Rhea Ripley Back Too Soon? Judgment Day Steals Bronson Reed's Moment, More Raw Takes

On the road to Survivor Series: WarGames, the November 18 edition of WWE Raw promised big momentum for the key programs in the company today.

Rhea Ripley made a shocking return to help Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill, Naomi and Iyo Sky fight off the powerhouse team of Liv Morgan, Nia Jax, Raquel Rodriguez, Tiffany Stratton and Candice LeRae.

Bronson Reed defeated Seth Rollins with the help of his new allies in The Bloodline, which seems likely to push The Visionary to align with Roman Reigns for the first time in years.

Bron Breakker faced a motivated Sheamus, who still desperately wants to be Intercontinental champion, but Ludwig Kaiser interfered before a decision was reached.

American Made again fell short as Chad Gable and Ivy Nile lost to Rey Mysterio and Zelina Vega.

This was a solid night of action that clearly established the WarGames matches on the horizon.

WWE Can't Let Rhea Ripley Return Ruin Iyo Sky's Push

Rhea Ripley is back, but it feels too soon.

While the women's division needs top-end talent, her appearance on Monday immediately negated any opportunity Iyo Sky had to stand out as Liv Morgan's primary rival.

The rivalry between Morgan and Ripley has taken up so much focus of the women's division that it's left Raw struggling to create new stars.

The Genius of the Sky is already a star, but she took a back seat on Monday night, working almost exclusively as a tag team competitor.

Sky should be the one to dethrone Morgan, and the goal of the Raw women's division should be to hype up the possibility of her taking down the champion.

Instead, Ripley will likely return to the top spot, making any challenge to Morgan before another match between the rivals meaningless.

Stop Wasting Chad Gable

Many questions have haunted Chad Gable's last year of work.

• Why did he fail to capture the Intercontinental Championship at his hottest?
• What pushed Sami Zayn over Gable as the man to dethrone Gunther?
• Was there any point to a Gable heel turn?
• How did WWE manage to throw aside a hot angle like Gable vs. Otis?
  

At first, each new development with the Olympian seemed to answer the last question, but ultimately nothing was solved.

The leader of American Made is now in the same position he was leading American Alpha in 2022, perhaps worse. At least he was a champion briefly during that time.

The Creed Brothers and Ivy Nile aligned with Gable later than anyone expected, and it already feels like American Made has lost all steam as a heel unit.

A feud with LWO is hardly the missing element that can get the group back on track. Julius and Brutus Creed were supposed to be tag team champions by now, yet they barely appear on TV.

Nothing is working, and it is important to remember how over Gable was during his feud with The Ring General. He and Gunther stole the show multiple times together.

If WWE does not have a plan to get Gable to the Intercontinental Championship and The Creed Brothers to the World Tag Team Championships by early 2024, it will be a complete waste.

Bron Breakker's Top Contenders For IC Title Becoming Clear

Bron Breakker hit a bump in the road when he lost the Intercontinental Championship to Jey Uso, but since regaining the gold, recent weeks have arguably been even worse for the champion.

He has lounged backstage, waiting for contenders to emerge. Luckily, Sheamus has arrived, and he brought one of his best recent rivals, Ludwig Kaiser, with him.

The Celtic Warrior is 46 years old and working at the tail end of his career, but he is still putting on some of his best performances.

He has made it a clear mission in recent years to win the Intercontinental Championship. It is the one WWE title that has eluded him.

He and Breakker have obvious chemistry in the ring that could extend in 2025, especially with Kaiser getting involved.

Breakker has rarely worked with two workers as talented as Sheamus and Kaiser in WWE. He will make the most of the opportunity and elevate his standing alongside them.

Others on the roster such as Chad Gable, Pete Dunne and Dominik Mysterio should use the next couple months to elevate their own game to step up as future challengers for Breakker as well.

The roster is too stacked for any division to feel shallow. The Intercontinental Championship scene should be one of the most competitive in all of WWE.

Bronson Reed's Big Victory Overshadowed by The Bloodline

Bronson Reed did what he needed to do. He pinned Seth Rollins in the center of the ring.

However, it would have meant more if he could have done it on his own. The Bloodline did not need to get involved.

Breakker vs. Rollins does not have to associate with The Bloodline angle, but even if this was inevitable, Mr. Nice Guy should have been allowed to win on his own merit.

He earned the chance to be seen as a top heel who can do it on his own, especially since he will not be associating with Solo Sikoa and his group beyond the men's WarGames match at Survivor Series on November 30.

One wasted opportunity could spiral into further struggles unless Reed is allowed to show out inside WarGames.