WWE Raw Results: Ronda Rousey Looks Like a Rookie and Top Takeaways

WWE Raw in New Orleans was the final stop for the brand before Hell in a Cell, and the big talking point for the night was how The Shield would react to the assault they suffered last week at the hands of the roster's many heels.

The night started with Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre mocking Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose while flanked by the men who helped them last week. From there, chaos ensued as The Shield took out everyone in their way.

Rollins and Ambrose forced their way into a Raw Tag Team Championships match at Hell in a Cell on Sunday, while Reigns sent Strowman right through a table off the stage thanks to a thunderous Samoan drop. Only a new-and-improved Kevin Owens seemed to escape the trio's wrath.

The show included Ronda Rousey and Natalya dominating as a team against Alexa Bliss and Mickie James, Nikki Bella taking out Ruby Riott with Brie Bella at her side, and Triple H once again promising to put down The Undertaker.

Above all else, though, there were a few huge takeaways from this show, from the treatment of top heels in the women's division to the bevvy of overused legacy talent that showcase a company perhaps going in the wrong direction.

Ronda Rousey Still Has Much to Learn

In a long tag team match against Bliss and James, Rousey managed to take down the latter with the help of Natalya and make her tap out to the armbar. While it was a fun enough contest, it was also sloppy thanks to communication struggles and failed spot calls.

By the end of the match, Rousey was almost yelling her spots to get the match moving. It was obvious The Baddest Woman on the Planet was having trouble getting a rhythm going with either of her opponents in what was her longest unchoreographed televised contest to date.

While Rousey has looked great early in her WWE run, many of her matches have been highly practiced and managed ahead of time. This has allowed her to look fluid and trust her instincts rather than calling the contest on the fly. However, her inexperience showed here, and it was tough to watch at times.

There is no doubt the Raw women's champion has far exceeded expectations, so one sloppy match is not all that big a deal. It just should remind everyone Rousey is not infallible. She needs to have matches like this to be able to compete more naturally down the line.

With the setup that Rousey could have injured her ribs ahead of Hell in a Cell, her next match with The Goddess should be far more involved than their first, and hopefully that bout leaves this one easily forgotten.

Heels in the Women's Division Are Rarely Allowed to Thrive in WWE

Credit: WWE.com

The Bella Twins once again fought The Riott Squad, with Nikki up against the leader this week.

After Nikki took down Ruby Riott and set her up for a Rack Attack 2.0, Brie had to get involved to stop Liv Morgan, allowing her teammate to hit her finisher and win.

This was the second straight week that the Bellas have defeated The Riott Squad, a trio that had looked dangerous before the duo's return by often frustrating Bayley and Sasha Banks. These results are not building up potential excitement for their clash at Super Show-Down on October 6.

Moreover, these wins are a sign that dominant heels are rare in the women's division these days. Bliss and Charlotte Flair's heel runs have been the main exceptions to this role, with no other heels standing out on the main roster.

Riott is a talented performer who has more than proved her mettle. Despite this, she has been given a grand total of one title match in her career. But that's still better than The IIconics on SmackDown, who have done nothing since their main roster debut attack on Charlotte.

With the division constantly expanding, the top faces in the division far outnumber the leading heels. Beyond The Goddess and Becky Lynch, the divisions on both Raw and SmackDown feel completely underrepresented for top heel talent, mainly because of shoddy booking.

WWE Will Always Rely on Nostalgia over Genuine Talent

Triple H delivered his hyped response to The Undertaker this week by saying The Deadman was washed up thanks to what he did to him in their matches at WrestleMania 27 and 28. He promised to finish putting him down at WWE Super Show-Down in Australia.

Three hours is tough to pad out each week, so it's inevitable WWE is going to spend time on stories that aren't interesting. The problem right now is that significant time is being spent every week on three wrestlers—HHH, Taker and Shawn Michaels—who supposedly ended their "era" six years ago.

While it makes sense to hype up a big WWE show's main event, The Game vs. The Deadman should not be needed to sell Super Show-Down. It certainly shouldn't be required as a headline feature each week when neither man is saying anything more than they will win.

The two are legends who should have already retired, but Triple H is connected to the business and Taker is a moneymaker WWE cannot let go. This is arguably the deepest and most talented roster in WWE's history, and most will never get a chance if the company keeps relying on old stars in top roles.

This was only further emphasized by Mick Foley's appearance on the show and his unnecessary addition to Reigns vs. Strowman on Sunday as special guest referee.

The Old Kevin Owens Is Back, Perhaps More Aggressive Than Before

Credit: WWE.com

Owens destroyed Tyler Breeze before their match could begin and then explained why he was back in WWE so quickly.

Constable Baron Corbin had given KO carte blanche for his actions, leaving him now able to do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. He promised anarchy, agony and destruction.

While The Prizefighter's quick return to the company was awkward, his explanation this week and repeated brutal attacks have made this whole story worth telling. He had turned into a comedy act in recent years and needed a hard reset, which may be exactly what he has been given.

This Owens, unafraid to powerbomb anyone on the apron, is the same wrestler who took NXT by storm when he debuted at TakeOver: R Evolution. This is the man who defeated John Cena clean in their first match together.

The old KO is now the new KO, and he looks to have been improved with the freedom to deal more damage than before.

It may be too early to say Owens is fully back as a main event heel, but it certainly feels like his time has finally come to regain his position.

The Return of The Shield Already Feels Wasted

The Shield got their revenge on Raw to open the night, going after everyone except Strowman, Ziggler and McIntyre with axe handles, but they were quickly ordered to leave by the general manager.

Rollins and Ambrose then managed to bribe Corbin into giving them a shot at the Raw Tag Team Championships on Sunday.

Later, The Monster Among Men went Big Dog-hunting, brawling with Reigns only to be sent through a table with a Samoan drop. Overall, it was a solid night for the three men in The Shield, but it was another night in which they did not feel like their old selves.

They were separated and worked their own storylines much as they had before they aligned. To this point, the trio have still not stood together in the ring at the same time with a live microphone. A pessimistic viewer might argue the sole reason the group reformed was to sell merchandise.

Their opponents are treating the stable like it has been a constant problem for months when the group only reformed a few weeks back. Not one heel who attacked the trio had fought The Shield before, but the writing of this angle would indicate fans have been watching them for months.

Reforming the most dominant trident in modern WWE should feel like a much bigger deal than it is at the moment, but the alliance only seems to be making Raw worse—keeping three of its best stars out of the ring for several weeks.