5 questions WWE RAW must answer after Royal Rumble 2023
Tonight's episode of WWE RAW comes on the back of a blockbuster Royal Rumble 2023 aiming to kick off the Road to WrestleMania 39 in high gear. The events at the Alamodome massively shook up the landscape of the red brand, so it will be extremely interesting to see where the fallout leads.
RAW dominated the Royal Rumble Premium Live Event, with Rhea Ripley and Cody Rhodes emerging victorious despite heroic efforts from Gunther and Liv Morgan. The momentum heading into the most exciting time of the WWE calendar is firmly on the Monday night show, and the pressure will be huge to maintain it. To do that, they must answer some very important questions that arose from the events that took place in San Antonio.
Here are five of the most important questions WWE RAW must answer in the aftermath of Royal Rumble 2023
#5 What is Austin Theory's road to WrestleMania 39?
WWE RAW's current top male champion, Austin Theory, had a fairly uneventful outing at the 2023 Royal Rumble. Although he featured in the 30-man battle royal and made it to the final five, almost every other men's champion featured more prominently. As everyone rightly praises the high drama of The Bloodline's main event exploits and the epic cyborg-esque shift put in by Gunther, Theory's reign remains "just solid".
On the road to WrestleMania 39, WWE RAW must find a way to raise The Now's prestige as champion to the heights of his counterparts. Whether that be the dream scenario of a confrontation with a returning John Cena or a tournament to decide a new challenger, it needs to happen fast. Tonight's episode of the show will be very important for Theory's future as United States champion.
#4 Which WWE RAW Superstars will enter the Elimination Chamber?
Many WWE RAW stars came so close yet so far at the 2023 Royal Rumble, going deep into the match but ultimately falling short. From Seth Rollins to the returning Asuka, multiple main event-level Superstars on the red brand left the Alamodome with no clear path to WrestleMania 39. Their path to The Show Of Shows will be revealed soon enough but on the way, Elimination Chamber 2023 offers one final golden opportunity at a title shot.
The premium live event, which is less than three weeks away, requires multiple entrants, and many top WWE RAW stars will be eager to secure their spot in it. Seeing as the company has a limited amount of time to build to the Montreal event, they will be eager to hit the ground running tonight.
#3 What next for Kevin Owens with regards to the Bloodline and Sami Zayn?
WWE Undisputed Universal Champion @WWERomanReigns takes down @FightOwensFight at #RoyalRumble while @SamiZayn’s status with #TheBloodline is in question…
@HeymanHustle
Full Results: ms.spr.ly/601356hX7 https://t.co/HqreDhvYIW
Speaking of top WWE RAW Superstars that came close to glory at Royal Rumble 2023, Kevin Owens became the latest challenger to fall at the feet of Roman Reigns. Though he lost fairly decisively, Sami Zayn's ejection from The Bloodline suggests The Prizefighter is far from done with the faction. His road to WrestleMania 39 will surely involve Zayn and The Bloodline, but it is currently unclear how.
Will it be a slow burn leading to a teamup with The Master Strategist down the road to take on The Usos? Will Owens be in Zayn's corner as the former Honorary Uce squares up to The Tribal Chief? Will he be written off television only to return in Montreal? Tonight's WWE RAW should give us a clearer picture as to what direction he will follow in arguably the most entertaining story on the road to 'Mania.
#2 & #1 Who will WWE RAW Superstar Rhea Ripley challenge at WrestleMania 39, and how will Beth Phoenix affect her path?
Congratulations @RheaRipley_WWE .
Now I’m going to drag you to Hell. https://t.co/yAOHSma0Bf
Royal Rumble 2023 was Rhea Ripley's night. Not only did the WWE RAW star win the women's Rumble with arguably the most dominant performance in the short history of the match, but she had a role in the men's bout as well. Ripley attacked Edge as The Rated-R Superstar chased down her Judgment Day teammates, who had used nefarious means to eliminate him.
This brought out Beth Phoenix, who holds a grudge against the Eradicator dating back to Extreme Rules 2022 when the latter sidelined her with a nasty Con-Chair-To. The Glamazon took to social media after the women's Rumble to remind Ripley that they still had a score to settle, meaning their feud is not over. Tonight's episode of WWE RAW thus must address the question of how Ripley will balance the two storylines on the road to WrestleMania 39, providing satisfying conclusions for both.
Will The Nightmare and The Glamazon face off at Elimination Chamber? Will Ripley choose to reignite old hostilities with Bianca Belair on The Grandest Stage Of Them All, seek redemption against SmackDown's Charlotte Flair, or make us wait for her decision? RAW will have all the answers!