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WWE continued their journey to the first Royal Rumble pay-per-view of the decade with a star-studded episode of RAW. Last week's episode saw Lana's wedding stopped by a slew of ex-partners, AJ Styles fell victim to the oldest trick in Randy Orton's heel textbook, and Kevin Owens led a rallying cry against Seth Rollins' tyranny on the Red brand.
Things got bigger and better this week as the WWE Champion made an appearance on the brand. While it might be tedious for fans to get behind an absent Brock Lesnar at this point in his career, the WWE creative team surprised fans with a potentially clever booking.
One could say that this week's episode of RAW was a great one, as WWE made a lot of correct decisions on the road to the Royal Rumble 2020.
#5 Not just another face
Buddy Murphy is an extraordinary talent that has been misused since his arrival on the main roster. From failing to make a place for himself on both RAW and SmackDown, to receiving stop-start pushes that halted his momentum, WWE hasn't made Murphy a priority.
However, it seems things can only get better for the former Cruiserweight Champion, with reports emerging that Paul Heyman is set to make him a top heel on the Red brand.
This week, things took off for the Australian sensation, as WWE wasted no time in establishing him as a threat to Aleister Black. After a rather resounding victory against Shelton Benjamin, Black found himself on the verge of a harrowing beatdown by Murphy.
The post-match beatdown positively positions The Best Kept Secret as a potential candidate to end Black's undefeated streak, and that could be a huge stepping stone in the Superstar's career.
#4 Andrade is here to stay
Andrade could be the next top heel in the WWE. From his blistering offense in the ring to the charisma El Idolo has showcased in every segment, WWE has indeed got an all-round talent on their hands.
Yet, the company's creative team never got behind the man in the last few years, as Andrade's once molten hot streak from NXT cooled down when he arrived on the main roster. Although rumors circulated a few months ago that Vince McMahon was sold on Andrade, nothing came to fruition.
However, after El Idolo shocked the WWE Universe by winning the United States Title from Rey Mysterio at Maddison Square Garden, fans feel that the company is ready to give the man his due.
A rematch was set up for the title on RAW this week, and it was an absolute barn burner. Moreover, fans knew that with the typical implications that come with a TV Title match, it could only end in one of two ways.
Either Mysterio pulled off a surprise title victory, or Andrade found a shortcut to retain his title, and thankfully the company chose the latter. WWE needs to get behind Andrade and build him as a credible heel champion, and this week they continued to do that.
#3 The cracks are starting to show
Many fans are tired of the love triangle between Bobby Lashley, Rusev, and Lana. On the other hand, some members of the WWE Universe don't see a problem with the company giving us a weekly dose of day time TV drama.
In my opinion, both sides of the argument are valid, as wrestling needs a bit of entertainment, but this might be a bit too much. This week WWE finally realized that it might be time to pull the plug on this ultra confusing narrative involving ex-lovers of the couple, multiple weddings, and a recently single Rusev looking for love.
After finally getting the chance to tie the knot, Mr & Mrs. Bob were confronted by the Bulgarian Brute who emerged via satellite from the sunny sea. Rusev wanted to congratulate the newlyweds by putting together an album of embarrassing photos from their first wedding attempt.
This mockery enraged Lana who went on to verbally abuse Rusev until Lashley did the entire WWE Universe a favor by ordering her to shut up. This was truly unexpected, as no one thought the company would start to pull the plug on the narrative at this stage. It might be a smart move, as the longer this storyline drags on, the more unnecessarily complicated it will probably get.
#2 The path of a future World Champion
Drew McIntyre has to win the 2020 Royal Rumble match. In my opinion, there's no Superstar on RAW, SmackDown, or NXT who can make a better case for being the Royal Rumble winner than the former NXT Champion.
McIntyre has everything to be a top star in the company. From his chiseled Greek god-like physique to unbelievable talent in the ring and on the mic, it's astonishing that WWE hasn't pushed this man to the moon, but it seems as if things are slowly starting to head in that direction.
Over the last few weeks, McIntyre has adopted a more anti-hero like persona that has caught on with the WWE Universe, and many have theorized that the company could be starting a slow heel turn for the Scottish Psychopath. Moreover, with Seth Rollins turning into the top heel on RAW, it seems like it's in McIntyre's destiny to take his place as the top babyface.
This week on the flagship show, The Scottish Psychopath once again dismantled the competition, but the Superstar's post-match comments was more impressive.
McIntyre went on to discuss his lack of opportunities in the World Title picture and declared his spot in the Royal Rumble match. This is a brilliant booking choice by WWE to put him on the path of redemption, as it genuinely feels it's his time to be 'the chosen one'.
#1 An interesting entry
Brock Lesnar will be the first entrant in the inaugural Royal Rumble match of the decade, and that's something no one expected. The WWE Universe expected Lesnar to have another quickly built title program for the pay-per-view, but WWE made the right decision in this situation.
We have seen so many throwaway Lesnar matches over the last few years that have failed to live up to the high expectations of fans. Therefore, the company scrapping that idea to send The Beast straight into the 30-man battle royal opens up a world of opportunities.
The question on everyone's mind is what's the possibility of The Beast winning the entire match? Well, if you judge by Lesnar's post-2012 Royal Rumble appearances, he probably won't stick around till the end.
However, will this determine The Beast Incarnate's WrestleMania 36 challenger? Going by the field of competition in the match, that could be a good guess, as we could see a World Title rivalry started. Drew McIntyre's sudden rise which could see him go all the way to the top of the card might be the reason for Lesnar's involvement in this match.
