5 Things WWE Subtly told us on RAW 30th anniversary: Face turn teased for 2 top stars, Triple H makes a brilliant backstage decision? (January 23, 2023)
Welcome to the special edition of things WWE subtly told us on the 30th anniversary of RAW. It was also the go-home episode before the 2023 Royal Rumble, and what a show it was.
Unfortunately, it peaked in hour one and had a drop-off. But if one were to look at any regular RAW episode, it was undoubtedly one of the best we've seen in a long time. The legends appeared, and a lot of things went well.
So what did WWE subtly indicate to the fans on the RAW before the Rumble? Keep reading to find out!
#5. Sami and The Bloodline and what it means for the future
Thoughts on this segment?
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The Tribal Court segment may go down as one of the greatest in the history of Monday Night RAW. The storytelling, the performance, and the drama was a perfect example of how when wrestling is great, there is nothing better.
The segment was pro wrestling at its finest, and Paul Heyman made the case against Sami Zayn, who shockingly offered no defense himself. However, the biggest shock was yet to come. While Roman Reigns ordered Solo Sikoa to take Sami Zayn out, Jey Uso, of all people, stopped him.
Jey Uso, who was the most reluctant member of The Bloodline when it came to accepting Sami Zayn, was the one who came to his defense. He proved to Reigns that Zayn was a valuable asset to The Bloodline, and as a result, The Tribal Chief let him off the hook.
The story of Sami Zayn replacing Jimmy Uso in the RAW Tag Team Title match was another bit of brilliance.
Jey Uso and Sami Zayn's face turn was teased in the process. Fans can only imagine how heartbreaking the end of this story will be.
#4. How WWE subtly avoided burying younger talent
Favorite moment from #RAWXXX so far?
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When legends appear and interact with younger talent, WWE fans are used to seeing them get buried. This has happened time and again on RAW and SmackDown. However, Triple H made the brilliant backstage decision to ensure that no superstar gets buried by a legend.
With LA Knight, The Undertaker didn't bury him, The Phenom simply assisted Bray Wyatt, who hit the Sister Abigail. Imperium weren't taken out by DX, but they lost to the trio of Seth Rollins and The Street Profits. DX even joked about their age and, for once, backed down instead of getting the better of the younger stars.
This was arguably the right way to book returning legends to help elevate younger talent.
#3. Did WWE tease a major WrestleMania 39 match on WWE RAW?
Name this duo.
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Fans seemingly have no idea what Sonya Deville did wrong. However, the way she is being treated would indicate that she has some backstage heat. Typically, superstars don't get buried like that for no reason.
That's what happened when she confronted Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair, who are rumored to be facing each other at WrestleMania 39.
This was the first clear tease of the Flair vs. Belair match, and it was the RAW Women's Champion who took care of Sonya Deville, defeating her with relative ease.
#2. A passing of the torch moment
What did Taker whisper? 👀
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The Undertaker confronted LA Knight, and fans were delighted to see him return as The American Badass.
While some dreaded a burial, he simply assisted Bray Wyatt, who hit the Sister Abigail on his rival ahead of their Mountain Dew Pitch Black match at the Royal Rumble.
While fans are unsure what The Undertaker whispered into Wyatt's ear, it seemed to be a passing of the torch moment on RAW.
#1. The inevitable trilogy match
THE BEAST IS BACK AND HE'S PISSED OFF!!
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Bobby Lashley was close to ending Austin Theory's United States Title reign in the main event of the show. However, as reported earlier, Brock Lesnar returned to ruin the party.
He came out and took out Bobby Lashley and then proceeded to hit an F5 on Theory onto The All Mighty, making the champion retain controversially.
It's a clear setup for the trilogy match, but fans are not sure if it's happening at WrestleMania 39 or earlier. The answers likely lie at Royal Rumble.
What did you make of RAW XXX? Let us know in the comments section below.