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This week’s episode of Monday Night Raw comes to us live from the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. With Super ShowDown set to take place this Friday, WWE has a lot of things to make straight before they travel to Jeddah.
Advertised for this week’s show is the return of the Undertaker, who will take on Goldberg at Super ShowDown. Also, Paul Heyman has announced his client Brock Lesnar will cash in his Money in the Bank contract on the show, presumably against Seth Rollins.
WWE also has only two more days to complete the build-up towards the Universal Championship match between Seth Rollins and Baron Corbin at Super ShowDown.
Having all things in mind, here are the five burning questions before this week’s episode of Raw.
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#5 Who will be the next United States Champion?
Rey Mysterio defeated Samoa Joe at Money in the Bank last month to win the United States Championship, also becoming a Grand Slam champion in the process. However, Mysterio’s victory was a controversial one as Samoa Joe’s right shoulder was off the mat when the referee counted the pinfall.
Unfortunately for Mysterio, he suffered an injury with a separated shoulder, and as announced last week he will relinquish the United States Championship on this week’s Raw.
WWE ran a video last week with Samoa Joe asking Rey Mysterio to do the right thing and give him back the United States Championship, claiming he didn’t lose the match because his shoulder was off the mat.
But will Samoa Joe get his request, or will he have to face other challenges to get back the US title? Because WWE posted the following image on their Twitter asking the fans who should be the next superstar to hold the US Championship.
Does this mean Samoa Joe has to deal with either Cesaro or Ricochet before he gets his hands on the US title?
Ricochet and Cesaro have already started feuding with each other, trading victories over the past two weeks. Will these two square off to decide who will face Joe for the title, or will it be a triple threat match? We will get the answer on Raw.
#4 Are Charlotte Flair and Lacey Evans working out a strategy?
Lacey Evans and Charlotte Flair got into a tussle after the latter cost Evans her match against SmackDown Women's champion Bayley on last week's episode of SmackDown Live.
Evans had Bayley rolled up for a pin, but the referee got distracted by Flair and Bayley ended up rolling up Evans for the win. Flair and Evans brawled after the match and had to be separated by the officials.
But we learned many times in the past to never trust the daughter of the dirtiest player in the game. There is no reason for the two top heels in the women’s division to feud with each other, and this adds up to the allegations that Flair and Evans could be working out a strategy.
Both superstars have championship aspirations in their mind and could have worked out a deal to help each other out when they get their title opportunities.
#3 Can R-Truth hold on to the 24/7 Championship?
When Mick Foley introduced the 24/7 Championship, the WWE Universe was quick to show their dislike for the repackaged PG version of the Hardcore Championship. But two weeks later, R-Truth has made the championship more relevant than the Intercontinental title.
R-Truth has become a 3-time 24/7 Champion in two weeks. WWE posted a video of Truth losing the title to Jinder Mahal in a golf course. Truth regained the championship immediately after pinning Mahal and escaped with the title by driving off with Carmella in a golf cart.
R-Truth had lost the 24/7 title to Elias on last week's SmackDown Live and regained it in the main event. The superstars are taking advantage of the 24/7 rule, and there is no saying what ways the superstars will take to dethrone Truth to become the new champion.
#2 Will Undertaker have something to say more than addressing Goldberg?
The Undertaker will take on Goldberg for the first time this Friday at WWE Super ShowDown. But before the big match, the Phenom will make his return to Monday Night Raw this week, but WWE did not reveal what the Dead Man will have to say.
The WWE is treating the Undertaker vs. Goldberg like a once in a lifetime match, and rightly so, as both superstars do not have much left in their tank. It's sure that the Undertaker will have a warning message to his Super ShowDown opponent, but will it be everything the Phenom has to say?
The WWE Universe has been speculating when the Undertaker will hang up his boots and take his rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame. But the dead man has dodged that bullet multiple times and proved he has some more matches left in him.
So will the Phenom announce that this will be his last match or will he issue a warning to his Super ShowDown opponent? We'll find out the answer on Raw.
#1 Will Brock Lesnar Cash in the MITB Contract?
Brock Lesnar was supposed to reveal on which champion he would cash in the MITB contract on last week's Raw. But he refused to do that after finding out he had a whole year to make that decision.
WWE posted a video on their YouTube channel in which Stephanie McMahon announced the McMahon family is to take action against Lesnar and Heyman for disrespecting the WWE Universe.
Shortly after Stephanie’s announcement, Paul Heyman took to Twitter to reveal his client will cash in the MITB contract on this week’s episode of Raw and tagged Seth Rollins in the tweet.
Will Brock Lesnar cash in the MITB contract on Seth Rollins or will he trick the WWE Universe and cash in on Kofi Kingston instead? His decision will play a huge role in the WWE or Universal Championship match at Super ShowDown.
Or will he face some repercussions at the expense of the McMahon family? The answer awaits when the Beast Incarnate walks out on this week’s episode of Raw.
