Payback left several of the squared circle's superheroes bruised and busted open, but the May 18 edition of WWE Raw offers no respite; the build to Elimination Chamber is already underway.
Banged-up Superstars have to either continue in-progress rivalries or begin new ones. That means John Cena has a battle ahead of him after taking some nasty bumps in an "I Quit" match on Sunday. DolphZiggler and Ryback will likely have to gut it out after their Payback bouts sent them to the trainer's room.
Richmond, Virginia, plays host to the post-Payback Raw. The show has to follow up on what happened at the pay-per-view as well as lead into Elimination Chamber, which is less than two weeks away.
The Raw pre-show begins at 7:30 p.m. ET on the WWE Network. Raw itself follows at 8 p.m. ET on USA Network.
Backstage reports, official interviews and James Wortman's five-point preview on WWE.com give fans a strong idea of what to expect on Monday night.
News, Potential Spoilers
Despite how intense Ryback and Bray Wyatt's clash got at Payback, it certainly looks like that feud is just beginning. The Big Guy, though, looks to be limping into the next stage of this story.
PWInsider's Mike Johnson reports, "Ryback was checked by WWEtrainers after his match with Bray Wyatt, concerned about a possible broken rib."
That may lead Ryback to do more talking than fighting in Richmond.WWE has minimal time to build toward the second round of their rivalry, so he's sure to be featured on Monday's Raw either way.
Ziggler left Payback hurt as well. After a headbutt to Sheamus, blood began to pour down The Showoff's brow. He received stitches after the bout, as seen from an image WWE's Twitter account posted of him post-treatment:
That injury will likely be part of the storyline on Monday night, but it's not clear how much WWE will ask of Ziggler from a physical standpoint. These kinds of wounds can open up when wrestlers compete so soon afterward.
Regardless, chances are his feud with Sheamus will get him into the Elimination Chamber match to decide the vacant Intercontinental Championship. The Celtic Warrior is the rumored front-runner to take home that prize.
Johnson writes for PWInsider, "There's a ton of talk that Sheamusends up with the Intercontinental title."
Don't be surprised then to hear Sheamus' name called when WWEdecides who enters the chamber. If there are any qualifying matches to gain entry, bet on the Irishman's acing his.
As for the Divas Championship, fans may not have to wait until the pay-per-view to see the title change hands. In an interview after Payback, Naomi said she was going to demand a title shot on Raw:
The Divas title picture may get more crowded on Monday night as well. As noted by Pro Wrestling Torch, Paige appeared at a house show in Pennsylvania over the weekend.
It looks like she's done shooting Santa's Little Helper and is ready to return to the ring.
The World's Largest Athlete is likely to join her. According to F4WOnline (h/t Wrestling Inc), Big Show is expected back on TV in the next few weeks. In addition, James Caldwell of Pro Wrestling Torchnotes that the giant is advertised for Monday's Raw.
Other talent set for the show includes Sheamus, Kane, Ryback, Dean Ambrose, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns and the world champ himself, Seth Rollins.
Payback Fallout
The champ never rests. Fresh off a hard-fought victory over Rusev,Cena will defend the United States Championship once again.
After his match at Payback, he told Byron Saxton, "Tomorrow night on Raw, I will issue yet another U.S. open challenge."
With his battles with Cena now over, Rusev has a new issue to worry about: His alliance with Lana is splintering. At Payback, he berated his manager for calling quits for him.
That's just the latest example of tension between them. The five-point preview hints at the split's being official and at Lana's moving on without The Bulgarian Brute. Wortman asks, "Have we seen the last ofRusev and Lana as a unit? If so, what's Lana's next move?"
Most fans can see that Bad News Barrett and Neville aren't done colliding with each other. Barrett ducked out of their fight at Payback and allowed himself to be counted out. After the bell, the two fought on, with Neville getting the last blow.
Wortman hints that this rivalry will continue when he asks, "Will Barrett be looking to settle the score with Neville in kingly fashion on Raw?" Count on the answer being yes. Whether or not those rivals both get a crack at the IC title is less certain.
The five-point preview indicates that WWE will announce on Raw who will be in both the Elimination Chamber match to crown a new ICchamp and the one forcing The New Day to defend the tag team gold. In that second bout, it appears that each team will occupy a pod, meaning we're set for six teams to battle inside the steel structure. We'll see the majority of the tag team division competing for the title.
And while it's unclear whether Reigns, Orton and Ambrose will remain in the hunt for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, it's obvious that Kane is still at the center of that narrative.
Credit: WWE.com
Kane at ringside during the WWE title match at Payback.
Kane played a major role in Rollins' retention. His immediate future is also brought up in the five-point preview. In it, Wortman writes, "With Kane's career in The Authority secure after Rollins' retention, what's the Director of Operations' next move?"
WWE had been teasing a face turn from him, but Sunday night saw his vicious side return, and Kane worked with Rollins better than he has in months.
Rollins may have to worry less about infighting en route to his next title bout. He won't have much time to recover before it arrives, though. The build for Elimination Chamber is already nearing its home stretch.
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