RAW ROSTER GUIDE:
Alberto Del Rio (heel) -- Del Rio's struggled to change his manipulative ways. From teaming with Blake and Murphy to Ortiz and Santana in pursuits of the WWE Trios Championships, now he's without a crew and finding his footing as a solo wrestler.
Baron Corbin (face) -- Rocking the ride hair and the Harley to the ring every week, Corbin's a mainstay on the main event level but is waiting for the right chance to win the WWE Championship.
Bobby Lashley (heel) -- Lashley just wants to prove he's the most dominant man on the Raw roster. He's claimed to be the real champion of Monday nights, wanting the fans to recognize him as United States Champion is more valuable than the WWE Championship. This is a big swerve from his earlier feud with John Cena over Nikki Bella some time ago.
Carlito (face) -- Carlito returned to WWE and has served in whatever role WWE needed for him. Carlito was last seen in a losing effort to WWE Champion Kevin Owens at Extreme Rules. After failing to capture the championship in June, Carlito has not been seen on television and there's no certainty as to why.
Cody Rhodes (face) -- The beach blonde son of the American Dream. Cody wears his lineage with great pride and wants to make his father proud, which made his feud with Kevin Owens in 2018 so personal. Cody doesn't take well to comments about his late father who transcended the industry, but he wants to become WWE Champion for his father's honor. Cody's fallen short in several attempts, but it's only a matter of time before a Rhodes is on top.
Dolph Ziggler (face) -- It appeared Ziggler would be on the top of the industry at the end of 2015 into 2016, but his moment has yet to come. But for now, he's getting caught by his old tricks with his latest loss at SummerSlam to Elias Samson, thanks to his new girl.
Elias Samson (heel) -- Elias recently arrived to Raw and the guitarist was immediately enamored by this woman with questionable intentions, Scarlett. Elias with a bright future and Scarlett might be good or bad for it, at least assisting him on the SummerSlam kickoff show with a win.
Emperor Roman Reigns (heel) -- Roman Reigns was the only member of The Shield who had yet to win a world championship, so he decided to turn on his brother Dean Ambrose in the King of the Ring tournament to become "Emperor" Roman Reigns. In the midst of building his empire in one of the hottest heel runs to date, real life struck. Roman has stepped away from the ring to battle leukemia. Get well soon, Roman!
Finn Balor (face) -- Finn is dangerous, but The Demon is unstoppable. Balor has stayed in the main event scene since he defeated The Undertaker at his WrestleMania 32 retirement match. Recently, he's even been able to offer his expertise to young protege Jordan Devlin.
Jordan Devlin (face) -- Balor is a huge inspiration for Devlin, and he might have started to become a bit obsessive with his favorite wrestler turned friend and mentor. But if Jordan continues to learn in Finn's shadow, perhaps his time will come.
Kane (face) -- This first ballot Hall of Famer was a prime target for a new group on the horizon, The Fallen. Kane was getting attacked by an "Impostor Kane" who revealed himself to be Judas. 24 hours after a loss to Judas at Stomping Grounds, Kane had a funeral held for him by The Fallen. Kane hasn't been seen since on television, but some say he's still handling his mayorial duties in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Kevin Owens (heel) -- JBL must be proud of Kevin Owens for a very Longhorn way of keeping the title, by any means necessary. After Owens cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase to bring the WWE Championship to Raw after the Draft, he's cut every corner and used his brains to be on top of Raw, even surviving the Championship Scramble at SummerSlam. Owens has taken things too far at times, criticizing the late Dusty Rhodes to his son Cody. If he continues that, karma will swing around and get him.
Luke Harper (heel) -- Luke Harper has struggled to find who he is apart of the Wyatt Family. The group failed to capture the Trios Championships at WrestleMania, he's drafted alone to Raw, and he's been on a losing streak. His last match was July 16th losing to Jordan Devlin before JBL expressed disappointment in Harper's performance as a Raw superstar.
Matt Hardy (face) -- Matt is also struggling to find his footing as a singles star at this stage of his career. He attempted capturing the Trios Championships with The Usos and failed. Matt has then wrestled just a couple singles matches, but most recently got attacked by The Fallen on last week's episode.
