5 Changes Vince McMahon May Bring To Tonight's RAW

WWE CEO Vince McMahon doesn't often make television appearances, at least not anymore. Once a weekly staple on WWE television, the 73 year old Chairman now only makes appearances during moments of great significance. Tonight, wrestling fans wait in eager anticipation for one such moment on WWE RAW.

If we are all honest, WWE RAW has been incredibly stale. Featuring repetitive matches and unimaginative storylines and angles, the product has been in steep decline since the unexpected departure of Roman Reigns, who took a hiatus to courageously battle leukemia.

Some may say the WWE is in a free fall, while others prefer the term limbo, hoping that one day the weekly television staple will regain its composure and find its proper place in the wrestling world.

Week in and week out, the biggest company in wrestling history has produced subpar product and the ratings reflect the effort. In recent months, RAW's ratings have been historically low, as viewers are tuning out en masse.

Enter Vince McMahon, who must have something up his sleeve, at least we hope. The maniacal mastermind billionaire wouldn't appear for no reason, would he? He won't be there to pitch the XFL or some WWE Fillms project.

He has better things to do and billions of dollars to count; but, why will he appear on tonight's RAW? Something big is brewing, so join us as we examine 5 Changes Vince McMahon May Bring To Tonight's RAW.

#5. End Of The PG Era

Vince McMahon and his famous walk to the ring

Some fans today may be too young to remember, but there was a time in WWE history where extreme angles came with regularity and the motto was only, 'Anything goes.' Aided by the wildly creative writing of one Vince Russo, WWE garnered historic ratings highs in the Attitude Era.

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin accomplished every red-blooded American's dream (not mine, I hope to stay employed) when he regularly stunned his boss and added a double middle finger salute to boot.

Women were boldly risque and unafraid to mix it up physically with their male counterparts. Even 'Sexual Chocolate' Mark Henry fell in love and Mae Young gave birth to a hand, but that's another story altogether.

The Attitude Era came before political correctness cast its stale dominance on the television landscape. This was before the WWE was corporately traded and before the USA Network caved into demands from its more sensitive viewers.

Then came squeaky clean John Cena and the rest was history. Gone was the unpredictably of the Russo scripted Attitude Era and it was replaced by overly scripted, over done, easily predictable, non-offensive sports entertainment, and the ratings decline reflected its lack of excitement.

These facts aren't lost on Vince McMahon, who is falsely maligned as out of touch. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, those closest to McMahon still regard him as sharp, shrewd, opportunistic, and ever the business man. McMahon simply has more entities to please these days, but one of them is FOX.

WWE recently reached a billion dollar deal with the cable company, who aren't anywhere near as infatuated with the PG label as the USA Network. FOX also deeply cares about ratings and with a commitment in the billions, expects them.

Could Mr. McMahon be returning to WWE television to recommit his product to the more reality based in-your-face Attitude Era? Tune in tonight to find out.

#4. A New WWE Draft

Could Vince McMahon interpret the recent decline in ratings as something that requires a significant roster shakeup? It's happened before. McMahon may just be appearing on RAW to formally announce another WWE roster draft.

With the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania, WWE's grandest pay-per-views on the horizon, there may be no better time than the present.

Additionally, last night's TLC pay-per-view was filled with rekindled Survivor Series feuds. SmackDown Superstar Becky Lynch garnered her revenge and her receipt by taking out Nia Jax with a convincing right hook.

RAW Women's Champion Ronda Rousey has been promising to avenge her Survivor Series run ins with both Charlotte and Becky Lynch; but, opportunity struck last night in the first ever Women's Triple Threat TLC Match. Rousey legitimately cost both Flair and Lynch the SmackDown Women's Championship by tipping over the ladder, just as the duo were about to get their respective hands on the SmackDown Women's Championship.

These are not one offs, but wildly significant events that require a long-term plan and feud. Nia Jax won't forget what Lynch did to her, but she won't wait for the 2019 Survivor Series either. Don't look for Nia Jax to head over to SmackDown, however especially with Lynch's meteoric rise to the top.

Lynch is arguably the biggest star in all of professional wrestling and her move to RAW would mean instant ratings success for the red brand. Could former best friend turned arch rival Charlotte Flair follow her over?

