WWE Raw: Potential Spoilers, Rumors, News and Preview for Aug. 7

Monday's WWE Raw will offer another preview of the hoss fight that will be the Fatal 4-Way match for the Universal Championship.

Before both powerhouses join Samoa Joe in trying to dethrone Brock Lesnar at the Aug. 20 pay-per-view, Braun Strowman and Roman Reigns will battle once more. Their violent history suggests they may end up tearing the Air Canada Centre in Toronto apart.

The red brand will also be showcasing the stories of Bayley, Dean Ambrose, Finn Balor and others ahead of SummerSlam. Bayley's championship dreams are suddenly in danger due to injury. Ambrose's tenuous alliance with Seth Rollins will remain a focus of the show. And Balor is on a collision course with an enemy beset with a god complex. 

Who will show up to Raw in Toronto? Where are the brand's rivalries heading?

Backstage news, the Raw preview and storyline analysis provide answers ahead of the latest episode set to air on Monday at 8 p.m. ET on USA Network.

News, Potential Spoilers

The spotlight will be on Strowman and Reigns, but behind the scenes, Joe has one hell of an advocate in his corner leading up to the Universal Championship Fatal 4-Way match. Lesnar's advocate to be exact.

Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated reported: "The inside track is that none other than Paul Heyman is advocating behind-the-scenes for Samoa Joe to win the title."

If the WWE listens to Heyman, we could see some foreshadowing of The Destroyer's rise.

The Beast Incarnate will be in the building. ProWrestling.net writer Jason Powell noted: "Lesnar is also advertised."

Darren Young could show up in Toronto, too.

An elbow injury has had him sidelined for months, but word is that he may be back just in time for SummerSlam. In July, Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com reported: "Young is expected to be cleared to return to the ring next month." 

Raw Streaks

Akira Tozawa continues to charge toward the Cruiserweight Championship.

Victory has been a familiar sensation for the Titus Worldwide member of late. Tozawa has six matches in a row overall and has six consecutive wins in bouts on Raw, per CageMatch.net.

More and more, it feels like Tozawa may be the one to take down Neville and end the Brit's reign.

Mickie James, on the other hand, would settle for doing a plug for Sonic backstage.

The former women's champion hasn't wrestled on Raw since June 26, per CageMatch.net. That's five consecutive weeks without a match on the signature show for James.

The move to Raw has been a bust for her to this point.  In one of the most baffling moves of 2017, the WWE has turned James into a non-factor.

Closing in on SummerSlam

Bayley had a Raw Women's Championship bout against Alexa Bliss lined up for SummerSlam. A shoulder injury, though, threatens to derail her pursuit of gold.

Bayley emerged from last week's Raw with a bandaged shoulder and uncertainty surrounding her condition. She's set to get answers soon. The Raw preview on WWE.com noted: "A conclusive diagnosis will be made today in Toronto, but based on what we have seen, it doesn’t seem likely that The Huggable One will be getting back into the ring anytime soon."

If she's unable to compete, Nia Jax and Sasha Banks are the most likely candidates to take her place.

Whether The Hardy Boyz are closing in on a title shot or not, something intriguing is happening with the team. After a brawl with The Club and The Revival last week, Matt Hardy proclaimed that something had awoken in him.

His mannerisms and word choice suggested that he and his brother may begin to morph into a variant of their "broken" personas from their Impact Wrestling days.

Bray Wyatt, meanwhile, has breaking Balor on his mind. The Eater of Worlds has crossed paths with Balor for the past few weeks. 

Their mind games with each other are poised to lead to a SummerSlam match.

For Rollins and Ambrose, they may make the PPV card as reluctant partners. They have been fighting alongside each other lately, but The Lunatic Fringe has remained guarded. He doesn't trust the man who broke up The Shield. 

The story of them slowly coming together looks to be continuing on Monday's show. The WWE.com preview teased as much when it asked: "Will Rollins have the chance to prove his loyalty on Raw?"

And where Rollins and Ambrose will look to get past their issues, Strowman and Reigns will look to leave each other hobbled.

The enemies will meet in a Last Man Standing match in Toronto. In previous battles, they have left ambulances in ruin. This time out, who knows what damage they will leave in their wake.

As they clash again, Joe and Lesnar will loom, their monstrous shadows stretching over Raw's big bout.