Post-SummerSlam WWE Raw: Rumors, Preview for August 20 Episode

On the heels of a SummerSlam pay-per-view that featured four title changes and an explosive finish to the Universal Championship main event, Raw hits the airwaves from the same Barclays Center that hosted the summertime spectacular just 24 hours earlier.

With Roman Reigns and Ronda Rousey now standing atop their respective divisions, what is next for the company's flagship show? Find out now, with a little help from WWE's official preview for the August 20 broadcast.

Rumor

According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, among the matches being considered for WWE Evolution this October is Ronda Rousey vs. Nikki Bella, which would headline the event.

Bella has not competed since the 2018 Royal Rumble this past January, when she was the final woman eliminated from the historic match.

The Bella Twins returned to WWE TV Sunday night at SummerSlam, appearing in a backstage interview then sitting ringside for Rousey's Raw Women's Championship victory over Alexa Bliss.

The match, though not necessarily pleasing to the die-hard fanbase, would bring together the two most immediately recognizable members of the women's division. They have mainstream media credibility and will bring more eyes to the product in what WWE hopes is a significant pay-per-view event in its history.

Preview

"A New Era Begins on Monday Night Raw"

At least that is what the WWE.com preview for Monday's episode suggests.

It is easy to see why WWE would suggest such a thing, especially with two new champions in Reigns and Rousey. But saying it and proving it are two different things. What, exactly, changes with them at the forefront of the show?

The answer may lie in the revelation of their next challengers.

Will Braun Strowman emerge as Reigns' first challenger. He's undoubtedly furious after his attempt to cash-in his Money in the Bank contract at SummerSlam was thwarted by both The Big Dog (inadvertently) and Brock Lesnar (intentionally). 

Who willingly steps up to challenge The Baddest Woman on the Planet in Rousey? Does Bliss evoke her rematch clause and, if so, does she stand any real shot at a different outcome than Sunday's match?

The determination as to whether it will really be a new era for Monday Night Raw will come by the end of the show, when fans have a taste of what they can expect from in the weeks and months to come.

Will it be something different, or will it be more of the same, with the same handful of competitors in the spotlight?

The Demon Has Re-Emerged

The Demon came out to play at SummerSlam as Finn Balor emerged from the locker room. His face-painted alter ego drew a thunderous ovation from the fans, and he would go on to obliterate Constable Baron Corbin in one minute, 35 seconds, pinning him following the Coup de Grace.

As Balor enters Raw, the question becomes whether the return of The Demon has awakened in him a force that will no longer be denied on Monday nights.

After becoming the first universal champion at SummerSlam 2016, Balor has not been able to garner the type of moment or creative consistency that would allow him to enjoy an extended or consistent main event run.

He has been there, he has mixed it up with the top stars in the industry, but oftentimes he is there to ensure match quality rather than to win.

Will this be the jolt he needs to move up to the upper echelon of Raw talent or is it merely a plot device to continue his ongoing feud with Corbin? 

The B Team Continues It Unlikely Run

Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel upset The Revival during the SummerSlam Kickoff Show, doing so in the flukiest of manners. Having defeated and disbanded The Deleters of Worlds, and knocked off The Revival, who is left for The B Team to defeat?

The answer in short: The Authors of Pain.

Akam and Rezar established dominance by defeating Titus Worldwide on more than one occasion in recent weeks, and now they have the opportunity to step up to the plate and challenge a team that would be woefully unprepared for the pain and punishment that will be dealt them by the former NXT tag champions.

There is no guarantee that Akam and Rezar will be the pick, especially with the promise of NXT call-ups this week, but they make the most sense.