The first WWE Raw of 2018 was an underwhelming show as a whole, but did feature a few standout moments at the same time.
As the first WWE Raw of 2018, one might expect some memorable moments to help set the tone for the rest of the year. However, there wasn’t much to be found along those lines last night.
But there were some positives to take away from the show, including some solid in-ring competition as the WWE inches closer to the Royal Rumble. With that being said, let’s take a look at five key takeaways from the Jan. 1 edition of WWE Raw.
5. Finn Balor Sets Up Potential Dark Horse Royal Rumble Match Win
Everybody loves a good underdog story, and the same can be said in the WWE. Over the years, fans have been treated to some awesome storytelling from individuals that didn’t appear to stand a chance to reach the level they reached.
Could the WWE be preparing to do the same with Finn Balor? The Demon King has not done anything of true significance in months, but maybe a new year will change his fortunes. Balor announced last night that he would be entering the Royal Rumble match and he made some good points along the way.
Balor was the first-ever Universal Champion and he never got a rematch for it. It was cool to see Balor team with Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson last night to defeat The Miztourage and Elias, but the bigger picture could be on Jan. 28 at the Royal Rumble for The Demon King.
Maybe Balor’s lack of direction over the past few months is just setting up a potential Royal Rumble match win. Maybe it will lead to Balor joining the Universal Championship picture at WrestleMania. Maybe, just maybe, the talk about Balor not being over enough is just talk and the WWE has something planned for him after all.
It’s a slim chance, but the thought of the possibility of The Demon King winning the Royal Rumble match is an intriguing one that could finally lead to the WWE giving Balor the chance he deserves.
Photo Source: WWE.com via Twitter
4. Seth Rollins Mentorship Role Towards Jason Jordan Adds Unique Feel to Raw Tag Team Championship Picture
The WWE ended 2017 on a surprising note for the Raw brand with the unexpected team of Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan dethroning The Bar for the Raw Tag Team Championship. And the first Raw of 2018 saw this storyline continue to develop.
With Jordan’s recent heelish role of complaining and nagging like an inexperienced rookie, it has opened the door for a different angle for Rollins. The Architect transformed into a mentorship role for Jordan last night and saw a few instances of him giving the cocky Jordan advice on how to take care of his business.
Jordan defeated Cesaro in the opening match of the night, but Rollins was unhappy that he shot off his mouth and got in the position to begin with. There was also a backstage segment that featured Rollins with Roman Reigns before Jordan intervened out of nowhere and threw Rollins and Reigns off for a moment.
This storyline could drastically change the Raw Tag Team Championship picture with the possibility of Jordan turning on Rollins a threat at seemingly any time. It’s cool to see Rollins in this mentorship role, especially given how heelish and cowardly he was a few years ago. This angle could lead to some big developments for not only the tag team title picture, but the WrestleMania picture as well.
The unexpected duo of Rollins and Jordan could change the plans on Monday nights leading into the biggest show of the year.
Photo Source: WWE.com via Twitter
3. Alexa Bliss vs. Asuka at WrestleMania 34 is Likely Off The Table
The main roster debut of Asuka at the TLC pay-per-view in October added a unique dimension to the Raw women’s division. Her charismatic, yet dominant style is something the WWE was lacking among the main roster women’s divisions.
With the announcement of the first-ever all-women’s Royal Rumble match, it seemed like a real possibility that The Empress of Tomorrow could win it all. However, last night might have proven otherwise. Many speculated that Asuka could battle Alexa Bliss for the Raw Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 34, but last night served up a non-title match between the two.
After a pretty stellar bout, Asuka made Bliss tap out. Conventional WWE wisdom suggests that Asuka will now get a Raw Women’s Championship shot, but will it come sooner than WrestleMania? It’s fair to assume that a potential match between these two is off the table at WrestleMania and will take place sooner rather than later.
If the WWE was planning on going with Bliss vs. Asuka at WrestleMania, why would it give away the match already on a Raw? And with Asuka winning, she’ll likely get a title shot without having to win the Royal Rumble match. Last night has potentially changed the complexion of the Raw Women’s Championship picture with plans still unclear for fans.
Regardless of what the Raw Women’s Championship picture will look like at WrestleMania 34, it will now have fans talking more than before.
Photo Source: WWE.com via Twitter
2. WWE Misses Golden Opportunity for Intercontinental Title Change
The on-screen tension between Samoa Joe and Roman Reigns has been building over the past few weeks. These two forces on Monday nights have been at each other on and off throughout much of 2017, but on the first Raw of 2018, the stakes were high.
After Reigns’ frustrations got himself disqualified the week before in his Intercontinental Championship defense against Joe, it was announced that a rematch would be in place last night and if Reigns got disqualified again, he would lose his championship. And as expected, the match was very good.
It was a pay-per-view quality encounter, but at the end of the day, Reigns retained the Intercontinental Championship. Having The Big Dog as Intercontinental Champion has been very good, however, the WWE might have missed an opportunity to kill a couple birds with one stone as WrestleMania season approaches.
With Reigns likely vying for the Universal Championship against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania, he will likely need to drop the Intercontinental Championship. And what better or more legitimate threat to drop the belt to than Joe? It can still happen, but if Joe would have won last night, it would have been a big tone-setter for the first Raw of 2018 and could have helped set up key WrestleMania plans.
The situation can still be remedied, but last night would have been a great time to help accomplish that feat.
Photo by WWE’s Twitter
1. Universal Championship Picture Greatly Lacking Intrigue at the Royal Rumble
With the announcement of a Triple Threat Match for the Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble between Brock Lesnar, Braun Strowman, and Kane, many fans were skeptical. And last night’s Raw only raises those skeptical opinions.
Lesnar and his advocate Paul Heyman made an appearance on the first Raw of 2018 and most figured a major encounter was coming between the three heavyweights vying for the top prize on Monday nights. And while there was an encounter last night, it wasn’t nearly what fans had hoped for.
The Beast Incarnate was approached by Kane and The Big Red Machine laid out Lesnar with a chokeslam, only for Lesnar to sit up much like Kane has done for years. This led to an attempted brawl between the two being shut down by several superstars in the locker room coming out and breaking it up. And all of this was going on while Strowman was seen watching Lesnar and Heyman on a TV screen in the backstage area.
It was just a lackluster ending to Raw and did nothing to get fans interested in this match. In fact, it might have just turned more fans off than what previously existed. The crowd was just disengaged during the entire segment and it never felt legitimate like it needed to with the first showdown of this Universal Championship picture.
Next: WWE Raw Results For Jan. 1 Show
Lesnar vs. Strowman vs. Kane is less than four weeks away, but it will take a lot to get fans invested in this matchup given how obvious the outcome already is.