WWE Monday Night Raw preview: September 18, 2017

Just a week before the WWE rolls into Los Angeles for No Mercy, Raw comes to us from the SAP Center in San Jose with a number of interestingly poised storylines.

Chief among them is the riveting rivalry between John Cena and Roman Reigns. With "The Leader of Cenation" getting the better of the back and forth verbal volleys so far, how will their final encounter play out before they finally lock up on Sunday? The question is whether the Face that Runs the Place would show up as he was in China for a live event.

He was written off television last week as part of the brutal beatdown at the hands of Braun Strowman.

Another duo on a collision course at No Mercy, Nia Jax, and Raw Women's Champion Alexa Bliss, will do battle on Monday Night Raw. Will it be a sign of things to come?

And talking about signs, the signs for WWE Universal Champion Brock Lesnar heading into No Mercy are pretty bleak. Braun Strowman has victimised "The Beast" at every turn... but will Lesnar be able to turn the tables just in time with a strong showing on Raw?

Let's find out as we run through all these points and more in our preview of this week's episode of Monday Night Raw.

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#1 Monster-handled

No human being can do that to Brock Lesnar...but Braun Strowman is no human being

Brock Lesnar has been dealt a stinging taste of his own medicine at the hands of Braun Strowman so far.

While everyone did expect "The Monster Among Men" to provide a stiff test to "The Beast", no one thought he would go on to absolutely decimate Lesnar the way he has at every opportunity.

He put him through two announcers' tables at SummerSlam, took him out again on the fallout episode of Raw and picked a fight with him and laid him out again last week.

With just a few days left for their titanic clash at No Mercy, will this week's episode of Raw have another "Monster" beatdown in store for Lesnar?

But there's a slight issue! Brock Lesnar has not been advertised for RAW and is expected to sit this one out if reports are to be believed.

#2 Friend turned foe

Is Alexa Bliss due more misery at the hands of Nia Jax before No Mercy?

Nia Jax made an emphatic statement of intent when she dropped Alexa Bliss like a bad habit on Raw a couple of weeks ago.

Since then, she also teamed up with Emma to beat the team of Alexa and Sasha, thereby making the Raw Women's Championship match at No Mercy into a Fatal 4-way encounter.

Less than a week away from the showdown, how will Nia's singles match against Alexa Bliss on Raw play out?

Can Nia give her former BFF a taste of what is to come at No Mercy or will the Champion somehow weasel her way out of enduring unnecessary punishment so close to her Title defence?

#3 Brothers United

Who will win the tug-of-war between the Shield Brothers and the Bar?

Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins have struck up the perfect partnership, setting aside their differences, and going on to capture the Raw Tag Team Titles.

But coming up against the equally ring-savvy and tough duo of Sheamus and Cesaro, they need to be on their A-game at No Mercy.

They did manage to team with the Hardy Boyz to see off the combined challenge of the Good Brothers and the Bar last week on Raw, but they will need to dig deep and deliver once again when they rematch the Swiss Superman and the Celtic Warrior.

Will the former Shield brethren continue to function on the same page and replicate their title winning exploits on Sunday? Or will their opponents raise the Bar and reclaim the Tag Championship?

#4 A taste of his own medicine

Enzo got what he had coming to him...but will he go back for more?

Usually, it's Enzo Amore who is mouthing off to other Superstars, leaving them speechless in his wake.

Last week on Raw, however, the shoe was firmly on the other foot as The Miz let loose on the latest 205 Live star, publicly chastising him for his lack of respect.

That was before they squared off in a match, which didn't end well for Enzo either.

Abandoned by his 7-foot-tall insurance policy and left to fend for himself, will Enzo's mouth get him into trouble with the Intercontinental Champion and his Miztourage again this week?

Or will he finally listen to the advice forcefully bestowed upon him last week and stop writing checks with his mouth that his a** can't cash?

#5 Best for last?

One final installment of the John Cena-Roman Reigns rivalry awaits

For the past few weeks, the John Cena-Roman Reigns rivalry has captured everybody's imagination with how intense and personal it has been.

There was practically no warning for the WWE Universe; Cena called Reigns out and it went from 0-100 pretty fast from there.

Both men have been crushingly honest in their appraisal of one another, which has only added a must-see element to this WrestleMania-worthy match, apart from the in-ring encounter at No Mercy which promises to be a rollicking affair too.

So, with just one more opportunity left to sling mud at one another on Raw, who will gain the upper hand as we hurtle towards Sunday's pay-per-view?

Also, as good as John Cena is on the microphone, can he realistically top the work he's already done in cutting "The Big Dog" down to size?

But will John Cena be on RAW considering he's not been advertised at all?

Tune in to Monday Night Raw to find out!