Brock Lesnar's WWE Return Confirmed For Next Week's Raw

Here comes the pain.

By Grahame Herbert /

Brock Lesnar's televised WWE return has been confirmed for the 1/11 Raw, which will be taking place in New Orleans. In building hype around the return, WWE ran the above video promo on Monday's Raw. Lesnar promises "people are going to get hurt." It is smart for WWE to advertise Lesnar's comeback ahead of time. In the past, they've left his appearances as surprises, which is good for a pop but doesn't really give viewers a reason to tune in. This time around, with Raw ratings still a concern, the company has opted to let everyone know to expect The Beast Incarnate. As for what he'll be doing on Raw, it would make sense that he's there to announce his participation in the Royal Rumble. There may also be some foreshadowing for his WrestleMania feud, so look out for exchanges with other superstars.His non-televised return will actually be this Friday, in a house show match against Sheamus at Houston's Toyota Center. Could that be a clue for Brock's television feud? Possibly. Sheamus is certainly over as a heel, and the Irishman's brawling style could match nicely with Brock's smash wrestling. However, surely WWE could book something of a bigger magnitude for WrestleMania? A big idea would be Lesnar versus Roman Reigns 2, but right now everything is looking unpredictable, with rumours and WWE hints of Reigns versus Triple H in the coming months.