10 Biggest Questions Coming Out Of WWE Raw 25
What is The Undertaker going to do!?
Well, Raw 25 certainly didn't disappoint in terms of generating debate.
After much fallout online - mainly revolving around the fury of those at the Manhattan Center, where minimal action was held - it's time to look at the actual events of the show.
We saw Vince, we saw Austin; we saw Undertaker and DX. But some segments clearly meant more than others, prompting a lot of speculation with regards to the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 34.
There were a hell of a lot of returns, but with only three hours to work with, many took less prominent roles than others. The wrestling itself seemed something of an afterthought - which we admittedly knew would happen, but perhaps not to such an extent. With the exception of Roman Reigns vs. The Miz, no matches were given enough time to fully develop - and while that may be forgivable on such a unique celebration of a show, it's interesting to analyse what we learned from WWE's priorities here.
Let's take a look at the biggest questions we've been left with following the 25th anniversary of Monday Night Raw - from potential winners at the Royal Rumble pay per view to questions regarding the structure of the show.
WWE
The opening segment, although clunky and McMahon-heavy, felt largely appropriate. We had Vince heeling out on the Barclays Center crowd, which was a wonderful throwback - and, of course, we heard the famous glass shatter.
Unfortunately, despite Austin rolling back the years with a trio of stunners to Vince and Shane (Stephanie made a sneaky exit), the Texas Rattlesnake didn't utter a single word into a live mic.
Stone Cold is one of the most electrifying promo men in the history of wrestling. Although that particular adjective is often attributed to The Rock, it's also appropriate when describing Austin's mic skills. Few can get the adrenaline pumping through words alone like Stone Cold, and it was a huge shame not to hear him cut even a small promo.
WWE
The biggest question heading into Raw 25 was whether The Undertaker would call out an opponent for WrestleMania 34 - or even possibly confirm his own retirement.
Ultimately, neither happened. The Deadman came out in the Manhattan Center to cut a promo, in which he highlighted the intertwining nature of his own legacy and Monday Night Raw's. He told all the souls that had fallen by his hand to rest in peace - which is nice and all, but it didn't really let us know about his future plans.
A couple of weeks ago, Dave Meltzer reported that WWE are planning to have 'Taker face John Cena in New Orleans - but his appearance here didn't reveal much along those lines. The pair weren't even in the same venue.
WWE
Oh dear, Asuka. Everybody knows that you should never be the last person standing in the ring on the go-home show before a Royal Rumble. Asuka has been a frontrunner for the inaugural women's edition of the match since it was announced, but this development may cast some doubt on that prediction.
The visual of Asuka tossing her rivals to the outside may be a little too obvious, and will surely lead to speculation that the Rumble will instead be won by a different member of the women's division - or perhaps a newcomer...
Ronda Rousey has been heavily rumoured to be joining WWE soon, especially after footage emerged of her training with Natalya. Not only that, but TMZ reported on the former UFC Champion meeting with Triple H in Los Angeles. Should she, as a wrestling novice, win on Sunday, expect a very mixed reaction indeed.
WWE
It's probably time to give some serious thought to the idea that The Miz is the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time.
The current champ prized the title from the hands of Roman Reigns last night (with the help of a distraction from his Miztourage buddies, and a missing turnbuckle pad) - thereby making himself an eight-time holder of the belt.
Chris Jericho is the only man to hold the IC title on more occasions, but Miz's cumulative time with the belt eclipses Y2J by over 200 days. Few are as closely tied to the championship, and few have done as much to transform themselves into a genuine, heat-drawing heel while in its possession.
WWE
Before last night's Raw, I thought Jordan might turn heel on Seth Rollins sometime between the Rumble and WrestleMania. Now I'm more convinced that he'll jump his tag partner on Sunday's show itself.
The heat on Jordan during Christian's Peep Show segment was unbelievable, showing that it was a masterstroke for WWE to tweak him from grinning try-hard into deliberate annoyance.
This is one of those occasions where I think a quickfire turn would be the best course of action, capitalising on Jordan's heat while it's at its peak. Rollins accidentally blasting him with a knee has provided a motive; now WWE just need to pull the trigger.
WWE
The most baffling result of last night's few matches saw Bray Wyatt dispatch Matt Hardy in a matter of minutes. Although it probably did make sense to have this match in the Manhattan Center - providing the venue with a couple of the current roster's more outlandish, throwback gimmicks - it was baffling in its brevity and straightforwardness.
Hardy seemed to have the upper hand in this feud, and certainly the momentum and support of the crowd - and while yes, ultimately its purpose was probably to spark some life into Bray Wyatt, it was shocking to see Matt go down so easily.
So what's next for the Woken one? Rumours of upcoming vignettes being filmed at the Hardy compound in North Carolina seem to suggest that the gimmick is returning to its more outlandish roots. But now that he's been plainly shown to be no match for Bray, will a new target be acquired instead?