Murphy (face) -- Since Murphy broke away from a toxic friendship of Alberto Del Rio, he's shown glimpses of untapped potential as a singles star. Murphy nearly beat Bobby Lashley at Extreme Rules this year in an Ambulance Match for the United States Champion, but everyone is certain his time will come.
Randy Orton (heel) -- Randy Orton is coming off one of the busiest times. When The Authority was in charge, he was on top. Orton then walked into this year's WrestleMania as WWE Champion against career foe John Cena, but the night ended with Cena getting his 17th world title. Orton tried avenging his loss to Cena inside Hell in a Cell, but this was the last we saw of Randy Orton, perhaps healing from injuries and taking a much-needed break.
Rusev (heel) -- Rusev, along with Lana, find themselves lost in the mix. A match here and match there, but nothing huge to sink their teeth into in recent memory.
Shelton Benjamin (heel) -- Benjamin looked to use his veteran savviness to mentor Tashard Wiggins and Desmond Xavier in one of the newest trios to the Raw roster, but following a torn ACL for Wiggins and Xavier going undrafted, Benjamin finds himself without direction.
Shinsuke Nakamura (face) -- Is there a bigger fall from grace? The 2-time WWE Universal Champion was one of the key matches with Samoa Joe that got ended early due to Joe's injury, before Nakamura would lose the title to Christian shortly after. Nakamura gets shipped to Raw in the Draft and hasn't been as big of a star on Raw since, but he's another guy who could step in right away.
Alexa Bliss (heel) -- The 2-time Matrons Champion hasn't had much luck on Raw since getting drafted over to Monday nights. She hasn't had a real program to sink into with intense competition, taking losses to Becky Lynch and Paige.
Asuka (face) -- Asuka had a dominant run as Divas Champion that ended in February 2018, and since, she's taken a step back from the big spotlight. Instead of having a big feud herself, she's filled in spots in big matches with Becky Lynch, Paige, and the Bella Twins.
Becky Lynch (face) -- Becky Lynch has found her edge as the Lass Kicker, with an image from SummerSlam of a busted nose that might live in infamy. Lynch's character is turning into a more aggressive competitor that is a threat to anyone, including the WWE Women's Champion.
Emma (face) -- Moving over from SmackDown, Emma's picked up some big victories over Nikki Bella and Asuka in particular, but she also hasn't had a big feud to receive a lot of progression up the card. Appears to be a real Dil-Emma for her.
Mickie James (face) -- Taking that veteran approach, Mickie James can pop in anywhere on the show and be valuable, just bringing quality matches to the women's division. Though not expecting anything, she could get a Women's Championship match tomorrow and nobody would bat an eye.
Nia Jax (heel) -- Nia Jax has had several issues with kayfabe suspensions for actions against her peers and innocent bystanders. We aren't sure why Nia Jax is gone right now, but she was drafted to Raw and hasn't been on the show since. Her last appearance came on March 6th this year, losing a Matrons Championship opportunity to Becky Lynch in a Lumberjill Match.
Paige (face) -- The Anti-Diva is heading a new era for women's wrestling: emphasizing women. Paige, with the blessing of Lita, ushered in this new era with a new title at WrestleMania and she's fought against the norm to make this a reality, most notably retaining her title against Nikki Bella at SummerSlam.
Rubi Riot (heel) -- Rubi Riot has a newfound attitude and she's not taking a backseat to anyone. Rubi was out to destroy Becky Lynch, and though being unsuccessful, everyone expects this to continue. moving forward.
Bella Twins (heel) -- While Brie announced she was pregnant this year, this leaves Nikki riding solo. Nikki is juggling a lot with the reality shows, publicity commitments, and the dedication to preserving the Bella Twin and Divas legacy. She fell short against Paige, but you must be sure this fight didn't stop at SummerSlam.
