WWE Raw: Burning Questions to Address After July 18 Show

To say the July 18 episode of WWE Raw was a significant one would be an understatement of massive proportions. For the first time since 2002, World Wrestling Entertainment is initiating a brand extension, and every Superstar was jockeying for position, eager to make an impression for new general managers Mick Foley and Daniel Bryan.

The appointments of those iconic figures kicked the evening off with a bang, a nice change of pace following years of heel authority figures at the top of the promotion. As WWE Creative moves forward, many are left to wonder whether or not they can still tell stories without that evil and ruthless boss heading up the company.

Then there was the WWE Championship match between Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins, the headline bout of the night. After the surprising announcement of the contest last week, the former Shield stablemates waged war in a competitive title clash. The controversy set up a hook for Tuesday's show and potentially set up a situation where dual championships will be created.

On a night with so much pressure to set up storylines that will bleed over onto SmackDown and guarantee viewers make the trek to Tuesday nights, these questions persisted.

1. How will two babyface general managers alter WWE programming?

For three years, fans have tuned into (and out of) a stagnant product dominated by heel authority figures. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon ruled over Raw and SmackDown, another reminder that WWE has not moved on from the same storyline format that was prominent during the immensely successful Attitude Era.

The revelation of Foley and Bryan as the new GMs of the separate brands is a step in the right direction toward freshening up shows desperately in need of it. Fans need to be able to tune into a show and see the heels get their comeuppance at the hands of authority figures no longer willing to take their crap.

Going forward, expect to see Bryan and Foley put the villains in their place, lay down the law and create a more fair and impartial environment.

The wild card, at least on the Raw side of things, will be Stephanie McMahon. How much of a hand she has in the week-to-week goings-on during the flagship show will dictate how different that show feels.

2. Will the outcome of Rollins-Ambrose lead to the splitting of championships?

Monday's Raw went off the air with controversy running wild, as Rollins appeared to win the WWE Championship after a double-pin scenario. The decision was reversed later on the WWE Network, but Tuesday, Shane McMahon announced a rematch for Tuesday's live broadcast.

The rematch seems to indicate a similar situation may unfold, forcing each brand to declare its Superstar the new champion, splitting the title and leaving both Rollins and Ambrose as titleholders.

There would be far worse ways to get to that outcome, as 2002's handing over of the World Heavyweight Championship to Triple H by Eric Bischoff proved.

If Raw and SmackDown are to be treated as truly separate brands, each will need its own champion.

It appears after Monday's show that the seeds have been planted. Whether the next steps are revealed Tuesday night or after Sunday's Battleground is the next question that bears watching.