Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly WWE RAW hits and misses series.
Last night’s episode went down at the Resch Center in Green Bay, WI. CM Punk, Gunther, Damian Priest, Drew McIntyre, Liv Morgan, and Rhea Ripley among others worked the show.
Here’s what went down on 7/22 RAW.
Hit – Bron Breakker vs. Ilja Dragunov
Bron Breakker and Ilja Dragunov delivered the first match of the night. Both men squared off with the opportunity to face Sami Zayn for the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam 2024. Breakker won the match after Dragunov failed to answer the 10 count due to the spear he took on the outside.
This was a really fun match between two men who are extremely familiar with each other. Dragunov brought his hard-hitting style to the incredibly strong Breakker. The spear bump to the outside looked brutal. The controversial finish was done to protect Dragunov. Hopefully, Zayn versus Breakker II will be better than the match they had at WWE Money in the Bank.
Miss – Sonya Deville vs. Lyra Valkyria on WWE RAW
Sonya Deville took on Lyra Valkyria. Both women went back and forth for nearly eight minutes before Zoey Stark and Shayna Baszler tried to cause a distraction for Lyra. Sonya took advantage of the distraction to hit her Deville’s Advocate finisher for the win.
A decent match that showed the chemistry between the two women. This match would’ve been better, no doubt, if it wasn’t for time limitations. I believe WWE is trying to build an undefeated streak for Sonya with her current run.
Hit – CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre is official
CM Punk showed up live and in living color. Punk told the world he was cleared to compete and called out Drew McIntyre. The Scottish Warrior showed up and told Punk their match was too big for Green Bay. Adam Pearce arrived and confirmed the match would take place at SummerSlam before announcing Seth Rollins as the special guest referee.
We are finally getting Punk versus McIntyre after months of incredible build-up. WWE did botch the timing for Rollins’ entrance on RAW. All three men have done a fantastic job taking the feud to where it is today. This is one feud I really hope Triple H books for the long-term. SummerSlam can’t come soon enough!
Miss – Zelina Vega vs. Zoey Stark on WWE RAW
Zelina Vega took on Zoey Stark a week after she got her arm destroyed by Shayna Baszler on WWE RAW. Despite the injured arm, Zelina showed a lot of heart and put away Stark with a Code Red for the win.
Stark should’ve won the match, in my opinion. Also, she has arguably the best missile dropkick in WWE today. Lastly, women’s wrestling on the red brand should get more TV time if Triple H really wants to build the division.
Hit – Dominik Mysterio goes off on Liv Morgan
Rhea Ripley brought Dominik Mysterio to the ring and called out Liv Morgan. The Women’s World Champion showed up in the crowd. Liv asked Dom to say him the “three little words.” The Judgment Day star exploded in anger and humiliated Liv in front of the whole world. Liv went to the back crying while Rhea licked Dominik’s face for what he said to Liv on RAW.
A damn entertaining segment with Dominik as the highlight. The man went bilingual to tell Liv how much he hated her. The crowd’s reaction really made the segment great. That said, I think Dom and Liv are working together and will reveal their alliance to the whole world at the Biggest Party of the Summer.
Honorable Mentions
- WWE RAW got off to a hot start with Gunther and Damian Priest brawling in the ring after the Ring General called out the World Heavyweight Champion. Priest landed some stiff hands on Gunther, who retaliated with brute force. The fight went to the back until both men were separated by security.
- The Nikki Cross vignette from WWE RAW was really well done. WWE is killing it with the spooky segments featuring The Wyatt Sicks. The Sicks showed up to confront Creed Bros. and Chad Gable, who sold the hell out of a Sister Abigail from Uncle Howdy.
- Sami Zayn and Jey Uso reunited for tag team main event against The Judgment Day. A fun match that saw the former Bloodline members pin the World Tag Team Champions. Bron Breakker took out Zayn with a spear after the match leaving Jey Uso stunned as he attended to the former Honorary Uce.
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