WWE Roadblock 2016: Top Takeaways from Latest PPV Event

WWE Roadblock: End of the Line was billed as a night of final clashes as rivals got one last chance at glory in matches that have been building for months. However, it was not wholly a night of endings, as much of the show seemed to be building past this pay-per-view event.

While Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks fought their final battle, Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho rejuvenated their friendship, much to the ire of Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. Meanwhile, the top three cruiserweights clashed, only for a new cruiserweight to emerge and make clear that his direction is one of the most integral for the entire division's success.

Even as The New Day's historic reign was finally put to an end, it is hard to say whether we are headed for more of the same with the division. Will Cesaro and Sheamus clash again with the trio, or will the new champions bring a dramatic change to a division that has been shaped for over a year by The New Day?

The following are the top takeaways from Roadblock: End of the Line, focusing on the results that say the most about WWE's direction for each division on Raw going into 2017.

The Tag Team Division Is Ready to Move On from The New Day

Credit: WWE.com

The New Day's title reign will stand as the longest in history, but it is now officially over. Cesaro and Sheamus outmaneuvered The New Day, even with interference from third man Xavier Woods at multiple junctures, and cleanly defeated the champions. Now, these two top heavyweights will give a fresh edge to a tag team division that had the same champions for well over a year.

The New Day will likely still be an integral and entertaining part of the division, but it was time for someone else to take the mantle, especially with every title feud becoming too similar in that the trio always skated away with the championships.

Hopefully this change in the scene will help renew other top tag teams in the division who now have fresh rivals to clash with. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson could be the perfect power matchup for Cesaro and Sheamus. Enzo Amore and Big Cass should also mix well with the more comedic edge to the new face-heel champions.

Cesaro and Sheamus are great wrestlers, which is just what Raw's tag team division needs to succeed. They are hilarious together but also can be serious when it is most needed. It is exactly what defines Raw's tag team division so well.

Neville Has Just Staked His Claim to the Top of the Cruiserweight Division

Few wrestlers have felt as underutilized in 2016 as Neville, who has been almost absent since returning from a fractured ankle. The dynamic performer has always been impressive with his speed, striking ability and athleticism, and he is among the most captivating Superstars in the entire company.

Unfortunately, Neville's size has been his ultimate deterrent, which should be fixed by his introduction to the cruiserweight division, where he looks like the biggest and most imposing performer of the lot. At Roadblock, Neville introduced a new side to his persona—a dominating vicious heel who could run over the entire roster.

As a heel, Neville can play the most cold-blooded monster the division has seen, giving it the necessary element that will make everyone look better. His matches with stars like Rich Swann and TJ Perkins should define the entire brand and help it find a cohesive whole.

The idea of Neville reigning over the cruiserweight division as an indomitable monster willing to destroy everyone in his way is far too enticing of an idea to pass up.

Charlotte Flair Will Continue to Reign over the Women's Division in 2017

Credit: WWE.com

The women's revolution has almost just become the Charlotte Flair revolution, as she has been women's champion almost the entire time since she first won it on Sept. 20, 2015, with just three interrupting 20-day title reigns from Sasha Banks. After ending Banks' third brief championship reign at Roadblock: End of the Line, Flair is now a four-time Raw women's champion.

She remains undefeated in singles matches on pay-per-view, and it is hard to imagine WWE will quickly let that streak of dominance come to a stop. As she moves on to a new feud with Bayley, The Queen should remain an integral part of the division for a long time, perhaps carrying the championship for much of next year.

That said, it will be important for WWE to do more than it did this year with Flair by varying up her competition. If Flair vs. Bayley is meant to be a long-term feud, it must not be contested twice a month for the championship. Perhaps Flair will have to contend with a whole host of new women, as WWE has reportedly signed many major independent women in the last few weeks.

Either way, it would be difficult to imagine anyone reigning over the red brand in 2017 as Flair has in 2016, so it only seems fair to assume she will continue to tower over her Raw competitors.

The Status Quo in the Main Event Scene Has Not Changed

Credit: WWE.com

Sunday night's main event was a dramatic and high-impact step back. When Chris Jericho interfered on behalf of Kevin Owens and helped him retain the championship by disqualification, he fell back into his role with a confusing ease that also led predictably to Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns once more destroying both men in a show of unity.

While this familiarity is not a bad thing, there were promises going into Roadblock: End of the Line that this would be a final chapter for Jeri-KO, leading to more clean one-on-one title matches. Instead, nothing was solved, with more of the same underhanded victories and one-sided beatdowns.

The biggest problem with all this is that Reigns will remain entrenched in the Universal Championship scene while carrying the United States Championship on his shoulder. This only hurts that championship and takes away from potential storylines on Raw, as Reigns does not need that gold.

Hopefully this story for Raw is not staying too steady too much longer, as it is hard to get excited about another dozen clashes between Owens, Jericho, Reigns and Rollins in various forms.