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The WWE world was shocked and surprised earlier today when Drew McIntyre's positive COVID-19 test was released publicly.
Drew McIntyre is the WWE Champion and has been part of several shows over the holiday period. Reports also suggest that McIntyre isn't the only star quarantined at the moment, and this could have a huge effect on tonight's episode of Monday Night RAW.
This has happened at a tough time for WWE with the Royal Rumble in just under three weeks, and McIntyre set to address Goldberg's recent challenge on this week's episode of RAW.
Of course, WWE has become well-known for its last-minute changes to shows. Given this recent news, there are expected to be several stars missing from tonight's show.
Here's what the WWE Universe can expect from a RAW episode that is probably still being re-written at this current moment in time.
#5 WWE Champion Drew McIntyre will still be part of the show
Drew McIntyre is the WWE Champion, and any fan who has read the preview for this week's episode of RAW will know that the company was planning a huge night for their main champion.
Drew McIntyre was set to take on Randy Orton this week on RAW in a rematch after the two men had an interesting feud over the WWE Championship back in 2020.
McIntyre was also set to address Goldberg, which he could do without being in the arena. It's unknown how long WWE has known about McIntyre's positive result, but he could have already pre-recorded a reaction to Goldberg's challenge that can be played tonight on RAW.
McIntyre is currently in quarantine, but there is a safe way for him to still be part of the show. He could even record a video and send it to WWE so that none of the company's production staff have to be put at risk.
Either way, don't expect COVID-19 to slow down Drew McIntyre. There is a reason the Scottish star was the stand-out name of 2020, and he will want to push that success into the new year.
#4 Could there be some NXT debuts on tonight's WWE RAW?
There have been several rumors surrounding the future of WWE stars Rhea Ripley and Damien Priest over the past few weeks. New Year's Evil ensured that both stars were written off NXT TV.
WWE is competing against college football tonight on the USA Network, which means that the company has to work much harder and pull out some surprises.
Could Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest make their main roster debut on tonight's episode of RAW? The two stars are currently expected to be part of the Royal Rumble in a few weeks. But since Priest was all set to debut on SmackDown just over a week ago, nothing is stopping WWE from pulling the trigger on his debut tonight.
WWE could even decide to focus on the women after failing to present a women's match on last week's episode of SmackDown. This would open up Rhea Ripley's story to make her main roster debut and announce her place in the upcoming Women's Royal Rumble match.
#3 The Miz could look to cash in his WWE MITB contract on a different champion
The Miz has already cashed in his Money in the Bank contract once and come up short against WWE Champion Drew McIntyre.
A few weeks ago, Adam Pearce gave The Miz his contract back. However, with no main champion, The Miz won't be able to cash in on tonight's RAW episode unless he reads the contract's fine print.
The Miz can technically cash in on a champion of his choosing. He could go after Bobby Lashley and the United States Championship or even join forces with John Morrison and look to dethrone The Hurt Business.
There is also the chance that Finn Balor appears on RAW since the company could need bodies. The Miz could decide to cash in on the NXT Champion.
Charlotte Flair cashed in her WWE Royal Rumble opportunity on the NXT Women's Championship at WrestleMania. This is The Miz's second chance, and he will want to get it right. Seeing him become NXT Champion would definitely be an interesting change of pace.
#2 Many underutilized stars could return to WWE RAW
Many WWE stars have been sent to Main Event over the past few weeks, including the likes of Humberto Carrillo, RETRIBUTION, and even Erick from The Viking Raiders.
The company has struggled to put every star on WWE TV since its roster is too big. But since there could be several stars missing from tonight's RAW episode, there are many who could be recalled.
WWE could call the likes of Tucker, Titus O'Neil, Riddick Moss, Mickie James, Dabba Kato, and Andrade to action in their place.
The company needs a big return to ensure that the viewers are interested, so it could even finally be time for Naomi to make her return since the star has seemed ready to return for several weeks.
Luckily WWE has many stars at its disposal for tonight's show that were not part of the holiday editions of both RAW and SmackDown. This could be a huge opportunity for many stars to get back on TV and make an impact ahead of the Rumble.
#1 The Fiend makes his return to WWE TV
As already noted, WWE has to compete against college football tonight, which means that there will be many decisions made for tonight's show to ensure that fans don't change the channel.
It was noted by WrestleVotes that Randy Orton is still expected to wrestle in the main event, but instead, he will be handed a new opponent.
It's been almost a month since The Fiend was set alight by The Viper back at TLC, so could it be time for him to make his return?
The Fiend is the only character who could be set on fire and still return as a character on WWE TV a few weeks later looking completely healthy. Alexa Bliss has also not been seen since her altercation with Orton a few weeks ago, so it could also be time for Little Miss Bliss' return.
If Drew McIntyre is out of action for several weeks, it could be the perfect time for WWE to call in The Fiend and continue their feud from last year.
