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WWE Monday Night RAW takes place from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, TN. This will be one of the two last episodes before the Royal Rumble pay-per-view. WWE has already announced more than 15 participants for the men's Royal Rumble match. Moreover, we have an idea as to what the other unannounced matches could be.
Fans always have a great expectation for the Royal Rumble. But it seems like WWE hasn't done enough to get us excited for the PPV. Braun Strowman isn't yet cleared, and hence he cannot be involved in anything physical. This has affected the build-up for his match against Brock Lesnar.
Also, last week we saw WWE make Sasha Banks the #1 contender for the Raw Women's Championship, which was really unexpected. So it has no build-up for now.
In this article, we look at 3 things which could happen on this week's episode of Monday Night Raw.
#3 Seth Rollins vs Bobby Lashley vs Dean Ambrose - Intercontinental Championship match
WWE has sort of made it clear that we will not have a match for the Intercontinental title at Royal Rumble. Last week, Rollins got his rematch against Ambrose, but failed to win the title because of Bobby Lashley's interference.
WWE has officially announced that Lashley will also get a shot at the title. This week, it will be Seth Rollins vs Bobby Lashley vs Dean Ambrose in a triple threat match.
I think Lashley has been pretty decent with his heel gimmick. The only flaw is that he doesn't get enough heat from the crowd. People don't seem to care much about him. It's very unlikely, but Lashley might win the title in this match. If WWE is ready to give him a big push, this could very well be his moment.
#2 Sasha Banks teams up with Ronda Rousey
Last week, Sasha Banks defeated Nia Jax to become the #1 contender for Ronda Rousey's RAW Women's Championship. As said before, this match has absolutely no build. We still don't exactly know why Sasha is getting a push out of nowhere.
It seems like the build will start this week with a tag team match. WWE has announced that Banks & Rousey will face their common enemies - Nia Jax & Tamina.
I don't think there is one heel and face in this feud. It looks like both are going to go at it just like WWE did with Rousey & Natalya.
Moreover, Sasha Banks is just a way to not do the Charlotte match right now. WWE is apparently planning for bigger things, and they want to save it for WrestleMania. So this feud might not last long, but I'd hope it delivers in the ring.
#1 Braun Strowman wants Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar will defend his Universal Championship against Braun Strowman at Royal Rumble. This will not be their first match, so we know what to expect from it. But WWE has been forced to be cautious with this storyline.
Braun Strowman has just undergone elbow surgery, and we haven't seen him wrestle for quite some time. WWE has apparently not cleared him yet. This was the reason why we didn't see any physical activity during last week's segment. But that could surely change this week. WWE will try to convince everyone that Strowman is ready for his match.
We don't know if Brock Lesnar will be appearing on RAW. But if he does, we could see the brawl we all are waiting for. As I said, this match has nothing new to offer, and hence WWE will try to go with the same old route because they know people will love it.
Leave a comment below, letting us know what other things you think could happen on Monday Night Raw.
