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Here we are - The final RAW of 2018! And what a RAW it's going to be! Usually, year-end shows are fairly half-hearted, with not too much effort being put in. This time around, things are different. We're being treated to an incredible set of matches and the build to Royal Rumble continues on.
Last week, the McMahon family made an announcement (or was it a non-announcement?) about taking over both brands. While it seems like both brands are now under the same management, that won't really play too much of a role in this week's episode.
The main event of last week saw an incredible 8-woman Gauntlet match to determine who Ronda Rousey's #1 contender is. Finn Balor got himself tangled in Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre's business, while new tag team title contenders were made. Baron Corbin officially got a big boot out of his authoritarian position and looks to get some revenge this week.
Among all the other things, here's what to look forward to most on RAW this week.
Triple Threat Action on Christmas eve!
After his win over Drew McIntyre at TLC, Finn Balor got into a backstage scuffle with Dolph Ziggler, who demanded credit for assisting his win. The clash of egos led to a match, which ended abruptly thanks to interference from The Scottish Psychopath.
With McIntyre trying to work his way to the top, he now has to make a statement against two bitter rivals. With neither superstar liking one another, this is going to be an intense bout that may be too close to call.
Anyone can win at any given time and do remember that since it's triple threat rules, anyone can get pinned! Who's going to end 2018 on a high note?
A Miracle on the 34th Street Fight
Talking about superstars who don't like each other, Bobby Lashley and Elias fall right into that category. They've really disliked each other since Lashley's return earlier this year and their rivalry reached a new level in recent weeks.
Elias has gotten the better of Lashley more recently, with a win at TLC and standing tall last week. This time, their feud is set to come to an end in a Miracle on the Street Fight. It's going to be brutal for both men, but a whole lot of fun for the WWE Universe!
Paul Heyman returns
Paul Heyman is returning for the first time in over a month and he's here to hype up Lesnar vs Strowman 3 at the Royal Rumble. Obviously, Lesnar isn't around which means Heyman is going to be doing all the talking (not that he doesn't anyway).
Will he be confronted by Braun Strowman? Strowman is still in his cast so there's really not much he can do.
Ronda Rousey takes on Natalya in the final title defence of the year
Last week, Natalya earned a RAW Women's title shot against her friend Ronda Rousey after withstanding an 8-woman gauntlet match and walking out triumphantly. Now, it's best friend vs best friend in the title match.
The friendship is going to be put aside as the two competitors go all-out to walk out RAW Women's Champion. Rousey has been on an absolute tear, with no signs of stopping. Natalya is the clear underdog here and if you're a betting person, she's not the one you'd be picking.
Either way, this has the potential to be an incredible match and in our opinion, is a worthy main event to close out RAW in 2018. For Rousey, she has one big hurdle before the Royal Rumble, but with the implications on SmackDown Live between Charlotte and Becky Lynch, she's going to have a target on her back sooner than she thinks.
Gable & Roode defend against The Revival
It's not been The Revival's year, but they have one last chance to salvage it all and win the RAW Tag Team Championships. Ideally, in the "old era", Gable & Roode would be facing AoP in a mandatory rematch.
However, Shane McMahon firmly believes that the entire "rematch clause" bit is outdated. As a result, he put AoP in a Fatal-4-Way match to earn another title shot. The Revival stood tall at the end of the match as they put the three other teams away to earn their number one contendership spot.
The Revival are tag team specialists and though they may not have had a hot streak on the main roster, they're the last team that anyone should sleep on. Gable or Roode could blink for a second and the next thing they know, they'll be caught in a shatter machine.
Who will walk into 2019 as RAW Tag Team Champions?
Rollins takes on former GM-elect Baron Corbin
The past eight days have been extremely rough on Baron Corbin. From assuming that he was going to beat Braun Strowman by forfeit and become the permanent RAW General Manager, he's found himself on the receiving end of two back-to-back beatdowns from five or more superstars.
He was then put in a 4-on-1 No DQ handicap match by the McMahons, who seemed more than happy to kick him out of power. Corbin subsequently blamed his troubles on Seth Rollins, who had called him out on the final RAW before TLC.
Annoyed at Corbin's banter, Rollins hit him with a sucker punch, and it's led to a rematch between the two. There are no real stakes on the line in this match, but it's an important one nonetheless. It's going to determine who has the better momentum heading into the New Year and more importantly, heading into Royal Rumble.
It's almost WrestleMania season, and momentum is everything!
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