The Fallen | Aleister Black + Damian Priest + Judas {aka Luchasaurus} + Viktor (heels) -- Viktor went away for a while and found three men to assemble in this mysterious, dark, sadistic group known as The Fallen. Perhaps the future of this industry, The Fallen are focused on the present. After getting rid of one of the all-time greats in Kane, and dominating The New Day like nobody has, who knows what's next for The Fallen except for Viktor, the mastermind behind it all.
The New Day | Big E + Kofi Kingston + Xavier Woods (faces) -- For 450+ days, The New Day have reigned as WWE Trios Champions finding little to no competition too big for the Power of Positivity. The New Day just keep doing their thing, having more fun than anyone else.
The Usos | Jey Uso + Jimmy Uso (faces) -- Faces painted up and having a lot of energy, the Usos have struggled on Raw without the WWE Tag Team Championships available to them but found a way to capture the titles at SummerSlam. Before then, it was trying to pick a trio out of a pumpkin patch.
Ortiz + Santana (faces) -- Brought into the WWE by Alberto Del Rio to be his next trio, it didn't take long for Ortiz and Santana to see through the Aristocrat's insincere intentions. They now sort through a trios division on their own as a tag team.
SMACKDOWN! ROSTER GUIDE:
Big Show (face) -- Big Show was heeling it up with Kane on Raw earlier in the year, but after going undrafted this year, he had a change of heart. Big Show would sign with SmackDown as an UFA and would wrestle a little bit, hopping in on unfair scenarios and helping the likes of Jeff Hardy in outnumbered situations.
Boogeyman (face) -- Ever since Boogeyman returned to the WWE, he's had a weird obsession with Sami Zayn, borderline stalkerish. Boogeyman protects Sami, and it was marketed as "BoogeyZAYN" at SummerSlam, but we're unsure if this will be a thing moving forward.
Cesaro (face) -- Cesaro has battled Sheamus in intense matchups this year, before deciding to be buddies and wrestle alongside him at SummerSlam against common foes, the Maple Leaf Mafia. But after main eventing WrestleMania 32 against Seth Rollins and getting close, you'd be surprised if becoming world champion still isn't on his career bucket list.
Chad Gable (face) -- Gable is on the sidelines right now with a knee injury while he watches his partner Jason Jordan thrive in singles action. It's worth nothing Angle drafted American Alpha together because he does believe Gable will make a full recovery and will be a valuable asset to the SmackDown brand.
Christian (heel) -- Scum of the earth. Christian can't quit bragging about retiring Kurt Angle at WrestleMania in their Career versus Career match, and he became over-the-moon obnoxious when he beat Nakamura to become WWE Universal Champion. Christian's doing the best work of his career right now and Edge has now ruined it by taking the title from him at SummerSlam. But honestly? Christian deserved it with the way he's acted the last several weeks. If Christian could say and do those heinous acts towards his best friend, who will he not to protect his spot on top?
Daniel Bryan (face) -- Due to a stipulation lost, Daniel Bryan can never challenge for the WWE Championship again. However, it doesn't mean Bryan can't wrestle at a world champion level. Bryan won a career match against one of WWE's best technicians in history Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 33 in 2017 and that'll never be taken away. Meanwhile, Bryan loves elevating the mid-card and performing in front of the live audience.
Dean Ambrose (face) -- Ambrose carries a lot of trust issues from Seth Rollins stabbing him in the back in 2014, followed by Roman Reigns in 2017. However, he's also the first-ever WWE Universal Champion and one of the faces WWE builds around. Honestly, he can't seem to escape his past with The Shield. After a nearly year-long feud with Roman Reigns, one Dirty Deeds through a cinderblock at WrestleMania to an intervening Seth Rollins has reignited that feud and who knows when that will truly end.
Edge (face) -- More than 7 years away from the ring, the impossible has happened. Edge has been cleared by doctors to return to the ring. And with a storybook moment at SummerSlam to win the WWE Universal Championship against Christian in his first match back, that sounds like the happy ending right? This story is only getting started, and it's being written by Edge and will *hopefully* end on Edge's terms a long time from now.
Fenix (face) -- Fenix makes his debut this week after SummerSlam and not many know what to expect for his first WWE match. Fenix was drafted as a prospect on Night 3 of the WWE Draft, where Raw and SmackDown could select any free agent or NXT talent. Dubbed as the future of lucha libre, and the greatest mask since Rey Mysterio, this rookie has a lot to live up to.
