WWE Raw: Potential Spoilers, Rumors, News and Preview for January 26

WWE Raw has been postponed until Thursday, Jan. 29 due to inclement weather in the Northeast.

Continue for updates.

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Raw Postponed Until Thursday

Monday, Jan. 26

WWE confirmed in a release that Raw would not be live from Hartford, CT tonight as severe winter weather impacts the region. Instead, Raw will air Thursday night on Syfy, but WWE will broadcast in it's normal timeslot on USA tonight at 8 p.m. EST.

Austin Hunt of Buzzfeed shared the release on his Twitter feed:

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Raw Preview After Royal Rumble

Monday, Jan. 26

Following an implosion at the Royal Rumble, uncertainty awaits the Jan. 26 edition of WWE Raw.

Boos drowned out Roman Reigns' celebration as the fans in Philadelphia rejected his coronation. Does WWE plow ahead with its plans for him, or does it find a way to insert Daniel Bryan as it did last year?   

It's time to start building for WrestleMania in earnest. As Raw travels to the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, that match card will begin to take shape. WWE has to balance that with getting the first-ever edition of Fast Lane in order and dealing with the pesky problem of angry, disillusioned fans.

A guest star and a returning former world champ may help in that regard.

That is if Mother Nature doesn't lay the smackdown. Josh Nason reports for the Wrestling Observer that, "Connecticut governor Dannell Molloy announced Monday morning that he is issuing a travel ban on state roads as of 9 PM EST Monday night due to a major snowstorm hitting the East Coast tonight through Tuesday." At the time of this writing, WWE hasn't said anything about moving or canceling Raw.

Weather permitting, who will show up? What stories will unfold? Backstage reports and Anthony Benigno's Five-Point Preview on WWE.com provide plenty of insight into those questions.

However, WWE may be scrambling to change its plans after Reigns got the Batista treatment at the Rumble.

News, Potential Spoilers

Monday's Raw may feature another Hall of Fame announcement.

Arnold Schwarzenegger looks to be joining Pete Rose and Mike Tyson in that institution. According to TMZ.com, "Arnold will be the next inductee WWE announces for their HoF's celeb wing." 

As for the Divas division, it will be lacking one of its top stars again as AJ Lee looks to be still unable to compete.

PWInsider's Mike Johnson reported that AJ was advertised for the house show on Jan. 24 in New Jersey. She didn't show. Per ProFightDB.com, the event was sans AJ.

It appears she's still hurt, working to recover from a neck injury. When a fan asked her on Twitter if she was 100 percent, AJ provided a succinct answer:

Johnson also notes that Layla El underwent surgery due to an injury outside of the ring and that "there's no current timeline for her return we are told."

Justin Gabriel won't be around either. WWE announced over the weekend that it had come to terms with Gabriel on his release from the company.

Those situations won't change what happens on Monday's Raw much. Gabriel has been a rare sight on WWE TV. Layla hasn't been around at all.

WWE may be getting back some star power in the form of Randy Orton, though.

Regarding The Viper's status at the Royal Rumble, Dave Scherer writes for PWInsider, "According to a few people that saw him, he was in Philadelphia, but not used in the Rumble."

Jonathan Bachman/Associated Press

The Pro Wrestling Torch's James Caldwell notes that Orton is advertised for Raw. That doesn't guarantee anything, as he was advertised for the Rumble as well. Caldwell also adds, "Additional roster members advertised include Dean Ambrose, Kane & Big Show, and Bray Wyatt."

Holding out Orton any longer would be a strange move. The tradition of having the first Raw after a pay-per-view feature big moments points to him storming back in search of revenge.

WrestleMania in the Distance

For the second year in a row, Daniel Bryan not winning the Rumble led to boos, non-PG chants and a flood of negativity.

Is WWE already looking to rethink its WrestleMania plans and looking to make a change at the top of the card? It's worth noting that Benigno asks of Bryan, "Does he have what it takes to maneuver his way back to The Show of Shows again?"

Monday's Raw will indicate what the company has in mind for Bryan. Who he clashes with and what WWE foreshadows will be the most closely watched aspect of the show.

WWE needs to realize that. If it simply tosses him into a feud with an upper midcarder, fans are only going to get more agitated.

The Rumble post-show clearly pointed at what WWE has in mind for John Cena. He and Rusev butted heads at a press conference Sunday.  

That's too big of a match to book for Fast Lane, but Monday's Raw should still see some WrestleMania seeds planted. That show's buildup is going to overlap and overshadow the one for the new pay-per-view.

About the Rusev and Cena situation, Benigno writes, "Might The Hero of the Russian Federation have further words for the Cenation leader?"

That certainly points to something happening between them in Hartford, but Rusev still hasn't had his big bout with Ryback. The Russian powerhouse may then have two enemies to contend with Monday night.

The WWE.com preview also teased another possible surprise guest following Sting's Raw debut and The Rock's run-in at the Rumble.

Benigno hints at that possibility, writing, "Might another Legend take a stand against the corporate power?

It will truly feel like WrestleMania season if WWE can bring in another big name. Reigns will be happy if the company goes this route, as it takes some of the focus off him, allowing fans' unrest to dissipate some.

Much of Reigns' time onscreen will surely be dedicated to his ongoing rivalry with Big Show. Their latest collision came at the Rumble, where Big Show teamed up with Kane to throttle the eventual winner.

The World's Largest Athlete remains a stepping stone for Reigns as he heads toward his date with Brock Lesnar. Benigno confirms that thought, writing, "Can Roman get past the giant and march toward The Beast in one piece?"

Credit: WWE.com

The bigger question is whether Reigns can get through the tidal waves of fan backlash. He has become the scapegoat for Bryan not winning again, much like Batista last year. WWE partially solved that issue last time around by having Batista turn heel.

The company has some key decisions ahead with how to better this situation for Reigns.