WWE Raw Preview: King of the Ring Quarterfinals Begin and More for September 2

Holiday episodes of WWE television are oftentimes inconsequential, but not Monday's episode. Labor Day sees the start of the quarterfinal round of the King of the Ring tournament, the latest in the saga of Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman, and Sasha Banks' continued path of rage.

With Clash of Champions just 13 days away, dive deeper into what you can expect from the September 2 broadcast with this preview of the USA Network presentation.

Already Announced

• King of the Ring Quarterfinal Match: Ricochet vs. Samoa Joe
• King of the Ring Quarterfinal Match: Cedric Alexander vs. Baron Corbin

King of the Ring Action Continues

Ricochet and Samoa Joe are no strangers to each other. The One and Only won his lone United States Championship from Joe back at Stomping Grounds in what was, at the time, considered an upset.

Now, the high-flying babyface is one of the favorites to win the crown in this year's King of the Ring. How appropriate it would be for Joe to halt Ricochet's momentum by knocking him off and earning a trip to the semifinals.

Joe earned one of the most impressive wins of the tournament to date, defeating Cesaro in a phenomenal opening-round match. Ricochet's first-round victory saw him defeat Drew McIntyre in an equally as strong performance. It remains to be seen if they can improve upon their previous pay-per-view match and deliver the show-stealer expected from two workers of their abilities.

The second quarterfinal match features Cedric Alexander squaring off with Baron Corbin.

Alexander is the underdog of the tournament having defeated Sami Zayn in Round 1, while Corbin is one of those dark horses whose momentum was not what it had been earlier in the summer but who would surprise no one if he actually won the whole tournament.

It remains to be seen what kind of chemistry Alexander and Corbin have as they have yet to compete against each other on television. Simply for babyface vs. heel dynamics, the winner of Ricochet vs. Joe will likely determine who wins this one.

The Latest from Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman

WWE Creative has two weeks to drum up interest in Rollins vs. Strowman for the Universal Championship, beyond them being mismatched tag team partners who do not get along. It is an antiquated story trope and one that has done nothing to make that match any more appealing.

Rollins missed last week's show, but his absence was inconsequential as Strowman managed to lay out AJ Styles, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson with little effort to close it out.

Expect The OC to continue to be the heel foil for Rollins and Strowman this week, probably in a 3-on-2 handicap match or something of the sort. Whatever that case may be, there should be a sudden increase in intensity as far as the tension between Rollins and Strowman.

As it is now, there is little heat surrounding what is slated to be the main event of the Clash of the Champions pay-per-view event, and that is inexcusable.

Sasha Banks' Path of Rage Continues?

With her victory over Natalya last week, Banks has cleared the path toward Becky Lynch and a shot at the Raw Women's Championship, the next logical step in her return.

The Man missed last week's show but should be back Monday night and will likely have a physical response for Banks, who repeatedly blasted her with a steel chair three weeks ago. Like the Rollins-Strowman program, Lynch and Banks need a spark as the pay-per-view draws near.

The promo work, particularly from Lynch, has been solid, but there needs to be some sort of pull-apart brawl that generates excitement for their match, or it will limp into the extravaganza without the sort of anticipation it should be accompanied by.