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The September 30 episode of WWE RAW will emanate from the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona.
Four matches and two segments have been announced for the episode, which is being advertised as a “season premiere”, including a Universal Championship match between Seth Rollins and Rey Mysterio.
Another title from the red brand will be on the line when Cedric Alexander challenges AJ Styles for the United States Championship, while Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode will defend their RAW Tag Team titles against Heavy Machinery duo Otis & Tucker.
Elsewhere, Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair have been confirmed as The Miz’s guests on a star-studded edition of Miz TV, Brock Lesnar will make an appearance ahead of his WWE Championship match against Kofi Kingston, and Sasha Banks is set to go one-on-one with long-term rival Alexa Bliss.
In this article, let’s try to predict the outcome of every match and segment that has been announced so far.
#6 Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode vs. Heavy Machinery (RAW Tag Team Championship)
In January 2019, it was widely reported that The Revival became so frustrated with their position in WWE, especially the way in which the RAW tag division had been booked, that they asked to be released from their contracts.
Eight months later, the titles have changed hands on six occasions, with The Revival, Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson and Braun Strowman & Seth Rollins having reigns as the top tag team on the red brand during that time.
Now, despite the roster being full of established duos, the RAW Tag Team titles are held by another makeshift alliance – Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode – heading into the upcoming episode of RAW.
Their opponents, Heavy Machinery, come into the match after defeating The B-Team on the September 17 episode of SmackDown, but it feels like this is way too early in Ziggler & Roode’s reign for them to lose the titles.
Let’s predict a victory for Heavy Machinery via disqualification, setting up a rematch at Sunday’s Hell In A Cell pay-per-view.
Prediction: Heavy Machinery win (Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode retain)
#5 Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair appear on Miz TV
The Miz surprisingly revealed on last week’s episode of RAW that Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair will be his guests on a special edition of Miz TV.
In previous years, WWE has brought back legends who are synonymous with the Hell In A Cell match type (e.g. Mick Foley and Shawn Michaels) to help promote the upcoming pay-per-view.
However, neither of these Hall of Famers have competed inside the steel structure, so the WWE Universe has been left guessing as to what conversation topics will come up during the segment.
WWE 2K20 is bound to be a talking point, as Hogan has featured in the promotion for the game, while Flair’s real-life issues with WWE using “The Man” as Becky Lynch’s trademark surely cannot go unmentioned.
As for the biggest story that could emerge from Miz TV, many people have been predicting that The Fiend Bray Wyatt might add another Hall of Famer to his list of victims by attacking either Hogan or Flair.
Hogan has not been involved in any physicality on WWE programming since he interfered in Triple H vs. Sting at WrestleMania 31 in 2015. Flair, meanwhile, seems more than happy to be on the receiving end of attacks, as proven in February when Batista dragged him across the floor backstage.
With that in mind, let’s predict that The Fiend will add Flair to his list.
Prediction: The Fiend attacks Ric Flair
#4 AJ Styles vs. Cedric Alexander (United States Championship)
AJ Styles has been one of the most entertaining Superstars on WWE television since he reunited with Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson to form The O.C. in July 2019.
Cedric Alexander, meanwhile, has gradually established himself as a force to be reckoned with on WWE’s main roster, having spent the majority of the last two-and-a-half years as a cruiserweight on 205 Live.
These two men last battled it out in a one-on-one match on September 15 at Clash of Champions, where Styles defeated Alexander in a short but competitive encounter on the PPV’s kickoff show.
Since then, The Viking Raiders’ Erik & Ivar have remained by Alexander’s side, and they even picked up a victory over Styles' two allies, Gallows & Anderson, on last week’s episode of RAW.
Realistically, the only way Alexander wins the United States Championship is if WWE plans to insert Styles into the WWE Championship or Universal Championship storylines after the upcoming draft, which is a very real possibility when you consider that “The Phenomenal One” has been targeting Seth Rollins in recent weeks.
