What Do I Want Out Of This Year’s Raw/Smackdown After WrestleMania Shows?
*By Request*
“hey bro, I was wondering if I could make a request for a column? do you think you could write about what you want to see happen at wrestlemania and also what you want to see happen on the episodes of raw and smackdown that take place after wrestlemania?”
Because this is my column, and I can do what I want with it, not only am I going to fulfill this request, but I’m going to do it in two installments. I know it isn’t in chronological order, but I’m covering the Raw and Smackdown episodes this week, and I’ll look at WrestleMania itself either next week or later later this month, depending on my schedule.
So… what do I want to see happen on the Raw and Smackdown after Mania episodes?
First and foremost, I want to see fun and excitement. For too many years at the end of Vince McMahon’s tenure with WWE, the television episodes after WrestleMania lost all of their luster, becoming boring disappointments that were difficult to get through. No different than the other 51 weeks of the year under Vince’s watch, really.
While I won’t sit here and say that Paul Levesque is the perfect decision maker for WWE creative, or that WWE delivers incredible television shows from top to bottom on a weekly basis, I will absolutely say that the current product is miles ahead of what it was before he took over. That continues to give me hope for things like this.
If we’re talking about specific things that I would like to see, the first place my mind goes is the return of Chris Jericho. Actually, let me clarify one thing right here and right now… if you’ve read my work, you know I have no desire to see Jericho return to the ring. I’m not one of those goofballs that hates on him because he’s in one company, and then praises him when he’s in another. I haven’t enjoyed anything he has done in AEW for a long time, so why would that change just because he’s in WWE? Sure, he would get some incredible pops in WWE, simply based on the fact that it has been nearly eight years since he made a physical appearance in WWE (he appeared on Raw in 2022 via video message to celebrate the 20th anniversary of John Cena’s WWE debut) and because the average WWE show is held in larger venues than the average AEW show, but what happens beyond those pops? I’m including him here on a bit of a technicality. I don’t WANT him back unless it was to announce he’s going to be a WWE Hall Of Famer, and since this fantasy booking is taking place after the Hall Of Fame ceremony, that doesn’t seem likely. Unless, of course, you think Jericho’s Hall Of Fame induction should be announced a full year ahead of time. Instead, Jericho is listed here because everyone will mention him if I don’t include him.
We haven’t seen Jericho yet, and while he’s obviously a huge name, I don’t want to see him wrestle on the WrestleMania card. He hasn’t been around for long enough to warrant a spot there, so having him return after Mania would make more sense to me.
While we’re on the subject of returns, I would love to see the return of Bianca Belair. A return for Chris Jericho is dependent on a lot of things that we, as fans, have no control over. He’s currently under AEW contract, and might remain under AEW contract for a while. He might remain under AEW contract for so long that he simply returns there and works for the company until he retires. A return for Bianca is also something that is out of everyone’s control. Outside of an appearance as a Special Guest Referee at Evolution, she has been on the shelf for almost a full calendar year after breaking multiple fingers on her left hand, but the ring finger on that hand is what has really dealt the biggest blow. She broke the knuckle on that finger, making her recovery process much longer than a “regular” break would’ve required. In the last couple of weeks, Bianca was finally able to have surgery on the knuckle, and she has begun her rehab process for an in-ring return.
Could she be ready to wrestle again by WrestleMania? According to a lot of the research I’ve done on the type of injury she has, and what surgery can do for it… yes, it’s definitely a possibility that she makes her return before WrestleMania, gets a spot on the card, and this entire discussion is moot. It would require everything in her rehab process to go perfectly, and even then, she would barely make the cut. That’s why I have her listed here instead. Instead of bringing her back for a super rushed story just to slap her on the Mania card, I’d give her extra time to rehab and recover, which would allow for a bigger and better storyline for her to sink her teeth into. It would make a ton of sense for Jade Cargill to successfully defend her WWE Women’s Title at Mania, and for her to brag and boast on the following episode of Smackdown that nobody can stop her, only for Bianca’s return to blow the roof off of the arena.
