WWE Monday Night Raw preview: October 9, 2017

Hell in a Cell will naturally be a tough act to top, but it's not because of a dearth of action lined up for Monday Night Raw.

Also follow: WWE RAW Results, October 9th, 2017, Live Updates and Commentary

With a potential Shield reunion poised to happen, will the unholy alliance between the Miz and the Bar push the Hounds of Justice over the brink and force them to join hands?

Or will the new-found common ground between the Intercontinental Champion and the former Raw Tag Team Champions prove to be too strong to undo, as they seek to pile the numbers game upon Roman Reigns once again?

Having defeated Bray Wyatt, both as the Demon and as the man, how will Finn Balor fare when he is met with a sinister challenge that the WWE Universe has only heard of but never seen before in Sister Abigail?

And despite defeating each of the Raw Tag Team Champions in consecutive weeks and laying down a beating on Enzo Amore, Braun Strowman's quest for a competition is far from quenched.

Who will the Monster among Men target this week as he continues on his comeback trail after his defeat to Brock Lesnar at No Mercy?

Visiting all of these talking points and more, here is our preview of this week's episode of Monday Night Raw.

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#1 Sierra.Hotel.India...

Will the Shield reunite to ward off the Miz and co?

If the silent understanding between Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins to close out last week's episode of Raw was anything to go by, the Shield may be on the verge of reforming again.

Despite being the Big Dog and the conqueror of Undertaker and John Cena, Roman Reigns clearly cannot deal with three men at once.

And after being on the receiving end of a brutal beating two weeks on the bounce, he seems to have enlisted familiar faces to help him out.

Will the Shield present a united front, even as Miz TV brings the Intercontinental Champion and the Bar on the same page?

Or will Roman Reigns, yet again, have to face the wrath of the three men on his own?

#2 Sister Abigail?

Will we finally know the identity of Sister Abigail?

After being bested by the Demon and the man, Bray Wyatt has resorted to bringing out his most potent weapon yet to act as the equalizer against Finn Balor - Sister Abigail.

Will the identity of the sinister figure, who's only been pulling the strings from behind the scenes thus far, finally be revealed on Raw?

Or is teasing her appearance just the latest salvo in a long line of mind games that Bray Wyatt relishes playing on his opponents?

Either way, Finn Balor better believe that Bray Wyatt has something up his sleeve if he is still interested in continuing their bad blood, despite being on the end of two high profile defeats.

#3 Like fine wine

Mickie James may have earned a Title shot but her back is still up to the wall against Alexa and Nia

Mickie James' strong showing against Nia Jax last week served as an affirmation that she's still got plenty of gas left in the tank and also earned her a Raw Women's Title opportunity at the Tables Ladders and Chairs pay-per-view.

But with the bad blood between her and the disrespectful Champion only boiling over, will she be able to reach the pay-per-view in one piece?

Especially since Alexa and Nia are in the league, anyone who has a bone to pick with the Goddess seems to have to answer to the destructive force that is her BFF first.

Can Mickey prove, against all odds, that she has what it takes to dethrone Alexa Bliss? Or will the conniving Champion find a way - by hook or by crook - to win again?

#4 Braun Strowman's comeback trail

Will his trysts with Ambrose and Rollins ultimately land Braun Strowman at the door of the Shield?

Ever since losing to Brock Lesnar at No Mercy, in what can be described as somewhat of a shock result, Braun Strowman has once again embarked on a destructive trail.

After defeating a game Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins, sandwiching a beatdown of Enzo Amore, who will the Monster among Men victimize next on Raw?

More importantly, how many other Superstars have the cojones to step up to the behemoth like the Raw Tag Team Champions did?

Or are we going to witness a curveball as he goes after Ambrose and Rollins again, thereby - almost inevitably - crossing paths with archrival Roman Reigns?

#5 A new challenge arises

How will Enzo Amore react to Kalisto's appearance on the Cruiserweight scene?

Enzo Amore laid into each and every one of the Cruiserweights on Raw last week, in what can only be described as a Rock-esque one-sided verbal beatdown.

However, when he was mistakenly gloating in the false sense of security that none of them could lay a finger on him should they even hope to have a Title shot in the future, he was introduced to the newest member of the Cruiserweight Division, Kalisto.

Unlike the others who're bound by the No Contact clause that Enzo keeps flashing around, the former US Champion is free to physically address the Champion...as he was only too happy to do.

How will the embattled Enzo Amore respond to the newest threat to his Cruiserweight Title?

Find out right here on Sportskeeda as we bring you all the play-by-play action, results and highlights from this week's episode of Monday Night Raw.