WWE Raw: 10 Things You Might Have Missed (Dec 26)

Come the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on January 29, 2017, Kevin Owens will defend his WWE Universal Title against Roman Reigns. It wasn't KO's belt that was up for grabs on this week's episode of Monday Night Raw though, it was Roman's WWE United States gold.

Both men wrestled smartly during Raw's main event, likely knowing that they have a World Title bout to think about in a month's time. Along the way, one little plot point may have been missed by those tuning in. Something Owens did was hardly the most obvious, although it does hint at another story WWE are trying to develop on the brand.

Joining KO's subtle little tribute are other nuances you may just have glossed over this week. Nestled snugly on the list are things like Stephanie McMahon referencing the world of MMA, some odd interaction between the Raw Tag-Team Champions and also a key endorsement for one of Raw's fledgling stars.

Let's look at all the things you may just have missed on Monday night...

Several weeks ago, Neville turned to the dark side and attacked WWE Cruiserweight Champion Rich Swann. Forgoing the red aesthetic he usually favours for black, the Newcastle native has been afforded the chance to cut some fine promos as of late. Unfortunately, his new alignment change isn't reflected in Raw's opening.

The video package that signals the beginning of the show aims to pack absolutely every member of the Raw roster on screen. There isn't a lot of time to work with, meaning WWE's production team often have performers appear for just a split second before moving on. Neville is one of those shown performing a dive, before he poses on the ropes.

This wouldn't be a problem if Neville was still babyface. Due to his new heel role though, the happy-go-lucky nature of the pose doesn't really fit.

It's likely the production staff will edit this intro to push the Englishman's new persona in coming weeks. For now, he's still being shown as a good guy. That needs to change.