4 Predictions for WWE Raw: January 9, 2017

Raw, WWE.com

With the Undertaker and Shawn Michaels set to appear on WWE Raw, what can we expect to see from them and others on the show?

Monday’s WWE Raw is going head-to-head in the ratings with the College Football Playoff National Championship game. That means WWE is pulling out all the stops to make sure their viewers stay tuned in to the flagship show. Two legends of the business, the Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, will be in New Orleans tonight, thus turning what may otherwise be a forgettable Raw into must-see TV.

Nobody knows what either man is going to do tonight, but we can assume it has something to do with the Royal Rumble. The Rumble will be taking place in Texas, the home state of both Undertaker and Michaels. It makes sense to have them come in to promote it, but could one or both of them announce their intention to actually make an appearance in three weeks in San Antonio? We’ll have to tune in tonight to find out.

As for the actual superstars that appear on Raw week in and week out, there’s plenty to be sorted out with them as well. Will Roman Reigns stay United States Champion? Who else will announce their entry into the Royal Rumble? With the Rumble just around the corner, tonight could be an action-packed Raw. Here are our predictions in advance of the show.

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Roman Reigns Loses the United States Championship

The United States Championship is usually not booked very well. Aside from John Cena’s reign in which he held the open challenges, WWE can’t seem to make look like an important title. The same goes for Reigns’ current…uh…reign, with the championship. In fairness to him, he’s been defending it. It just hasn’t been in a meaningful way as he is currently involved in a feud for the Universal Championship.

But just because he’s not involved in an in-depth feud over the belt doesn’t mean he can’t lose it. Reigns is set to put the title on the line tonight against Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho in a handicap match. And although it isn’t clear how exactly the match will work as far as who becomes champion if Owens and Jericho win, we’re predicting Reigns to lose the title tonight.

This feels like the hundredth time Reigns has put the title on the line against Owens and/or Jericho. And in the matches against Jericho specifically, it always feels like maybe Y2J will figure out a way to come out on top. Why? Because Reigns doesn’t need the title during his pursuit of the Universal Championship. And Jericho having the US title would make his tandem with Owens look even more powerful.

It would also make fans wonder if Reigns could actually beat Owens at the Royal Rumble for the Universal title. If he goes into the match as the US champ, people will assume he’s not going to win simply because having someone as a dual champion is rare. Seth Rollins did it, but that was because he explicitly wanted to be the US and WWE Champion. With Reigns it would just be awkward.

For these reasons, we’re projecting Reigns to finally lose his United States Championship tonight.

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We Find out What’s Next for Sami Zayn

It may finally be safe to assume that Sami Zayn’s feud with Braun Strowman is over. After weeks of Zayn asking for matches with Strowman, and then another week of Strowman asking for a match with Zayn, the Monster Among Men finally put Sami away this past Monday. He destroyed him in a Last Man Standing match and threw him off a stretcher when it was all said and done. So what’s next for the Underdog From the Underground? We should find out tonight.

Zayn is too important of a superstar to keep off TV for long. Sure, they could play up the injury angle tonight and say he’s not going to appear. But because of his fighting spirit, we’re going to assume Zayn will be at Raw tonight. If he is, we will probably find out what’s in store for him as we head into the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania.

WWE may hold off on putting Zayn into another feud right now and instead just have him commit to entering the Royal Rumble match. After all, winning that match could secure him a match with his mortal enemy Kevin Owens. And although we’ve seen that match a lot by now, seeing on that stage with that much on the line would still be quite a sight. And if he doesn’t win the Rumble, then he could be put into a meaningful feud the night after as we look toward Mania.

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Undertaker Announces He’s Entering the Royal Rumble

The Undertaker is mainly going to be on Raw tonight to help their ratings. His star power is going to help Raw go up against the College Football Playoff, and there’s nothing wrong with that. The only problem would be if he shows up and doesn’t do anything notable. But with the Royal Rumble approaching and the Undertaker being a popular pick to win, we’re expecting him to make his entry official on tonight’s Raw.

The Undertaker entering the Royal Rumble and possibly winning is simply best for business. The potential dream matches that lie ahead are too enticing to not at least make the fans think they could happen. Undertaker vs John Cena is a match that many have been begging for at WrestleMania for years now. And with the possibility of it being a title vs career match thrown in there, it becomes that much better.

And even if it’s not Cena, a match against AJ Styles could be just as good. The marketing would be a cake walk as they advertise the Phenom vs the Phenomenal One. Not to mention those two would put on an incredible match because they’re two of the best to ever step in a ring. Undertaker needs to enter this year’s Royal Rumble. There’s a good chance he announces he’s doing exactly that tonight on Raw.

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Shawn Michaels Announces He’ll Be at the Royal Rumble

Similar to the Undertaker, we’re expecting Shawn Michaels to make an announcement regarding the Royal Rumble. The event will be in his home town of San Antonio and although he may not actually enter the match, it would be a missed opportunity to not at least have him appear in front of 60,000 hometown fans at the Alamodome.

Let’s be clear, this announcement isn’t the sole reason Michaels is appearing on Raw. He has a new movie coming out that was produced partially by WWE Films entitled “The Resurrection of Gavin Stone” that’s premiering on January 20. There will undoubtedly be some shameless promotion going on tonight. But if that’s the only reason WWE is bringing Michaels in, it would be an insult to both him and the fans. If a legend of the business is showing up, it should be for something important. And from the fans’ perspective, if they’re tuning in for HBK, they want to see him do more than just shill a movie.

That’s why we’re predicting Michaels makes this big-time announcement regarding the Rumble. He probably won’t announce his entry into the Rumble match like the Undertaker, but he could definitely leave the door open. By saying he’ll be at the arena the night of the Royal Rumble, fans will definitely begin talking. That’s all we really need out of Michaels’ appearance tonight for it to feel worthwhile.