WWE Payback had all the ingredients a PPV needs. There was intrigue, suspense, action and most of all drama. It is safe to say that the first PPV of the new era was a success. A phenomenal main event, a shocking announcement, few riveting encounters, unforgettable and controversial finishes, bitter rivalry and most of all progressing storylines were all present in the PPV.
Now that Payback has come and gone, it is time to take look into the future. The Raw that follows a PPV always has huge expectations set upon it. It is the place where storylines are created or progressed as needed for the next PPV. It is were WWE resolves the unfinished business or rather start a new feud among superstars.
This week’s WWE Raw on 2nd May 2016 is sure going to be exciting. Vince McMahon’s decision has left many things to be desired. Both Shane and Stephanie will try to prove that they are better suited to run Raw. Stephanie and Shane will also try to one up each other for sure and this is going to create a lot of friction and controversy on the show. But apart from that, how will this week’s Raw be?
Will WWE’s first step heading towards Extreme Rules satisfy the high expectations piled upon it?
Let’s take a look at what can be expected from this week’s Raw on 2nd May 2016:
Honorable Mention: The Fortunes of League
The SmackDown before Payback is notable for one thing: The disbanding of the League. Last SmackDown witnessed the League of Nations fight among themselves before one by one the members walked off the match. Later, a backstage segment confirmed the League’s disbanding when Sheamus announced that the League is finished with a finality.
The League of Nations had been one of the worst stables to be ever formed in WWE. Though the star power was astounding, the League had nothing memorable to note in their brief spark of existence. Now that the League is disbanded, can we see the Superstars who were bound in shackles by the league gain some momentum?
WWE may choose to put the League members in different feuds and thus elevating the mid-card state. God knows that the U.S Title will need a strong booking to return to its former glory. By inserting the League into the picture, WWE can solve the dilemma of what to do with the League.
Or else, WWE can use this as an opportunity to incite a feud between the members of the League. Sheamus vs Rusev or Rusev vs Del Rio or any other combination we put forth will have the adequate star power and WWE can utilize it to strengthen its midcard.
#5 Tag Teams in Turmoil
Enzo Amore’s injury at Payback has set the tag team division a foot back. The arrival of Enzo and Cass to the main roster had energized the tag team division a lot and has basically lifted it from inconsequence to one of importance. Shane’s brilliant idea of the tournament added the fuel to the fire a little more.
But all this seem to have found a roadblock with Enzo’s injury. Enzo suffered a concussion at Payback and it is not yet clear that Enzo will return to the ring on Raw. That effectively removes the Enzo and Cass from picture. And there is also no definitive #1 contenders for the WWE Tag Team Championship is also a sore point.
The Vaudevillains may claim their place in succession on Raw and thus establish a basically a heel vs face feud with New Day for the Extreme Rules. Though it is highly unlikely that The Usos or The Dudleys will get into the picture, we can expect Anderson and Gallows to challenge The Vaudevillains for the #1 Contender spot.
It will be interesting to see how WWE plays out Enzo’s injury.
#4 Midcard in Tatters
The Midcard is not really great. With the U.S Title in declining shape and no reliable feud to bank on for the title, it will be interesting to see how WWE handles this situation. With the League now disbanded, one of its members may rise up to challenge the champion. The big question is can WWE build whoever the champion is to look strong enough to oppose John Cena when he returns.
Ambrose and Jericho’s rivalry is clearly not over yet. Jericho is not a person to overlook a defeat at a PPV and he will surely haunt Ambrose. We can expect these two to feud again in this week’s Raw and set a match at Extreme Rules. The strong booking of other matches had overshadowed Jericho vs Ambrose match at Payback and WWE will try to right that wrong with some strong booking.
Yet another superstar who will surely look to avenge in Baron Corbin. Though Corbin dominated the entire match, Ziggler stole the victory fruit in the end. So, we can expect Baron Corbin to attack Dolph Ziggler and set up a match for Extreme Rules.
And there is also the impressive booking of Apollo Crews to look forward. It is clear WWE is looking to provide a winning streak to Crews but who else on the roster could take the fall as he had already defeated all the jobbers on the roster.
#3 Diva Debacle
After WrestleMania, everyone thought that the Women’s Division to be on the rise. But the division has not seen any great moments recently. Even the supposed re-enactment of Montreal Screwjob was that sloppy that one could see it long before it took place. Now that Natalya’s feud with Charlotte is not over, we can sure expect these two to start things off once again this Monday.
On the other hand, the other rivalries taking shape over social media has caught the eyes of many wrestling fans. Emma’s altercations with Becky Lynch is building very nicely into a great feud. The rumoured Summer Rae - Sasha banks feud is also building great. But the real question is whether WWE has enough time on their cards to allow these rivalries to build to a great feud.
Last week’s Raw saw a 3 minute women's wrestling match that basically buried Emma. WWE has to rethink their strategies before the Women’s decision is irrevocably damaged.
#2 Intercontinental Title Picture
This could be called as the gemstone of Payback. All of a sudden, the IC Title picture became much more interesting. The moment Kevin Owens staked his claim to the IC Title on Payback and announced his intention to revoke his rematch clause, social media began to buzz virally.
After what happened at Payback, it is safe to say that Zayn, Owens, Cesaro and Miz will all be feuding for the championship at Extreme Rules. But, let’s go out on a limb here and look at the booking possibilities.
Now we have four Superstars feuding for the title. We can either set up a ladder match at Extreme Rules PPV and let these four men to slug it out of each other. Or else, we can add two more superstars into this mix and have an Elimination Chamber match at Extreme Rules PPV.
Given the state midcard is in, it would be best if an Elimination Chamber match could be set for the title. It would also elevate the title’s importance and provide necessary entertainment for fans. It would be interesting to see how WWE handles the aftermath of Payback. Will WWE include two more superstars to make an Elimination Chamber match possible?
#1 Target: “The Guy”
Whoever is the WWE Champion, has always a target on their back. Everyone is trying to get one over him. Roman Reigns’ new character is welcoming all comers, but this time only one will be coming. But that one will be “The Phenomenal One” AJ Styles.
After these two Superstars tore the roof of Allstate Arena, The McMahon’s had decided to put these two in one more match at Extreme Rules. Though the type of match these two superstars will be in is not revealed yet, we can surely expect the answer to be revealed this week on Raw. With Shane and Stephanie trying to one up each other, I am sure it is going to be one hell of a stipulation.
But, that is not all Roman has to worry about. Gallows and Anderson’s friendship with Styles may well be the ruin of Roman Reigns. Trying to keep these superstars at bay before the Extreme Rules PPV will be a hard task for Roman. Now that AJ can’t do the job alone, will he willingly accept Gallows and Anderson’s help?
He surely seemed to accept their help at Payback after the match was turned into a No Disqualification match. Will AJ Styles embrace his brothers in arms and target “The Guy” on this week’s Raw?
With all these factors coming into play, we can surely expect a top notch Raw this week. Let’s see what happens on this week’s Raw
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