SPORT NEWS: WWE’s New Super Faction Teased, Revival of Botched Storyline, and Raw Updates .giang

The December 23 edition of WWE Raw delivered another strong episode from the TD Garden in Boston.

Drew McIntyre cut a powerful and passionate promo explaining why he continues to target Sami Zayn and Jey Uso. In the main event, he defeated Zayn again before allowing The Bloodline to destroy both his rivals.

Iyo Sky stepped up on behalf of the injured Kairi Sane and defeated Natalya and Alba Fyre to advance to the semifinals of the Women’s Intercontinental Championship tournament.

Chad Gable made Akira Tozawa submit, but he drew the ire of former friend Otis once more for keeping the submission hold locked in past the bell.

Dexter Lumis tried to make a statement at the expense of The Miz, but The Final Testament caused a disqualification. The Wyatt Sicks and Final Testament continue to collide.

The Raw on USA Network era is almost over, and this show kept the momentum moving toward the switch to Netflix on January 6.

The Bloodline has created some of the biggest moments in WWE’s modern era—and pushed people together in shared hatred.

Drew McIntyre and Kevin Owens have both defined themselves by a mutual disdain of Roman Reigns and his Bloodline.

As WWE teases roster changes ahead of Raw’s move to Netflix on January 6, The Scottish Warrior and The Prizefighter could soon be on the same brand and find common enemies.

Jey Uso and Sami Zayn got the better of McIntyre in Monday’s opener with the numbers advantage, so the Scot could use an ally like KO, but he might also have another unlikely “friend” in Seth Rollins.

The Visionary remains a babyface for the moment, but he also refuses to let go of his hatred for Reigns and The Bloodline. If Rollins turns heel, he could form a new mega-stable.

Rollins has often thrived in a group and could form a new Shield-like faction of powerhouses that would take over WWE by aligning together.

If they did, this trio should be strong enough to take multiple top championships and rule over either brand, becoming a constant thorn in the side of Reigns, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes and others.

WWE has set a strong final four for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship tournament, and only one woman in that group should not win.

Lyra Valkyria has waited a major opportunity in WWE, and she would thrive as the midcard workhorse of the division.

Dakota Kai and Zoey Stark have not been treated as serious singles stars for a while on the main roster, and a title win could change their careers.

However, Iyo Sky does not need to go further in this tournament despite being the most accomplished wrestler in the semifinals.

The Genius of the Sky does not need to make history as the first women’s intercontinental champion. In fact, it would be a distraction from different goals for one of WWE’s best wrestlers.

Sky should be in the world title picture and a potential favorite for the women’s Royal Rumble match on February 1.

All three other semifinalists need this more and will fit the role better as the first-ever women’s intercontinental champion.

Chad Gable’s career trajectory has stagnated since he created American Made, and that was never clearer than this week.

After months of selling that he had moved past Alpha Academy, he seems to be focusing back on Otis.

This was a hot feud six months ago, but WWE has lost track of both characters since then. Even an invested crowd may not get as loud as they would have earlier in 2024.

This is one long-term story angle that hasn’t worked out in the modern era, and there’s hardly any opportunity left to salvage it.

Gable vs. Otis next week should be good, but will it be the moment in time fans hoped for earlier in the year? Absolutely not.

The Wyatt Sicks arrived with a bang at the end of the June 17 episode of Raw, when the group destroyed the backstage set.

The follow-up was low-key at first as each member of the crew got a separate video package to highlight their reasons for aligning with Uncle Howdy.

Since then, though, The Wyatt Sicks have dominated Chad Gable and The Creed Brothers but struggled to deal with The Final Testament.

This sounds fine in abstract, but the stories and matches are developing so slowly that it’s hard to get excited for what The Wyatt Sicks will do next.

Next year needs to be a bigger one for the group. There are too many members of this stable for them to be unrepresented on television for several weeks at a time.

The feud with The Final Testament has major potential to elevate all involved, but it should be as relevant to Raw or SmackDown as the weekly Judgment Day appearances.