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It's the first Raw of 2018 and WWE is set to have a big show to kick off the new year. With the Royal Rumble coming up fast, many pieces need to be put into place and it's only a matter of time before we start to get a better hint at what could be in store of us at WrestleMania 34.
There are many interesting storylines happening right now as WWE tries to make up for the fact that Jason Jordan isn't Dean Ambrose but he seems to be put in his role nonetheless. Kurt Angle's baby boy and Seth Rollins picked up the Raw Tag Team Championships on Christmas Day seven days ago and the WWE Universe is still kind of shocked and trying to understand why WWE made that decision.
This show is not expected to be a light one given the promotion behind the event. After all, it's not every day that WWE holds a live show on New Year's Day. Therefore this three-hour show is liable to be on the epic side of things. Brock Lesnar is slated to be in Miami, Florida as well so you never know what could happen when The Beast Incarnate shows up. Roman Reigns will also have his hands full with Samoa Joe as he tries to defend his championship while not getting DQ'ed.
It's also important to remember The Rock is from Miami, however, he seems to be pretty busy with his other media activities so it's unlikely he'll show up. But you never know what can happen in WWE. So let's sit back and see what could be in store for the WWE Universe for the New Year's Day edition of Raw.
#1 Cruiserweight Championship Match
Given the fact that Cedric Alexander won this opportunity because he was replacing Rich Swann who was indefinitely suspended for charges of domestic abuse, it might not be likely Enzo Amore will be dropping his WWE Cruiserweight Championship in Miami. But stranger things have happened before. After all, Enzo Amore lost his Cruiserweight Championship to Kalisto because Neville walked out on October 9th.
But Enzo Amore has made a fine heel champion and it looks like Hideo Itami could be next in line to challenge him for his title. But the Realest Guy In The Room will need to make it past Cedric Alexander first.
However, with the support of the Zo Train behind him, it's likely that Enzo Amore will be walking out of Miami's AmericanAirlines Arena with his "boo" still in tow.
#2 The Beast Incarnate
WIth Brock Lesnar scheduled to defend his WWE Universal Title at Royal Rumble against both Braun Strowman and Kane, it's likely that Brock Lesnar will have his hands full in a couple very big ways. After all, he's been in this position before but never with two opponents of that size.
Just four weeks before Lesnar is set to have his big match in Philadelphia, he will be in Miami to speak his mind. Of course, what is even more likely is the idea of Paul Heyman coming down and doing all the talking for him, but that's that Advocates like Heyman do and he does it well.
Braun Strowman was recently taken off of the road due to illness. It was reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that Strowman had the flu but he is expected to be at Raw this week. So if you thought Strowman was dangerous when he's in a good mood, just imagine how much more irritable he'll be when he's just getting over an illness.
#3 Roman Reigns And Samoa Joe Will Collide
There was an Intercontinental Championship match between Roman Reigns and Samoa Joe last week but it ended in a disqualification when Reigns wouldn't stop stomping Joe down in the corner. It was a pretty weak reason for the referee to call for the bell, but that is what happened regardless.
Now the match has been reset and the stakes are raised because that's how WWE rolls. But if Roman Reigns causes another DQ this week then Samoa Joe will walk out of the AmericanAirlines Arena with the IC Title.
Now Roman Reigns will have another chance to avenge Dean Ambrose's injury, but he will need to be a bit more careful this time because a DQ will mean The Big Dog will be losing that championship.
#4 New Raw Tag Team Champions Must Get Along
The Christmas Day edition of Raw last week saw Jason Jordan being paired up with Seth Rollins in not only an attempt to get Kurt Angle's son over but also seek revenge on The Bar. In the process, Sheamus and Cesaro dropped the Raw Tag Team Championships to Jordan and Rollins to surprise us all in epic fashion.
This week will mark their first real test as a team while the two must coincide and carry their new Raw Tag Team Championships as a cohesive unit. Both men have been tag team champions before so they know how to work in a team. But they must decide how to work together, and that is the important part.
It wouldn't be surprising to see these two team once again and come out with a win because WWE needs to make them look strong. If they have those two drop the titles so quickly it might come off as shoddy booking which is never a good thing.
Therefore, you can probably expect some decent interaction between Rollins and Jordan on New Year's Day.
#5 More Royal Rumble Preparation
With the Royal Rumble less than a month away you can probably expect to have more men and women declare their spots in their respective Royal Rumble matches. Elias was the first to throw his hat in the ring on the men's side on Raw and Asuka has been the only female on Raw to declare her entry so far which really seemed to worry Alexa Bliss. It also probably bothered Bliss that she got kicked in the head following The Empress Of Tomorrow's announcement.
But now is the time for more men and women to declare their participation in the big matches on January 28th. With the winner slated to get a championship match on whichever brand the winner happens to be on, the stakes couldn't be higher unless the match was for the title itself.
It might be too late for a fatal four-way where a winner gets a spot because those kinds of gimmicks are usually reserved for closer to the actual Royal Rumble event. But you never know what WWE could throw at us on New Year's Day.
