Brock Lesnar Answers Challenge: Latest Rumors and Preview for WWE Raw Oct. 23

After a wild, entertaining night, WWE Raw will welcome Brock Lesnar back into the mix.

Although much of Monday's show will follow up on all that went down at the TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs pay-per-view on Sunday, The Beast Incarnate will be zeroed in on the future. He is poised to answer a challenge from Jinder Mahal.

The Maharaja demanded to face the universal champion at Survivor Series on Nov. 19. It's now Lesnar's move.

Green Bay, Wisconsin, will host Lesnar's answer in addition to Asuka's attempt to continue her dominance, Kane's issues with his former partner and the aftermath of another Cruiserweight Championship title change. The latest Raw is sure to be newsworthy, even with several stars out of action. 

Backstage news, Raw preview on WWE.com and storyline projections help us look ahead at what's in store when Raw hits the airwaves on Monday at 8 p.m. ET on USA Network.

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News, Rumors

It looks like the women's division will be without Nia Jax for the time being.

When the powerhouse didn't appear on last week's Raw, the rumor mill got churning. We've gotten a better picture of Jax's situation since then, however. 

Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet reported: "We're told Jax has been granted a leave of absence for personal reasons by management." And Alexa Bliss told Joseph Staszewski of the New York Post: She's taking some time off because our schedule ... it's very grueling. It's very, very demanding." 

We won't be seeing Bray Wyatt and Roman Reigns, either.

Both men missed TLC due to what WWE.com described as "medical issues." And their return likely won't be a quick one. Dave Meltzer noted on Figure Four Online that Reigns and Wyatt, along with Bo Dallas "will be re-evaluated in eight days for an update." 

Raw will have the recently returned Kane to plug in, though. According to PWInsider ( h/t Cageside Seats), Kane is expected to be around for the next three weeks. 

Raw Streaks

Braun Strowman didn't fare well at TLC, ending the night getting shoved into a garbage truck. The Monster Among Men, however, has been on a tear on Monday nights. 

After beating Reigns in a cage last week, he pushed his current Raw win streak to four, per CageMatch.net.

The WWE hasn't booked him quite as dominantly on the big stage, though. He has now lost his last two PPVs. 

Alicia Fox is no stranger to defeat.

She lost to Sasha Banks at both last week's Raw and Sunday's TLC event. The former Divas champion is now in the midst of an eight-match losing streak, per CageMatch.net

It's a safe bet she slips out of the spotlight after playing Banks' stepping stone.

TLC Fallout

After weeks of waiting, Asuka is now a member of the red brand. She made her debut on the main roster with a win over Emma on Sunday.

The WWE has done well to hype her arrival. Can it have the same success showcasing her on its premier show? 

Emma gave her more of a test than many expected. It wouldn't be surprising to see her get a second crack at the former NXT women's champ.

It doesn't take a clairvoyant to see what's ahead for Kane and Strowman. They entered Sunday's main event as teammates and ended it as enemies. The two big men grew angry with each other during the battle and Kane ended up leading the charge as the heel squad ousted Strowman, crushing him inside a garbage truck.

The Monster Among Men is sure to be on the warpath with a certain demon in his sights.

Enzo Amore will step into Green Bay with more reason to celebrate. He reclaimed the Cruiserweight Championship from Kalisto at the TLC PPV.

A rematch with The King of Flight is likely on the way, especially considering Amore won in underhanded fashion, poking his foe in the eye before pinning him.

Finn Balor, fresh off defeating AJ Styles at TLC, continues to move into contention. With Styles' brief stay on Raw over, The Demon will have to find another foil for the next stage of his journey. 

If he wants a shot at the universal champion, he may have to be patient, though. All signs point to a SmackDown star being first in line.

Mahal called out Lesnar on last week's SmackDown. He wants to face The Beast Incarnate at Survivor Series. Lesnar and his manager Paul Heyman are now poised to answer that challenge.

With the WWE hyping a Raw-against-SmackDown theme for Survivor Series, it's easy to see this bout becoming a reality. And with that, the show's focus is set to quickly pivot from TLC to the upcoming November PPV.