5 things WWE RAW got right this week: John Cena returns; Becky Lynch succeeds
WWE RAW fans lined up to see John Cena return for his 20th Anniversary. Many fans wanted to see him get into a rivalry during the show and get a match for the upcoming SummerSlam Premium Live Event.
Cody Rhodes also appeared on WWE TV for the first time since undergoing surgery. The American Nightmare said he was unhappy that he’d be missing the Money in the Bank event. However, he wanted to see Seth Rollins win so he could be the first to congratulate him.
Bianca Belair and Carmella also had a face-off before their RAW Women’s Championship match at MITB. Meanwhile, Bobby Lashley ran through Alpha Academy once again and proved that he is indeed the toughest man on the roster.
This week’s RAW had some good matches and promos. Take a look at the five things WWE RAW got right on this week’s show.
#5. Riddle stayed relevant with another big win on WWE RAW
A Battle Royal was booked in for this week’s WWE RAW to pick another superstar for the Money in the Bank ladder match. Akira Tozawa was the first man eliminated from the match, followed by Shelton Benjamin.
Veer Mahan tried to dominate the contest, but The Mysterios hit him with a 619 double and eliminated him. There were some comedic spots after which Jinder Mahal eliminated Shanky for dancing in the ring.
After several mid-carders were taken out of the match, it was down to AJ Styles, Dolph Ziggler, The Miz, Riddle, and Ricochet. The One and Only pulled off a cool spot by landing on a ladder at ringside before jumping back onto the apron and eliminating the T-Bar. He was eliminated by Styles soon after.
The Miz eliminated Styles, after which Riddle struck the A-Lister with an RKO and sent him outside to pick up the win. It was good to see that the creative team is still behind Riddle after his loss against Roman Reigns.
The Original Bro will pull off some incredible moves in the MITB ladder match. An RKO off the ladder will get the crowd going on Sunday night. He could win the match and challenge Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship again.
#4. The Street Profits scored another win over The Usos
Angelo Dawkins defeated Jey Uso in a singles match on last week’s WWE RAW. Jey competed against Montez Ford in a one-on-one contest this week.
Ford took control early on and tried to wear down his opponent. Jey dropped him off the apron and sent him into the steel steps outside the ring to take control. He stomped down on Ford in the ring and continued to punish him.
A neckbreaker halted Ford’s comeback as he looked to get back in the match. He hit Jey with a superkick before Dawkins took out Jimmy Uso outside the ring. The former tag team champion hit a Frog Splash to pick up the win and stand tall on RAW.
The two teams will meet at Money in the Bank for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships. It looks like WWE has more faith in Jey Uso as a singles performer. That’s probably why he was made to compete in singles matches against both the members of Street Profits.
The two victories for Dawkins & Ford likely mean that they will be losing the championship match at Money in the Bank.
#3. Liv Morgan picked up a big win over Alexa Bliss
Liv Morgan and Alexa Bliss teamed up on WWE RAW a couple of weeks ago. The two women were booked to go head-to-head this week. Before the match, the two superstars made it clear that they liked each other but would do anything to win the Money in the Bank briefcase on Sunday.
Morgan locked in a submission hold early in the match. Bliss reversed it into a pin, but Morgan fought out and hit a splash. The two women hit some standard wrestling moves and didn’t do anything fancy while showing respect to each other.
The match went on for a little while with both superstars exchanging some moves. Little Miss Bliss tried to hit a DDT, but Liv countered it and rolled her out for a pinfall win.
The match wasn’t electric, but it did help Liv Morgan get on top against the former RAW Women’s Champion. Both superstars have a chance of winning the briefcase at MITB. Fans can hope to see Bliss & Liv work together following the Premium Live Event and aim for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships.
#2. John Cena kept the fans guessing with a fine promo on WWE RAW
John Cena was shown backstage throughout this week’s WWE RAW. The 16-time world champion shook many hands and was met with some new and old faces behind the scenes.
He spoke to Ezekiel backstage before Theory interrupted them. The 24-year-old ran the veteran down and put his own achievements over. Cena walked off when Theory tried to set up a selfie, leaving Theory fuming.
Later on RAW, Vince McMahon came out to introduce Cena. The WWE locker room stood on the ramp as The Leader of the Cenation made his entrance. He cut a promo in which he spoke about how WWE fans helped him reach where he is today and made him a better person.
Cena thanked everyone around him for making his journey successful. He mentioned that he would be back in the ring soon and had a few matches.
The promo was good and emotional. Fans expected Theory to either come out and attack the legend or get a match against him some other way. However, Cena and the creative team left fans guessing as to when he will return to the ring. It looks like there are currently no plans for him to appear at SummerSlam.
#1. Becky Lynch finally found her way into the Money in the Bank ladder match
The main event was a six-woman elimination match for a spot in the Women's Money in the Bank match on Sunday. Becky Lynch, Nikki A.S.H., Shayna Baszler, Xia Li, Tamina, and Doudrop all got a final chance in the match to bag a spot in the MITB ladder match.
Tamina was eliminated by Doudrop early on and the two women exchanged some big moves. Lynch hit Xia Li with the Manhandle Slam and eliminated her from the match.
Doudrop continued to dominate the match and hit Baszler with a Cannonball. Big Time Becks did well to stay out of her firing zone for most of the contest. She locked Nikki in a Disarmher to eliminate her from the contest.
After Doudrop eliminated Baszler, it was down to her and Lynch. Becky took Doudrop to the top rope and hit the Manhandle Slam from up there before picking up the win.
It was good to see The Man pick up the win on RAW. However, it wasn’t the best way to end her losing streak. Instead, WWE could have given her one last chance and injected her into the MITB ladder match without qualifying. She could have then gone on to win the briefcase and shock the WWE Universe.