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Welcome to this week's edition of RAW Preview. We're only three episodes away from WWE Fastlane, and five away from WrestleMania 37. The Grandest Stage of Them All is getting closer, and both matches that are official are from SmackDown.
While we're not sure if we'll get a WrestleMania 37 match announcement on RAW, a lot of the direction in the final month will be revealed tonight - starting with the WWE Championship match between The Miz and Bobby Lashley.
That is the focal point of RAW tonight, but there's a lot more happening outside as well. Here is what you need to look forward to tonight on RAW:
#5. What lies ahead for the Asuka-Charlotte Flair alliance on RAW?
Charlotte Flair teamed up with RAW Women's Champion Asuka last week to face Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax. A miscue saw Flair inadvertently kick Asuka to the face, costing them the match as well.
It's been a rough couple of months for Charlotte Flair, and her father Ric Flair's actions on RAW have seemed to rile her up. With Charlotte Flair and Asuka completely done with the Women's tag team title picture, it makes no sense for them to be together.
They had a tense moment last week on RAW after the match, and it was followed by a backstage segment between Charlotte and Ric Flair. Charlotte Flair revealed how Ric Flair's alliance with Lacey Evans affected her, and the fact that she was sick of him pretending like Evans' child is his.
Ric Flair admitted that he never said it was his child, but that he saw something in Lacey Evans that he had seen in his own daughter. He tried to justify his past actions on RAW by stating that he wanted to get the best out of Lacey Evans.
Charlotte Flair then emphasized how she didn't want him to be a cloud over her head every time she was in the ring and told Ric Flair to leave.
That seemed to be the end of Ric Flair's current run on RAW, and it was the perfect way to write him off. The miscue between Charlotte Flair and Asuka seems to be the foreshadowing of a WrestleMania 37 RAW Women's Title match.
But with Charlotte Flair having gone through a series of heel turns in recent years, is it Asuka's turn. Could we see the Grand Slam Women's Champion Asuka turn on Charlotte Flair, setting up a RAW Women's title match at WrestleMania 37?
#4. What's next for Drew McIntyre on RAW?
Drew McIntyre was absent from RAW after Elimination Chamber. While he was reportedly backstage, WWE chose not to use him. It made sense, but there are a lot of questions about what the WrestleMania direction for Drew McIntyre on RAW will be.
Will Drew McIntyre be back in the WWE title picture on RAW before WrestleMania 37? It's hard to say. A lot is riding on the WWE Championship match tonight, and we will find out.
But interestingly, WWE began a Sheamus-Drew McIntyre feud on RAW - something that they haven't fully come around to yet. Could Drew McIntyre return for a feud against Sheamus? It makes a lot more sense to go after Bobby Lashley for costing him the WWE title, but given the way Sheamus is getting pushed now, we wouldn't be surprised to see that direction on RAW.
It would mean that Drew McIntyre won't be in the WWE title picture on RAW heading into WrestleMania 37. If the feud with Sheamus is done right, then it's a good match to have for Drew Mcintyre.
#3. Will Randy Orton continue to get terrorized on RAW?
Randy Orton has had a tough time on RAW lately. Ever since he set The Fiend on fire at TLC 2020, he has been haunted by Alexa Bliss. He has had his face burned, been stalked and harassed, and last week on RAW, he had black liquid spilling out of his mouth.
It was all while he was cutting a promo backstage on RAW, and after a clip of Alexa Bliss was shown, Orton suffered an attack and ran away with the black liquid still in his mouth.
It was a bit graphic, but that seems to be the nature of their rivalry on RAW. We're still not sure when The Fiend will return, but we expect some kind of a back-and-forth segment between Randy Orton and Alexa Bliss.
Will Randy Orton continue to get terrorized on RAW, or will he strike back at last? All we seem to know is that this is heading to a WrestleMania match between Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt, but we're not sure how WWE plans to get to it.
#2. Who is next for Riddle on RAW?
'The King of Bros' Riddle is currently enjoying the best run of his WWE career so far on RAW. At Elimination Chamber, he pinned Keith Lee's replacement John Morrison to capture the United States Championship from Bobby Lashley in a Triple Threat match.
That eventually led to the events that will happen in the main event of RAW this week, but who is next for Riddle? On the RAW after Elimination Chamber, Riddle defeated John Morrison in a competitive singles match. With Keith Lee's status uncertain, who will challenge the United States Champion?
Keith Lee was quietly removed from Elimination Chamber despite earning a title shot on RAW (by beating Riddle, no less). If he returns, he is the only challenger that makes sense.
Perhaps Riddle could hold some sort of an open challenge on RAW, and we could see an unexpected Superstar step up. We've seen numerous stars attempt open challenges like John Cena did in 2015, but none have succeeded so far.
#1. A blockbuster WWE title main event to headline RAW
The Miz will be defending the WWE Championship against his will when he faces Bobby Lashley on RAW tonight. While The Miz did everything he possibly could last week to weasel out of his promise made to MVP, it was ultimately Shane McMahon who made it clear that he would be defending his title against Lashley the following week.
The stakes were made even higher when Braun Strowman demanded a WWE title opportunity. Shane McMahon told Strowman that if he could defeat Lashley in the main event of RAW, he would be added to the title match.
Bobby Lashley destroyed Braun Strowman in an incredible showing, and he looks unstoppable right now. The Miz even tried to launch a sneak attack post-match, but he paid the price.
Bobby Lashley ended RAW by hitting a spear on the WWE Champion, and the company is doing everything to make it seem like The Miz has no chance. While we hope to see Bobby Lashley becoming the WWE Champion, there's still a chance that it won't happen.
