5 Things WWE subtly told us on RAW: Possible spoiler on World Title match at Backlash, Returning superstar set to become top heel?

Drew McIntyre vs Bobby Lashley
Drew McIntyre vs Bobby Lashley

Welcome to this week's edition of things WWE subtly told us on RAW before WrestleMania Backlash! It was a big improvement from last week, and minus a few hiccups, it was a fairly consistent show.

Shelton Benjamin beat Cedric Alexander in a bit of a surprising result and Angel Garza threatened to shove a rose down Drew Gulak's throat. We saw more "Eva-Lution" teaser, and Humberto Carrillo suffered a legitimate injury on RAW against Sheamus.

Here are a few things WWE subtly told us on the go-home episode of RAW to WrestleMania Backlash.


#5 The main event of RAW and the WWE Title implications

The main event of RAW was a WrestleMania rematch between Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley. It wasn't for the WWE Title, but for bragging rights heading into WrestleMania Backlash.

Unfortunately, the build to the main event was slightly underwhelming, and the match itself was even more so. The build-up to Lashley vs McIntyre at WrestleMania on RAW was solid and the match lived up to its hype on the Show Of Shows.

This wasn't the case tonight, and a controversy ensued. Just as Drew McIntyre hit a Claymore Kick out of nowhere, Braun Strowman showed up and caused a DQ.

During the first hour of RAW, MVP made a business proposition to Braun Strowman to take out McIntyre and ensure that the WrestleMania Backlash WWE Title match becomes a singles bout.

While Braun Strowman momentarily teased an alliance with Bobby Lashley that was wiped away instantly and he hit a powerslam on the WWE Champion to stand tall on the RAW before the PPV.

Drew McIntyre stood tall on last week's edition, and it was Braun Strowman's turn this time around. It's a clear indicator (or even spoiler) that The Monster Among Men won't walk out of WrestleMania Backlash as the WWE Champion.

If anything, the last two episodes of RAW have indicated that Bobby Lashley will walk out of the PPV with the WWE Title intact.

#4 Jinder Mahal is back on RAW, and big things lie ahead

Jinder wasn't hindered on his big return
Jinder wasn't hindered on his big return

It's incredible to think that between 2019 and 2021, Jinder Mahal was virtually absent from RAW. He had to deal with a long-term injury at first and came back in what seemed to be a different direction on RAW.

He suffered another injury and required surgery, keeping him out for a long time. Another year has passed and Jinder Mahal is finally back. But this time, he isn't alone.

A large part of his success in 2017 boiled down to The Singh Brothers - his two sidekicks. He decided to get a bit of an upgrade, and the duo of Veer and Shanky are now by his side.

His return to RAW saw him face Jeff Hardy, the man who beat him to win the United States Title in 2018. Veer and Shanky's help wasn't needed, as Mahal dominated the falling Jeff Hardy.

It looks like Jeff Hardy is on a downward slide, while Jinder Mahal could be on the rise if he stays injury-free on RAW. The Modern Day Maharaja might finally get that big push that he seemed scheduled for last year.

#3 Alexa Bliss and the RAW Women's division

Alexa Bliss made her presence known on RAW
Alexa Bliss made her presence known on RAW

RAW opened with a six-Woman Tag Team Match. Former RAW Women's Champion Asuka teamed up with Dana Brooke and Mandy Rose to defeat Charlotte Flair, Nia Jax, and Shayna Baszler.

But it wasn't the outcome of the match that held any importance. It's what happened right towards the end of it that caught the eye of the WWE Universe.

The match on RAW was getting heated, and all six women were in the ring to have a confrontation which was presumably preceding a brawl.

However, Alexa Bliss' music played and she was sitting on the swing, apologizing only on her own behalf, but not on Lilly's. Last week on RAW, Alexa Bliss mentioned that Lilly had her eyes on someone.

While Lilly was spotted in the background on RAW last week in segments featuring Sonya Deville and Angel Garza, this tells a bigger story. It's a sign that there is more than one person that Lilly has her eyes on.

In this case, Charlotte Flair seems to be the obvious answer because of a moment post-match on RAW, but the most realistic option seems to be either Mandy Rose or Dana Brooke.

#2 Randy Orton's babyface turn on RAW isn't fully complete yet

R-K-Bro are 3-0
R-K-Bro are 3-0

The duo of R-K-Bro are now 3-0 on RAW. This week, they teamed up with The New Day to defeat RAW Tag Team Champions AJ Styles and Omos along with Elias and Jaxson Ryker.

While we thought that AJ Styles might get pinned to set up a RAW Tag Team Title match, that wasn't the case. Either way, it was R-K-Bro who got the win for the team.

Before the match, Randy Orton was serious, and after it, he seemed even more so. WWE seems to be playing into the odd-pairing dynamic between Riddle and Orton on RAW, and it was emphasized this week.

Post-match, there was a subtle moment that proved the character consistency that WWE has had with Randy Orton. While he seemed a bit more serious this week than the last, it plays right into his character.

Orton hit RKOs on Xavier Woods and his old nemesis Kofi Kingston before exiting the ring. Riddle had a "you got us" type of moment, which keeps firm the dynamic that the two have on RAW.

#1 Charlotte Flair pulls the strings on RAW

Sonya Deville had her strings pulled
Sonya Deville had her strings pulled

WWE is playing into Charlotte Flair's "unlikeable" side with her current storyline on RAW. As she has several times before, Charlotte Flair managed to get inserted into the RAW Women's Title match at WrestleMania Backlash thanks to her connections with Sonya Deville.

Charlotte Flair was spotted backstage on RAW with Sonya Deville, and soon after, the authority figure announced that Asuka would face Rhea Ripley in a WrestleMania rematch.

This was despite the fact that Asuka had already wrestled a match on the night. Rhea Ripley was wise to this, telling Sonya Deville that she knew her strings were being pulled.

Asuka and Rhea Ripley had a solid match on RAW that did justice to their WrestleMania bout.

While it seemed like the Empress Of Tomorrow was going to get the win back on RAW, that wasn't the case. One Riptide later, she was pinned by Ripley again.

It was a strong finish to a good match, one that seemingly established an advantage for Charlotte Flair heading into the RAW Women's Title match at WrestleMania Backlash.

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