WWE Raw: Potential Spoilers, Rumors, News and Preview for April 17

Now that the Superstar Shake-up is done rearranging the WWE Raw roster, it's time for the red brand to start marching toward the Payback pay-per-view.

The April 30 event has just four matches on the card. And there's plenty of work ahead in hyping those bouts and adding new ones.

Braun Strowman broke his potential opponent in half. Nia Jax has pushed aside her peers as she climbs toward contention. The Revival's first rival on Raw has fled to SmackDown.

What lies ahead for these Superstars at Payback? Who will show up when Raw heads to Columbus, Ohio?  

Backstage updates, storyline analysis and the Raw preview on WWE.com provide some answers ahead of Monday's show. The action will then kick off at 8 p.m. ET on USA Network.

News, Potential Spoilers

Even though Strowman throttled him on last week's Raw, Roman Reigns may not be written off TV.

Strowman ambushed The Big Dog on the most recent Raw, pushing him off a ledge while on a stretcher and overturning an ambulance with him inside. The scene sure felt like a means to keep Reigns away for a while.

WWE announced Reigns suffered a separated shoulder, internal injuries and cracked ribs.

Regardless, Reigns has been working the house show circuit. Joseph Currier wrote for Figure Four Online: "WWE is handling Roman Reigns' storyline injuries after the angle with Braun Strowman by having him appear on the Raw house shows this weekend but not wrestling in matches."

So, regardless if it makes sense story-wise, Reigns could show up in Ohio just a week after taking the beating of his life.

Finn Balor, meanwhile, is recovering from a legitimate injury. According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com, the former NXT champ suffered a concussion in a match against Jinder Mahal last Monday.

WWE pulled Balor from the weekend's live events, and he has yet to be cleared. Johnson wrote: "Finn Balor is in Columbus, Ohio, and will be at Raw tonight to undergo medical testing to see where he stands."

Raw Streaks

Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder have started their Raw tenure with a bang.

The Revival knocked off The New Day in consecutive weeks. After the two-time NXT tag team champions' win last Monday, The Revival is 2-0 on Raw, as seen on CageMatch.net. 

And not only does the team have two wins to brag about, those victories came against the group that has reigned over the Raw tag division for the past two years. That's a hell of a start for the recent call-ups and a sign of how WWE views them. 

Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows haven't had nearly as much momentum to speak of lately.  

The bruisers fell to The Hardys and Cesaro and Sheamus in eight-man action last week. Per CageMatch.net, that marked The Club's third loss on Raw in a row. Anderson and Gallows are an unimpressive 6-6 in 2017 overall.

The story of The Club since joining WWE last year has been one of inconsistent booking, never displaying dominance for more than a moment or two at a time.

Payback Build

NXT's Elias Samson made a cameo on Raw last Monday, hovering around the entrance ramp area. We're now set to see more of The Drifter.

The Raw preview on WWE.com hinted as much: "Keep your eyes peeled for The Drifter tonight as Raw emanates from Columbus, Ohio."

WWE would be wise to drag out Samson's introduction, though. He could begin his run on the main roster with an air of mystique if he remains a figure in the shadows for a while.

Samoa Joe won't be doing any drifting should he appear on Monday's Raw. He's bound to have Seth Rollins' destruction on his mind.

The two rivals have been clashing since Joe debuted from NXT and injured Rollins. The Kingslayer put that feud on hold to charge after Triple H, but the Joe-Rollins narrative has since reconvened. The two men brawled on the most recent Raw after it was clear Rollins was remaining with the Raw brand.

WWE.com's Raw preview indicated we can expect more of the same: "Clearly, we haven't seen the last collision between these heated rivals, and if they cross paths tonight, fists and feet will fly."

Jax is set to continue her hunt for championship gold.

The powerhouse has been on a tear of late, beating up her opposition and going after Raw women's champ, Bayley. Jax scored her latest win last week, defeating Charlotte Flair. 

Later in the show, Jax plowed over Mickie James, Sasha Banks and Bayley, snatched up the championship and promised to make it hers. There couldn't be a clearer indication that Jax is en route to another title shot.

Her decision to spare Alexa Bliss during that attack and the knowing glance the two shared suggests a partnership between the two. That's a smart direction to take both characters. Bliss can play the manipulator; Jax can be her unknowing puppet. 

While Jax seems destined to face Bayley at Payback, it's harder to predict Strowman's dance partner at the PPV. 

He has bad blood aplenty with Reigns, but The Monster of Men may have written him off TV with his latest attack. Will Reigns return in time to set up a match between them? Will Strowman find other prey while he waits? 

As much attention as Strowman's abuse of the ambulance received, WWE has to make sure the big man is on center stage again to make full use of his growing momentum. Strowman's path of ruin has to expand in Ohio, whether it engulfs Brock Lesnar or an army of jobbers.