Monday Night Raw Preview 1/12/15: Royal Rumble Build Continues

The January 12, 2015 edition of WWE's Monday Night Raw will emanate live from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans at 8 p.m. Eastern and will continue to build toward the Royal Rumble on Sunday, January 25.

Last week on Raw, Triple H decreed that the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match between John Cena and Brock Lesnar at Royal Rumble would be a Triple Threat Match featuring Mr. Money in the Bank, Seth Rollins. This should add an interesting wrinkle to the title match, as Rollins' presence freshens up what would be the third match between Cena and Lesnar in six pay-per-views. Plus, Rollins already has the Money in the Bank contract, so he could theoretically lose the match and still walk out with the title after cashing in his contract. Or, he could win the title outright and have both the title and the briefcase.

As for the Royal Rumble match itself, the situation remains murky. Daniel Bryan's return has added some more intrigue to the 30-man match, as it makes Roman Reigns' presumed victory a bit less certain. Consider what noted Reddit user and inside scoop deliverer MetsFan4Ever had to say last week on this subject.

"News coming out of Corpus Christi, TX today is that many officially heading into WrestleMania season, many superstars are greatly divided on who should actually win the Rumble match. There are many on the side of Roman Reigns and those who are believe he is the future and next John Cena of the company. There are also others that feel Daniel Bryan should be the guy and that if he isn't we will see another disappointing ending to the Rumble match much like last year.

There are officials in the company who believe letting Daniel Bryan win and main event the biggest show of the year is a huge risk considering his past injury history. There are those that feel Bryan truly is a "B" level player and will never be truly at the top of the card because of his past injuries and his long-term future still in question.

I was also told that about 45-minutes ago Triple H held a talent meeting stating that they are not sure who is going to win the Rumble match and main event WrestleMania. He challenged all the Superstars in the next couple of weeks. They will be evaluated and then in a few weeks they will decide who should get the opportunity."

So it seems the direction of the Rumble match is still very much up in the air with just two weeks left before the pay-per-view. Tonight's episode of Raw should do a lot of work toward building up the Royal Rumble. Could we learn of some new entrants into the match?

There have also been rumors that Randy Orton could return to WWE television within the next few weeks. Could he return tonight, or will he be a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble?

Finally, The Authority fired Dolph Ziggler, Ryback, and Erick Rowan last week. These firings obviously won't last, and there are already reports that the three will be back at or before Royal Rumble. Could they return tonight?

As always, check back with MStars immediately after the show for a full recap of all the action. But for now, let us know your thoughts, opinions, guesses, and predictions for tonight's episode in the comments section.