WWE Raw: Potential Spoilers, Rumors, News and Preview for May 1

Monday's WWE Raw promises to belong to Braun Strowman once more.

The Monster Among Men has been the centerpiece of the show for the past few weeks as he's left a wake of wreckage behind him. He will head into Monday's show armed with more momentum, having once again laid someone to waste.

Strowman ended Sunday's Payback pay-per-view with a throttling of Roman Reigns that didn't end when the final bell rang.

The big man's pursuit of the Universal Championship will now march on. Alexa Bliss will be celebrating becoming the Raw women's champ. Cesaro and Sheamus will appear bearing more hostile attitudes.

Sacramento, California, will play host to it all.

The Raw preview on WWE.com, social media updates, backstage news and storyline analysis clue us in on what to expect. The post-Payback show will air on Monday at 8 p.m. ET on USA Network.

News, Potential Spoilers

Don't expect to see Brock Lesnar emerge from hibernation anytime soon. It looks as if his next title bout may not be for another three months.

The American Airlines Center announced that The Beast Incarnate will defend his Universal Championship at a July event dubbed "Great Balls of Fire":

In the meantime, fans may see a repeat or two from the Payback PPV. Wade Keller of PWTorch noted: "WWE is advertising Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins vs. Samoa Joe for Monday's Raw."

It's not clear whether these would be dark matches or actually air on TV. And after the beating Reigns took at Payback, it's likely Reigns won't be in official action.

Monday's Raw may mark the rebirth of Broken Matt Hardy.

Hardy has regularly teased a return of the character he played at Impact Wrestling. The latest hint came after his and his brother's loss to Cesaro and Sheamus, when he again used some of his broken gimmick catchphrases:

Dave Meltzer mentioned on Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Raj Giri of Wrestling Inc) that WWE is working on a deal with Impact Wrestling to begin using the broken gimmick. 

And after suffering a beatdown on Sunday at the hands of Cesaro and Sheamus, it would make sense for Hardy to undergo a character change.

Raw Streaks

Dana Brooke is on a mini-roll of late. 

She scored a victory over Alicia Fox on the most recent edition of Raw. Per CageMatch.net, The Total Diva is 3-0 in her last three televised bouts, including a 2-0 mark on the red brand. That's a major improvement for her after struggling for airtime at certain points last year.

If this continues, it may well be a sign that Brooke is headed for title contention status before long. 

Curt Hawkins, on the other hand, has a far different role in the WWE circus. He's the company's resident punching bag, and that hasn't changed with his recent move.

As seen on CageMatch.net, Hawkins has lost his first two matches on Raw since joining the brand in the Superstar Shake-up. He is 1-10 since returning to WWE last November. Expect more defeats ahead as other stars use him to move up the ladder. 

Payback Fallout

Gone are the respectful, good sportsmen versions of Cesaro and Sheamus.

The former tag team champs showed off a far more aggressive side after a loss to The Hardys on Sunday. Frustrated after their loss, Cesaro and Sheamus assaulted Matt and Jeff Hardy after the bell. 

And with that, the feud suddenly has legs.

The brothers are sure to have revenge on their minds. Look for a violent response from The Hardy Boyz on Monday night.

The Miz may have the same mindset as Matt and Jeff.

He spent the early part of Payback getting embarrassed by Finn Balor. The Miz interviewed the former NXT champ on the PPV pre-show, only to have things descend into a fight.

A feud between the two now looks to be brewing. The Raw preview on WWE.com hinted at them colliding again: "Might we see a 'sequel' encounter between Balor and The A-Lister tonight?"

There is no question about who Bliss' rival is coming out of Payback.

The Wicked Witch is sure to have Bayley chasing her after dethroning her on Sunday. Bliss slapped around her foe in the match, eventually slamming her head into a ring post before snatching away the Raw Women's Championship.

The era of Bliss will now begin. And Bayley is sure to seek to end it as soon as possible. 

Strowman will do his own reigning over Raw.

The Monster Among Men is fresh off the biggest win of his career—a dismantling of Reigns. Will he issue more destruction or pay for the havoc he's already caused? After the PPV on Sunday, Strowman continued to assault Reigns backstage, damaging an ambulance in the process.

Raw general manager Kurt Angle is sure to have something to say about it all.

But will it matter? Strowman has been an uncontrollable destructive force. And it's been a joy to watch.