WWE Promising Big Things for First Raw of 2019

WWE looks to be making a concerted effort to get Raw off to a good start in 2019. To hook fans [...]

By Jeremy Snodgrass

WWE looks to be making a concerted effort to get Raw off to a good start in 2019. To hook fans into tuning in, WWE is already advertising a packed show.

In a New Years Years Eve tweet, WWE announced a good chunk of the January 7 Raw, the first of 2019. While there have been rumors of a fresh batch of NXT debuts, next week's Raw will feature the return of John Cena and Brock Lesnar, on top of a Tag Team Championship match and a highly combustible segment between Ronda Rousey and Alexa Bliss.

While Lesnar is WWE's Universal Champion, Cena's Raw return makes the bigger headline. We'll be curious to see how WWE uses the 16-time World Champion given that we're in the earliest phase of WrestleMania season. Cena has said he'll be leaving the company again later this month to film a movie, but does that disqualify him from the road to WM35? We'll know more after next week, but don't be surprised if Cena's presence will be used to start a new rivalry.

For Lesnar, his return will focus strictly on his upcoming Royal Rumble title defense against Braun Strowman. With Lesnar absent and Strowman injured, this story is highly underdeveloped. So when The Beast hits the stage with Paul Heyman next week, WWE will likely turn up the drama to make up for lost time. Vince McMahon & Co. will have three episodes of Raw to make Lesnar vs. Strowman the most important thing in all of WWE so expect a torrid pace.

Chad Gable and Bobby Roode may be the feel-good duo of Raw, but their short reigns as Tag Team Champions will be in real jeopardy next week. WWE has been careful to keep The Revival warm in recent months and may not be opposed to switching the titles. However, it still may be too soon for Gable and Roode to lose their gold, especially since one of them still has to turn heel.

Bliss and Rousey have no shortage of history, but next week's Moment of Bliss likely won't be used to build a match between them. Instead, look for Rousey to meet a few candidates for her Royal Rumble title defense. There's a chance that could be Bliss herself, but with her being out of in-ring action for months, and that being a rivalry that doesn't exactly need a new chapter, WWE may want to hold off on that. Regardless, there will be plenty of trash talking between Bliss and Rousey that may end with Nia Jax knocking them both out.

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