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Raw will again be a War on Monday

It’s time to play the game and watch current superstars interact with the old cast of WWE for the show’s 25th anniversary special of Monday Night Raw, coming to us live this Monday.

So many promos, so many memorable moments are all leading up to this special event. It also helps that it comes six days before the Royal Rumble.

Like any fan during the PG era, it’s hard not to watch WWE without making predictions, especially since we live in a social media world. Many rumors are flying around what will, might and won’t happen.

After reading and listening to most of these rumors for the past two months, I have compiled a “You Just Made the Prediction List” for any other WWE fan reading this right now. Some of these will range from ‘definitely will happen’ to ‘no way in hell’ and everything in between.

I’m too excited. Let’s start this list mmmmaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnn.

TITLE CHANGE

Roman Reigns is defending his Intercontinental Championship agaisnt The Miz after his six week absence to film “The Marine 6” (because The Miz will win an Oscar one day). The Miz, like him or hate him, is the best all around wrestler on either Raw or Smackdown. He’s not the best in-ring performer, but he is the best talker. He’s also not the worst in-ring fighter by a long shot.

He must be a champion when Wrestlemania 34 rolls around, and he must defend it properly, unlike last year. He and his wife lost to John Cena and his fiance in a mixed tag team match that was terrible. If rumors are true that The Miz will become either WWE champion or Universal champion before the year ends, he needs the Intercontinental title back around his waist before that happens.

Other rumors say Reigns will challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal title at Wrestlemania. Unless it will be like Wrestlemania VI when WWE champion Hulk Hogan lost to Intercontinental champion the Ultimate Warrior, Reigns will not hold that title. So, what better night for Reigns to lose the title than on one of the biggest nights in free TV history.

The Miz will also get a huge ovation, even if he cheats, because nobody in Brooklyn will root for Reigns. Put the title back on the man from Cleveland.

THE ROCK MAKES THE LIST

Chris Jericho will appear on Monday, but it’s unclear what WWE has in store for him. Why not put him in a promo with one of his best rivals from the early 2000s?

As of now, The Rock is said to be a part of the night in one form or another. It’ll most likely come via satellite. In that case, he’ll probably talk for a few minutes and that’s it. But, if by some miracle he shows up…. sorry. I lost my train of thought thinking of him back in the ring.

If he shows up, have him make the list. We as fans would go absolutely bonkers over this.

Jericho already said he’s not participating at Wrestlemania, so his appearance will have to be something that only lasts for one night. The Rock makes the list, gives the ‘Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla’ a Rock Bottom, then a People’s Elbow and that’s that.

A DIFFERENT ANGLE

WWE Raw general manager Kurt Angle will most likely face Triple H at Wrestlemania. The two have to start promoting it sooner than later. Raw 25 it is.

There has been no backlash since Triple H pedigreed Angle at Survivor Series two months ago. Triple H will definitely show up as D-Generation X will return. Triple H can do his schtick with Shawn Michaels in something else (which I will discuss later) and then comes out later with Angle.

The two will get in a heated argument and set the match. Nothing else will be said because that match will not be good. I mean, have you seen Angle’s neck lately? It looks like a million bees stung it.

GLASS-SHATTERING MOMENT

The king of Monday Night Raw, the man who put WWE on the map in the late 1990s is coming back. Stone Cold Steve Austin will receive the loudest ovation out of everybody tonight. Question is, what will he do?

Austin could just stand in the ring, receive a five-minute standing ovation, say his catchphrases, pound some Steveweisers and leave. That wouldn’t be a bad way to end the show, but it does sound a little boring.

Put Austin in the ring with a young talent. Who would that be? One would think it would be a heel. Don’t be surprised if it’s John Cena, although I believe there are other plans for him (I’ll discuss that later, too).

Maybe Austin will also make Jericho’s list. Don’t forget, Jericho was WWE’s first undisputed champion in 2001. He defeated The Rock and Austin on the same night.

Maybe we’ll see one final Stone Cold stunner to Vince McMahon. Now that would be a great way to end or begin the show.

ARE YOU READY?

As mentioned earlier, DX will return. We all know it will at least be Triple H and HBK. Maybe X-Pac, Road Dogg and Billy Gunn will be there, too. It would be awesome to see them in a promo with a young tag team. My hope is The Revival. They wrestled last Monday and received no crowd reaction. They are so good and need a reaction. This would be the best oppportunity for that to happen.

