5 things that must happen on WWE RAW, NXT, and SmackDown this week
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Cody Rhodes picked up a count-out victory over Kevin Owens after the latter walked out of the match on WWE RAW. Seth Rollins slithered into the ring to attack Cody ahead of their rematch at WrestleMania Backlash.
Theory surprised many fans by defeating Finn Balor to win the United States Championship. It will be interesting to see if he gets a long run with the title and who steps up as his first challenger on RAW.
Joe Gacy made a loud and clear statement on WWE NXT by pushing Bron Breakker off the stage. Breakker will likely return on this week’s show to take revenge on the New Jersey-born superstar.
Natalya beat Tatum Paxley via submission after the two women had a short match. The Queen of Harts will look for her next prey in the upcoming episode of the show. Meanwhile, Wes Lee began his journey as a solo superstar after dropping the NXT Tag Team Championship.
Sami Zayn found a way to run away from Drew McIntyre once again during their Lumberjack Match. How will The Conspiracy Theorist escape when the two superstars meet inside a steel cage on Friday night?
The rivalry between RK-Bro and The Usos also intensified on last week’s RAW and SmackDown. Fans will be itching to see who becomes the Unified RAW & SmackDown Tag Team Champion at WrestleMania Backlash.
A lot will go down on the upcoming episode of these brands. Check out the five things that must happen on RAW, NXT, and SmackDown this week.
#5. Becky Lynch lays waste to Bianca Belair during her RAW Women’s Championship match
The devious Sonya Deville tricked Bianca Belair a couple of weeks ago and attacked her on WWE RAW. She signed the RAW Women’s Championship contract to confirm a match between The EST and herself for the title.
The two superstars will collide with the championship on the line this week. WWE will likely not take the title off Belair and put it on Sonya in the televised contest. Instead, the writers could use the match to continue the ongoing rivalry for Belair.
Becky Lynch is scheduled to return to RAW this week, and she could show up to attack Belair during the match to end it in a disqualification win for her. The angle will keep Deville in the run for the title while bringing Big Time Becks back in the championship picture.
The two top superstars have a lot of unfinished business as Lynch never got her rematch for the title after losing it at WrestleMania 38. The company could look to book a rematch between Lynch and Belair at WrestleMania Backlash.
#4. The Usos must ruin Randy Orton’s 20th anniversary on WWE RAW
but thank you for not giving up on me. I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor. Everyone that crosses paths with you in this business is better for it, whether it’s inside the ring or out. Thank YOU twitter.com/tripleh/status…
I know it took some patience with me in the beginning 😬 but thank you for not giving up on me. I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor. Everyone that crosses paths with you in this business is better for it, whether it’s inside the ring or out. Thank YOU twitter.com/tripleh/status…
Randy Orton has been around in the business for a long time. The 42-year-old made his televised debut 20 years ago on the April 25, 2002, episode of SmackDown against Hardcore Holly.
14 World Championships later, The Viper is marching ahead as one of the most decorated WWE Superstars of all time. On Monday Night RAW, the company will celebrate Orton’s 20th anniversary with the company.
Riddle will likely join The Viper in the ring for his celebration. A few other superstars could also show up to show their respect for the legendary superstar.
The Usos could also appear during the segment and attack Orton and Riddle to continue their rivalry with the RAW Tag Team Champions. The two teams are scheduled to meet at WrestleMania Backlash to unify the tag team titles.
WWE could use the segment to push a massive match and give fans something big to look forward to. The writers could also add Roman Reigns to the mix and have him come out on stage to watch The Usos beat down RK-Bro. It will help fuel a rivalry between Reigns and Orton down the line.
#3. Kevin Owens must challenge Ezekiel to a match at WrestleMania Backlash
One of the most entertaining parts of WWE RAW has been the return of Elias as Ezekiel. The man, who claims to be Elias’ younger brother, has been giving Kevin Owens a lot to think about over the past few weeks.
Last week, Ezekiel passed a lie detector test that confirmed that he is Elias’ younger brother. He also defeated Chad Gable via disqualification on the show to bag his first victory in the fresh gimmick.
This week, the Prizefighter will continue to prove that Ezekiel is a repackaged version of Elias. The two will likely have another entertaining segment to develop their rivalry further.
WWE must allow KO to challenge Ezekiel to a match at WrestleMania Backlash after the two men have a war of words. The returning superstar must accept Owens’ challenge to the match. Ezekiel should force Owens to accept the truth if he loses the contest to make matters interesting. It will add a lot more entertainment value to their storyline.
#2. Natalya must interfere in the match between Nikkita Lyons and Lash Legend on NXT
Nikkita Lyons and Lash Legend have been building a good rivalry on WWE NXT. The former has become a fan-favorite superstar after putting on some good performances in the ring.
Meanwhile, Legend is looking to make her mark on NXT and teach Lyons a lesson in the process. Legend still has a lot of work to do in the ring before climbing up the ladder.
Last week on NXT, Lyons, and Natalya had a face-off backstage. The newcomer made it clear that she wanted to go head-to-head with The Queen of Harts.
This week, Lyons and Legend will compete in another match on the company's third brand. WWE must allow Natalya to come out during the competition and distract or attack Lyons. However, the newcomer must recover and defeat Lash before setting her sights on Natalya.
The angle will help build towards a big match between The Queen of Harts and Lyons. The latter could benefit from getting a match against the top female superstar. It would be great to watch the stars put on an entertaining match at NXT Spring Breakin’.
#1. Ricochet must defeat Shanky to retain his Intercontinental Championship on SmackDown
While he discusses his title defenses with @WWE_Aliyah, @KingRicochet is approached by @JinderMahal looking for a rematch, but winds up with a surprising challenge. #SmackDown https://t.co/VDzfasrxQ7
Ricochet has had a decent run with the Intercontinental Champion on WWE SmackDown. The One and Only was challenged by Jinder Mahal for the title a couple of weeks ago. Ricochet overcame the former WWE Champion and pinned him to retain his title.
This week on SmackDown, he will defend his championship against Mahal’s associate, Shanky. The mammoth superstar will look to win his first championship in the company on Friday night.
While Shanky might have a bright future ahead, WWE must look to keep the title on Ricochet this week. The creative must allow the champion to pin Shanky after a distraction from Jinder Mahal goes wrong.
The win will give Ricochet the confidence to push ahead on SmackDown and build his title reign. He has put in the hard work to win the title, and the writers must give him a memorable run before pushing him up the ladder.