Credit: WWE.com

AJ Styles' Bodyguard Jordan Omogbehin, Retribution Is Done, More WWE Raw Fallout

Kevin Berge

On the 2020 season premiere of WWE Raw, the red brand showed just what its new roster could do. From new characters and stories to impactful matches, it was a night to behold.

One man would never forget this night. Former basketball player Jordan Omogbehin stepped into a WWE ring for the first time. The monstrous behemoth stood behind AJ Styles as The Phenomenal One began to forge a new path on Raw.

Elsewhere on the show, hopes and dreams were shattered. Mustafa Ali finally got to speak up on behalf of Retribution, but that was only after his stable was battered and embarrassed again. It seems the end is nigh for this group.

The Raw women's division struggled to find its footing. The new-look roster did not impress. Lana lost an embarrassingly short title fight, while Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler steamrolled several teams to remain dominant over any and all challengers.

For those out of the loop, WWE will be presenting Hell in a Cell on Sunday. But Raw lost track of this as the brand only fleetingly built up the card throughout the night. Even Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton barely developed.

This show was filled with more lows than highs, but the results could lead to a more interesting future in WWE.

Jordan Omogbehin Will Benefit from Working with AJ Styles

Jordan Omogbehin is over 7'0" tall and 300 pounds. He towers over everyone. Only Andre the Giant and Giant Gonzalez would have exceeded his massive height. Braun Strowman will look small in comparison.

His size is the main factor in what makes him an interesting force. That look set him up as a ninja and doorman in previous moments, but this next opportunity will be the best he has ever received.

AJ Styles needed a new focus. He was losing that entirely on both brands. Omogbehin can be his bodyguard and enforcer, allowing The Phenomenal One to wrestle without worry. The big man will back him up, all the way to their breakup, likely around the 2021 WWE draft.

The former basketball player may not be well-trained yet, but Styles is one of the best in the world. Omogbehin can absorb knowledge while watching one of the best in the world do what he does best. This will help him see what a true top star can do in the ring.

Retribution Lost Its Second Chance in a Single Failed Night

Two weeks ago, Mustafa Ali revealed he was behind Retribution all along. His smile has grown wider and he has become more confident since then. The leader of this rebel group should be dangerous and untouchable.

Instead, the group was embarrassed again. T-Bar tapped out to Bobby Lashley, and The Fiend sent Ali and his crew running afterward. Nothing about this screamed dangerous. Ali talks a big game, but his group cannot deliver.

There is no doubt Ali is one of the best promos in the business, but he can only do so much with sloppy weekly booking. He cannot guide Retribution out of the shadows, which is where stays because it is always hurt when escaping the confines of its stronghold.

This week was a fresh start and should have been a new beginning. Instead, it was the same old mess. The All Mighty gave The Hurt Business a lead in this faction warfare, and Bray Wyatt finished the job by tossing Retribution around.

Only Ali escaped unharmed. However, his dignity is shot. It took him hours to respond to everything. His group looks incapable of winning. In some ways, it is the perfect stable for Ali, who has constantly failed at the finish line due purely to booking.

Raw's Women's Division in Need of a Complete Overhaul After Night 1

Beyond the champions, who is on top of the Raw women's division? Asuka, Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler can compete every week, but who can step up to them? Lana got a surprise Battle Royal victory, only to be squashed in less than three minutes in the followup title match.

The Riott Squad joined Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke as well the new team of Peyton Royce and Lacey Evans. All of them competed against the WWE women's tag team champions. Jax and Baszler defeated them soundly.

The women's division is a mess. New challengers must emerge. While Naomi's draft spot would indicate she is a priority, she did not appear on this show. Lana was a wasted title defense, and the tag team division is in shambles.

While this may have been the season premiere of Raw, the fun has not even begun fully. What is needed is a complete reshuffle. New challengers must step up with brand-new duties.

Could Royce or Evans have a little shot? Will Reckoning eventually step up? Could Charlotte Flair return sooner rather than later? These are interesting questions that need answers that will only come with a fresh start.

WWE Hell in a Cell Has Fallen Completely by the Wayside

The go-home Raw before Hell in a Cell was a waste of time. Nothing was strongly developed. It took only minutes before Drew McIntyre interrupted Randy Orton to get their brawl going again. Only Elias and Jeff Hardy added a match to the card.

This should be a time of terror. Talent should be ready to destroy each other for an opportunity, and rivalries should be set to end definitively.

What is to become of this roster? Time will tell what matches will dominate the undercard. The three contests at the head should steal the show, but Raw needs a bigger presence on Sunday's pay-per-view.

Too many of the red brand's titles are not going to be defended. There are many stories playing out mostly on Raw. That leaves so much to be explored on a night with four confirmed matches.

Raw lost its chance to build up the event, so it's time for Friday Night SmackDown to pick up the slack.

   

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