WWE Raw: Potential Spoilers, Rumors, News and Preview for July 25

A rebirth awaits WWE Raw. The brand split has the flagship show poised to be a different beast than fans are used to seeing.

Thanks to last week's WWE draft, half of the roster will be competing exclusively for SmackDown instead. Raw commissioner Stephanie McMahon promised to resurrect the cruiserweight division. General manager Mick Foley will certainly make his impact felt while running the red brand.

McMahon and Foley drafted a number of big names, from Brock Lesnar to NXT's Finn Balor, but thanks to SmackDown star Dean Ambrose retaining at Battleground, Raw ended up without the WWE Championship.

Does that mean United States champ Rusev will be elevated to counteract that absence? Or do Raw's authority figures have a plan to create their own world championship? That's among the biggest questions heading into Monday's Raw. 

Backstage reports, the Raw preview on WWE.com and the results from the Battleground pay-per-view offer hints at what to expect when WWE invades Pittsburgh's Consol Energy Center on Monday night. The action begins at 8 p.m. ET on the USA Network. 

News, Potential Spoilers

Should Lesnar show up to Monday's Raw, it promises to be without Paul Heyman. When Raw drafted The Beast Incarnate last week, there was no mention of Heyman coming to the flagship show with him.

That's apparently because the advocate's contract situation is reportedly up in the air as of now. Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t Akhilesh Gannavarapu of Wrestling Inc) that Heyman's contract has expired, and he and WWE have not yet worked out a new deal.

That's sure to change by the time SummerSlam rolls around, but fans will need to be patient waiting for the mic master to return to Monday nights. 

Raw also made Balor the first NXT Superstar to come off the board. Live event listings may have spoiled what WWE has in mind for the newcomer's first feud.

As Mike Killam of Wrestle Zone pointed out, Balor is advertised for matches against Chris Jericho at Raw house shows in the fall. That is not a guarantee of anything, but it's a possible hint as to whom The Demon will be facing first.

WWE introduced Fandango and AJ Styles by way of the Jericho rivalry. It makes sense to go that route with Balor, too.

As for Bayley, who made her main roster debut at Battleground, uncertainty looms.

On F4WOnline.com, Joseph Currier noted, "JBL called Bayley's appearance a one-off on commentary, and it's not clear when she will be permanently added to either Raw or SmackDown's roster." Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reported, however, that Bayley is scheduled for Monday's Raw taping.

The draft did strangely end without anyone using the final pick. At the same time, Bayley is in the midst of a narrative centered on her quest to regain the NXT women's title. 

Raw Streaks

Sasha Banks is charging toward title contention. 

It's clear WWE is positioning her for a title shot against Charlotte. Banks is fresh off a tag team win against the champ, forcing Charlotte to tap out to the Bank Statement at Battleground.

The Boss, though, is in the midst of a hot streak on the show she will now call home. She is 6-0 in her last six Raw bouts. It's a safe bet that continues in Pittsburgh as she cements her status as the No. 1 contender to the Women's Championship.

On the other end of the spectrum sits Sin Cara.

The high-flyer has lost four Raw matches in a row. His last victory on the flagship show came back on May 9. 

Raw bringing back the cruiserweight division will up his chances to end that string of losses. WWE is more likely to book Sin Cara as a winner against foes his size. 

Battleground Fallout

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens set the ring ablaze in a tremendous match at Battleground. In what had been billed as the end of their rivalry, Zayn prevailed, twice kicking his enemy in the head to secure the win.

Zayn will no doubt gain major momentum from that victory. This was the best he has looked on the main roster, and he is now free to move on from the rivalry with Owens to seek out the U.S. title or the cruiserweight belt many expect WWE to restore.

As for Owens, he is sure to be enraged heading into Pittsburgh.

The Raw preview hinted at him responding with violence. It read, "Make no mistake—he has been embarrassed. Who's he going to take it out on?"

Rusev will be looking for a new rival, too. The Bulgarian Brute held tight to the United States Championship by overwhelming Zack Ryder at Battleground.

After the win, Rusev said, "Now send me someone else—somebody bigger, faster, stronger—so I can rip them apart and crush them in the middle of that ring."

Monday's Raw should fulfill his desire for a new foe. Cesaro is among the most appealing options for his next challenger.

Ambrose's win over Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns at Battleground assured SmackDown ownership of WWE Championship. As a result, Raw's title situation is unclear.

Foley tweeted that it was a bad night for his show:

What he and McMahon decide to do to address that will be a major part of Monday's Raw. But regardless of what gold is at stake, it's clear Rollins and Reigns aren't finished fighting each other.

The Raw preview read, "There's no chance these two are done with each other, so the only question is where The Man and The Guy will take their rivalry next." 

Reigns and Rollins are sure to figure into WWE's SummerSlam plans, but creativity will be key to make that rivalry a must-see event. There is currently no title at the heart of the feud, and Reigns is still a babyface who regularly earns boos. The New Era needs to lead to a new approach for The Big Dog.

Match statistics courtesy of CageMatch.net.