WWE Raw: Potential Spoilers, Rumors, News and Preview for December 29

The Dec. 29 edition of WWE Raw rings in the new year with some help from Edge and Christian.

The former tag team champions head to the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., for the last Raw of 2014. While it looks like a number of big names won't be joining them, WWE looks to balance things out with a debut and a big return.

As 2014 winds down and the build toward the Royal Rumble picks up, a vengeance-seeking viper joins the fray. 

Twitter, various reports and James Wortman's five-point preview let fans know who and what to expect on Monday's Raw. Rivalries continue, the Royal Rumble field gets clearer, and Edge and Christian will be there to oversee it all. 

As WWE announced on Twitter, the two Canadian showmen are set to serve as guest hosts:

News, Potential Spoilers

Even with two big names coming back, the roster promises to be thin Monday night.

For one, Emma may be hurt. At a house show Sunday in Hershey, Pennsylvania, the Diva took a hard fall off the ring apron. A correspondent for Pro Wrestling Torch reports Emma was down for "at least five minutes" afterward.

Fan John Concha posted a photo of the medical staff attending to her:

Emma, though, later tweeted that she was OK:

Whether or not Emma is banged up, WWE's options are lessened for Raw. Several wrestlers will be 100 miles away from the Verizon Center. James Caldwell of Pro Wrestling Torch writes that WWE is running a house show in Richmond, Virginia, on the same night as Raw.

Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Kane, Bray Wyatt, The Usos, and Goldust and Stardust are all advertised for that show.

To counterbalance those absences, WWE is likely to welcome Randy Orton back. In storyline, he has been recovering from a Seth Rollins Curb Stomp and Triple H-ordered beatdown. In reality, he was filming The Condemned 2: Desert Prey, per PWInsider.com.

It looks as if he's done shooting and ready to start wrestling again. The Viper returned to the ring during live events over the weekend.

He interfered in the main event of Saturday's house show in Long Island, New York, per ProWrestling.net. And WWE shared a video of his appearance at Madison Square Garden on Twitter:

Orton's expected return to Raw means Rollins needs to watch his back. John Cena will have to keep his head on the proverbial swivel as well, as Brock Lesnar is heading for the nation's capital.

As Pro Wrestling Torch's Caldwell notes, "Lesnar is advertised for the show to continue building up his title defense against John Cena at the Royal Rumble PPV in one month."

Closing Out the Year

NXT's wrecking crew is set for its Raw debut. After a series of vignettes, The Ascension will finally get the call-up many fans have been expecting. 

Wortman announced on the WWE.com preview, "The former NXT tag team champions are poised to hit the ground running as they make their WWE debut."

Fans of their work at NXT will be paying close attention to how WWE presents Viktor and Konnor. The glimpses the vignettes showed had the duo looking more cartoonish and gimmicky than their NXT incarnation.

Monday's Raw should also showcase Dolph Ziggler in a big way. The Showoff outlasted Luke Harper in a tough Intercontinental Championship match last week. Wortman points toward Ziggler getting another opportunity to shine this time out.

He writes, "Ziggler will look to end the year in grandiose fashion. How will 'The Zig Man' steal the spotlight during 2014's curtain call?"

And although both Wyatt and Ambrose are booked for the show in Virginia, the WWE.com preview leads us to believe their feud will get ample spotlight as well.

Wortman hints at that when he writes, "It's cold outside, but Ambrose's blood is certainly boiling after his most recent altercation with Wyatt. Will these combustible elements erupt this Monday night?"

Perhaps the company has something pretaped it can air. 

The show should also feature a continuation of Rusev and Ryback's ongoing feud, more shenanigans from Damien Mizdow, and some amusing moments from Edge and Christian. Lesnar's appearance and the destruction it will likely lead to will be one of the bigger headlines coming out of Monday's Raw.

The split roster will leave WWE with fewer puzzle pieces to plug in, but there is enough talent to build a quality show. As long as the company doesn't have anyone dress like a baby, a la Big Show last year, things will be fine.