Retribution's Awful Reveal, Awkward Mysterio Drama, More WWE Raw Fallout

For the go-home show to WWE Clash of Champions, Retribution took charge of the September 21 edition of Monday Night Raw. While this had potential to change many people's perception of the group, instead the entire night fell woefully flat.

Retribution came out in goofy masks. While a few wrestlers' identities were revealed, this only exacerbated the problem. Talented stars are lost in an angle that may never recover.

More new stars were embarrassed on the night as Braun Strowman made quick work of Dabba-Kato in Raw Underground. Coupled with a big loss for Arturo Ruas against Dolph Ziggler, Raw Underground is losing momentum with its young talent.

The IIconics looked to be on a new path following their surprise breakup. Instead, Peyton Royce and Billie Kay look to be working together again already. This failed experiment is just another showcase of WWE's shoddy storytelling.

Finally, WWE began to build a story that looks likely to fail. Seth Rollins revealed that Aalyah may not be Rey Mysterio's daughter. Much like Rey's story years ago with Eddie Guerrero focus on Dominik Mysterio, this seems likely to only waste the talent involved.

From start to finish, the red brand failed to deliver on the road to Clash of Champions. In the end, nothing that came out of this show truly felt focused on Sunday.

The Reveal of Key Member of Retribution Leaves Much to Be Desired

Retribution opened the show with a major moment. Five of the members revealed their faces behind more revealing masks: Mia Yim, Mercedes Martinez, Dominik Dijakovic, Dio Madden and a mysterious fifth man behind a hockey mask.

The Hurt Business attempted to shut up Retribution but were surrounded by more members of the group. In the main event, MVP, Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin dominated a match against the three male leaders of Retribution. A brawl broke out to save Retribution from losing definitively.

This was a flat reveal for Retribution. It took far too long to get anywhere with this group. These reveals needed to happen earlier and in far more dramatic fashion. This was such an underwhelming way to establish the group as a threat again.

It certainly has not helped that The Hurt Business look more dangerous than Retribution with fewer members. These leaders of Retribution barely got in any offense. Lashley especially embarrassed them. This is not how you take a stable to the next level.

The problem with Retribution is not the talent. Yim and Martinez are fantastic performers with potential to dominate the women's division. Dijakovic has incredible potential, and Madden comes off like a great heel in the making.

The writing is what has led to this stable failing before it truly began. The silly vandals have failed to make any memorable impact and are ineffective beyond sheer numbers. The best that can be done is to simply remove the silly masks and start letting the talent work.

New Blood on Raw Underground Are Already Losing Spotlight to Established Stars

Kevin Owens invited Shane McMahon, Dabba-Kato and Braun Strowman to The KO Show, where tempers almost flared up early. The Monster Among Men defeated his young rival in their Raw Underground brawl. Dolph Ziggler fought Arturo Ruas, with The Showoff knocking out the young fighter.

It has been hard to figure out the point of Raw Underground. At first, it was just a mess of camera cuts and awkward presentation. Lately, stories are unfolding with no satisfying ending. All the work building to Kato vs. Strowman led to a short forgettable brawl.

It had a chance to establish new stars for Raw, but that has not come to fruition either. Kato impressed for a few weeks, but once one big man got in his way, he fell. While he can recover, he has lost steam far too early.

Ruas is another fascinating talent who should thrive in Raw Underground. Instead, he has come in and out of the lineup, losing to those who matter. He and Ziggler had a good fight, better than most of what Raw Underground has delivered, but it will mean little in the long run.

The biggest issue is simply the presentation. The fighting style of Raw Underground does not breed fresh talent. It just establishes a few dominant stars only for the next big guy to step up. Can anyone dethrone The Monster Among Men? At some point, it's possible.

The IIconics' Split Has Already Been Proven Premature

Peyton Royce and Billie Kay confronted Asuka together, certain that one of them would be the next Raw women's champion. The Empress of Tomorrow had Royce on the ropes before Zelina Vega attacked The Empress of Tomorrow. This followed Vega becoming No. 1 contender by defeating Mickie James.

The IIconics may not be a tag team anymore, but it seems they have settled on singles action with back-up. This was possible without the unnecessary breakup. It seems whatever plan WWE had for Royce or Kay on their own is gone.

It was never the right time for The IIconics to separate. Breaking up tag teams takes time and focus. If neither benefits from the moment, there is no reason for it. A tag team does not have to only work that division.

Of the two, Royce has higher potential. However, she needs credibility before she can venture out on her own. She must start picking up victories. Otherwise, she and Kay won't even be on television before long.

It seems inevitable that The IIconics will reform. Hopefully, the next time the two women break up, WWE will have a better idea of what to do with them.

Aalyah Is Not Ready for This Spotlight Placed Upon Her

After losing a chance at the Raw Tag Team Championships, Seth Rollins called out the Mysterio family. He told Rey Mysterio that his family was a sham as Aalyah was not a true Mysterio. In the ensuing drama, Murphy comforted a frustrated Aalyah.

Nothing sells desperation in WWE more than revisiting a bad storyline. Rather than returning to Dominik Mysterio's confused parentage, this time, Aalyah is the target of the storyline. This feels like a bad idea all around.

The 19-year-old is clearly not a trained actor as of yet, so this first week did not go well. It is unlikely future weeks will be better. Even if WWE drops the paternity drama, the goal seems to be pairing Murphy and Aalyah, which feels like a bad spot for The Disciple.

Just as Murphy was on his way out of The Messiah's cult, he was pulled back in. If Aalyah was a trained performer with some acting chops, an awkward romance angle might work. However, she is just not ready.

There is no way this story ends with any sense of interest behind. No one is going to buy another Mysterio paternity angle. It didn't work before, and that was Rey and Eddie Guerrero, who had more chemistry than just about anyone.