The return of Bianca Belair would be a boost to the women’s division. With that in mind, my next happening would provide another boost to the women’s division. This woman has made a handful of appearances on the main roster, but she has been a mainstay on NXT over the last few years. She has crafted a reputation for herself as being one of the most exciting young talents on the roster, and recently made waves (pun fully intended) for herself with a 51-minute performance in the Royal Rumble match. My next move would be the official main roster debut for Sol Ruca. Sol has had a few matches on Smackdown, but really, either brand could use her. Her best option might be on Friday nights, though. I think there are more paths to success for her on Smackdown, even with the return of Bianca Belair that we’ve already mentioned.
With the recent split of Sol Ruca and Zaria in NXT, I would assume we’re building to a match between the two at either Vengeance Day or Stand & Deliver. That would presumably free her up for the main roster in the immediate aftermath of WrestleMania weekend.
In a similar mindset, let’s also go with the main roster debut for “All Ego” Ethan Page. Not only is he more than ready for a main roster run, but he just dropped his NXT North American Title to Myles Borne. I would expect a title rematch at some point… again, perhaps at Vengeance Day or Stand & Deliver… but then he’ll be good to transition.
The easy call would be for Page to continue his work with Chelsea Green. They’ve been a great pairing, and with Chelsea currently nursing a broken ankle, the addition of Ethan Page is precisely the jolt that her act needs at the moment.
Now, if there’s one thing that has me cautious about this move, it’s the other moves I’ve listed here. Bianca Belair is almost sure to be returning to Smackdown when she comes back. I have Sol Ruca as an official member of the Smackdown roster, too, and now, I have Ethan Page making his way to the “blue brand.” I’m well aware that returns and call-ups don’t have to be evenly distributed between Raw and Smackdown. It’s just something that gives me pause.
Ultimately, I figured that Smackdown could/would use the extra additions, as they have the longer runtime every week.
The next thing I’m looking to see is a general request. I want to see a title change of some sort. It doesn’t even matter what title changes, to be honest. Last year, Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez beat Becky Lynch and Lyra Valkyria on the Raw After Mania to win back the Women’s Tag Team Titles that they lost the night before. Four days later, the Smackdown After Mania saw Zelina Vega beat Chelsea Green to win the Women’s United States Title. They were the first title changes on these specific episodes of WWE television since Bron Breakker beat Dolph Ziggler to win the NXT Title on the Raw after WrestleMania 38 in 2022.
Title changes on television are special to begin with, but when they happen on these episodes, it’s even better, as more eyeballs are watching and the live crowds are insanely amped up for everything. It guarantees a big reaction, no matter what title is changing hands, and no matter who is winning it.
Next on my list is something that is probably the least likely of anything I’m asking for, but you’ve gotta risk it for the biscuit, as they say. We all know WWE loves to make a big splash, and they often do that by tapping in and working with celebrities from outside of the pro wrestling world. Well, as of right this moment, there aren’t too many celebrities that would make a bigger splash for WWE than the return of Bad Bunny would create. Fresh off of a performance at the Super Bowl Halftime Show that was seen by approximately 800 gazillion people, Benito’s return to WWE would make news all over the place.
His schedule currently allows for it, too. Right now, he’s on his Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour. Well, kind of. The tour is on hiatus until May 22nd, when he will be performing in Barcelona, Spain. With a schedule that open, it would behoove WWE to bring him in.
But what would he do if he returned?
Folks… it’s time. Whether you like it or not… it’s time. We need Bad Bunny vs Logan Paul. No, not on Raw, but that’s when things should be set up. How about planting the seeds for a match between the two at SummerSlam? Bad Bunny’s tour comes to an end ten days before this year’s two-night SummerSlam, so he’d be free to make it happen.
If there’s a problem to that scenario, it would be that his tour dates would probably make it very difficult for him to make any more physical appearances on WWE programming between the night after WrestleMania and SummerSlam. He has almost every Monday night off during that span, but it’s asking a lot for him to tour internationally, make one flight to the United States for a Monday Night Raw appearance, and then fly back to Spain or France or Poland for another concert the next night.
He could easily do pre-taped stuff to air on Raw, but if WWE is feeling froggy, they could easily do an angle where Logan Paul shows up to film content in whatever city Benito is in at the time. You know the deal… the type of video that would immediately go viral on social media. Imagine footage of Bad Bunny killing it in a sold-out concert, only to be attacked by Logan after the show or at his hotel.
