WWE Raw Results: Women Shine in Build to Royal Rumble and Top Takeaways

As the final episode of Raw before Royal Rumble on Sunday, the January 21 broadcast failed to inspire great excitement for the event, but it did still leave fans with plenty to talk about.

The women seized the spotlight once again, Finn Balor and Seth Rollins played prominent (but flawed) roles and a surprise tag team reunion both created intrigue and highlighted problems within the division.

Those are among the biggest takeaways from a broadcast that showcased its stars but didn't do enough to build anticipation ahead of a Big Four pay-per-view.

'A Moment of Bliss' Previews Royal Rumble, Potential Rivalry for Host

The women's Royal Rumble match was the topic of Monday's A Moment of Bliss talk show. Alicia Fox, Mickie James, Ember Moon, Nikki Cross, Dana Brooke and The Riott Squad interrupted Alexa Bliss before engaging in a brawl that spilled to the backstage area.

It was harmless fun that played up the chaos of the Rumble and was a different take on the multi-wrestler battle that usually closes out episodes of Raw and SmackDown the week of the January pay-per-view.

The most interesting element of the talk show segment, though, was the potential ignition of a fresh rivalry.

Avoiding the mishmash of women, Lacey Evans made her first significant contribution to Raw, announcing her entry into the Royal Rumble and interrupting Bliss' own revelation that she would be entering the match too. The tension and disdain on the faces of the two women teased a rivalry that could turn The Goddess babyface and freshen up that side of the women's roster.

A feud between the two NXT alumni would give Evans some credibility right out of the gate while breathing new life into Bliss, who has spent three years as a heel in programs with every top babyface on the roster.

Lack of Intensity Hurts Final Build to Ronda Rousey vs. Sasha Banks

There was tension, but the lack of physical intensity between Ronda Rousey and Sasha Banks during Monday's show hurt the final build for a match that could prove to be the best championship bout on the Royal Rumble card.

Rousey cut an...interesting promo moments before she and Natalya lost to Banks and Bayley in a tag team main event, and there was the obligatory post-match staredown between Rowdy and The Legit Boss. However, the final bit of hype for their much-anticipated showdown was fairly lackluster.

The competitors certainly deserved better, but WWE's unwillingness to portray either as a heel during the program has limited creative possibilities. That the audience has not picked one over the other should create a red-hot atmosphere come Sunday.

Unfortunately, what might be a fine bout—a dream match for some—will take to the ring with a mediocre backstory.

Underdogs Muddy Water, Create Repetition WWE Cannot Afford

At two different points Monday night, WWE Creative told the story of an underdog to the point that it felt overdone.

Finn Balor was first up, forced to confront the preconceptions that he cannot beat Brock Lesnar because of his size. He was the subject of a messy promo in which he was illogically compared to David from the story of David vs. Goliath (David slew the giant) and was then forced to combat the massive Braun Strowman in singles competition.

Three seconds away from a pinfall victory over The Monster Among Men, he succumbed to an interfering Lesnar's F-5.

About an hour later, Seth Rollins hit the ring for a "woe is me" promo in which he detailed his struggles of late before positioning himself as an underdog candidate to win the Royal Rumble. To illustrate his underdog status, he faced Drew McIntyre in another match pitting a smaller man against a much larger foe.

The Architect survived McIntyre's onslaught and scored an upset over The Scottish Psychopath. More on him in a moment.

The problem with Balor and Rollins being portrayed as underdogs is that both are former world champions who actually win wrestling matches. They have beaten Superstars bigger than them. Balor beat John freaking Cena a week ago. They are legitimate and have the support of the fans. These are not two guys emerging from the undercard with a shot at the big time.

The underdog storyline works once in a blue moon. It has been overdone and is doing a disservice to two credible wrestlers the company will have to lean on in Roman Reigns' absence.

Major Reunion Sets Stage for Showdown with The Revival, Issues Still Persist

Perhaps the most interesting development on the January 21 episode of Raw was The Revival's beatdown of referee Curt Hawkins after their unsuccessful bid to dethrone tag team champions Bobby Roode and Chad Gable and the subsequent save made by Zack Ryder.

Ryder and Hawkins first rose to fame in WWE as The Major Brothers, then as Edge's flunkies during the La Familia faction's prominence on SmackDown.

They had not teamed for nearly a decade, though, so even the mild fan reaction to Ryder saving his former tag team partner Monday night was a bit of a surprise.

The angle sets up a rivalry between Ryder, Hawkins and The Revival while adding another team to the Raw tag team division. Fresh matchups and stories are welcome, and Ryder's style should mesh well with Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder's old-school, ground-and-pound heel work.

While depth is always good, the tag division is currently made up of random teams fighting each other with little rhyme or reason every week, and that is never a recipe for success.