WWE Raw: Potential Spoilers, Rumors, News and Preview for January 19

On the Jan. 19 edition of WWE Raw, Hall of Famers and the men who once made up The Shield line the road to the Royal Rumble.

Hulk Hogan leads a collection of big names for that pay-per-view's go-home show. The spotlight will warm Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns plenty as well. They all figure into WWE's top storylines as 2015's first major event approaches.

The American Airlines Arena in Dallas plays host to all of it.

For what to expect on Monday's Raw—from who is absent to who will go to battle—backstage reports, Twitter and James Wortman's five-point preview on WWE.com provide ample insight. 

All-Stars on Tap

WWE is calling it "Raw Reunion." Monday's show is bringing together several stars.

As announced on WWE.com, a slew of big names are confirmed for Monday's Raw. Hogan, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash are headed to Dallas.

In addition, Ron Simmons, Jimmy Hart, Billy Gunn and X-Pac are set to appear.

With Gunn in attendance and Road Dogg working behind the scenes for WWE, might we also see a New Age Outlaws reunion? Road Dogg's tweet about the show may be a hint at just that:

There is also the possibility of reforming The Acolytes Protection Agency for one night only. Simmons will be in attendance and his old head-stomping associate John "Bradshaw" Layfield will of course be working the announce desk.

News, Potential Spoilers

It's now been two weeks since The Authority fired Ryback, Dolph Ziggler and Erick Rowan. With WWE needing bodies for the Royal Rumble, it's logical that the company would bring those men back in time for that event.

That may just be exactly what officials are thinking. PWInsider's Mike Johnson reported last week, "The early word we have from WWE Creative sources is that they will likely appear in some fashion on next week's Raw taping."

The report doesn't specify whether Ziggler and company would be competing in the ring.

Divas champ Nikki Bella may not be stepping between the ropes either. During the house show in San Antonio, Texas, on Sunday, Nikki didn't compete. Per PWInsider, Nikki was held out of the match "due to a hamstring injury."

A fan named Jocelyn tweeted a photo of Nikki at ringside with her left leg heavily bandaged:

No word on if this injury is something severe enough to keep her from wrestling on Monday night. 

As for the men vying for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at the Royal Rumble, they could be clashing once more. As noted by Dave Scherer on PWInsider, the American Airlines Arena website is advertising Rollins vs. John Cena in a Lumberjack match that features over 30 lumberjacks.

This could just be the dark match that follows Raw or a way to escalate last week's Authority-heavy Lumberjack match.

Dallas is also set to witness a big announcement. According to Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestling Inc) WWE plans to announce the location of WrestleMania 32 around Jan. 19. If the event is going to be in Dallas, it makes sense to let that be known in Big D for a guaranteed pop.

Rumble Hype

Monday's Raw isn't WWE's last chance to build momentum for the Rumble, but it's likely to be the home for the majority of the pre-PPV explosions. For Reigns and Big Show, that could result in a big match between the two.

Credit: WWE.com

Wortman hints at that in his Raw preview when he writes, "The goliath is surely anxious to get his hands on the powerhouse before the Royal Rumble match. Will we see a giant-sized collision between these rivals?"

They have been trading hard shots in recent brawls. Their next violent meeting promises to be a major part of Monday's proceedings. 

Any battles Ambrose has ahead of him will be done on one leg.

WWE has played up the injury "The Lunatic Fringe" suffered in his Ambulance match two weeks ago. He spent both his bout with Rusev last Monday and his tag team clash on SmackDown limping and hurt, yet fearless.

In the five-point preview, Wortman suggests that Ambrose is due for more of the same, writing, "There's no telling how he'll put his body on the line this week on Raw."

Last week, Rollins was the one issuing the injuries. He Curb Stomped both Cena and Brock Lesnar to close out the show.

Rollins has to now expect a response of the destructive variety. That looks to be in the works. Wortman writes, "The Architect had best be careful, as the ravenous Beast Incarnate will be looking for payback."

Those stories combine with all the stars headed to Dallas for a Raw with promise. And that's not even considering that WWE now has Daniel Bryan to plug into the card, an in-ring maestro back to composing excellence.