WWE RAW witnessed a lot of changes. Daniel Bryan finally realized his dream of becoming the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. The Shield split after ruthlessly running roughshod over the main roster. The Streak was broken. If that wasn’t enough of a shocker, CM Punk left WWE.
The Second City Saint was fired from the company on his wedding day, 10 years after he first stepped foot in the WWE locker room. Punk’s ouster, however, didn’t affect the company much as they were quick to populate the main event scene with Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns.
The Architect had a meteoric rise in 2014, thanks to the incredible matches he put on WWE RAW and PPV events. With that being said, let’s take a look at some of the best matches from RAW.
Alberto Del Rio vs. Christian vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Sheamus (Intercontinental Title No. 1 Contender’s Fatal 4-Way Match, March 24)
This content pitted four former world champions inside the same ring. The winner would get to face Big E for the Intercontinental Championship. All four athletes put on a PPV-level performance on WWE RAW.
Alberto Del Rio picked up from where they left off in 2012. Dolph Ziggler pulled off some crazy selling to make the three opponents look good. Christian took advantage of the opportunity to hit the Killswitch for the win.
His next match on WWE RAW would come in 2020.
Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton (WWE RAW, February 3)
Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton kicked off an incredible feud in 2013. The Viper cost the American Dragon his WWE Championship at SummerSlam. The pair spent the following months exchanging the title in some amazing matches.
One of their better matches came in the lead-up to Elimination Chamber 2014. The pair put on a great performance in this 27-minute outing on WWE RAW. Bryan picked up the win over his archrival, but couldn’t manage to escape the post-match beatdown.
Cesaro vs. John Cena (WWE RAW, February 17)
Fans had no idea they were in for an incredible match when Cesaro and John Cena met for the first time in singles competition on WWE RAW. Both men looked to prove each other wrong in the lead-up to Elimination Chamber 2014.
This match only foreshadowed the incredible chemistry that would be on display between the pair in 2015. The Swiss Superman proved he could hold his own against anyone on the main event scene.
Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins (Falls Count Anywhere Match, August 18)
Seth Rollins betrayed his Shield brethren in one of the most shocking angles on WWE RAW. The Architect joined forces with The Authority. Rollins’ betrayal resulted in a heated feud with Dean Ambrose that lasted months.
The pair took things to another level in a Falls Count Anywhere on a WWE RAW in August. The Lunatic Fringe showed his sadistic side in the match. He also took a brutal running powerbomb from his former friend onto stacked chairs.
The most brutal spot came when Rollins curb stomped Ambrose into bricks, forcing the referee to call for the bell.
The Shield vs. The Wyatt Family (March 3)
The Shield and The Wyatt Family had one of the best tag team matches of 2014 at Elimination Chamber. The six men met again on the first episode of WWE RAW in March. While the PPV match was heavy on in-ring action, this match focused on storytelling.
Rollins foreshadowed his eventual heel turn when he abandoned Ambrose and Reigns during the match. The Architect left Ambrose as he was about to go for a hot tag, allowing The Wyatt Family to pick up the win.
