The 5 Things We Learned From RAW Last Night

Now that the first RAW of 2018 in is the books, we should take a moment for a retrospective. This time last year, the big story was Roman Reigns and Bill Goldberg double-spearing Braun Strowman into oblivion. However 364 days later, it’s Strowman who’s become the biggest talking point in WWE.

We’ll address Strowman later, but we may look back on the January 1st, 2018 edition of RAW as a seminal moment between Braun and the WWE Universe. This time next year, he may very well be Universal Champion.

But in 3 hours of the show, WWE gave us plenty more to cover (and forget) as RAW was loaded with Royal Rumble implications. With WrestleMania season upon us, WWE is forced to shake up the frostbitten booking in December for a much more urgent show.

With WWE chugging forward that means plenty of Superstars are getting pretty for their 2018 launch, but some will be left in the dust. Let’s break it down; here are the 5 Things We Learned From RAW Last Night.

The Dubious Duo

I’m not entirely sure where WWE is headed with this angle between Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan. That’s not a bad thing either, they’ve just become an interesting pair. I suppose the question is, how long will WWE keep them together?

WWE is clearly high on Jordan as he continues to get marquee moments on RAW, but do they like him enough for him to get a WrestleMania match with the Kingslayer himself? We’ll have to see, but then the most immediate plan looks to have Rollins and Jordan continue both their tenuous relationship and their feud with The Bar.

Asuka Beats the Champ

There was no way WWE would have Asuka’s undefeated streak end on an arbitrary episode of Monday Night RAW. However, it was a little surprising to see her defeat Alexa Bliss cleanly.

While WWE would argue that wins and losses don’t matter, I’d counter that anytime a Champion loses it’s significant. Maybe WWE is signaling that Bliss’ time on top is officially terminal, but this seemed like a ho-hum way of doing it.

I’m still not sure that Asuka isn’t the reincarnation of 2014 Rusev, either. WWE is clearly bullish on her, but they still may not be ready to hand her the Royal Rumble victory that she is currently favored to win.

An Ode to Samoa Joe

I’m guilty of forgetting that Samoa Joe is wonderful in WWE. His injury didn’t help my memory, but the 38-year old has done nothing but excel since joining the main roster. And last night may have been his finest work yet.

In his toxic promo with Rene Young, Joe may have converted the straggling doubters of his game into believers. And if for some reason that wasn’t enough, he put on a show-stopping match with Roman Reigns. While he did end up losing, Joe took back a chunk of WWE territory that he lost during his injury-induced absence.

It’s time to make Joe a champion.

WWE Keeping Finn Balor Warm

For about 6 the consecutive week WWE gave Finn Balor an easy win on RAW. Clearly, Vince McMahon and Co. are marking a concerted effort to keep him relevant, and last night’s teaming with his old pals, Gallows, and Anderson was a simple way to invigorate his fan base. But the question begs, what are they planning for Finn?

A Royal Rumble win is possible but that seems like quite the stretch for someone who hasn’t had creative direction for nearly 6 months. WWE may keep him aligned with Gallows and Anders on in a short-term feud with the soon to be full force Miztourgae. This very well could be Phase I in WWE’s efforts to heat up Balor for ‘Mania season.

Braun Strowman May Leave the Royal Rumble as Universal Champion

Based on Monday night, a firm argument can be made that no one in WWE has a better relationship with the WWE audience that Braun Strowman. Could undeniable level of adoration lead to WWE changing its WrestleMania plans?

By now, Strowman as established himself as a main event level player. While he still may not be able to carry a feud by himself, he’s certainly become a draw in WWE and Vince McMahon may want to consider giving him a turn with the Big Red Belt.

A Rumble win would be the easiest way to put him on track, but WWE has allegedly made up its mind that WrestleMania 34 would Roman Reigns’ show. However, there’s always a chance that 34’s main event could be a beefy triple threat.

Strowman will get his turn on top eventually, but his wave of popularity cannot be subdued much longer. At this point, and the Monster Among Men is making the case for WWE to call an audible.