WWE Raw: Burning Questions to Address After December 14 Show

This is a Roman Reigns-free zone.

So much of the December 14 episode of Raw was centered around him, and will be remembered for his epic WWE World Heavyweight Championship victory, that the second-generation star has been covered ad nauseam in the immediate wake of the broadcast.

Thus, other elements of the show have been ignored.

For everything the company did right by pulling the trigger on Reigns' title victory, there were multiple instances of booking that created more questions than they answered.

From the use of the female talent on the roster to the purpose of the tag team summit that occurred in hour two of Monday's broadcast, the WWE Universe was left wondering what the goal is in terms of Superstars outside of the main event scene.

And what about the impending NXT live event's ability to outshine the monumental events that have occurred in the last 48 hours and remain the hottest element of World Wrestling Entertainment?

On a night when there was no denying Reigns was the star of the show, these questions abounded in regard to his peers.

1. How Long Is WWE Willing to Let Ric Flair Steal the Spotlight from the Divas Revolution

Whether it is inadvertent or not, the presence of Ric Flair in the corner of his daughter Charlotte is sucking the wind out of the Divas Revolution. The question is not so much about which Diva will beat which, but rather how will Flair interject himself into the match this time.

The arrival of Charlotte, Becky Lynch and Sasha Banks was supposed to change the perception of women's wrestling in WWE. Instead, it has only enhanced the many, many problems that exist within the Divas division.

And it continued Monday night. Just 24 hours after a distraction from Flair directly led to the conclusion of Charlotte's Divas title defense against Paige, he again interjected himself into the finish, tripping up Alicia Fox and helping Becky Lynch score the win with the Disarmer.

Flair may be intended to be a manager to help get his daughter over but at this point, he is draining the heat from his daughter and her peers, through name recognition and star power alone. It is not his fault. It is, instead, the fault of those in power who put him in that position in the first place.

The situation has to be rectified because the Divas division is quickly becoming the Ric Flair Show, and the ones suffering the most are the women who are intended to benefit from his presence.

2. What Was the Point of the Tag Team Promo from Raw?

Just 24 hours after successfully retaining the tag team titles in a breathtaking ladder match at TLC, The New Day hit the ring in red track suits, with their trademark humor and ridiculousness set aside for a more serious promo than normal. 

They thanked their opponents, The Lucha Dragons and The Usos, for the amazing match they had and even took a moment to acknowledge the fans as the reason they do what they do. Then, for some reason, when they took just a brief moment to celebrate their win, they were jumped by Jimmy and Jey Uso, and Sin Cara and Kalisto.

The babyfaces were booed heavily and New Day was cheered, leaving many to wonder whether it was the start of a turn for Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods and Big E or if WWE Creative just booked a poorly devised segment that had the opposite effect than intended.

The latter is likely the case, with the booking team repeatedly not knowing the temperature of the room in most cases. It has booked angles contrary to what people have been begging for now for months, and the jeers signify that. 

The Lucha Dragons had a breakout night on pay-per-view at TLC, and rather than following up with a match or angle to take advantage of the momentum they had, they were killed off and turned on by fans who did not understand the motivation they had for attacking what had been a fairly genuine New Day.

It made little sense and did more to hurt the ongoing rivalry over the tag titles than it did to enhance them or it.

3. Can NXT Steal the Thunder of the Main Roster One More Time?

For nearly two years, the Superstars and Divas of NXT have made it their goal to establish the brand as the best in professional wrestling. The TakeOver specials they present quarterly are critically acclaimed and feature some of the best wrestling from any promotion in the world. With a main event pitting Finn Balor against Samoa Joe for the NXT title, live from London, this Wednesday's special has all the makings of another phenomenal event.

But can it eclipse the week that WWE's main roster has had?

A quality pay-per-view in TLC, creative success in finally establishing Reigns as a babyface fans want to support and a massive title change on a live episode of Raw have helped generate buzz for the product in a way that has not existed in recent months.

The wrestling will be great, as usual, but will Triple H and company be able to deliver the angles and major happenings that catapult his baby past what the main roster was able to accomplish this week?

Considering the quality of past shows and the desire of the talent involved, it would be a surprise for the men and women involved in the developmental brand to produce a show that caps off a fantastic week for WWE in grand fashion.