Seth Rollins Is WWE's Best, Rhea Ripley Ready for a Huge Win Streak, More Raw Takes

The World Heavyweight Championship tournament has begun, and Monday Night Raw had a strong showing on its May 8 show.

Seth "Freakin" Rollins defeated the field including Finn Bálor in the main event to become the red brand's representative in the finals at WWE Night of Champions. He awaits the SmackDown representative to be determined on Friday, May 12.

Following the WWE draft, the new roster began to form. However, it was mostly about the expected talent. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens continued to dominate the tag team division.

Rhea Ripley dominated Dana Brooke in a quick match while also helping Dominik Mysterio pick up a victory over Xavier Woods. Her dominance is only beginning on Raw.

It was an exciting episode for the red brand and set up some interesting takes for the future of WWE Raw.

Seth "Freakin" Rollins is WWE's Best Wrestler

Once again, Seth "Freakin" Rollins steals the show. The Messiah won the Raw side of the World Heavyweight Championship tournament, first defeating Shinsuke Nakamura and Damian Priest then Finn Bálor in the main event.

It was another great match in one of the most impressive in-ring runs WWE has seen this decade. He nearly put together his masterstroke against Omos, giving The Nigerian Giant a career performance.

Rollins cannot do wrong at the moment. Whoever he faces at Night of Champions, likely either AJ Styles or Edge, it will be a special match.

The only shame is that the result is a forgone conclusion. No one from SmackDown is going to stop Rollins from becoming the new face of the red brand.

The Messiah deserves it. As WWE world heavyweight champion, he will continue a dominant run in the main event scene.

No matter who he fights, from Cody Rhodes to Bálor to a returning Drew McIntyre and everyone in between, it will be the match to watch.

Nonsensical Inclusion of SmackDown Stars Ruins World Heavyweight Tournament Drama

Just one show into the post-draft brand split, WWE has failed to commit to the split. The World Heavyweight Championship tournament to crown a new world champion for WWE Raw includes a field half-filled with SmackDown talent.

Including AJ Styles, Edge, Bobby Lashley and more makes for an exciting final match at WWE Night of Champions. However, it devalues the point of the WWE draft.

By fully splitting the brands, fresh opportunities emerge for Superstars who could hardly find a spot when certain stars could appear on both shows.

Raw could have easily put together its own 12-man bracket. Seth "Freakin" Rollins, Finn Bálor, Cody Rhodes, Damian Priest, Shinsuke Nakamura and The Miz are not the end of the star power on the red brand.

Other names include Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Gunther, Matt Riddle, Bronson Reed, Dominik Mysterio, Xavier Woods, Chad Gable, Otis, Braun Strowman and Ricochet.

While WWE may have wanted to protect certain champions from taking losses in the tournament, this was an opportunity to sell a new workhorse championship.

Instead, by including the same-old names from SmackDown, WWE is devaluing the title as little more than the B-level championship for talent to fight over that cannot beat Roman Reigns.

WWE Already Running Out of Feuds For Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens may be too big of stars for the men's tag team division. Between WWE Raw and SmackDown, no tag teams stand out as genuine threats to the reign of Zayn and KO.

It is more likely at this point that the champions will implode rather than see a serious threat step up to dethrone the two future world title contenders.

This is a problem, especially since WWE has established so many wrestlers as tag-exclusive performers.

Street Profits, lWo, Alpha Academy, Imperium, Viking Raiders, Braun Strowman and Ricochet, Brawling Brutes, Hit Row, Maximum Male Models and more have no direction except to eventually challenge the champions.

It does not help for a talented, underdeveloped team like Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser to lose outright to the champions. Instead, Imperium should be feuding with a team like Strowman and Ricochet to build up heat for one or both teams.

Unless the plan is for the champions to feud with The Usos forever, WWE must begin building teams with strong winning streaks before they can fight the champs.

Rhea Ripley Must Go Undefeated for the Rest of 2023

Rhea Ripley has looked like a different woman in 2023, wrestling with complete confidence. She won the WWE Royal Rumble 2023 and had a match-of-the-year contender with Charlotte Flair at WWE WrestleMania 39.

That win has solidified The Eradicator as the dominant force of the women's division. Her only losses so far in 2023 have been in mixed tag action, and she did not take the pin in either.

It is important for WWE to keep this momentum going. Ripley needs to have the same dominant reign as her SmackDown champion counterpart, Bianca Belair.

While she and Zelina Vega had an engaging short match at WWE Backlash 2023, it was never truly in doubt that she would win.

Her next challenger will be Natalya. The Queen of Harts will never seriously threaten her reign but can help build the dominant legacy of The Eradicator until a true challenge emerges.

Becky Lynch is the most obvious top name to face Ripley, but Trish Stratus, Ronda Rousey, Raquel Rodriguez, Liv Morgan, Alexa Bliss, Indi Hartwell and more could be bigger threats to her reign.

Ripley must make it through 2023 without a blemish and still holding the SmackDown Women's Championship. No one else is even close to her level on the blue brand, so any title change would be premature.