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The new year is upon us, and the WWE Universe is all set for a new beginning as it gets ready for the first major Pay-Per-View extravaganza of the year, the annual Royal Rumble. With that in mind, her's what lies in store for the fans in India this week:

RAW (Thursday 2:30 pm/ 10:30 pm IST):

For the past couple of months, a series of cryptic videos has been appearing on the Raw Titantron, signaling that something big was about to happen, that a major superstar is about to make his reurn to the roster. The videos suggested that this person's return would 'change the world of wrestling as we know it'. The wait will finally be over on this week's edition on Raw, and the WWE Universe can't wait to find out the answer to this enigma.

Speaking of returns, ever since making his return to the WWE under his 'resurrected' mask, Kane has been tormenting John Cena, and last week his made his motives clear: to convince Cena to accept the crowd's animosity and stop denying the fact that his Cenation has actually grown tired of him being the good guy. This week, Cena will finally have a chance to get his hands on his newest nemesis as he teams up with United States Champion Zack Ryder and the Big Show to take on Kane, Mark Henry and Jack Swagger. All these men have issues with someone in the opposite team, and all hell will break loose when they will collide in the first main event of 2012.

The WWE Championship is going to be on the line as Dolph Ziggler, who defeated a battered CM Punk last week in a gauntlet match, will now challenge Punk for the title. Ziggler had a really impressive run as the United States Champion, and his thirst for the biggest prize in sports entertainment, combined with the presence of Vickie Guerrero at ringside might pose a serious threat for the champion. But knowing the Second City Savior, he will always have a trick or two up his sleeve. The contest promises to be a thrilling joyride for the fans!

Other superstars to look out for will be R-Truth and the Miz, who seem to have strated a whole new rivalry following the implosion of Awesome Truth. Also, Daniel Bryan and Cody Rhodes will face off in a Champion vs. Champion match.

All this and a lot more this week on Raw.

SmackDown (Friday 2:30 pm/10:30 pm IST):

TLC was really unfair to the Big Show. He had to battle almost to the death in a grueling battle against Mark Henry for the World Heavyweight Championship, and just moments after winning the belt, he lost it to Daniel Bryan, who had decided to cash in his Money in the Bank contract. But the 500-pound monster will finally get a shot at retribution as he faces Daniel Bryan with the World Heavyweight Championship on the line. And watching this encounter very closely will be the World's Strongest Man, Mark Henry as he eagerly awaits his next victim. Can Bryan beat the odds once again? Or will the Era of the Big Show be unleashed? We will find out this week on SmackDown.

Another title that will be defended is the intercontinental championship, as the champion, Cody Rhodes will defend the prestigious belt against Booker-T. Over the past few weeks, Rhodes has disrespected each and every one of the WWE veterans, including his elder brother Goldust (Dustin Rhodes) and his father, 'American Dream' Dusty Rhodes. This will be Booker's last chance to beat some respect into the young champion, while Rhodes will be looking to rid himself of the veteran announcer for good. Either way, this promises to be an exciting contest!

The Mexican segment of the SmackDown roster will be showing their talent in two prospectively exciting matches. While Hunico will be going toe-to-toe with Ted DiBiase, he cousins Primo and Epico will be facing the WWE tag team champions in a non-title match. While Hunico will be looking at the match to prove that he doesn't need someone like Sin Cara to make him look good in the ring, Primo and Epico will be after the elusive victory which will finally give them enough momentum to challenge the champions for their belts.

And finally, the WWE Universe is eagerly awaiting an update on the condition of Randy Orton, who was severely injured last week after being dropped down a flight of stairs by Wade Barrett. The WWE Universe wishes the Viper a speedy recovery, even though the exact nature of his injury will be known this week on SmackDown.

NXT (Sunday 10:30 pm IST):

Former Nexus member Skip Sheffeild makes his return from injury to the place where it all began for him, as Darren Young and Derrick Bateman fight it out for a shot at being the WWE's next breakout star, only on WWE NXT.

YouTube video of the week: This is a collection of the funiest moments in the WWE, containing some really hilarious segments from the Attitude Era.