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With less than a week remaining for WWE Extreme Rules, Monday Night RAW will come live to us tonight from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.
Last week's RAW was one of the best shows of the year, with many fans considering it the start of the Paul Heyman era. Whether or not that is actually true would be tested tonight as the fans are eager to see how WWE shapes up the Extreme Rules match card.
To replicate or one up last week's success, there are many things Heyman and McMahon could do, and the safest option is to have a few surprising returns and appearances. In this article, let's take a look at four such appearances that could happen tonight.
#4. Bray Wyatt
It's been two weeks now since the Firefly Funhouse segments officially ended (or have they?) and just like most of you, even I'm getting quite impatient to see Bray Wyatt debut his Fiend avatar inside the ring.
The backstage puppet sightings with Abby the Witch, Ramblin' Rabbit, Mercy the Buzzard, and Husky the Pig Boy have been major hits among WWE Universe. The fans have been paying close attention to the backgrounds of every backstage segment to see whether any of Bray's puppets are spying someone or not.
One thing that looks certain is that Wyatt will most definitely have a match at SummerSlam next month, and for that, he'll have to target his opponent soon. While it could be the case that WWE decides to keep teasing us with more puppet sightings this week as well, Wyatt finally appearing would be a huge surprise.
There have been various discussions of him being Roman Reigns' mystery partner for his match against Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre, and I have varied opinions about that. If he does end up teaming up with him, Roman might just be his first target.
Remember - hurt and Heel. The Fiend has been set free and all the wrestlers on RAW should be ready to face this force.
#3. Dominic
One huge return that has been announced for the show already is that of the former United States Champion, Rey Mysterio. The Master of the 619 had to relinquish his US Title last month due to a shoulder injury.
With AJ Styles already having a heated feud with the current United States Champion, Ricochet, it seems highly unlikely that Mysterio will get involved in the mix. So, what plans can Paul Heyman and the WWE Creative have for Mysterio?
According to the rumors, Rey Mysterio wants to pass on his mask to his son, Dominic, who was heavily involved in his rivalry with Samoa Joe a couple of months ago. If that is indeed true, there's a possibility that we might see him and Dominic fight it out at SummerSlam in a match where Rey can lose and pass on the mask to Mysterio Jr.
And all that could be set up as soon as tonight if Dominic turns on his father during his comeback segment. The two could tell a great story and this would also be the perfect way for Dominic to launch his WWE career.
#2. Sting
After years and years of fans wanting this dream match, the buzz of Sting vs The Undertaker has risen again this past week. With WWE themselves teasing the same on their Social media, we might see this match go down for real. However, the post was put out as a precursor for WWE's new show, WWE Reimagined, in which a hypothetical situation of Undertaker possibly joining WCW in 1998 to face Sting was portrayed. Still, WWE can still have this dream match in 2019.
Whether it be SummerSlam or the next Saudi Arabia show, if WWE wants to go forward with this showdown, they need to build a compelling story for it. It is a well-known fact that if this rivalry happens, it surely won't be remembered for the actual match, but for the build-up and storyline. That could start as soon as this week with Sting appearing on RAW to lay down a subtle challenge to the Deadman.
#1. Finn Balor
Our Intercontinental Champion, Finn Balor hasn't really had the best of title reigns, thanks to the lack of interesting storylines for him. WWE did tease a feud between him and Shinsuke Nakamura a couple of weeks ago on SmackDown, and the two will face each other on this week's SmackDown Live. But that doesn't mean he won't be able to appear on Raw amidst the Wildcard rule and the apparent end of the brand split.
On the red brand, The Club with AJ Styles, Karl Anderson, and Gallows is threatening to become the most dominant force on the roster, and it's a great opportunity to get Balor into the mix as well.
Whether it is against them or along with them, both the storylines sound appealing. On one hand, he can turn heel and join the Club, which would make it the biggest faction in WWE right now, or, he can stand up and help his fellow mid-card champion, Ricochet to even the odds.
However, WWE has already commited to Nakamura and Balor, thus, it will be interesting to the path they choose going forward.
What are your opinions on Finn Balor joining the Club? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
