On Sunday, December 18th, the WWE presents the Roadblock: End of the Line. The show seems to have snuck up on fans, as the build-up to the event only kicked off after Survivor Series. There has been some criticism that the writing has not been effective in drawing interest from fans, and suffers in comparison to the build for SmackDown Live's recent TLC event.
As both brands continue to compete against one another in the ratings, another area of competition is the performance of their respective pay per views. Raw has suffered from not having as many surprises or incidents with that 'wow factor.' As a result, SmackDown Live feels more fresh and compelling.
Obviously, a few ideas could be thrown around to give the last big show of the year some life. Some spice is needed to add to the event and catch fans off guard so that they will want to tune into Raw the next night.
What exactly would make this event more exciting? What surprises could the booking have in store for fans? Here are five surprises fans may want to see happen at Roadblock: End of the Line.
#5 Finn Balor Returns
Since The Demon has been absent from WWE programming the title he won, has been hotly contested, with current champion Kevin Owens battling over it with challengers Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins.
Balor's injury obviously had to change the immediate plans for the belt; the plan had to have been a programme between Balor and Rollins, but that didn't happen. What ensued was an unplanned face turn for Rollins based out of circumstance and a feud with Owens.
Balor has to be chomping at the bit to return to the ring. While this may be early based on the timetable previously given for his return, which was said to be six months after his August surgery, perhaps, he could appear to add his name to the list of competitors that would be part of the 2017 Royal Rumble.
And not only could he announce his impending return; he could do it while getting in Owens’ face. Even the suggestion that Balor and Owens could potentially cross paths at the Royal Rumble or later has to appeal to a number of Raw fans. It would certainly add to an otherwise less-than-stellar event.
#4 Brock Lesnar comes in and wreaks havoc in the main event
Revenge is a dish best served cold. But for Brock Lesnar, he is not just seeking revenge, the weakened and broken monster needs to establish his dominance once again. At Survivor Series, the Beast Incarnate was defeated in an astounding 86 seconds.
While there was criticism of the Conqueror being conquered in a complete squash, it did allow fans to see that anything could happen at any point in time. And for Lesnar, it is best to simply get up, dust himself off and return to being what made him what he is. And what he is, is a dominant monster that destroys everyone and everything in his path.
He could absolutely destroy the Raw set, and do the same to whatever men have the misfortune of being in the ring. He might show up during either the tag team or Cruiserweight Championship matches. However, if he were to come at any point, it would make the most sense to be during the main event.
His rationale wouldn't be because he had an issue with Owens or Reigns, but rather because, in order to be heard by management, he would have to appear at the most pivotal time in the program, the main event.
#3 Shinsuke Nakamura and Kevin Owens have a confrontation, plus Nakamura makes special announcement
After recently regaining the NXT championship, Shinsuke Nakamura is without a doubt a key member of the brand. He joined NXT back in March and quickly rose to the top of the roster. He faced Samoa Joe at NXT Takeover Brooklyn, where he defeated the champion to become the first Japanese NXT champion in the company’s brief history.
When he lost the title back to Joe at NXT Takeover Toronto, many wondered if this would spell the end for Nakamura in NXT. However, after recapturing the title in his native Japan, that belief proved to be false.
An appearance by Nakamura to Roadblock could certainly raise a lot of eyebrows, and fans would question his presence. With NXT championship in hand, Nakamura could make mention of all the talent that is on Raw, and how he plans to be there some day.
At that point, he could say that while he plans to be there some day, for now, he is adding his name to the list of competitors in the upcoming Royal Rumble match. He could do this while interrupting and confronting Universal champion Kevin Owens.
#2 Samoa Joe debuts and comes to the aid of Kevin Owens
One of the most talented men in WWE is Samoa Joe. The sixteen-year veteran has captured the Ring of Honor, TNA and NXT championships, and has faced everyone from AJ Styles to Kurt Angle to CM Punk; in the process earning a name for himself the world over.
Joe needed change and made the decision to leave TNA, where he had achieved everything he possibly could. He appeared briefly on the indies but joined WWE shortly after.
One of the biggest surprises Joe could pull off would be to come to the aid of Kevin Owens. If fans recall, they came face-to-face with one another in NXT, but never came to blows, or had a match. Joe could come out of the crowd to aid the Universal champion.
The reason for this is quite simple: if the friendship between Owens and Jericho is in doubt (which we highly doubt, but let's say it is,) then having a surprise appearance by the Samoan submission machine would add an extra complication to that tortured relationship.
This could also lead to Joe transitioning to the main roster; a prelude to his joining the Raw brand.
#1 Goldberg and Brock Lesnar have a face-to-face confrontation unannounced
Earlier we had suggested that Lesnar could appear to wreak havoc on the main event, which would be great for his confidence. This could also give Lesnar the opportunity to address Goldberg, and claim that his opponent's victory was merely luck.
Fans are looking forward to the two coming face-to-face once again in the Royal Rumble match, and as part of building to that, Lesnar (and his advocate, Paul Heyman) will no doubt try to portray Goldberg's victory at Survivor Series as a fluke.
Lesnar could add heat to the promo by saying Goldberg was also lucky to score his wife, and he was lucky to knock her up. The Conqueror could make this personal and hit below the belt, in an effort to incense Goldberg so that he isn't focused. Angry people make mistakes, and that could be what Lesnar hopes would happen to Goldberg.
At that point, Goldberg's music would be cued, and the two could come face-to-face to address the events of Survivor Series. Could this become physical? It's very possible, and at that point, Lesnar could use the most unscrupulous of methods to beat down the myth.
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