WWE Raw: Cedric Alexander came away a huge winner despite losing

A night of being beat up by AJ Styles and Baron Corbin on Raw might actually be the best sign yet that big things are in store for Cedric Alexander in WWE.

This might be the only time I will ever say this, but I’m legitimately happy that Baron Corbin won on WWE Raw.

It’s not because I’ve suddenly become a massive Corbin convert, although his run in King of the Ring is growing on me far more than anything in his feuds with Seth Rollins or Kurt Angle ever did.

No, it’s because Corbin’s win meant that Cedric Alexander lost. Given what happened earlier in the night on Raw, I can’t help but be excited by that.

Alexander was attacked by The O.C., and laid out by AJ Styles before his quarterfinals match. It’s a clear plot thread that could lead to Alexander receiving an United States Championship opportunity sooner rather than later, which would arguably be an even bigger prize than being crowned King of the Ring.

A sustained feud against someone as popular and talented as Styles could do wonders for establishing Cedric Alexander as a legitimate main event level star in WWE. As a babyface, that just feels like it would be a much simpler route to the top compared to having to work in the whole “king” gimmick from winning the tournament.

Put simply, that’s why it was great to see Alexander eventually fall to “The End of Days” on Raw, especially after a standout match and gutsy performance. It clears the way for him to move to an even better storyline, and still actually protects him in defeat.

The attack earlier by Styles, combined with the fact that Baron Corbin honestly has to be considered the favorite to represent Raw at Clash of Champions at this point, should have been more than enough to insulate that one loss from being something which could harm Alexander’s push.

In my opinion, that honestly makes it one of the more soundproof booking decisions I’ve seen WWE make lately.

Now, of course, that doesn’t mean you likely couldn’t find something to rail against here if you really wanted to.

Corbin likely becoming the favorite to emerge from the Raw side of the King of the Ring bracket as a result of this twist is less than ideal depending on how much mileage you get out of seeing the former general manager heel it up with a dollar store looking crown on his head.

Additionally, the attack by Styles and his pals felt random at best, especially when WWE really didn’t capitalize on any potential storyline of The O.C. rampaging through the roster beyond that.

It’s just that frankly, I don’t give a Ron Simmons catchphrase about any of that.

Cedric Alexander versus AJ Styles could easily be a match of the year candidate, and likely ensures that the immensely talented Alexander isn’t lost in the shuffle any time soon.

That alone makes it great booking by WWE, without even going into how easy it is to envision Alexander becoming a big player in the company for years to come with the right backing.

As much as I hate to say it, that might just make having to worry about the potential of King Corbin worth it if you ask me.