5 Surprises for RAW after Royal Rumble 2022: 4-time world champion's face turn to be canceled, Big twist in Vince McMahon-Austin Theory storyline?
This is the first RAW on the road to WrestleMania 38. The road begins and it's going to last for a little over two months before The Grandest Stage of Them All. This means there are a lot of episodes of the red brand still left before WrestleMania, and a lot of things to be excited about.
RAW this week will be a crucial one, as it features the likes of Brock Lesnar, Ronda Rousey, and the new WWE Champion Bobby Lashley. A lot of decisions will be made and the path that will lay out the plans ahead of us will begin to unfold.
Here are some possible surprises that could happen on the Monday night show this week:
#5. The surprising aftermath of the Royal Rumble for Seth Rollins on RAW
It has been ALL @WWERollins at #RoyalRumble!
#UniversalTitle @WWERomanReigns https://t.co/G46un2F23K
Seth Rollins put on one of his best matches in a while as he took on his former Shield brother Roman Reigns. The bout was a masterclass of storytelling even before the bell rang.
Rollins already got in Reigns' head before Royal Rumble, but at the show, he hit the biggest low-blow possible by entering through the crowd in The Shield's music wearing the black protective vest, no less.
He did everything in his power to get into Roman Reigns' head, and for a large part of the match, he legitimately had his number. Rollins looked to be the most credible superstar who could have dethroned Reigns, but it didn't happen as the Universal Champion got himself disqualified.
The post-match angle saw The Tribal Chief hit Seth Rollins repeatedly with a steel chair in an act of revenge from 2014.
Seth in The Shield fit 🔥
@WWERollins
#RoyalRumble https://t.co/1jjrO8wkGt
The assumption was that the angle was meant to turn Rollins babyface, and it's hard to see otherwise. However, it would admittedly be surprising if he showed up on the red brand as the same heel character who is aligned with Kevin Owens.
However, at the same time, it wouldn't make sense for Seth Rollins to show up this week as a changed man and someone who suddenly pretends to be virtuous.
The journey to his face turn needs to be more gradual in nature, and it will be interesting to see how it all plays out, and whether it leads to him eventually challenging Bobby Lashley for the WWE Championship.