NXT Call-Ups and 3 Sure-Fire Predictions for WWE's Post-WrestleMania 39 Raw

WrestleMania may usually take place in April, but the event marks the beginning and end of a new year for WWE.

Major storylines are wrapped up at the pay-per-view, new champions emerge, and the company treats the show like the season finale of any regular television program, which makes the Raw that follows the season premiere a must-see show.

WWE tries to do two things during the Raw after 'Mania: Not only does it attempt to recap all of the action from the PPV for those who missed it, but it also begins to lay the groundwork for the next 12 months of programming.

Most years, this episode of Raw ends up bringing in big ratings because fans want to see what kind of surprises are in store.

Let's examine some of the things that are most likely to occur on the April 3 episode.

Championship Celebrations

With the exception of the women's tag team titles, every main roster championship will be on the line at WrestleMania, and that means our chances of seeing a couple of new titleholders are high.

Here is a look at every title match set for The Show of Shows:

• Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes (Undisputed WWE Universal Championship)
• The Usos vs. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens (Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship)
• Gunther vs. Sheamus vs. Drew McIntyre (Intercontinental Championship)
• Austin Theory vs. John Cena (United States Championship)
• Bianca Belair vs. Asuka (Raw Women's Championship)
• Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley (SmackDown Women's Championship)

At least half of these matches seem destined to end with a title change, so the following night on Raw, a handful of new champions are going to be celebrating their victories.

If Cody Rhodes is able to defeat Roman Reigns, the budget for his pyro is going to rival most firework displays on July 4.

Title celebrations are not something we see every time a belt is won, but we usually see them whenever someone wins the top title in their division for the first time.

Even if only one championship changes hands, we can expect to see somebody bragging about it on Monday.

NXT Call-Ups

One thing that has become a bit of a tradition during the Raw after WrestleMania is the arrival of a few NXT call-ups.

WWE's developmental system is currently overflowing with wrestlers who are ready for a run on the main roster, and there are a few names who seem like obvious choices this year.

Meiko Satomura is a lauded veteran who doesn't need to be in NXT and could easily transition to Raw or SmackDown.

Carmelo Hayes, Bron Breakker, Jacy Jayne, Gigi Dolin, The Creed Brothers, Ilja Dragunov, Indi Hartwell, Alba Fyre and Tyler Bate are just some of those who are ready to take the next step in their careers, but we will likely only see a few of these names show up.

Bringing up a few fresh faces is a great way to inject new blood into any division, especially if WWE has plans to give them big pushes.

Hayes and Breakker will fight for the NXT Championship at Stand & Deliver on Saturday, so whoever leaves without a belt around his waist could well end up on Raw two days later. In fact, it would be shocking if that didn't happen.

New Feuds Beginning

WrestleMania will be the end of at least a couple of feuds, so WWE is going to get right to work setting up new storylines the following night on Raw.

If Reigns does end up losing the belts to Rhodes, he will likely take some time away from the ring. That will allow WWE to give The American Nightmare a new rival for his first defense.

'Mania will also see Rey and Dominik Mysterio finally enter the ring for a singles match after months of tension between the real-life father and son.

Rey's foot injury last year likely delayed this storyline, but having them have their big showdown on The Grandest Stage of Them All has always felt like the plan. If anything, having those few months without Rey around gave Dom more time to develop his own character in The Judgment Day.

If Austin Theory can retain the United States title against John Cena, he will almost certainly find himself facing a new challenger 48 hours later.

Then there are the non-title storylines. Otis and Chad Gable could be heading for a split, Montez Ford is ready for a breakout singles push, and the women's tag team division desperately needs some attention.

Setting up the feuds that will take us through the spring and into the summer is going to be a top priority for WWE Creative next Monday.

A Draft Announcement

WWE held its last draft in October 2021, so it seems like the right time to have another to freshen up the rosters.

The company has been playing fast and loose with the brand split for a long time, so a draft would be a good way to reset everything and begin differentiating between the two shows again.

We have seen several people switch brands randomly over the past couple of years, but devoting an entire night to revamping everything is something WWE has needed to do for some time.

This will also help facilitate a few NXT call-ups if WWE wants to bring anyone up who it doesn't already plan to introduce the night after WrestleMania.

Since management has not announced that next week's Raw will include a draft, then it's possible we will get confirmation of a forthcoming one next Monday.

These drafts used to be an annual event, but ever since the pandemic, things have been done much differently. The barriers between rosters are all but gone, but everyone is still technically assigned to a specific show.

A draft can be fun and surprising, but only if WWE makes the right moves.

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What do you think we will see during the Raw after WrestleMania 39?