5 things WWE RAW got right after Extreme Rules: Former Universal Champion returns; popular tag team reunites
An explosive episode of WWE RAW kicked off after Extreme Rules 2022, with fans looking for answers to several questions. Bray Wyatt's return at Saturday's premium live event changed the company's landscape, and fans looked to see what The Eater of Worlds would do on the Monday Night show.
Meanwhile, a few big returns surprised fans as WWE looked to book some big matches for Crown Jewel next month. The upcoming Saudi Arabia premium live event will feature some of the top superstars from the company.
Candice LeRae picked up a big win over Bayley on the show. Meanwhile, Dexter Lumis continued to haunt The Miz.
The show was entertaining from start to finish and turned out to be one of the best episodes of the Monday Night Show in recent memory. Check out the five things WWE RAW got right on the episode after Extreme Rules.
#5. Sami Zayn carried another segment involving The Bloodline on WWE RAW
WWE RAW after Extreme Rules 2022 kicked off with a segment involving The Bloodline. Roman Reigns started talking about Jey Uso, who upset him for being too loud last week. The Tribal Chief said that according to him and his family, the loudest person in the room was always the weakest.
Reigns was looking to make a big decision regarding Jey's future in the faction, but Sami Zayn interrupted him. He said that he would take care of the situation on behalf of the entire group. The Head of the Table agreed to let The Honorary Uce take care of his cousin.
Zayn explained to Jey that he needed to be more "cool" just like Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa. Riddle came out to challenge Reigns to a match, but the champion told him to get to the back of the line.
The Original Bro then challenged anyone in The Bloodline to a match before Jey tricked Sami into accepting the offer.
It's unreal how Sami Zayn is nearly as over as Roman Reigns in WWE right now. He was once again the star in the opening segment of RAW. The Honorary Uce has fans behind him, and he is doing some incredible work with his words. The season premiere got off to the perfect start, thanks to his antics.
#4. Johnny Gargano defeated his former student to continue his momentum
The first match of WWE RAW saw Austin Theory compete against his former mentor, Johnny Gargano. The two men got going from the opening bell and exchanged some moves.
Theory looked to hit a big move early on before Gargano dropped him by faking a superkick. The action picked up from there on as they continued to hit each other with their signature moves throughout the contest.
The 25-year-old's overconfidence kept costing him as the experienced Gargano always found an opening to make a comeback. In the end, Johnny Wrestling hit his signature DDT outside the ring before putting Mr. Money in the Bank away with the One Final Beat.
The match was extremely fun and kept fans on the edge of their seats. Johnny Wrestling showcased just how smooth he was in the ring, while Theory was able to display his raw strength during the clash.
It was surprising to see Gargano pick up a clean victory. It surely dented Theory's image on RAW, but the he will continue to march ahead as an overconfident heel.
#3. Rey Mysterio suffered another beatdown from Judgment Day before a popular faction returned
Chad Gable took on Rey Mysterio in a singles match on WWE RAW this week. The heel worked well to put Rey under pressure, but he could not hold onto the momentum for long. Dominik and Rhea Ripley came out to distract Rey, but he still scored the win with a 619, followed by a splash.
Dominik approached his father right after the match and slapped him. Rey Mysterio tried to go after Finn Balor and Damian Priest, but his son took him out. Ripley held him in place as Dominik hit his father with a thunderous 619.
After destroying the WWE legend, The Judgment Day cut a promo. AJ Styles interrupted them and said that Balor was right all along. The Phenomenal One claimed that he had his back against the wall and needed some friends on RAW.
Balor embraced Styles before the former WWE Champion said he wasn't talking about Finn being his friend. Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows made their way down and stood with Styles to reform The O.C. They took down the members of The Judgment Day and stood tall to end the segment.
This was a great way to bring back Gallows and Anderson on Monday Night RAW. The segment immediately got AJ Styles back in the spotlight after he spent several months without a meaningful rivalry. Edge will likely take another break while The O.C. could take care of The Judgment Day in the coming weeks.
#2. Brock Lesnar's return allowed Seth Rollins to win the United States Championship
Bobby Lashley walked out to the ring to defend his United States Championship against Seth Rollins on WWE RAW. He cut a short promo before being interrupted by the returning Brock Lesnar.
The two men came face-to-face in the ring before Lesnar quickly took Lashley off his feet to deliver a thunderous F-5. The All Mighty got up almost immediately, and Lesnar hit him with a suplex followed by another F-5. He then applied the Kimura Lock on the United States Champion and did a lot of damage to him before walking out.
Seth Rollins came out soon after and called Lashley a disgrace to the country. This prompted the United States Champion to still defend his title even though he was in no condition to compete in a match.
Rollins turned a Spear attempt into a Pedigree for a near fall. He hit a frog splash and followed it up with a Stomp to become the new United States Champion.
The segment went well as Lashley came out looking strong even in defeat. It's good to finally see Rollins hold a top title in the company. Meanwhile, the rivalry between Lashley and Lesnar will head to Saudi Arabia.
WWE made the right call by taking the title off The All Mighty before sending him to battle with The Beast Incarnate.
#1. Matt Riddle continued his momentum following a big win at Extreme Rules
Maybe @SamiZayn could have used the help after all...
@SuperKingofBros @WWEUsos #WWERaw https://t.co/x7hFwXXJHh
The final match of WWE RAW saw Matt Riddle take on Sami Zayn. The Usos accompanied Zayn to the ring, but only Jimmy cheered on The Honorary Uce during the match.
The Original Bro took control of the match and put Zayn on the backfoot. The latter kept making comebacks but could not stay on top of the contest. Jey Uso hit Riddle with a kick while the referee was distracted, but The Master Strategist told him he did not need any help.
The match ticked on before Jey tried to interfere once again. Zayn told him to stop, and the distraction allowed Matt Riddle to get in control late in the contest. After a few more good moves from both sides, The Original Bro hit the RKO to pick up the win.
The match was entertaining as both superstars put on a good fight. Zayn is not just extremely good on the mic but he is also outstanding in the ring. Meanwhile, Riddle stayed prominent by getting the final spot on the card after his impressive performance in the Fight Pit at Extreme Rules 2022.
Tensions among The Bloodline continue to increase week after week. It will be interesting to see who suffers Roman Reigns' wrath for the loss in the coming days.