Raw Preview: 5 Occurrences That Would Excite WWE Fans

There is promise of the unexpected whenever WWE Raw visits Chicago; however, this time around there is little optimism that a huge shock is about to happen.

Talent will be fatigued after their whistle-stop tour of Australia, and re-organising is underway in the preparations for Survivor Series and the run up to WrestleMania beyond that.

All indications signal that the show will be very average and will be designed to use the crowd to create artificial excitement where none really exists.

Yet small occurrences could be all that is needed to make the show very enjoyable and to tip the audience of a bright future ahead. If these five things happen, then positivity should return to the WWE Universe.

CM Punk Gets the Desired Reaction from the Chicago Crowd

There is too much confusion over CM Punk's current position in the WWE and how the company wants fans to react to him when he comes out of the curtain. Tonight, in front of his own hometown, is the perfect opportunity to clear up this mystery and establish a positive momentum to a stuttering character progression.

Punk is one of the best wrestlers and crowd manipulators on the current roster, so establishing a rapport with the crowd, either positive or negative, should not be an issue.

However, the result will be all important, as it will identify Punk's full-fledged heel turn or establish Punk as this in-betweener that some have suggested is the target spot.

Having a point of focus will allow fans to get behind (or turn against) the character once again, and Punk's feud with John Cena should come together a little more coherently. 

Dolph Ziggler Takes the Fight to Randy Orton

The general feeling amongst many wrestling observers is that a feud between Dolph Ziggler and Randy Orton could steal the show over the second half of 2012.

For such a prophecy to come to fruition, the participants must be seen to be on equal footing. Ziggler needs to be aggressive toward Orton, otherwise he could be overpowered by the Apex Predator's history and intensity.

There is a myriad of ways in which this could happen, from a backstage assault to calling Orton out, but it is vital that Ziggler shows no fear in engaging with the Viper and it must happen on Raw, despite its featuring Smackdown superstars, as this will highlight the feud as being of the utmost importance.  

Daniel Bryan and Kane's Anger Management Story Continues

One of the few really engaging stories that has been developing is the anger management issues of Kane and Daniel Bryan. Continuing with this in the same logical, if rather surreal, path can only enhance both men's characters and lead to something really interesting down the road.

The WWE has plenty of options in how it contrasts and compares Bryan with Kane, as they both try and fight their issues (or nature, in Kane's case, as he is the Devil's favourite plaything), and that should delight adult audiences particularly.

The worst thing the WWE could do is try and wrap the issue up quickly, as the slow-burning nature of the conflict between themselves and each other is a big part of why the whole idea has been so appealing. A small but well-focused segment would be ideal. 

Reintroduction of the Tornado Tag Match

Rarely has there been an more ideal time to reintroduce the Tornado Tag Match—where all the competitors are in the ring from the beginning—as the division is full of high-flying individuals who could use the scenario to create really exciting spots.

Champions Kofi Kingston and R-Truth have had relatively successful singles careers, so they would not be undermined, while the teams of Justin Gabriel and Tyson Kidd, The Usos and Primo and Epico could benefit from constant interplay in their collective arsenal. Essentially, the much-neutered double-team could come back into play in a big way.

The potential losers from this are The Prime Time Players, but Darren Young and Titus O'Neill are much bigger than their opponents and have shown some good tag-team connectivity in their past as well.

Having one of these matches on Raw tonight should really get the crowd going. 

Give Any Heel Not Named Alberto Del Rio a Dominant Victory

Victory in professional wrestling is a prize given rather than one earned, but for so many heels in the WWE, a victory is something that they simply don't see at all.

Therefore, the most exciting occurrence that could reasonably happen on Chicago's Raw is a dominant victory for at least one heel against a well-respected face. Hopefully, this would start off a chain reaction, in which several heels could re-establish their place amongst the elite of WWE, and the excitement of the good vs. evil battle could then return.

The one exception is Alberto Del Rio, who has consistently picked up these wins, only to lose to Sheamus when it really matters. A much longer rebuild is required to see Del Rio as a legitimate contender once again even though he is challenging "The Great White" at Night Of Champions.