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From the way that the card has been set up, it certainly does seem like RAW this week is going to be absolutely stacked and packed with sports entertainment action. Yes, there are 3 major title matches and no, that's not all you can expect on RAW this week.
Welcome to your RAW preview, where I am filling in for Rohit Nath as he pays tribute to The Undertaker and his legendary career with a special article elsewhere on the site. It's an exciting time to be a wrestling fan because even though legends from the past are hanging up their boots, there are Superstars today who have a point to prove and will make their presence felt on RAW.
So, without further ado, let me present this week's RAW card, mixed with a little bit of backstage gossip and grapevine as well.
#5 Will a brand new RAW Women's Champion be crowned?
It's being billed as the Championship Monday edition of RAW, which essentially means that three title matches will take place and yes, there's always a chance for a very big title change that can forever change the landscape of the division for good.
Bear in mind that Charlotte Flair was the woman who ended Asuka's undefeated streak at WrestleMania and she has a chance to bring her momentum to RAW if she captures the title that Asuka now holds. These two women are always ready and willing to tear it up whenever the bell rings and so if you expected a clinic at RAW, you are quite correct in your assessment.
Is it time for Charlotte Flair to become the face of the RAW Women's Division again or will Asuka be able to make The Queen tap out?
#4 Sasha Banks and Bayley will show up on RAW again to defend their titles against The IIconics
Yes, on paper they are both SmackDown Superstars, and no, I wouldn't be surprised to see the two of them competing against one another for the SmackDown Women's Championship at SummerSlam. But at the same time, once you hold the WWE Women's Championship, you are supposed to be present on all of the WWE brands, and with that said, Sasha Banks and Bayley will be on RAW to face The IIconics.
While this may seem like a paint-by-numbers match for some, the fact of the matter is that The IIconics may very well pick up a big victory on RAW because it is clear that Bayley's next program for the SmackDown Women's Championship is likely to be against Sasha Banks. Yes, they are money when they work as a unit but they can be a lot more exciting if they are given the chance to tear it up in a program against each other, leading up to SummerSlam 2020.
#3 The RAW Tag Team Championships will also be on the line this week
When you hear FTR, formerly known as The Revival talk about how little value is given to tag team wrestling in WWE, and then you see the two foremost teams in the RAW Tag Team Championship picture tussle it out in contests involving basketball, ax-throwing, golf, bowling, and a decathlon, you begin to sense that they weren't really exaggerating. But this week, there's a chance to make things right again when the RAW Tag Team Championships are defended in the ring.
It is weird to even type these words out, but the two teams involved in the RAW Tag Team Championship picture need to have eyes at the back of their head because there are ninjas who want the titles for themselves. And among them is a giant who has made quite the stir on RAW, and in all likelihood will go up against The Big Show next in a battle for the ages. Who will walk out as the RAW Tag Team Champions this week?
#2 Two more SmackDown Superstars to show up on RAW?
And while these big announcements were being made on WWE.com, there were two backstage reports that emerged that could have a big bearing on the product overall. The first states that Mustafa Ali was quietly moved to RAW and one wonders if this means that the SmackDown hacker will come to RAW as well. Will we learn more secrets about Lana and Lashley, or even Sasha Banks and Bayley during their RAW appearances this week?
And the second, and more surprising one concerns Dolph Ziggler, who has been part of the Otis and Mandy Rose storyline on SmackDown thus far. Apparently, he is being moved to WWE RAW as well. This bodes well because he is a man who can work well with just about anyone in the roster, be it on RAW or SmackDown.
And the last we checked, he had unfinished business with the top guy on RAW, Drew McIntyre, did he not? Will the two men clash for the WWE Championship at Extreme Rules?
#1 Rey Mysterio makes his big return to RAW this week
Rey Mysterio is scheduled to show up on RAW this week and his timing couldn't be any better, especially if you consider the fact that Dominik is in the crosshairs of Seth Rollins and his gang.
RAW is allegedly going to be full of legends while top draws like Becky Lynch are missing from the roster and this is why the show needs all the star power that it can potentially get. Seth Rollins has a chance to settle his score with Rey Mysterio and in a sense, even lay the foundation on RAW for Dominik to make his big debut.
Whether or not Dominik makes his WWE debut on this week's episode of RAW remains to be seen (I would ideally leave it for a bigger stage like Extreme Rules or even SummerSlam). But now, Dominik will actually have backup when the hounds come baying at his heels on WWE RAW.
Please share your thoughts about the upcoming show in the comments section below.
