With Jey Uso now sitting atop the RAW roster, he's facing potential challenges from all sides. Seth Rollins, CM Punk, Sami Zayn, and the man he defeated, Gunther, are lurking around the top of the card. They are just waiting for an opportunity to topple the Yeet Man and retain the crown. At the same time, Iyo Sky is continuing her unexpected run as the Women's World Champion. She survived a three-way 'Mania match against Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley - one that many critics felt she had no shot at winning. And she's got plenty of worthy challengers as well, including the recently returned Becky Lynch.

With all that talent and the cool environment of the Netflix streaming service, RAW has become can't-miss TV. The show is reaching its apex as we head into Backlash in St. Louis on May 10, and it should only get bigger and better from there. While fans had good reasons to criticize WrestleMania 41, it's undeniable that RAW looks great now, arguably much better than it did before the PLE.

Why WrestleMania 41 Faced So Much Fan Backlash

A Messy Finish Tainted the Entire Card

WWE fans walked away from 'Mania with a foul taste in their mouths, mostly due to the kooky finish of the John Cena vs Cody Rhodes main event. Fans complained about The Rock's absence after he instigated that whole storyline with his offer to buy Cody's soul, which then led to John Cena turning heel. Jey Uso winning the World Heavyweight Championship was also not immune to controversy, as he tapped out the dominating champion Gunther, and many fans feel Jey is not deserving of the major spot the company has given him.

Related

How The Rock and Triple H's Creative Rift Derailed WrestleMania 41

Alleged differences of opinion between Triple H and the Rock are derailing WWE's creative direction, and WrestleMania 41 shows it.

Posts 4

Things got seemingly worse in the first week after WrestleMania, as The Rock went on air to explain his absence, giving motivations that made fans even angrier. Meanwhile, Jey's first opponent was revealed as Logan Paul, who is also very controversial among the WWE fandom. However, despite all that, Monday Night RAW managed to shine, building off the fantastic main event of WrestleMania 41 Night 1, and more.

The Post-Mania Turnaround: RAW’s Main Event Scene Is Flourishing

New Storylines Have Developed Quickly After WrestleMania 41

Right now, the main event scene leads the way on RAW, and they have a champion of the people. With all due respect for Gunther, the company never gave him memorable feuds as a World Champion. He had great matches, but that was it. And in many ways, a portion of the audience finds the character to be too 'old school' and a little bit boring. He is a fantastic performer, but it's clear the company did not see him as the face of the brand during his reign.

No matter if you thought Jey Uso is the right choice as champ or not, there's no denying the crowd reaction he receives and that he's more than capable in the ring. He brings electricity and excitement to the arena, and it looks visually impressive when WWE pans out the camera to see the whole audience YEET-ing right along with him. It's exactly the kind of visual that one expects from a show that airs on Netflix.

However, Jey isn't the centerpiece of the show. The biggest storyline on RAW right now involves the unholy alliance between Paul Heyman, Bron Breakker, and Seth 'Freakin' Rollins. They already laid out Sami Zayn last week, and Rollins came within a millisecond of beating Uso for the title last Monday night, only to see his plans ruined by CM Punk. Following the Backlash PLE, we should get a clearer look at where this faction is headed, but one thing is clear: the star power is unbelievable (without even considering Roman Reigns) compared to the times when Gunther and Priest were holding the title.

Of course, everyone will be gunning for Uso as long as he has the gold. And as popular as he is, he also fills the role of being a 'vulnerable champion' - someone who you feel like could lose on any given night to a variety of WWE superstars. Having your titleholder be the underdog virtually every time he steps into the squared circle keeps the fans on the edge of their seats.

A wild card here could be Karrion Kross, who delivered an epic shoot-style promo following WrestleMania 41, where he complained about not having a match at the event. He could be an X-factor in either the mid-card or main event divisions. It seems after several years of being an afterthought, Kross is finally going to get the opportunities he's been looking for.

RAW's Mid-Card Is Looking Great Too

There's Plenty of Talent Outside of the Main Event Scene

Not to be outdone is the brand's mid-card. Dominik Mysterio is way over with the WWE Universe as the newly-crowned Intercontinental Champion, and the Women's Intercontinental Championship has had a big spotlight on it now that Becky Lynch is engaged in a feud with the current titleholder, Lyra Valkyria. A title that, we should , was never featured on TV before WrestleMania 41.

The New Day generates a lot of heat as heels, and they could surely shine a spotlight on the RAW tag titles going forward. They are veterans with star power and recognizable names, who can work with everyone, get good matches, and entertain at all levels. At the same time, you get the sense that with so much young talent on the main roster, the red brand could be dominant in of its tag team division in 2025. Or, perhaps some NXT call-ups will dethrone Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods for the championships.

What WWE May Have Planned—And Why Fans Should Pay Attention

One thing can be said about WWE's current head of creative, Triple H, and that's that he likes to plan ahead. Even if that may not always be possible or easy when names like The Rock are involved, Triple H's creative vision has always come through ever since he took the reins of the company. It's clear that he planned a big turnaround for RAW after WrestleMania 41, and we're starting to see that vision take shape. Rollins' new faction will slowly but surely take over the brand, guaranteeing the same storyline continuity that The Bloodline once did. Meanwhile, Jey Uso is the perfect champion for the Netflix era, the Women's World Championship is turning heads everywhere, and the midcard is flourishing.

While SmackDown has been a bit bland following WWE's biggest event of the year, RAW has soared. The show has settled into its role on Netflix, adding just the right feel and flavor to the programming. It should be happy viewing for WWE and wrestling fans everywhere, as it seems like the best is yet to come from the red brand.