5 serious questions WWE RAW can answer after Night of Champions 2023
Night Of Champions 2023 was a blockbuster show with huge implications for WWE's future. Two new world champions were crowned, various surprises were pulled off, and the Jimmy Uso moment shocked the entire wrestling world. The event will likely have a significant impact on the trajectory of both RAW and SmackDown as the company heads to major PLES such as Money In The Bank and Summerslam.
While everyone will surely be waiting to see how The Bloodline situation plays out on Friday, WWE RAW also has plenty of fallout to address. As WWE begins its road to Money In The Bank, there are a few questions from Night Of Champions that must be got out of the way first.
Here are five questions WWE RAW must answer from Saturday night's events in Jeddah
#5: How will Zoey Stark affect the feud between Becky Lynch and WWE Hall Of Famer Trish Stratus?
Zoey Stark just helped Trish Stratus secure the win over Becky Lynch…
I don’t mind Stark aligning herself with Stratus, looking forward to seeing where this goes.
#WWENOC https://t.co/lBpfuPi3rn
One of the most shocking moments at Night Of Champions 2023 saw Zoey Stark shockingly help Trish Stratus beat Becky Lynch. The recently called-up former NXT star surprisingly emerged from under the ring to hit Lynch with the Z-360 and condemn her to a loss at the hands of Trish. Stark and Stratus then fled up the ramp together as The Man stared a hole through them.
This raised a few questions about Stark's motivations for her actions in Jeddah. Is she Stratus's mentee, enforcer, or partner? Is she just out to cost Big Time Becks? There's so much to unpack with this storyline, and the place to get all the answers is WWE RAW
#4: Seriously, what's the deal with the Women's title branding?
The ASUKA ERA is back!
@WWEAsuka dethrones @BiancaBelairWWE for the #WWERaw #WomensTitle at #WWENOC!
#AndNew https://t.co/lXZLyVrdsz
For almost a month since the 2023 WWE Draft, the RAW Women's Championship has been on SmackDown and its blue brand counterpart on Monday nights. The company has not addressed this issue, barely mentioning it at all or suggesting any solutions.
The understanding among fans was that the creative team wanted Bianca Belair to become the longest-reigning RAW women's champion before rectifying the mismatch. Now that the EST has been dethroned by Asuka, will the titles be restored to their respective brands? Will new titles replace them? We may get these answers on RAW!
#3: WWE RAW has plenty of championship questions to answer
The red brand-based champions Gunther and Rhea Ripley had really strong outings at Night of Champions. The Ring General defeated Mustafa Ali in Jeddah despite a valiant effort from the challenger, while Ripley squashed Natalya to retain her SmackDown Women's title. Neither monster heel ever looked in much trouble of losing their championship, so their next opponents will need to give them each a sterner test.
Who will be next to step in Gunther's way? Could it be an old foe, iconic IC champion, or a recent rival? What about The Eradicator? Will anyone be able to check her unchecked and seemingly unstoppable dominance over the women's division? Not forgetting about the tag divisions, where new women's champions will be crowned, and Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens will need new challengers as well, now that they have defeated The Bloodline for good.
#2: Which WWE RAW stars will be first to hit the road to Money In The Bank 2023?
With Night Of Champions in the books, Money In The Bank is the next premium live event to build towards for WWE. New feuds will be built, some old storylines continued, and, of course, the MITB ladder matches set up. SmackDown already has plans in motion, with Zelina Vega squaring off against Lacey Evans and Montez Ford taking on LA Knight.
Which WWE RAW stars will kick off the journey to the O2 Arena? Who will punch their tickets for the iconic ladder matches and earn a chance to get their hands on the golden ticket that is the MITB contract? RAW tonight should give at least an indication as to what direction the company is taking with this.
#1: Who will be Seth Rollins' first opponent as WWE World Heavyweight champion?
History made. An incredible “Freakin” match to kick off an epic #WWENOC. Congratulations to your new World Heavyweight Champion @WWERollins. https://t.co/NDJoxoaNir
Seth Rollins was arguably the biggest winner at Night Of Champions 2023, defeating AJ Styles to become the inaugural World Heavyweight Champion. This confirmed The Visionary as the man to lead WWE RAW into the future, complete with the trademark "Triple H point." It also painted a huge target on his back for every main event talent in the division to chase.
So who's up first? Who will welcome the new champion back from Cloud Nine and attempt to bring him crashing back to Earth? Will it be tournament contenders like Finn Balor and Shinsuke Nakamura, old rivals like Brock Lesnar, or young talent seeking to make their name? Could it be Cody Rhodes? We could get an answer on RAW tonight!