WWE Raw: Burning Questions to Address After December 28 Show

The December 28 episode of Raw should have set the stage for 2016 as the new year rapidly approaches. Instead, it was very much an inconsistent show. A lack of star power was evident, as was WWE Creative's confusion over the use of the Mr. McMahon character in relation to Roman Reigns and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

The writing staff did, however, make up for that major flaw by putting emphasis on the Kevin Owens character and bringing women's wrestling to the forefront with a 15-minute bout between Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch.

In between, there was the questionable use of Big Show, two singles matches featuring primarily tag team competitors and the return of John Cena as he battled Alberto Del Rio for the United States Championship in the main event.

There was good and bad as the company continued to fail at delivering a consistent show accentuated by strong wrestling and compelling, sensible storytelling. As has been the case with most episodes of WWE's flagship show over the last six months, there are several burning questions on the minds of fans in the wake of the December 28 broadcast.

These are just three of them.

Credit: WWE.com

1. Is Mr. McMahon in Danger of Overshadowing Roman Reigns?

The answer is a hearty "yes," as witnessed during Monday night's opening promo segment.

WWE world heavyweight champion Roman Reigns stood in the background, not talking or intervening as McMahon waged war with the NYPD, putting his hands on an off-duty officer and earning him a trip downtown.

While it was something clearly out of the Attitude Era and shock-TV style of booking, it made no sense whatsoever and put the emphasis on the 70-year-old performer rather than using his eternally over character to put over Reigns.

The idea that McMahon was spending the night in prison, only to storm back in time to stick it to Reigns with the announcement that the champion would defend against Sheamus in the new year, with the boss as the guest referee, only further shined a light on the fact that the booking was more McMahon-centered than anything.

Reigns is supposed to be the star. He is the character that shows will be booked around when McMahon steps away from television once again and the face of the promotion's future. Sacrificing his growth for the sake of feeding McMahon's ego and turning Raw into the McMahon family drama hour is not the way to ensure the current heavyweight champion succeeds in the long term.

Credit: WWE.com

2. Can WWE Creative Maintain Kevin Owens' Push?

Monday night, Kevin Owens experienced another defining night, his anger leading to him leaving both Neville and Dean Ambrose lying in a mangled heap following two vile, despicable beatdowns. It was the first time since his days as NXT champion that the danger element of Owens had been on full display for fans to see.

The question is whether or not Owens' push will be sustained.

We have repeatedly seen WWE Creative heat the former intercontinental champion up, only to cool him right back down through a series of questionable losses. It is a pattern that has reared its ugly head countless times in the past with other Superstars.

The same writing staff could not even maintain Big Show's push Monday night for more than five minutes, let alone actually seeing a substantial push through to the end. 

Owens is a special performer, one who shows great conviction in all of his work. He can be as mean and nasty as he can be nonchalant. Regardless, he is always believable, something few Superstars can claim. Add to those attributes his stellar ring work, and you have a performer capable of starring for years to come, even with all of the indy mileage already on his body.

It will be up to WWE Creative to recognize how special a talent he is and remain invested in getting the most out of him. Otherwise, he will go down in WWE history as another missed opportunity in a long line of them.

Credit: WWE.com

3. What Role Will John Cena Play in the Growth of Roman Reigns?

John Cena returned to Monday Night Raw and battled Alberto Del Rio for the United States Championship in the main event. Conspicuous by its absence, though, was any sort of interaction between the franchise star and current WWE world heavyweight champion Roman Reigns.

The top two stars in McMahon Land did not have as much as a televised glance at each other, leaving many to wonder what role Cena will play in the continued development of Roman Reigns as the top hero in WWE.

Cena had bailed out of the ring, selling his beatdown at the hands of The League of Nations as Reigns made his appearance at the end of the show. 

That Cena and management made the decision to allow Reigns to take the spotlight at the end of the show, rather than the resident Superman standing tall to end his first broadcast back, suggests that Cena will not stand in the way of Reigns supplanting him as the top star in the company.

Wrestling history suggests other main event stars have not been as willing to step aside and allow the future stars to run with the proverbial ball that they had carried for so long. Cena has made a career for himself by being one of the most unselfish megastars to ever lace a pair of boots, so it should be of no real surprise.

Which brings us to part two of our question: Will Cena put Reigns over in a high-profile singles bout, perhaps as soon as WrestleMania?

The seeds have not even been planted to suggest that match may happen, but there is plenty of time to get to that point. Only when the leader of the Cenation has his shoulders pinned to the mat following a Spear or Superman Punch will we get have a definitive answer to just how far Cena will go to help with the ascension of Reigns to the top of the card.