WWE Universe chanted “We want Wyatt” during this contest. Bliss was set up as a support star to The Fiend, but she feels like a bad parody after being left to carry the storyline alone.

It may be time to reconsider this character and story. Lilly is never going to wrestle and her distracting power will just hurt matches. Bliss and Wyatt both deserve better. In fact, the whole WWE Universe deserves better.