5 Things that could happen if Shane McMahon takes control of WWE RAW

In August 2020, it was reported by Sportskeeda’s Alex McCarthy that Shane McMahon is being considered as the new head of WWE RAW’s creative process, leaving Bruce Prichard to concentrate on running SmackDown.

Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff took over as the Executive Directors of RAW and SmackDown in June 2019, with both men overseeing their respective brands and reporting directly to Vince McMahon.

However, Bischoff only lasted four months in the role before he was replaced by Prichard, who also went on to replace Heyman in June 2020.

The creative changes led to a lot of alterations being made to WWE's on-screen product, mostly involving Superstars' pushes and storylines, and that will inevitably continue if RAW receives its third creative leader in just over a year.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at five things that could realistically happen if Shane McMahon takes control of RAW.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and they do not necessarily represent the views of Sportskeeda.

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#5 Shane McMahon could tempt The Undertaker out of retirement

Shane McMahon competed in his first WWE match in almost seven years when he faced one of his real-life friends, The Undertaker, in a Hell in a Cell match at WrestleMania 32 in April 2016.

In July 2019, the two men renewed their rivalry at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view, where The Undertaker teamed with Roman Reigns to defeat Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre in a No Holds Barred tag team match.

Speaking on the WWE Network show Last Ride: Post Mortem in June 2020, Shane McMahon laid down a challenge to The Undertaker to face him in another Hell in a Cell match.

"I know I got one more with him. So I'll challenge him now. I got one more. I know I got one big one and I want a rematch. Hell In A Cell II. I was that close. If he didn't move, I was that close."

This comment aired just one week before The Undertaker all but announced his retirement on the final episode of his Last Ride docuseries. However, as is often the case when WWE Superstars call time on their careers, he added that he could be tempted to return if Vince McMahon ever needs him in an emergency.

Now, another match against Shane McMahon is not exactly an emergency, but it would not be at all surprising if WWE’s higher-ups wanted ‘Taker to return for one final send-off when fans are allowed back in arenas.

If Shane McMahon is in charge of RAW, there is every chance that he could try to tempt The Deadman back into a WWE ring.

#4 Shane McMahon could become an on-screen authority figure

Shane McMahon worked alongside Daniel Bryan and Paige on SmackDown

Many WWE fans became tired of seeing Shane McMahon as an authority figure on SmackDown between 2016-2019, but it is surely better to have on-screen Commissioners and General Managers than several people making important decisions that they have no right to make.

Last week, for example, The Miz broke the news on Talking Smack that Mandy Rose has left SmackDown and she is now part of the RAW brand.

We have also seen Stephanie McMahon make matches in the women’s division on SmackDown recently, even though she is no longer an authority figure, while WWE official Adam Pearce has suddenly started calling the shots on both RAW and SmackDown as an unofficial General Manager.

The best on-screen decision-makers are the ones who legitimately have a say in what is going on behind the scenes.

Like many authority figures, Triple H and Stephanie appeared in way too many segments during their run as The Authority, but at least their promos and rivalries during that time felt a lot more real than previous GMs – AJ Lee and Brad Maddox spring to mind – who were simply playing a role.

If Shane McMahon is leading the creative direction of RAW, there is nobody better than him to also run the show in front of the camera.

#3 More RAW Underground segments with Shane McMahon as host

Shane McMahon created RAW Underground

Although Shane McMahon’s RAW Underground concept had plenty of critics when it was introduced in August, it is fair to say that the MMA-style fights in the final hour on Monday nights have been a success so far.

Granted, it could do with a few tweaks – the RAW Underground fights rarely revolve around meaningful storylines – but at least Shane McMahon’s idea has given lesser-known Superstars some extra television time.

One of those Superstars, Dabba-Kato (fka Babatunde), is somebody who has been waiting for his breakout moment for the last year. Thanks to RAW Underground, he is now able to show the WWE Universe what he is all about.

Given that Shane McMahon was the real-life mastermind behind RAW Underground, it is inevitable that the third-hour alternative to the WWE ThunderDome action will receive more attention if he is given additional responsibility as the creative head of RAW.

It is also worth noting that RAW Underground has been toned down since its debut – the dancers did not return after the first week, for example – so there is no reason why RAW Underground segments cannot air throughout the night instead of only featuring in the third hour.

#2 Bobby Lashley could receive a push if Shane McMahon takes over

From Roman Reigns and R-Truth to Bobby Lashley and Shane McMahon, it is always interesting to watch on-screen interactions between WWE Superstars who are friends in real life.

Speaking to Sports Illustrated in 2015, Lashley revealed that he considers Shane McMahon to be one of his close friends.

“There is no bad blood between Vince [McMahon] and myself. I still speak with Vince off and on, and Shane is a good friend. We text and joke around all the time, and I was just talking to him last week.”

Lashley returned to WWE as a member of the RAW roster in April 2018, which meant he was unable to feature in any storylines with Shane McMahon before the former SmackDown Commissioner lost a Loser Leaves WWE ladder match against Kevin Owens in October 2019.

Fast forward to August 2020 and the debut of RAW Underground, who stood tall at the end of the show? Lashley, along with his fellow Hurt Business members, MVP and Shelton Benjamin.

Of course, having a good relationship with a higher-up in WWE does not necessarily guarantee somebody a top position on the card, but it is clear that Shane McMahon is a big fan of Lashley’s work as an in-ring competitor.

Lashley, who worked with Shane McMahon in 2007 during his first WWE run, has never held a WWE World Championship or faced Brock Lesnar.

Could that change if Shane McMahon is booking his matches and storylines?

#1 If Shane McMahon takes over RAW, Bruce Prichard’s podcast could benefit

Bruce Prichard currently works on both RAW and SmackDown

While the other points in this article are focused specifically on WWE’s on-screen product, this one is less about Shane McMahon’s impact on RAW and more about the man who he could potentially replace, Bruce Prichard.

Since 2016, Prichard has told stories and given fascinating insight into the wrestling business on his Something to Wrestle With podcast, hosted by Conrad Thompson.

Longtime listeners will know that, while Prichard is clearly doing everything he can to fit the popular podcast into his schedule, the weekly show is no longer his priority.

In 2016-2018, it was not uncommon for some episodes to last several hours – a single episode about Edge’s career went on for five hours – but Something to Wrestle With has been cut short or delayed multiple times since Prichard took on extra responsibility in WWE.

WWE’s audience is obviously far greater than the Something to Wrestle With audience, hence why the podcast is not Prichard’s priority, but Shane McMahon taking over RAW should free up some more time for Prichard to work on his own show.