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WWE TLC is now in the books and what an outstanding Pay-Per-View it was. It's one of those cases where when wrestling is good, it's really good. And this PPV singlehandedly increased the interest in Monday Night RAW again.
RAW was suffering creatively for the last month or so and it reflected in the ratings. However, with the calendar year coming to an end, the winds seem to have shifted for the red brand. There's now so much potential in what they can do with the build-up to Royal Rumble beginning.
And as you know, Royal Rumble is where the road to WrestleMania begins. It's the most exciting time of the year and it's fast approaching. With the conclusion of many storylines, including Baron Corbin's reign as General Manager-elect, it's time for the red brand to hit the restart button. These five storylines is likely what's next on RAW!
#5 Ronda Rousey vs Charlotte Flair
This one is a no-brainer. To give you a backstory, Charlotte Flair replaced Becky Lynch at Survivor Series in a match against RAW Women's Champion Ronda Rousey. After a very close battle, Charlotte lost it and began assaulting Rousey with a kendo stick, DQing herself in the process.
The assault didn't stop there and at TLC, Rousey took revenge as she pushed Charlotte & Becky Lynch down the ladder, helping Asuka win the SmackDown Women's title.
Now here's what's most likely going to happen: Charlotte will move to RAW (Temporarily or not, we don't know) and challenge Rousey at the Royal Rumble.
As for Becky Lynch, she'll be busy in a rematch against Asuka, potentially at the Rumble as well. The seed has been planted between her and Rousey and it's most likely set for WrestleMania 35.
#4 Finn Balor vs Dolph Ziggler
Finn Balor took on Drew McIntyre at TLC and he was on the verge of defeat. McIntyre's former tag team partner Dolph Ziggler interfered and attacked The Scottish Psychopath when the referee wasn't looking.
He tried to assault him with a steel chair and McIntyre was about to retaliate in the ring, but got caught by Balor, hit with the coupe-de-grace and subsequently tasted defeat, getting pinned for the second time since his main roster return in April.
Backstage, Ziggler and Balor got into a heated argument after Balor told him not to stick his nose in his business. Ziggler attacked Balor and a match has been set up for the coming RAW after TLC.
However, since there's time to build to the Royal Rumble, it's likely that the match will end in a screwy finish and they'll have a brief television feud for the coming months. It's going to be interesting to see the direction because we don't know whether Ziggler is a face or heel yet.
#3 The Baron Corbin fallout saga
Braun Strowman walked out to his TLC match wearing a cast. Many wondered how he'd wrestle, and the solution was simple - he wouldn't. Instead, he was smart enough to know that there were many people on the roster (especially Heath Slater), just waiting for the opportunity to attack the now former General Manager elect.
Corbin was squashed by 5 superstars and his reign as an authority figure is over. That's definitely going to come as a huge relief as Corbin was the one being blamed for RAW's ratings right now.
Now he has to transition back into being a performer on the roster with a big target on his back. Heath Slater, for one, is going to actively go after Corbin for firing Rhyno and abusing his power on him time and again. Perhaps this could start a mini-feud with Slater in the coming weeks.
#2 Braun Strowman-Brock Lesnar
Take 3!
With his victory over Baron Corbin, not only has he dethroned The Lone Wolf from his position of authority, but he also has a third date with Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble for the Universal Championship.
His first two attempts at Lesnar were unsuccessful. At No Mercy 2017, he got pinned clean after a struggle. At Crown Jewel, however, Baron Corbin attacked him from behind, allowing Lesnar to unleash a barrage of F-5s to keep him down and reclaim the Universal Championship (or should we say, keep the title hostage?)
Now their feud will restart and Lesnar being Lesnar will likely not appear until the start of next year. Either way, Strowman's conquest for the Universal Championship restarts and whether it's with Brock Lesnar physically present or not, the rivalry will begin again.
This is the only feud on the list that's actually confirmed so far.
#1 A new authority storyline on RAW?
With Kurt Angle helping Braun Strowman beat Corbin, the assumption is that he's going to be reinstated as RAW General Manager. However, with Vince McMahon coming to "shake things up", it may not be as straightforward as you think.
If anything, the commentators mentioned that RAW is now "without a general manager", hinting that Angle may not be reinstated. Vince McMahon could come to an send Angle away again, removing him from a position of power. But then, who would be the RAW General Manager?
Alexa Bliss.
Bliss' medical status is still not confirmed as yet, so even if it's temporary, she could be named General Manager of RAW. Either way, she is managing the women's division so it would make sense for her to get promoted to a bigger role.
What are some of the potential storylines and rivalries that you would like to see on RAW? Voice your opinions in the comments below.
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