The Bloodline Turning into nWo, Bronson Reed Will Win Gold in '23, More WWE Raw Takes

The Bloodline took over the final live edition of Monday Night Raw and ruined the holidays for many red brand talent.

Sami Zayn, The Usos and Solo Sikoa wrecked everything on this December 19 episode, playing a role similar to the nWo in WCW's heyday.

The show also featured some big moments. Bronson Reed made his surprise return, helping The Miz defeat Dexter Lumis and win all his money back.

Becky Lynch and Bayley put on what could be WWE's last great match of 2022.

Rhea Ripley competed in her first intergender match, a memorable sprint with Akira Tozawa.

This show had a little something for everyone as WWE largely ended the year on a high, leaving just a Best Of episode for next week.

The Bloodline Are Overshadowing the Product

The Bloodline is the biggest angle in WWE, but nothing should ever overshadow the entire product. Up to this point, Roman Reigns, The Usos, Sami Zayn and Solo Sikoa have been important without taking away from anyone else's screen-time.

This week, WWE cut away from a match to show Zayn and The Usos beating up talent backstage. AJ Styles stood up for the red roster, only to get beaten in a match by The Honorary Uce.

Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins got a surprise win over Jimmy and Jey Uso, but it was only to further KO's feud with The Head of the Table.

WCW once built the entire show around the nWo, and it devalued anyone that not involved in the story.

Dolph Ziggler, Mustafa Ali, Cedric Alexander and Andre Chase were just a few of the unnecessary bystanders to put over The Bloodline.

It is important to never devalue the roster, especially for a group that is already completely established.

WWE Needs More Intergender Matches

Intergender matches are increasingly rare in WWE, and that is a shame. It can be a great help in the right situation to put over talent while also telling a fresh story.

Rhea Ripley showed exactly why these matches work so well. Akira Tozawa has been largely undervalued in WWE, but it still meant something to see The Eradicator beat him in a solid short matchup, more than any man doing the same on Raw.

With her size and unique presentation, Ripley is believable facing anyone. While she is not as big as the top stars in WWE, she has the stature to look dominant against even well-regarded midcard stars.

Ripley will earn more from defeating Angelo Dawkins or Shelton Benjamin than Dana Brooke or Doudrop. She does not even have to win every match, but competing with some of the best will make her look all the more dangerous for The Judgment Day.

This is not limited to just Ripley though. Bianca Belair and Becky Lynch could also benefit from intergender matches to raise their stations, and both could believably compete with much of the roster.

Since Chyna left WWE, the company has missed the mark with this dynamic consistently. It is time to get back to using intergender matches to put over the women's roster while telling great stories.

Bronson Reed Has Championship Potential in 2023

Credit: WWE.com

The Miz had a plan that he executed to perfection in order to beat Dexter Lumis, and it involved the returning Bronson Reed.

Bronson Reed is the latest return to WWE and could be Triple H's biggest acquisition. After his confounding release, he headed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling as JONAH and would even pick up a win over Kazuchika Okada in the G1 Climax.

His consistent work outside WWE made him all the more valuable to the company upon his return. He was NXT North American champion, and he should now have no problem winning gold on Raw or SmackDown.

WWE needs big men to round out the roster with fresh talent. Reed's size makes him valuable, and his speed despite that size makes him stand out.

Of all the talent released by WWE, Reed is one of the rare ones to increase his stock without going to All Elite Wrestling. WWE will want to reward him for that.

He seems to be initially paired up with The Miz like Tommaso Ciampa before him, and he does make more sense as The A-Lister's enforcer. They could even be tag team champions at some point.

However, the future is brighter for him on his own. While the world title is out of reach for everyone with Roman Reigns at the top, the WWE United States Championship would be a perfect title for the big man to carry in 2023.

WWE Should Have Saved Bayley vs. Becky Lynch for 2023

The easy match of the night was Becky Lynch vs. Bayley. The two have serious chemistry to explore and remain among the best workers in WWE, male or female.

The Man is the biggest star on Raw. Her feud with The Role Model is the most important story the red brand has to tell exclusively.

For this reason, Lynch vs. Bayley is not a match that should have been thrown on a random Raw. It would have meant more if Lynch was facing Dakota Kai or IYO SKY tonight and announced this match as the main event for the January 2 show.

2023 can be a very important year for Lynch. WWE has a chance to build her even more than she was between 2018 and 2019.

Wasting her biggest match on Raw with only a few days of hype hurts the talent and the product.

The next match should happen at Royal Rumble or around that time, and it needs to be announced several weeks in advance and given the main event spot.