Fans of WWE are in a strange state at the moment, as we continue rapidly along the road to WrestleMania. We know surface-level facts about tonight’s Raw, but nothing about the actual reasoning behind them. For example, we know that Shane McMahon is appearing once more, having now agreed to face The Undertaker – but have absolutely no idea why the Phenom actually agreed to the match, especially considering his implied status as Vince’s pawn.
Similarly, we know that Chris Jericho and AJ Styles hav
e earned a tag titles match against the New Day, but Styles’ motivation for agreeing to be taken under Y2J’s wing hasn’t been explored at all. The pair simply earned respect for one another after their Fastlane encounter, and are now best friends. Wouldn’t a man of AJ’s staggering ability be frustrated at such an arrangement – in both real life and kayfabe terms?
The rest of Raw remains largely a mystery, but several showdowns can be pretty much banked on, including a continuation of the new feud between Triple H and Dean Ambrose. Hopefully WWE now really start to focus on fleshing out the ‘Mania storylines they’ve set in motion, rather than continuing to push them along at dangerously breakneck speed.
8. Shane McMahon Will Even The Odds
This week, WWE.com’s official Raw preview has the headline ‘What does Shane McMahon have planned?’, implying that he’ll most certainly be attempting to even the odds ahead of his bizarre WrestleMania showdown with The Undertaker. The body of the article asks:
‘How will WWE’s prodigal son respond to Mr. McMahon’s announcement that he will disown Shane should he lose to The Phenom at The Show of Shows?’
This seems to imply that Shane will have some sort of surprise in his locker, one which could tip the balance of the match back in his favour. This could include the involvement of another wrestler, one who will fight alongside him, or the inclusion of an additional stipulation – one which would prove even more catastrophic for Vince in the event of defeat.
7. AJ Styles And Y2J Will Not Beat The New Day
Say what you want about the tag team of AJ Styles and Chris Jericho (especially if it revolves around the fact that Y2J is clearly holding the newcomer back – because WWE really need to suffer more of a backlash for this), but at least they’re being booked strongly.
The pair are facing the New Day in tag title action tonight, a match WWE.com may have given away the result of with the sheer one-sidedness of their preview, which reads:
‘Sorry, New Day, but based on Chris Jericho & AJ Styles’ hot streak as of late, we could very well see the WWE Tag Team Championship change hands Monday night. After Y2AJ twice conquered The Power of Positivity in tag action, Styles picked up a singles win over Kofi Kingston on SmackDown, putting the champions in an unenviable position in the lead-up to their title defense.’
From that, it’s probably safe to assume that the trio’s lengthy reign will not be coming to an end on an innocuous edition of Raw. WWE.com are simply forcing the possibility too much.
6. Ryback Entering The US Title Picture
According to a report by F4Wonline.com (by way of WrestlingInc), Ryback has been booked into matches with Alberto Del Rio and current United States Champion Kalisto for the post-WrestleMania tour. This seems to imply that the Big Guy will be shifting into the US title scene, a surprising move considering his lack of recent momentum (unless an attire shift seriously counts).
For the sake of the quality of the WrestleMania card, we’d all better hope this doesn’t come true – but don’t be surprised if Ryback suddenly takes an unnatural interest in feuding with Kalisto, potentially as soon as tonight’s show.
5. CM Punk Chants
In case you missed the news, this week’s Raw is in Chicago. There will be CM Punk chants, particularly if Vince McMahon plays a key role in proceedings.
You may think it’s been a while since Punk has been in the public eye, and that such chants will therefore be diminished. However, given the current fan frustration over matters such as Roman Reigns’ forced push, expect the chants to be back with a vengeance. They won’t be acknowledged, obviously.
4. Another Divas Match To Be Set Up For ‘Mania
WWE seamstress Julie Youngblood (@AnJewelsBrand) may have revealed a WrestleMania spoiler on her official Twitter account, explaining that not only is she working with Becky Lynch for a custom ‘Mania outfit, but also Brie Bella and Paige. This could mean a second divas match on April 3rd, as well as the title bout between Charlotte, Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks.
It’s important to remember that both Brie and Paige are currently babyfaces, which could either mean a turn in the next few weeks, or some sort of multi-diva contest – potentially for a number one contender’s spot.
It’ll be very interesting to see what occurs in the divas division tonight, aside from the obvious developments of the Divas Championship storyline.
3. Hints At A Multi-Man Intercontinental Bout At ‘Mania
Fans of Kevin Owens, look away now. The Intercontinental Champion has been somewhat limited by his title, preventing him from entering into an organic blood feud at ‘Mania (despite seemingly planting the seeds for such a match at the Royal Rumble with his elimination of AJ Styles).
In fact, as Owens openly mentioned on SmackDown, he doesn’t yet have a credible opponent for April 3rd. Once again, WWE.com’s official Raw preview seems quite telling, and states:
‘After both Dolph Ziggler and The Miz have upped their game and traded swift victories in the past week, will we see The Showoff or the bearer of “The Moneymaker” challenge Owens at The Showcase of the Immortals? Might The Prizefighter’s recent adversary Big Show bring their rivalry to The Grandest Stage of Them All? Or will it be a more unorthodox foe, like Stardust?’
Expect tonight’s show to really set the wheels in motion for a multi-man Intercontinental Championship, and try to convince yourself that it’ll just be as worthwhile as a one-on-one KO match.
2. Plenty Of Promo Time For Charlotte, Sasha, And Becky
This is perhaps more a point regarding what should happen on Raw, but if WWE really are serious about portraying the divas division as on a similar level to their male counterparts, Charlotte, Becky and Sasha need to be given a sizeable segment tonight.
As strange as it sounds – given the horrendous excuses for ‘Mania divas matches we’ve often seen over the years – this could be one of the most fleshed out programmes on the entire show. Who’d have suspected that, especially with the horrific ‘Divas Revolution’ so fresh in the memory?
1. Ambrose To Get The Upper Hand
With Roadblock fast approaching, and Dean Ambrose yet to really gain an upper hand over Triple H, expect him to come out on top by the end of tonight’s show. Sadly, he has a very slim chance of walking out of Saturday’s Network exclusive as champion – unless WWE are planning a major, major WrestleMania curveball – but he will probably dominate on tonight’s show, in an attempt to convince us otherwise.
Hopefully Ambrose can stick around at the top of the card once Reigns makes his return. He’s a compelling babyface, a good in-ring worker, and deserves more than sliding back down into the Intercontinental Championship scene (as he threatened to do on last week’s SmackDown).
