Fixing WWE Raw and SmackDown's Worst Booking Decisions for the Week of Feb. 8

While WWE has suffered in the stock market this week, the company managed to put on better episodes of Raw and SmackDown than usual.

Before we get into what needs to be fixed, let's run through some of the best things we saw during the latest round of programming.

• Randy Orton opened Raw with an almost wordless segment that perfectly sold his feud with Edge.
• Angel Garza had an impressive showing on Raw against Rey Mysterio.
• Rhea Ripley daring Charlotte Flair to challenge her for the NXT women's title was great.
• Ricochet earned a WWE title shot against Brock Lesnar for Super ShowDown.
• The return of The Dirt Sheet with The Miz and John Morrison was hilarious.
• Goldberg challenged Bray Wyatt for a Universal Championship match at Super ShowDown.
• Otis prepared his Valentine's Day date with Mandy Rose with an '80s-style montage.
• Carmella became the No. 1 contender for the SmackDown women's title in the main event.

WWE was especially focused on building the card for Feb. 27's Super ShowDown, and we also got some of the best comedy segments we have seen in months.

Now, let's look at the worst booking decisions of the week and what WWE could have done differently. 

Lana vs. Liv Morgan

The Problem: While Rusev and Bobby Lashley's part in this storyline seems to have taken a backseat recently, Liv Morgan and Lana are still at each other's throats.

The two met for another match Monday, and Morgan scored a quick victory. Then Ruby Riott made her return after months on the shelf healing from shoulder surgery.

The former Riott Squad teammates embraced before the green-haired grappler took out her former friend so Lana could pick up the scraps after she was done.

The issue here was not the quick win over Lana. She is still improving in the ring, and limiting her time in a singles match was smart. The issue is WWE putting two women who just returned from hiatuses into a feud. 

At the end of this storyline, one person is going to go over, while the other person loses. Since both Superstars are trying to build momentum, this makes no sense.

The Solution: WWE should hold off on Riott vs. Morgan. The attack from Raw can be addressed at a later date. Before that happens, Morgan needs to definitively win her feud against Lana.

Her victory on Raw was not the end of this storyline since Lana proceeded to attack her after Riott took her down. Morgan needs a victory at a pay-per-view like Elimination Chamber so she can go into her storyline with Riott with fewer distractions.

It would also be nice if Sarah Logan were somehow incorporated since WWE isn't doing anything else with her, but that is an argument for another day.

Drew McIntyre Squashes the 24/7 Champion

The Problem: Drew McIntyre defeated Mojo Rawley in about five seconds on Monday's Raw. While this would have been fine a few weeks ago, it should not have happened under current circumstances.

Rawley won the 24/7 Championship from R-Truth recently and declared he would be a fighting champion who did not cower in the darkness. It looked like the start of a renewed push for the former Green Bay Packer. 

Then WWE jobbed him out just to make McIntyre look strong. We are talking about a guy who recently won the Royal Rumble and challenged Brock Lesnar to a WWE title match at WrestleMania. Squash wins will do nothing for him at this point.

How are we ever supposed to take the 24/7 title seriously if the champion is being used in the same way as local enhancement talent?

The Solution: McIntyre could have defeated an unknown jobber, and he would have received the same pop from the crowd because the entertaining part of this match was how he won.

If WWE wants him to dominate his opponents before WrestleMania, there are plenty of people who can take the loss. The promotion was using jobbers for The Viking Raiders' matches until recently, so it's not as if it has any problems using them.

Rawley should be the one squashing rookies so he can help to make the 24/7 title into something people respect. If it's not going to be used for comedy with R-Truth, it should be used to get people over like every title.

Sheamus Squashes Apollo Crews

The Problem: Sheamus faced Apollo Crews on Friday's SmackDown and defeated him almost as quickly as McIntyre defeated Rawley on Raw.

Once again, this is a case of WWE jobbing out a talent instead of using a local performer. This is not an uncommon practice, but it should not be happening to Crews.

WWE has used jobbers from local territories many times recently. Why did management suddenly decide to bury its own guys?

The Solution: Sheamus winning is not the issue. Every dominant victory gets him one step closer to chasing a title again. The problem is how Crews is being used.

This is a guy who looks like a powerhouse, moves like a cruiserweight and has enough technical ability to go toe-to-toe with anyone in the ring. He should not be going months between televised appearances.

If his mic skills are the issue, WWE should send him back to NXT so he can work on his promos at the Performance Center.

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What do you think were the worst booking decisions this week? Let me know on Twitter @BR_Doctor.