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5 Things that must happen on WWE RAW, NXT, and SmackDown this week

By Ali Akber Habib
Modified Dec 28, 2020 03:34 IST
WWE could build some major rivalries this week
WWE could build some major rivalries this week

After a great WWE Tables, Ladders, and Chairs (TLC) pay-per-view, WWE continued its positive momentum with a solid week of shows. All three brands built towards some exciting new rivalries and matches. As 2020 comes to a close, the company is gearing up for the new year.

On WWE RAW, Drew McIntyre teamed up with his friends Sheamus and Keith Lee to earn a hard-fought victory just in time for Christmas. But Sheamus ended the night by Brogue Kicking Lee. It seems like WWE is hinting at an explosive rivalry between these two stars.

Then, on Wednesday night, Mercedes Martinez returned to WWE NXT. She immediately made an impact by attacking NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai. Surely, Shirai will seek revenge sooner rather than later. Plus, Timothy Thatcher suffered an upset loss to Leon Ruff, and Bronson Reed made an undeniable impression in his return to the ring.

Finally, on WWE SmackDown, Big E took down Sami Zayn to become the new WWE Intercontinental Champion. Daniel Bryan defeated Jey Uso earlier in the night, but Kevin Owens was once again unable to dethrone Roman Reigns.

Fans will likely watch the effects of these shows carry over into this week's programming. Let's look at 5 things that must happen on WWE RAW, NXT, and SmackDown this week.

#5 The Hardy Bros must pick up a victory over The Hurt Business on WWE RAW

The Hardy Bros on WWE RAW
The Hardy Bros on WWE RAW

Bobby Lashley and MVP of The Hurt Business seem to have gotten themselves in a rivalry with Riddle and Jeff Hardy. Last week on WWE RAW, The Hardy Bros teamed up to take on Lashley and MVP in a tag team match. The week before that, Riddle easily defeated MVP in a singles bout. When these four stars clashed, Lashley made Hardy tap out to The Hurt Lock.

This week, WWE must book a rematch between these two teams to continue their rivalry. This time around, WWE must allow Riddle to pin MVP in order to win the match for his team. This result could push Riddle a little closer to a WWE United States Championship match against Lashley.

It seems as though WWE has paired Riddle with a popular Superstar like Hardy to help him gain more support from the fans. Competing alongside "The Charismatic Enigma" on the road to the Royal Rumble will hopefully help him start 2021 on a strong note.

#4 Keith Lee must cost Sheamus a match on WWE RAW

Tensions are rising between some of the biggest stars on WWE RAW. Sheamus, Drew McIntyre, and Keith Lee teamed up to take on AJ Styles, The Miz, and John Morrison last week. Though McIntyre and his team won the match, the celebration was ruined when Sheamus leveled Lee with a Brogue Kick.

WWE seems to be building towards a rivalry between these two powerhouses, and that could situation benefit both men. Lee and Sheamus are legitimate contenders for the WWE Championship, and a feud between the two could help their prospects.

WWE should book a match between Sheamus and Styles on this week’s show to determine McIntyre's challenger for the WWE Championship at WWE Royal Rumble. Ideally, Lee will cost "The Celtic Warrior" the match to avenge the harsh Brogue Kick he received last week.

This development will give Styles a chance to go one-on-one with McIntyre for the title on a big pay-per-view once again. It will also add a lot of heat to the rivalry between Sheamus and "The Limitless One."

#3 Pete Dunne must take down Roderick Strong on WWE NXT

Pete Dunne’s return to WWE NXT was one of the hottest news stories last month. The British star turned heel and join Pat McAfee’s faction, The Kings of NXT. Dunne was seen as the premiere Superstar in the group that also includes Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch.

McAfee sought to end the Undisputed ERA, but his stable could not defeat the legendary faction at NXT TakeOver: WarGames. Dunne recently took on Kyle O’Reilly for a shot at the NXT Championship, but he failed to defeat the former NXT Tag Team Champion.

Seeing how Dunne’s value, along with that of The Kings of NXT, has diminished over the past few weeks, WWE must allow "The Bruiserweight" to defeat Roderick Strong this week.

Dunne needs to bounce back from his recent losses, and NXT has done the right thing by seemingly booking him in a winnable match against Strong.

Defeating "The Messiah of the Backbreaker" will help The Kings of NXT continue their rivalry with the Undisputed ERA. Since McAfee has not appeared on NXT in recent weeks, a victory for Dunne could remind the fans that his stable is still formidable.

#2 Johnny Gargano vs. Leon Ruff must end in a disqualification on WWE NXT

Leon Ruff has had a phenomenal year. He has shared the ring with some of the Superstars on the main roster, and his run on WWE NXT has been remarkable. Earlier this year, Ruff defeated Johnny Gargano to win the NXT North American Championship.

Ruff lost the title a few weeks later, but he defeated the dangerous Timothy Thatcher in a singles match last week. This victory over Thatcher earned Ruff a rematch for the NXT North American Championship.

While it’s likely that NXT is just keeping Gargano busy, WWE must allow the match to end in a disqualification. Ruff must once again come close to defeating "The Rebel Heart." Then, Austin Theory should interfere to cause a disqualification to continue this heated rivalry.

Ruff has become a prominent player on NXT since he won the title. As a result, WWE must allow him to stay in the rivalry against Gargano for a little while longer. Then, "The Rebel Heart" can move on to a more challenging contender.

#1 Big E must distance himself from the New Day gimmick on WWE SmackDown

Big E was seen as a major mid-card star before he joined The New Day. His stock shot up after he joined forces with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, and the WWE Superstar hasn’t looked back ever since.

While Big E was immensely successful as a member of the group, he never managed to win an individual title during his time with the faction. Since the group split up, Big E is finally shining on his own. He just won the Intercontinental Championship from Sami Zayn on WWE SmackDown.

Now that WWE is looking to give Big E a solid singles run, they must build his character as an individual. The company needs to tweak his gimmick and move it away from his New Day persona so he can have more space to grow by himself.

Just like the members of Evolution and The Shield developed their own characters after the groups broke up, Big E must also find unique aspects of his gimmick.

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