WWE Raw: Burning Questions to Address After Jan. 30 Show

Monday's Raw left us wondering just how WWE is going to put the WrestleMania 33 puzzle pieces together.

Samoa Joe arrived and obliterated Seth Rollins on the first Raw after Sunday's Royal Rumble pay-per-view. Triple H used the NXT star as an attack dog. And now, a match that seemed like a lock for WrestleMania may involve a proxy rather than The Game himself.

Roman Reigns' brawl with Braun Strowman on Monday night led to more uncertainty about The Showcase of the Immortals. Are those two bruisers set to collide at WWE's biggest event, or will one use the other as a WrestleMania warm-up?

Questions arose about Sami Zayn's title hopes and the direction of Sasha Banks' character on the post-Rumble Raw as well. Let's dive into each of those, projecting what's ahead for Raw's stars en route to WrestleMania.

Is Zayn Closing In on the U.S. Title?

Zayn outlasted United States champion Chris Jericho in nontitle action. Y2J had the underdog bent backward in the Walls of Jericho for a long time, but Zayn managed to escape and get the win.

WWE has often used a nontitle win as a means to put a wrestler in championship contention. Will that be the case for Zayn? Is a full-fledged rivalry between these two on the way?

For the longest while, it looked certain that best friends Kevin Owens and Jericho would turn on each other. The implosion of Jeri-KO would be right at home on the WrestleMania stage.

Suddenly, though, it looks as if Jericho might be busy fending off a rising star. 

Wrestling Observer Newsletter founder Dave Meltzer noted that WWE is prepping Zayn for the U.S. title:

That sure looks to be the case as of now.

Zayn now has a number of recent wins under his belt, including one over Rollins before Royal Rumble. Surprisingly, it seems like WWE is not forgetting The Underdog from the Underground during WrestleMania season.

What's the Plan for Strowman and Reigns?

The immediate future for Strowman and Reigns is obvious—the two hosses are going to try to kick each other's heads in. After that, who knows?

Strowman blasted Reigns on Sunday's PPV, sending him crashing through a table. The Big Dog paid him back on Monday when he speared him off his feet at ringside. In both cases, each ruined his rival's universal title opportunity.

A feud is underway, but for how long? Will WWE look to hold off this battle until WrestleMania? Will they meet at the Fastlane PPV instead, allowing one powerhouse to use the other as a stepping stone?

Reigns eliminating and then staring a hole through The Undertaker in the Royal Rumble match sure seemed to point to them meeting at the marquee event on April 2.

If that's the case, it's less clear what WWE would do with Strowman at WrestleMania. And in an effort to propel Reigns, would the company let him chop down its red-hot behemoth? 

WWE has committed to Reigns like no other New Era star. It wouldn't be a shock if WWE pushed aside Strowman to send Reigns soaring before a bout with Undertaker. And even with all the momentum he has stockpiled in the last six months, Strowman is in danger of being neglected at The Show of Shows.

Is The Boss Set to Turn Heel?

Banks flashed her dark side on Monday's Raw.

After a trainer taped up her injured knee, The Boss prepped herself for a battle with Nia Jax. Out of concern, Banks' buddy, Bayley, tried to talk her out of it. 

Banks snarled at the idea of backing down from a fight. "Unlike some people, I am not OK with coming up short," she said.

That was a clear shot at Bayley.

Snapping at your friend isn't exactly villainous behavior, but the moment encapsulated what seems to be a shift in progress. Banks has been more aggressive and intense lately. The more she loses to Jax, the more likely she will embrace those characteristics. 

If Banks is indeed heading to heel territory, Hall of Fame announcer Jim Ross saw it coming from miles away. He wrote in his blog last December, "It seems to me that Sasha Banks will be a more viable villain with a need to cheat to win and it looks like that may be what @WWE is thinking as well."

The change has been a syrupy slow one, but that will only make the transition more powerful. If Bayley is champion at WrestleMania, she will find a more sinister version of The Boss charging toward her.

Where Will Joe Fit in the WrestleMania 33 Picture?

Rollins thought he was finally going to get his hands on Triple H. Instead, the teeth of a bear trap clamped on his leg in the form of The Samoan Submission Machine.

Joe announced his arrival to the main roster with a relentless attack on The Architect on Monday night.

Does that mean we're not getting The Game vs. Rollins at WrestleMania 33? Is Joe going to step in to Triple H's place? Or will the Fastlane PPV host the Rollins-Joe collision as a precursor to Triple H's involvement?

Part of the excitement surrounding Joe's debut is that WWE has a litany of options at its disposal now.

Joe can be the monster Triple H unleashes on Rollins to weaken him ahead of WrestleMania. The Show of Shows could be Joe's welcoming party as he stomps all over a former WWE champ. WWE could even hold off on Triple H vs. Rollins until SummerSlam while The Architect deals with the Samoan powerhouse for the next few months.

It seems unlikely that WWE won't insert Triple H into the WrestleMania lineup, but if Undertaker, Brock Lesnar, Goldberg and Shane McMahon all get involved, it would be a perfect time for The Game to step aside to make way for Joe's march onto center stage.