10 Things Post-WrestleMania 40 Raw Told Us About WWE’s Future
Triple H, WWE and Cody Rhodes are gonna have to be VERY careful now WrestleMania is old news.
This year's Raw after 'Mania wasn't some phoned-in slog that WWE used as an excuse to breathe easy before getting back on track from SmackDown onwards. Instead, Triple H's company teased major matches, kept another in their back pockets, trialled some NXT stars on the main roster, announced the upcoming Draft and more.
Possible turns were played around with, an unlikely comeback was teased, and it became clear that WWE must be very careful with one Cody Rhodes. He's on top of the world right now, but must be mindful not to go too heavy on something wrestling fans have a track record of turning against.
That's a shocking thing to say considering the weekend Cody just had, but such is life at the top in WWE. He wouldn't be the first big-name babyface to tilt his head, raise an eyebrow and wonder why people who previously adored him are now bored and looking for a shiny new toy.
WWE also confirmed Damian Priest's first World Title defence, and lined up a tasty return that'll help beef out the upper midcard. Yep, this was far more than some lazy effort from Trips and troops - 2024's Raw after WrestleMania was newsworthy.
Here's everything it told us.
10. The Next Draft Is Imminent
Interest in the 2024 Draft will vary.
People want to be excited about it, but WWE has shown an incredible lack of interest in the thing mere days/weeks after it happens. Wrestlers "locked in" to Raw, SmackDown or NXT inevitably pop up on other shows at random, and the excuses ("free agency", "wild card rules" etc) are bogus. They always have been.
However, the ride begins all over again on the 26 April SmackDown and 29 April Raw. There, the company presents its latest roster mix-up. It's no surprise that this is happening so hot on the heels of WrestleMania again, especially when some NXT names received a soft tryout on Monday's flagship.
It'd be nice to report that Triple H stuck to his guns and kept the supposedly-ironclad nature of the Draft pure, but he probably won't. Red and blue GMs Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis will have their usual bun fight over big names, but it's hard to deny WWE does a grand job of hyping this up...at least for a little while.