That being said, it is difficult to picture Alexander defeating the two-time WWE Champion for the United States title, so let’s play it safe and go with Styles.
Prediction: AJ Styles def. Cedric Alexander
#3 Brock Lesnar returns to RAW
If Brock Lesnar wins the WWE Championship, he will almost certainly become a member of the SmackDown roster in the upcoming draft, which means he will no longer be required on Monday nights.
With that in mind, it would be typical of Paul Heyman to take advantage of this milestone moment by recapping some of Lesnar’s greatest RAW accomplishments on what could potentially be his final night on the show for several months, or even years.
Then, just as the Executive Director of the red brand is set to give a “spoiler” that Lesnar will win on Friday, perhaps we could see all three members of The New Day join forces to attack the three-time Universal Champion.
Despite the trio’s statuses as babyfaces, it would only take one derogatory comment from Heyman – say, if he claims Lesnar is capable of defeating Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods at once – to provoke the three men into getting involved in a brawl with Lesnar.
That could allow the #1 contender to take out Big E and Woods before getting caught out of nowhere by Kingston’s Trouble In Paradise.
Granted, this would be a somewhat underwhelming way to build to the WWE Championship match, but there needs to be some kind of sign that Kingston could win on Friday, which is where his fellow New Day members come in.
Prediction: Kofi Kingston stands tall after interrupting Brock Lesnar
#2 Alexa Bliss vs. Sasha Banks
WWE has not focused on a Women’s Tag Team Championship storyline ahead of Hell In A Cell, with current title holders Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross having a series of matches with Bayley and Sasha Banks – two women who are already involved in one-on-one title rivalries – instead.
Since Clash of Champions, where Banks defeated Becky Lynch via disqualification, she has picked up a singles victory over Cross and defeated both Bliss & Cross in a tag team match with Bayley.
With six days to go until her Hell In A Cell rematch against Lynch, it is a little surprising that “The Boss” has been booked in yet another match with one of the Women’s Tag Team Champions, especially as her sights are firmly set on “The Man”.
WWE has already announced that Banks & Bayley will face Lynch & Charlotte Flair on SmackDown on Friday, so it does not look like The Boss ‘n’ Hug Connection are going to be involved in the tag title picture any time soon.
Taking Friday's match into account, let’s predict that this one-on-one encounter will end in a disqualification win for Banks due to interference from Lynch and Flair, leading to a brawl between the Four Horsewomen to set up the SmackDown tag team match.
Prediction: Sasha Banks wins via DQ
#1 Seth Rollins vs. Rey Mysterio (Universal Championship)
As things stand, Seth Rollins will defend his Universal Championship against The Fiend Bray Wyatt in a Hell In A Cell match at Sunday’s Hell In A Cell pay-per-view.
However, that match – or the title stipulation, at least – could be altered if Rey Mysterio produces a major shock by winning the Universal Championship from Rollins in what is expected to be the main event of RAW’s season premiere.
The veteran outlasted Shinsuke Nakamura, Robert Roode, Ricochet and AJ Styles in a Fatal 5-Way match on last week’s episode of RAW to become the new #1 contender for the brand’s top male title, but it feels like this match has only been set up in order to boost interest in the Universal Championship and give Rollins a victory ahead of Hell In A Cell.
As for The Fiend, it could be a busy night for him if he gets involved in Miz TV and follows that up by having another confrontation with Rollins.
Unlike last week, which saw the former Shield member screaming in fear at the mere sight of The Fiend, perhaps we could see a more defiant Universal Champion this week.
Instead of cowering in a corner, could we see him hit Wyatt’s alter-ego with multiple stomps, just like he has done at recent live events, only to be met with an unnerved Fiend staring back at him? RAW could then end with a staredown between the Universal Championship rivals.
Prediction: Seth Rollins def. Rey Mysterio; stomps The Fiend
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