WWE Raw Must Continue Bold Booking Moves to Maintain Momentum

WWE Raw must make a habit of what it did on Monday night—throw out the blueprint and create daring, new designs.

The first Raw after the return to the brand split didn't just look and sound different thanks to smart cosmetic changes; it also possessed an energy we're not used to seeing. Unpredictability powered the show. 

In elevating Finn Balor and crowning Sasha Banks, WWE set its sights on the future and drove full speed in that direction.

WWE has spent much of 2016 talking up its entrance into a New Era. At first, that mostly meant adding fresh faces to the roster. Raw largely felt the same each week. 

On Monday's Raw, though, the company twice created fireworks that burned brightly in the night. The show hinted at a future built around new cornerstones—one where WWE is willing to take high-reward risks.

As Will Pruett of ProWrestling.net pointed out, WWE made a statement with how it handled Balor and Banks:

The first part of that statement came when The Boss took on WWE women's champ Charlotte. 

This was a bout most predicted would be saved for SummerSlam. Banks had been chasing Charlotte for much of the year. She lost a Triple Threat match at WrestleMania and, more recently, beat down the champion's protege, Dana Brooke. Banks put together an impressive stretch of wins to vault herself back into contention, clearly setting up Charlotte vs. The Boss.

Conventional wisdom would say to put that big match on the summer's biggest show.

WWE instead chose to crown Banks on Raw and figure out what match it will put on the pay-per-view later. The company made the women's title match a prominent part of Monday night's proceedings. It jumped on the chance to harness Banks' surging popularity.

Miami Herald columnist Scott Fishman wrote of the emotion of The Boss' win:

A part of that came from the moment being so unexpected. Raw isn't often the home for climaxes such as this. Had Banks vs. Charlotte gone according to the usual script, it would have ended in three minutes in a disqualification. The challenger would have demanded another chance at the gold, one that would come at the PPV.

WWE doesn't need to have major title matches every week, but it's smart to create a sense that anything can happen on any night.

Remember that one of Raw's biggest success in the Monday Night War with rival company WCW came when underdog, everyman and daredevil wrestler Mick Foley won the WWE Championship on TV in 1999.

Monday's other big story saw Balor's main roster debut turn into a success no one could have predicted. 

The cookie-cutter method for welcoming a newcomer such as him would have been for him to win against Curtis Axel or another low-rung wrestler. Balor would have looked dominant in a short match and begun a winning streak against WWE's midcarders.

Instead, WWE thrust Balor onto center stage right away.

Raw commissioner Stephanie McMahon and general manager Foley booked Balor in one of two Fatal 4-Way matches to set up a No. 1 Contender's match for the brand new WWE Universal Championship. Balor not only outlasted Cesaro, Rusev and Kevin Owens, but defeated Roman Reigns in the night's main event.

There were no asterisks next to Balor's win. There were no shenanigans that undercut the significance of the victory. He decisively beat a three-time WWE champion and a man the company has been firmly behind.

That just doesn't happen. Reigns hadn't lost in singles action on Raw since last July and hadn't been pinned in one-on-one action on Monday night since Rollins beat him last March, per CageMatch.net.

As for Balor, WWE went all-in on the up-and-comer. Two matches into his main roster run, and he's already a contender. For a fanbase that has watched the company be stubbornly hesitant to push Cesaro, Bray Wyatt and the like into the top tier, the sight of Balor ending Raw in celebration was stunning.

And in just one night, WWE had the audience buzzing over Balor. The Demon instantly looked ready to be a key figure in the New Era. 

Mike Mooneyham, wrestling writer for the Post and Courier, put it simply:

Balor is now set to face Seth Rollins at SummerSlam, as the pace of his rookie year is far quicker than the norm. 

This kind of confidence in the next generation of stars must continue. It's one thing to have Apollo Crews and Baron Corbin debut on the night after WrestleMania to get fans excited, but it's another to build on those debuts and actually showcase the new arrivals. 

On both Raw and SmackDown, WWE has to single out a small group of Superstars it believes can be the next megastars. They have to get pushes like Balor's, being treated like a big deal and given space under the spotlight to make an impact.

About Monday's Raw, the A.V. Club's Kyle Fowle wrote, "Voices are being heard, wrestlers are being given opportunities, and the new guard is taking over."

All that has to keep happening. The women's division, and Banks in particular, needs to remain a focal point. Balor needs to remain a major player for Raw. WWE has to keep up the ballsy approach it showed on Monday night.