Rumors, Preview for 1st WWE Raw After Extreme Rules 2018

In the wake of an Extreme Rules pay-per-view that clarified the direction some Superstars of WWE Raw will take on the road to SummerSlam, the flagship show of Vince McMahon's wrestling enterprise emanates from the Keybank Center in Buffalo, New York on Monday.

Just 24 hours after monumental victories, what awaits Bobby Lashley and intercontinental champion Dolph Ziggler? How will Shield teammates Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins rebound after their disappointing losses?

Will fans finally receive their long-awaited answer to the WWE Universal Championship situation and Brock Lesnar's status for the hotly anticipated summertime spectacular on August 19?

Can the WWE Universe expect the answers to those questions Monday night? We take a look, thanks to a little help from the official WWE.com preview.

Rumors

For all the effort that went into promoting Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley, it was the Intercontinental Championship Iron Man match between Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler that headlined the Extreme Rules pay-per-view.

According to WrestleVotes, several higher-ups petitioned for the bout to close the show.

Ziggler defeated Rollins in the match, thanks to interference from Drew McIntyre, setting up the continuation of the rivalry as soon as Monday's show.

The match marked the first time the IC title had closed a show in a one-on-one contest since Bret Hart defended against his brother-in-law, Davey Boy Smith, at SummerSlam 1992.

Considering the high profile the rivalry had taken on in the two weeks prior to Extreme Rules, it made sense the company would spotlight it in the show-closing spot, especially given the lack of a more obvious main event.

Preview

Universal Championship Clarification

Universal champion Lesnar has been absent from WWE television since controversially defeating Roman Reigns to retain his title at the Greatest Royal Rumble on April 27.

Thanks to an ultimatum from general manager Kurt Angle Sunday night, Lesnar must come to terms on his next title defense or have his championship stripped.

After a convincing victory over Reigns at Extreme Rules, the suddenly red-hot Lashley appears to be the favorite to step up and challenge The Beast, presumably on August 19.

Reigns, though, does still have an argument for a rematch given the aforementioned controversy that surrounded his previous match with Lesnar. If last year's main event is any indication, a multi-man match for the title is not out of the realm of possibility.

The question is whether Reigns and Lashley remain the only two Superstars vying for the title or if someone such as Braun Strowman, fresh off a decimation of Kevin Owens in what was technically a loss Sunday night, might insert himself into the title picture.

Whatever the case may be, Lesnar's next title defense and his prospective challenger(s) should be more apparent by the time Monday's broadcast goes off the air.

Intercontinental Championship Fallout

Rollins failed to defeat Ziggler in the alotted 30 minutes Sunday night, only to have Angle give him another shot at redemption, adding a sudden-death overtime period to the Iron Man match for the Intercontinental Championship.

Well-timed interference from the previously barred Drew McIntyre ultimately secured the successful title defense for The Showoff and triggered an Architect who will be seeking vengeance Monday night.

Whether Rollins recognizes the need for backup as the feud continues into another month is the question WWE Creative must address.

With Reigns tied up in the title picture, Rollins will need to recruit support or suffer a similar fate. Could this all be leading to the long-awaited return of Dean Ambrose?

It would certainly make sense.

Ronda Rousey, Alexa Bliss and the Raw Women's Championship

At Extreme Rules, Ronda Rousey jumped the guardrail, unloaded on Mickie James and chased after Alexa Bliss in an attempt to avenge her lost championship opportunity a month ago at Money in the Bank.

Despite her interference, Little Miss Bliss was able to successfully retain her Raw Women's Championship over Nia Jax in a Street Fight.

With Rousey's suspension nearing its conclusion and a showdown with Bliss for the title on the horizon, it should be interesting to see if Angle addresses the situation and gives fans any insight as to WWE Creative's plans for the Superstars in the build to that show.

It remains unclear if Rousey will appear on Monday's show, but if she does, an overdue ass-kicking may finally await Bliss, much to the delight of a WWE Universe whose enjoyment of the former UFC star's run to this point has been a welcome surprise.