Jason Jordan (face) -- The unfortunate luck of Chad Gable might have unlocked a bright future for Jason Jordan. Taking his hand as a singles star, with the belief from GM Kurt Angle, Jordan has already found success with an Intercontinental Championship victory to his name and big matches each week. Jordan could very well be the future of the WWE.
Jeff Hardy (face) -- Obviously towards the tail-end of his career, he's navigating without his brother Matt. Jeff looks to find the same heights he did in his singles run back in the late 2000s when he became WWE Champion and was on top of the world.
Jinder Mahal (heel) -- Jinder Mahal returned to WWE as part of the Draft in the best shape of his life. Mahal officially had his return match against Dean Ambrose on August 7th, but lost to the former WWE Universal Champion. Mahal's second match, gets interrupted by the Neville and Jason Jordan feud. Mahal has yet to find a decisive win since his return, but he's back on the blue brand.
John Cena (face) -- After John Cena closed WrestleMania 34 as a record-breaking 17-time world champion, he shocked many by relinquishing the belt the following night on Raw, saying it was someone else's time to step up. Since, Cena has taken a role in building up the younger guys and having significant matches against the future, including Jason Jordan.
Michael Bennett (heel) -- The self-proclaimed "Silver Medalist" gave himself that moniker after he was the final man eliminated in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal this year. It's gotten old, but at least Michael Bennett can find humor in the fact he's been the "Silver Medalist" in a lot of 1-on-1 matches this year. It's a shame Bennett's General Manager Kurt Angle was forced into retirement this year, because there's a dream matchup waiting to happen between the Gold and Silver Medalists.
Neville (heel) -- Once adored by the fans for his moves and honest effort, Neville felt it was necessary to change and find this darkness inside to be successful in WWE in the year 2018. Neville's had notable feuds against Finn Balor and now Jason Jordan to show he is one of the best wrestlers, now a 2-time Intercontinental Champion.
Sami Zayn (face) -- Still recognized as a singles star, Sami Zayn has to figure out why Boogeyman has this obsession with him... or maybe it's best Sami Zayn finds himself far away from the worm-eater.
Seth Rollins (heel) -- Seth Rollins is no stranger to the main event, and likely has claim to the greatest superstar in today's game. A modern-day record 546 days as WWE Champion, in addition to a record 259 days as WWE Universal Champion, Rollins has been the standard for everyone else. The only problem is he doesn't see an issue doing every dirty trick to be at the top. The one moment he showed compassion for another human being, he got dropped on his head through a cinderblock at WrestleMania. Now there's no hope for Rollins to ever change.
Sheamus (face) -- Sheamus has notably lost some world title opportunities, hasn't had something to truly sink his teeth into notably, except the Cesaro program. Where does it go from here now that he and Cesaro have reconciled their differences and have a tag team win at the Barclays Center together?
The Miz (heel) -- The Miz is known to stir the pot and get to the scoop with his hit-show MizTV, but his hatred for Daniel Bryan couldn't be subsided for a moment at SummerSlam to fight a common enemy. The Miz likely didn't learn his lesson and will continue to get the tea on MizTV.
Triple H (heel) -- Triple H was literally at the top of the pyramid with being The Authority, but he lost control with his wife Stephanie McMahon for abuse of power. That abuse of power? Triple H inserting himself into a WWE Championship match at Vengeance and winning the world title. As a result, Vince McMahon took their power away and Triple H became an active member of the SmackDown roster by Kurt Angle drafting him. Triple H then tore his tricep at The Great American Bash and now is out an unknown amount of time. What will he do when he returns? Who knows?
Bayley (face) -- Bayley loves to be a Role Model for all the young girls in the crowd aspiring to grow up and be like Bayley. With her blow-up friends welcoming her to the ring, Bayley hasn't found much success in the ring past NXT. Aside from a short Divas Championship run, her 399-day reign as NXT Women's Champion remains the most impressive for her.
