WWE: RAW Preview for 26th August

For the first time in years, there will be no John Cena on Monday Night RAW tonight, as we get ready for a rocky ride in the next few months.

With Cena being side-lined after undergoing a surgery, it’s time for the others to step up and fight for the top spot. RAW comes to us live from Phoenix, Arizona and WWE already has an interesting show planned for us.

Daniel Bryan

Last week, Daniel Bryan was thrown out of the building, but as the bearded superstar found his way back into the arena, he was called to the ring by the COO of WWE, Triple H. Daniel Bryan was then attacked by The Shield and was later RKO’d in the ring, as the new “Corporation” stood tall with their hands raised. So what can we expect from this week’s RAW? Let’s find out.

Impact of Cena’s absence

John Cena underwent a surgery last week, and has since posted photos of his elbow. Cena now faces about 4 – 6 months of recuperation, during which he won’t be seen in the WWE! With John Cena gone for a good amount of time, how will this affect the landscape of the WWE?

There have been reports that Vince McMahon and the management told the performers to step up their game during Cena’s absence, as now is the best time to make a name for themselves in the WWE. With Orton becoming the new WWE champion, there is a shift in paradigm in the WWE Universe, and we can only wait and see how things will unfold in the coming months.

CM Punk faces Curtis Axel

Last week, Punk took out his frustrations on Curtis Axel, and laid out the third generation superstar with a GTS on the steel steps. The embarrassed Axel then challenged the Second City Saint to a match this week on RAW, which Punk has accepted. Hence, Punk will go head to head with the Intercontinental champion on this week’s episode, and rest assured, Axel’s manager and Punk’s former best friend Paul Heyman will be present at ringside to make sure that Axel dishes out some punishment to Punk.

There have also been rumours about the Intercontinental title being on the line, and if it does happen, then Punk can take away the one thing that has been close to Axel, which is his father’s memory. So what will happen this week? We can only wait and find out tonight!

RVD and Ricardo set their sights on the World championship

Ricardo’s intentions to make ADR’s life a nightmare led him to join forces with “Mr. Monday Night”, Rob Van Dam. The duo made their intentions clear last week about taking the World Heavyweight title away from Alberto Del Rio, and the match is set to take place at the next PPV, which is the Night of Champions.

Will RVD and Ricardo be successful in taking away the title from Del Rio? Or can Del Rio find a way to hold on to the title just a bit longer? Also, how will he react to the alliance between his former manager and the individual that has defeated him in the past? We’ll get our answers on tonight’s episode.

Return of the masked warrior!

Rumours are making rounds that Rey Mysterio will return to action this week on RAW, after being side-lined with a knee injury. Rey made a surprise appearance at a house show last week, and told the fans that he is set to return to action soon. With Del Rio going on about being the “leader for Mexicans”, Rey will have a thing or two to say about that. So will the master of 619 return to WWE TV this week? There are a lot of possibilities which makes this week’s episode a must – watch edition!

Daniel Bryan faces an uphill battle

Finally, the former WWE champion Daniel Bryan had a not so eventful last week, as he first lost the WWE title as soon as he won it against John Cena, and was attacked and beaten down on last week’s RAW. To rub salt into his wounds, Orton then RKO’d Daniel Bryan on last week’s episode of Friday Night Smackdown!

How will the bearded warrior respond to the recent string of attacks? One has to wonder if Bryan’s uphill battle is a bit too much for the underdog to overcome, but if anyone can do it, Daniel Bryan can. How will Bryan respond to the newly formed Corporation? We’ll get our answers on tonight’s episode of Monday Night RAW!