WWE
I, like many, assumed that John Cena and Elias' interaction a few weeks ago was a one-off segment - but the Drifter shockingly got revenge in one of last night's more unpredictable moments. He even smashed a guitar over Cena's back, an assault which will surely be avenged at the Royal Rumble.
My prediction here is that Cena will be eliminated from the Rumble by Elias, giving him something to do until a WrestleMania opponent emerges in February or March - I'm not confident in this by any stretch of the imagination.
Another possibility could see Cena eliminate Elias, only to be thrown out by his eventual 'Mania opponent thanks to the distraction. Or hell, maybe Elias is Cena's man for New Orleans although that seems a tad unlikely.
WWE
In my opinion, the most frustrating result of last night's Raw saw The Revival treated as an utter punchline, while a herd of beloved Attitude Era legends laughed at them.
Dash and Dawson crashed the feel-good meeting between DX and The Club, injecting a real sense of conflict into proceedings. Unfortunately, despite perhaps being the main roster tag team with the most unrealised potential, they were easily bested.
Hopefully WWE realise what they have on their hands with The Revival. The pair were utterly excellent in NXT, and will likely go down as one of the best tag teams the developmental brand has ever seen. Unfortunately, until an opportunity is given to them, they'll continue to struggle on the main roster.
WWE
Just as Asuka's early dominance seemed to suggest that she won't be winning the Royal Rumble, Braun Strowman's latest attack on Brock Lesnar only makes it seem more likely that the Beast will retain his Universal Championship on Sunday.
The triple threat match is one of those where a certain outcome looks incredibly predictable - although sometimes these matches are used by WWE to deliver the bigger shocks of the year.
As foolish as this may seem in hindsight, though, I can't see any last minute changes to the expected script here. Lesnar will surely win, pinning Kane in order to protect Strowman's push. Right?
Right!?
WWE
Arguably the biggest story coming out of Raw 25 revolves around no in-ring action at all, but rather a lack of wrestling.
Numerous fans who attended the Manhattan Center portion of the show complained about having to watch most of the broadcast on a screen, with minimal live action dedicated to their venue. Add in the fact that many paid around $400 for tickets, and it's easy to see why there was a lot of discontent.
WWE obviously had to do something special for Raw's 25th anniversary - but lingering questions will remain over whether they went about it in the right way.
After much fallout online - mainly revolving around the fury of those at the Manhattan Center, where minimal action was held - it's time to look at the actual events of the show.
We saw Vince, we saw Austin; we saw Undertaker and DX. But some segments clearly meant more than others, prompting a lot of speculation with regards to the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania 34.
There were a hell of a lot of returns, but with only three hours to work with, many took less prominent roles than others. The wrestling itself seemed something of an afterthought - which we admittedly knew would happen, but perhaps not to such an extent. With the exception of Roman Reigns vs. The Miz, no matches were given enough time to fully develop - and while that may be forgivable on such a unique celebration of a show, it's interesting to analyse what we learned from WWE's priorities here.
Let's take a look at the biggest questions we've been left with following the 25th anniversary of Monday Night Raw - from potential winners at the Royal Rumble pay per view to questions regarding the structure of the show.
10. Why Didn't Austin Get Any Mic Time!?
WWEThe opening segment, although clunky and McMahon-heavy, felt largely appropriate. We had Vince heeling out on the Barclays Center crowd, which was a wonderful throwback - and, of course, we heard the famous glass shatter.
Unfortunately, despite Austin rolling back the years with a trio of stunners to Vince and Shane (Stephanie made a sneaky exit), the Texas Rattlesnake didn't utter a single word into a live mic.
Stone Cold is one of the most electrifying promo men in the history of wrestling. Although that particular adjective is often attributed to The Rock, it's also appropriate when describing Austin's mic skills. Few can get the adrenaline pumping through words alone like Stone Cold, and it was a huge shame not to hear him cut even a small promo.
9. What Did The Undertaker's Promo Mean?
WWEThe biggest question heading into Raw 25 was whether The Undertaker would call out an opponent for WrestleMania 34 - or even possibly confirm his own retirement.
Ultimately, neither happened. The Deadman came out in the Manhattan Center to cut a promo, in which he highlighted the intertwining nature of his own legacy and Monday Night Raw's. He told all the souls that had fallen by his hand to rest in peace - which is nice and all, but it didn't really let us know about his future plans.
A couple of weeks ago, Dave Meltzer reported that WWE are planning to have 'Taker face John Cena in New Orleans - but his appearance here didn't reveal much along those lines. The pair weren't even in the same venue.
8. Has Asuka Scuppered Her Royal Rumble Chances?
WWEOh dear, Asuka. Everybody knows that you should never be the last person standing in the ring on the go-home show before a Royal Rumble. Asuka has been a frontrunner for the inaugural women's edition of the match since it was announced, but this development may cast some doubt on that prediction.
The visual of Asuka tossing her rivals to the outside may be a little too obvious, and will surely lead to speculation that the Rumble will instead be won by a different member of the women's division - or perhaps a newcomer...
