5 Things WWE Subtly told us on RAW: Popular star becomes #1 babyface of the brand, 7-time champion returns after nearly a month
Welcome to this week's edition of things WWE subtly told us on RAW. It was a solid episode that had its strong and weak points, and one could argue that the beginning was a lot stronger than the end.
Either way, we are now only two episodes away from Extreme Rules 2022, and WWE did well in planting the seeds for some of the matches, two of which we expect to be made official soon.
Apart from that, the episode had some good storyline progression, with The Judgment Day getting a fair bit of screen time this week.
So what did WWE subtly tell us on the red brand this week? Let's start from the beginning:
#5. The United States Title match fallout and Bobby Lashley's role on RAW
What a turn of events! 🤯 🔥
#AndStill #WWERaw @fightbobby @WWERollins @SuperKingofBros https://t.co/cvT135lcCk
Monday Night RAW opened with an epic United States Title match between Bobby Lashley and Seth Rollins. Lashley has been heavily-featured on RAW, and his US Title defenses have become a major highlight of the show.
Perhaps this was one of the reasons why he wasn't at Clash at the Castle and why there seems to be no rush to put him on the Extreme Rules card. Just to give a brief outline, Lashley would retain over Rollins despite the latter coming close to defeating him.
While Rollins hit a low blow when Lashley was applying The Hurt Lock, his rival Riddle would come out and cause a distraction, allowing The All Mighty to hit a spear and retain the title.
There were a couple of major things that were subtly told from this. Bobby Lashley is, without a doubt, the number one babyface on the red brand.
Also, it was an indication that Rollins vs. Riddle was heading in a direction involving a stipulation match. This was confirmed when The Original Bro challenged The Visionary to a Fight Pit, the first of its kind on the main roster.
You can read about what happened and what The Fight Pit is all about over here.
#4. The Judgment Day still have big things planned and a new name has been thrown into the mix
⚖️ #TheJudgmentDay ⚖️
@FinnBalor @ArcherOfInfamy @RheaRipley_WWE @DomMysterio35 #WWERaw https://t.co/il2JjNcr3M
As mentioned, The Judgment Day has been enjoying their fair share of screen time. There was no group of stars who were featured as heavily on RAW this week as the menacing trio.
This week, Finn Balor and Damian Priest defeated the duo of Rey Mysterio and Matt Riddle. It was a dramatic affair, with Dominik putting himself in front of his father, knowing that he wouldn't attack him. It was a good bit of storytelling, and he has officially taken on a far more important role in the faction.
There was even a backstage segment featuring AJ Styles and Finn Balor, with the former refusing the latter's offer to join the faction. The seven-time champion has officially returned for a storyline after nearly a month.
#3. That 'White Rabbit' reference
It's worth noting that the first 5 letters chosen are D-E-M-O-N twitter.com/ryansatin/stat…
This was perhaps one of the major talking points of RAW this week. You have likely read now about WWE playing Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit in live events, with speculation being that it could be a tease for Bray Wyatt's return.
This week on RAW, not only did they have that White Rabbit moment during a commercial, but there was a cryptic message as well. During a backstage segment involving Austin Theory, a QR code was shown with the title "come with me" over it.
Speculation was rife, and deductions were made about it could mean. The video also said 9.23, referring to September 23, which happens to be this Friday Night. So SmackDown may be the place where we could possibly see the return of Bray Wyatt - or at least a tease of it.
Further reading of this Reddit post gives an incredible insight into why the White Rabbit references are alluding to Wyatt.
#2. WWE's possible plan for Austin Theory at Extreme Rules
Clear the deck! #WWE #WWERaw @FightOwensFight @_Theory1 @JohnnyGargano https://t.co/66sbcrNS7U
Austin Theory had a banger of a match against Kevin Owens this week on RAW. While we admittedly thought that the Money in the Bank holder would pick up the win to set up a trilogy at Extreme Rules, that isn't the case at all.
In fact, Owens' long-time friend Johnny Gargano came out and had the Money in the Bank briefcase in his hand, distracting Theory and allowing The Prizefighter to pick up the victory.
While Owens and Gargano teased a team up to face The Alpha Academy in the near future, the direction for Extreme Rules seems to be Theory vs Gargano.
#1. Bayley's advantageous position heading into the RAW Women's Title match at Extreme Rules
"I'm in CONTROL now, Bianca!"
@itsBayleyWWE wants the #RAW Women's Title at Extreme Rules!
#WWERAW #WWE https://t.co/dDMEryTnbE
The Damage CTRL segments on RAW did not seem to be the best. While the promo referencing Ace Steel biting Kenny Omega caused some chatter on Twitter, there wasn't too much to note.
Bayley would face Alexa Bliss in the main event of RAW, and things are certainly different from when they first had a feud in 2017. Bayley would win and take out Bianca Belair and Asuka, letting the RAW Women's Champion know of her intentions for Extreme Rules.
Don't be surprised to see Bayley dethrones Belair to capture the gold for herself and Damage CTRL.
What did you make of RAW this week? Let us know in the comments section below.