WWE Raw 25: Chris Jericho, Undertaker and the Most Anticipated Stars Returning

Monday's WWE Raw 25 is among perhaps the most anticipated events in recent company history. 

Full-time fans will tune in to see their how their favorites will interact with returning legends. Old-school fans will tune in to see what those legends will do. Everyone who tunes in will expect to be entertained.

WWE should definitely deliver for everyone at Raw 25.

This is the company's chance to mix the older generation with the next generation, a way to present both sides as a cohesive unit. There will be confrontations between the two, but this is more about the company's evolution.

The promotion has been in something of a rebuilding process over the past few years, as top guys like John Cena are stepping back while the New Era continues to fill in. Yesterday's NXT standouts are today's main-roster stars, and that trend is only gaining momentum as the months go by.

Raw 25 will take place just six days before the Royal Rumble, so fans should expect some storylines to be advanced.

Hopefully Raw 25 will be fun and exciting for everyone involved. The show's impressive guest list can be seen on WWE.com. 

Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho is a renaissance man.

The first-ever undisputed champion is also a heavy-metal singer and has toured the world both as a musician and as a pro wrestler. He's something of a pop culture icon, and he's considered by many to be perhaps the best all-around performer the industry has ever seen. He's held multiple world championships, and he's a guaranteed first-ballot WWE Hall of Fame inductee. 

He also just worked the semi-main event of New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Wrestle Kingdom 12 against Kenny Omega in what many believe to be the best match of Y2J's career. But he's coming home to WWE Monday.

The 28-year veteran is booked for Raw 25, and fans are anticipating his appearance. Raw 25 will mark 18 days since Jericho and Omega tore the house down in Tokyo, which makes Y2J's return all the more special.

Fans know he's the real deal and loves the business.

This is why Jericho is so respected among his peers and among the fans. He could have left professional wrestling a long time ago and never returned. He could have dedicated his life to Fozzy and decided he no longer needed the sport. But every time he comes back, it's a love letter to the audience that helped make him a star.

Only time will tell when his next official return to action will be. Could Raw 25 mark the beginning of Jericho's next chapter?

The Dudley Boyz

The Dudley Boyz are perhaps the most prolific tag team in WWE history. Bubba Ray and D-Von are 10-time tag team champions in WWE, and they are the only team to have held the WCW, ECW, TNA and IWGP tag belts in addition to Vince McMahon's company's twin titles.

They revolutionized tag team wrestling in the early 2000s along with Edge and Christian and The Hardy Boyz. All three teams were responsible for putting the art of tag team wrestling back into the spotlight, and the division has arguably never been the same since.

Bubba Ray and D-Von proved they belonged in WWE and that they deserved the respect of the teams that came before and after. Years after the Attitude Era, fans still recognize The Dudley Boyz as tag team innovators.

And when they come back for Raw 25, The Dudley Boyz are putting someone through a table.

That someone could be Scott Dawson or Dash Wilder from The Revival. Both men have made it clear Raw is their territory, so anyone who crosses their path could become a target. Or perhaps Sheamus or Cesaro of The Bar could be a candidate to take a 3D through a table.

No matter who gets the nod, The Dudley Boyz will be ready to do what they do best.

Ric Flair

The most emotional return of Raw 25 could be none other than that of The Nature Boy.

Ric Flair had a rough 2017, and many fans were fearful he would not survive. But Flair is back on his feet, and the WWE fans are ready to stand on theirs in appreciation. Flair is booked for Raw 25, and it could not come at a better time.

Raw 25 should be about paying respect to the men and women who made WWE's flagship program special over the years. Though he was part of WCW and led the way on Monday Nitro, Flair had his fair share of legendary moments in WWE and on Monday Night Raw.

He is the personification of what a pro wrestler should be, and he has been the standard-bearer for greatness for the bulk of his career. He's the reason why Shawn Michaels, Triple H and countless others became pro wrestlers. 

Flair inspired an entire generation to follow in his footsteps, and his Hall of Fame career continues to do that to this day.

He will probably not get physically involved on Raw 25. He may or may not cut a promo on someone. But when Flair enters the ring and speaks, he will entertain the crowd as only he can. He will surely also say thank you.

Fans will certainly do the same.

The Undertaker

The Deadman was supposed to be done.

His most recent match, against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 33, was not the best of his career. In fact, The Phenom did not look that phenomenal to many, who wanted nothing more than to see the legend back in top form.

So when he lost at 'Mania and laid down his gear in the middle of the ring, many fans believed they had seen the last outlaw ride off into the sunset. But maybe it's not over yet.

Undertaker vs. John Cena is a possible match fans just cannot stop talking about. It's not as though they are asking for it, and it's especially not as though they are demanding it. But it's still being mentioned all the same, which means there's a possibility WWE could book the contest for WrestleMania 34.

If that happens, The Undertaker fans see at Raw 25 may be the biker version. He could ride down to the ring, salute the fans when he gets in and then proclaim he's got one last match left in him. That final bout could well be against Cena, who is also at the back end of his WWE career.

It may not be the dream match to end all dream matches, but if these two do square off, sparks could fly. Cena and Taker are pros and know how to build a showdown the right way. The Undertaker may not be the dominant performer fans remember, but that does not mean he can't still deliver in the ring.

Raw 25 may be the first shot fired in a war that could end on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

Stone Cold Steve Austin

Of all the legends in WWE history, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin may be the one fans miss the most.

Austin had it all. He could work, he could talk, he had intensity and he had attitude. He was smart about the business and had great ring psychology. He also had more charisma than anyone fans had seen since Hulk Hogan, and many would argue The Texas Rattlesnake was an even bigger star.

Austin is a cornerstone of WWE history, and his contribution to the industry will never be forgotten.

It's the fire Austin possessed that set him apart from everyone else. He wanted it more than anyone around him, and he earned every accolade he received. He was the face of the company, and he wore that like a badge of honor. He took it seriously and seemingly cared about the product like no one fans had ever seen before.

There's a reason why WWE has not been the same since Austin left. Maybe there's just no replacing Stone Cold.

So when he comes back to Raw 25, Austin should be a major focus. Without him, Monday Night Raw perhaps would not have survived against WCW Monday Nitro. Austin led WWE back to dominance, and the company became the juggernaut no one could legitimately challenge.

Austin deserves a lot of credit for that, and fans know it. His return to Raw 25 is important because he made a lot of its success possible.

He will return to a hero's welcome, and he deserves every ounce of it.

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, iHeartRadio, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online at boinkstudios.com.