5 things WWE RAW got right this week: Seth Rollins' stomp; Becky Lynch's failure
This week, Bianca Belair broke some big news on WWE RAW that shook up the card for Money in the Bank. Vince McMahon also appeared and thanked the fans for making RAW a top show for thirty years.
Elias was advertised to finally return to the show to help his brother Ezekiel shut up Kevin Owens. The two men played more tricks on KO before a match was announced between Owens and one of the brothers for next week.
While the rivalry between Theory and Bobby Lashley advanced further, Becky Lynch and Asuka competed in a couple of big matches during RAW. It was an entertaining episode with some good matches and segments. Take a look at the five things WWE RAW got right on this week’s show.
#5. Carmella took the filler spot for the RAW Women’s Championship match
Bianca Belair opened WWE RAW with some bad news for fans. She announced that Rhea Ripley couldn't fight for the RAW Women’s Championship at Money in the Bank due to not being medically cleared.
A fatal five-way match was announced to find a new challenger for The EST. Asuka, Becky Lynch, Liv Morgan, Carmella, and Alexa Bliss came out to compete in the match.
Lynch and Asuka went after each other early while the other three women competed in the ring for the match.
The match wasn’t as messy as expected, as only two to three women competed in the ring simultaneously. All five women had a good chance of picking up the win towards the end of the contest. However, Carmella snuck in with a kick to Liv Morgan to pick up the victory.
The match was entertaining and further pushed the rivalry between The Empress of Tomorrow and Big Time Becks. WWE also made the right call by awarding the win to Carmella.
She will act as a good filler challenger for Belair, who will likely retain her title at MITB. Meanwhile, other women can focus on the ladder match that will take place during the show.
#4. Seth Rollins added salt to Riddle’s wounds
After losing his match against Roman Reigns on WWE SmackDown last week, Riddle came out on RAW for the the Men's MITB qualifying match. The Original Bro clarified that he was not done with The Bloodline and would win the briefcase to challenge The Tribal Chief again.
Riddle took a few shots at Seth Rollins before MVP and Omos came out for the match. After the two sides exchanged some hot words, the match got underway.
The Original Bro tried to catch Omos off guard and cut him down to size. The giant threw him around easily and trapped him in a bear hug to target his injured ribs.
Riddle went for the RKO, but the Giant blocked it. He hit his signature double-handed chokeslam for a relatively easy victory. It was surprising to see Riddle pick up a loss so quickly after giving Roman Reigns such a tough time.
However, Omos will be the perfect giant for the match at MITB. WWE has relied on giants and high-flyers in ladder matches to give fans some big spots.
After the match, Seth Rollins attacked Riddle. He stomped the former RAW Tag Team Champion before laughing his way out of the arena. It looks like WWE is planning a rivalry between the two heading into SummerSlam.
#3. Angelo Dawkins defeated Jey Uso on WWE RAW
A new chapter was written in the rivalry between The Usos and The Street Profits on WWE RAW. Angelo Dawkins took on Jey Uso in a singles match this week.
Dawkins took control of the match early and used his power to stay on top. Jey took the match outside the ring and sent his opponent over the barricades with a clothesline.
The two men traded blows and kept the action ticking for some time. Jey used some heelish tactics to stay on top of Dawkins for most of the contest.
Jey hit a superkick and prepared to finish Dawkins off with a splash. The latter caught Uso mid-air and hit a spine buster for the win.
The match was decent and showed that Dawkins has a lot of potential as a singles competitor, just like Montez Ford. The win will help Street Profits stay ahead of their opponents before their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship match.
#2. Bobby Lashley ran through The Alpha Academy and Theory
Theory came out for a solo pose-down before Bobby Lashley snuck up behind him and sprayed him with baby oil. The latter hit a Spear on the US Champ and challenged him to a title match.
The heel revealed that Lashley would have to go through three competitors in a Gauntlet Match if he wanted a title match. The three superstars were announced to be Chad Gable, Otis, and Theory himself.
The match took place later on RAW, and Gable was up next against The All Mighty. Lashley punished him outside the ring before taking him inside. He missed a Spear and got caught in an Ankle Lock. The former WWE Champion fought out and locked in the Hurt Lock to defeat Gable.
Otis ran out next and stomped Lashley down. He sent him outside and tossed him into the barricades and ring post. The All Mighty failed to lock in the Hurt Lock before getting a Spear. Gable intervened and caused a disqualification to give Lashley the win.
Theory ran down as the final opponent and unleashed a flurry of offenses on The All Mighty. He got the A-Town Down and was looking to get the pin, but Lashley reversed it into an inside cradle for the win.
It was a good match that brought the best out of Lashley. It will likely lead to another championship win for him in the coming weeks. The return of John Cena could help Bobby Lashley defeat Theory.
#1. Asuka picked up a big win over Becky Lynch to keep their rivalry going
Becky Lynch wasn’t happy after losing the first match of the night. She told Adam Pearce that she was on the Money in the Bank poster but did not have a match at the event. The WWE official gave Lynch another chance and booked a match between her and Asuka for a spot in the MITB ladder match.
The two superstars competed in the main event of WWE RAW. Big Time Becks went hard on Asuka and put her on the backfoot. Lynch was desperate to win the contest, but The Empress of Tomorrow fought back and hit the hip attack.
Asuka toyed with Lynch for some time before countering some of her moves. They tried to use each other’s finishing moves before a Roundhouse kick from The Empress got her the win.
It was a fun match that showed both women as equals. It was hard to pick the winner, and it looks like WWE has a special plan for Lynch. Just like her husband was desperate to compete at WrestleMania 38, Lynch is looking for a match at MITB. It will likely lead to a few exciting segments on RAW.
Suggested: Missed out watching WWE RAW this week? Watch Sportskeeda Wrestling's 'Legion of RAW' to find out what you missed