Either way, that’s not my job. It would be on WWE to figure out how to keep building and promoting a match for three-and-a-half months while one of the competitors isn’t really able to do it in person. All I know is that Bad Bunny vs Logan Paul would instantly become the biggest pro wrestling match of all-time when it comes to overall reach and mainstream attention. If you don’t think WWE would trip all over themselves to set something like that up, I don’t know what to tell you.
Now, we have reached my final request.
For years, the episodes of Raw and Smackdown after WrestleMania have provided memorable moments, but also a clear indication of the company’s direction in the post-Mania landscape. It has often been said that WrestleMania is essentially like a “season finale” for the company, with a year’s worth of storylines often wrapping up, and the following week of television is like a “season premiere” that sets the stage for the next stretch of time, if not the next 12 months outright.
Hunter Hearst Helmsley reshaping Degeneration X in his image in 1998. Brock Lesnar returning to pro wrestling in 2012. John Cena and The Rock setting up a year-long build for their mega match in 2011. Goldberg making his WWE debut in 2003 and targeting The Rock as “next.” Shawn Michaels turning face after being attacked by Sycho Sid in 1995. Bret “The Hitman” Hart planting the seeds for The Hart Foundation in 1997. Brock Lesnar making his debut in 2002. Mankind making his debut in 1996. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Triple H forming The Two Man Power Trip in 2001.
The list goes on and on.
We need something like that again. These episodes are the biggest and most promoted episodes of television that WWE does all year long. Why wouldn’t you present some sort of “hook” to keep people coming back the next week, the week after that, and so on?
If you search in every corner of Hailee Steinfeld’s internet, you’ll see a lot of the same two stories, either by prediction or hopeful thinking… a heel turn for Cody Rhodes or a heel turn for Randy Orton. Personally, I like both options, and wouldn’t mind seeing either of them happen, whether it’s at WrestleMania, on television the week after WrestleMania, or any other point in the not-too-distant future.
However, we’re talking about something big here. Something that will rock the entire foundation of the WWE product. No offense to Randy Orton, but that isn’t describing a heel turn from him. He’s an amazing heel, and I have zero doubt in my mind that he could be one again tomorrow if he turned, but how many times have we seen him as a major heel in WWE over the last 24 years?
While Cody has been a heel in WWE before, he has never been a heel in this current incarnation. This isn’t a “Dashing” Cody Rhodes heel run we’re talking about, nor is it a Stardust heel run. To see this version of Cody Rhodes… the version that has been setting WWE and the WWE Universe on fire for the last four years… as a dastardly heel could be incredible. Because of that, I’m going to say that my final request here is a Cody Rhodes heel turn.
How would you make it happen?
From what I’ve seen, a popular pick would be for Orton to defeat Cody at WrestleMania, becoming a 15-time World Champion. Then, on the Smackdown After Mania, we get the turn for Cody. I’ve seen people say that Cody should request a rematch on Smackdown, only for Randy to basically play the “I’m too old to wrestle again right away, so maybe another time, kid” card. There’s also the prediction where Cody is in full blown “Politician Cody” mode, saying all the nice things about Randy and everything Randy has done for his career, only to lay him out after the fact.
Whatever leads it to happen, a Cody Rhodes heel turn is something that, if done right, can help to propel the overall WWE product forward over the next few months, if not the next few years. As we saw with John Cena’s heel turn last year, though, that “if done right” part is huge. What do I always say? It’s all about the follow up and the follow through.
What are some things you’re looking forward to seeing during the Raw and Smackdown After WrestleMania episodes? You can be as specific as you want. As always, feel free to hit me up in the comments section below, on Twitter (@HustleTheSavage), or on Bluesky (@aaronhyden.bsky.social), and let me know what’s on your mind.
Now, let’s switch it over to my Weekly Power Rankings, before I close things out with the list of songs I was listening to as I put this column together.
Weekly Power Rankings
Drew McIntyre vs Cody Rhodes: Another week of having a pay-per-view main event quality match on television. This time, it was for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Over the last month or so, we’ve seen so many different rumors and reports about what direction WWE wanted to go in for the Undisputed WWE Title at WrestleMania, and because of those different rumors, there was a lot of intrigue on what would happen here. Honestly, it’s that intrigue that separates this match from the next match on the list. Both great matches, but one came with zero mystery surrounding the outcome, and the other had a handful of possibilities.
