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With just a few days left for WWE Royal Rumble, WWE tried to deliver some solid episodes of RAW, NXT, and SmackDown this week. While RAW and SmackDown will go full force into the 2021 Royal Rumble, NXT will likely play a much smaller role on Sunday.
On WWE RAW, the company allowed several more Superstars to declare their entry into the Royal Rumble Matches ahead of Sunday’s pay-per-view. One big announcement could have been held back for the event, but it was revealed on the red brand instead. Otherwise, RAW also featured a few matches that had some questionable finishes.
On Wednesday, The WWE NXT Women’s Champion was attacked by two potential challengers. Elsewhere, Finn Balor and Kyle O’Reilly defeated the NXT Tag Team Champions in a non-title match. How long will the alliance between "The Prince" and "The Undisputed ERA" last?
Over on WWE SmackDown, Roman Reigns got under Kevin Owens’ skin and got him worked up ahead of their match at the Royal Rumble. Plus, Bianca Belair decisively defeated former SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley. Will "The EST" win the Royal Rumble Match on Sunday?
Here' a look at the five biggest questions ahead of the Royal Rumble and next week’s shows.
#5 Where does Shayna Baszler stand in WWE today?
Shayna Baszler was once seen as the most ruthless force in WWE NXT. Her NXT Women’s Championship reign helped her get a lot of exposure, and she shined as as the toughest female champion in WWE.
After her victory at WWE Survivor Series 2019, it seemed like nothing could stop Baszler from becoming the most dominant force in women’s wrestling. While matches against Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey were seen as dream matches for "The Queen of Spades", RAW decided to book her in a questionable match last week.
Baszler competed against Flair in a singles match that could have been set as a WrestleMania main event down the line. But it didn’t take long for Nia Jax to get involved in the match and end it via a disqualification.
A six-woman tag team match followed this finish, and the bout ended in a count-out loss for Baszler and her team. When the match was restarted, Jax managed to win the final leg of the segment for her team.
While Baszler once had a long undefeated streak, it seems like the creative team doesn't know what to do her anymore. Where does "The Queen of Spades" stand in WWE right now?
Last year, fans expected Baszler to win the WWE RAW Women’s title sooner rather than later. But what she has done since her WrestleMania debut has been fairly lackluster. Her rivalry with Jax turned into a partnership, and they held the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships for a while. Baszler has also taken a few losses to Dana Brooke.
Baszler’s reputation on the main roster isn’t bulletproof like Flair, Becky Lynch, or Bayley. As a result, WWE management needs to figure out how it wants to book her going forward.
#4 Did WWE RAW need to announce Edge’s entry into the Royal Rumble?
Drew McIntyre won the WWE Royal Rumble last year by lastly eliminating Roman Reigns from the 30-man match. While this win was a very memorable moment, the return of Edge during the Men’s Rumble Match stole the show.
Edge competed in two matches following his return in January, and he last competed in June because he suffered an injury. While no one was sure when "The Rated-R Superstar" would come back, WWE could have used his return for a major surprise at this year’s Royal Rumble show.
Instead, WWE decided to announce Edge’s return to the ring on Monday night. "The Rated-R Superstar" addressed the WWE Universe and declared his entry into the 2021 Royal Rumble match.
Edge is determined to win the battle royal and regain the world title he never lost when he was forced to retire nine years ago.
While many fans welcome Edge’s return to the ring, it's fair to question why WWE announced his return beforehand. The company could have kept this news a secret until the Royal Rumble Match. There aren’t many Superstars who can make a thrilling return to the ring this year, so Edge’s entry could have been a great way to excite the fans on Sunday night.
#3 Why is WWE teasing The Hurt Business’ split?
The Undisputed ERA has been the top faction in WWE since The Shield and The New Day broke up. But WWE RAW has built a great new stable under the leadership of MVP.
Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander have joined MVP to form The Hurt Business on the red brand. This faction has been very successful, and it currently holds the United States Championship and the RAW Tag Team Championships in WWE.
While The Hurt Business has been together for less than a year, WWE has a chance to make the group absolutely unstoppable. But in the past several weeks, fans have seen the company tease a divide between the men in the group.
Why is WWE teasing this clear dissension when the faction has been doing so well on RAW? Alexander and Benjamin have thrived in the spotlight, and the stable has also elevated Lashley to a new level.
Instead of teasing a split, WWE should work on bringing Alexander closer to Lashley and giving him a chance to rise up in the mid-card. The former WWE Cruiserweight Champion could end up becoming a breakout star due to his prominence as a member of the group.
#2 Will it be beneficial for WWE NXT if Finn Balor joins The Undisputed ERA?
A major question after WWE NXT this week is whether Finn Balor is ready to join The Undisputed ERA. The group has been the premier faction of NXT for a long time now. With Adam Cole as its leader, the stable has practically won all the gold on the brand.
The Undisputed ERA has competed against almost most of the top stars on the black-and-gold brand. It seems like the creative team needs to find something new for the fan-favorite stable. "The Prince of NXT" could be the answer, as he could help NXT retain the fans’ interest in the faction.
Bobby Fish is out with an injury right now, so the group isn't firing on all cylinders/ Balor and Cole have previously worked together in the Bullet Club before, and WWE could bring that history into the mix. Since Balor is a big name in WWE, his influence could help the members of Undisputed ERA gain even more exposure.
But will his inclusion into The Undisputed ERA be beneficial for NXT in the long run? It seems like this unofficial alliance will last for the short-term future, at the very least. For this reason, some fans worry that Balor could overshadow Cole, Kyle O'Reilly and Roderick Strong.
With that in mind, Balor could help the faction regain its powerful influence in NXT before it turns on him. From there, one of the members take the NXT Championship away from "The Prince." This entire storyline could turn out to be quite compelling.
#1 Why is Dominik Mysterio getting booked this way on WWE SmackDown?
Dominik Mysterio first emerged in WWE to help his father during his rivalry against Brock Lesnar. Dominik surprisingly got some offense in on Lesnar during a pay-per-view match between his father and "The Beast Incarnate."
After Dominik made his in-ring debut, he received some major matches against Seth Rollins and Murphy. Though Dominik didn't win many of these bouts, he managed to make a notable impact. Je remained a key part of Rey’s storyline against the heels.
But in recent months, Dominik’s booking has wilted, and it’s painful to watch how he has been presented on WWE SmackDown. He got a match against King Corbin last week, and he was defeated by the established heel.
This loss isn’t the problem. But it looks like WWE is using Dominik to give his father a boost in his matches. It's fair to ask why Dominik has been booked like a complementary player since he moved to the blue brand.
Dominik is a Superstar that WWE could be building up right now. He could team up with his father in order to become an established star in his own right. Instead, his role as a supporting character has been disappointing, and it is only making his initial performances increasingly forgettable.
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