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The Monday night Raw after WrestleMania is probably as important as a pay-per-view. All of WWE’s major plans for the post – WrestleMania period would be laid out on the weekly flagship show and the room for a screw up from WWE is absolutely nil. WWE Universe would be filled with questions after what happened at WrestleMania and all those thirst for answers should be quenched. Apart from the fallouts of the granddaddy of them all, there will also be some new beginnings to look forward to as we are bound to see some NXT call-ups in the show.It is going to be an exciting outing for everyone who tunes in and here is a look at the things we could expect from the latest edition of Monday Night Raw.
#8 The story of a breakup and new champion
The Rusev vs John Cena match at WrestleMania 31 ended just like we expected it to end it. Cena is the new United States Champion while Rusev will probably be shipped back to where he came from in a matter of months. Now there are two things that came out of the match, first, Cena is a midcard champion now.
So along with Daniel Bryan (we will see him later), Cena could now make the midcard scenario exciting for the WWE Universe. It is a good prospect on paper and the result will depend on how WWE pulls it off.
The second angle that came out of the match was the friction between Rusev and Lana. WWE might be looking for a break up between the two and if that is the case, Rusev needs to find an insurance plan at the earliest.
#7 So whats with Big Show?
In one of the most shocking moments of WrestleMania 31, Big Show won the Andre the Giant Battle Royal. The fans seemed completely lost in confusion after the match as they didn’t see it coming.
Big Show was in no position to win a battle royal like this and it has definetly devalued the entire thing.
There is nothing to be excited about the future as well. Big Show has some momentum with him after the win, but WWE will find it hard to invest the said momentum. A feud with Ryback is a possibility for the World’s Largest Athlete but it is not going to keep fans on the edge of their seats because it’s going to be boring.
#6 NXT call ups please
The night after WrestleMania is the place for new beginnings. There are a lot of instances to back up this claim and March 30, 2015 is sure to go down as one among them. WWE’s NXT roster has a handful of names waiting to break out into the main roster and one or two might have their debut at this week’s Raw.
Adrian Neville is a favorite to appear on Raw as he has been taken away from all the major NXT storylines. There is however some fear about the mighty mouse gimmick that Vince McMahon might pull out, but let’s hope for the best... shall we?
Finn Balor is another name in the running for a Raw debut and no matter who comes out, WWE should give their fans something to cheer about rather than making a mess out of the NXT superstars.
#5 Flying Goat with the Gold
Last year at WrestleMania 30, Daniel Bryan made history by winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. A year later at WrestleMania 31, Bryan became the fourth ever grand slam champion thanks to his Intercontinental Championship victory.
Bryan’s inclusion in the mid-card scenario is going be an interesting affair and it will certainly bring back some credibility into the Intercontinental championship. WWE will have the task of choosing the right opponent for Bryan next and Bad News Barrett will probably be first in line. The mouth-watering prospects of Dolph Ziggler and Dean Ambrose will also be in the running for a title shot.
The number one contender and Bryan’s celebratory speech would be something to watch out for at this week’s Raw.
#4 What next for Sting?
Sting’s debut at WrestleMania was a historic moment, period. WWE planned out an overbooked yet intelligent match for the Stinger but he was overshadowed by all the outside interference that came in between the bout. Sting might have lost in his WWE debut, but his legacy is still pretty much unharmed. ,
If the former WCW Champion is here to stay for another year, WWE should plan out a proper feud for him. Making a stable and calling it the new WCW would be a great angle to go by as it would appeal on nostalgic grounds just like the Sting vs. Triple H match at Mania.
The dream bout with Undertaker is another big possibility that WWE could use but if Sting is not staying, then, all these possibilities will be flushed down with the water.
#3 Can we see Monday Night Wars 2.0?
Following up on the last point, there is a big possibility of seeing another WCW vs. WWE battle in the post – WrestleMania period. WWE tested the waters with the whole NWO – DX showdown at Mania and the results were pretty encouraging as well.
So with Sting and the NWO on the roster right now, there wouldn’t be a better time to pull out the invasion angle once again.
Sting could recruit some superstars down from NXT and spark a battle against WWE. It could turn out to be a great angle that could run all the way to Survivor Series and if WWE is going down this road, we are going to get the signs at this week’s Monday Night Raw so watch out.
#2 Will Undertaker show up?
Undertaker surprised the entire WWE Universe with his appearance at WrestleMania 31. His fitness levels looked better than it did last year and the hopes of seeing Taker once again at WrestleMania 32 is on an all-time high. We might get to see the dream Sting vs. Undertaker match after all and if we go by the rumors, we are destined to see a confrontation between the two at Monday Night Raw.
This will need Undertaker on the show and seeing him in Raw is always special. We might also get a retirement speech from the Phenom as a worst case scenario but since the WWE fans are always optimistic, let’s not go there for the moment.
#1 Seth Rollins set to pay
Rollins proved to be the ultimate opportunist at WrestleMania 31 when he cashed in the Money in the Bank briefcase. It wasn’t an end the fans expected and WWE played it well by keeping Lesnar protected while giving out a shocking climax as well.
Reigns might have lost his chance to steal the limelight at WrestleMania but as a whole, Rollins winning looks to be a good decision. However, this is only the start for Rollins. He still has a long way to go as champion and the first thing he needs to settle is Reigns and Lesnar.
Both superstars will be pissed off at Rollins for what he did at the pay-per-view and they will be looking out for revenge. Rollins will be walking around on Raw with a big target painted on his back and he will have to need eyes behind his head to stay safe.
