5 things that could happen on RAW next week

This week’s edition of Monday Night RAW didn’t do a heck of a lot to advance storylines. There were a few small developments, but with over a month and a half until the RAW brand will be back on PPV, they didn’t go all out and opted to essentially stay in a holding pattern for another week.

Last week, I predicted 5 things that could happen on this week’s show. Let’s see how I did:

The Riott Squad invade RAW, help Absolution take down Asuka

I was off the mark on this one. I still think it is eventually going to happen, but not quite this week. Instead, Absolution did finally go after Asuka but although they had some initial success, the remaining female wrestlers on the RAW roster eventually came down to run the new faction off. They showed solidarity, as even the Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss was there. This could lead to Absolution calling for backup next week when Ruby and her girls help them even the odds.

Jason Jordan challenges Samoa Joe but a match never happens

I was very close with this. Jordan did indeed ask Kurt Angle for a match, but the GM turned it down. Jason did come out to the stage to watch Joe’s match with Dean Ambrose and a brawl did ensue near the end of the match. I’ll give myself some credit for this one, as I was concerned they were deciding to cut off the Jordan piece of the Joe/Reigns storyline when at the beginning of the episode it wasn’t included in the video package, but it did end up continuing. I’m glad. Joe vs. Jordan has a lot of potential.

Rich Swann becomes No. 1 contender for the Cruiserweight Title

This match didn’t happen for obvious reasons. We did get another very enjoyable fatal four-way match out of this, plus great and funny comedy on commentary from Drew Gulak.

Vanguard 1 makes its WWE debut

I was off on this, because WWE instead decided to do the exact same thing they did last week with the intercut promos, just with a stupid-looking “Woken” graphic for Hardy. It wasn’t nearly as good as last week, and I fear they’re going to do it again on next week’s show.

Strowman defeats Kane, but Kane has a theatrical recovery

Braun Strowman and Kane ended up becoming a number one contender’s match for Brock Lesnar’s Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble event. Neither man won the match, as it ended in a double count out, but Braun did end up winning the fight. And Kane did not end up recovering.

Overall - I’m giving myself 2 out of 5. One point for Jason Jordan and Samoa Joe, and half a point each for Absolution since they did go after Asuka and half a point because Strowman did stand tall at the end of the show.

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#5 Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy just talk back and forth again

Doesn't the background look like they didn't even try?

After the disappointing segment on this week’s episode, WWE appears to be waiting to act. If history is anything to go by, they will do this gimmick for too long. It was a great way to introduce the “Woken” Matt Hardy character, but they needed to do something to advance the story.

Of course, as I mentioned earlier, WWE appears to be in a bit of a holding pattern so instead of advancing things, the story stayed in exactly the same place, just wish some ugly graphics. Maybe to make people think they are actually moving forward. They’re going to do it next week, too. I know it.

#4 Finn Balor continues to be completely directionless

The Miztourage beat up Finn Balor before his match with Axel

Continuing the trend, WWE is going to stick with the plan of not really doing much while waiting to start the build in earnest to the Royal Rumble. Finn Balor is just going to be another guy in the Rumble match come January anyway, so what is there to do with him? I mean, I could come up with plenty of ideas, none of which have anything to do with him wrestling Miz’ lackeys, but that’s beside the point. Now that they are likely to make the Universal Title match into a triple threat, why not have Finn challenge the three monsters and make it a four-way? He still has never received his rematch for the title, and he has a score to settle with Kane.

In any event, that won’t happen, and nothing important involving him will happen either. He’ll probably end up wrestling Curt Hawkins, or maybe both Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas in a handicap match.

#3 Drew Gulak becomes number one contender

Drew Gulak meets with the commentary team before sitting in with them for the four-way match

After the tension WWE teased on RAW between Gulak and Enzo this week, I am beginning to think that if the match between Gulak and Swann had happened, it would have been Gulak, not Swann, who became Enzo’s next challenger for the Cruiserweight Championship. I don’t expect that Gulak will actually win and become the champ, but it’s an interesting dynamic and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Gulak actually end up becoming a good guy once this all is said and done. He might not become a serious babyface, but the crowd would probably cheer for his powerpoints and laugh at them as he made fun of the bad guys.

I still think Cedric Alexander is going to be the next champion, but the ‘Zo Train may end up getting involved and costing him the match next week before he ends up taking the belt down the road, like at the Royal Rumble.

#2 Reigns defends the IC Title against Sheamus

Reigns hits the drive by kick on Cesaro during the IC Title match

The ongoing saga of Roman Reigns will continue next week. The next logical contender is Sheamus. Well, technically he lost on this week’s show so he may not be the most logical in terms of actual real life logic. But in terms of how WWE storylines work, Samoa Joe and The Bar are working together, and since one of Joe’s pals (Cesaro) got his shot this week, his other pal, Sheamus, will get the shot next week. Not that I have a problem with that because it will be an awesome match.

It does hurt The Bar as a team to lose two straight weeks to Reigns, but wins and losses are forgotten so often that it will be out of everyone’s memories long enough for it to not do too much damage.

#1 Jason Jordan beats Samoa Joe with help from Roman Reigns

Jason Jordan gets involved in Samoa Joe's match

Last week on RAW, Jason Jordan got involved in the brawl between Reigns and Joe, ending up hitting both men with suplexes during the course of the opening segment. This week he watched Joe vs. Ambrose from a chair atop the stage just like Joe watched his match last week against Roman Reigns. He also got involved in the match this week, going after both Dean Ambrose and Samoa Joe, and Joe crushed him on the outside of the ring with a senton backsplash after taking Jordan and Ambrose out with a suicide elbow.

The physicality from Joe on Jordan will surely spawn him to ask GM Kurt Angle for a match with him again, and this time he will get it. And he’ll win, too. And his head will grow bigger, and he’ll become more abrasive, and his heel turn will draw ever closer.