WWE Raw: Burning Questions to Address After November 9 Show

The November 9 episode of Raw was one put together in a panic, the result of last-minute booking due to Seth Rollins' untimely knee injury,which forced WWE Creative to reshuffle its plans for Survivor Series.

With all the chaos and uncertainty surrounding the company over the weekend, Monday's broadcast was a solid one that both kicked off the tournament to crown the WWE world heavyweight champion and continued to lay the groundwork for the November 22 pay-per-view extravaganza.

Roman Reigns naturally stole headlines, being the clear favorite to win the entire aforementioned tournament, but it was the likes of Cesaro, Kevin Owens, Dolph Ziggler, Dean Ambrose and relative newcomer Tyler Breeze who helped lend credibility and quality to the first few opening-round bouts.

Becky Lynch battled Paige in singles competition, and Natalya squared off with Naomi, as the Divas Revolution proved that two separate stories are possible within the division.

And finally, The Brothers of Destruction slowly (slowly) stalked toward the ring and physically confronted The Wyatt Family ahead of what will almost assuredly be a high-profile match at Survivor Series.

Yes, WWE came through the disappointment and madness of the last few days with a quality show, but it left fans with a few burning questions that deserve answers.

Credit: WWE.com

1. Why would anyone pay money to see The Brothers of Destruction vs. The Wyatt Family after Monday Night?

The concept behind crafting stories and booking angles in professional wrestling is to convince audiences to plunk down their hard-earned money to see the eventual payoff to said story on pay-per-view or in the arena. Monday night, WWE Creative broke rule No. 1 when it provided the payoff to the Brothers of Destruction-Wyatt Family feud on free television.

Yes, a week after Wyatt claimed to have seized the power to summon lightning, hellfire and brimstone, he was smacked down by the returning Undertaker and Kane. Worse yet, his three followers were wiped out as if they were afterthoughts, little more than generic henchmen existing only to bump around and make the elder statesmen of WWE look remotely close to the destructive pairing they once were.

After watching the babyfaces vanquish the heels, what incentive is there for fans to tune into Survivor Series, to subscribe to WWE Network or purchase the pay-per-view broadcast?

The answer: none.

Sure, WWE can tout the mystery surrounding any potential partners for Undertaker and Kane, but with social media being such an integral part of today's sports entertainment landscape, the answer to that question can easily be answered on any Twitter account, negating the need to actually go out of one's way to see the show.

WWE Creative, for all it did right Monday night, killed the intrigue and suspense surrounding the match. That is unfortunate for Undertaker, who certainly deserves better heading into a show celebrating his 25th year with the company.

Credit: WWE.com

2. How did Kalisto, Stardust and Titus O'Neil earn spots in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Tournament?

It is great that WWE Creative and management opted to keep the focus on younger and full-time stars rather than bring every former star possible out of the woodwork. But to include guys like Kalisto, Stardust and Titus O'Neil in the tournament to crown a new heavyweight champion is a bit ridiculous, especially since none of the three have done anything from a storyline standpoint to warrant inclusion.

All three have essentially been glorified enhancement talent for months now, putting their fellow Superstars over. Their presence in the tournament devalues it ever so-slightly and creates doubt in the mind of the general audience that those Superstars who defeat them actually deserve to advance.

Surely the presence of someone like Jack Swagger, a former heavyweight champion in his own right, would have helped. How about the inclusion of some NXT talent, most of whom the WWE audience would be familiar with?

There were better ways to fill out the roster without dipping too far into the midcard than the company did.

Credit: WWE.com

3. Could WWE possibly have handled Roman Reigns any worse than it did Monday?

For weeks prior to Monday's show, Roman Reigns was positioned as the No. 1 contender to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and the face of the company in John Cena's absence.

So why was he handled so poorly on Raw?

Sure, he turned down the opportunity to join The Authority, but he was also stuck in a match with the slow, aging Big Show without the gimmicks of a Last Man Standing match to disguise the giant's weaknesses.

It was a poor match, one that did nothing to inspire confidence or faith in Reigns with the vocal portion of the audience.

Reigns needed to be presented with a much bigger, much more impressive opportunity. It was a setback, but one that can be overcome with more solid and spectacular booking on the part of WWE Creative.