As the Royal Rumble rapidly approaches, the WWE prepares itself for a huge edition of Monday Night RAW.
Possible Candidates To Win WWE Championship At Royal Rumble
Vince McMahon closed out last week's flagship show with a huge announcement, revealing that the 30-man Rumble Match on Jan. 24 will be for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. This is the second time in Rumble Match history that the richest prize in the game is on the line, and first since 1992.
Here are five things to watch for on WWE RAW this week at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
Best World Championship Matches In Royal Rumble History
1) Brock Is Back
Brock Lesnar is set to return to television on RAW and "The Beast" is expected to throw his name into the ring for the 30-man Rumble Match. Lesnar returns to the very city where he ended The Streak of The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXX in 2014. Lesnar was never pinned to lose the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, so from a storyline perspective, it makes sense for him to join the fray. Paul Heyman tweeted in anticipation of his client's return:
TONIGHT - THE CONQUEROR RETURNS TO THE SCENE OF HIS MOST HISTORIC VICTORY! #RAW #LIVE TONIGHT! pic.twitter.com/iZ9lMhPlQS
— Paul Heyman (@HeymanHustle) January 11, 2016
2) Reigns' Reign In Jeopardy
Reigns will have to overcome 29 other Superstars at the Royal Rumble to retain his title due to McMahon's announcement at the end of last week's episode. The leader of the Roman Empire is sure to address what he's facing this week on the flagship show, while McMahon will also continue to make his road to WrestleMania a rocky one.
3) RAW Deal
There is a rash of injuries in the WWE right now and the latest person to miss time is John Cena, who underwent shoulder surgery on Friday. The "Cenation" leader is one of many Superstars sidelined right now, as the WWE's lack of depth is glaring. There will now be even more of an emphasis put on Reigns to carry the show. Cena thanked the reigning champion for taking his place in India this weekend:
I want to apologize to the @WWEUniverse in #India for my absence. I want to thank @WWERomanReigns for stepping up like the champ he is! #HLR — John Cena (@JohnCena) January 10, 2016
4) Flair For Drama
While the injuries have wreaked havoc on the men, the WWE Divas have also been dealt quite a blow. Nikki Bella, Natalya, Paige and Sasha Banks have all been linked to different ailments, though "The Boss" revealed on Tumblr that her injury woes were merely a rumor.
The main storyline going through the division has to do with Divas Champion Charlotte, her father Ric Flair and Becky Lynch. After Charlotte's full-blown heel turn last week, Lynch is due to respond.
5) Unlikely Champion
Kalisto's stock continues to rise, and he scored a huge non-title upset victory over U.S. Champion Alberto Del Rio on SmackDown last week. In wake of the win, the WWE has teased a possible title-shot for Kalisto this week on RAW. "Following Kalisto's non-title win over Del Rio -- perhaps the biggest accomplishment in his career thus far -- is the masked marvel in line for a U.S. Title opportunity?" WWE.com pondered.
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