10 Conclusions From WWE RAW (June 15)
Are we about to see the return of the Big Red Monster?
This post-Money In The Bank RAW saw us in Cleveland, Ohio, with Seth Rollins kicking proceedings off with a lengthy tribute to his own brilliance. The WWE Champion congratulated himself for winning what was, in his opinion, one of the greatest ladder matches of all time, concluding that the only person he had to thank for his victory was... Seth Rollins.
The Authority were unlikely to be impressed, and so it would prove at the end of the night when The Architect learned who he would have to defend his WWE title against at Battleground.
With the next PPV 5 whole weeks away, WWE have plenty of time to build each match on the card. With that in mind, tonight's RAW was always going to be based around sowing the seeds of the various storylines. After a period in which there have been several shows in quick succession, fans can now look forward to the slow build.
In a show that featured Sheamus and Randy Orton renewing their neverending hostilities, Kevin Owens showing why he is the greatest thing in WWE today, Paige complaining about how horrible the Bella Twins are, and Dean Ambrose using a steel chair to - wait for it - sit down, RAW certainly did enough to provide us with the following 10 conclusions...
10. Sheamus Set To Join The Authority
As if becoming Mr. Money In The Bank wasn't enough for the Celtic Warrior, the evidence from RAW suggests that Sheamus is already in cahoots with the powers that be. Once he made his way to the ring to put an end to Dean Ambrose's sit-in - resulting in an impromptu match between the two - it was clear who Triple H had been referring to when he assured Seth Rollins that the Lunatic Fringe was being 'dealt with'.
Things didn't exactly go to plan, however, with Randy Orton providing enough of a distraction for Ambrose to pin the man with the briefcase with a schoolboy. The Viper struck after the bell, forcing the Irishman to turn tail and run. Advantage Orton then - or so it seemed.
Climbing the ladder and claiming the Money In The Bank briefcase seems to have won Sheamus friends in high places, and this was confirmed later on during Orton's match with Director Of Operations, Kane, who made the match into a No Holds Barred contest.
This allowed the Celtic Warrior to join the action and exact his revenge with a Brogue Kick, hinting that Sheamus might have a contract with The Authority as well as a contract for a WWE title match any time, any place, anywhere.