WWE Extreme Rules 2012: 5 Things to Look for in Tonight's Raw Episode (April 30)

Well, that was awesome.

That's what I found myself saying after last night's Extreme Rules pay-per-view, which was in a rough spot following that great WrestleMania 28 pay-per-view, but may have actually topped it.

The three biggest matches on the card all really delivered, as did the show opener of Kane vs. Randy Orton, and Layla's return and Divas title win was a pleasant surprise as well.

It's not often that we watch two great PPVs in a row, but that's what happened in April. Now, however, it's time to move on from Extreme Rules and toward Over the Limit.

The next stop? Raw.

Here are five things to look for in tonight's episode of Monday Night Raw (April 30th).

5. The Fallout from Extreme Rules

A lot happened at Extreme Rules, and as a result, a lot is going to happen on tonight's Raw.

As is always the case with a post-PPV show, I'd fully expect Raw to feature a ton of fallout from last night's pay-per-view.

What exactly that means, we can't be sure.

But we have to think that we will see plenty of reaction to last night's pay-per-view from guys like John Cena, Brock Lesnar, CM Punk, Sheamus and so on and so forth as they address what occurred in Chicago.

Whether this leads to matches or the end of some long-running rivalries is up for debate, but the one thing we can bank on seeing is a jam-packed Raw that has a number of flashbacks and references to last night's awesome pay-per-view.

4. The Beginning of Layla's Run as Divas Champion

The fans in Chicago were begging for the return of Kharna, but they got Layla instead.

Layla, who has been out of action since last April, returned at Extreme Rules and defeated Nikki Bella to win the Divas Championship, mercifully taking the title off of one of the worst female wrestlers in the WWE.

As soon as that happened, I began to wonder what's next for the Divas.

It looks like Layla will be the new face of the division, but Beth Phoenix is still entitled to another title shot, and you have to think that Kharma is still lurking around these days as well.

Does Kharma return on tonight's Raw? Seems like a possibility.

Either way, though, I'm very intrigued by Layla's win and what it might mean for the Divas division. Perhaps we see her defend the title against Nikki on tonight's Raw, beat her and then usher in a period of women's wrestling that actually matters. 

3. The Beginning Phase of Several New Feuds

I think it's safe to say that we will see at least a new feud or two start on tonight's Raw.

Kane/Orton, Jericho/Punk, Sheamus/Bryan and Rhodes/Show have been going for a while now, and while Rhodes/Show is likely going to continue, it looks like those other rivalries are just about done.

Also, it looks like the rivalry between Brock Lesnar and John Cena could be permanently done or put on hiatus as well. Thus, that could mean that the WWE will put Extreme Rules firmly in the rear-view mirror and start building toward new Over the Limit feuds on tonight's Raw.

Possibilities that come to mind: Sheamus/Del Rio, Orton/Bryan and Punk/Lesnar.

Let's tune in tonight to see what happens.

2. The Return of Triple H

As we learned at Extreme Rules last night, Triple H is going to be a "big part" of Raw tonight.

In a backstage segment, John Laurinaitis was on the phone with Triple H, and he said that he will reveal what the two were talking about on tonight's Row.

Any idea exactly what that phone call was about? Not really.

But Laurinaitis and Triple H obviously have a ton of recent history together as the WWE's two most important on-screen authority figures, so it appears as if we could see yet another feud between the two over control of the company.

Given what we've seen (and are still seeing) between Laurinaitis and Teddy Long, I'm not exactly stoked about another potential GM versus COO rivalry.

That being said, something like an announcement about the WWE draft or a big "trade" could be cool.

To be honest, though, I'm not getting my hopes up.

1. What's Up with John Cena?

John Cena beat Brock Lesnar at Extreme Results, but the outcome of the match wasn't as important as Cena's speech that came after it. Cena deliver a heartfelt promo in which he hinted that he was injured and would be taking time off as a result.

There has been a lot of speculation as to exactly what's going on with Cena, with some thinking that he's legitimately injured (and has been for a while), others thinking that he's simply taking time off and more fans not sure what to think.

WrestlingNewsWorld.com has reported for a while now that Cena might be legitimately injured and taking time off following Extreme Rules, though, so I think that's the likeliest option.

But tonight we should find out for sure exactly what's going on, what the next step for Cena is and where that leaves Lesnar after their hellacious match at Extreme Rules.

And guess what? I'm intrigued to see what goes down.

Drake Oz is the WWE Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. You can follow him onTwitter and ask him any wrestling-related questions (to be answered in the B/R Mailbag) on Formspring.