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WWE is changing the game. The first week of January is set to be epic, as the sports entertainment juggernaut is featuring three special editions of standard weekly programming.
Monday Night RAW on January 1st, 2024, will be the "Day 1" edition of RAW. The following night, NXT will present "NXT New Year's Evil." Then, on Friday of that same week, Nick Aldis will present "SmackDown New Year's Revolution." This essentially means each TV show that week is set up to be a mini-premium live event on free television.
To make sure things start with a big bang, Day 1 RAW needs to deliver the goods. If it does as well as fans hope, it will likely keep them invested in the other two major shows that will take place later that same week.
This article will take a look at a handful of things Triple H could and should do on the special episode of the red brand. This includes avoiding a major loss for a beloved champion, featuring a different title bout entirely, and more.
Below are four things Triple H must do for Day 1 WWE RAW:
#4. CM Punk must respond to Seth Rollins' recent comments
Many people believe Triple H is the booker of the year thanks to the work he's done in WWE. Business has completely turned around over the past year and a half or so, with live attendance regularly on the rise.
Proof of Triple H's greatness as a booker is the return of CM Punk. Not only did The Game bring back somebody who had been so openly against him for years, but he did so in an epic way. That greatness was followed up on last week during a brilliant verbal exchange between Seth Rollins and the Best in the World.
Ultimately, fans believe that Seth Rollins got the better of CM Punk in their first promo together. WWE will likely have more eyes on the product than ever on Day 1 RAW, and Triple H should have Punk offer a stinging rebuttal for The Visionary, which will heat up the feud even further.
#3. Gunther must defend the WWE Intercontinental Championship
Gunther has been an unstoppable force since first joining WWE. He began his career in the company with NXT UK, where he quickly became the United Kingdom Champion. He proceeded to hold the title for a record amount of time.
From there, the Ring General had a short run on NXT 2.0 before joining WWE's main roster. He almost immediately won the Intercontinental title after being called up. Since then, Gunther has become the longest-reigning champion in the title's history.
Such a historical title reign needs to be highlighted at a major event like RAW Day 1. Given that Gunther has already accepted a return match with The Miz, the two could clash at Day 1 and see who the greatest Intercontinental Champion truly is.
#2. The women's division must be heavily featured
WWE's women's division is stacked. While there were a lot of issues with how the female superstars had been highlighted when Vince McMahon was involved, Triple H has turned things around considerably in recent months.
Monday Night RAW, in particular, has been highlighting a wealth of female competitors. It is rare for less than 15 female stars to appear on the program in some way. RAW also frequently has two to three women's matches per show.
While the momentum is building, Triple H and WWE need to keep their foot on the proverbial gas. The female athletes need to be highlighted just as much on such a major show to prove that they are being treated as important cogs in the machine and not as fillers. They need to highlight Rhea Ripley, Tegan Nox, Chelsea Green, Piper Niven, Candice LeRae, and others to really prove a point.
#1. Seth Rollins must retain the World Heavyweight Championship
One major match has been confirmed for WWE RAW Day 1. Seth Rollins will defend his coveted World Heavyweight Championship against Drew McIntyre. Adam Pearce confirmed this bout last week.
Despite Seth being the beloved star out of the pair, fans love title changes. Many will inevitably want to see Drew McIntyre win the gold just to have a memorable moment. While that is tempting, Triple H and WWE must avoid such a rash move.
The money is in Seth Rollins vs. CM Punk. The story of Punk winning the 2024 Men's Royal Rumble Match and proceeding to battle The Visionary at WrestleMania is too good to give up for a cheap pop. Hence, Rollins must win at Day 1 RAW.
