7 Things WWE subtly told us on RAW: Former World Champion teases heel turn, popular superstar finally getting title push after 4 years?

It was a good episode of RAW this week, but there was still no mention of Survivor Series 2021. Given its little importance this year, it almost feels as though Money in the Bank should become a "Big four" pay-per-view and replace Survivor Series.

Either way, it was an episode that saw a lot of storyline progression and some good matches as well. Let's cut right to the chase, starting with the WWE Title picture on RAW:

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#7 The interesting development in the WWE Title feud on RAW

Big E and Seth Rollins were expected to have a confrontation, but Kevin Owens ended up interjecting himself into the picture. Although he lost to Seth Rollins in the Fatal Four-Way Ladder Match last week, Owens made a case anyway.

What was most interesting was Kevin Owens indirectly addressing the rumors of him leaving. It seems no secret now that his WWE contract is expiring in January of 2022, and he could potentially be one of the superstars who walks away without signing a new contract.

His exact words were:

"It might be for three more months, or three more years, that doesn't matter. What matters is every single time I'm on RAW, you can believe I will do everything I can to give the WWE Universe something to remember"

It's interesting to analyze this statement and its far-reaching consequences. Kevin Owens wouldn't have indirectly referenced his WWE contract expiry without the company permitting him to do so.

Not only this, but everything that played out seemed to indicate that Kevin Owens could inject himself into the WWE Title picture. Even Seth Rollins tried to make a deal with KO that would ensure him the first Title shot should The Architect eventually dethrone Big E.

E, on the other hand, was made to look like a strong champion on RAW. Although he offered a title shot to Seth Rollins on RAW, the latter refused to accept it to get heat.

Kevin Owens got his wish, challenging Big E to a non-title match in the main event of RAW. Seth Rollins was directly involved and even struck Big E, but the WWE Champion still pinned KO, causing a lot of tension.

Post-match, Owens seemed disoriented and was fumbling through his promo. He tried to apologize to Big E while also being utterly confused about what played out.

Big E seemed to be mad about him for not acknowledging the fact that Rollins struck him, and the show ended with Kevin Owens getting a Big Ending.

This seemed to be the tease of a heel turn for Kevin Owens - something that might please WWE fans. But is WWE only pushing him into the world title picture to secure his signature on a three-plus year contract?

#6 The RAW Women's Title feud seems to end with a new challenger emerging

RAW opened with the Women's Champion Becky Lynch and Bianca Belair squaring off for the title. Their match was advertised beforehand, and Belair looked to topple off another horsewoman by beating Lynch.

Given the circumstances, it seemed unlikely that Bianca Belair was going to dethrone The Man on RAW. Belair is the top women's babyface on RAW, which is perhaps why WWE should have had an alternate feud for Becky Lynch.

They had yet another good match on RAW, with the crowd cheering for The EST of WWE. Ultimately, the RAW Women's Champion retained thanks to a handful of tights.

This doesn't end the feud conclusively, but it puts it to rest for the time being. Hopefully, the focus going forward will be Bianca Belair leading the RAW Women's team for Survivor Series, while Becky Lynch is set to face either Charlotte Flair or Sasha Banks at the pay-per-view.

While WWE might have indicated that this is the end of Belair's RAW Women's Title pursuits, that's only the case for now. We wouldn't be surprised to see her getting right back in the mix.

Given how WWE has pushed her on SmackDown and drafted her early to RAW, she should be involved in the Women's Title Match at WrestleMania 38.

In an interview later on in the show, Becky Lynch was confronted by Liv Morgan, who seemed to be next in line for the Champion. It's a big push for Liv Morgan, who has been sidelined since her move to RAW.

#5 Queen Zelina bullies her way into title contention on RAW

Backstage on RAW, Zelina Vega and Carmella falsely complimented Nikki A.S.H.'s mask, and once they walked away, she was mocking it. Rhea Ripley and Nikki A.S.H. both heard it and confronted them, with the challenge for a match happening.

The WWE Women's Tag Team Champions had a non-title match against Queen Zelina and Carmella - both of whom were briefly aligned on SmackDown. It seems that they'll be a unit going forward again, as was implied on RAW.