MJF vs Kevin Knight: Like I said, this was a great match, and a showcase outing for Kevin Knight, but there was absolutely zero mystery over who was going to win. I do like what Knight brings to the table, and I do think that this is proof he can “hang” in a featured singles spot in the main event scene, but this was certainly not going to be his time.
Claudio Castagnoli vs Konosuke Takeshita: We’ve seen a bunch of reports that CMLL has either requested or demanded that Claudio, the reigning CMLL World Heavyweight Champion, not lose on AEW programming while he has the title. It’s weird, because he has been on the losing end of a handful of matches, including two singles bouts, since winning the title. I guess that means there isn’t much truth to the reports. Once it was announced that this match would be non-title, it seemed to choreograph the result a bit, especially since it isn’t like Takeshita is taking a ton of losses on AEW programming. Still a banger of a match, though, and I guess that’s what counts here.
CM Punk & Roman Reigns: Really entertaining promo segment from both men, as they truly began to build for their match at WrestleMania. Roman was very solid, but it was Punk’s promo that will probably be remembered the most. He was on a roll already, but his line about burying Roman next to Roman’s father so that he (Roman) wouldn’t be lonely anymore was the “oooooh” moment that has everyone talking. How many times in the last six-ish years have we seen anyone say anything to Roman that left him completely speechless? Anyone else have a sneaking suspicion that Roman will be bringing up the recent passing of Punk’s dog, Larry, soon?
FTR vs Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz: As I’ve said before, FTR seems to do some of their best work against teams that have in-ring styles that are polar opposite to their own. Well, it’s hard to find teams with more of a differing style than these two. It’s yet another match with zero mystery surrounding the outcome, as FTR have a big-time defense of their AEW Tag Team Titles against The Young Bucks at Revolution this weekend, but at least the match was a lot of fun.
Dominik Mysterio vs Penta: Did you know this was Penta’s seventh attempt at becoming the Intercontinental Champion since making his debut in January 2025? Technically, it was his seventh attempt since the end of March 2025, when he had his first one. Seventh time’s the charm, it would seem. Another entertaining match between these two, but the curse that Danhausen put on Dom before the match was too much to overcome. More on that later.
Izzi Dame vs Tatum Paxley: These two have done a really good job getting the NXT crowds invested in their storyline, and we got the big payoff at Vengeance Day. Tatum finally got her big revenge on The Culling by defeating Izzi to take her NXT Women’s North American Title. Good stuff here, done before an appreciative crowd.
Jon Moxley vs Hechicero: I’ll say it again… Mox seems to be at that phase of his career where he’s just working with any and everybody, making them all look good. If you want to say he doesn’t need to be working 15-20 minute matches with people who are clearly positioned multiple notches below him every week, I wouldn’t argue with you, but I do like that many wrestlers are actually coming out of losing to him with impressive performances that are opening the eyes of AEW fans.
Carmelo Hayes vs El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr: Super random having the AAA star showing up to challenge for Melo’s United States Title, but I actually like it. Melo has been facing people every week, and having an “outsider” show up every now and then extends his reign without having to make too many Smackdown wrestlers taking losses.
“Hangman” Adam Page, “Speedball” Mike Bailey & Kevin Knight vs Kazuchika Okada, Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis: If you’ve read my work, you know I have a checklist for matches like this. Let’s see… AEW? Check. Trios match? Check. That pretty much guarantees the match is going to be a lot of fun. This was no different. A lot of people were calling for Hangman and JetSpeed to drop the Trios Titles so that Hangman can focus on the World Title chase and JetSpeed can focus on trying to win the Tag Team Titles, but I don’t think this is what they meant. Now we have Okada (International) and Fletcher (TNT) as double champions in AEW. Chances are, the new champions won’t hold them for too long. Until they drop them, though, at least we’re going to get some more entertaining matches to watch.
