WWE Monday Night Raw Preview for 08.01.2016: The Beast Brock Lesnar Returns with Paul Heyman, Finn Balor/Seth Rollins Feud Begins, Sasha Banks, Roman Reigns

Previews, Top Story

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Despite failing a drug test in UFC, the WWE Universe version of Brock Lesnar can take as many steroids as he wants!

Here is WWE.com on his Raw return:
Making his first WWE appearance since his victory over Dean Ambrose at WrestleMania 32, Brock Lesnar returns to Raw to wreak havoc on anyone in his way. Who or what will The Beast Incarnate destroy en route to his clash with Randy Orton at SummerSlam? Plus, how will Raw Commissioner Stephanie McMahon and Raw General Manager Mick Foley gain an edge over SmackDown Live this week?

In addition to Brock Lesnar, Paul Heyman is expected to return to WWE TV on Raw as well. While he was not included in the draft and was rumored to have had his contract expire, Heyman will be with Lesnar as the beast returns to Raw. But considering Randy Orton is on Smackdown, how will they build up the match? Should be interesting to see on Raw.

While the WWE Title has been settled on Smackdown, Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley cooked up an all new World Title to appear on Raw. The WWE Universal Title will crown its first ever champion at WWE Summerslam in a match between Finn Balor and Seth Rollins. This feud should begin to take shape on Raw, as they have yet to interact and Balor is just arriving on the WWE main roster. It should be awesome to see these two world class wrestlers work a program with each other!

The “Guy” Roman Reigns has now lost three huge times in a row – to Seth (then Dean) for the title, then taking the pin at Battleground before losing to Finn Balor on Raw. The next evolution of the story of Reigns will unfold on Raw. Will he be on the road back? Or is this the start of a true Roman Reigns heel turn? The Big Dog will speak on Raw and try to get back on the road to the top.

Sasha Banks shocked the world when she challenged and defeated Charlotte for the WWE Women’s Title last week on Raw. They are now scheduled for a rematch at Summerslam 2016. Charlotte will talk about her decision to invoke her rematch clause and we’ll hear from Sasha Banks about her epic win on Raw tonight.

The tag team titles appear to be exclusive to Raw, and the champions are the New Day. They started a program with the former Club members Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows. They are on a collision course for the titles at Summerslam, and the second chapter in their storyline will uncork on Raw.

Two wrestlers got the squash match treatment last week – Nia Jax and Braun Strowman. These were great showcases for the power of these new or newly pushed wrestlers. This week there should be more squashes for these folks, with Strowman in particular getting a monster push headed for the top.

What’s next for Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Cesaro and the rest of the Raw roster? We should find out a lot more tonight on Raw!

Here is the WWE.com Quick Hits Preview

  1. Who will suffer Brock Lesnar’s wrath? Raw General Manager Mick Foley will definitely have his hands full keeping the peace Monday night, when The Anomaly enters The New Era for the first time
  2. Will Seth Rollins halt the rise of Finn Bálor? Does this quiet contemplation mean Rollins is confident about his upcoming clash with Raw’s hottest newcomer, or is he apprehensive about standing across the ring from Bálor?
  3. Sasha Banks and Charlotte prepare for Round 2. Charlotte has already invoked her rematch clause, and will attempt to reclaim her prize at SummerSlam. Will the bitter, newly former WWE Women’s Champion also seek some early vengeance Monday night?
  4. Who will face Braun Strowman? Undoubtedly, Strowman will look to continue his dominance Monday night in Atlanta, but will anyone be brave enough — or foolish enough — to stand across the ring from this monster?
  5. Will The New Day rebound against Gallows & Anderson? Despite their penchant for fun and games, The New Day won’t be joking around when it comes to their response to Gallows & Anderson’s brutality this Monday night in Atlanta.

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WWE has added a Women’s Title match to Summerslam. Charlotte will take on Sasha Banks in a rematch.

Here are the confirmed matches for WWE Summerslam 2016, Sunday August 21, 2016 from the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, New York.

WWE Title
Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler

WWE Universal Title
Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor

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WWE Women’s Title
Sasha Banks (c) vs. Charlotte

Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Orton

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Jonathan Widro is the owner and founder of Inside Pulse. Over a decade ago he burst onto the scene with a pro-WCW reporting style that earned him the nickname WCWidro. Check him out on Twitter for mostly inane non sequiturs