6 WWE Superstars who could be affected by the record-low RAW ratings

In an interesting bit of news about Monday Night RAW this week, WWE's Flagship brand registered a record low rating of 1.5 million:

According to Showbuzz Daily, this week's edition of WWE RAW brought in 1.526 million viewers, way down from last week's 1.736 million. Last week's small drop wasn't anything to be concerned about, however, might be enough of a cause for concern.

There's no doubt that it's a big cause for concern. WWE often likes to remind us that Monday Night RAW is the longest-running weekly episodic television series, and a 27-year run without a break is nothing short of impressive.

However, the big drawback about having a show that runs 52 weeks a year is that maintaining a level of consistency becomes difficult. This proved to be even more so in the COVID-19 pandemic, and the lack of live crowds has taken a large element away from RAW, SmackDown, and wrestling in general.

You can read all about the reported backstage reaction to the record-low RAW rating here, and five possible ways WWE can bounce back here.

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#6. The Miz - Will Mr. Money in the Bank take a backseat on RAW?

The Miz opening RAW on December 14th.

Not that The Miz can be used as a scapegoat, but he is Mr. Money in the Bank. After defeating Otis and getting drafted to RAW, The Miz started having a more prominent role.

However, it isn't the same Miz that became WWE Champion in 2010, nor is it the 2016 Miz who had a career resurgence and was one of the hottest stars on SmackDown. The Miz has been aligned with the returning John Morrison since the start of 2020, and the two have seemingly been too goofy to be considered serious World Title contenders.

It was hard to take them as serious contenders to Braun Strowman's Universal Championship, and it's hard to take them as seriously now. Especially now that Drew McIntyre is the WWE Champion, it's hard to see The Miz being the one to dethrone him.

Granted, it's still possible for him to have a brief and transitional WWE Title reign on RAW, but he could get negatively affected as a way to create some buzz. As of now, most people expect The Miz to fail his Money in the Bank cash-in.

#5. Goldberg - Could the two-time Universal Champion return to RAW?

Goldberg isn't a fan favorite, but he gets eyes to the product.

This is an unpopular choice for a RAW return, and understandably so. For a lot of WWE fans, the idea of Goldberg returning to RAW or SmackDown, defeating younger Superstars, and winning World Championships at the age of 54 doesn't sit well.

It's not that he has the best matches either because that's not what he's there for. Whether we like it or not, Goldberg is a big name from a past era that would draw eyes and interest to RAW.

As great as it would have been to see Bray Wyatt walk into WrestleMania 36 as the Universal Champion, Goldberg being in that same spot gets more eyes on the product.

While Goldberg never usually returns until WrestleMania season (or before a Saudi Arabia show), the record-low rating for RAW could force WWE to bring him back and cut a big paycheck to get the numbers up.

Goldberg in a major RAW feud heading into Royal Rumble would be a big draw.

#4. AJ Styles - Can he finally become the face of RAW?

AJ Styles has been a key figure on RAW.

AJ Styles will always be a high-level main event talent. WWE didn't take long to recognize his potential, which is why he became WWE Champion within seven-and-a-half months of being in the company.

He was on RAW at first before the brand split, but he went on to become the face of SmackDown for three years before making the shift to RAW.

While he was a Universal Title contender, he shifted back to SmackDown in 2020, seemingly citing issues with Paul Heyman. Once Heyman aligned with Roman Reigns on SmackDown in the summer of 2020, AJ Styles switched brands again.

AJ Styles is now one of RAW's top stars and will be challenging Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship this Sunday at TLC. While it's not guaranteed that he will win, the low ratings might force WWE to swap their hand and force a quick title change, marking AJ Styles' third reign as WWE Champion.

It would mark AJ Styles' ascent as the face of RAW, but it's hard to imagine him in that role for long.

#3. Drew McIntyre - Will he lose his place as the face of RAW?

Drew McIntyre.

Drew McIntyre has been the face of Monday Night RAW since April 2020 and has been leading WWE's flagship show for three-quarters of the year. Given the circumstances, Drew McIntyre has done a fantastic job on RAW, but there has been a lot working against him.

It's hard to imagine WWE displacing Drew McIntyre after putting in so much time and effort to establish him at the main event level. He's now in his second WWE Championship reign, but the record-low ratings for RAW might make some in WWE point their finger at the Scotsman.

It would be much better if WWE decided to stick with Drew McIntyre, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him lose the World Championship. Of course, it would be under the assumption that WWE starts to rebuild him once the crowds return.

However, it's a tough spot for Drew McIntyre to be in, and he has been RAW's most consistent star in perhaps the most difficult era.

#2. Randy Orton - Another big push for The Viper on RAW?

Randy Orton has had a great 2020.

While not many expected it, Randy Orton hasn't just been one of RAW's standout stars, but he has been one of the most exceptional names in WWE in 2020. Many top stars took a long hiatus, but Randy Orton decided to stick to his guns and was rewarded for it with a short-but-important WWE title reign.

Randy Orton took it to a whole new level during his feud with Edge, and it reflected in his matches and promos throughout 2020 on RAW. He ends the year in a feud with his former ally and bitter rival Bray Wyatt, but it's The Fiend who he's facing and not the ordinary Wyatt.

The record-low ratings might force WWE to push Randy Orton back to main title contention once again. It could also impact his match against The Fiend, and we will only know that if he ends up defeating his old rival.

Will Randy Orton make it to the top of RAW again?

#1. Brock Lesnar - Will WWE finally bring back The Beast Incarnate in 2020?

Brock Lesnar has been absent for almost all of 2020.

Brock Lesnar has had his second-least-active year since joining WWE in 2012. In 2020, Brock Lesnar only wrestled three matches - The Royal Rumble 2020 match, A WWE title defense against Ricochet in Saudi Arabia, and the main event of WrestleMania 36 against Drew McIntyre.

Since then, WWE has kept him away intentionally, and he hasn't returned to RAW for the rest of 2020. The reason was reportedly due to the lack of crowds and WWE not wanting him to lose his aura.

It makes sense, and it also means that we will be seeing a lot of Brock Lesnar on RAW in 2021. WWE may want to act, and the most realistic big name that they can get on RAW is Brock Lesnar.

Brock Lesnar's return to RAW would be interesting, especially given the rumors about him potentially being in the WWE title match at WrestleMania 37. WWE will be waiting for the right time for his return.