Carmella (heel) -- Carmella's main roster run has been short and full of sporadic matches. We'll have to see if Carmella gets into a real feud.
Charlotte (heel) -- Like Rollins has been for the men, Charlotte has been for the women. From winning the Divas Championship in September 2015 to the title being retired at WrestleMania 34, Charlotte held the championship 71% of that time (659 out of 931 days) across four different reigns. Now she's found the *now renamed* Universal Women's Championship and it looks like she'll hold that title just as long. You can't go a big PPV without having Charlotte on the show.
Dana Brooke (?) -- Whether on Raw or SmackDown, Dana Brooke seems to be an enhancement talent. No real attitude alignment and no real storyline progression. When she gets an opportunity, it's usually a letdown against a competitor she's not ready for, unfortunately.
Naomi (face) -- A lot of athleticism and promise hasn't shown much for Naomi. She's had a couple opportunities, but has fallen short in those. Maybe one day Naomi can break out of her funk and win the big one!
Nikki Cross (face) -- Cross is a complete wild card. She began by admiring Charlotte, but once The Queen turned on her, she's been let loose to her own devices. Everyone should be scared by that.
Peyton Royce (?) -- Royce is in a serious transition period. For the first time in her career, she is a singles star after Billie Kay's departure from the company. Can Peyton realize her potential and become Universal Women's Champion, or was she always a tag team wrestler?
Sasha Banks (face) -- It might be between Bayley and Sasha who has been the least successful of the Four Horsewomen if you go by championships, with just one single championship on the main roster, but you wouldn't know it. Banks always delivers in her matches and she's had many close calls, so it's only a matter of time before everything aligns and The Boss runs SmackDown.
Tessa Blanchard (heel) -- Tessa is the next coming of Charlotte. Both women feel entitled for their fathers' success in the Four Horsemen. Blanchard has impressed in a short amount of time, including a Matrons Championship reign, one of many more to come.
Depths of Despair | Akam + Rezar (faces) -- D.o.D. is one of the more impressive tag teams to enter the WWE in a while. They've made an immediate impact and have big matches against The Revival in their short time. The chemistry is there and the duo of Akam and Rezar are legitimate.
Maple Leaf Mafia | Tye Dillinger + Tyler Breeze (heels) -- A match made in Canada. The two Canucks bonded over their love for America, and most importantly, the hate for America and the opportunity they haven't been given. Dillinger and Breeze have discovered some chemistry and are making a run as a tag team after lackluster singles runs.
The Revival | Dash Wilder + Scott Dawson (heels) -- The Revival will, and have, taken every shortcut in the book in their tag matches to have a chance at victory and being the WWE Tag Team Champions. They've arguably been the best tag team because of how successful they are at bringing old school tag team wrestling back to 2018.
The Vaudevillians | Aiden + Simon (heels) -- Aiden and Simon can't seem to get many wins nowadays. They still hold fast to their old timey entrance and gear, but maybe they need to change things up if they'd like to win some matches.
Bray Wyatt + Erick Rowan (heels) -- With Braun Strowman out with injury and Luke Harper drafted to Raw, it's Bray Wyatt leading Erick Rowan on the path. The only problem? Rowan hasn't delivered as many wins as Wyatt would like in the ring.
NXT ROSTER GUIDE:
Adam Cole (heel) -- One-third of The Industry with the Guerrillas of Destiny, and the reigning NXT Champion. Cole also was champion for 402 days in his previous reign. His rights are owned by Monday Night Raw.
Andrade "Cien" Almas (heel) -- Affiliated with Zelina Vega, hoping to jumpstart his career and gets impatient about moving up to the main roster. Andrade's rights are owned by Tuesday Night SmackDown.
Angel Garza (heel) -- His rights are owned by Tuesday Night SmackDown.
Angelo Dawkins (face) -- One-third of the Street Profits. His rights are owned by Monday Night Raw.
Austin Theory (?) -- Newer to the NXT roster.
Carmelo Hayes (?) -- Newer to the NXT roster.
Cedric Alexander (face) -- Former NXT Tag Team Champion with Moose.
