WWE Raw: Potential Spoilers, Rumors, News and Preview for January 11

En route to the Royal Rumble, WWE Raw will trade one megastar for another. Brock Lesnar will return just after John Cena stepped away to undergo surgery.

The Beast Incarnate will find that the WWE landscape has shifted in his absence. Chris Jericho is back. The Intercontinental Championship feud is the hottest thing the company has going. Roman Reigns now holds the title that Lesnar lost at WrestleMania.

As WWE heads to New Orleans, Lesnar will certainly play a huge role.

Monday's Raw promises to make both the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania pictures clearer. It also needs to follow a newsworthy SmackDown show with something special. WWE faces tough competition in the form of the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship.

Backstage reports, Twitter and James Wortman's five-point preview on WWE.com help predict what lies ahead on Raw, as WWE looks to combat viewers' straying over to Clemson vs. Alabama.

News, Potential Spoilers

Surprisingly, Cena didn't make an appearance on last week's Raw. WWE will be sans Cena for the foreseeable future.

WWE.com announced, "Cena successfully underwent surgery to repair injuries in his right shoulder."

"

UPDATED DETAILS & PHOTOS; @JohnCena successfully underwent shoulder surgery https://t.co/UOylC3YXPW pic.twitter.com/cPJAvOm599

— Joey Styles (@JoeyStyles) January 8, 2016"

The fan favorite's being out of action rearranges the United States Championship picture. Dave Meltzer mentioned on Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Wrestling Inc) that Cena was slated to face Alberto Del Rio at the Royal Rumble. One has to wonder whether Kalisto's recent clashes with the champ mean that he's set to take over Cena's spot.

Fans don't normally see much from The Ascension each week, but there's a chance that the duo will be even less active on Monday night. 

PWInsider's Mike Johnson reported that Konnor "is out with a jaw injury, possibly a dislocation, we are told." The severity of the injury is unknown. Konnor did work the weekend's house shows, according to CageMatch.net.

It's not clear whether we can expect to see Sasha Banks compete on Monday's Raw either. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Ringside News) reported that she is suffering from an undisclosed injury. 

As to who will be in action in New Orleans, James Caldwell noted on Pro Wrestling Torch, "The complete advertised roster includes Lesnar, Reigns, Sheamus, Jericho, Ambrose, Owens, U.S. champion Alberto Del Rio, WWE tag champions New Day, The Wyatts, Big Show, and The Authority."

Royal Rumble Builds Heats Up

Signs point to Kalisto stepping away from the tag team division momentarily to chase a singles title.

With his tag team partner suffering from a dislocated shoulder, Kalisto found himself in one-on-one action against the U.S. champ on last week's SmackDown. The high-flyer came out on top. 

Wortman asked, "Following Kalisto's non-title win over Del Rio—perhaps the biggest accomplishment in his career thus far—is the masked marvel in line for a U.S. title opportunity?"

It certainly looks like it. And it appears clear that WWE is going to put some welcome focus on the Intercontinental Championship. Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens' battle over the title has been high-profile thus far.

They have traded post-match attacks in recent weeks. On SmackDown last Thursday, the two brawled into the stands. Wortman hinted at another collision between them, writing, "Something tells us this battle will continue on Raw."

Expect Becky Lynch to continue her narrative opposite Charlotte, too. The allies-turned-enemies have been the central focus of the women's division. 

That seems to point to Lynch's getting a title shot at the Royal Rumble and taking issue with the champ on Raw until then. Wortman teased that very possibility when he wrote that Lynch "will no doubt continue her pursuit of both retribution and the Divas Championship on Raw."

As for Reigns, he has 29 challengers to face in order to remain champion.

Last week, Raw ended with Vince McMahon's announcement that Reigns has to enter the Royal Rumble and that the 30-man match would determine the next world titleholder. 

Cue Lesnar's music. The man seething since his title loss at WrestleMania is sure to charge into the Rumble with his eyes on gold and Reigns. Monday's Raw promises to center on Lesnar's title pursuit.

Wortman wrote, "Might Lesnar have sports entertainment's grandest prize in his crosshairs?" The answer is most definitely yes. What else would WWE have him do right now?

The Royal Rumble build needs to garner momentum. Reigns needs compelling opposition. And WWE has to find ways to keep its recent upward tick in the ratings. 

Lesnar can provide all of that.