For the first time in years, WWE Raw was two hours long, and the company made sure to pack this show in the aftermath of Bad Blood.

Gunther retained his World Heavyweight Championship in an incredible match with Sami Zayn in which the challenger fought his hardest but could not quite find the win.

Jey Uso successfully defended his Intercontinental Championship against Xavier Woods, but his celebration was ruined by a vicious attack from Bron Breakker.

Sheamus and Pete Dunne went to war in a Good Ol' Fashioned Donnybrook. The Celtic Warrior picked up the big win.

Rhea Ripley continued to set her sights on Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio, but she will need to go through Raquel Rodriguez to get another Women's World Championship shot.

It was a packed night for WWE, leading to a messier pacing than usual, but few episodes of the red brand have been more eventful in 2024.

Sami Zayn Flashes World Champion-Level Performance vs. Gunther

Sami Zayn may have lost his rematch with Gunther, but he certainly proved his previous win was far from a fluke. His resilient performance pushed The Ring General to his limit.

The main event was the best match of the night by a solid margin and highlighted the talent of both men.

While a third Gunther vs. Zayn contest would be welcome at any time, the bigger takeaway here is that both men are world championship-caliber talent.

If WWE has a clear plan through 2025 for the World Heavyweight Championship, it must include Zayn. The WWE title is less likely but not impossible, either.

While best bets to win the 2025 men's Royal Rumble match would be Roman Reigns, The Rock and CM Punk, Zayn might be the best option of all available.

The Underdog from the Underground can run with the opportunity all the way to a world title reign that can solidify him as one of the defining stars of the modern era.

No Need to Rush Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker Rematch

While Bron Breakker pretended he was moving past Jey Uso, he proved this week that the Intercontinental Championship and the titleholder are still on his mind.

Ideally, WWE would let Uso defend his gold multiple times, while Breakker could have rebuilt himself through a secondary rivalry.

This would have made the surprise attack of Breakker land with more emphasis. Instead, Uso's first title defense came off as a rushed angle that invalidated the previous challenger.

There is a real chance Breakker regains the intercontinental belt from Uso when they fight again.

Delaying the match would add an unpredictable vibe to the rematch. Instead, Breakker winning would be a waste of Jey's run, and Breakker losing will mean much less.

It is a lose-lose situation unless WWE finds a tactical way to delay the matchup for a few months. This would be the best path for Uso and Breakker.

Raquel Rodriguez is Main Event Star in Waiting

Raquel Rodriguez is back and seems to finally have the right role on the main roster.

After using the name Big Mami Cool in honor of Kevin Nash, she has found a role with Liv Morgan similar to Nash.

She is the quiet dominant bodyguard, protecting the heel. It is a sure-fire spot that can help Rodriguez stand out.

For too long, the 33-year-old played the smiling babyface with little success. Her size was the only redeeming element of her character, leading to multiple tag teams where she helped a smaller competitor.

While Rodriguez's size will be the focal point of her current role, she can play off Morgan well as the stoic defender who slowly outshines her.

By the time the story reaches its climax, fans will be begging to see her deck Morgan and step out of her ego-driven shadow.

WWE needs more main event stars in the women's division, and this is the best path forward to creating one with Rodriguez.

In-Ring Action Must Remain Priority in 2-Hour Raw

WWE found a way to make three hours of Raw work in 2024, more than any previous year, but it still came off as being too long most of the time.

Moving back to two hours on Monday nights is a great idea on paper, but the company needs to find a way to adapt without losing the roster focus.

In comparison to SmackDown, the red brand was far more focused on wrestling. The three hours allowed for longer matches each week, and commercial breaks were smartly paced to take less attention from the action.

This first week of two-hour programming on Monday came off as rushed in comparison. The women's roster got less than 10 minutes of in-ring time while even the Intercontinental Championship match was rushed.

Sheamus vs. Pete Dunne and Gunther vs. Sami Zayn got solid time, but commercial breaks hurt the flow of the matches more often than they would have during three hours.

WWE must find a way to keep the strong in-ring focus that made Raw the company's best show of 2024, even with less time.

Three matches over the two hours should exceed 10 minutes every week, and the time given should vary between the diverse roster.

While Raw has succeeded before, SmackDown has struggled with the same expectations in 2023 and 2024. The blue brand could also improve with this same consistent focus.