WWE Raw: Burning Questions to Address After Oct. 24 Show

Brock Lesnar looked out into the crowd on Monday's WWE Raw stone-faced and confused before breaking out in a what-do-we-do-now chuckle.

The baffled expression The Beast Incarnate wore was symbolic of how most of the audience felt for much of the night. The final Raw before the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view on Sunday featured a number of head-scratching decisions.

Who thought trying to get Minneapolis fans to chant against Lesnar was a good idea? How did WWE think trying to reshape the definition of "main event" would work? And was the company out of touch enough to undercut fans' appreciation for Curtis Axel?

Monday's Raw left its audience trying to answer those questions.

It's not clear what will headline Hell in a Cell or if Lesnar's feud with Goldberg has already peaked, but one thing was certain after WWE's trip to Minneapolis: Change is coming for Chris Jericho.

How Soon Until Chris Jericho Turns Babyface?

The scarf-wearing, list-making Jericho has become one of Raw's most popular acts.

Jericho dominated Monday's Raw in terms of airtime, both opening and closing the show. His antics, including his search backstage for The List of Jericho, were flat-out funny.

It's hard to remain a villain when one makes the audience laugh that much. And as his relationship with universal champ Kevin Owens reveals its cracks, it looks more and more likely that a babyface turn is on the way.

Kyle Fowle of the A.V. Club wrote of a potential Jericho turn, "The seeds have been planted, and clearly the WWE Universe is ready to cheer for him again."

Fowle is right. There has been a clear shift in how the audience has reacted to Jericho. Fans booed him as a snooty braggart, but they have warmed to him as his shtick grew goofier.

Monday's Raw showed flashes of a babyface Jericho in action.

The countdown to his character transition is underway. Will he revert to a fan favorite as early as Hell in a Cell? If so, Owens will have a fresh rival waiting for him when he steps out of that steel structure on Sunday.

Did WWE Confiscate Curtis Axel Signs?

Bo Dallas scored a win over old ally Axel on Monday night. WWE's reasons for choosing to push Dallas over Axel (or Neville, for that matter) are still unknown, but a stranger issue emerged after the show.

Axel tweeted about reports of WWE confiscating crowd signs:

As Pro Wrestling Sheet detailed, Axel was responding to fan tweets alleging security removed their pro-Axel signs from them. 

On the surface, that's a bad look for WWE. A guy getting some hometown love isn't something it should be trying to stamp out. And there is something decidedly infuriating about WWE micromanaging its audience like this.

If Axel is beginning to get over—in Minneapolis or elsewhere—why not just let it happen? Who knows what it could snowball into?

It's not clear, though, whether the signs were obstructing others or if there is more to the story from the company's side. A reasonable explanation could be the way, but for now, Axel has every right to be frustrated.

What Was WWE Thinking with the Lesnar-Heyman Segment?

Even Paul Heyman couldn't save the train wreck that was Lesnar's latest appearance.

In response to Goldberg accepting Lesnar's challenge last week, Heyman spoke for his client on Monday's Raw. He talked of how much the chants of "Goldberg" bothered The Beast Incarnate.

The idea was to get the fans to root for the returning star and against Lesnar. There was one major problem, however: Minnesota adores Lesnar.

Lesnar starred at the University of Minnesota in college wrestling. He was briefly on the Minnesota Vikings roster. And WWE bills him as being from Minneapolis despite his South Dakota roots.

The fans roared for Lesnar and chanted "Goldberg sucks!" Lesnar stood wordless at Heyman's side, seemingly unsure of what to do.

The big man's music hit to cut the segment short.

Hall of Famer Kevin Nash tweeted about the poor decision:

WWE badly misread the audience and the situation. Is this a sign of things to come for the Goldberg-Lesnar feud? Is this hard evidence that WWE headman Vince McMahon is out of touch at this point?

We won't have to wait long to see if this rivalry is going to nosedive after a promising start, as Goldberg is set to appear next week.   

What is Hell in a Cell's Real Main Event?

WWE made no indication as to what match will headline Hell in a Cell.

It looked for a spell as if Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte would claim that spot, making history in the process as the first women to main-event a WWE PPV. As Marc Middleton of Wrestling Inc noted, Raw general manager Mick Foley announced that Banks vs. Charlotte would headline, only to back-pedal afterward.

The new company line is that Owens vs. Seth Rollins, Rusev vs. Roman Reigns and Banks vs. Charlotte are all part of a "triple main event."

There is no such thing. One match goes on last. That's the main event. 

And Monday's Raw didn't clear up the situation much.

Banks vs. Charlotte got plenty of airtime in a contract signing that helped give the bout the proverbial big-fight feel. Owens attacking Rollins, though, was the climax of the go-home show.

The only thing the show clarified is that Rusev vs. Reigns isn't Hell in a Cell's top match. The U.S. champ and his challenger were relegated to brief taped promos during the show.

That's not exactly main event treatment.

If Banks and Charlotte do go on last, WWE missed out on a big chance to promote that on Monday night and leading up to the PPV. If Owens and Rollins are the PPV headliners again, the "triple main event" rhetoric isn't going to satisfy the growing desire to see Banks and Charlotte get their shot on the marquee.