4 Things WWE RAW got right after Crown Jewel: Superstar loses Money in the Bank briefcase; Bobby Lashley turns heel
WWE RAW kicked off after Roman Reigns defeated Logan Paul to retain his Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at Crown Jewel. Fans expected to see what Bobby Lashley would do after losing his match against Brock Lesnar in Saudi Arabia.
Elias and Otis competed in a match that saw the latter pick up an easy win. It was good to see Alpha Academy get a win on RAW but putting down Elias with ease was a questionable decision.
Meanwhile, Nikki Cross defeated Dana Brooke to win the 24/7 Championship. She dumped the title in a trash can before leaving the arena.
Johnny Gargano also looked to expose The Miz to make the latter’s rivalry with Dexter Lumis more interesting. It was a solid show that kept the momentum going on RAW after Crown Jewel.
Take a look at the four things WWE RAW got right on the episode after Crown Jewel.
#4. The Bloodline overcame New Day and Matt Riddle on WWE RAW
The Bloodline kicked off WWE RAW after Crown Jewel to brag about their victory in Saudi Arabia. Sami Zayn was missing as The Usos, and Solo Sikoa took to the ring. The New Day said they would win the Unified Tag Team Championships on Friday night.
The two teams argued for a while before Matt Riddle came out and asked the two teams if they wanted to hit his bongos. Jimmy Uso was in on it, but Jey slapped Riddle away, leading to a match between the two sides.
Riddle and The New Day initially controlled the match's pace and hit some double-team moves. The Bloodline came back with a few good strikes and isolated The Original Bro.
Sikoa did well to bring his team back into the game each time Riddle and The New Day tried to take control. The Enforcer hit some explosive moves to keep the babyfaces on the back foot for some time.
Xavier Woods tried to take Solo on the outside, but The Enforcer sent him over the announcers’ table. Riddle hit a draping DDT and the RKO, but Sikoa came in and hit Spinning Solo for the win.
The New Day and The Usos are a combination that will never get old. No matter how often the company revisits the rivalry between the two sides, it’s evident that they will bring something new to the table each time.
It was good to see Solo and Riddle finish off the match as WWE looked to protect Woods and Kofi Kingston for the championship match. It was a great way to kick off RAW after Crown Jewel.
#3. Mia Yim joined The O.C. to surprise Judgment Day after Crown Jewel
Seth Rollins came out on WWE RAW to put out an open challenge for his United States Championship. He missed Crown Jewel on Saturday night and was ready to give anyone on the back a shot at his title.
His challenge was answered by Finn Balor of The Judgment Day. The Prince was ready to take the title away from Rollins before AJ Styles, and The O.C. walked out to the middle.
Rollins fled the ring with his US Championship as The Judgment Day and The O.C. came face to face. Styles said that Judgment Day always had an advantage with Rhea Ripley on their side before adding that they were about to even things out.
Mia Yim came out of nowhere and attacked Ripley with a Kendo Stick as the two teams started brawling. The O.C. stood tall to end the segment with Mia by its side.
Triple H has recently brought back several released superstars, and Mia Yim is another great addition to the roster. She has returned to become part of an important rivalry that will help her get ahead on RAW in the coming months.
#2. The Miz suffered another setback on this week’s show
The Miz came out on WWE RAW after Crown Jewel and said that Johnny Gargano’s story from last week was a lie. Gargano said that the Hollywood producer who The Miz had dinner with was an investigator sent by Johnny Wrestling with a hidden camera.
He played the footage in which The A-Lister confirmed that everything Gargano said was true and admitted to paying Dexter Lumis for the publicity stunt. A match between the two superstars got underway soon after.
Gargano took control early on before The Miz used heelish tactics to get back in the match. Johnny Wrestling targeted Miz’s injured arm and continued to punish him for some time.
The A-Lister broke out of the corner with a clothesline and a neckbreaker. The former NXT Champion kicked The Miz off the apron and hit a dive outside before being sent into the barricades.
The Miz tried to get a weapon from under the ring, but someone wanted to drag him underneath. He asked the referee to check, allowing Gargano to hit a cheap shot and pick up the win.
Lumis attacked The Miz with a steel chair after the match and stared him down before officials dragged him away. The Tortured Artist is getting a good build on RAW. He is ready to face the former WWE Champion on the big stage.
Gargano has done well in building the entire storyline. It has also helped him stay relevant on the brand and appear every week.
#1. Bobby Lashley ran through everyone to vent his frustration on WWE RAW after Crown Jewel
Seth Rollins came out in the show's main event and put out another open challenge for the United States Championship again. Mustafa Ali appeared on the big screen on WWE RAW to accept the challenge. However, Bobby Lashley took him out to take his place in the match.
The All Mighty sent Rollins outside before the bell and tossed him all around the floor. The Visionary countered the Spear with a Superkick and sent the big man into the steel steps.
Rollins went for the pedigree, but Lashley took control of the contest again. He put the United States Champion through the RAW announcers' table with a slam before walking off.
Austin Theory showed up and cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on Rollins. Theory tried to pin Rollins immediately, but the champion kicked out. He hit his finisher on Rollins but failed to get the win once again.
The Visionary returned to the game and hit the Pedigree for a near fall. Theory hit the A-Town Down and nearly got the win before Lashley came back to take the referee out. Lashley caught Theory in the Hurt Lock and almost made him pass out before storming off.
Rollins and the referee recovered, and the former hit Theory with The Stomp for the win. The All Mighty has been unhinged, and he is ready to take anyone out of his path on RAW. That was the top story from this week’s show.
However, it made no sense for Theory to cash in on his contract after not answering the open challenge. He could have kept his briefcase and gotten a title opportunity. It was an odd way to get the briefcase off Theory without allowing him to win a title.