WWE is set to hold its Day 1 edition of Monday Night Raw, and a recent report indicated that WWE is close to securing a former WWE Champion for the big show. The identity of that former WWE Champion isn’t known, but Triple H addressed that report and added some intrigue of his own on social media, teasing that fans will have to tune into the show to find out if that’s happening. Triple H said he wouldn’t confirm or deny those rumors, but it sure seems like there might be a surprising appearance taking place during the show (H/T Fightful).
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On Twitter, Triple H wrote, “Not going to confirm or deny the rumors of a former @WWE Champion appearing at #WWERaw Day One… but I will say to stay tuned. New Year’s Day, 8pm ET on @USANetwork”
As to who that former WWE Champion might be, there are quite a few names that come to mind when referring to a former WWE Champion, though one who would guarantee a huge reaction would be Stone Cold Steve Austin. Austin would get a massive pop regardless of when he showed up, but an appearance from the Texas Rattlesnake would be a big way to kick off 2024.
Plus, it would tee up a meeting between Austin and Raw’s newest signing CM Punk, which is a wish-list feud for WWE fans. If you plant the seeds here, you can then build to it for WrestleMania 40. That is perhaps wishful thinking, though if we’re in that realm anyway, an appearance by The Rock would also be huge, as seen from his last appearance on SmackDown.
There’s also the outside chance that Mercedes Mone makes her big return at Day 1, but recent reports indicated that talks between Mone and WWE fell apart. That said, the same thing happened regarding discussions between CM Punk and WWE, and Triple H would later reveal that the deal came together quickly and after most of the speculation had stopped. Perhaps this is the case also with Mone, but we’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime you can find the card for Day 1 below.
WWE Day 1
- World Heavyweight Championship Match: Seth Rollins (C) vs. Drew McIntyre
- Women’s World Championship Match: Rhea Ripley (C) vs. Ivy Nile
- Becky Lynch vs. Nia Jax
- Natalya & Tegan Nox vs. Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark
Who do you think the mystery person is? Let us know in the comments, and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!