WWE Monday Night Raw Preview: July 31, 2017

The excitement in the air is palpable as we hone in on WWE SummerSlam. Well, for most of us at least.

Brock Lesnar, on the other hand, will not be looking forward to the dance he has with Samoa Joe, Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman at the pay-per-view. Not only is he scheduled to defend his Universal Title against three of Raw's most fearsome Superstars, but he also doesn't even have to be pinned to lose it.

Speaking of which, Raw's Tag Title holders - Sheamus and Cesaro - may have put the Hardy Boyz in the rear view mirror just recently but are sure to be tested against other upcoming Tag Teams like the Revival and...I daresay...Ambrose and Rollins!?

But that may not be the only curveball on Raw as the Miz would surely have a few up his sleeve when he interviews Kurt Angle's long lost son, Jason Jordan.

Will Jordan survive the grilling that the Miz likely has in store for him? Or will he, true to his lineage, take the opportunity to knock it out of the ballpark?

Running through all these storylines and more, here is our preview of this week's episode of Monday Night Raw.

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Old is good

A familiar sight

Time heals even the deepest cuts.

That and the fact that Seth Rollins stood shoulder to shoulder with Dean Ambrose in a winning effort against the Miz and his cronies seems to suggest that the broken bonds between the former Shield brothers may yet be bridged.

Dean Ambrose, understandably, is still sore at the betrayal and refuses to treat his budding partnership with Rollins as anything more than a marriage of convenience to deal with the Miztourage.

But are they drifting back together despite the mistrust?

Will we see part of the Shield on the same page again very soon? While it may take weeks of working together for us to be completely sure, the number one contendership for the Raw Tag Team Titles has freed up.

Will Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose manage to get back on the same page in time?

Risky prospect

Will the Miz wipe that smile off his face?

The Miztourage may have their hands full with the team of Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose for the time being, but the Miz himself won't miss the opportunity to stir mischief elsewhere.

And you can bet that his intentions are as ignoble as can be when he interviews Jason Jordan on Miz TV.

When was the last time you remembered someone being properly interviewed on the A-lister's talk show? Exactly. Never.

And this time too, watch out for the Miz to put his own spin on the narrative as he attempts to catch Jordan unaware and bring him crashing down after the former American Alpha member recently discovered that he's Kurt Angle's long lost son.

The million dollar question, however, is how long before Kurt Angle leaps to the defence of his son?

#3 The cream rises to the 'Top'

Being in sync has never been the Revival's issue

Sheamus and Cesaro overcame the toughest test of their Tag Team careers when they defeated the Hardy Boyz for the Raw Tag Team Championships and then defended the straps in an Iron Man match.

And now, they're enjoying the rarified air of being atop the mountain.

But for how much longer?

While Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose still seem a long way from being a fully functional and synchronized duo capable of challenging them, the same cannot be said of the Revival.

Dash and Dawson know each other's playbook perfectly and are nipping at the champions' heels after gaining momentum with back-to-back victories over the Club and the Hardy Boyz.

Will they emerge as the Bar's next stern examination? The question seems to be when, and not if.

Did the Eater of Worlds bite off more than he can chew?

Out of the frying pan...and into the fire?

Elias was proving to be difficult enough for Finn Balor to deal with...without Bray Wyatt entering into the fray.

The Eater of Worlds, however, rarely makes a move without motive. So, was his interference in Balor's match against Samson last week a premeditated assault? Was it a message, loud and clear, that there can only be one ethereal entity in the WWE?

For if it was, it's time for the WWE Universe to strap up and get ready for a rollicking ride.

We all know of the deranged, cryptic promos from the downtrodden warehouses, the malicious house of horrors, the ominous cloud of Sister Abigail hanging over every little thing Bray Wyatt does.

And now, he's decided to target Finn Balor.

But will he be ready when it is the Demon King who answers?

The Beast Awaits

Will they destroy one another before even reaching SummerSlam?

Before facing Brock Lesnar in a Fatal Fourway match at SummerSlam, the trio of Roman Reigns, Samoa Joe and Braun Strowman will all do battle with one another on this week's episode of Monday Night Raw.

Each man feels that he deserves a crack at the Beast Incarnate and that notion alone will spur them to be at their most violent when they come up against each other.

The rivalry between Reigns and Strowman is only too well documented and adding the unforgiving Samoa Joe into the mix only turns up the temperature by a notch.

Which one of these powerhouses will take this golden opportunity to establish himself as the clear favourite going into SummerSlam? Or is it only beneficial for Brock Lesnar that his challengers tear at each other while he waits for August 20th?

To find out, tune in to this week's episode of Monday Night Raw!

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