New Star Will Get Over Quickly with WWE Fans, Booking AEW Heel Turn, More Quick Takes

The announcement of three major matches has led to a surge in fan excitement for the first WWE Raw on Netflix on Jan. 6, along with everything else expected to transpire on the stacked show.

The arrival in WWE of a notable name was strongly suggested to be taking place that night following a cryptic vignette that aired on Dec. 16, and if it is the former All Elite Wrestling star viewers hope it is, it won't take long for them to get over with the audience.

Ricochet, meanwhile, has failed to make a significant splash since signing with AEW at the end of the summer. His first few months were built around his highly anticipated rematch with Will Ospreay, but once that came and went, he lost a lot of his luster as the attraction he should have been.

However, his recent heel turn will go a long way in allowing him to show another side to his personality and putting him in a position to shine as an upper-echelon competitor.

This installment of Quick Takes will discuss Ricochet's redemption as a villain, how a Bianca Belair vs. Naomi feud can be mutually beneficial, Logan Paul joining the Raw roster, and more.

Rey Fenix reportedly remaining under contract to AEW rules out a Lucha Brothers reunion at any point in the foreseeable future, but it does give his tag team partner, Penta El Zero Miedo, the chance to test the waters in WWE as a singles star.

Fenix and Penta spent virtually their entire tenure together in AEW in the tag team ranks. Both are more than capable of excelling on their own, which is why WWE shouldn't hesitate to give the latter an aggressive singles push if the recent Raw vignettes are intended for his imminent arrival.

In addition to being excellent in the ring, the 39-year-old has a certain charisma that will make him an instant fan favorite. His first appearance being saved for the Netflix premiere on Jan. 6 indicates WWE has high hopes for him as well.

It's unknown what the Raw roster will look like once the trade window is over, but there are any number of marquee matchups he can have with the current crop of competitors.

Getting him into a high-profile program with a Superstar the caliber of Bron Breakker, Sheamus or Rey Mysterio would establish him as one to watch this WrestleMania season.

Bianca Belair's pursuit of Jade Cargill's mystery attacker continues, though all signs point to Naomi eventually being revealed as the one who put The Storm on the shelf.

In Cargill's absence, Naomi has stepped up as Belair's new tag team partner and apparently one-half of the WWE women's tag team champions. In storyline, The Glow isn't considered a likely suspect because of her babyface nature, but a heel turn is exactly what she could use right now.

From strong showings in women's Money in the Bank and WarGames to various championship opportunities, the 37-year-old has had a terrific comeback year in 2024. Her shortcomings should catch up to her soon in the form of a heel turn, if only to switch up her stagnant character.

It's the perfect program for both women on the Road to WrestleMania.

Naomi would finally have an extended storyline as a singles star, while Belair has something she can sink her teeth into as well.

Belair vs. Naomi is a logical 'Mania match if Cargill isn't cleared to compete in time for April 19-20, especially if WWE holds off on The Glow's betrayal of The EST of WWE.

Despite teasing retirement from the ring during a recent episode of Impaulsive, Logan Paul made his presence felt when he returned during the Raw on Netflix Kickoff event at WWE HQ on Dec. 18.

It was there that he declared himself as the newest member of the Raw roster and officially put world heavyweight champion Gunther on notice. It was an odd match to plant the seeds for if there aren't any active plans for them to clash in the coming months.

The YouTuber is no stranger to challenging for and even holding gold in WWE. He was unsuccessful in world title matches at Crown Jewel 2023 and King and Queen of the Ring 2024 and did little with the United States Championship over a nine-month span.

Paul has no reason to be in championship contention anytime soon, but he does have great value to the company if utilized properly. One idea would be for him to face John Cena as part of the WWE icon's farewell tour, potentially at WrestleMania 41.

Elsewhere on Raw, a program with CM Punk would have potential. Gunther vs. Paul would most likely deliver, but the heel vs. heel dynamic would prevent the feud from being anything other than a quick one-off.

The World Tag Team Championship has been greatly devalued for long enough that it's difficult to see War Raiders' title win on the Dec. 16 edition of Raw as a strong indicator that change is coming and the division will be much more of a priority going forward.

Splitting up the tag titles between Raw and SmackDown has so far proved to be a step backward for tag team wrestling in WWE.

The WWE Women's Tag Team Championship has been defended throughout the year by Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill, but neither the world nor WWE tag team titles have been defended a single time on a premium live event all year.

WWE has no shortage of teams for War Raiders to work with on Monday nights, but the booking will be extra imperative in order for them to maintain momentum following their main event win on last week's Raw.

If Erik and Ivar disappear from programming and defend the belts as infrequently as The Judgment Day did, War Raiders being champs will not make a difference in the slightest.

WWE should take full advantage of this opportunity to send the message that it plans to get Raw's tag team scene back to prominence.

Ricochet has been far from "buried" in AEW over the last four months, but it wouldn't be accurate to say he's been any better off than he was in WWE toward the end of his time there.

Although the 36-year-old has been showcased regularly as a special talent in the ring, he's failed to connect with the audience in a meaningful way or settle into a storyline that has stood out. He'll improve on the mic with more reps, but the handling of his character hasn't exactly been ideal.

The Hurt Syndicate rejecting his services on last week's Dynamite was the lowest he's looked thus far, but turning him heel seems to be the quick solution to his recent woes.

His Continental Classic match against Will Ospreay on Collision was hotter than their last encounter, and Ricochet played the heel role exceptionally well. He also managed to walk away with the win and elicit strong heat from the crowd for doing so.

Ricochet hasn't been the bad guy in many years and perhaps that's what's been missing from his presentation. Regardless of the end result, the character shift is worth experimenting with in an effort to salvage whatever fanfare he has left.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.