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Welcome to a special edition of things WWE subtly told us on RAW! It was the first episode of RAW post-Fastlane, and there are now only two episodes left until WrestleMania 37.
It comes as no surprise that four matches were announced for WrestleMania on this week's episode of the red brand and a major stipulation was added to the main event. Expect a quick build on both RAW and SmackDown.
RAW this week started with an incredible match and ended in a great and impactful way. The road to WrestleMania ends in less than three weeks:
#7 Did Sheamus enter another Title picture on RAW?
Sheamus and Bobby Lashley faced off in the opening bout of RAW in a rematch from last week. Their main event last week was great, and they had another solid, physical match-up to open this week's show.
Bobby Lashley won again, but post-match, fellow Hurt Business members Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin started attacking Sheamus at ringside. It led to Drew McIntyre coming out for the save, indicating that The Celtic Warrior turned face quietly. However, that wasn't the case.
Later that night, Sheamus was interviewed backstage and said that he didn't ask for Drew McIntyre's help. United States Champion [Matt] Riddle circled around The Celtic Warrior mid-interview asking him stupid questions.
Sheamus proceeded to attack him with the scooter, seemingly starting the US Title feud for WrestleMania.
The Celtic Warrior has been one of WWE's most reliable Superstars since the ThunderDome era started. He delivered some good matches with the likes of McIntyre, Keith Lee and Jeff Hardy during this time and was part of some intense rivalries.
A match between Sheamus and Riddle for the US Title seems to be a good option for WrestleMania.
#6 Asuka faces a game Peyton Royce, but the RAW Women's Champion has a new WrestleMania opponent
Charlotte Flair challenged Asuka for the RAW Women's Championship at WrestleMania a few weeks ago. While it was speculated that the Andrade situation was responsible for her being off the WrestleMania 37 poster and TV, that was not the case.
Charlotte Flair revealed that she has COVID-19, and now Asuka has to move on. Peyton Royce is one name that has been floating around, especially after her incredible promo on RAW Talk last week.
After the former Women's Tag Team Champion demanded for Asuka, she got what she wanted. While she fell short to the RAW Women's Champion, Royce gave Asuka the best match she has had in a while.
Post-match, Royce's fellow Australian Rhea Ripley finally made her RAW debut. With no time to waste, she challenged Asuka to a RAW Women's Title match at WrestleMania. While The Empress declared that Ripley wasn't ready for her, she accepted and it's now official!
Rhea Ripley walked into WrestleMania 36 as the NXT Women's Champion, and she could walk out of WrestleMania 37 with the RAW Women's Title. The Rhea Ripley era could begin sooner than we think.
Another big takeaway is that this may have opened up the door for Peyton Royce to be a title challenger post-WrestleMania and a Champion down the line. It was a long overdue opportunity for the Australian.
#5 Bad Bunny's road to WrestleMania now has a destination after RAW
The Miz and John Morrison had a special edition of Miz TV on RAW - dedicated to trashing Bad Bunny. Not only did they make a very weird parody of his music (that will debut next week), but there will be another special edition of The Dirtsheet next week on RAW.
The Miz mocked Bad Bunny for what happened last week, where he caught him from behind with a guitar (that didn't break).
The Miz would then challenge Bad Bunny to a match at WrestleMania before facing Jeff Hardy in a single match on RAW.
Hardy demanded that John Morrison had to leave ringside, and he obliged. The Miz defeated Jeff Hardy, proving how much the legend has fallen in his latest run on RAW. Post-match, The A-Lister was attacked with a guitar by Bad Bunny in a big measure of revenge.
The Puerto Rican celebrity singer accepted The Miz's challenge for WrestleMania. Interestingly, Damian Priest wasn't on RAW. Will there be a tag team match at WrestleMania like it was rumored, or are we going to get a singles match instead?
Guess we will get a clear picture next week.
#4 Is Drew McIntyre going to get a straightforward WrestleMania main event after RAW?
Drew McIntyre had a big night on this week's RAW. First, he saved Sheamus from a beatdown and then he confronted the WWE Champion, Bobby Lashley. He tried to get into a brawl with The All Mighty, but MVP prevented this from happening.
Adam Pearce asked Drew McIntyre why he helped Sheamus earlier on RAW despite the two being rivals, and he said he couldn't stand by the side and watch The Celtic Warrior getting beaten up.
Drew McIntyre then accepted a 2-on-1 handicap match, with the stipulation that if he wins, Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin will be banned from ringside at WrestleMania.
It was a big opportunity, and Drew McIntyre came out victorious after a hard-fought battle. The risk was worth the reward.
Naturally, MVP and Bobby Lashley were furious with the former RAW Tag Team Champions - berating them completely. Bobby Lashley said that if they couldn't get the job done, he would find someone else to do that.
He went to the locker room and told some of the members that a big opportunity awaits - if they take out Drew McIntyre before WrestleMania, they will get a WWE Title Shot.
A bounty is now on Drew McIntyre's head and this is going to be interesting to see on RAW with WrestleMania being just a few weeks away.
#3 The Women's Tag Team Title picture remains unclear on RAW
Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair are officially done with the Tag Team Titles, and the focus is now on RAW. While Tamina and Natalya seem to be a lock for Tag Team Title contenders at WrestleMania 37, the question is as to who will step up on RAW.
This week, Champions Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler took on the team of Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke. The Champs defeated the duo, seemingly ruling them out of the title scene for now.
Lana and Naomi were sitting at ringside on RAW and they wanted another piece of the Women's Tag Team Champions. We can only assume that Naomi and Lana will be the team from RAW to get a Tag Team Title shot at WrestleMania.
On the SmackDown front, there doesn't seem to be any other team. The positive of this is that it won't be mixed in with any other title feud like it was until Fastlane.
#2 Shane McMahon and Braun Strowman's road to WrestleMania on RAW
Shane McMahon's feud with Braun Strowman on RAW hasn't been well-received and understandably so. When the basis of the rivalry is making fun of Strowman's intelligence, how does one get invested?
On the latest episode of RAW, Shane McMahon put on a bit of a musical performance and claimed that he would have wiped the floor with Braun Strowman at Fastlane if he wasn't "injured".
We saw a Fastlane rematch where Braun Strowman defeated Elias once again. There was a tense moment when Shane McMahon tried attacking the former Universal Champion with his crutches. He ran away without any issues and revealed that he had been faking an injury.
Sick and tired, Braun Strowman challenged Shane McMahon to a match at WrestleMania and his wish was granted.
The entire rivalry on RAW isn't a great one. The only hope we have is that Shane McMahon will get his comeuppance at WrestleMania. Otherwise, there is no point of this rivalry. Hopefully, WWE adds a stipulation to make the match more interesting.
#1 The Fiend makes his big return to RAW
After many months away, The Fiend is now back on RAW. However, he isn't the same guy.
The Fiend that returned at Fastlane 2021 was one with an entirely different look and demeanor.
The main event of RAW was a segment that saw Randy Orton summon The Fiend. A creepy Alexa Bliss promo was shown earlier, and she was the first to show up as well.
Surely enough, it was only a matter of time before The Fiend made his big return - appearing behind Randy Orton.
There was a bottle of gasoline and Orton used that to put it all over The Fiend while he was standing there.
Rather than setting him on fire, he hit him with an RKO before changing his focus to Alexa Bliss. The Fiend soon got up and attacked Randy Orton with the Mandible Claw and Sister Abigail to end the night.
Alexa Bliss pointed to the WrestleMania sign and RAW ended with the announcement that The Fiend vs Randy Orton is official for theevent. It will be interesting to see how this rivalry plays out on RAW.
