5 biggest missed booking opportunities by WWE in January 2018

There was a lot to like as a WWE fan in January 2018. The men’s Royal Rumble, for example, was one of the best we’ve seen in years, while the NXT title match between Andrade “Cien” Almas and Johnny Gargano at TakeOver: Philadelphia was an instant classic.

But, as all WWE viewers can appreciate, not everything we see on pay-per-view, Raw or SmackDown Live reaches those lofty heights, and sometimes we’re left scratching our heads wondering how a match or storyline could have been booked differently.

In our review of 2017's missed booking opportunities, we questioned why Chris Jericho didn't face Brock Lesnar, why Luke Harper vanished for six months, and why the Survivor Series main event failed to create more new stars than it did.

And now, after a month of hits and misses, we take a look at five booking opportunities that WWE failed to capitalise on in January 2018.

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#5 The Revival’s return

Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson's time on Raw has been dogged by injuries

What happened: Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson returned to Raw in mid-December 2017 but, reportedly because the creative team had no ideas for them, they were off television for four weeks before they reappeared in mid-January to defeat two rookies in a squash match. The following week, they lost in clean and convincing fashion to The Club at Raw 25 and took finishers from members of D-Generation X and Finn Balor.

What could have happened: Literally anything except that! The Revival are one of the best tag teams in NXT history and, while injuries set the duo back a few months following their main-roster call-up, it looked as though they would be ready-made challengers for the Raw tag titles upon their return. Instead, they were made to look incredibly weak at Raw 25 and the victories they traded with The Club didn’t do much to help either team.

#4 Brock Lesnar vs. Finn Balor

Finn Balor still hasn't been granted a Universal title match since his return

What happened: Throughout the second half of 2017, it was widely reported that Finn Balor would finally get a shot at the Universal Championship – the title he won and never officially lost – against Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble. However, Vince McMahon apparently doesn’t think Balor is ‘over’ enough to face Lesnar, so Braun Strowman and Kane took on “The Beast” instead.

What could have happened: As it turned out, Balor reunited with The Club and he was the ironman of the 2018 men’s Royal Rumble match, so January wasn’t all that bad for him. Still, it would have been a lot better if he went toe-to-toe with Lesnar. The Triple Threat match for the Universal title was underwhelming and, even in almost-certain defeat, the Irishman’s status would have been raised just by being in a match with the former UFC star.

#3 The women’s Royal Rumble finale

Ronda Rousey appeared at the end of the women's Royal Rumble

What happened: The first-ever women’s Royal Rumble took place in January and the majority of fans thought the match itself delivered. However, Asuka’s celebration was tainted somewhat by the appearance of MMA megastar Ronda Rousey, who stole the spotlight from “The Empress of Tomorrow” (and, arguably, the 30 performers in the match) when the show closed with her pointing to the WrestleMania sign.

What could have happened: Maybe WWE should have debuted Ronda at Fastlane or Elimination Chamber instead of the Rumble. Her spotlight-stealing moment at the end of the historic match hasn’t gone down well with the majority of fans and her name was booed this week when she was mentioned on Raw and SmackDown Live.

#2 The Raw 25 show

The Austin-McMahon segment was the highlight of Raw 25

What happened: WWE hyped Raw 25 up to be a must-see extravaganza, emanating live from two venues and featuring over 40 legends from the show’s history, including Steve Austin and The Undertaker. Sounds great, right? Well, in execution, it fell well short of expectations. Aside from Austin’s segment with the McMahons, the legends’ appearances were largely forgettable, while the fans at the Manhattan Centre were made to watch much of the show on a big screen.

What could have happened: It’s worth noting that the legends who returned at Raw 25 probably had an amazing night that they’ll remember for years, so there’s at least one positive to take from the show. But, from an entertainment perspective, fans would like to have seen more segments between legends and modern-day Superstars, and it’s fair to say the two-venue idea just didn’t work for the people in attendance.

#1 Clarification on The Undertaker’s future

The Undertaker's future remains uncertain

What happened: Nine months on from his ‘retirement’ at WrestleMania 33, The Undertaker made his much-anticipated return at Raw 25. With fans expecting some kind of clarification on his future with WWE, “The Deadman” delivered a cryptic promo that, in all honesty, told us absolutely nothing.

What could have happened: Whether it was Raw 25, the Royal Rumble or another show before WrestleMania 34, ‘Taker’s next appearance after WrestleMania 33 really had to mean something: fans wanted him to announce his retirement or announce that he will have one more match. Instead, neither of those things happened and we were all left massively underwhelmed by his return in January.