Well, it appears that in theory at least, things have been shaken up again. After resetting with a clean slate, WWE has drafted brand new rosters for RAW and SmackDown. Who came out the victor of this particular draft? That obviously remains to be seen but with the process now complete (or almost anyway), I’ll be breaking down the remaining outlook on both the flagship as well as, the former flagship. Then again, perhaps that former flagship is still the actual flagship. Again, we’ll see I guess.
We’ll begin this process with Monday Night RAW, breaking down the marquee programmes for all three of the brand’s major champions. Headed by Paul Heyman, RAW currently features Seth Rollins, Becky Lynch and The Viking Raiders as its central titleholders. Who are the biggest foes awaiting them though? Well, let’s break that down.
Universal Champion: Seth Rollins
Potential Programmes:
- Kevin Owens
- Ricochet
- AJ Styles
- Rey Mysterio
- Randy Orton
Still embroiled in a…polarising programme with ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt, Seth Rollins finds himself in a unique position. A babyface for three years now, Rollins organically captured the crowd’s support but as of late, has been somewhat floundering. Fortunately, a heel turn now feels closer than ever and considering RAW’s roster, that switch appears all the more tempting.
With that in mind, Kevin Owens stands out in particular here. Though he’s suffered some creative misfires along the way, Owens entered the draft as an immensely popular babyface and with a potential turn available for Rollins, could briefly land as RAW’s top protagonist sooner rather than later. He and Rollins haven’t had an extended programme in quite some time either and as a babyface, almost all non-Shane McMahon options are fresh for Owens. If nothing else, this could certainly be a captivating chase for the Universal crown.
Speaking of such, Ricochet is an interesting piece of this puzzle. Though for some, he may be out of place on this list, he presents an exciting opportunity for Rollins. With or without the aforementioned turn, Ricochet could bring Rollins back to his in-ring roots and allow for a spectacular athletic showcase. If Seth indeed does shift alignments though, Ricochet could be the perfect foil, especially considering how fresh both he and this match-up is. Though still a work in progress character-wise, Ricochet could well be the new blood this scene has been waiting for.
AJ Styles is a far more obvious name and in truth, they’ve mostly preserved a programme between him and Rollins too. If RAW’s Universal Champion will continue to fight the good fight, Styles and The O.C. are undeniably the best fit for that presentation to work. Randy Orton fits a similar mould, a tried and true choice that’s only ever one win away from title contention. That’ll be no different on RAW and if nothing else, Orton and Rollins is a refreshed option, not wrestling one-on-one since 2015.
Elsewhere, I’m still hesitant to move on from Rey Mysterio and frankly, who can blame me? Mysterio vs. Rollins was advertised for RAW’s premiere episode but due to Brock Lesnar, never took place. That’s all well and good but if the powers that be wouldn’t mind, I’d still like to see that match. Considering that Mysterio is surprisingly staying on RAW, it suddenly feels possible again too. In fact, Mysterio would be the optimal first foe for Rollins if he indeed returns to the dark side.
Considering his current scenario, it’s a subjective matter that for me at least, the majority of Rollins’ most interesting options are with him placed firmly as the villain. However, RAW’s roster doesn’t demand that change. Far from it in fact. With Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, Samoa Joe, Erick Rowan and Andrade also on RAW, Rollins options are strong on either side of the fence. The ranking here simply reflects my personal interest as realistically, things look promising for the red brand’s male main event scene either way.
RAW Women’s Champion: Becky Lynch
Potential Programmes:
- Charlotte Flair
- Asuka
- Kairi Sane
Prior to the ‘blockbuster trade’ that took Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross away from RAW, this women’s division appeared particularly loaded. Following that move though, things now feel far more balanced. Becky Lynch has been the RAW Women’s Champion since WrestleMania, maximising foes with lesser relevance before stealing some shows alongside Sasha Banks. ‘The Boss’ is no longer opposite Lynch though and as a result, some new foes are required.
Well, she may not get exactly that as objectively, her most obvious marquee match remains against long-time foe Charlotte Flair. Lynch and Flair wrestled as recently as this week’s RAW and have battled often over the last year and change. How.ever, they are the division’s most focused upon stars and due to their history, will be forever tied to each other anyway. Among hardcore fans, yet another feud between the two may appear underwhelming but on the main event scale, this remains the undeniable first choice.
