There is the last WWE Monday Night Raw of June and the first half of 2016 tonight from the Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL.
The lead story is the champion – Dean Ambrose – and his feud with Seth Rollins (and the suspended Roman Reigns.
WWE.com on Dean:
Seth Rollins evaded Dirty Deeds Thursday night on SmackDown, but he likely won’t be as lucky when he crosses paths with WWE Champion Dean Ambrose at Raw. Will The Lunatic Fringe get his hands on The Architect, three weeks before they collide in WWE Battleground’s anticipated Triple Threat Match?
WWE has booked a three way dance between the Shield members – Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns – for the next PPV, Battleground. There are many reasons this is fascinating. Of course it’s the Shield in their first ever 3-way match. Roman Reigns has been suspended so it will be interesting to see how they include him in the build. Plus, the Draft is the Tuesday before the PPV so it could lead to a split World Title or some other wacky finish.
The issues between John Cena and AJ Styles keep heating up, with the Club’s fake apology last week. With week after week of a 3 on 1 attack, is this the week that John Cena finally gets some backup? And who will be his backup?
Stephanie McMahon was missing from Raw last week, and Shane somewhat turned heel, talking down to wrestlers and acting arrogant. It will be interesting to see how they relate if both are on the show tonight. WWE has been trotting out former Raw and Smackdown GMs each week to show how incompetent they are, leading to the eventual real reveal of who each is running Raw and Smackdown. It could be Eric Bischoff, Vickie Guerrero or even Mick Foley as guest GM to be mocked this week – tune in to find out if it’s one of these or a different one like that wacky laptop!
After months of keeping her off of main WWE TV, WWE has thrust fan favorite Sasha Banks back into the spotlight, as a major player in the WWE Women’s Division. Sasha has her sights set on the WWE Women’s Champion Charlotte and that match seems destined for sooner than later. Charlotte could avoid Sasha in the near term, perhaps first putting Dana Brooke in her path. Sasha is on a path to be the next challenger and that match should be set up for either Battleground or possible Summerslam in Brooklyn.
The other major storyline in the Women’s division is the heel turn of Natalya. For years she has played a nice girl on WWE TV and on Total Divas. In recent months she has been booked to be somewhat of a dullard, so this new heel edge is welcome indeed. She has turned on Becky Lynch, who has now been turned on by 3 major divas. The feud between these two is just heating up and will get more involved on Raw tonight.
The feud between Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn has continued on WWE TV since Money in the Bank 2016, with the two brawling all over the place. Their feud could be coming to an end if one is drafted to a different brand than the other. Could they have one final battle at Battleground?
One of the more intriguing storylines coming out of Raw last week was the return of Bray Wyatt and most of the Wyatt Family. They came back to a huge reaction from the crowd, who seemed ready to embrace the Wyatts as babyfaces. However, they were greeted rudely by none other than the New Day, apparently starting a bigtime feud between WWE’s two top factions. The next chapter in this interesting development should unfold on Raw tonight.
Baron Corbin has crushed Dolph Ziggler and is moving on to bigger and better. JBL called him a future World Champion on Raw last week! His journey should continue on Raw tonight.
All that plus Enzo & Cass, Sheamus and Apollo Crews, Alberto Del Rio and Renee Young on the panel!
WWE.com Quick Hits Preview:
- Could Ambrose’s instability work in his favor as champion? The Architect will need to draw up some new blueprints if he hopes to catch Ambrose off-guard this Monday night
- Will John Cena need backup against The Club? Perhaps Cena should call in some reinforcements to help him level the playing field.
- Is Sasha Banks our next WWE Women’s Champion? Will Sasha continue to keep Charlotte on the run? If so, what does that say about the WWE Women’s Champion’s chances if and when the two meet for the title?
- Will The Wyatt Family put The New Day’s “Power of Positivity” to the test? After Kofi Kingston, Big E & Xavier Woods interrupted the eerie return of The Eater of Worlds and his flock last Monday night, The New Day are in the unenviable position of being Wyatt’s latest obsession
- Who will gain key momentum three weeks before the WWE Brand Extension Draft? After the WWE Brand Extension Draft was announced last Monday, the entire roster is buzzing about whether they’ll be chosen for Raw or SmackDown when the blue brand goes live on Tuesday, July 19.
So far there is only one match officially announced for WWE Battleground 2016.
WWE Battleground 2016 will be Sunday July 24, 2016, after the WWE Draft.
WWE World Heavyweight Title
Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns
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