Bayley and Sasha Head to Therapy; Latest Rumors and Preview for WWE Raw July 2

A week ago, Bayley viciously and unforgivingly attacked longtime friend Sasha Banks, releasing a year's worth of frustration on The Legit Boss. Monday night on Raw, at the order of general manager Kurt Angle, the former women's champions will head to therapy to try to settle their differences.

While that figures to be one of the most prominent angles on the entire show, the continuation of the rivalry between Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler over the Intercontinental Championship, the build to Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley at Extreme Rules and the saga of Braun Strowman and Kevin Owens will all demand attention Monday night on the July 2 episode of WWE Raw.

With the help of the WWE rumor mill and WWE.com's official preview, we get you ready for what figures to be an explosive broadcast.

Rumors

Rollins and Ziggler tore the house down in the main event of the June 25 episode of Raw. The match ended with interference from Drew McIntyre that may have drawn a disqualification loss for The Showoff but helped him retain his title. 

According to a report by Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats, The Architect and the current intercontinental champion will have the opportunity to settle their differences at Extreme Rules in some sort of gimmick match.

For the overall in-ring quality of the show, this is a welcome revelation.

While there are some intriguing stories elsewhere on the card, there are not a ton of other matches fans can look at and expect to be blown away by. With the possible exception of Team Hell No's return to the squared circle and tag team title opportunity against The Bludgeon Brothers, Rollins vs. Ziggler is the surest thing to a great match the fans have to look forward to.

Ortman also reported the plans regarding the Universal Championship are up in the air, with no guarantee that Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar takes place in Brooklyn at SummerSlam, and as a result, the advertised match between Reigns and Bobby Lashley may be altered as well.

The idea that WWE is so close to its Extreme Rules pay-per-view on July 15 but still is not completely sure what its main event will be is a testament to the restrictions the writing team is experiencing in regards to Lesnar's availability and plans.

How this affects Raw this week and beyond is the question.

Does WWE continue to book Reigns and Lashley in a manner that suggests their match is a go for Extreme Rules, or will it back off and find something else for them to do, perhaps involving The Revival, who has split a series of matches against the babyfaces? 

With Lashley vs. Reigns already announced, one would assume the company sticks with that match, but given the fact it has already changed the main event once, all bets are off.

Stories To Watch

Last week, Finn Balor and Constable Corbin's partnership crumbled, costing them a tag team match against Kevin Owens and Braun Strowman via countout.

They came to blows at the end of the match and, coupled with the verbal confrontation earlier in the night and Corbin's pinfall win over Balor in a tag match two weeks ago, it appears as though they are on a collision course ahead of Extreme Rules.

With little in the way of gimmick matches announced for the typically stipulation-heavy pay-per-view, it should be interesting to see if Corbin forces the hand of general manager Kurt Angle and gets himself booked in a bout with Balor. 

The budding rivalry between Mojo Rawley and No Way Jose may be low enough on the card not to receive pay-per-view consideration, but that does not mean it is not heating up.

The NXT alumni traded insults on Twitter late last week, suggesting the issues between them are far from finished.

Given there is nothing else better for them to do, being on television and working together is a much better option for the young competitors than being relegated to the wasteland that is WWE Main Event. 

Preview

After witnessing Bayley's brutal assault on Banks a week ago, general manager Angle ordered the former friends to attend counseling or lose their jobs.

The WWE.com Raw preview hints that this may be a fork in the road "as pivotal as it is unusual" before asking if the relationship is salvageable.

Considering the aggression and intensity of Bayley's beatdown, and the tone taken by announcers as Bayley stood over The Boss, talking trash and hurling expletives, it appears as though Monday's counseling angle is simply the latest chapter in the once-lovable competitor's dark turn. 

The WWE.com preview also teases a war pitting Rollins and Reigns against Ziggler and McIntyre as a result of the conclusion of last week's broadcast.

If that is the case, it is a huge opportunity for Ziggler and McIntyre to build more momentum and credibility for their act while working with two genuine main event competitors who have been at the forefront of the brand for years.

It will only help change perceptions of Ziggler as a midcard star and elevate McIntyre to the top of the card.

A week ago, Strowman followed up a tag team victory with partner Owens by further tormenting The Prizefighter. He flipped Owens' car on its head, preventing the former universal champion from running away from him.

It is the latest instance of Strowman tormenting Owens, and with Extreme Rules right around the corner, the likelihood their story culminates in some sort of match at that show is high. Before that, though, expect Strowman to continue antagonizing Owens, making life miserable for the heel who has felt his wrath more than once since his arrival on the Raw brand as part of the Superstar Shakeup.