WWE Raw: Burning Questions to Address After Oct. 17 Show

Once the pyrotechnics have dissipated and the buzz over seeing Goldberg on WWE Raw for the first time in 12 years has faded, one has to wonder whether the power of nostalgia will soon fizzle out, too.

Goldberg's return on Monday night was spectacular. WWE cranked up the hype for the moment. The audience celebrated the powerhouse more emphatically than many expected.

And the former WCW world champ nailed his time in the spotlight, connecting with the crowd as he accepted Brock Lesnar's challenge.

But what now? WWE's task will grow tougher as it looks to maintain Goldberg's momentum. Will the company be able to keep the electricity surging?

Monday's Raw also left fans wondering about The Club's future. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson look to be veering off the tracks just as they got back on them. 

What about Jeri-KO? Is the bromance already over?

The tension between Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens on Monday night made fans question whether the alliance will cave in soon. The universal champ bickered more with his best friend than he ever has.

Is a Jericho-Owens breakup as inevitable as a weekly loss for Anderson?

How Long Can Jeri-KO Last?

Jericho and Owens may be the best of friends, but this is pro wrestling, where friendships are all finite.

Monday's Raw reminded us of that when tension rose between the allies. Jericho asked that Owens not be at ringside for his match with Seth Rollins. Owens didn't oblige him.

When the universal champion came out to assist his buddy, he ended up costing him the match. An irate Jericho confronted Owens backstage and nearly lit the dynamite on their relationship.

The friends will be tested further next week. Raw general manager Mick Foley announced that Jericho and Owens will take on Rollins in a Triple Threat match next Monday.

This all suggests that Jeri-KO will not last much longer. 

As fun as Jericho and Owens have been as a pair, though, they will be even better rivals. WWE likely senses that. And with Rollins sure to focus on Triple H eventually, Owens will need a fresh foil.

That promises to be Jericho. We could easily see Y2J challenging for Owens' crown as soon as the Survivor Series pay-per-view on Nov. 20. 

Why Can't WWE Get It Right with Gallows and Anderson?

Gallows and Anderson have steered away from failed comedy. They have been no-nonsense bruisers on a mission. But WWE still hasn't figured things with The Club.

On Monday night, Anderson took on Big Cass in singles action. The issue isn't that he lost, but rather how quickly and easily he did.

Big Cass knocked off his rival in just two minutes, the shortest match of the night, per CageMatch.net. The jobbers facing Braun Strowman lasted longer than that.

This insistence on making Gallows and Anderson a pair of fumbling stooges has been baffling. The latest defeat left the guys at Busted Open radio at a loss for words:

Why trample on these heels like this? Why not make them look more like threats? Enzo Amore and Big Cass won't even benefit from beating Gallows and Anderson if the audience views them as the Cleveland Browns of WWE.

WWE has continually undercut this tag team since it arrived from New Japan Pro Wrestling. That process has been among the most frustrating things to watch in 2016.

Feuding with Amore and Cass should be beneficial for both teams, not a death knell for the heels.

Are We Headed for a Dallas-Axel Feud?

Curtis Axel stood by Bo Dallas' side before the sign-wielding heel's match against Neville. Dallas, though, paid his pal back with an ambush.

Dallas toppled Neville and then throttled Axel.

This is the latest stage in the revamping of Dallas. He's been more aggressive and focused. He's taken to reciting poetry. And now he's cut off ties with his Social Outcasts past.

Is Axel just a stepping stone whom Dallas will soon forget, or will the old allies collide in the future?NoDQ.com believes we'll soon see them in a not-so-prominent spot:

Even if he's relegated to the pre-show, feuding with Dallas would be a major step up for Axel. He's previously been stuck without any TV time whatsoever. 

His character's shift in response to the attack and his collisions with Dallas should invigorate a stagnant career. Axel needs this story in the worst way.

Can Raw Continue Its Success with Goldberg?

Goldberg marched through the backstage area, stood on the entrance ramp as pyrotechnics shot upward and then pumped his fists in the air. Suddenly, it was 1998 again.

The long wait to see Goldberg left the fans in Denver on Monday night revved up. They chanted and cheered for the returning powerhouse.

WWE did well to make Goldberg's moment feel huge. It retraced his past with WWE and WCW. It gave him ample time to speak his mind. And it billed him as the greatest champion in WCW history, regardless of how untrue that is. 

Now that Goldberg has agreed to face Brock Lesnar, WWE has over a month left to hype their Survivor Series showdown.

His return was a can't-miss moment, but will the rest of his tale be as compelling? Maintaining the energy Goldberg churned up on Monday night will be difficult. 

Credit: WWE.com

And WWE doesn't know how other audiences will react to him. Denver adored him. But will the fans in Toronto be as kind? Wrestling Observer Newsletter founder Dave Meltzer tweeted that he thinks Toronto fans will "boo the hell out of Goldberg."

Luckily, Goldberg made it clear that he's back for just one match. There will be a short window for WWE to keep up the strong presentation of the former Georgia Bulldog.

Goldberg's passion and the powerful force that is nostalgia may be enough to carry WWE through that stretch.