Predictions for WWE Raw, SmackDown and AEW Dynamite for Week of July 20

Both WWE and All Elite Wrestling are coming off of significant shows that will undeniably shape the future of their respective products ahead of their end-of-summer extravaganzas.

For WWE, this week's Raw and SmackDown will set the stage for SummerSlam on August 23, while AEW turns its attention to All Out on September 5.

On the heels of The Horror Show at Extreme Rules and Fight for the Fallen, what should fans expect out of this week's television, and what repercussions may the companies face for the creative developments that occur within?

Find out now with these previews and predictions for the biggest stars and stories for this week's episodes of Raw, NXT, AEW Dynamite and SmackDown.

Randy Orton Begins March to SummerSlam Title Match With Unsanctioned Win

Randy Orton and The Big Show will clash Monday night on Raw in an Unsanctioned Match, and while that will likely prove the end of their weeks-long feud, it will be the start of The Viper's run toward the WWE Championship.

The third-generation star has become one of the most enjoyable elements of Raw, a true wrestling villain whose enjoyment of manipulation and punishment makes him the perfect next challenger to WWE Champion Drew McIntyre.

Showing off that barbarism against a beloved giant like Big Show is the perfect way to jump-start a championship run. Expect a brutal beating, probably even a punt to the head, as WWE Creative writes the big man off the show and enhances The Legend Killer's already spectacular heel persona.

Do not expect Orton to just magically jump into a program with McIntyre on Monday night, though. WWE has five Mondays until SummerSlam, which is plenty of time to wrap up the Big Show feud this week and move The Viper into his program with McIntyre starting next week.

Dolph Ziggler's Not Quite Out of the WWE Championship Picture...Yet

Though he lost his latest opportunity to win the WWE Championship from Drew McIntyre at Extreme Rules, do not count Dolph Ziggler out of the title picture yet.

While WWE preps for what is likely to be a McIntyre-Orton SummerSlam program, The Scottish Psychopath will still need a TV program to keep him busy until the inevitable showdown with The Viper.

Ziggler will likely be that program, squaring off with McIntyre on Raw, thus hanging around a championship scene that seemingly left him behind Sunday night.

And rightfully so.

Ziggler and McIntyre exhibited some superb in-ring chemistry in their championship clash, making potential rematches appealing. A singles bout or even some multi-man tag matches to help steal a few weeks of television are all in-play.

What is not is The Showoff actually beating McIntyre in any meaningful match.

That ship has sailed.

Karrion Kross and Dominik Dijakovic's Collision Course Continues

The best way to get the attention of a man is to target his best friend.

Karrion Kross did just that a week ago on NXT, confronting Dominik Dijakovic following the big man's hard-fought loss at the hands of NXT and North American Champion Keith Lee. The result was a physical encounter that left Dijakovic sprawled out on the floor and Kross again asserting his dominance over the black-and-gold brand.

It may appear as though the attack is a message, sent loudly and clearly to Lee. While it may well be that, it is also the emphasis for a match between Kross and Dijakovic.

Dijakovic is a big, athletically gifted Superstar who has taken the fight to Lee more times than not. He even has a win over the current double-champion and thus, credibility. Downing Dijakovic would move Kross right into title contention and set up a titanic clash for the next major NXT event.

Furthermore, it would continue to build Kross into the brand-defining competitor he appears destined to become.

The positives of a match between the two far outweigh the negatives, making such a match a near-certainty.

Kenny Omega Continues Downward Spiral as Hangman Page Battles Dark Order

FTR's blatant disrespect of Kenny Omega on last week's Dynamite may have pushed The Best Bout Machine over the edge, awakening a monster inside of him that the All Elite Wrestling faithful are not at all prepared for.

We saw what that looks like when Omega attacked Marko Stunt after The Elite scored a big win over Jurassic Express in a Six-Man Tag Team Match. He was clearly disconnected from reality as Nick Jackson tried to reason with him, even talking to himself in the corner at one point.

Omega's downward spiral into madness, and the possible return of his Cleaner persona, will continue Wednesday night as his presence will almost certainly be felt when AEW Tag Team Championship partner Hangman Page battles The Dark Order's Five.

With Brodie Lee and the rest of the cult-like faction creeping around, Omega will be needed to defend his partner from attack. But will he be of sound mind to make that happen? More importantly, what if Lee can exploit his fragility, using it against him to The Dark Order's benefit?

Those are two questions that should be addressed as Omega quickly becomes one of the most intriguing characters on the show.

The Final Stretch of Braun Strowman's Championship Reign Begins

The return of The Fiend during the Wyatt Swamp Fight at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules can only mean one thing: the end of Braun Strowman's reign as Universal Champion is nigh.

Strowman expressed genuine horror as he discussed what the return of The Fiend would mean for him, personally, on the July 17 episode of SmackDown, and now that the masked maniac alter ego of Bray Wyatt is back, it is only a matter of time before Strowman succumbs to the mind games.

SummerSlam is the most likely resting place for Braun's title reign, but do not be surprised to see The Fiend begin his mental manipulation as soon as Friday night's show.

It has been a while since the Fox audience has laid eyes on The Fiend, and his return will be a welcome one for those turned off by the glossy look of the show. It needs an edge, and Wyatt's demented other half brings just that.

If all involved can channel the level of creativity they did at Extreme Rules in the aforementioned swamp fight, the Universal Championship feud may well be the most interesting and intriguing storyline entering the August 23 pay-per-view event.