Dan Matha (heel)
Dave Finley (?) -- Son of Fit Finlay.
Dijak (?)
Dinastia (face) -- Renamed from Dragon Lee. Wrestling dually on 205 Live and NXT.
Harada (face) -- Renamed from Daisuke Harada, in a lackluster tag team with Kodama.
Jaxon Thielen (heel) -- Renamed from Josh Alexander. In a tag team with Logan Brigman.
Jorge Castro (heel) -- Renamed from No Way Jose. Very serious in the ring and questionable affiliations outside of it.
Josh "The Goods" Woods (heel) -- Partners with like-minded Tom Lawlor, aiming to win NXT Tag Team gold with their MMA background.
Keith Lee (face)
Kodama (face) -- Renamed from Yusuke Kadama. In a lackluster tag team with Harada.
Kona Reeves (heel) -- Blue-chip prospect who hasn't put it together yet.
Logan Brigman (heel) -- Renamed from Ethan Page. In a tag team with fellow Canadian, Jaxon Thielen.
Marshe Rockett (face) -- One-third of the Street Profits. His rights are owned by Monday Night Raw.
Montez Ford (face) -- The final third of the Street Profits. His rights are owned by Monday Night Raw.
Moose (face) -- Former NXT Tag Team Champion with Cedric Alexander, looks after him like he's the big brother.
Nick Aldis (face) -- Noble fan of old-school wrestling and tries to stick with the rules inside the ring. His rights are owned by Tuesday Night SmackDown.
Noam Dar (face)
Otis Dozier (heel) -- Newer to NXT in a tag team with Powerhouse Hobbs.
Pete Dunne (face) -- Recently lost the NXT Championship to who he originally beat for it, Adam Cole.
Powerhouse Hobbs (heel) -- Newer to NXT with Otis Dozier.
Rich Swann (face) -- A fun loving guy who wants to have a good time.
"Crazzy" Steve Marx (face) -- Former tag team partner of Abyss, after his longtime partner left the company, he's been riding solo.
Tama Tonga (heel) -- NXT Tag Team Champion with fellow Guerrillas of Destiny partner, Tevita Loa. Part of The Industry and his rights are owned by Monday Night Raw.
Tevita Loa (heel) -- Renamed from Tanga Loa/Camacho. See Tama Tonga above.
"Filthy" Tom Lawlor (heel) -- Teaming with like-minded Josh Woods in search for a tag team push.
Tommaso Ciampa (face) -- Loving his short time in NXT so far and is the first ever NXT North American Champion after winning the inaugural Round Robin tournament.
Tucker Knight (?)
WALTER (?) -- Brand new to NXT. His rights are owned by Monday Night Raw.
Wardlow (?) -- Brand new to NXT. His rights are owned by Monday Night Raw.
Zack Sabre Jr. (face) -- One of the best technical wrestlers in the world.
Bianca Belair (heel) -- One-third of the revolutionary women's trio who arrived together, The Clink.
Britt Baker (heel) -- See Bianca Belair. Baker is also a doctor.
Chelsea Green (face) -- Lifelong wrestling fan who gets her chance to do this now. Her rights are owned by Tuesday Night SmackDown.
Ember Moon (face) -- One of the more athletic women on the roster. Her rights are owned by Tuesday Night SmackDown.
Kairi Sane (face) -- Reigning NXT Women's Champion after WrestleMania weekend.
Lacey Evans (face) -- The only real "lady" of NXT, but the fans love her, despite her modest approach.
Lakyn Machisma (face) -- One of the jobbers in NXT who hasn't put it together yet.
Mia Yim (face) -- Mia Yim's traveled around the world and trying to prove herself in NXT.
Shayna Baszler (heel) -- Legitimately one of the baddest women, not just in NXT, but anywhere. Her rights are owned by Monday Night Raw.
Sonya Deville (heel) -- One-third of The Clink. All three have a bright future as a trio and potentially singles stardom later down the road.
Tegan Nox (face) -- Finding her footing on NXT.
Vanessa Borne (heel) -- Like Machisma, still struggling to find her place on the NXT roster.
