WWE Raw: Rusev and Other Stars Primed to Break Out After Brand Split

WWE's brand split guarantees more opportunities for the stars drafted to Raw, the company's flagship show, to shine.

A three-hour show featuring a roster now cut in half ensures there will be more TV opportunities, more matches and more time to craft out intriguing rivalries.

The Raw roster looks much more exciting than SmackDown's on the surface, as WWE sent a number of big names to Monday nights to further their careers. And luckily for WWE, some of those huge names will thrive under the added spotlight.

Here's a run-through of four in particular.

Neville

WWE's decision to restore a cruiserweight division exclusive to Raw will be the catalyst for Neville's career on the main roster to take off.

As is the case with everyone else in the company, the brand split will allow the Englishman more TV time, more opportunities to thrive and more chances to build a rapport with WWE fans.

But by putting him at the head of an division that is going to be exciting, WWE will allow Neville to transform into a must-see Superstar. His all-action brand of in-ring ability will put him over instantly, which should give WWE fans the chance to know a bit more about The Man That Gravity Forgot.

The first few weeks of the brand split were a bit slow for Neville, but when the cruiserweight division is up and running, expect him to shine. 

Rusev

WWE split the midcard championships down the middle, so whichever Superstars get to hold the belts in the coming months will instantly get huge boosts.

Unfortunately for the Raw roster, however, Rusev will be in possession of the United States title for quite some time, and the brand split will only intensify his standing as one of the company's next big heels.

It's been quite a journey for The Bulgarian Brute since coming up to the main roster. He started with a bang and looked set for a sustained run as an unbeatable heel, but some questionable storylines and even worse booking left him in a bad way.

However, WWE has thankfully managed to arrest that slide and get him back almost to where he was. Rusev is in phenomenal shape again when it comes to his booking, with the balance just right in regard to Lana's input, something that was an issue in the past.

When he eventually drops the United States Championship (and that is some time away), it should be because he's heading up the card, not falling down it. 

Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows

Although The New Day has been a breath of fresh air at the head of the tag division, the chance to see it in a huge rivalry with the tag titles on the line has been due for some time.

And after a shaky start to life in WWE, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows have a real chance to assert their authority on Raw following the brand split. They had become a little too involved in AJ Styles' feud with John Cena, but they will now get the chance to branch out on their own in the tag division.

What can fans expect from the duo?

Some phenomenal in-ring work, for starters. Their wrestling ability is unquestionable, and with The New Day also all highly skilled inside the ring, their feud should be built on some stunning wrestling matches.

The time also seems right for The New Day to drop the titles in the coming weeks, and Gallows and Anderson are the perfect team to take them.

It's been a slow start, but this will be duo's time to shine. 

Finn Balor

The New Era and new start for Raw will be epitomized by one man: Finn Balor.

Balor's explosive debut on the main roster last week confirmed he is an immediate top star—as opposed to one who is being slowly groomed for the future.

Whether he becomes the first holder of the WWE Universal Championship is irrelevant in terms of Balor's long-term future in the Raw main event scene.

If he loses to Seth Rollins, he will get another shot at the belt in a short space of time.

The big feuds against the big names await. Balor vs. Rollins, Balor vs. Roman Reigns and even Balor against someone like Shinsuke Nakamura (when he comes up from NXT) are all in the cards.

Balor was always going to become one of WWE's biggest stars. The brand split and some confident booking from WWE early on have only helped to rush that process along.