9 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE Raw (21 April - Results & Review)

2. Charting A New Direction

Speaking of that new direction… Raw closed with a barn-burner of an angle Monday night, one that helped rewrite the main event scene.

For years, the Bloodline dominated the top of the card, only to finally be toppled at WrestleMania 40. But even after Cody Rhodes ascended to the top, there still was a Bloodline to contend with on SmackDown. That group has faded, and now, the last remaining vestiges – the Tribal Chief and his Wiseman – have dissipated.

Enter, Paul Heyman and Seth Rollins. The new main event heel duo managed to best CM Punk before Roman Reigns entered the fray, only for former Intercontinental Champion Bron Breakker to flatten the Tribal Chief and join forces with Rollins and Heyman.

Just like that, there is a new heel force on the rise on Raw, and it likely will grow and gain momentum. Heyman had been seen scouting Breakker months earlier – who knows who else he’s been recruiting?

The notion of a heel stable led by Heyman and Rollins squaring off against Punk, Roman (for now), and others gives hope to a product that felt stale heading into WrestleMania 41 and desperately needed a shakeup.

This could be exactly what’s needed if handled properly.