The Fiend Attacks Randy Orton, Hurt Business Dominates and More WWE Raw Fallout

WWE Raw continued its journey to TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs on December 20 with another laser-focused show that put the emphasis on The Fiend and Randy Orton's intensifying feud, hinted at the eventual showdown between Drew McIntyre and Sheamus, and further positioned The Hurt Business as the dominant faction on Monday nights.

Not everything was successful, though, as Shayna Baszler continued to suffer from less-than-stellar booking that threatened her credibility in the women's division.

Dive deeper into each of those topics with this recap of the December 7 episode of WWE's flagship show.

The Fiend Sends a Message to Randy Orton Ahead of TLC Clash

The Fiend vs. Randy Orton has been, arguably, the most interesting feud on Raw over the last few months, and a lot of that can be attributed to two cerebral performers who pay attention to details and maximize every movement and word they use.

Monday featured more of the same as Wyatt toyed with The Viper during an edition of Firefly Fun House before warning that The Fiend does not forget.

And he did not.

Wyatt continued to play mind games with Orton over the course of their main event match and just as he ate an RKO, the ThunderDome darkened. The familiar red tint filled the arena and Orton, covering Wyatt following his finisher, looked down to find The Fiend waiting for him. A mandible claw later and the flagship went off the air with the masked madman of WWE standing tall.

And best of all, WWE Creative showed discipline in its approach to the show. After Orton exposed Alexa Bliss as a weakness of The Fiend's last week, Wyatt revealed she was not on the show Monday because The Viper was "bad" last week.

It was a nice touch from a company that often rushes through stories or develops nonsensical next chapters. In this instance, keeping Bliss off of television and allowing Monday's show to be about The Fiend's revenge enhanced the feud and has it firing on all cylinders heading into the final PPV of the year.

Drew McIntyre and Sheamus Headed Toward Heavyweight Clash...and Keith Lee Knows

Tension between Drew McIntyre and Sheamus following The Celtic Warrior's errant Brogue Kick that cost him and the WWE champion a handicap match against AJ Styles, The Miz and John Morrison spilled over Monday night, leading to a backstage brawl that ended with the friends squashing their beef—and putting WWE official Pat Buck through a table.

It was a nice way to establish that McIntyre and Sheamus' friendship transcends any momentary issue, but it was also a sign of things to come.

Make no mistake about it: Sheamus is going to betray the Scot and attempt to dethrone him as WWE champion. The match is one that fans of McMahonland have never had the opportunity to see on a grand stage, despite it setting European wrestling alight and leading to the hiring of both men in the first place.

Keith Lee approached Sheamus earlier in the night and even called him out on the obvious betrayal that is coming, and The Celtic Warrior essentially shrugged off his words.

Lee playing a third interested party, looking out for McIntyre in the face of deceit, is a nice storyline twist and one that plays up another relationship already established.

While the red brand has faced its fair share of criticism over the last year, it appears to be finding its groove in the form of a world title feud that may prove to be the best thing to come out of Raw in the last 12 months.

The Hurt Business Continues Its Monday Night Dominance

The Hurt Business has been the subject of some inconsistent booking, but they have also quietly become a highly successful faction that appears on its way to acquiring more gold.

Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander may not have won the Raw Tag Team Championships when they had the opportunity the first time, but Alexander's victory over Kofi Kingston Monday—coupled with his win over Xavier Woods a week earlier—suggests they will have another shot at the gold coming up.

Presumably as soon as TLC on December 20.

Alexander's late-year emergence, along with seemingly unstoppable United States champion Bobby Lashley, has The Hurt Business rolling in a way it never quite did over the summer. Sure, they rose to prominence in that span, but they did not string together as many wins—mostly due to Apollo Crews beating them every week.

Now ready to firmly establish themselves as a measuring stick on Monday nights, don't be surprised if the stable is draped in gold by the time the calendar turns over.

WWE Is Beating the Specialness out of Shayna Baszler Every Week

When Shayna Baszler debuted on the main roster in January, she was treated like a big deal.

She immediately targeted Becky Lynch and the Raw Women's Championship. She then dominated the Elimination Chamber, going on a clean sweep the likes of which we are unlikely to see again in that setting.

Then, however, The Queen of Spades lost to Lynch at WrestleMania 36 and disappeared from television.

A reemergence and partnership with Nia Jax as the women's tag team champions returned her to prominence. And while they engaged in occasional witty banter, she was still presented as a legit badass fighter with the potential to tap out and punish anyone in her path.

That hasn't been the case of late, though. Baszler has been pinned in three consecutive matches for no reason other than to continue a rivalry that feels ice-cold as it is.

Whether it's aware of it or not, WWE Creative is beating the specialness right out of Baszler, to the point that any aura or credibility she still has as the most dangerous woman on the roster is nearly nonexistent.

It is a shame, too, because no one since Brock Lesnar had been presented as such an unstoppable force. Now, though, she is in danger of becoming just another face in a swarm of them.