5 Surprises for RAW after Royal Rumble 2022: 4-time world champion's face turn to be canceled, Big twist in Vince McMahon-Austin Theory storyline?

This is the first RAW on the road to WrestleMania 38. The road begins and it's going to last for a little over two months before The Grandest Stage of Them All. This means there are a lot of episodes of the red brand still left before WrestleMania, and a lot of things to be excited about.

RAW this week will be a crucial one, as it features the likes of Brock Lesnar, Ronda Rousey, and the new WWE Champion Bobby Lashley. A lot of decisions will be made and the path that will lay out the plans ahead of us will begin to unfold.

Here are some possible surprises that could happen on the Monday night show this week:

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#5. The surprising aftermath of the Royal Rumble for Seth Rollins on RAW

Seth Rollins put on one of his best matches in a while as he took on his former Shield brother Roman Reigns. The bout was a masterclass of storytelling even before the bell rang.

Rollins already got in Reigns' head before Royal Rumble, but at the show, he hit the biggest low-blow possible by entering through the crowd in The Shield's music wearing the black protective vest, no less.

He did everything in his power to get into Roman Reigns' head, and for a large part of the match, he legitimately had his number. Rollins looked to be the most credible superstar who could have dethroned Reigns, but it didn't happen as the Universal Champion got himself disqualified.

The post-match angle saw The Tribal Chief hit Seth Rollins repeatedly with a steel chair in an act of revenge from 2014.

The assumption was that the angle was meant to turn Rollins babyface, and it's hard to see otherwise. However, it would admittedly be surprising if he showed up on the red brand as the same heel character who is aligned with Kevin Owens.

However, at the same time, it wouldn't make sense for Seth Rollins to show up this week as a changed man and someone who suddenly pretends to be virtuous.

The journey to his face turn needs to be more gradual in nature, and it will be interesting to see how it all plays out, and whether it leads to him eventually challenging Bobby Lashley for the WWE Championship.

#4. Vince McMahon makes a surprising decision about Austin Theory on RAW

Austin Theory has been associated with Vince McMahon for a while now on RAW. It's been a few months and many have even called Theory the WWE Chairman's "pet". He was handed a few matches and even got handed his Royal Rumble spot.

It was an impressive outing at the Rumble for Austin Theory, as he lasted for a little over 20 minutes before being eliminated. McMahon has given him chance after chance, and he hasn't always delivered.

While it wouldn't be surprising to see them continue their association in one form or the other, it would be surprising if Vince McMahon decided to cut Austin Theory out and leave him to dry. While it wouldn't necessarily be a babyface turn, it would simply be McMahon halting his on-screen appearances.

It seems to be a known fact that the boss prefers not appearing as a character on WWE TV anymore, but he makes exceptions when it involves elevating a superstar. He elevated Theory on RAW by associating with him, and he could do the same by throwing him to the wolves.

#3. Ronda Rousey's return to RAW ends with a surprise

Ronda Rousey is one among two superstars who will be expected to make their pick on RAW tonight. She returned to WWE after nearly three years and predictably won the Women's Royal Rumble match.

It wasn't a bad win, and the Women's Royal Rumble was regarded as better than the men's counterpart. Rousey finds herself in a similar yet slightly different position than she did in 2019.

Two years ago around this time, she was the reigning RAW Women's Champion, and that year's Royal Rumble winner Becky Lynch confronted her for a match at WrestleMania.

This year, Lynch is the RAW Women's Champion, and Rousey will be expected to confront Big Time Becks to set up a dream match. It all seems obvious and laid out. But what if Rousey doesn't make her decision? What if she simply avoids or refuses to acknowledge Lynch and announces that she will jump over to SmackDown?

It wouldn't be surprising to see Ronda Rousey have SmackDown appearances to appease FOX Executives, but it will be surprising if her return to the red brand tonight is met with no answer or clarity whatsoever.

#2. Damian Priest finally snaps on RAW

Damian Priest seemingly began a feud with Kevin Owens on RAW last week. He defended the United States Championship but lost via disqualification to retain the title.

Owens could be the next in line for the United States Championship as it makes sense to continue the feud. Priest hasn't had the same kind of momentum in 2022 that he did in 2021, but things normally take time to pick up.

The last few months have seen Damian Priest go slightly out-of-form, suffering disqualification and count-out losses on numerous occasions. There seems to be a thin line to define his character. Although he is technically a babyface, there have been multiple occasions where a heel turn was teased.

The "Damian" side of him is the heel side that gets unleashed and is perceived as a more ruthless side of the United States Champion - one that thinks less and attacks more.

It would be a surprise, however, to see a big double-turn happen tonight between Priest and KO in the US Title feud.

#1. Brock Lesnar makes a surprising choice on RAW

Royal Rumble 2021 was a bittersweet moment for Brock Lesnar, who is advertised for RAW tonight. On one hand, Roman Reigns cost him the WWE Championship and Paul Heyman turned on him. On the other hand, he won his second Royal Rumble after 18 years.

As a result, Lesnar will be headlining WrestleMania 38. He has to make his choice, and the answer is quite obvious. Everything that has been done is to set up that WrestleMania clash against Reigns. However, there isn't anything that says that The Beast Incarnate has to make his decision tonight on RAW.

With that said, we fully expect him to announce his intent to challenge Roman Reigns over on SmackDown. This would keep the feud running. But what if Brock Lesnar decides to either not answer, or he takes a U-turn and approaches Bobby Lashley?

Lashley now holds one big win over Lesnar as he dethroned the latter to become the WWE Champion. But will The Beast Incarnate take a detour to get revenge on The All Mighty? That would be a surprising move to make.