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Cody Rhodes returned to WWE RAW for his first match on the brand in six years. The American Nightmare had a war of words with The Miz before defeating him clean on the show. Cody was then challenged to a rematch by Seth Rollins.
Austin Theory showed up on RAW to reveal that the company had shortened his name. He further revealed that he'd challenge Finn Balor for the United States Championship this week. Liv Morgan had an unsuccessful outing as Naomi beat her. Will Morgan & Rhea Ripley be able to become the next WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions this week?
Bron Breakker and Joe Gacy built their story ahead of an NXT Championship match. Natalya also arrived on the show to surprise Cora Jade before punishing her.
The Creed Brothers put on a great showing in the Gauntlet Match to crown the new NXT Tag Team Champions. However, the two men were defeated by Pretty Deadly for the title.
Ricochet successfully defended his Intercontinental title on SmackDown against Jinder Mahal. It'll be interesting to see who steps up to The One and Only next.
Drew McIntyre scored another win over Sami Zayn via count-out this week. How will The Conspiracy Theorist find a way out when he takes on McIntyre in a Lumberjack Match?
It was a fun week of wrestling for fans in attendance and at home. Check out the five things that must happen on this week’s WWE RAW, NXT, and SmackDown.
#5. Theory must get disqualified during his match against Finn Balor for the United States Championship
Finn Balor won the United States Championship after defeating Damian Priest on the last episode of WWE RAW in February 2022. The Prince surprisingly didn't defend his title at WrestleMania 38.
After his rivalry against Priest ended abruptly, he got into a feud with Theory. The two superstars have already competed in a few matches and traded victories. They will compete for the United States Championship on this week’s show.
WWE seems to have a lot of faith in Theory, who has had some big matches recently. He has been given a shot at the title despite losing his match against Pat McAfee at WrestleMania.
The writers must protect Balor and end the match in a disqualification victory for him to extend the rivalry. Theory will win the US title sooner rather than later, and WWE could hold back his victory until WrestleMania Backlash.
A victory on a big stage will catapult the young superstar to the brand's top. On the other hand, it’s surprising to see Finn Balor get such an ordinary run with the title.
#4. Rhea Ripley must turn on Liv Morgan during the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match
Naomi & Sasha Banks won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania 38. The Boss ‘n’ Glow will defend their titles against Rhea Ripley & Liv Morgan on the upcoming episode of WWE RAW.
Ripley & Morgan have worked well together and had some good matches. Social media has been talking about the duo nonstop. However, it’s odd that WWE has put up two babyface teams against each other for the titles.
The Nightmare has shown shades of a heel turn in recent weeks. This week on the show, the former NXT Women’s Champion must betray Morgan and attack her after losing the contest. She must turn her heel and beat down her partner before the lights go out and a purple spotlight shines on her.
Edge recently started his new faction with Damian Priest as its first member. The Rated-R Superstar must recruit Ripley as a faction member as she seems fit for a dark, villainous role. Betraying Morgan after the championship match will bring a lot of heat to The Nightmare's new character.
#3. Ezekiel must pass the lie-detector test on RAW
Kevin Owens lost his match against Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 38. The Prizefighter showed up on WWE RAW the following Monday to make excuses for his loss. He was interrupted by a superstar named Ezekiel soon after.
Owens realized that Ezekiel was none other than Elias with a new look. However, Ezekiel has since claimed that he is The Drifter’s young brother. Last week, the two men met in a backstage segment where Owens continued to call him Elias.
This week on RAW, KO will likely host a segment where he will test Ezekiel with a lie detector. WWE must look to make this storyline more interesting by allowing the latter to pass the lie detector test, confirming that he isn’t Elias.
The entire storyline seems interesting as both superstars are capable enough to turn it into something big. Kevin Owens seems like the perfect superstar who can launch Ezekiel on RAW and give him a good push to get prominent on the brand.
#2. Cora Jade must get back at Natalya on NXT
Natalya arrived on WWE NXT last week to stun the young Cora Jade. The latter talked about how The Queen of Harts was one of her idols before enduring a few harsh words from her.
Natalya slapped Jade before locking her in a Sharpshooter to punish her before leaving the ring. This week, she will return to the NXT ring for the first time in eight years. Diamond Mine’s Tatum Paxley will face off against the veteran in a one-on-one match this show.
WWE must allow Natalya to punish Paxley before making her tap out to the Sharpshooter and celebrating her win. After the match, Jade must appear with her skateboard to attack the future Hall of Famer from behind. She must beat down the veteran to get back at her before leaving the ring.
The angle will further build the rivalry between Natalya and Jade on the brand. The writers have handpicked The Queen of Harts to help give Cora Jade a meaningful rivalry and a good push on the brand. A couple of good matches between the two superstars will help NXT set up the young superstar for a title run.
#1. Roman Reigns must appear on WWE SmackDown to take some shots at RK-Bro
Roman Reigns instructed The Usos to head to RAW and bring him the tag team titles of the brand. Jimmy & Jey Uso appeared on the episode of RAW that followed to put RK-Bro on notice.
Randy Orton & Riddle appeared on SmackDown to accept The Usos challenge before Riddle faced Jimmy Uso in a match. The Original Bro picked up a big win to embarrass the SmackDown Tag Team Champions in the absence of Reigns.
This week on the show, The Tribal Chief must make an appearance to talk about Jimmy’s loss to Riddle. He must talk down his cousin before delivering a warning to the RAW Tag Team Champions.
Reigns’ words must sow the seeds for a future rivalry between him and The Viper for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. It'll be a great way to kickstart a rivalry between the two top superstars.
The Head of the Table has run through nearly everyone during his current reign at the company's top. A solid rivalry against Orton followed by a big win will help cement him as the greatest superstar of the modern era.