Ronda Rousey has been heavily rumoured to be joining WWE soon, especially after footage emerged of her training with Natalya. Not only that, but TMZ reported on the former UFC Champion meeting with Triple H in Los Angeles. Should she, as a wrestling novice, win on Sunday, expect a very mixed reaction indeed.
7. Is The Miz The Greatest IC Champion Of All Time?
WWEIt's probably time to give some serious thought to the idea that The Miz is the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time.
The current champ prized the title from the hands of Roman Reigns last night (with the help of a distraction from his Miztourage buddies, and a missing turnbuckle pad) - thereby making himself an eight-time holder of the belt.
Chris Jericho is the only man to hold the IC title on more occasions, but Miz's cumulative time with the belt eclipses Y2J by over 200 days. Few are as closely tied to the championship, and few have done as much to transform themselves into a genuine, heat-drawing heel while in its possession.
6. Is Jason Jordan's Heel Turn Imminent?
WWEBefore last night's Raw, I thought Jordan might turn heel on Seth Rollins sometime between the Rumble and WrestleMania. Now I'm more convinced that he'll jump his tag partner on Sunday's show itself.
The heat on Jordan during Christian's Peep Show segment was unbelievable, showing that it was a masterstroke for WWE to tweak him from grinning try-hard into deliberate annoyance.
This is one of those occasions where I think a quickfire turn would be the best course of action, capitalising on Jordan's heat while it's at its peak. Rollins accidentally blasting him with a knee has provided a motive; now WWE just need to pull the trigger.
5. Where Does Matt Hardy Go From Here?
WWEThe most baffling result of last night's few matches saw Bray Wyatt dispatch Matt Hardy in a matter of minutes. Although it probably did make sense to have this match in the Manhattan Center - providing the venue with a couple of the current roster's more outlandish, throwback gimmicks - it was baffling in its brevity and straightforwardness.
Hardy seemed to have the upper hand in this feud, and certainly the momentum and support of the crowd - and while yes, ultimately its purpose was probably to spark some life into Bray Wyatt, it was shocking to see Matt go down so easily.
So what's next for the Woken one? Rumours of upcoming vignettes being filmed at the Hardy compound in North Carolina seem to suggest that the gimmick is returning to its more outlandish roots. But now that he's been plainly shown to be no match for Bray, will a new target be acquired instead?
4. What's Going To Happen Between Cena And Elias?
WWEI, like many, assumed that John Cena and Elias' interaction a few weeks ago was a one-off segment - but the Drifter shockingly got revenge in one of last night's more unpredictable moments. He even smashed a guitar over Cena's back, an assault which will surely be avenged at the Royal Rumble.
My prediction here is that Cena will be eliminated from the Rumble by Elias, giving him something to do until a WrestleMania opponent emerges in February or March - I'm not confident in this by any stretch of the imagination.
Another possibility could see Cena eliminate Elias, only to be thrown out by his eventual 'Mania opponent thanks to the distraction. Or hell, maybe Elias is Cena's man for New Orleans although that seems a tad unlikely.
3. Will WWE Realise The Revival's Potential?
WWEIn my opinion, the most frustrating result of last night's Raw saw The Revival treated as an utter punchline, while a herd of beloved Attitude Era legends laughed at them.
Dash and Dawson crashed the feel-good meeting between DX and The Club, injecting a real sense of conflict into proceedings. Unfortunately, despite perhaps being the main roster tag team with the most unrealised potential, they were easily bested.
Hopefully WWE realise what they have on their hands with The Revival. The pair were utterly excellent in NXT, and will likely go down as one of the best tag teams the developmental brand has ever seen. Unfortunately, until an opportunity is given to them, they'll continue to struggle on the main roster.
2. Lesnar's Winning, Right?
WWEJust as Asuka's early dominance seemed to suggest that she won't be winning the Royal Rumble, Braun Strowman's latest attack on Brock Lesnar only makes it seem more likely that the Beast will retain his Universal Championship on Sunday.
The triple threat match is one of those where a certain outcome looks incredibly predictable - although sometimes these matches are used by WWE to deliver the bigger shocks of the year.
As foolish as this may seem in hindsight, though, I can't see any last minute changes to the expected script here. Lesnar will surely win, pinning Kane in order to protect Strowman's push. Right?
Right!?
1. Was It A Good Idea?
WWEArguably the biggest story coming out of Raw 25 revolves around no in-ring action at all, but rather a lack of wrestling.
Numerous fans who attended the Manhattan Center portion of the show complained about having to watch most of the broadcast on a screen, with minimal live action dedicated to their venue. Add in the fact that many paid around $400 for tickets, and it's easy to see why there was a lot of discontent.
WWE obviously had to do something special for Raw's 25th anniversary - but lingering questions will remain over whether they went about it in the right way.
Written by Jack King
jack.king@cultaholic.com Twitter: @JackTheJobber
