WWE Raw: Potential Spoilers, Rumors, News and Preview for April 27
Controversy carries over from Extreme Rules to WWE Raw on April 27.
Seth Rollins walked out of Chicago still clutching the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but he did so in a Steel Cage match where Kane interfered and Rollins used a banned move. Monday's Raw promises to address this situation and begin the early build to the next pay-per-view—Payback.
One bout is already set for that event. John Cena and Rusev will go at it once more, this time in an I Quit match.
The fans inside the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin, will watch as WWE continues to tell the story centered around the United States Championship. The show will also reveal what lies ahead for Sheamus, Naomi and the new tag team titleholders.
Backstage reports, Twitter and James Wortman's five-point preview on WWE.com provide a wealth of clues as to what to expect on Monday's Raw.
News, Potential Spoilers
For the first time since 2010, WWE will crown a new king. As announcers noted during Extreme Rules, the finals of the King of the Ring tournament will air on the WWE Network on Tuesday night:
F4WOnline notes that the tourney "will take place over two nights, starting tomorrow on Monday Night Raw."
Presumably, much of Monday's show will be dedicated to the tournament. WWE has to whittle down the King of the Ring field to set up the network special.
It's unclear who will enter the tournament, but count Daniel Bryan out. The company pulled his Intercontinental Championship match at Extreme Rules, citing on WWE.com that Bryan was "medically unable to compete." He's apparently still not ready to go.
PWInsider.com's Steven Fernandes reports that WWE has "removed him from appearing on RAW or Smackdown as well."
Paul Heyman is not expected to appear either. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Wrestling Inc), WWE plans to keep Heyman off TV until July. That's not surprising with Brock Lesnar's storyline suspension keeping him off WWE programming.
What has taken fans aback, though, is that Dolph Ziggler continues to tease a possible WWE exit.
The Showoff tweeted earlier in the week a long message that seemed to be a shot at WWE not respecting him. In it, he said, "You've got 5 months to prove that 'I' need 'YOU.'" He followed that up with another intriguing message before Extreme Rules:
Whether this evolves into an onscreen storyline or is hinting that Ziggler is wrapping up his WWE run, it's worth keeping an eye on.
Naomi offered a hint of her own on Twitter. Hers, though, is a lot more clear. She made it sound as if her feud with Nikki Bella is not yet over:
Look for Naomi to continue her pursuit of the Divas Championship, especially after a strong performance at Extreme Rules.
As for who else will show up in Green Bay, James Caldwell of Pro Wrestling Torch notes that "the advertised talent roster includes Rollins, Cena, Reigns, Orton, Bray Wyatt, Big Show, and Sheamus."
Extreme Rules Fallout
Cena vs. Rusev is set for Round 4. At the Extreme Rules pay-per-view, Lana convinced The Authority to give The Bulgarian Brute another crack at the United States title.
In his Raw preview, Wortman promises that "We'll learn more about what lies ahead for Cena and Rusev tonight."
That looks to include some fracturing in Lana and Rusev's relationship. During the bout on Sunday, Rusev sent Lana away for playing to the crowd. He then berated her backstage, leaving the normally verbose manager tight-lipped.
As for Sheamus and Ziggler's relationship, it most certainly will continue to get worse. At Extreme Rules, The Showoff won their match, but a Brogue Kick after the bell left him out cold, allowing Sheamus to force him to kiss his "arse."
Is Ziggler now going to be in revenge mode? Wortman hints at that in the five-point preview when he writes, "Ziggler isn't one to stay silent about injustices, nor is he one to let cruel misdeeds go unanswered."
Cesaro and Tyson Kidd will be looking to respond on Monday night as well. They lost the tag titles to Kofi Kingston and Big E in a surprise turn of events.
It's unclear whether the champs will jump right back into a rivalry with the men they beat. After all, both teams are supposed to be heels. Cesaro and Kidd, however, played more of a babyface role in Chicago on Sunday.
The tag team division will definitely get some airtime regardless of what direction WWE goes. The fact that Wortman writes, "How will Cesaro & Kidd respond to their defeat?" hints at that.
One story that is clearly not over is the one involving Kane, Randy Orton and Rollins. The ending of the WWE title match begs for a followup.
Orton will be incensed that Rollins used the RKO to beat him despite the move being banned. And Kane will certainly not step into the background of this narrative.
Take Wortman asking, "After Orton dropped the bout's 'Gatekeeper,' Kane, with an RKO, might WWE's Director of Operations retaliate somehow?" as strong foreshadowing.
It sure sounds like a messier feud is ahead. Is Kane going to be a role player in this rivalry, or is he about to move into the title picture? And what of Roman Reigns? He earned his way into contention with a big win over Big Show.
WWE has a handful of scattered puzzle pieces to arrange, and Monday's Raw will be the first attempt to do so en route to Payback.
