After a week of superstars switching brands, the rosters have finally settled back down. Here is everything you need to know heading into this episode of Monday Night Raw:
Although Raw lost Tamina Snuka and Charlotte to SmackDown Live, they gain two popular competitors in Alexa Bliss and Mickie James. How will their arrival impact the Women’s Division?
By laying waste to Roman Reigns last week, Braun Strowman has established himself as the ultimate powerhouse. With Brock Lesnar gone for the foreseeable future, now is the time for the big man to clean house.
At the Payback event, The Hardy Boyz will defend their Tag Team Championship belts against Cesaro and Sheamus. On the previous episode of Raw, they teamed together, but that trend isn’t likely to continue.
While the United States Championship went to SmackDown Live with Kevin Owens, Raw has gained the Intercontinental Title. As the current champion, Dean Ambrose faces an entirely new line-up of challengers than he did on the Blue Brand.
Due to the temporary absence of David Otunga, Raw has teased a new commentator who will begin on Monday. The current identity of the replacement is unknown.
One of the biggest developments to occur in WWE as of late is the rivalry between Samoa Joe and Seth Rollins. Their feud has been increasing in intensity over the past several weeks, with tonight’s episode serving as another site for a potential encounter.
During a match against Jinder Mahal, Finn Balor received a concussion. He did go on to finish the match and earn the victory, but this is an unfortunate setback for the Demon King. Hopefully, this doesn’t cost him a great deal of his recent momentum.
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So without further ado, here are the top four predictions for what will occur on the Apr. 17 edition of Monday Night Raw.
The Raw Women’s Division Receives a Boost
As of one the top female athletes in WWE today, Alexa Bliss was a popular choice to be traded to Raw. Her work since arriving on the main roster has been stellar to say to least. She’s brash, arrogant, and has the perfect combination of athleticism and beauty. Gaining a solid fan following due to her natural abilities, she excels in her role as a heel. SmackDown Live was a perfect place for the young woman to thrive, and now she’s a staple of Monday Nights.
With Nia Jax gearing up to face Bayley at Payback, the Women’s Championship scene doesn’t need Bliss at the moment. This frees her up to challenge any of the other women on Raw, and one feud in particular shows promise.
Still teasing an upcoming heel turn, Sasha Banks has remained in the background of Bayley’s title reign. Eventually, the time will come for the Boss to face her close friend, but that time isn’t now. If WWE plays their cards right, this could be a match that is saved for a big event like Summerslam. Until then, Banks is going to need someone to occupy her attention.
If given the opportunity, the product that these two women could create together is quite appealing. They both have strong promo skills, making a segment between the two must-see. The in-ring action would likely follow suit, as it’d feature two athletic females going at it. Payback is right around the corner, making it the perfect site for an official match. No matter who emerges victorious, both could certainly benefit from such a high-profile rivalry.
The Miz Targets Finn Balor
Before The Miz left SmackDown Live, he was in the process of establishing himself as a main-event level heel. In 2016, the Awesome One enjoyed two reigns as Intercontinental Champion. Bringing prestige back to the championship with his fantastic rivalry with Dolph Ziggler, Miz proved that he was a great asset to WWE. This was evident in his feud with John Cena as well, although he didn’t enjoy much success by the end of it.
When Miz was drafted to Raw along with his wife Maryse, it was a bit of a head-scratching moment. The Flagship show features a rather large roster, and one would think he might get lost in the shuffle. As talented as he is, Miz has had difficulty breaking through the glass ceiling since his first world title win. He was close to doing so on the Blue Brand, but now his momentum is at risk of being lost.
To counteract this, WWE would be wise to grant him a short-term feud with a top superstar on Raw. Many of the main event stars are in the middle of rivalries at this point, making his options very slim. Despite this, there is a widely popular talent who still finds himself without a quality opponent. That man is Finn Balor, who as many of you know recently returned from injury.
Last week, it was hinted that Balor may be in line for a battle with Bray Wyatt, who recently found himself traded to the Flagship show. Their match likely won’t occur until after Payback, which allows the Demon King to participate in a short-term program. It may be out of the question considering Balor’s recent concussion, but we won’t know for sure until tonight.
A Potential Main Event
By the conclusion of their brawl last week, it was obvious that there is still a lot of bad blood between Samoa Joe and Seth Rollins. The two are on a collision course for a huge confrontation, which is probably another encounter set to take place at Payback. There is still plenty of airtime to fill before then, and so WWE must find a new direction here to keep fans engaged.
An easy solution to this is to take advantage of the new influx of talent to Raw. Should WWE choose not to have Miz collide with Finn Balor, this would present a great opportunity to give fans a unique main event. The Awesome One could team with Samoa Joe to face Seth Rollins and a partner of his choice. Now that he is considered to be a good guy, it makes sense from a storyline perspective for Rollins to select a familiar individual. A perfect choice is Dean Ambrose, whose current path on Raw is unknown.
Going down this path offers plenty of positives for the company. For example, it allows newly traded talents to ease into the transition of switching shows. While it can be tempting to thrust superstars straight into the spotlight, sometimes the smarter decision is to keep them in the background. The Lunatic Fringe personifies this belief, as he would gain nothing from being thrown into a low-profile match. In the previous slide, Finn Balor was mentioned as an ideal opponent for Miz, however, Ambrose has no options at the moment.
Until Payback is over, the Lunatic Fringe is probably going to lack direction. Because of this, his current involvement should only be used to enhance the rivalry between Joe and Rollins.
The Big Dog Looks for Revenge
Following his utter decimation at the hands of Braun Strowman, Roman Reigns was left in a crumpled head inside a turned over ambulance. The damage he received would incapacitate a lesser man, yet Reigns is no ordinary athlete. Since his debut back in 2012, the Big Dog has shown he can bounce back from anything.
Strowman may think that he has taken Reigns out of the equation, however, he is incorrect. Come Monday, expect the Big Dog to return looking for a fight. He isn’t going to be anywhere near 100%, but his condition won’t stop his quest for revenge. These two men are in the middle of what can be considered the top feud on Raw. Each of them knows this, and rest assured they won’t stop until one stands tall over the other.
The question is, will it be Reigns or Strowman leaving Payback as the victor? If the Raw after WrestleMania was any indicator, Strowman and Brock Lesnar are destined to compete. Should that come to fruition, it’d be rather foolish if the big man lost to Reigns yet again. His star power would fall drastically as a result, making it hard for him to be taken seriously going forward.
As for Reigns, it seems that the Big Dog is also in line for a shot against the Universal Champion. Rumor has it the second encounter between the two is set to occur at WrestleMania 34. That gives WWE an entire year to build him up, so in theory he can afford to lose to Strowman. Unfortunately, Reigns is fresh off his victory against The Undertaker. Would it be disrespectful to the Deadman for him to lose in this feud?
Next: Potential Feuds for SmackDown Following Shakeup
What do you think will occur on Monday Night Raw? Let us know in the comments below.