Can a returning Stephanie McMahon save RAW?
Rumour has it that Stephanie McMahon might be brought back to television as the on-screen commissioner of RAW soon. The reason for this decision is seemingly the declining ratings of RAW. Past experience has proven that bringing a McMahon back on television has never failed to give a boost to the show.
The reason for the poor performance of RAW could be blamed somewhat on the fact that the Monday Night football season is on in the United States of America, which has led to a decline in the viewership of WWE.
WWE officials have gone on record to state that September-November is historically a slump period for the product. The viewership levels are usually down during this period, which lies between the conclusion of SummerSlam and the commencement of the WrestleMania season.
This, however, cannot be used as an excuse to become lax with the programming. WWE needs to continue with the effort to deliver top-notch shows in order to maintain the viewers and generate interest.
It can be seen that the WWE is putting in effort to maintain the buzz of the product with high levels marquee matches such as Cena vs Reigns and Strowman vs Lesnar. Bringing back Stephanie as the Commissioner could help boost ratings and make for some very interesting storylines.
For those who didn't know...
Stephanie had been a constant part of RAW as the onscreen authority figure since 2013. At Summerslam 2013, Stephanie cost Daniel Bryan his match against her husband Triple H, which led to the birth of “The Authority” faction that included Randy Orton, Batista, Kane and Seth Rollins as its members, along with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon.
The Authority ruled RAW with an iron fist from 2013 to 2016, entering into notable programs with The Shield, Daniel Bryan and Sting.
The Authority finally came to an end with the return of Stephanie’s brother Shane, who had not been seen in a WWE ring since 2009.
Shane and Stephanie then jointly run RAW for a few months from April 2016 to early July, before Mr. McMahon announced that WWE will be heading towards a brand split. He named Shane the new commissioner of Smackdown, while Stephanie was made the commissioner of RAW.
Stephanie and new RAW general manager Mick Foley ran RAW from July 2016 to March 2017, when Mick was fired by Stephanie for not adhering to her instructions. They both had a unique dynamic and their chemistry made for some interesting television until their pairing came to an end.
Stephanie’s reign as the on-screen authority figure came to a halt at Wrestlemania 33 where she went through a table accidently, getting pushed by her own husband during his non-sanctioned match with Seth Rollins.
Kurt Angle was made the new general manager soon after and she has not been seen on RAW since Wrestlemania. Although she recently appeared on an episode of Smackdown where her father, Vince McMahon, was viciously beaten by Kevin Owens.
According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, Stephanie had taken this time off to spend time with her family.
What could be next?
If Stephanie does, indeed, return soon, it could lead to another power struggle, this time between her and Kurt Angle. Kurt has done a good job as a face GM and it will be interesting to see how he reacts to WWE’s resident “evil boss”, Stephanie McMahon, returning.
It can also be speculated that a tussle between the two could see Triple H getting involved, leading to a highly anticipated renewal of the old rivalry between Kurt and Triple H, which could culminate in a high profile match at Wrestlemania.
Stephanie, who plays the role of a self-centric and manipulative boss almost as well as Vince McMahon, could be a great asset to RAW and continue her dominance as the figurehead, making RAW even more interesting and must-watch.