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With the WWE Superstar Shakeup in the rear view mirror, what new feuds could emerge on Monday Night Raw in the future?
This past week, the WWE Superstar Shakeup came and went. This saw a handful of talents switch brands, including some surprise names. It gives the rosters a different look after WrestleMania 33, during a time where things can take a while to develop.
SmackDown’s loss is very much Raw’s gain. While GM Kurt Angle did watch the likes of Charlotte, Kevin Owenson toand Sami Zayn leave for Tuesday nights, his show now owns Bray Wyatt, Dean Ambrose and Alexa Bliss.
Not only does the shakeup give the transitioning Superstars the opportunity to freshen up their characters on a new show, but it also opens up a host of new rivalries.
Kevin Owens was a Universal and United States champion on Raw. Charlotte held a vice grip over the Women’s division. As they transition to Team Blue, new opportunities arise for those remaining on Raw. The shakeup also ensured all three members of The Shield were on the same brand.
What feuds could be sparked on Raw now that the shakeup has freshened up the roster?
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5. Bray Wyatt vs. Finn Balor
Bray Wyatt’s switch to Raw brought with it more questions than answers. He’s still challenging for the WWE Championship, which resides on SmackDown Live. Now he’ll compete for the title on a Raw pay-per-view, and a victory would place both the WWE and Universal Championships on the same show.
To make matters all the more confusing, Wyatt arrived on Monday night to confront Finn Balor, laying the foundations for what could become a memorable rivalry.
Balor returned from a lengthy absence the night after WrestleMania, but is yet to find a dance partner for Payback. While Wyatt won’t be his opponent in under three weeks time, it appears the two will go at it at some point in the future.
The blend of these characters will be fascinating to watch. Wyatt, for now at least, is alone with the remainder of the Wyatt Family on SmackDown. And it might be a good thing for this rivalry. It doesn’t need any outside distractions or interference. In one corner you have The Eater of Worlds, and he could unleash The Demon King out of Balor.
The potential of a Wyatt-Balor feud is off the charts, and it’s now a possibility with Wyatt moving to Monday nights.
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4. Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley
There is a new name to watch out for in the Raw Women’s division. Alexa Bliss is here to shake up a division that needed a new star.
Despite all of the talent on Raw, we had just about seen it all. Switching Charlotte and Tamina for Bliss and Mickie James makes a ton of sense, as noted earlier this week.
Bliss, a two-time SmackDown Women’s Champion, should go right into the mix for the Raw strap. With Charlotte out of the equation, she is easily the best talker the division has to offer on Monday’s show.
Bliss made clear her intentions last week on Raw. She is going after Bayley’s championship and wants to put an end to the “nauseating” relationship between Bayley and Sasha Banks. While there’s been some sense of friction between the two best friends, any betrayal should be saved for a grander stage like SummerSlam.
Alexa Bliss should steal the title from Bayley and force The Huggable One to chase the championship over the summer. Not only does that play into Bayley’s character’s strengths, but would also bring the best out of Bliss.
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3. The Miz vs. Roman Reigns
It was somewhat surprising to see The Miz torn away from SmackDown Live. He had become arguably the brand’s top heel and looked in line for a WWE Championship chase down the line. I’m not convinced he gets the same opportunity on Raw, but there’s no doubting The Miz has put together some of the best work of his career over the past 12 months.
Now imagine pitting him with Roman Reigns, who gets a reaction like no other. A large percentage of the crowd loves to hate Reigns in spite of the WWE’s desire to push him as a babyface. Ironically, The Miz got cheered in his most recent feud against John Cena, despite putting together a great heel program.
Just as The Miz tapped into many fans’ frustrations with Cena during their WrestleMania feud, he could do the same with Reigns. While he’ll certainly draw cheers from areas of the crowd and boos elsewhere, it would create a unique dynamic between the two characters, one we’ve rarely seen.
The Miz is one of the few guys on the roster capable of going after Reigns while still coming across as a jerk. For the so-called “Must-See Superstar in WWE History”, this would certainly be a must-see rivalry.
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2. Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins
Dean Ambrose’s arrival on Raw means all three members of The Shield are together again. Any hopes of a reunion should be put on hold as each character is in its own spot right now, especially Roman Reigns.
That’s not to say Ambrose shouldn’t cross paths with the man that broke up The Shield in the first place. Seth Rollins established himself as one of the company’s top heels when he hit Reigns in the back with a steel chair and put an end to one of the most dominant factions in recent memory.
Times have changed. Rollins is building steam as a babyface, while Ambrose’s role on SmackDown hit a roadblock. Moving to Monday nights presents new potential rivalries for Ambrose, but ultimately a change of direction could work wonders in freshening up his character.
Imagine a scenario where Rollins and Ambrose are working together to combat Samoa Joe, only for Ambrose to turn his back on Rollins to flip the narrative from three years ago. We’re yet to see what a heel Ambrose can do on his own.
Given the history between these two men and a fresh narrative with Rollins as the good guy and Ambrose the bad guy, this feud could dominate the summer.
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1. Mickie James vs. Sasha Banks
Nine Women’s Championship reigns make up Mickie James and Sasha Banks.
We need to see more one-on-one battles in the division on both brands as opposed to triple threats, fatal four-ways and six-pack challenges. If Alexa Bliss is to challenge Bayley for the Women’s title, we could see Sasha Banks and Mickie James feud.
Why? Because both believe that no matter who the champion is, they are the best Superstar on Raw. They have the championship pedigree to back it up.
Both are babyfaces right now, but Mickie James is fresh off a brief heel run on SmackDown and has seamlessly transitioned between being a good guy and bad guy throughout her career. Flipping James to heel would be the best move now, holding off a Sasha turn for later in the year.
James’ ability to evolve her character over the years means she’s just as capable of obsessing over Trish Stratus as she is teaming with Alexa Bliss to take down Becky Lynch. Or in this case, showing Sasha Banks that she’s the true Boss.
Next: Why the Women's division won the Superstar Shakeup
Nia Jax will have something to say in the title picture before long, but James and Banks could put together an excellent one-on-one program together. Sasha should ultimately come out on top and eventually go onto feud with Bayley.