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Welcome to the special edition of things WWE subtly told us on the RAW after WrestleMania 37! It wasn't as epic as many expected it to be, but we seem to have a vague picture of what lies ahead at WrestleMania Backlash.
The main event of RAW is what caught the most attention along with a few segments. Here are a few things WWE subtly told us on RAW after WrestleMania 37.
#6 Bobby Lashley and the WWE Title feud on RAW post-WrestleMania
Bobby Lashley opened the show and was confronted backstage on RAW by former United States Champion Riddle. It led to the opening match, where the WWE Champion decimated The Original Bro with relative ease.
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MVP came out later to cut a promo and was confronted by Drew McIntyre. While the former US Champion praised him, he didn't seem intent on giving the Scotsman another shot at Bobby Lashley on RAW.
Braun Strowman, who teased Title contention on RAW before WrestleMania came out as well, as did Randy Orton. Adam Pearce had to come out to salvage the situation and booked a Triple Threat between the three men for the RAW main event.
While it was an exciting main event on paper, it didn't turn out as well in the execution. It was a decent match and Randy Orton almost pinned Braun Strowman with the RKO, only to eat a Claymore Kick immediately and take the loss.
It will be interesting to see what's next for Randy Orton and Braun Strowman - who could end up feuding with each other. For Drew McIntyre, he continues to be in WWE Title contention on RAW post-WrestleMania.
But the most noteworthy thing from the entire episode is the fact that Mace and T-BAR, formerly of RETRIBUTION, came out and did MVP's bidding by attacking Drew McIntyre.
While it's not confirmed, they could be new members of The Hurt Business. WWE also hinted at wanting to wrap up the Drew McIntyre-Bobby Lashley feud for good. We expect that to happen at WrestleMania Backlash.
#5 WWE makes Nia Jax look bad on RAW to save Mandy Rose the embarrassment?
The Women's Tag Team Title segments on RAW rubbed some people the wrong way. It started with Tag Team Champions Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler watching Mandy Rose's hilarious slip at WrestleMania during her entrance.
Mandy Rose confronted them backstage, and after Shayna Baszler left, Dana Brooke came along and they took down Nia Jax together. They had a non-title match set up for RAW, and the finish was a bizarre one.
Firstly, Nia Jax tripped when entering the ring through the ropes, and that was intentional. WWE was likely hoping that it would save Mandy Rose some embarrassment.
They took it a step further by having Nia Jax slip outside the ring again. In a weird finish on RAW, Rose and Brooke simply exited and got counted out, refusing to come back despite Nia Jax calling them.
This was a bad finish and the babyfaces looked more like heels. There was no reason for WWE to try to embarrass Nia Jax tandsave face for Mandy Rose on RAW.
#4 The possible reason why WWE made Damian Priest lose on RAW
We haven't seen the reactions to RAW just yet, but we can assume that many fans won't be happy about The Miz pinning Damian Priest, a man who defeated him only two nights prior at WrestleMania.
The Miz came out for a special edition of Miz TV alongside John Morrison and his wife Maryse. They came out with the primary motive of promoting the new season of Miz & Mrs.
While John Morrison was suggesting a spinoff show, Damian Priest cut them short and said that Bad Bunny excelled at WrestleMania because of his hard work, and not his two opponents.
The two tag team members argued about who should face Damian Priest on RAW, and Maryse suggested a handicap match - which was accepted by the former NXT star.
While we thought he would win, The Miz pinned him thanks to a distraction from Maryse as well as help from the rope where his legs were supported. Mind you, all this happened while his pants were down.
While it may seem like Damian Priest is going to go down without Bad Bunny, that isn't necessarily true. This win was likely just to help promote The Miz & Mrs. series on RAW. Priest was well-protected, so his run on RAW will continue.
#3 The Viking Raiders return to add depth to the RAW Tag Team division, but are their opponents done for good?
It seems as though most people forgot about The Viking Raiders on RAW. The last time we saw them was in September 2020 and Ivar suffered a bad injury that kept him out all this while.
Erik was in an unfortunate situation where the absence of his partner meant that he had to sit out as well. On the RAW after WrestleMania, the duo finally returned to take on Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander.
Naturally, the match was only setup to promote The Viking Raiders, particularly Ivar. It was a good display for the former RAW Tag Team Champions, who put away the two ex-Hurt Business members.
While The Viking Raiders added more depth to the RAW Tag Team division, we can't help but feel like Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin have lost their push. Hopefully, it isn't for good, since they would make a useful addition to the RAW Tag Team division.
#2 Charlotte Flair quietly turns heel and inserts herself into the RAW Women's Title picture
Charlotte Flair returned to RAW and wasn't happy about being left off the WrestleMania card. As WWE fans, there have been countless instances where we've made fun of The Big Show/Paul Wight and Kane for the number of times they've flip-flopped between being a heel and face. However, Charlotte Flair gives them a run for their money in the modern era.
The Queen conveniently left out the part where she got COVID-19. She berated RAW Women's Champion Rhea Ripley for taking what she called "her spot" at WrestleMania and then insulted Asuka for "manipulating" her way into a rematch.
She finally berated the fans, officially but quietly, turning heel in the process. She interrupted the Asuka-Rhea Ripley rematch, announcing her entry into the Title picture. It seems clear now that we're headed in a Triple Threat direction for WrestleMania Backlash.
It's a good way to protect Asuka and Charlotte Flair - both of whom are expected to lose if the match plays out as a Triple Threat. For now, it's an exciting start to the RAW Women's Championship reign of Rhea Ripley!
#1 Alexa Bliss tells all, but what does it mean for her future on RAW?
We hoped that RAW would provide more answers about what went down at WrestleMania 37. Alexa Bliss was in her playground on RAW and explained what happened. She said that the darkness had taken over, but over time, she realized that she didn't need anybody.
She introduced her new and creepy friend "Lily', who we presume will have a big role going forward.
Interestingly, there was a Firefly Fun House segment with Bray Wyatt himself. He seemed to be in good spirits and vowed that he wouldn't be clout chasing anymore and that things would be alright. He also said that he will return.
There won't be much interest for Bray Wyatt on RAW, but there seems to be a lot for Alexa Bliss. For one, we need more clarity. What is going to happen to Bray Wyatt? Now that Randy Orton is done with them, who will she target?
We can only think of a Bray Wyatt-Alexa Bliss feud unless the latter begins a reign of terror.
