WWE Raw Preview: Final Hype for Extreme Rules PPV and More for July 8

Six days from Extreme Rules in Philadelphia, WWE Raw rolls into the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, for an episode it hopes can build on the momentum it created a week ago while simultaneously hyping its upcoming pay-per-view.

With the universal and women's titles at stake Sunday, and the return of The Undertaker to in-ring competition, WWE Creative and Paul Heyman will have the task of presenting a show that generates genuine excitement for the show.

What does it have on-tap for fans, though?

Announced Matches

• Mixed Tag Team Match: Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch vs. Andrade and Zelina Vega
• Roman Reigns and a Mystery Partner vs. Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre

A McMahon-Sized Mystery

As WWE.com reported, Roman Reigns will get a shot at Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre before Extreme Rules. The catch? His partner for the high-profile tag team match will be determined by Shane-O-Mac, who is sure to have some trick up his sleeve for The Big Dog.

Who should Reigns expect to stand by his side Monday?

Perhaps Elias, Scott Dawson or Dash Wilder, all of whom have seemingly pledged their allegiance to the self-proclaimed Best in the World in recent weeks.

Trends suggest it will stack the odds against Reigns and leave him at a definitive disadvantage Monday evening. Whether fans in Jersey can expect a save by The Deadman to finalize the hype for the monumental tag team is the real question.

Warm-up for The Man and The Beastslayer

At Extreme Rules, Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins will defend their Raw women's and universal titles in a Mixed Tag Team match against Lacey Evans and Baron Corbin. Before they roll into The City of Brotherly Love for a showdown with their ongoing rivals, they will test their mettle against the duo of Andrade and Zelina Vega.

Lynch and Vega engaged in a war of words on Twitter over the weekend, adding sizzle to what is obviously an excuse to put over The Man and her boyfriend before Sunday's event.

Expect Corbin and Evans to attack at some point, looking to earn some heat for themselves before one of the most significant matches of their young careers.

Rollins and Lynch are such a strong unit that the heels have to leave them prone to give the impression that the challengers have even the slightest chance of leaving Philly with the gold.

Rey Mysterio Returns to Raw

Rey Mysterio was forced to relinquish his United States championship due to an injury suffered at the hands of Samoa Joe at Money in the Bank, but The Master of the 619 will set foot back inside the squared circle Monday night to address the WWE Universe.

It is hardly coincidental that Mysterio's return to Raw comes just six days before Joe is slated to challenge Kofi Kingston for the WWE Championship at Extreme Rules. The Destroyer has been dominant of late, even putting Kingston to sleep on last week's show. 

What better way to build heat for Joe, and add a wrinkle to his path toward a world title, than by reintroducing Mysterio to the fold as a plot device?

A Reunited Club

Last week's episode faded to black with AJ Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows standing tall over a fallen Ricochet. It confirmed The Club had reunited after weeks of hinting.

The heel faction gives Ricochet seemingly insurmountable odds to overcome. Will someone step up and join him in the battle against Styles and The Good Brothers, or will the reigning United States champion again find himself lying on his back, looking up at the men gunning for his gold?

Jon Alba of Spectrum Sports reported, citing a WWE source, that Anderson and Gallows have re-signed with the company.

With those negotiations out of the way, The Club is free to run roughshod over WWE programming in a high-profile manner that puts the underutilized tandem right in the thick of the main event. They will benefit exponentially from appearing weekly with Styles, just as they did before WWE Creative bungled their push back in 2016.