5 things WWE RAW got right before Extreme Rules: Top champion attacked; trouble in The Bloodline
The go-home episode of WWE RAW before Extreme Rules was expected to be an important one.
Seth Rollins and Riddle came face to face even though they were not allowed to lay hands on each other. The two superstars hyped their Fight Pit match for Extreme Rules and shot some daggers during their promos.
Otis defeated Johnny Gargano thanks to an attack from Theory. Meanwhile, Braun Strowman made quick work of Chad Gable in a singles match.
Bobby Lashley was fuming after being attacked by a former Universal Champion. He is ready to put his United States title on the line next week to get back at his attacker.
It was a good show that gave the women of WWE a chance to shine and build up toward their upcoming matches. Check out the five things WWE RAW got right on the show before Extreme Rules.
#5. AJ Styles was targeted by Judgment Day again
Judgment Day kicked off WWE RAW, and Finn Balor targeted Edge right away. He threatened his Extreme Rules opponent before Dominik Mysterio took the mic. The young superstar said that Rey wasn’t his Pape anymore and that he hated him for lying to him.
AJ Styles and Rey Mysterio came out and a brawl broke out before the tag team match got going. Rey took Balor down with a hurricanrana before Damian Priest tagged in. He used his strength to take control of the match before the fight spilled outside the ring.
AJ looked to hit the Styles Clash early but Priest pushed him out of the ring. The Archer of Infamy hit a backbreaker and a leg drop with Balor before Styles tagged in again.
Rhea Ripley interfered in the match and dropped Rey from the apron. The Master of the 619 confronted Ripley and Dominik at ringside before The Nightmare took him down with a clothesline.
Back in the ring, Balor took control of the contest again and took down Styles. The Prince finished him off with the Coupe de Grace for the three-count.
After the match, Styles blamed Rey for the loss and shoved him down before he walked backstage. The Phenomenal One was attacked by Judgment Day as soon as Rey left, and Priest took him down with a chokeslam to make a statement.
It was a good contest that teased a possible turn for AJ Styles. He hasn’t been very prominent over the past few months, and it would be good to see him in some top rivalries on RAW.
#4. Mustafa Ali challenged Bobby Lashley for the United States Championship
Bobby Lashley was backstage on WWE RAW when Mustafa Ali approached him and challenged him to a United States Championship match. The All Mighty was furious and gladly accepted his challenge.
Their match got going soon after, and Ali tried to take down Lashley early. The United States Champion dodged his moves and hit a neck breaker. Ali returned with a Tornado DDT and took Lashley down with a dive outside the ring.
The All Mighty hit a front-face slam and punished his opponent for some time. He missed the Superplex and Ali hit a big dive from the top rope.
Lashley hit another big slam, but his opponent refused to stay down. He took him to the timekeeper’s area and laid him out, but Ali still managed to beat the ten count. The All Mighty finally hit a Spear and locked in the Hurt Lock for the win.
After the match, Seth Rollins attacked Lashley and hit a stomp and then another one on the title belt before hitting Ali with one outside the ring.
RAW needed a big title match, and Lashley and Ali delivered. It was good to see the latter get an important match on the show. Rollins’ attack after the match signals a potential clash between him and Bobby Lashley in Saudi Arabia.
#3. Solo Sikoa put on another solid show against Angelo Dawkins
Solo Sikoa took on The Street Profit’s Angelo Dawkins on WWE RAW. The two powerhouses were looking to make a statement on this week’s episode.
Dawkins hit a dropkick and sent Solo outside. The latter got furious and tried to get hold of a steel chair to beat his opponent down. Sami Zayn got in his way and stopped him from getting disqualified.
Sikoa got back in action and hit some big suplexes before beating down his opponent in the corner. Dawkins fired back with some big moves and nearly got the pinfall before Sami distracted the babyface.
Solo hit some good moves of his own and took down Dawkins, but the referee was again distracted and couldn’t make the count on time. An argument broke out outside the ring between members of The Bloodline.
Dawkins took them all out with a dive outside but could not keep control. Solo got back in control and hit Spinning Solo to pick up the win and make a statement on RAW.
Solo Sikoa is being built as a major threat in WWE. Sami Zayn seems to be working well with the heel. However, it’ll be interesting to see which side he chooses once The Honorary Uce is kicked out of the faction. It will likely lead to an entertaining storyline.
#2. Candice LeRae suffered a setback against Dakota Kai on WWE RAW
Candice LeRae took on Dakota Kai on this week’s WWE RAW. The former NXT star was looking to score another big win to make another statement on the show.
LeRae tried to pick up an early win with some roll-ups, but Kai fought out and went outside the ring. She dodged a dive from The Poison Pixie and kicked her down outside the ring before hitting a crossbody.
Kai hit a few top moves, including a Scorpion Kick to keep the pressure on her opponent. LeRae returned with a big boot and hit some signature moves of her own.
The Captain of Team Kick locked her opponent in a submission move but LeRae fought out of it. Bayley took a cheap shot at LeRae from outside the ring while the referee was distracted. Kai took advantage and rolled her up for the win.
Dakota Kai is proving herself to be a top wrestler week after week. This was another solid showing by her that pushed her further up the ladder. Damage CTRL is doing well as a heel faction on RAW and will likely win more gold soon.
#1. Damage CTRL made a statement on WWE RAW ahead of Extreme Rules
The main event of WWE RAW saw Alexa Bliss take on IYO SKY in a singles match. SKY started well, but Bliss hit back with some strikes of her own.
Bliss took SKY into the corner and hit a dropkick before getting the double knees for a near fall. SKY got back up and hit a big boot and a backbreaker but couldn’t put her opponent away. She took a DDT and Twisted Bliss but referred to give up.
Bianca Belair attacked Bayley outside the ring and was sent into the steel steps. Back in the ring, the distraction allowed SKY to take down Bliss and hit the moonsault for the win.
After the match, Damage CTRL beat down Alexa. Belair tried to make the save but got hit with a ladder. Asuka took came out with a kendo stick in hand but could not do much and was buried under a ladder.
The heels sandwiched Alexa between the two ladders, while Kai hit Belair with the Scorpion Kick. Bayley finished her off with the Rose Plant before the heels climber to the top of the ladder and posed with the tag titles and the RAW Women’s Championship.
The women’s division is finally getting a lot more spotlight in the past few weeks. It was great to see Asuka and Alexa Bliss work alongside the RAW Women’s Champion in the storyline against Damage CTRL.