WWE RAW PRIMER 2/5: Reigns vs. Wyatt for slot in Elimination Chamber, who will be Miz’s next challenger, will Asuka choose her WrestleMania opponent?

RAW PREVIEW
FEBRUARY 5, 2018
DES MOINES, IOWA AT WELLS FARGO ARENA
By Joey Galizia (@RamJam89), PWTorch contributor

ANNOUNCED BY WWE.COM… A TON OF QUESTIONS

• Roman Reigns battles Bray Wyatt in an Elimination Chamber qualifier.
• Who will be the next challenger for the Miz’s Intercontinental Championship?
• The Bar continues to prove why they are the best tag-team in the WWE.
• Will Asuka choose her WrestleMania opponent? Or will we find out about women’s chamber participants?

“ANYONE BUT YOU”

After a rough couple of weeks Roman Reigns looks to slingshot himself back into the main event scene by reigniting an old rivalry with the Eater of Worlds Bray Wyatt. The former I.C. champion is still rumored to have a date with the Beast in New Orleans, and this would be the most logical first step towards his inevitable destiny. Wyatt on the other hand has been fighting the Great War with one Matthew Hardy, and cost the Broken One his qualifier last week against Elias. Will Hardy seek revenge? Maybe, but even if he doesn’t it’s the Big Dawg’s time to eat. Bray has had Roman’s number in past bouts but he better time that Sister Abigail out perfectly if he expects to move on to the chamber. The winner will join Braun Strowman, John Cena, and the aforementioned Elias in the Las Vegas finale.

“DIVIDE, CONQUER, CONFUSION”

While the WWE preview promises us a lot of answers before the next Raw exclusive PPV on February 25^th we still have no earthly idea what is happening in the women’s division. The Royal Rumble winner Asuka has yet to determine her WrestleMania opponent, we have no clue who will be in the women’s Elimination Chamber matchup for Alexa Bliss’s title belt, and more importantly, we still don’t know what position the WWE’s newest signee Ronda Rousey is in. Her presence in Philadelphia certainly sparked mainstream media interest but she’s been a ghost ever since her infamous Mania sign pointing technique. (To be fair she is filming a movie.) Perhaps the commissioner of the red-brand Stephanie McMahon can catch us all up this evening.

“OVERwhelming”

-Honestly my biggest question for the night is the direction of Finn Balor. After losing his qualifier to John Cena the Demon King seems directionless. Will this latest loss be the catalyst that sends him over to the dark-side, and truly embraces what made him so popular in Japan? His stable mates Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson haven’t been fairing too much better.

-Speaking of the tag-division who is next in line for The Bar? It seems that the Revival would be the most logical choice coming off a slew of wins over the Club and Slater & Rhyno. Former champions Seth Rollins and Jason Jordan are still technically owed a rematch (GOD THAT CLAUSE) but with J.J.’s injury apparently much worse than expected it may not occur right away.

-Another champion who is looking for a new contender is the eight-time ruler the Miz. With Reigns in his rearview mirror Miz’s next opponent could literally be anyone, but with his star potential at its highest point, I think it would only be appropriate for the A-lister to be one of the six in the chamber.

-The cruiserweight brand has a new general manager (YAY!) and a tournament that culminates at WrestleMania to determine the next purple-branded champion. What does that mean for Monday Nights though? Seemingly nothing. Six-man tag matches are the most logical solution though.

Live from Des Moines it’s Monday Night Raw? Will you be watching? Or are you still hungover from that Superbowl?

NOW CATCH UP ON LAST WEEK’S RAW REPORT: KELLER’S WWE RAW REPORT 1/29: Royal Rumble fallout including Ronda Rousey announcement, Asuka’s Rumble victory, Reigns’s next move