5 things WWE RAW got right this week: SmackDown Superstar wins big; Hall of Famer returns
A loaded episode of WWE RAW kicked off on Monday night. Sami Zayn was scheduled to show up for a match against AJ Styles. Meanwhile, Bianca Belair also competed in a match against a member of Damage CTRL.
Candice LeRae made her surprise return and defeated a former RAW Women’s Champion to make an impact. Her husband, Johnny Gargano, teamed up with Kevin Owens to take on The Alpha Academy on RAW for the first time.
Judgment Day featured in a few top matches and segments to stay on top of the action. The faction has been doing well since Triple H took over.
The episode was entertaining and gave fans something to look forward to. Check out the five things WWE RAW got right on this week’s show.
#5. Bianca Belair got the better of IYO SKY on WWE RAW
Bianca Belair kicked off WWE RAW with Alexa Bliss and Asuka by her side. She called out Bayley and Damage CTRL, saying Bliss and Asuka would be at Extreme Rules to help her against the heels.
The Role Model entered the arena and said she wanted to fight Bianca in a Ladder Match at Extreme Rules. The two women agreed before the RAW Women’s Champion challenged IYO SKY to a match to prove just how extreme she could get.
The EST took control of the contest early on before SKY hit back with knees in the corner, followed by a submission hold. She got a near fall off a sunset flip before Belair kicked her but could not connect with the KOD.
SKY hit a headbutt but missed the next move, allowing Belair to take control again. The Genius of the Sky took The EST down from the top rope before the match got chaotic. SKY again tried to hit a springboard move, but Bianca caught her and hit the KOD for the win.
IYO SKY is one of the best wrestlers in the industry today. She held her own against the RAW Women’s Champion and gave her a good fight.
Meanwhile, the new stipulation of the match between Belair and Bayley will make things much more interesting. Both superstars will have some allies by their side to help them reach the top of the ladder and retrieve the championship.
#4. Dominik Mysterio cost his father a match against Seth Rollins
Rey Mysterio was convinced that his son was being manipulated by Judgment Day. He looked to vent his frustration on Seth Rollins in a one-on-one match on WWE RAW.
Mysterio unloaded on Rollins early, and a shot to the head busted him open. The Visionary fired back with a backbreaker and took a sunset flip before sending his opponent outside the ring.
Dominik came out as the two men fought outside. He patted Rollins on the back and signaled him to continue beating up his father.
Rey countered the buckle bomb and hit a hurricanrana before heading up to the top rope. Rollins met him there, but The Master of the 619 countered his superplex attempts.
Mysterio hit a 619 on the apron, but the former Universal Champion rolled out of the ring. Dominik stopped Rey in his tracks and threw a steel chair at him. He dared his father to attack him with the chair, allowing Rhea Ripley to come in from behind and push Rey into the ring post.
Dominik rolled his father back into the ring, where Rollins finished him off with the Stomp and Peruvian Necktie combination for the win.
The match was good, and the creative team did well to protect the veteran from a clean loss against Seth Rollins. It was good to see Dominik and Rhea get involved at the perfect time to cost Rey his match on RAW.
#3. Reunited Panda Express put on a solid show against Alpha Academy
TONIGHT #WWERaw
A team that started in a random collection of videos on YouTube (but never ended up actually teaming) finally joins forces 8 years later!
Hop on board the #PandaExpress! #ChooChoo? https://t.co/4n7lZWXanM
Johnny Gargano and Kevin Owens reunited to form Panda Express for the first time on WWE RAW. The two superstars took on Otis and Chad Gable in a tag team match.
Gargano tagged Owens as the latter tried to dominate the contest early on. He targeted Gable, and Gargano climbed on KO’s back to deliver a senton to the former Olympian.
Gable was isolated by Panda Express for some time before he tagged Otis in again. The Dozer took down Gargano before hitting a tag team move with Gable. Owens broke the pin and set Otis on the announce table before putting him through it with an elbow drop.
Austin Theory appeared to interfere with his Money in the Bank briefcase, but Johnny Wrestling kicked him in the head. The former NXT Champion rushed Gable in the ring and hit the One Final Beat for the win.
The match was entertaining from start to finish. Both teams put on a solid show, and it was good to see Panda Express come out on top. WWE could look to keep the two men together for some time before one of them moves into the championship picture.
#2. Sami Zayn picked up a massive win over AJ Styles on WWE RAW
Sami Zayn and Solo Sikoa arrived on WWE RAW for the former’s match against AJ Styles this week. Meanwhile, the latter ran into Finn Balor backstage, who offered him some backup for the match. However, The Phenomenal One refused the offer.
The match kicked off with Zayn taking control early. AJ fought back and hit a rack bomb before sending his opponent outside the ring. The Master Strategist hit a kick to the face before connecting with the Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall.
Sami fought out of a calf crusher before taking a forearm to the face outside the ring. The Honorary Uce distracted the referee while Solo Sikoa beat up The Phenomenal One. Sami took advantage and hit Styles with the Helluva Kick to pick up the win and make the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion proud.
Judgment Day approached AJ after the match. Finn Balor offered him to join the faction, but Styles had other plans in mind. The stable unloaded on The Phenomenal One. Rhea Ripley grabbed a steel chair and wrapped it around Style’s head before Finn ran in to stomp on it. He stopped mid-way and said, "That's not what friends do."
It looks like Judgment Day will be adding more members to the faction or making new enemies. Either way, the stable is doing much better under Triple H’s vision.
#1. Matt Riddle defeated Damian Priest before The Rated-R Superstar returned
EDGE IS BACK!
@EdgeRatedR just took out #TheJudgmentDay on #WWERaw! https://t.co/LwKxm5tzAK
Matt Riddle battled Damian Priest in the main event of WWE RAW. Both men started well and traded some submission attempts before dishing out some big moves. The match spilled outside, where a distraction from Finn Balor allowed Priest to send The Original Bro into the barricades.
Riddle tried to hit a Floating Bro back in the ring, but Priest knocked him off the ropes. The former RAW Tag Team Champion hit Bro Derek for a near fall before Rhea Ripley distracted him, allowing Damian to take him down again.
The Archer of Infamy went on a roll with some big moves. Riddle dodged a chokeslam but failed to hit the RKO. He once again tried to hit the finisher, but another distraction stopped him in his tracks. In the end, Riddle rolled up Priest for the three-count before Judgment Day unloaded on him.
Edge made his return and cleared the ring before getting a mic. The Rated-R Superstar challenged Finn Balor to an 'I Quit' Match at Extreme Rules to end this week’s RAW.
Priest and Riddle put on a good main event. However, the spotlight was stolen by Edge, who made his return to book a big match. It’s no secret that Balor is the leader of Judgment Day. He will benefit from a victory over the veteran if the creative team decides to go that way.