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WWE capped off Payback in a much better way than they did with Extreme Rules and this has set up the fans perfectly for this week’s Monday Night Raw. Just like the usual situation, the Raw after a pay-per-view will be coming around with a lot of expectations riding on it and WWE will have a tough time living up to all these.
Apart from these expectations, another major headache for the company will be The Elimination Chamber. The Network special is just two weeks away and a lot of storylines and chaos needs to be sorted out before that. So, here is a look at the possible developments that could happen at the latest edition of Monday Night Raw.
Cena back with the open challenge
Cena retained his United States Championship on Sunday even though it was a bizarre way to win the match. He wasted no time in announcing that he will be back with the open challenge on Raw and this week’s challenge would be a lot more significant than the previous ones.
The Opponent that comes up against Cena gives us the next storyline and there is a big possibility of it being Rusev. Going for another Rusev vs. Cena match will be an unwanted stretch but since we are talking about WWE here, we never know. If the pick doesn’t go to Rusev, WWE might introduce a new name into the mix. This superstar then could then feud with Cena till Elimination Chamber or beyond.
Break Them Up already
The friction between Rusev and Lana reached a new high point at Payback when Lana said those two magical words to cost Rusev his match. The Bulgarian Brute was clearly not happy about what went down and was seen screaming at the Ravishing Russian.
We all know how this angle is going to end up and the only question is: How long will WWE keep them together. If we are lucky enough, we might get to see a full blown break up this week itself and this could in turn lead to a bigger role for Lana in the coming weeks. The chances of WWE taking this risk are indeed high and the alternative will be interesting to watch as well.
Setting the Elimination Chamber Match card
The Elimination Chamber pay-per-view as mentioned earlier is just two weeks away. So far WWE have announced two matches for the show and titles will be up for grabs in both of them. First it will be New Day defending their Tag team championship in a first ever Tag Team elimination Chamber match and WWE there are a lot of slots to be filled in this one.
The same applies for the Intercontinental Championship title match as well. Along with these two, the creative team could add some more matches into the show and the most importantly, the fans will be eager to know whether the WWE Championship will be defended inside the Chamber or not.
The rumored returns
According to the rumor mills, this week’s Monday Night Raw is going to see a few returns. The most notable one from the lot would be Big Show. The World’s largest athlete was kept away from action after Extreme Rules and he looks set to return into the main event scene. With WWE needing a lot of high profile names for the Elimination Chamber, Big Show’s return would be a blessing even if fans have a different opinion.
Paige is the next name in the rumor mills and her return could really boost the divas division. Naomi and Tamina picked up a win against the Bellas at Payback ad Paige coming in to stand up against them would be great narrative. The least interesting return would probably be that of Miz. The Awesome one has no momentum whatsoever and will struggle to find a proper angle.
The After effects of Payback Main event
The main event of Payback was nothing short of drama and overbooking. The match saw interferences from all the corners and in the end, Seth Rollins walked out of the match as WWE champion. Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Randy Orton will not be happy about the way the match ended up being and they do have a case in their hand.
Friction within the Authority is another major talking point worth mentioning. All these factors are extremely inflammable and if booked right, WWE could give their fans some interesting segments throughout Raw. With Elimination Chamber and Money in the Bank just around the corner, the WWE Championship is sure to get a bit chaotic.
