When:
United States: LIVE, Monday Night, August 15, at 8/7c on the USA Network
United Kingdom: Tuesday Morning, August 16, at 1AM on Sky Sports 5 HD
Where:
American Bank Center
Corpus Christi, TX
Raw preview, Aug. 15, 2016: Lesnar resurfaces before SummerSlam
The animosity between Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton has never been greater, and at SummerSlam, The Viper and The Beast Incarnate will wage a war that’s been 15 years in the making. On the final Raw before The Biggest Event of the Summer, Lesnar will address his forthcoming clash with WWE’s Apex Predator. Will Orton be watching?
Lesnar to address The Viper
Last week’s Raw took an in-depth look at the intensifying rivalry between Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton, and it was during a particularly visceral interview with The Beast that he referred to The Viper as “just another guy,” claiming that although they both arrived in WWE developmental at the same time, Orton is not even close to his level. Meanwhile, Orton has vowed to “kill the legend of Brock Lesnar” at SummerSlam, referring to the fact that The Beast has been nearly unbeatable since conquering The Undertaker’s WrestleMania Streak in 2014.
Even though Raw and SmackDown Live General Managers Mick Foley and Daniel Bryan have agreed that their respective rosters will refrain from invading the opposing show, whatever Lesnar and Paul Heyman have planned will undoubtedly raise the ire of the SmackDown Live serpent.
Can Roman Reigns spoil Rusev’s night yet again?
As if having multiple wedding ceremonies wasn’t enough for Rusev and Lana, the Raw lovebirds couldn’t resist rubbing their wedded bliss in the WWE Universe’s face with yet another “celebration” of matrimony, complete with photographs and cake — the latter of which was worn by Lana thanks to The Super Athlete’s “Worst Man,” Roman Reigns. The party crasher received a United States Championship opportunity against The Bulgarian Brute at SummerSlam following his unique toast to the newlyweds, and sent yet another message to the titleholder with an impactful Spear after Raw’s main event.
The Ravishing Russian vowed revenge against The Big Dog in an interview on WWE.com, and the furious Rusev is likely planning some serious payback against Reigns going into Monday. Expect fists to fly if Reigns and Rusev cross paths on Monday night.
Seth Rollins to deconstruct The Demon King
After brazenly dismissing Finn Bálor’s face-painted alter ego as mere theatricality, Seth Rollins received an eerie history lesson from his SummerSlam opponent that changed the complexion of the first-ever WWE Universal Championship Match. Claiming an ability to tap into supernatural powers greater than himself when “his limbs and his flesh are not enough,” Bálor affirmed that The Demon King will be waiting for Rollins at SummerSlam, where myth just might become a horrifying reality for The Architect.
Not willing to wait for SummerSlam next Sunday, Rollins aims to conjure The Demon King on Raw. Will he regret this decision?
How will The New Day retaliate against Gallows & Anderson?
After taking Big E out of action with a vicious ringpost-assisted attack, Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson rubbed salt in the wound this past Monday night by masquerading as doctors and warning the Raw roster about the “ringpostitis” epidemic sweeping the locker room. The faux physicians nearly diagnosed another case of this debilitating disease later in the night when they attacked Kofi Kingston, but Xavier Woods deterred the wannabe docs with the help of a steel chair.
Although Big E is still recovering at home, the rest of The New Day will be at Raw, and will likely have much to say about their disrespectful challengers before their WWE Tag Team Championship clash at SummerSlam.
Do cheaters prosper?
Turnabout is fair play, especially when you’re under the tutelage of WWE Hall of Famer Bob Backlund. One week after Darren Young suffered a defeat to Titus O’Neil — who deviously grabbed a handful of tights during the pin — Young employed the same tactic to beat his former tag team partner this past Monday night. Although Backlund was furious at O’Neil’s previous rule-bending behavior, he couldn’t be prouder in the wake of his apprentice’s big win, claiming that he didn’t see Young do anything wrong.
Does Backlund’s quest to “Make Darren Young Great Again” now favor a whatever-it-takes-to-win approach over genuine sportsmanship, or was Young simply seizing the opportunity to score some appropriate retribution against O’Neil?
Charlotte goes solo
After WWE Women’s Champion Sasha Banks defeated Dana Brooke on Raw, Charlotte will be forced to challenge The Boss for her title at SummerSlam without the aid of her muscled protégé. The second-generation Superstar has long claimed that she doesn’t need anyone’s help to sit atop the Women’s division, but having a little backup certainly came in handy during her 114-day title reign, whether it came from her father, Ric Flair, or Dana. If she’s truly alone at SummerSlam, will Charlotte need to come up with a new strategy to unseat The Boss in Brooklyn?
Don’t miss Raw at 8/7 C on USA Network, and be sure to tune in to Raw Pre-Show at 7:30 ET on all of WWE’s digital platforms!