They faced and defeated the Women's Tag Team Champions, with Queen Zelina getting the pin on Nikki A.S.H. Ultimately, it looks as though they're going to serve as Title challengers to the duo, and won't necessarily be the ones to dethrone them.

It was also interesting to note that quite a few of the women on the RAW roster were eagerly watching backstage, seemingly hinting that Queen Zelina's reign is a tyrannical one.

Either way, it will be interesting to see if the newly-formed tag team of Queen Zelina and Carmella can topple Rhea Ripley and Nikki A.S.H for the tag team gold.

#4 WWE continues to protect Austin Theory on RAW

Austin Theory has been on a roll since his RAW re-debut recently. While Jeff Hardy was his first target, the Mysterios seem to have been next in line. Following his two back-to-back victories over Jeff Hardy before the latter's exit from RAW, he picked up a small feud with Dominik Mysterio, who he beat last week.

This time, it was another legend who Austin Theory faced on RAW - Rey Mysterio. They had a tense backstage confrontation, and it was clear that Theory wasn't going to get an easy win the way he did with Dominik Mysterio.

WWE made sure to protect both Rey Mysterio and Austin Theory with a disqualification finish. Dominik Mysterio struck Theory and was caught by the referee, awarding a win to the former NXT Superstar.

While Rey Mysterio was gathering himself in the ring, Theory went outside and took a selfie, once again continuing his winning streak, even if it was by a technicality.

This was WWE protecting Austin Theory while also ensuring that Rey Mysterio wasn't toppled off right away. The 24-year-old star is set for a serious push on RAW.

#3 Different brand, same story for Chad Gable on RAW

Chad Gable's role on RAW was interesting. He approached WWE Champion Big E following his segment with Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins and told him that he wasn't fit to be the face of RAW.

That was, of course, unless he enlisted the help of Chad Gable and Otis. His offer was declined for obvious reasons, and the former Olympian vowed to show what he could do to Finn Balor.

The match on RAW between Gable and Balor was a good one. While many fans would have wanted The Prince to pick up the easy victory, it was anything but that. After getting his leg constantly worked on, Balor was on the verge of defeat.

However, he came back and defied the odds to pick up the victory over Chad Gable on RAW. It wasn't the smoothest finish, but it was nicely executed. Gable once again proved to be a great competitor, but his talents seem to be overlooked.

As of now, his role continues to remain the superstar who elevates others.

#2 A showcase of the RAW Tag Team division

RAW's tag team division is surprisingly strong, given that WWE hasn't shown that they care so much about it. Even then, a few top tag teams can easily enter title contention at any point.

The RAW Tag Team Champions RK-Bro got a new theme song, and it was played before they took a seat on the commentary table. The Dirty Dawgs were unsuccessful in capturing the gold last week, but they had an opportunity to get back into contention with a win over The Street Profits.

The Dirty Dawgs has been getting a good showcase on RAW, and this week was no different. It was yet another win for them, albeit with a bit of assistance. AJ Styles was absent following rumors of an "unforeseen injury," and Omos came out to distract The Street Profits, allowing The Dirty Dawgs to pick up the win.

Randy Orton looked to be set for a confrontation with Omos, but the camera cut to a package featuring US Champion Damian Priest. It was abrupt, but the segments and matches were meant to highlight the strength of the RAW Tag Team division.

#1 Damian Priest shows a new side on RAW and is confronted by his next challenger

Damian Priest only defeated T-BAR on RAW last week via disqualification. It happened after the former RETRIBUTION member threw a chair at Priest, prompting him to snap.

So this week on RAW, WWE permitted both men to use as many chairs as they wanted to in a No DQ match. This was an excellent showcase for both men.

Not only did it establish T-BAR as a singles star to be reckoned with, but we saw a different side of Damian Priest - one that was only teased last week. This week on RAW, Damian Priest didn't pull any punches.

He ruthlessly attacked T-BAR with repeated chair shots, and the commentators teased that the line between good and evil wasn't necessarily existent in Damian Priest's world.

Post-match after Damian Priest won, Apollo Crews came out, challenging The Archer Of Infamy for the US Championship.

It's a new feud for Damian Priest, who seems to be progressing with his character quite well.