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WWE has been booking some interesting angles for the top championships over the past few weeks. WWE RAW has seen Drew McIntyre come across several challenges. Not only does The Scottish Psychopath have to keep an eye out for AJ Styles, but he has to watch his back for Mr. Money in the Bank, The Miz.
RAW Women’s Champion Asuka has also found an unlikely partner in Lana to challenge Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. Additionally, the Tag Team Championship scene on RAW is also heating up. This week, we could watch The New Day find their challengers for WWE TLC.
The Prince of NXT returned during last week’s show to make his intentions clear. Even though he was met with several potential challengers, Finn Balor decided to it to William Regal to decide his next opponent.
WWE SmackDown saw the return of Carmella to the ring after seven months. She competed in a match against SmackDown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks. However, it was the storyline between Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens that got even more intense. We will likely see the two men further their rivalry on this week’s SmackDown.
With the action heating up with each passing day, we will look at the five things that must happen in WWE during this week’s shows.
#5 Cedric Alexander challenges The New Day on WWE RAW for TLC
The Hurt Business has been doing an excellent job on WWE RAW for the past few months now. However, Bobbly Lashley has been the faction’s top performer, while Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin have managed to compete in some high-profile matches as a tag team since siding up with MVP.
WWE has been looking to strengthen the RAW tag team division, and it seems like they’ve finally seen some potential in Alexander and Benjamin. A couple of weeks ago, Alexander challenged Xavier Woods to a match and defeated him clean.
Last week on RAW, Alexander challenged Kofi Kingston to a match after he’d defeated Benjamin, and managed to beat the former WWE Champion. It now seems like WWE is looking to build Alexander as a breakout star of The Hurt Business, and we could watch the Superstar challenge The New Day this week.
While Alexander and Benjamin have already gotten their RAW Tag Team Championship opportunities before, Alexander could lay down a final challenge to The New Day.
Alexander could go against MVP’s will and demand a final shot at the RAW Tag Team Championships at WWE TLC.
This will allow WWE to book a major RAW Tag Team Match for TLC while giving Alexander a push as he’s trying to make it big on his own.
#4 Riddle challenges for the US Championship Bobby Lashley on WWE RAW
Riddle featured very prominently on WWE RAW last week, where he was seen backstage trying to find MVP. Later in the night, he offered Jeff Hardy to form a tag team with him before Hardy competed in a non-title match against United States Champion Bobby Lashley.
After the match, The All-Mighty tried to take out Hardy for good, but Riddle made the save. It now seems like Riddle is ready to pick up a fight with the CEO of The Hurt Business, and he could lay out a challenge to MVP.
This week on RAW, The Original Bro could demand a shot at the United States Championship. This could lead to Riddle receiving a beatdown from Riddle, with Hardy coming out to make the save this time.
The segment will allow Riddle and Hardy to come closer to forming a tag team on RAW while giving Riddle a chance to aim for the United States Championship.
WWE could then focus on building a rivalry between Riddle and Lashley with TLC approaching.
#3 Raquel Gonzalez attacks Rhea Ripley to set up a match for WWE NXT New Year’s Evil
Raquel Gonzalez and Rhea Ripley are unarguably the powerhouses of NXT's women division, and they have put on some great matches in WWE.
The two women last competed during the Halloween Havoc episode in October, and it seems like NXT is rebuilding their rivalry. Gonzalez is a much more improved performer and has even pinned the NXT Women’s Champion at TakeOver: WarGames.
Last week, she once again proved her worth by pinning the former NXT Women’s Champion, Ember Moon. After the match, Ripley helped Moon fend off an attack from Gonzalez and Toni Storm.
This week on NXT, Gonzalez could attack Ripley after her match with Toni Storm. The attack could build towards a match between the two Superstars for NXT New Year’s Evil.
It seems like WWE is preparing Gonzalez as a contender for the NXT Women’s title. If that’s the case, defeating The Nightmare will help her rise up to the title picture on the show.
# Pat McAfee helps Pete Dunne become the #1 contender for the WWE NXT Championship
It seems like WWE NXT has already announced the main event for this Wednesday’s show on social media. Kyle O’Reilly will take on Pete Dunne to determine who will face Finn Balor for the NXT Championship at New Year’s Evil.
O’Reilly has already given Balor one of the best matches of his NXT career at TakeOver 31. Dunne, on the other hand, is looking to face The Prince for the first time and to win the NXT Championship.
Both men had a face-off with Balor last week, and while Damian Priest was involved in the mix too, he was taken out by Karrion Kross. Kross could possibly interfere during the #1 contender's match this week, but WWE could hold off that angle for later.
Instead, McAfee could return during this week’s show and attack O’Reilly to help The Bruiserweight win the match. A man in a mask had helped Dunne defeat O’Reilly in a ladder match before WarGames, and we could watch something similar happen this week.
This will help WWE build a new rivalry between O’Reilly and McAfee while giving Dunne a chance to win another title for The Kings of NXT.
#1 Roman Reigns threatens Kevin Owens’ family on WWE SmackDown
The rivalry between Roman Reigns and Kevin Owens keeps getting better with each passing week on WWE SmackDown. After KO delivered a message to Reigns by beating down Uso, Reigns got his revenge last week. While Uso did the initial damage to KO in the ring, he was driven through a table by KO with a powerbomb.
Backstage, Reigns beat down Owens and then addressed KO's wife and kids directly. He warned them to talk some sense into her Owens and keep him away from The Tribal Chief.
This week on SmackDown, Uso and Owens could get involved in a brawl once again in which KO could take out Uso for good.
Following the segment, The Tribal Chief should send out a warning to Owens. Since KO hurt Reigns’ family and crossed the line, The Tribal Chief could return the favor and go after Owens’ family.
Owens is known to be a family man, and such a segment would help heat the rivalry between the two men even more before they have a final showdown at WWE TLC.
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