Elsewhere, ‘major’ options aren’t overflowing but in The Kabuki Warriors, Lynch has two immensely intriguing matchups. As has been touched upon as of late, Lynch and Asuka have history, with ‘The Empress of Tomorrow’ taking Becky’s SmackDown crown at Royal Rumble. That potential rematch has yet to be capitalised on but considering the pieces involved, remains a marquee matchup, especially considering Asuka’s recent resurgence. In their aforementioned Rumble clash, Lynch and Asuka delivered in a major way and frankly, it’s amazing that we’re still waiting for the follow-up.
Though Asuka’s teammate, Sane represents a very different potential rogramme. While Lynch vs. Asuka is far from old news, Lynch vs. Sane would be a relatively rare first-time matchup. This draft has in some ways, exposed the lack of fresh faces in the women’s title pictures but Sane’s talent can quickly change that, especially if consistently featured as she has been recently. Though the prototypical babyface, Sane has already been tremendous as a heel, automatically becoming a compelling option for Lynch.
Outside of those three top tier figures, not many other names stand out. While some talent remains inactive or undrafted, their landing spots are yet to be decided so at the moment, Lynch’s only other immediately viable option is Natalya. Unfortunately, that programme has already come and gone at SummerSlam so upon reflection, it feels as though RAW now may be one woman short. Ideally, Liv Morgan will fill that void but she remains a relative mystery as a singles competitor. Perhaps that’s by design after all.
RAW Tag Team Champions: The Viking Raiders
Potential Programmes:
- Street Profits
- The O.C.
Based on the above, it’s fair to say that at the moment, this scene is rather complicated. In the Usos and Authors of Pain, two of WWE’s most captivating teams remain on the board. Currently though, RAW’s tag team options aren’t exactly plentiful. The Street Profits are certainly an exciting element, now ready to fully transition to the main roster as in-ring performers. With that being said, Erik and Ivar are currently riding high and should remain firmly as babyfaces in the coming months. As a result, a programme with the Street Profits isn’t an exactly natural fit.
A more seamless choice is The O.C. Alongside Styles, Gallows and Anderson appear more comfortable than ever as of late, combining enjoyable character work with their always palpable in-ring chemistry. In a vacuum, they appear to be perfect foes for the dynamic champions. There’s just one problem: this isn’t a fresh match-up, not even close. Instead, fans have seen these two teams clash often in recent times and even worse, it’s not been presented as a major, marquee clash either.
It feels reasonable to suggest that as of right now, RAW’s tag team division is in need of some help. Thankfully, there’s exactly that waiting in the wings and sooner rather than later, I’d imagine they’ll receive the assistance required.
Other Names of Note:
After much speculation about RAW’s spiralling relevance within the WWE landscape, it’s fair to say that they’ve left this draft in tremendous shape. As I mentioned earlier, Rollins has a strong list of contenders available and that’s without some other exciting names that I failed to mention. Most notably, Aleister Black. The former NXT Champion looks, feels and performs like a future star. He’s a slightly more complex character which requires an approach different from the standard playbook but nonetheless, his ceiling feels worth noting.
The aforementioned Andrade is undeniably one to watch also and Buddy Murphy fits that bil too. Though used sparingly on the main roster, Murphy is arguably WWE’s most consistent in-ring performer, hardly ever missing since arriving on 205 Live last February. In his time in the Cruiserweight division, Murphy produced multiple standout showings and that trait should be incredibly useful on RAW, especially considering the 3-hour runtime. He’ll have perfect dance partners too, reunited with old rival Cedric Alexander as well as the two names previously mentioned.
I pointed to Lashley as a potential foe for Rollins earlier but due to his current presentation, left Rusev unlisted. With that being said, everyone knows what Rusev is capable of and assuming this programme concludes in his favour, he can still be a major piece of the Monday Night RAW puzzle. Finally, it’ll be interesting to see how Erick Rowan’s recent ascension is handled on RAW. It currently feels in the balance, potentially a false dawn but also possibly the start of something rather impressive. Time will tell but as a character, Rowan has certainly made impressive strides as of late.
In conclusion, RAW couldn’t feel less like a B or C show in my view. With Seth Rollins as the male centrepiece, they’ve compiled a group of excellent talents with varied ages and styles around him. In the women’s division, they have the main roster’s two most important female figures and though their tag division may be slim, the Viking Raiders are a substantial starting point. There’s a lot to like about this group and for team red, the sky is certainly not falling. Far from it.
Wrestling With Takes 