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Even though the staple of WWE programming over the past two decades has been RAW, sometimes the raw intensity and excitement that the name connotes, does not translate in the way that it should. The crowds during the Attitude Era were loud and near-thunderous while today's crowd, while vocal, is not nearly as energetic.
The simplest way to get them invested in the product again like in the golden days of WWE programming is through surprises. Everyone loves a surprise, whether it's in a movie or indeed in WWE content.
With that in mind, here are 5 surprises that can potentially take place on next week's show. Be sure to leave a comment and let me know if you think any of these twists are actually feasible.
I would love to hear what you guys have to say, and also hear how you would book RAW if you had the chance.
#5 Drew McIntyre says he will enter the match at Number 2
Last week, Drew McIntyre scored the biggest victory of his career when he defeated not one but two former world champions in Randy Orton and AJ Styles on WWE RAW. And now he is riding high on confidence, which makes me think that it's all too possible that he could be the man that goes on to eliminate Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble. Various fans online have been speculating about a McIntyre vs. Lesnar main event at WrestleMania 36.
To make him seem like a big deal, maybe it is not R-Truth who interrupts Brock Lesnar on this week's show but instead it is Drew McIntyre who does. He goes on to declare himself the second entrant in the Royal Rumble match and threatens Brock Lesnar that he will be the man who eliminates The Beast.
#4 Rey Mysterio becomes the US Champion once more
I have a feeling that Buddy Murphy was only recruited into Seth Rollins' heel stable so that he could be the man challenging for the mid-card Championship, going forward. So you have The AoP in the tag team championship picture while Seth Rollins guns for the WWE Championship and Buddy Murphy competes in the mid-card.
What I'm trying to say in this instance is that I can totally imagine Rey Mysterio recapturing the Championship in the huge ladder match on RAW against Andrade. And then a veteran like Rey Mysterio could coach Buddy Murphy on the big stage and guide him with regard to reaching the next level by putting him over.
And this is why I feel that it's not just possible but likely that there will be a title change on RAW, even though it wasn't too long ago that Andrade captured the title at a WWE Live Event. Also, do check out Sportskeeda's interview with Charlotte Flair right at the very top of the page, with Andrade present!
#3 The Viking Raiders are challenged by a new team
I have nothing but the utmost respect for the Singh Brothers but when the tag team champions have nobody else to face but them, you need a new team to step up to the plate, in my opinion. And the money feud is between The Viking Raiders who have been portrayed as absolutely bulletproof thus far and The AoP, in my opinion at least.
And it may just be time for a change of guard at the top of the division where Buddy Murphy or Seth Rollins gets involved in the feud to help with a change in titles. But that can happen at the pay-per-view and the first step in the feud can take place on WWE RAW this week.
This is one of those contests where it's impossible to predict who will emerge as the victor because of how the two teams size up. They're both showcased as dominant teams, obliterating their opponents on most occasions.
What happens when they clash with one another, though?
#2 Bobby Lashley abandons Lana in the middle of the match
The whole Lana, Rusev, and Lashley storyline had a lot of momentum back when the wedding happened but ever since then it just seems directionless to me, and the numbers haven't been as high either on social media. It may just be time for the story to move into the next phase. We've already seen that Lashley sometimes may not necessarily be a fan of Lana pushing him around and may want to break free.
Maybe on this week's episode of WWE RAW, we finally see him snap and break free of the chains. In this manner, we can get killer Bobby Lashley back and if he does walk free from Lana's designs, we may even see him as a potential contender in the Royal Rumble match who could technically earn a shot at Brock Lesnar by eliminating him during the course of the said match.
And this time, the crowd will be on his side because he'll have earned major babyface points by dumping Lana.
#1 The good guys find a new ally
In one of the most shocking developments to come out of pro wrestling this month, Buddy Murphy lost to Aleister Black and was so dejected that he would not leave the ringside area at all. So he sat in the same place, forlorn and disappointed, even when the main-event segment kicked off and Seth Rollins had no choice but to ask him for his help.
Kevin Owens and Samoa Joe certainly make for a very formidable team and one must say that The Big Show may be the most formidable Superstar in the history of sports entertainment. But even this alliance is no match for 4 top-tier WWE Superstars.
Enter Aleister Black, who seems like one of those individuals who does well when it's just him but who could certainly bolster this faction by getting rid of Buddy Murphy. The two men have a history with one another and could certainly take their feud to the next level in this manner.
Plus, it'll certainly be a step up for the Dutch Destroyer.
