CM Punk the Obvious Royal Rumble Favorite, Judgment Day Is Fun Again, More Raw Takes

Emanating from the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland on Monday night, WWE Raw delivered a big-time show with huge matches and important promos.

CM Punk has officially announced his signing to the red brand, setting the stage for a major run in the men's Royal Rumble match on Jan. 27 and a possible World Heavyweight Championship match against Seth Rollins.

R-Truth continued to insert himself in The Judgment Day's drama. He paid for it this week as Damian Priest led a beatdown of the veteran performer.

Johnny Gargano brought in another hometown star, The Miz, to join him and Tommaso Ciampa against Imperium. The trio made an impression and continued to get over.

The A-Lister worked his way into a rematch with Gunther, but The Ring General is far from done as intercontinental champion.

This show delivered big as the road to Royal Rumble 2024 becomes clearer.

CM Punk Is New Favorite for 2024 Men's Royal Rumble

After all the hype, CM Punk and Seth Rollins met in the center of the ring on Monday, and The Visionary was not shy about his feelings toward his rival.

Since The Best in the World also announced his entry into the men's Royal Rumble match, it seems Rollins vs. Punk will have to wait until WrestleMania 40.

Punk has voiced his desire to main-event The Show of Shows, and the easiest way to do so in 2024 would be winning the men's match on Jan. 27 and challenging The Visionary.

Gunther and Sami Zayn were possible challengers for Rollins, but WWE is likely to choose Punk due to his popularity.

This would immediately add an important accolade to Punk's legacy. Despite all his accomplishments in his first WWE run, he never won a Rumble. If he doesn't win it next month, he is unlikely to ever win one.

R-Truth Has Made Judgment Day Fun Again

The Judgment Day had grown dull in the buildup to Survivor Series: WarGames.

Rhea Ripley may be thriving, but Finn Bálor and Damian Priest have lost main event credibility. Dominik Mysterio has lost his gold, and JD McDonagh is still trying to fit in. The group had also run through every major challenger.

The return of Randy Orton looked like the perfect opportunity to set up a new dynamic for the stable.

With The Viper signing with SmackDown on Friday it was another return at Survivor Series that has helped change things for Judgment Day: R-Truth.

The veteran instantly inserted himself into The Judgment Day, pushing the group to stretch their comedic muscles. It also set up Truth as the sympathetic babyface, just hanging with the wrong crowd.

While it was heavily rushed in comparison, the angle is reminiscent of Sami Zayn joining The Bloodline. It's a goofy angle for a serious group that will draw more fans in. The WWE Universe is always willing to accept a good comedy storyline.

Truth can fit anywhere, but WWE made the perfect choice to connect him to Raw's top stable. The stories are endless and have already set up The Creed Brothers to also work with the 51-year-old.

DIY Finally Getting Over on the Main Roster

Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa were legends of the NXT black-and-gold era, and their friendship and rivalry were spearheaded by Triple H and his creative team.

A transition to the main roster was always going to be tough, but The King of Kings taking over as WWE chief content officer has helped to bridge the gap.

It's been a slow build, but crowds are finally getting invested in DIY. Last week's 2-out-of-3 falls match with Imperium had the crowd roaring, and a homecoming in Cleveland delivered an even louder reaction alongside The Miz.

The tag team division needs Gargano and Ciampa to succeed right away, but the growing popularity of DIY can mean so much more than just a tag team run.

If this momentum keeps up, fans could finally see the two men who led NXT reach their singles peak on the main roster. These two can be champions as long as the WWE Universe is behind them.

Gunther Shouldn't Lose Intercontinental Championship Until WrestleMania 40

Credit: WWE.com.

Imperium could not pick up the win over DIY and The Miz.

Ever since Gunther broke the record for the longest Intercontinental Championship reign, his days with the gold have been numbered.

He is ready for a true main event run, but the timing has to be right. WWE cannot take the belt off the Austrian until it can transition him to a big feud or world title challenge.

Since Gunther is unlikely to face Seth Rollins before WrestleMania 40, the focus should be to build the most engaging moment for him to drop his title.

The Miz is not the man to dethrone The Ring General, but there are plenty of interesting other options who could use more build.

It could be a rematch with Chad Gable or Sheamus, who have both made regaining the IC title feel important. It could also be a rising star like Jey Uso or Bronson Reed. Maybe Gunther could see a fresh challenge from his own stablemates.

WrestleMania moments are unlike anything else, and there would be no better moment to deliver at The Show of Shows than Gunther passing the intercontinental title to another great star.