Raw Reactions: Confessions of a Hacker

By Ryan Satin

WWE tied up a major loose end Monday night after Mustafa Ali revealed he was the mysterious hacker from SmackDown earlier this year. 

Before we get to that … here are the quick results from last night’s season premiere of Raw on October 19, 2020:

- The Hurt Business defeated RETRIBUTION in an eight-man tag team match

- AJ Styles defeated Matt Riddle via pinfall 

- Asuka retained the Raw Women’s Championship via submission over Lana

- Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler defeated Mandy Rose/Dana Brooke, Peyton Royce/Lacey Evans and Riott Squad

- Kofi Kingston defeated Sheamus via pinfall 

- Tucker and El Gran Gordo (Otis) defeated Miz and Morrison 

- Braun Strowman defeated Keith Lee

Now, here are my four biggest takeaways from this week’s Raw, as well as some additional thoughts on the show …

Mustafa Ali Was the Mysterious SmackDown Hacker 

"The Truth Will Be Heard"

The SmackDown hacker piqued fan interest earlier this year, only to be dropped from WWE TV without explanation.

Beginning with random static-filled interruptions, the glitches eventually displayed the words "The Truth Will Be Heard" across the screen while showing someone sitting at a big computer.

The glitches also included a circle of blue lights like the one on Ali’s entrance glove, which made him a prime suspect amongst fans.

Sonya Deville was later exposed by the hacker as the person who sabotaged Mandy Rose’s date with Otis, then the character continued posting cryptic videos on social media without revealing their identity.

The videos abruptly stopped, however, and the angle seemed to be going the way of G-TV. 

Until this week, when Mustafa Ali revived the whole thing in a promo on Raw.

Whether this was the plan all along for Raw’s masked faction, or just a great case of retconning, the reveal did an exceptional job of explaining the group’s actions up to this point while additionally giving purpose to Ali’s turn. 

Popular storylines being dropped for no good reason can be very frustrating as a viewer, so it’s nice to see that is not what ultimately happened for the SmackDown hacker. 

The only mistake made in regards to RETRIBUTION this week was having them lose to The Hurt Business before Ali’s confession. 

Fans had been anxiously waiting for Mustafa to explain his association with the group after revealing himself as the leader two weeks ago. 

Having them suffer a loss before his hacker reveal only made the confession less impactful.  

Hopefully that was RETRIBUTION's last loss for awhile. 

In order for them to be taken seriously as a threat to someone like "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt, which they planted the seeds for this week, the group needs be treated as a force. 

AJ Styles Gets a Bodyguard 

Now that Raw Underground has seemingly come to an end, quickly making use of the person who got over the most in those segments was the right call. 

No, not Dabba-Kato or Riddick Moss. 

I’m talking about Jordan Omogbehin – ex-ninja, bouncer for Shane McMahon’s late-night fight club and now bodyguard for AJ Styles. 

The former basketball player from Nigeria caught people’s attention without ever having to compete on Raw Underground due to his ginormous frame and likable rapport with Shane McMahon each week.

And while we didn’t get an on-screen explanation yet for his sudden pairing with AJ this week, the duo already meshed well together on night one.

The referee begging Omogbehin to leave the ring before Styles wrestled Matt Riddle was hilarious, the looming threat he added ringside gave AJ an extra bit of cockiness in the ring, and standing together they made for a tremendous visual.

Getting on the job training from Styles each week will also be good for Jordan’s development as a wrestler. 

"The Phenomenal One" has a wealth of knowledge he can pass onto the rookie, which could prove invaluable to his growth. Especially without any live events to gain experience on.

Keith Lee Loses to Braun Strowman

Keith Lee shouldn’t be losing in less than 4 minutes this early into his main roster run.

Even a cheap loss to a former Universal Champion like we saw on Raw.

Fans who aren’t familiar with his work on the indies or NXT are still forming their first opinions of him, and losing this quickly could affect how he’s viewed in their eyes going forward.

Lee is one of the few babyface performers on the roster with potential to be a main eventer at some point in the near future, so pushing him to the next level with big wins should be more of a priority than getting more heels over. 

They have enough of those as it is right now. 

The Miz Shoots Hard on Otis 

Sometimes the truth hurts. 

The big roll Otis was on prior to the pandemic feels like a distant memory. 

Ever since winning Money in the Bank, the magic to his act has slowly started to fade.

This is due in part to the lack of a live audience, as well as his pairing with Mandy Rose going away, but some of what Miz said tonight about his underdog attitude is to blame as well. 

Otis got the girl. He got the briefcase. 

This means his character is no longer the underdog. 

Now Otis needs to prove himself by showing he can be a valuable singles performer in matches against top level opponents. Not being made to look like a joke who carries around a lunchbox.

Many past Money in the Bank winners have been able to use that win as a launching point to take their careers to the next level. 

Otis, however, has seemingly gone in reverse.

Miz calling this out on Raw will hopefully set Otis on the right direction once his singles venture begins on SmackDown. It’s not too late to fix this problem and set him up for success once he cashes in. 

Additional thoughts:

- Elias’ first concert back was a success. 

The backing of a band and pyro made it feel like a real concert, which was quite refreshing in a COVID world where that’s not really a thing at the moment. Bonus points for the songs being actually good.

- Alexa Bliss and The Fiend continued to impress as a duo this week. 

First by not acting the least bit fussed as RETRIBUTION attempted to ambush them in the ring, then later when Bliss appeared in the Firefly Fun House for the first time. 

- Lana did not defeat Asuka for the Raw Women’s Championship, but she deserves some credit for her work in the match.

It was clear she came prepared and it showed in the ring.

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