RAW Preview: First title change of 2022 possibly revealed, Former Universal Champion to lose another feud?

Bobby Lashley (L) and RK-Bro (R)
Bobby Lashley (L) and RK-Bro (R)

Welcome to this week's edition of RAW Preview. We're only a little over two weeks away from the Day 1 pay-per-view. Given that the last two episodes of SmackDown this year will be pre-taped, Day 1 could be a pay-per-view dominated by matches from RAW.

There's a better opportunity to build up to the pay-per-view on RAW, and there are several interesting feuds. Damian Priest continues his reign as the US Champion while Queen Zelina and Carmella will do so with the Women's Tag Team Titles. The preview this week highlights a lot of what happened last week on RAW and what you need to look forward to this week:


#5. What will be the aftermath of the RAW Women's Championship match last week?

17 years after Lita and Trish Stratus had their historic Women's Championship match to headline RAW, Becky Lynch and Liv Morgan headlined the show. It was reported that WWE changed the original plan to have the steel cage match headline the show, and it turned out to be the right decision.

Liv Morgan and Becky Lynch's feud seemed to begin even before Survivor Series, and there was a lot of anticipation ahead of the RAW Women's title feud. Liv Morgan had her best match in WWE yet as she fell short to Becky Lynch, who could only retain the RAW Women's Championship by holding on to the ropes.

It was exactly how she defeated Charlotte Flair at Survivor Series 2021, but if anything, it perfectly represents her new attitude since returning to WWE at SummerSlam this year.

The aftermath of the RAW Women's title match should be an interesting one. Liv Morgan was a split second away from capturing the gold, but it didn't happen. Given how the match finished, the only indication was that the feud between Becky Lynch and Liv Morgan will continue.

The timing couldn't be better as Becky Lynch still hasn't found an opponent to defend the RAW Women's title against at Day 1 - the January 1st, 2020 pay-per-view.

While Becky Lynch might still be the long-term champion, a report has hinted at the possibility of Liv Morgan dethroning Becky Lynch. This would likely make it the first title change of 2020, as none of the other champions seem to be in a position to drop their titles --not even 24/7 Champion Dana Brooke.

#4. Will Austin Theory's statement last week on RAW lead to a top feud?

Austin Theory was with Vince McMahon once again on RAW last week, and the Chairman of WWE told the 24-year-old to do something to impress him. While Austin Theory thought jumping jacks with his shirt unbuttoned would be enough, he soon realized that wasn't what Vince McMahon was looking for.

Later on in RAW, when Finn Balor emerged victorious against T-Bar, Austin Theory suddenly emerged and attacked the former Universal Champion. It was a clear-cut statement made towards Vince McMahon, and this could result in a short feud rather than being a one-off match,.

Given that there are still three episodes of RAW until Day 1, there is enough time for the feud to pick up and for the match to be made at the pay-per-view. With that said, the outcome is unlikely to favor former Universal Champion Finn Balor.

In the last few weeks on RAW, Balor has seen mixed results, and even his big win last week was interrupted. Fans may not be happy when Austin Theory beats Finn Balor -- something that seems inevitable at some point, whether it's on RAW or pay-per-view.

#3. The Street Profits face The Mysterios to determine the next RAW Tag Team title contenders

Last week on RAW, the Tag Team Champions Riddle and Randy Orton hosted the RK-Bro-Nament. It was a mini-tournament to determine the next RAW Tag Team title contenders.

While The Street Profits overcame AJ Styles and Omos (who seems to have developed some friction), it was The Mysterios who set up the finals by defeating The Alpha Academy.

This should be a fun babyface vs babyface match with high stakes, and many fans will be hoping that The Mysterios capture gold again. RK-Bro has been on a roll, and they seem to be the top team in WWE.

When they went to SmackDown this week to prove they were the best tag team in the world, it was The New Day's Sir Kofi Kingston and King Woods who walked out with the win.

The RAW Tag Team Champions, RK-Bro, will likely be at ringside again to watch the finals between The Street Profits and The Mysterios. Who will emerge victorious this week on RAW in the RK-Bro-nament?

#2. The Edge-Miz fallout from RAW

Unfortunately for fans in attendance, Maryse wasn't on RAW last week. She returned two weeks ago alongside The Miz to upstage the returning Edge, but last week, it was only a back-and-forth verbal battle between the two.

Once again, the two men showed why they are veterans of the game with another incredible back-and-forth promo. The difference between last week and the one before is that there was an actual match made.

Edge will officially have his in-ring return for the RAW brand on January 1st against The Miz. It's an intriguing match-up because of the build-up and the great promos.

It will be interesting to see the aftermath of the Edge-Miz segment. Both men have shown incredible ability on the mic, and while this is unlikely to be an in-ring classic, it should be an enjoyable match.

Edge's return to WWE has been a huge success. While his 2020 was cut short due to an injury, 2021 saw him recover and have incredible match after incredible match. He has undoubtedly been one of the best superstars of 2021 and we get to witness more of it tonight on RAW.

#1. Bobby Lashley set to address his brutal attacks on RAW last week

In what is set to be the most exciting part of RAW this week, Bobby Lashley may formally enter WWE title contention soon. We have hardly seen Bobby Lashley since he lost the title, although he did make an appearance at Survivor Series 2021.

Last week on RAW, a steel cage match saw WWE Champion Big E defeat Kevin Owens by escaping the cage. Seth Rollins, who was at ringside, wanted to attack Big E, but he failed.

It was only when Bobby Lashley came in that things started to shake up. He made an instant impact by taking out all three of the WWE title contenders -- making a statement in the process.

While many feel that adding Bobby Lashley to the WWE title feud is too much, it should be noted that WWE rarely gets Fatal-4-Way matches wrong. To add to that, the Roman Reigns-Brock Lesnar match is set to headline the pay-per-view.

With that said, it should be fun to watch the feud play out on RAW and to see how Bobby Lashley manages to enter into title contention.

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Edited by Anirudh
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