The following editorial was written by Geoff Rowland and does not reflect the opinions of WrestleZone as a whole. We encourage you all to discuss Geoff’s thoughts in the comments section at the bottom of this post and follow him on Twitter @Geoff_Rowland
The week following the Royal Rumble is always one of the most important of the year for WWE. Feuds get set for the Showcase of the Immortals and the more than two month buildup begins for the year’s biggest show.
As injuries and illness have hampered the flagship show, RAW got a boost this week when it was made apparent that Becky Lynch will be around. After her Rumble victory, the writing was on the wall, and The Man vs. Ronda Rousey could be the main event of WrestleMania and it will certainly draw money.
Rousey gave an excellent promo, which has not always been her strong suit of late, and the crowd was electric for the encounter. Rumors that Charlotte Flair could be added to the match are distracting and hopefully that does not end up being the case, but even as a triple threat the match will be must watch. Lynch has ascended that quickly and truly is a marvel right now.
As for the men’s Rumble winner, Seth Rollins is ready for The Beast and should be the one to take him down with his Shield brother Roman Reigns out of action. As the news breaks that the third member of the group, Dean Ambrose, is parting ways with WWE, it seems as if this is the last hurrah for The Hounds of Justice.
Rollins is ready to carry the mantle forward and the backstage moment with Braun Strowman was a good way to remind everyone that The Monster Among Men is still lurking, but a superstar does not have to appear immortal to be a top threat.
The rest of the flagship show remains a little unclear.
It appears they are ready to move Finn Balor into an Intercontinental Championship feud with Bobby Lashley and that should be solid, but the move to set up Baron Corbin vs. Strowman is something that makes little sense. Is that really something that is needed again?
Meanwhile, talent like Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre are left essentially without a story.
It appears that they are trying to elevate Nia Jax through her attacking men and that has been a story that has worked for big women in the past, but what is the end game here? Is Jax going to be a real threat to Rousey after she got tossed out of the title picture nearly a year ago? A threat to Lynch? A threat for the men?
Seems like an odd move to make, but it is clear that WWE brass is behind Jax as a monster, just hope they have a logical end for the move.
