WWE Raw: Burning Questions to Address After January 25 Show

The Royal Rumble 2016 pay-per-view was a thoroughly enjoyable show, and Monday's Raw was a quality followup. But as strong a two-show run as WWE Creative is on right now, there are still a few burning questions on the minds and lips of its fans.

Stephanie McMahon announced at the end of the January 25 broadcast that Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar will all compete in a Triple Threat match at Fastlane to determine the No. 1 contender to Triple H's WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Was that the right move?

AJ Styles made his Raw debut, working with Chris Jericho in a very strong singles bout.

Will quality wins in phenomenal wrestling matches help him thrive, or will WWE Creative be forced to develop a character that fans can buy into?

And what about The Rock's return and his obliteration of the "PG" guidelines that handcuff other WWE Superstars?

On the heels of a compelling followup to a quality Royal Rumble, relive the biggest talking points from the show by delving into these burning questions.

Credit: WWE.com

1. Why book Roman Reigns in a Fastlane main event if he will surely be overshadowed by his opponents?

Roman Reigns was done no favors by the way he was booked at Royal Rumble, and Monday night, the juggernaut was again hampered by the announcement of the Fastlane pay-per-view bout against Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar in which he is certain to be overshadowed and, possibly, booed heavily.

Reigns is supposed to be the lead babyface in WWE, its greatest hero. Yet the company's creative staff continues to book decisions it has to know will be detrimental to his growth in that role. Fans gave Ambrose a significantly larger pop than his former Shield mate at the Rumble, and Lesnar has been drawing louder ovations than Reigns dating back to their feud last year at this time.

Putting Reigns in the ring with them and expecting the match to be beneficial—that he will somehow come out of it looking better off than when he entered—is a huge mistake on the part of a writing team that has clearly not learned from its past mistakes.

Ambrose has that rare connection with audiences that allows him to remain over regardless of how many times he wins or loses, while Lesnar is the unstoppable ass-kicker to which a portion of the fanbase will always gravitate. Reigns is neither of those things. In fact, his character is still largely undefined.

Focusing on his growth and development in that area and not placing him in position to suffer any more setbacks should be the concerns of WWE Creative at this point.

Credit: WWE.com

2. Can AJ Styles succeed as a pure wrestler?

AJ Styles has spent the majority of the last two years earning the reputation as one of the best wrestlers on the planet, with his work in New Japan Pro Wrestling, Ring of Honor and various indy promotions across the globe speaking for itself. 

As he embarks on a run with World Wrestling Entertainment, one has to wonder whether or not he can stay over with the audience as just "AJ Styles: Pro Wrestler," or if WWE Creative will have to develop a character for him that better connects him with the WWE Universe.

Cesaro is one of the few examples of a performer who got over with the audience based on his tremendous in-ring work without having to adopt some goofy persona. Kurt Angle was not so lucky, becoming somewhat oblivious to how much fans actually hated the American hero, and Eddie Guerrero's natural charisma allowed him to become the lying, cheating and stealing babyface that led to his run atop WWE.

Chris Benoit is another fine example of a wrestler getting over for his in-ring work alone.

The question is whether or not Styles will replicate Cesaro's and Benoit's journeys to success or will have to add hints of humor, which we saw him try during his time in TNA, to make the impact (pun absolutely intended) he hopes to in his new place of employment.

Monday's victory over Chris Jericho seems to suggest that the outstanding wrestler will be himself going forward. If that is the case, fans can expect to see an uptick in the match quality of WWE shows, beginning immediately.

Credit: WWE.com

3. Do appearances from The Rock do more harm than good to the overall perception of WWE programming?

On the surface, any appearance from The Rock is electrifying and exciting. The Great One brings an energy to shows that no one else can, an energy that has fans nostalgic for the days of The Attitude Era, when talent was free to deviate from the script and establish a connection with the audience.

And therein lies a problem, hidden deep underneath the jokes and catchphrases.

The Rock comes back to television, makes such an impression and often obliterates the PG standards that every other Superstar and Diva must adhere to. Of course, he will not face any sort of punishment or fine for his actions, thanks largely to the desire of Vince McMahon and Company to have him back as soon as possible.

But the second Rock steps through the curtain, his promo wrapped up, fans are faced with the uniform and much less interesting broadcast before them.

Whereas Rock used terms such as "llama penises" and "weed" on live television, Superstars like The Miz and Dolph Ziggler would be buried the moment those words left their mouths, if not fired. Remember, it was not that long ago that Brad Maddox was terminated for using the phrase, "cocky pricks," as reported by PWInsider.com (h/t Wrestling Inc). 

As outstanding as Rock is, and as much energy as he brings to the show, his promos essentially expose one of the greatest weaknesses of today's product: the restrictions put on full-time talent in terms of expressing themselves to their fullest in promos and between the ropes.