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Monday Night RAW gave some interesting new angles to look into this week. We saw the introduction of RAW Underground, a Fight Club of sorts, where WWE Superstars would test their mettle. At the end of the night, even The Hurt Business got in on the fun. We also saw the Riott Squad reform, as well as Apollo Crews making his return to RAW.
However, something that caught the attention of the WWE Universe was a short clip of several hooded/masked people throwing a Molotov cocktail at what seemed to be some kind of generator.
Throughout the night, RAW faced several issues regarding power. Lights flickering, equipment failing, and more. Turns out, the reason was this new mysterious group that just seemed to want to cause some good old fashioned chaos.
Who were they? Why were they screwing with WWE production? What to do they have in store for WWE going forward?
I'm here to answer ONE of these questions, and I believe this could be some sort of mass NXT call-up, kind of like the one we saw a few years ago but not as depressing to look back on. That being said, we're not trying to guess every member, just get a few right.
#5 WWE NXT's Dominik Dijakovic
The last time we saw Dominik Dijakovic, he was getting his head bashed in and choked out by NXT's latest devil, Karrion Kross. WIth Scarlett at his side, Kross was able to easily dismantle the giant, even putting on a brutal display in front of Dijakovic's close friend Keith Lee.
While Lee and Kross have some unfinished business to take care of, it looks like Dijakovic has been written off TV for a while. With NXT putting its focus on a lot of newer talent regarding their North American Championshp picture, along with Lee, Kross, and surely Adam Cole in the mix for the main belt, there's not much left for Dijakovic to do on the Black & Gold brand.
However, if he was looking to make an impact and have the WWE Universe feast their eyes on him and all of his glory... an explosive jump to Monday nights might just do the trick, wouldn't you say?
Plus, with rumors of him getting called up recently, this would be the perfect time to introduce him. Not to mention Dijakovic recently deleted his entire Twitter history recently. It all adds up a bit too well.
#4 WWE NXT Superstar Rhea Ripley
It's hard to think of someone that had as meteoric a rise as Rhea Ripley did in 2019. She became the first-ever WWE NXT UK Women's Champion to start the year off.
By the end, she'd gone to the United States, left Shayna Baszler in a crater with the avalanche Riptide, knocking off arguably the greatest NXT Women's Champion of all time, and claiming the prize for herself.
It's too bad that all that was forgotten about when she lost to Charlotte Flair at WWE WrestleMania 36, huh? Rhea Ripley was a Superstar the likes of which we hadn't seen before. A dominant and powerful talent with a completely unique look, Ripley seemingly had it all. Momentum was on her side... at least until she met Charlotte Flair.
After losing her title to the Queen at WrestleMania, she had another opportunity at Charlotte later on. In fact, she and Io Shirai would battle the multi-time WWE Women's Champion at NXT TakeOver: In Your House. Though Charlotte lost her title, it was Rhea Ripley who took the pinfall, eating a moonsault from now WWE NXT Champion Io Shirai.
Though Ripley still has her eyes on the prize, she definitely still holds a grudge against the main roster talent that took away her spotlight. Knowing that, it's not too far of a leap to suggest that she'd blame all of RAW for her year so far.
#3 WWE NXT's Candice LeRae
Candice LeRae has turned her back on the WWE Universe, specifically NXT, as she's focused now, more than ever, on what's best for herself. Candice LeRae has always been a big fan favorite when it comes to professional wrestling and has a strong almost cult-like following in the IWC.
In NXT, she's faced off against the best and brightest. Sadly, though, she's come up short many times. LeRae was the catalyst to Io Shirai becoming the Joshi Judas that we know and love today. She was beaten again and again by the likes of Shayna Baszler, Bianca Belair, Mia Yim, and Tegan Nox.
Though the "Gargano Way" saw a new switch flip in LeRae, it's struggled to produce results. A win here or there, sure, both over Mia Yim. However, she's lost to WWE NXT Women's Champion Io Shirai twice in the last month.
It could be time for the Poison Pixie to spread her wings and fly to a new brand. If so, RAW could be in for quite the wild ride, especially if she brings her conniving husband along.
Speaking of Johnny Wrestling...
#2 WWE NXT Grand Slam Champion Johnny Gargano
Johnny Wrestling, Johnny TakeOver, now Johnny Traitor. Johnny Gargano has done it all in WWE NXT. He's captured every single championship that he can get his hands on, and ended up becoming the first-ever WWE NXT Grand Slam Champion.
Still, his war with his former best friend Tommaso Ciampa saw him snap one too many times, bringing out a now villainous, selfish man that we know and hate. We saw this side of him two years ago when he cost Aleister Black his NXT Championship, believing he could be the only one that could end Tommaso Ciampa's rise to the top.
Eventually, he would reunite with his old friend, only to turn on him soon after, leading to the end of their three-year-long war. Johnny Gargano, a man once beloved by the WWE Universe, has become one of the most dastardly men on the roster, even going so far as to temporarily blind one of Keith Lee's eyes.
Johnny Gargano is a man that is willing to do anything to prove his point. If he's got a goal in mind - if he's got a statement to make - he'll do everything in his power to do it. So would he destroy electrical units at the Performance Center? Would he attempt to ruin Monday Night RAW with a new group of chaos loving malcontents? Seems right up his alley, no?
#1 WWE NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa
Yep, the Psycho Killer of WWE. Yes, I just spoke about how Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano were at each other's throats on multiple occasions, even recently. Still, this wouldn't be the first time they'd patched things up after a terrible falling out. This... actually would be the third time.
The thing about Tommaso Ciampa is plain and simple: he's psychotic. He's a man that's driven to some horrendous acts when he's justified enough to do so. He turned on Johnny Gargano all those years ago because he felt betrayed by the WWE Universe. He cost Gargano his job in NXT in order to rid, what he considered, cancer, from his brand.
Tommaso Ciampa is a man driven by obsession. For a time, it was the championship, Goldy. He stalked men like Aleister Black, Adam Cole, and more, hoping to hold onto the title that meant so much to him. However, after an unfortunate meeting with Karrion Kross, it looks like he won't be going after the title any time soon.
Still, there's something he does hold dear, almost as much as the championship. It's the NXT brand itself, and Ciampa has recently had some words with WWE veteran, Randy Orton. Supposedly, The Viper wanted to work with Ciampa at some point down the line, though those plans were seemingly tossed aside last month. Orton gave some advice to the NXT Superstars that may have come off a bit over critical.
If there's one thing Ciampa won't do, it's let an outsider talk bad about his baby. Maybe he's got some lessons, not just for Orton, but the entire WWE RAW locker room?
Tommaso Ciampa has something in common with the first man on this list. His Twitter history has also been erased. Mighty fine coincidence, don't you think?
