3 Ways to improve RAW in 2019

WWE is the world’s biggest sports entertainment company. Its flagship show, RAW, holds the record for the longest running weekly show on television.

The show completed 25 years this year. RAW has witnessed some of the most talked about moments, like the ‘This is your life’ segment involving Mick Foley and The Rock.

Also, big moments like The SHIELD implosion and The Rock challenging John Cena for a match in the main event of WrestleMania 28 a year in advance have taken place on the red brand.

But, RAW has received all time low ratings in recent months. This may be attributed to Roman Reigns’ departure, but the creatives too seem to be least bothered about the red brand.

With the company's focus being on SmackDown Live before the blue brand moves over to the FOX network, one can expect RAW’s quality and viewership to decline further.

But, as wise men say, where there is a will, there is a way. WWE creatives are talented enough to bring the red brand out of the mess it is in now. So, let us have a look at the 5 ways creatives can revive RAW in 2019, without harming SmackDown's growth:

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#1 Trade Usos to RAW

Will Usos finally make the move to RAW this year?

The Uso's rise to the top of the Tag Team division in the past couple of years has been excellent to say in the least.

Turning heel on The American Alpha post the 2016 Brand draft, this new, quite savage gimmick of Usos has worked a lot for them.

This resulted in the team going on to win the SD Live Tag Team Championships multiple times.

Their reign as the Tag champs of the Blue brand was awesome. They backed their promise of turning the blue brand into the ‘Uso penititiary’ by their flawless in-ring skills.

Moreover, their feud with the New Day in 2017 was one of the best Tag Team feuds of all time.

Since losing their Tag Team titles at WrestleMania 34, Jimmy and Jey had been rarely featured on the blue brand.

But, since the sons of Rikishi captained the SD Live team to a victory at the Survivor Series Kickoff show, they are getting a lot of screen time.

The Usos are currently a part of the Triple Threat Tag Team championship match taking place at TLC and one can be assured that the five-time champs will be involved in the blue brand's tag team scenario in some capacity until WrestleMania 35.

Moving Usos to the red brand will help both the Usos and RAW. Usos would have spent almost two and a half years on the blue brand.

Continuing on the same show will make their gimmick stale. Moving to RAW would be a refreshing surprise for the fans, provided that the team is booked properly.

Having The Usos as the RAW Tag Team champions and making them feud against teams like AOP and Revival would surely elevate the Tag Team division of RAW.

We can have teams like SaNity and the Good Brothers getting the required push on the blue brand in the absence of Usos.

Having Usos lose their SmackDown Live Tag Team titles (that is, if they are the tag champs come WrestleMania) to either the Good Brothers or Sanity before making their move to the red brand would be the best way to do so.

#2 Using the roster efficiently

When was the last time that No Way Jose was involved in a feud of importance on RAW?

In recent weeks, fans have been complaining about how RAW has become stale.

Lucha House Party dominating The Revival and Bobby Lashley showing off to the WWE Universe are some of the segments which have been repeated over and over and over and over and over again.

On the contrary, each and every episode of SmackDown Live is entertaining and has something new to it.

The main reason for this is the way blue brand uses its wrestlers. They had an unknown team in Bryant brothers defeating The Miz and Shane McMahon a few weeks back. Also, their utilization of R-Truth and Carmella with the ‘dance-break’ thing has been embraced willingly by the fans.

Since the 2016 draft, SmackDown LIve has utilized many lower card superstars in surprising ways. Breezango and Ascension became very popular during their run on the blue brand due to the ‘Fashion Files’ series.

James Ellsworth was able to defeat AJ Styles on three different occasions. This kind of will to experiment new ideas is something RAW needs to learn from SmackDown.

R-Truth's 'Truth TV' is something the fans wait for each week

Using stars like Jinder Mahal, No Way Jose, Mojo Rawley, Zack Ryder and Tyler Breeze in proper feuds is a nice way to provide something new to the fans each week.

Even if these stars lose their feuds, investing time on them will surely help them in improving their character and growing as a superstar.

Also, who knows that someone from them may go on to become one of the premier faces for the red brand?

#3 NXT Call-ups

NXT call-ups can certainly refresh the red brand

As already discussed, RAW is in a state of mess currently. The main reason for this is lack of credible superstars.

Except for Rollins, there is no baby face on the red brand that can believably main event a PPV.

I do think that Finn Balor and Elias are top level athletes who can steal any show. But, poor booking is the biggest hindrance on their way to solidify themselves as believable main eventers.

NXT stars like Velveteen Dream and EC3 debuting on the main roster post-WrestleMania 35 will be a solid way to solve this problem out.

Being new to the main roster, these superstars can be booked properly in order to make them gain credibility and support of the audience.

They have been rocking it in the yellow brand for a considerable amount of time now and can truly set the red brand on fire by their skills.

Also, from what we have seen in recent months, it seems that the creatives on the red brand are keener on having a stable v/s stable storyline dominating their brand.

While SHIELD v/s Dogs of War and Corbin, Lashley, McIntyre v/s Balor, Elias and Ziggler may not seem to be interesting, having an invasion storyline can surely work wonders for RAW.

Moreover, videos hyping the debut of Lars Sullivan have been airing since the Survivor Series 2018 PPV.

Having Lars debut on the main roster and decimating jobbers would allow him to establish his dominance and would be a decent filler for the three-hour long RAW.

The Freak can then go on to feud with a face like Elias or Ziggler, before focusing his attention on a championship.

Many would think that it would be apt for him to be involved in the IC Title scenario, but I certainly think that Lars should go after the Universal Championship.

Winning the title from Seth Rollins (who is rumored to win the championship at WrestleMania 35) post Mania, Sullivan would go on to become a dominant Universal champion.

We can then have Strowman fighting Sullivan at SummerSlam for not only the Universal Title, but also to prove who the real monster of RAW is.

This also gives WWE the time to have Drew McIntyre transition to a face, before eventually becoming the Universal Champion.

Having The Undisputed Era debut on the red brand, along with a few other superstars from NXT would surely give us exciting matches and storylines.

Involving Triple H and Vince McMahon in the feud to some capacity will be the cherry on the cake.

This storyline has the potential to keep fans invested for a long time and can lead WWE easily into SummerSlam 2019, or even WrestleMania 36.

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So, here are the 3 ways in which WWE can revive RAW in 2019. What in your opinion are the ways in which RAW can be dragged out of the mess it is in? Do drop your valuable opinion in the comments box! :)