Lynch could temporarily feud with Jax and Charlotte could temporarily feud with Rousey leading up to a predicted Triple Threat Match between Rousey, Flair, and Lynch at WrestleMania 35.

#3. The Announcement Of A New GM

RAW's ratings decline needed a fall guy. It needed a face to associate with its failures and that face quickly became exiting RAW GM Baron Corbin. Corbin, who came over to RAW from SmackDown with no front office experience, inexplicably took the position from WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle. Ratings began to decline almost instantaneously.

The newly clean shaven Corbin was simply never a good fit for the position and often seemed ill equipped and out of place. Corbin didn't expect Braun Strowman to show up at TLC last night, but Strowman did, and with the help of several disgruntled RAW Superstars and Kurt Angle, defeated Corbin to permanently oust him as RAW GM.

Corbin's ousting would require a replacement; but, who would McMahon place in the extremely important role? The GM is ultimately seen as RAW's director of fortunes, so could McMahon replace Corbin with a trusted Superstar from the past?

If so, the names that keep coming up in the rumor mill are Kurt Angle, Ric Flair, and even Hulk Hogan. Each of the three bring instant name recognition to the RAW brand, as well as an obvious upgrade in charm, charisma, and personality. All of that combined could provide the ratings boon the brand seeks.

#2. Daniel Cormier To RAW

Vince McMahon has a real appreciation for legitimate toughness. He recognizes and appreciates grit in those he associates with closely, as well as himself. That's also why UFC fighter Daniel Cormier is an instant attraction for the billionaire wrestling icon.

Cormier, a life-long WWE fan, was rumored to have been in attendance at last night's TLC. He has also been training at the NXT Perfomance Center in hopes of becoming the next big name WWE announcer. Could McMahon expedite Cormier's training and insert him into the RAW announce team sooner rather than later?

If Cormier's instant name recognition isn't enough of an incentive, how about the instant gratification one upping UFC President Dana White would bring McMahon? White has been trying to book a UFC fight between WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar and Daniel Cormier; but, thus far his best efforts have been fruitless.

White also recently announced that Cormier prefers to fight in the 205 pound division, which would eliminate the 300 pound Lesnar as a potential opponent. Could McMahon be bringing in Daniel Cormier to provide the bout that Dana White could not?

While Cormier's ultimate WWE future may be as an announcer, there's nothing that says Cormier can't have a UFC-esque WrestleMania feud with Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. Perhaps the two can meet in the squared circle before they ever meet in the octagon and it could all begin tonight on RAW.

#1. A Major Invasion

Vince McMahon and Family (Triple H and Stephanie McMahon)

With Roman Reigns' heartbreaking leukemia announcement and Dean Ambrose's backstabbing ways, The Shield are no more, but the group was the last invading stable to run roughshod over the WWE roster. Sure, the company tried things with Drew McIntyre, Dolph Ziggler, and Braun Strowman, but the group never did make any sense and quickly fell apart.

Great stables share an actual bond, not a manufactured one. They are the product of blood, sweat, and tears, rather than writers' rooms. Believability and actual camraderie are what made The Shield so successful, and the same can be said about any of wrestling's greatest stables.

Could the WWE be planning an invasion angle? It worked in WCW with the nWo and worked magically, as the trio went down in history as one of wrestling's all-time greatest stables. If the company were planning an invasion angle, it would go down one of two ways.

Either the WWE has a secret deal in place right now with Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks (highly unlikely) or the WWE will utilize its own talent in NXT to stage a main roster invasion.

This worked years ago with the Nexus and RAW is ripe for the picking now. Just imagine a disgruntled McMahon opening up the show saying the current roster just isn't getting things done and that changes need to be made. Then he can say, as he so often has in the past, that RAW is open for anyone willing to come in and grab the brass ring. Enter team NXT.

The soon to debut Lars Sullivan is already striking fear into the hearts of the main roster but, imagine if he debuted along-side Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, Ricochet, Adam Cole, Aleister Black and Velveteen Dream?

The RAW brand could be revolutionized and entirely revamped in one night and if NXT was bold enough to make the true TakeOver attempt, who wouldn't tune in week after week?

The fields are ripe for the harvest. Will anyone come to do the work?

Edited by Gabby Duran