'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
From AJ Styles and The Undertaker's wild contract signing to Stone Cold Steve Austin and Becky Lynch celebrating Austin 3:16 Day at the end of the episode, this week's edition of Monday Night RAW featured several contrasting moments.
The buildup to WrestleMania 36 will go down as one of the most peculiar and unprecedented moments in WWE history. This year's WrestleMania event will emanate live from WWE's training facility in Orlando, Florida.
Indeed, the show must go on in the world of Wrestling Entertainment, and WWE chose to embrace this ideology during the most-awaited period of time for any WWE fan living on this planet.
Here are the 5 biggest news stories from this week's episode of WWE RAW (March 16, 2020).
Trending
New Champs in WWE! More RIGHT HERE
#5: Asuka fully embraced her over-the-top personality on commentary this week
Asuka's character has clearly diverged from her strongest traits back when she was an undefeated Superstar in this company.
Now, Asuka has amplified her weird and idiosyncratic traits to the maximum. Initially, this transition came off as cringe-worthy for most fans, and it is still a hit-and-miss gimmick today.
But Asuka's odd personality added more to an even peculiar episode of RAW this week. In front of an empty crowd, Asuka filled the silence during Rey Mysterio and Andrade's re-match.
Sure, Asuka's guest commentary appearance during Mysterio and Andrade's bout doesn't make a whole lot of sense from a storyline point-of-view. But in terms of pure speculation, filling the silence with over-the-top noise does help in masking the fact that you can hear Superstars calling their spots in an empty Performance Center.
Rey Mysterio won the match after he delivered a 619-combo, and the United States Champion's loss only made Andrade look weak since he returned from a recent wellness policy violation.
On the other hand, Asuka's slapstick routine worked well in the sense that it left everyone else stupefied at the commentary desk this week.
#4: Kevin Owens challenged Seth Rollins to a WrestleMania match
With the announcement that WrestleMania will be taking place at the Performance Center this year, there have been a select few upsides from this unusual decision.
Kevin Owens versus Seth Rollins is one of those bouts that will certainly benefit a lot from WWE's grandest event relocating at their training center in Orlando, Florida.
As Owens said in a backstage bit this week, the Performance Center is where he was forged as a WWE Superstar. The location itself means a lot to The Prizefighter since he proved the doubters wrong and also established his own credibility as a WWE Superstar from a very early stage in his career.
Frankly, if things were the same, Owens versus Rollins may have ended up being a filler match in a huge stadium filled with fans waiting for the legends to take center stage.
But the Performance Center adds a lot more significance to this bout than a large stadium ever could.
For Kevin Owens, it is the place where he aims to prove another doubter - Seth Rollins - wrong as we strip away the glamour from the biggest showcase for WWE Superstars all year.
#3: Edge and Randy Orton's personal rivalry will ascend to the next level in a Last Man Standing Match at WrestleMania
Edge and Randy Orton have used crowd reactions to their advantage since the former returned at the Royal Rumble Pay-Per-View this year.
The Rated-R Superstar was up for a challenge when he had to amplify the personal nature of this feud in front of an empty audience this week.
So Edge looked directly into the camera for the most of it. The Ultimate Opportunist touched upon his past history with Randy Orton, and how both of them were destined to cross paths eventually.
However, at this stage, it is one thing that separates both men apart, and that is "grit". Edge stated that Orton never learned that aspect of Professional Wrestling from Mick Foley, and he also thanked The Viper in a twisted manner.
This is because Beth Phoenix was supposed to announce Edge's retirement for a second time, and because of Randy's sick actions, Edge finally had a personal reason to step inside the squared circle for one more match.
The Last Man Standing stipulation not only allows Edge to perform without having to worry about ring rust, but it also ascends this personal rivalry to the next level under No Disqualification stipulations, that is, if Orton accepts the challenge next week.
#2: Stone Cold Steve Austin and Becky Lynch celebrated Austin 3:16 Day at Byron Saxton's expense
It's official. Every year, the 16th of March will be celebrated as "Austin 3:16 Day".
The last segment of this week's RAW would have been criticized for being a ratings-ploy under normal circumstances.
But during a time when people need to put a smile on their faces amidst the Coronavirus outbreak, Stone Cold Steve Austin ended the show on a fun note.
Byron Saxton had the courage to rate Steve Austin's laws surrounding Austin 3:16 Day. We all know what happens when you interrupt The Rattlesnake in the most annoying fashion, and Saxton just so happens to be the butt of every joke on commentary.
Byron would meet his unfortunate fate in the form of a Stone Cold Stunner.
Toting a cooler that Becky Lynch presumably brought to the arena from her truck, The Man joined Austin in the ring for a celebratory toast. On Austin 3:16 Day, a passing of the torch occurred from one antihero to another.
A second Stunner to Byron Saxton ended this historic edition of RAW on a fun note.
#1: The Undertaker possibly changed his gimmick after 16 years during a Contract Signing segment with AJ Styles
As The Undertaker arrived at the Performance Centre this week, The Phenom ditched his usual entrance and sported a bandana instead of his iconic hat and costume.
AJ Styles attempted to expose The Undertaker on last week’s episode of RAW, and maybe that is why the legend responded with a change in attitude. The Undertaker was incensed with pure rage this week.
When Styles sent Gallows & Anderson to deliver the contract to his WrestleMania opponent, The Undertaker used some of his well-known tricks to dismantle the group. He signed the contract and stared down The Phenomenal One’s live image on the screen.
Even if Styles hasn’t topped The Deadman in a physical confrontation yet, The Phenomenal One’s verbal jabs towards The Undertaker’s gimmick and his wife, Michelle McCool, may have lead to a change in The Phenom’s personality after so many years.
The lack of dominance on The Phenomenal One’s part also suggests that he might overcome The Deadman’s rage at WrestleMania 36. But if this gimmick change remains permanent, then Styles has done enough in lifting the mystique of the most protected gimmick in WWE history.
