WWE: Good Week, Bad Week - Braun Strowman stars on Raw
Pete Dunne impresses - but Rusev needs a change for the better
Friday 24 February 2017 13:51, UK
WrestleMania is less than six weeks away and things are beginning to hot up on Raw and Smackdown.
Here are some of those taking full advantage of their momentum as WWE heads towards the Show of Shows, as well as those who are struggling.
It's time for Good Week, Bad Week!
GOOD WEEK
Braun Strowman
The Monster Among Men is making quite a name for himself in WWE right now. After an impressive showing at the Royal Rumble, Strowman has continued his path of destruction, taking out Mark Henry last week and then given the honour of main-eventing Raw against Big Show this week.
Strowman delivered a technically-sound match on his way to beating The World's Largest Athlete, before blasting his Fastlane opponent, Roman Reigns, with a Running Powerslam when he was attacked after the bell.
Alexa Bliss
The Wicked Witch of the WWE took back her metaphorical ruby slippers when she beat Becky Lynch to regain the Smackdown Women's Title left vacant by the injured Naomi on Tuesday night.
Bliss jabbed Lynch in the throat behind the referee's back to become a two-time champion. She can now continue her reign of terror with Mickie James by her side and could walk into WrestleMania with the belt.
Pete Dunne
Dunne is a worthy addition this week, with the PROGRESS World Champion bringing his 'Bruiserweight' style to NXT for a match against Mark Andrews, the man he beat in the semi-finals of January's United Kingdom Championship Tournament.
Dunne and Andrews stole the show once again, just as they did back in Blackpool, with the end almost a carbon copy of their first WWE outing - Dunne hitting Andrews with Bitter End to make a statement and put the entire NXT locker room on notice.
BAD WEEK
Naomi
Naomi waited seven years to lift a championship - but the dream of walking into WrestleMania with the Women's Title was taken away from her this week when it was revealed her injury would leave her unable to defend the belt within the allotted 30 days.
Naomi relinquished the title but declared that she would return to reclaim her championship in the future. Daniel Bryan was given the task of taking the title from her in what was an emotional in-ring segment to open this week's Smackdown.
Sami Zayn
When will Zayn catch a break? First, he couldn't go anywhere without Braun Strowman attacking him - a man that he stood no chance against - and now he has made an enemy out of Samoa Joe!
Zayn was prepared to face former friend Kevin Owens and gain some retribution for Chris Jericho, who was attacked by Owens during last week's Festival of Friendship, but he was blindsided and beaten down by Joe. Will he get revenge at Fastlane?
Rusev
The Bulgarian Brute was once an undefeated force who ripped through WWE, now he is referred to as Handsome Rusev and this week, while partnering with Jinder Mahal, was defeated by The New Day.
Owens unburdened himself of Chris Jericho and Rusev needs to do the same with Mahal if he wants to be taken seriously.
Rusev used to strike fear into his opponents but now he has no match scheduled for Fastlane and, it seems, little hope of being on the main WrestleMania card. Something needs to change.
