WWE RAW 03/09/2018: 3 stunning surprises from the show

It seems that the creatives up in WWE headquarters have finally woken up to reality and produced one of the most eventful editions of Monday Night Raw in recent history. From title changes to surprise returns, the September 03 2018 episode of Monday Night Raw was a huge step in the right direction for the Red brand and had fans screaming for more.

It also teased a lot of future matches and this is exactly what the show needs to keep doing in order to maintain the interest of the fans. With ratings having hit an all-time low this year, it was clear that Vince McMahon needed to instill drastic chances to Monday Night Raw if he was to avoid going the way of the WCW all those years back.

If this past Raw was anything to go by, the WWE have finally woken up and realized that they need to fill those 3 hours with meaningful matches and segments, unlike the boring filler matches and segments which they have been using over the past few months.

The Raw which we saw last night is a sign of a Raw which is finding its old rhythm again and this could not come at a better time. With a full-time Universal Champion, the show was starting to feel like its usual self again and there needed to be a lot of supporting story-lines and segments to keep the fans interested in the show in its entirety.

This past Raw certainly delivered on surprises and this article will take a look of three of these surprises which the WWE completely blew fans away with. With a Raw of this quality, SmackDown Live has some serious standards to live up to and this could be signs of a Raw which is making a comeback!

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#1 Strowman turns heel

This was quite an unusual move to expect from Braun Strowman, but this week's Raw saw the Monster Among Men align himself with Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler. What makes this so surprising is that Strowman never showed any indication of ever wanting to or needing to partner with anybody. His match at WrestleMania 35 is a clear example of Strowman being a man who likes to get things done by himself.

However, since Roman Reigns had his Shield brothers watching out for him, Strowman decided that he needed a backup of his own. Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler became his choice of partners for this purpose but it seems very out of character for someone who has been a one-man wrecking crew throughout his entire career.

If the WWE wanted to give Strowman backup, pairing him up with Bray Wyatt instead might have made a lot more sense. Wyatt is in desperate need of character development and his pairing with Strowman would have brought him into the limelight once again.

#2 Ziggler and McIntyre win the Raw Tag Team Championships

This was another shock which many fans wouldn't have seen coming. However, this is a great move by the WWE and one which will benefit the tag team division in a big way.

Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas have had a lot of momentum over the past few months but it seems that the WWE may have given up on this huge push for the comical duo. The B-Team was meant to face The Revival later that night, however, an attack by Ziggler and McIntyre saw them replace The Revival as Dallas and Axel's opponents for the evening.

The pair then went on to win the gold and this creates the opportunity for a lot more meaningful story-lines within the tag team division. Having these two at the top of the tag team division is a smart move by the WWE as it ensures that the Raw tag team division is represented by a strong pair which many teams will have to take as a serious threat.

#3 The return of The Undertaker

Probably the biggest shock of the evening was the return of The Deadman. While Shawn Michaels making an appearance was definitely a huge moment in the show, it wasn't completely unexpected as he was announced and booked for the show.

What surprised many people though was hearing that familiar gong go off and the Undertaker's music playing. This was especially the case since The Undertaker has not made an appearance on Raw television in months and even ignored John Cena's pleas for an appearance earlier this year.

Seeing The Undertaker on the show was a huge moment and the legendary duo stood face-to-face in the ring as they spoke about their epic match at WrestleMania 26. The pair also teased a match between the two of them, which is something that the WWE should consider seriously going forward judging by the reaction of the crowd.