WWE: Things I Learned from a Very Busy Monday Night Raw

Monday Night Raw gave us a glimpse of the direction the WWE wants to go following the incredible night had by all at WrestleMania 28.

Everyone except maybe Daniel Bryan and Cody Rhodes.

While the creative teams gave us some indication as to where they want to go in terms of angles, title matches and subplots, things probably will not set in stone until the April 23 WWE Draft.

But there are lines already drawn in the sand which tell us the summer months will be hot leading into SummerSlam.

I appreciate the way the Raw program was built and ended around the match between John Cena and The Rock, which also gave us some foreshadowing as to what the WWE plans might be heading toward the remainder of this year and the next (CM Punk vs. The Rock, anyone?) headed toward WrestleMania 29.

Overall, it was a very good show.

What I do find interesting is how the show picked up where it left off from Sunday night, but moved in a new direction as well.

Alberto Del Rio coming back, and hopefully other WWE superstars on the mend will help make the brands better and eventually lead to a combination of brands and no longer the issues of cross-rivals. Belts should be wanted by all wrestlers and fought for, not just one or another.

Maybe it will also signal the start of promoting the second tier belts, the Intercontinental Championship and the United States Champion, as still having some meaning in the world of the WWE.

But with the results of Sunday night and the performances of Monday evening’s wrestlers, you have to also wonder what happens to Cody Rhodes and Daniel Bryan? Do they fall into line for world title contention? Wouldn’t Daniel Bryan and CM Punk be more compelling right now than an angle based on alcoholism?

What about the fallout from the Bryan/Sheamus match and why hasn’t the WWE looked at making AJ Lee the scapegoat for Bryan’s “tragedy?”

Who does Cody Rhodes wrestle next? Surely he is not being “held up” by a continual feud with Big Show. That just hurts Rhodes down the line. Randy Orton, Kane, Sheamus and even Dolph Ziggler are better opponents for Rhodes.

The Miz needs more of an angle. Zack Ryder has now been thrown into “jobber” status and he may never recover from it. Eve’s angle has no legs yet and honestly, does not need to be a part of the show.

Lord Tensai was less than “exciting” in his debut. But maybe they will build him up as in the past with the WWF and NWA where new talents that dominate start out with jobbers and then move on to main-event talent.

All these questions and open-ended angles and a full spring and summer to fill them all. It looks like the draft now has more importance than it ever did. And we haven't even gotten into Brock Lesnar and John Cena.

You have to like what the WWE started Sunday night. The question is, can the creative team learn from the past and finish what it began?