There are other rumors, though, as always. Scott Hall and Kevin Nash (The Outsiders) will be on at some point, so we may see another DX vs. NWO promo. Wrestling fans already saw a glimpse of this at Wrestlemania 31 when Triple H defeated Sting. Do we really need another one?

I only see this happening if…

WHAT YA GONNA DO, BROTHER?

The surprise of the night will be Hogan’s return. Will it be Hulk Hogan or Hollywood Hulk Hogan?

Probably Hulk because everyone loves the red and yellow. But, if WWE will go along with DX vs. NWO, Hogan has to be there. For as great as The Outsiders were, Hogan made the NWO as popular as it was in the mid 90s. He was the reason WCW beat WWE in the Monday Night War for 80-plus weeks.

Even though the black and white did all of that in the 90s, it was the red and yellow that made WWE. Whether it’s with the NWO or as Hulkamania, it doesn’t matter. Just him showing up will make young and old men faint.

STRATUSFACTION GUARANTEED

Many women wrestlers will return like Kelly Kelly, Michele McCool (aka Mrs. Undertaker), Trish Stratus, the Bella twins and more. I see a lot, if not all, of them interacting with the newer talent. I can also see all of them entering the first ever women’s royal rumble. If you think about it, 30 women will be in that match with about only 15 or 20 on the current roster (Raw and Smackdown combined).

WWE can bring some newer talent up from NXT, but it’s always fun to see older wrestlers compete again after years away. We’ll have to wait and see what’s in store for the women.

Don’t be surprised at a Charlotte Flair sighting, especially with the Nature Boy himself scheduled to appear.

HALL OF FAME MATERIAL

With the WWE Hall of Fame just a few months away, the company is starting to name this year’s participants. The only one it has announced so far is Goldberg, which is a little shocking because he said not too long ago that he wants to wrestle again.

Will Goldberg appear on Raw 25? And, if so, what will the silver lining be? He could enter himself into the Royal Rumble and start a rivalry with somebody there. It doesn’t have to be a Raw thing. He can start a rivalry with somebody on Smackdown.

He could always just make an appearance, say hello and leave. He’s highlighting the Hall of Fame, so WWE could wait another year until it allows Goldberg to step back in the ring. (As a side note, expect a few Smackdown stars to appear on Raw tonight.)

SUPLEX CITY

Since Lesnar’s return about seven years ago to the squared circle, he only fights on PPVs. He has not wrestled on Raw or Smackdown since 2003. That will change.

Whether it’s for his Universal title or not, Lesnar will compete. He and his manager, Paul Heyman, will do the usual to start off. Heyman will talk for at least five minutes about his prize fighter while Lesnar says nothing. Then somebody will challenge him. It will have to be pretty convincing for Lesnar to take the challenge.

Who will it be, though? Here are a few ideas:

Kurt Angle (Lesnar would literally kill him); Kane (the two have never fought one-on-one before, but Kane is old as crap); Braun Strowman (this wouldn’t make much since because they are fighting along with Kane on Sunday); John Cena (this might be too big to do on Raw). Whoever it is, Lesnar should fight somebody.

DEADMAN, INC.

Everybody should know by now that the Undertaker will be appearing. He allegedly retired at last year’s Wrestlemania, but are we really going to believe that? He lost to Reigns. One of the greatest characters in wrestling history needs to go out better (and the match absolutely sucked). I believe there are three options in dealing with the Deadman.

1. Sting will make a surprise appearance and have a one night feud with the Undertaker. Sting can no longer wrestle, so this wouldn’t go further than one night. Wrestling fans since 1995 have always wanted to see these two in the ring at the same time, so it only makes sense.

2. Undertaker will fight (oh boy) and team with his brother Kane. This doesn’t make sense since Kane is a heel and Undertaker will never be one again. But anything’s possible in Vince McMahon’s crazy mind.

3. The moment we’ve all been waiting for: Cena vs. Undertaker at Wrestlemania announcement. This has to happen. These two had one little rivalry about 14 years ago and nothing since then. There’s no better way for Taker to go out than a match with one of the most popular superstars of all time.

And that’s the bottom line because Stone Cold said so, if you smell what The Rock is cookin’. Woooooo. Because I am the game, and I am that damn good. You will never, ever be the same again.

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