WWE Raw: 3 Questions from the January 16 Show

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1. When Will the United States Title be a Priority?

This would be one question that has plagued Raw for the most part of last year. Did anybody feel like Chris Jericho was the newly crowned US champion? Y2J would claim the one title that eluded him throughout this past week. However, there would be no celebration and hardly any reference to the title at all. Did anybody else see the title as Jericho made his entrance during the opening segment? Had he worn it on his shoulders it would have been better.

On the other end, the former US champion Reigns seems to handle his title loss pretty well. He hardly ever talked about it. So the person who lose the prestigious title and the person who won it after nearly 20 years in the industry both had nothing to say about it. That would tell you a lot about where the title stands at this moment. It is merely a plot accessory at the hands of a credible main eventer like Reigns or Jericho sadly.

On the flip side, if one would look at what SmackDown did with the IC title, there would be no other word than ‘extraordinary’ to describe it. The Miz would lose all his nerve when he lost the IC title. Ambrose carries himself and his title with a rejuvenated fire. The title is frequently defended and not a single episode goes by where it is not mentioned.

Had Jericho and Owens featured a celebration segment the title would have meant something. Moreover, with no credible challengers lined up, we might not see a US title match at the Rumble also. SmackDown could very well include Ambrose vs The Miz for the IC title at the Rumble. On the contrary, Roman Reigns could not even be in for a rematch.

Next: WWE Raw Results: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for Jan 16

That begs one to ask the question once more. When will the US title become a priority? If only the title was handed to someone like Sami Zayn eventually. If only creative knew to make better use of Zayn’s inclusion in the main event this week.

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