Monday Night Raw Opening Segment: Seth Rollins using multiple distractions before finally showing up and attacking Paul Heyman, followed by Jimmy Uso returning and attacking Austin Theory. Heyman placed in an ambulance that was being driven by LA Knight. It was a bad night for The Vision. Count me in as someone who felt this entire opening segment was very reminiscent of the chaos that many segments during the Monday Night War would feature. That’s a good thing in this instance.
“Timeless” Toni Storm & Mina Shirakawa vs Megan Bayne & Lena Kross: I wasn’t completely familiar with Lena Kross before she arrived in AEW… if I had to guess, I’d say I’ve seen maybe three of her pre-AEW matches… but I think I’m already sold on her pairing with Megan Bayne. They look like a billion bucks together, and they come across as a team that is going to be next to impossible to stop. That might make for some very interesting matches and storylines moving forward in AEW.
Dragon Lee vs Gunther: If nothing else, these two have a lot of in-ring chemistry together. Of course, they’re two of the best in the business, so they can pretty much have good matches with anyone, but my point remains.
Thekla vs Thunder Rosa: Man, Thekla wins me over more and more every week. She has really found her groove, and she continues to stand out from the millisecond that she appears in front of an audience.
Tony D’Angelo vs Dion Lennox: Tons of action, starting in the Performance Center parking lot… aka the only place in the United States that makes Jackson, Mississippi look like a safe place… before heading backstage and then finally to the ring. These guys worked really hard here, but it’s definitely time for Tony D to move on, if not to the main roster, at least to the NXT Championship picture. He has proven, time and time again, that he can deliver in the ring, and now that he isn’t just a one-dimensional caricature of an Italian Mobster, he is ready to show he can handle a bigger workload.
Danhausen: I like Danhausen, but holy hell, his WWE debut was terrible on every possible level. His Raw debut, on the other hand, was perfect, and was the way he should’ve showed up in the first place. He was able to showcase his sense of humor and comedic timing, and he got his “curse” over in one night. By the time he arrived for his Smackdown debut, he already had the crowd finishing his “you are cursed” line along with him. Good stuff.
David Finlay: WWE supposedly had an offer on the table for the man, where they would bring him in to NXT as the leader of the new Birthright stable full of second-generation wrestlers (technically, Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo is about to be married to Santino Marella’s daughter, Arianna Grace, which would make him second-generation by marriage, but whatever). Ultimately, he decided to go with what is rumored to be a more financially lucrative offer with AEW. In NXT, he would’ve been able to work alongside his brother, Brogan, known as Uriah Connors on the brand, as well as his father, Fit, who remains at the Performance Center in a trainer role. He chose to work with his Bullet Club War Dogs stablemates, Gabe Kidd and Clark Connors, instead. The man is making more money to wrestle what will probably be less dates. Hard to argue against that.
This Week’s Playlist: “No Need For Leavin” by Kameron Marlowe… “Perfect Time” by Gnarls Barkley… “3 The Hardest Way” by DJ Paul, Yelawolf & Young Buck… “Came From Nothing” by DJ Paul, Krayzie Bone & Seed Of 6ix… “OMG!” by DJ Paul, Yelawolf & Young Buck… “Get By” by The Brook & The Bluff… “Die For You” by From Ashes To New… “Two Lives” by The Narrator… “Death Before Dishonesty” by Bootleg… “BABY” by WanMor… “Please Don’t Go” by WanMor… “Run Up” by J Boog & Fiji… “Black Roses” by Inner Circle… “Hand In Hand” by DJ Quik, 2nd II None & El DeBarge… “You’z A Ganxta” by DJ Quik… “Bombudd II” by DJ Quik… “New York, New York” by Tha Dogg Pound & Snoop Doggy Dogg… “Give Me The Night” by George Benson… “Turn Your Love Around” by George Benson… “Foolish Heart” by Steve Perry… “Burning Heart” by Survivor… “When I’m With You” by Sheriff… “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” by My Chemical Romance… “Check Yes, Juliet” by We The Kings… “Good To You” by Marianas Trench & Jessica Lee… “Stutter” by Marianas Trench… “Sucka Free” by Tyler, The Creator… “I See Dead People” by Antoine Tate… “Jet Lag” by Simple Plan & Natasha Bedingfield… “Agora Hills” by Doja Cat
