WWE Raw: Burning Questions to Address After January 18 Show

The January 18 episode of Raw should have been the spark that ignited excitement and anticipation for the Royal Rumble and, more importantly, the road to WrestleMania 32.

Instead, it was a lethargic show that did little to inspire interest in the current product.

WWE Creative hitched its proverbial wagon to Roman Reigns, making him the centerpiece of the Royal Rumble match while doing very little to create interest in the other Superstars in the bout.

The Wyatt Family benefited from solid booking that elevated it in the eyes of the audience, while Brock Lesnar will carry into the 30-man match the star power that accompanies him every time he steps through the curtain.

But that is where the legitimate contenders end.

Chris Jericho looked more like a cartoon character than a potential champion, The League of Nations is a faction made up of glorified midcard acts and Big Show is a Superstar way past his prime with no chance of leaving Orlando, Florida, with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, regardless of how much WWE Creative opts to spotlight his size (7'0", 450 lbs) and resume.

The result of Monday's show is a company brimming with more questions than answers, and that is never a positive entering the most important stretch of the calendar year.

Especially when those questions create more concern than optimism.

Credit: WWE.com

1. Has WWE Wasted Its Good Will with Fans?

One of the most glaring problems on the January 18 episode of Raw was the complete apathy with which the fans in Columbus, Ohio, greeted the Superstars of World Wrestling Entertainment.

Whether it was Roman Reigns at the top of the show, Chris Jericho moments later or Brock Lesnar late in the broadcast, the reactions to the men the company is counting on to drive in interest for WrestleMania season were lackluster to say the least.

While some of that could possibly be attributed to a poorly mic'd arena, much of it can be placed at the feet of WWE's writing staff.

The characters have been so woefully under-written and underdeveloped, and the stories are so uninteresting that fans simply cannot bring themselves to get excited about a match or an angle just because of who is involved.

They have had their faith rewarded so infrequently by the inconsistent and disjointed storytelling of WWE Creative that they can no longer justify wasting their breath.

That, more than anything, is damning evidence of what the company is doing wrong. Whereas fans hijacking shows in 2013 and 2014 at least gave off an impression that they cared about what was going on in front of them, the silence is an indicator that they are along for the ride only out of habit or stubborn fandom. 

That is hardly the environment WWE wants to create for itself and its shows. That must change in the coming weeks, or 100,000 fans in Dallas will sound a hell of a lot more like 100.

Credit: WWE.com

2. Will Stubborn Advertising of "Total Divas" Threaten the Divas Revolution?

The short answer is "Yes."

Monday night on Raw, Becky Lynch and Charlotte wrote the latest chapter in their rivalry with a quality promo segment that saw the Lass Kicker grow into a star before our very eyes.

As great as that may have been, it was diminished ever so slightly by WWE's insistence on hyping the return of its hit reality show Total Divas.

Earlier in the evening, Natalya battled Brie Bella. Not only was the third-generation wrestler making her return to the squared circle after months away, having no real issue with Brie or her associate Alicia Fox so to speak, she was accompanied by Paige.

Why? Because the British-born Diva has some sort of beef with Fox dating back months that will air Tuesday night on the season premiere.

WWE Creative has struggled mightily to come to grips with the idea that what happens on the reality show is supposed to be steeped in, well, reality. Having it translate to a scripted television show undermines the entire premise of that E! show. 

Worse yet, it devalues the Divas division because it relies heavily on the idea that fans are watching Total Divas and care enough to see supposedly "real life" issues spill over into the ring.

To see past stories and character development erased only to hype a show that a small portion of the audience is likely to tune into is, above all else, frustrating.

Paige and Natalya, two of the better workers on the women's roster, deserve better than to have their television time limited to shameless promotion of the one WWE-produced show worse than the current state of Raw.

Credit: WWE.com

3. Has Chris Jericho Become a Caricature of Himself?

There was a time when Chris Jericho was the most exciting, innovative and entertaining Superstar on the WWE roster.

A cocky and arrogant star who had a knack for reaching deep into pop culture obscurity to pull out awesome new catchphrases and, more importantly, a performer always aware of changing landscapes and altering his character to fit them, he was one of the most must-see performers for many years.

As he stood inside the squared circle on Monday night, though, reeling off catchphrases that have not been cool or fun in some 16 years, it became abundantly clear that the Y2J of today's WWE is a caricature of the highly successful performer who once captivated millions as part of the Attitude Era.

It was depressing to watch someone so closely associated with greatness revert back to his past glory, hoping to steal a few cheers for material that has not been fresh in nearly two decades.

Nothing he did or said in the first 30 minutes of Raw was particularly fresh or interesting, something one would never expect to say about the former Ayatollah of Rock 'n' Rolla.

He will likely enjoy a quality run in the Royal Rumble match thanks to the fact that he has name value on a roster absolutely depleted of true stars, but that will be at the expense of evolution and growth as an on-air personality.

It is time for fans to stop letting the all-time great off the hook based on his reputation and instead hold him accountable for what has become increasingly mediocre work.