The season premiere of WWE Raw on October 16 was a packed show carried by some of the company’s best television wrestling in months.

Gunther vs. “Big” Bronson Reed was the highlight of the night as The Ring General managed to survive Mr. Nice Guy’s best efforts to retain the Intercontinental Championship.

Sami Zayn appeared for the first time in months without Kevin Owens, who was traded to SmackDown last Friday. He declared his intention to go after the World Heavyweight Championship and faced off with Drew McIntyre.

Finn Bálor and Damian Priest regained the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships from Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso with help from Jimmy Uso. The Judgment Day remain at the head of the red brand.

Johnny Gargano returned to action against Ludwig Kaiser. Without Tommaso Ciampa to help him, Johnny Wrestling lost thanks to the interference of Giovanni Vinci.

Jade Cargill appeared once more on WWE television before it was announced she would officially join the Raw roster.

This show was an exciting ride, relying upon the great efforts of the talent who continue to elevate the red brand with each performance.

Sami Zayn has waited a long time for his opportunity in the spotlight. He was the hottest babyface in wrestling in 2022 due to his stellar work with The Bloodline, but it was not his time when he challenged Roman Reigns at Elimination Chamber in February.

Without Kevin Owens, The Ultimate Underdog can finally get the singles run he deserves. He has already held the Intercontinental Championship, but he needs to capture the World Heavyweight Championship this time.

Seth Rollins vs. Zayn is an intriguing matchup, but it may not have as much weight as the Canadian challenging the man who dethrones The Visionary.

He is a top popular babyface and needs a worthy heel to fight. The story has already begun to build with Drew McIntyre, who faces Rollins at Crown Jewel on November 4. Damian Priest could also dethrone the titleholder.

Perhaps the most exciting option would be Gunther dropping the Intercontinental Championship, only to immediately take Rollins’ world title. The Ring General vs. The Ultimate Underdog would be money.

No matter who he has to defeat to become champion, Zayn needs this opportunity. He has earned it over 10 years with WWE, consistently overdelivering in important moments.

Johnny Gargano is already starting slow with another loss on his record, but it only happened because of the interference of Giovanni Vinci. One defeat will not tank him.

However, it has been a trend that Johnny Wrestling cannot win on WWE television and that needs to change quickly. Moreover, he needs to keep getting spotlight matches like with Ludwig Kaiser where he can show out.

Gargano still has the ability to put on top matches, but the crowd is not as excited for him as it was a couple years back. He needs a chance to win the fans back.

His real-life wife, Candice LeRae, is in a similar position. She has lost her momentum since returning to WWE and barely looks a serious threat in the ring. However, she can still go with the right opponent.

We may soon get Becky Lynch vs. LeRae as the test that could make The Poison Pixie with enough time. Gargano can have the same opportunity facing Gunther.

If WWE fails to let both Garganos show what they can do soon, though, they will quickly become background acts on Raw.

WWE has taken its time integrating Jade Cargill on the roster. She appeared on every show in the previous week, being showcased as a featured star choosing her brand.

Deciding upon Raw gives her a clearer direction for the future. She can build herself up until she can challenge either Becky Lynch or Rhea Ripley.

One of the crucial parts of Jade Cargill’s presentation in All Elite Wrestling was as a dominant force. She won her first 60 matches in the company, including capturing the TBS Championship.

Even if WWE is not looking to replicate an undefeated streak that long, it must protect her as a rising star. She is the rare woman who could legitimately defeat anyone on the roster.

That can only happen with the right build. It may take time for her to work at the level of the top women in WWE, but she can get there with further training, top-level experience and consistent presentation.

Gunther has been the highlight of Raw for a while, but his recent streak of matches has been on another level. His latest with “Big” Bronson Reed might have been the most impressive yet.

While Mr. Nice Guy has always been talented, he has not had a contest anywhere near this in WWE to date.

Gunther brought out his best in a career-defining match, and Reed left this match as a bigger star than he was coming in.

However, no one is consistently building up talent like the intercontinental champion in every performance. He is proof of the impact of in-ring action in professional wrestling.

There is no limit to the heights Gunther can reach in the future.

The Judgment Day control WWE more than even The Bloodline. The group defines nearly every single Raw main event and is back to holding all of the gold.

Even when the company teases moving beyond the faction, the stories pivot back. In the past two weeks, Dominik Mysterio, Finn Bálor and Damian Priest have all won back titles they lost a week prior.

The Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships have especially changed hands far too often. Bálor and Priest ended the reign of Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens at Payback on September 2, only to lose them to Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso at Fastlane five weeks later.

Now, just eight days on, Bálor and Priest have reclaimed the gold, leaving everything back where it was at the start of September.

Each title change has devalued the belts more without developing the key stories on Raw. The Judgment Day remain on top and could just lose the titles again to whoever challenges them next.

It doesn’t feel like anyone matters in the tag title scene, which is a waste of a talented roster. The only way to get back on track would be for an established team to dethrone The Judgment Day and move beyond the group.