Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly WWE RAW hits and misses series.
Last night’s episode was the finals stop for the red brand before SummerSlam 2024. The show emanated from XCEL Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. CM Punk, Seth Rollins, Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, and Damian Priest among others worked the show.
Here’s what went down on the July 29 episode of RAW.
Hit – Opening segment on WWE RAW
Seth Rollins kicked off RAW. The Visionary donned a customized referee fit for the occasion. Rollins told CM Punk and Drew McIntyre to join him in the ring. Both men showed up. Rollins warned them against playing smart at SummerSlam. He also teased throwing out the traditional one-on-one rules for Punk versus McIntyre. All three men took turns cutting promo on each other before McIntyre pulled out Punk’s bracelet to play mind games with his opponent.
This was a brilliant opening promo featuring three of the biggest stars on Monday Night RAW. Rollins asserted himself as the authority figure in the upcoming match. Punk went out of the ring but came back to cut his promo. He never misses. Drew had some very good lines, including “I won’t stop till your heart does.” All three feed off of each other and the crowd to create the ultimate hype for the match-up. This is the match I’m looking forward to the most this Saturday.
Miss – The Wyatts take out Chad Gable and the Creed Bros
The Creed Brothers had their first match under Chad Gable’s mentorship on WWE RAW. Brutus and Julius showcased their strength and athleticism against Otis and Akira Tozawa. The Creeds picked up the win. Gable applied the ankle lock on Otis after the match. Maxxine tried to intervene but the Wyatt Sicks showed up. They took out the Creed Brothers before Uncle Howdy scared off Chad Gable.
The tag team match was fun. Pairing Creeds with Gable was the right decision. That said, I didn’t like that the siblings got destroyed by the Wyatts right after their dominant performance on RAW. Also, the Wyatts took off their masks to reveal their identities, which I thought was unnecessary given the fact that WWE aired a vignette of Dexter Lumis later in the night. Wyatt Sicks will have their in-ring debut on RAW after SummerSlam.
Hit – Sheamus vs. Bronson Reed
Sheamus took on Bronson Reed in a rematch from their previous outing on WWE RAW. Both men battered each other with brutal strikes. Sheamus had the momentum towards the end, but Pete Dunne hit him with a shillelagh to cost his former partner the match.
This was a hard-hitting match between two big men on the roster. Sheamus continues to have bangers on weekly television. The controversial finish allowed Reed to equal his score with Sheamus. I’d love to see a rubber match between the pair.
Miss – Women’s tag team match on WWE RAW
Lyra Valkyria joined forces with Kayden Carter and Katana Chance against Sonya Deville, Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark. Stark hit Chance with a Z360 for the win. Damage CTRL returned post-match to clear the ring.
Women’s wrestling is still not getting enough TV time on the main roster. This week’s RAW had plenty of matches but most didn’t get enough time. Triple H can learn a thing or two from his best friend, Shawn Michaels, on how to book women wrestling on WWE TV.
Hit – Finn Balor vs. Gunther
Gunther promised to make an example out of Finn Balor before their match on WWE RAW. The Ring General battered Balor’s chest with his brutal palm strikes. Balor tried to fight back but got caught in Gunther’s huge arms. The world tag team champion passed out due to the chokehold giving Gunther the ring. Gunther continued his assault after the match. Damian Priest showed up to brawl with his SummerSlam opponent as the show went off the air.
A good first-time match-up between Balor and Gunther. The Ring General said he used to look up to Devitt until he surrounded himself with The Judgment Day. Balor continues to be a reliable superstar on the roster. His work with The Judgment Day, I feel, is underrated. Gunther getting the win was the right decision and helped him maintain his momentum on the road to the Biggest Party of the Summer.
Honorable Mentions
- Minnesota’s very own Jesse Ventura made a cameo on RAW. Triple H welcomed him home. It’s refreshing to see the current WWE regime honoring the legends of the past. The business owes a lot to these men and women.
- Liv Morgan didn’t appear in the flesh, but had a vignette on RAW. Morgan was all teary-eyed and called Dominik Mysterio Rhea Ripley’s “little bitch”. The angle has been extremely entertaining thus far. Let’s see if WWE has a twist in store for this feud at SummerSlam 2024.
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