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As the pandemic rages through WWE, we saw how adversely SmackDown was affected, where they had no choice but to play the entire Boneyard Match. WWE RAW this week may be similarly affected but what we do know is that they will do their best to advance their storylines as Extreme Rules draws ever nearer.
And so while only two segments have been really advertised for this week, I will suggest more things likely to happen on this week's episode of WWE RAW based on the build from the week prior. I will be filling in for Rohit Nath, who was kind enough to do the 'Best and worst' article for SmackDown earlier this week, allowing me to take this up.
And so, I hereby present a RAW preview for your reading pleasure. Be sure to weigh in and let me know what you expect from the show, in the comments below.
#5 Will Seth Rollins convince a RAW babyface to turn heel?
If you saw how RAW closed last week, you would have noticed that there were more babyfaces than heels in the closing segment. The good guys comprised of Rey Mysterio, Dominik, Humberto Carillo, and of course, Aleister Black; while the heels consisted of Seth Rollins, Murphy, and Austin Theory. And that led, not just me, but many to believe that we are due for a heel turn very soon.
WWE.com has advertised the following this week:
"Has Rollins finally gone too far, or will The Monday Night Messiah’s vision continue to cause havoc on the red brand?"
It is very possible indeed that Aleister Black realizes that his path is on the road of darkness this week or in a heel turn nobody saw coming, Dominik turns on his father Rey Mysterio on WWE RAW.
#4 Could the two contract signings lead to a mixed tag match on RAW?
If you look at the choice of words from WWE.com about the double contract signing on RAW, one of the things they stress on is that both RAW Champions and their challengers will be in the ring at the same time:
"Last Monday, two huge championship matches were set for Extreme Rules: The Horror Show: WWE Champion Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler and Raw Women’s Champion Asuka vs. Sasha Banks. Now, all four Superstars will be in the ring at the same time, as Samoa Joe officiates what is sure to be a contentious double contract signing."
Anyone who has watched RAW or any WWE product for any length of time knows that there is bound to be a flurry of fists when the competitors meet in the middle of the ring.
And I fully expect there to be a match, possibly in the main event segment of RAW, where Drew McIntyre teams up with Asuka to take on Dolph Ziggler and Sasha Banks in a massive mixed tag team match.
#3 Will Angel Garza and Andrade be able to co-exist long enough to make a splash in the RAW Tag Team Championship picture?
Seeing Andrade and Angel Garza on the very same page is indeed a very welcome sight but the fact of the matter is that the RAW Tag Team Championship picture should be more exciting if there was the tease of dissent between the two. It is great to see the RAW Tag Team Championships being contested by a team consisting of babyfaces and another comprising of heels, in what is most likely going to be a tag team contest and not a cinematic match.
There is immense potential in Angel Garza to become a top babyface in due course of time and that can potentially happen if he and Andrade are shown to be argumentative and not a cohesive unit as they enter the RAW Tag Team Championship picture.
Expect there to be some kind of build before the title match is made official for Extreme Rules in due course of time.
#2 Will the SmackDown hacker make his first appearance on RAW?
Not long ago, we came to learn that Mustafa Ali has moved from the SmackDown brand to RAW, or so the rumor mills indicated at least. And if he was supposed to be the hacker, then there's a strong possibility that he can get involved in the ongoing RAW storylines as well. Could he be the person who is eventually responsible for the split between Andrade and Angel Garza on RAW?
Now that Sasha Banks and Bayley are appearing so very frequently on RAW as well, chances are that they too could go their separate ways if the hacker were to leak footage of Bayley saying ill things about Sasha Banks or vice versa.
And maybe the hacker actually gets involved in some way in the storyline between Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott in the coming weeks based on how the entire storyline develops down the line. And so, when Mustafa Ali eventually wrestles on RAW, he will be a far bigger deal than he has been thus far, in my personal opinion at least.
#1 What is the next chapter in the Randy Orton and Big Show feud on RAW?
Randy Orton has clearly unleashed his 'legend killer' persona on RAW and yes, The Big Show is a legend in the business after devoting so many years to WWE. It is clear that the two men are on a warpath for Extreme Rules and there has to be some kind of build to the storyline as the pay-per-view draws ever so near.
Even though the idea of Randy Orton vs. The Big Show on RAW may not really be appealing to a lot of fans who may consider this a dated feud, remember how Randy Orton has reinvented himself to become the top heel on WWE RAW. Moreover, The Big Show is not one to be written off, especially if you think back to his feud with Braun Strowman and how he put the current Universal Champion on the map.
So, will The Big Show eat an RKO on RAW?
Or will Randy Orton be knocked out, gazing at the ceiling?
