The Seth Rollins Show and Biggest Takeaways from January 7 Episode of WWE Raw

If there was any question who the face of WWE Raw is in the absence of Roman Reigns, fans got their answer on the first broadcast of the new year as Seth Rollins emerged as the flagship's new No. 1 hero.

The Architect was all over the broadcast, affecting several segments and leaving his mark on a show that otherwise failed to build on its own momentum.

Still, despite the disappointing final product, the episode left fans with several takeaways regarding its most memorable moments and stars.

These are just the top ones.

Early Chaos Gives Way to More of the Same

Seth Rollins and Bobby Lashley kicked off this week's show with a pull-apart brawl that reignited just in time to interrupt John Cena's back-and-forth promo with Drew McIntyre.

Dean Ambrose also made his presence felt, and Finn Balor put an exclamation point on the entire ordeal with a dive over the top rope that wiped out the opposition.

The first 30 minutes or so of Raw introduced a little chaos to a show often criticized for being too formulaic—and it worked. The fans in Florida were electric for the interaction between the Superstars, particularly Rollins and Balor, who have been the cornerstones of the red brand for the better part of the year.

Unfortunately, instead of building on it, the company went the tired old Six-Man Tag Team match route.

Even over the course of the show as a whole, it was unable to rediscover the spark it started with, leaving the three-hour broadcast to descend into the mediocrity that has plagued it for far too long.

There were bits and pieces of a better show to be had here and there, but the writing team's inability to put it all together and deliver a three-hour show that never gave fans the chance to cool down hurt it significantly.

Inconsistency has long been a major issue facing the creative team within WWE and unfortunately that reared its ugly head again Monday night, and the result was a so-so show when it really needed a blow-away episode to convince fans from switching the channel over to the CFP National Championship Game.

Seth Rollins Assumes Spot as Top Raw Babyface

From the get-go Monday, it was clear WWE Creative was no longer holding back on its desire to push Seth Rollins as the face of Raw going forward.

The Architect brawled with Lashley, confronted Triple H, pinned Dean Ambrose in a Six-Man Tag Team match and faced The Lunatic Fringe in an Intercontinental Championship Falls Count Anywhere match.

To cap everything off, he was on the receiving end of a beatdown at the hands of The All Mighty and left lying, ensuring his program with Lashley continues in the weeks preceding the Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

Rollins was all over the broadcast: An announcement from management to the WWE Universe that he is the focal point of the entire show for the foreseeable future.

That is not necessarily a bad thing.

Rollins has earned the spot through his work over the last year and has a connection with fans few other babyfaces on the roster can claim, including the No. 1 contender to the Universal Championship, Braun Strowman. He has never been elevated to this position in the role of a babyface before, though.

Four years ago, he was the face of WWE as a heel. Entire shows were booked around him. As a babyface, the question becomes whether fans are willing to get fully behind him to the point that he can excel as the lead hero rather than his trusty sidekick.

Only time, and television ratings, will tell.

Sasha Banks Should Be Main Event-Worthy Challenger, Not Throwaway Fodder

The sudden emergence from tag team repetition to No. 1 contender to the Raw Women's Championship has Sasha Banks riding a wave of momentum heading into Royal Rumble and her date with Ronda Rousey, which she earned by way of her victory over Nia Jax Monday.

While it is a welcome return to relevance for Banks, it feels far too much like a placeholder program than a genuine push for The Legit Boss, and that is a problem.

For as poorly booked as she has been over the last year, she still has an incredible connection with the audience. They want to see her succeed, and they feed off the attitude and energy she brings to her performances. She is a phenomenal opponent for Rousey and one who should test the women's champion.

Unfortunately, this feels like a stop gap for the former UFC star on her way to WrestleMania 35 and a showdown with either Becky Lynch or Charlotte Flair and that is majorly disappointing.

It remains to be seen how the storyline plays out or if Banks can force WWE Creative's hand and extend the push beyond the Rumble on January 27. For now, though, it feels too much like a one-and-done program and that may well negatively affect fans' investment in it.

50-50 Booking Dooming Elias' Long-Term Value

The 50-50 booking has long been a problem within WWE Creative in that it prevents Superstars from ever really getting over with the audience. Since turning babyface, Elias has fallen victim to it, threatening his ability to become a genuine star within the company.

Monday continued that trend.

A week after confronting and running off Baron Corbin, Elias battled The Lone Wolf in singles competition.

And lost.

Cleanly.

Sure, Corbin sent him into the steel post before finishing him off with End of Days, but that can hardly be considered cheating when it is a spot that has been around in WWE matches for the last 25 years. How can that finish possibly be considered a positive for Elias, who was building momentum for himself coming out of the holidays?

The musician has long been over with fans, dating back to his heel days, but he has not been able to build any sort of sustained momentum for himself since being called up to the main roster.

Losing to Corbin, who should still be reeling from his firing as interim general manager a few weeks back, only hurts matters and leaves one to wonder whether Elias will ever excel beyond the midcard scene given his current booking.