WWE Raw: Potential Spoilers, Rumors, News and Preview for December 21

On Monday's WWE Raw, Roman Reigns is poised to receive both a statuette or two and a heavy dose of The Authority's wrath.

The Slammy Awards will be a major part of the show as WWE hands out prizes for Superstar of the Year, Diva of the Year and more. But there is still storytelling to do; there are still feuds to escalate.

That starts with Reigns, who last week toppled The Authority and dethroned Sheamus to become world champion. The company must capitalize on that huge moment. Reigns' title run can be the catalyst for Raw to increase its ratings and infuse energy into a product that has long been stagnant.

Minneapolis, Minnesota, will host as WWE attempts to do just that. 

What marquee names will show up on Monday's Raw? What does WWE have planned for the Intercontinental Championship? A backstage report, Twitter teases and James Wortman's five-point preview on WWE.com provide some clues.

News, Potential Spoilers

Special guests are an expected part of the Slammys. This year looks to be no exception.

PWInsider's Mike Johnson reported, "Santino Marella is in Minneapolis for tomorrow's Raw, which will feature the Slammy Awards, likely to give out an award." Johnson also noted that both Ric Flair and Paul Heyman are slated for the show.

Flair has been a regular of late as Charlotte further descends into heel territory under his tutelage. Heyman, though, hasn't been around for months. Having him around to deliver one of his seething sermons will elevate the show.

King Barrett has been missing recently, too. 

The League of Nations has been down to three members due to a rumored injury. Barrett confirmed word of that, tweeting that he is suffering from nerve damage in his neck:

There's been no word on if he's been cleared since, but there's no reason to rush him back right now.

John Cena looks to be close to returning. The powerhouse has been busy shooting the reality show American Grit.

Cena mentioned on Twitter that he's nearly done, though:

Another recent absentee, Nikki Bella, could be back in time to take home a Slammy. The former Divas champ teased potentially appearing on Raw:

However, neither Cena nor Nikki are advertised for Raw. James Caldwell of PWTorch noted that Kane is among those advertised to appear Monday night, but Brock Lesnar is not, "despite Raw being in Lesnar's home market and Lesnar returning to a WWE ring in Los Angeles on Saturday."

The Slammys

Several of the annual awards will be decided before Monday's show kicks off. WWE will, though, be making this year's Slammy Awards heavily interactive.

Fans will be able to vote live via the WWE app during Raw for these categories:

• Match of the Year
• Diva of the Year
• Breakout Star of the Year
• LOL! Moment of the Year
• Extreme Moment of the Year
• "This is Awesome!" Moment of the Year
• The OMG Shocking Moment of the Year
• The Hero in All of Us Award

And for the first time ever, everyone on the roster is eligible for Superstar of the Year. As a result, it will be the most wide-open race for that award to date.

Should Damien Sandow pick up a Slammy of some kind, things could get interesting. Sandow tweeted what felt like a tease of him delivering something noteworthy on the mic:

"

If I win a Slammy that means I have to accept it. Which means I have a live mic...on live tv.........#SlammyAwards

— Damien Sandow (@TheDamienSandow) December 15, 2015"

Sandow has been busy campaigning for votes online. Whether that translates into him appearing on Raw for the first time in almost half a year will be one of the night's most intriguing subplots.

Rivalries Taking Shape

With TLC now in the rearview and the Royal Rumble not for another five weeks, WWE has plenty of time to play with in terms of feuds. That promises to lead to better, more patient storytelling.

That's good news for Becky Lynch and Charlotte. The story of the two allies' relationship splintering will have room to properly develop.

Charlotte has increasingly embraced heel tactics. And now they have bled over to affect Lynch. Both Charlotte and her father have cheated on Lynch's behalf. That's left Lynch flustered and confused.

In his preview on WWE.com, Wortman asked, "Will Becky's frustrations continue Monday night, or will Charlotte soon see the error of her ways?" Don't count on the latter. The former is too fun of an option.

While it seems clear that Lynch and Charlotte are headed for a collision, it's uncertain what lies ahead for The Wyatt Family. The five-point preview made it sound as if they are done with the ECW all-star team and are now moving onto something else.

Credit: WWE.com

Bray Wyatt and his crew twice beat the veterans at their own table-centric game. We may be seeing the beginning of a dominant run. Wortman wrote, "The Wyatt Family won't be stopped on Raw."

Meanwhile, the chase for the Intercontinental Championship promises to be a highlight over the next few weeks. Both Dolph Ziggler and Kevin Owens are in the mix for Dean Ambrose's title.

Owens attacked both men on last Monday's Raw. On last week's SmackDown, Ziggler inadvertently kicked Ambrose in the jaw.

That all adds up to a Triple Threat match in the making.

The central narrative for Monday's show, though, will be the aftermath of Reigns' title win and his attacks on The Authority. Repercussions are coming, one would assume.

Wortman wrote, "Despite holding sports-entertainment's grandest prize, a harsh fate might await The Big Dog on Raw. "

WWE has to prove it can effectively tell Reigns' story now that the chapters about his climb to the championship are over. If done right, it can be how the company marches toward 2016 with sizable momentum. The Slammys, though, may end up getting in the way, overshadowing the more serious fare on Monday's Raw.