WWE Raw: Potential Spoilers, Rumors, News and Preview for Dec. 19

Monday's WWE Raw will host celebrations from those who outsmarted and outlasted their opposition.

Kevin Owens held tight to the WWE Universal Championship thanks to some craftiness from Chris Jericho at the Roadblock: End of the Line pay-per-view on Sunday.

Sheamus and Cesaro will enter Monday's show as champions thanks to some sleight of hand at the PPV. Charlotte Flair proved to be Raw's "Iron Woman" as she claimed her fourth women's title.

As 2017 nears, the red brand will now build on those wins, offering new stories and rivals for these triumphant champs.

Who will step up to challenge Flair? What's to come for Owens and Jericho's friendship? And who is reportedly set to miss Monday's Raw? 

Backstage news, the Raw preview on WWE.com and storyline analysis help answer those questions ahead of the Roadblock-fallout show. The action kicks off in Columbus, Ohio, at 8 p.m. on Monday on the USA Network.

On Tap

Big Cass and Rusev will collide once more.  

At Roadblock, the two powerhouses met in a pre-show match. Rusev won by count-out, thanks in part to a distraction from his wife Lana.

Big Cass will get another crack at The Bulgarian Brute as he tries to dish out some payback for Rusev's attack on Enzo Amore. As WWE revealed on Twitter, a rematch is on the way:

Their first go-round underwhelmed in a big way. WWE has to get out of the hosses' way and let this be more of a smashmouth contest than one filled with outside interference.

News, Potential Spoilers

It looks as if Raw's general manager won't be in the house. 

Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet reported, "Mick Foley is taking the rest of the month off from appearing on WWE programming." Dave Meltzer of Figure Four Online reiterated the story: "Foley won't be on the show today. He's been given time off until Jan. 2 per his request."

Foley has been heavily involved in the Sami Zayn-Braun Strowman feud. He's been a ubiquitous presence on Raw overall. 

If Foley is indeed off for the night, that could mean Raw commissioner Stephanie McMahon will play a bigger role on the show.

Emmalina, the repackaged Emma, was supposed to debut last week. WWE announced her arrival but didn't go through with it. There was no explanation. The company simply pushed her premiere back and offered another vignette that promised she is "coming soon."

That could be as soon as this Monday. Now that Roadblock is out of the way, WWE will have more room to add a new face to the women's division.

Raw Streaks

Bayley's journey toward title contention continued last Monday. The former NXT women's champ knocked off Alicia Fox for the second consecutive week.

That marked her fourth win on Raw in a row, per CageMatch.net.

Presumably, WWE is setting her up as a contender for Flair. Bayley is one of the only women in the division to receive steady TV time. The same was true for Nia Jax earlier this year, but she has been relegated to the sidelines of late. 

Curtis Axel is closing in on a winless year on the red brand.

Last week, Axel fell to Strowman. He now has 16 straight losses on Raw to his name, per CageMatch.net. The Ax Man has yet to score a single victory on a Monday night this year and is running out of chances with just two episodes remaining in 2016.

Roadblock Fallout

The Banks-Flair is saga is over for the moment.

The Queen emerged the victor once more, knocking off Banks for the Raw Women's Championship at Roadblock. Their Iron Man match was billed as the final showdown between the two rivals, so it's time for Flair to move on to new opposition.

Who will that be? The WWE.com Raw preview offered a few possibilities: "Will it be Bayley? Nia Jax? Charlotte's own protege, Dana Brooke?"

Regardless of whoever gets the nod, it will be refreshing to see both Flair and Banks clash with other members of the division.

Sheamus and Cesaro had reason to smile on Sunday, too. The European bruisers ended The New Day's historic reign as tag team champions.

The dynamic between Sheamus and Cesaro is an intriguing one. During their title win at Roadblock, they showed off more chemistry and cohesion than they have in the past. They still bickered, though.

Sheamus took hold of both championship belts and chose to celebrate alone.

Now what?

The Raw preview asked, "Will they be able to coexist now that they are on the top of the mountain?"

Toying with that idea will be key to making the most out of this reign.

The cruiserweight division got a much-needed spark on Sunday's PPV. The little-used Neville emerged to attack both Rich Swann and T.J. Perkins after their Triple Threat match with The Brian Kendrick at Roadblock.

Neville is a perfect fit for the cruiserweights. His change in attitude, becoming more aggressive and unscrupulous, will give him a solid boost.

Monday's Raw also promises to provide a look at two intriguing partnerships.

At Roadblock, Jericho and Owens reunited after weeks of a teased split between the best friends. Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins joined forces again, as well, teaming up to take out both Owens and Jericho after the Universal Championship bout.

Have Reigns and The Architect put away their differences to form a powerful duo once more? How long will Jeri-KO last before imploding again?

WWE has ample time to toy with both of those alliances and fully dive into each story. The next PPV isn't for another six weeks.