5 things WWE RAW got right this week: Champion victorious; new challenger crowned
The United States Championship was on the line as Seth Rollins challenged Bobby Lashley on WWE RAW. The two men were looking to prove that they were the face of the brand.
On the show, Rey Mysterio looked to get his son back from Judgment Day's control. He teamed up with Matt Riddle to take on Finn Balor and Damian Priest.
Meanwhile, the women’s division saw a confrontation between the members of Damage CTRL and the team of Asuka, Alexa Bliss, and Bianca Belair. It led to the announcement of a big match.
Plus, Austin Theory suffered a setback after messing with too many veterans on the show. Take a look at the five things WWE RAW got right on this week’s episode.
#5. The Brawling Brutes picked up another vital win on WWE RAW
This must make @WWESheamus REAL proud right now!
#WWERaw https://t.co/DGRlCr8d1Y
Butch and Ridge Holland picked up a big win on WWE SmackDown to become The Usos’ next challengers. This week’s RAW saw the two men come to the ring to put the entire locker room on notice.
The Street Profits came out to interrupt The Brawling Brutes, and the two teams agreed to have a match. Angelo Dawkins tried to outpower Ridge Holland, but the latter isolated him for some time.
Montez Ford got the tag and hit a Superkick, but Holland took him down with a clothesline. The Brutes continued to dominate and hit Ford with Sheamus’ trademark chops. Street Profits hit Butch with a double-team move but couldn’t put him away.
The babyfaces tried another double-team move, but Butch caught Montez’s fingers and punished him. The Brutes picked up the win with a combination of buzzsaw kick and powerslam.
It was a good match for Butch and Holland, who have suddenly sprung up as a threatening team. They got the push on SmackDown, and both men carried the momentum into RAW this week.
The win will give them more momentum heading into their match against The Usos.
#4. Johnny Gargano’s distraction cost Austin Theory his match against Kevin Owens
Last week’s confrontation between Kevin Owens and Austin Theory led to a match between the two superstars on Monday night. The latter looked to get an early advantage by sending Owens into the barricades outside the ring before the match began.
After the bell, Austin stomped down KO with a few kicks and a knee to the head. The young superstar took Owens out of the ring and sent him to the announce table. The Prizefighter fought back and sent his opponent into the barricades before hitting him with a DDT and a moonsault inside the ring.
Johnny Gargano showed up at ringside to distract Theory. He stole the Money in the Bank briefcase, and Owens took advantage of the situation. He rocked Theory with a Superkick and hit a Pop-Up Powerbomb for the win.
After the match, Gargano walked into the ring to drop the MITB briefcase on top of Theory before walking out. It was a good match that showed Theory’s potential against a seasoned superstar. It also helped build a rivalry between him and Gargano.
WWE could look to book a match between the two superstars for the Money in the Bank briefcase. Meanwhile, fans will also be hoping to see Gargano and Owens team up for a few matches down the line.
#3. Judgment Day defeated Rey Mysterio and Matt Riddle on WWE RAW
Rey Mysterio wanted to get his son back from the grasp of Judgment Day on WWE RAW. Meanwhile, the faction came out in the ring to praise Dominik in front of the crowd.
The young Mysterio cut a promo and accepted Judgment Day as his real family. Rey and Matt Riddle came out for a tag team match against Finn Balor and Damian Priest.
Balor hit Riddle with a couple of suplexes before he countered the third. Rey Mysterio tagged in and found himself isolated by the heels. They worked on him and got a near fall before Riddle tagged in again.
The Original Bro hit the heels with some good moves and got a near fall on Balor off a Broton. He missed the Floating Bro, and Priest hit him with a chokeslam off the apron. Rhea Ripley got involved in the action and took out Riddle at ringside with a suplex of her own.
Back in the ring, Riddle hit Priest with Bro to Sleep before Rey hit the 619 on Balor. Seth Rollins appeared with a steel chair in hand to cause a distraction, but Rey chased him off. Dominik taunted his father, and the distraction allowed Priest and Balor to hit two big moves to pick up the win.
Judgment Day keeps getting better and better every week. Over the past few months, the creative team has booked better matches and segments for the faction.
Seeing Riddle team up with Mysterio instead of some underutilized superstar was odd. However, his involvement helped set up the end sequence that awarded Priest and Balor the win.
#2. Bobby Lashley drilled Seth Rollins with a Spear to retain his the United States Championship
This Monday’s episode of WWE RAW kicked off with a United States Championship match between Bobby Lashley and Seth Rollins. The Visionary worked smartly and targeted Lashley’s arm in hopes of weakening it.
After several submission maneuvers, Lashley lifted Rollins and dropped him to break the hold. The All Mighty was sent outside the ring by Rollins, who hit a couple of dives before being sent into the ring post.
The US Champion retook control and hit a few big moves before Rollins hit him with a Buckle Bomb and a splash for a nearfall. Lashley recovered to hit a powerslam, but his Spear attempt was countered with a Pedigree.
The All Mighty showcased his power by blocking a Stomp attempt from Rollins and locked in the Hurt Lock. The challenger reversed it before Riddle entered, and the distraction allowed Lashley to hit a Spear for the win.
The match could have main-evented the show as it was excellent from start to finish. Both men put on a good show, and Riddle’s distraction protected Rollins from a clean loss. Later in the night, The Original Bro challenged Rollins to a Fight Pit match at Extreme Rules, which the latter accepted.
#1. Bayley became the No.1 contender for Bianca Belair’s title
"I want the #WWERaw #WomensTitle at #ExtremeRules!"
@itsBayleyWWE sends a message to the champ following a vicious attack. https://t.co/sU3H2lOzFt
A segment early on WWE RAW led to a match between Bayley and Alexa Bliss in the show's main event. Both women wanted to emerge as potential contenders to Bianca Belair’s RAW Women’s Championship following the victory.
Bayley controlled the match early, but Alexa hit back with a senton from the announce table once the fight spilled outside. They hit each other with a few moves, and the lights went out momentarily, teasing the return of Bray Wyatt or some other superstar.
Bayley hit her finisher for a near fall before a brawl broke out at ringside. Bliss hit a DDT and climbed the ropes for her finisher, but Dakota Kai and IYO SKY knocked her off. The Role Model took advantage and hit Rose Plant for the win.
Damage CTRL beat down Belair after the match. Bayley then said she wanted a shot at the RAW Women’s Championship at Extreme Rules before the show ended.
Bayley has been outstanding since her return to the ring. She led Damage CTRL to victory and has been doing well as a performer herself as well. A match between her and Belair for the women's title will help the brand change things. The Role Model could dethrone The EST to win the gold once again.