5 Things WWE Subtly told us on RAW: Huge betrayal set to take place soon, Unexpected future match for Brock Lesnar teased
Welcome to this week's edition of things WWE subtly told us on RAW. It was an eventful episode, but there were some unfortunate sub-par moments as well. As sad as it is to admit, most of the shows throughout the year will never have a consistent three hours from start to finish.
With that being said, the start and finish were among the highlights of RAW. No SummerSlam match was made official, but there was some storyline progression - perhaps not as much as there should have been.
Either way, here are some of the subtle messages you may have missed on RAW this week:
#5. Is The Judgment Day sealing Dominik Mysterio's fate?
What should @DomMysterio35 do?
#WWERaw https://t.co/ppLHJxiviz
This week, WWE made the right call by having Finn Balor defeat Rey Mysterio on RAW. Before that, The Judgment Day was being handled poorly. Ever since Finn Balor took over and Rhea Ripley has been out of action, it has been hard to take them seriously. As a result, their momentum has slowed down significantly.
With that said, they have been teasing the recruitment of Dominik Mysterio to guide his career. While nothing was definitive this week, it seems like a huge betrayal is being planned for Dominik against his father Rey Mysterio. Priest and Balor continue to tell Dominik that he'll be better off with them, and the young star might listen to them sooner rather than later.
#4. Brock Lesnar has a potential future opponent teased
Looks like @BrockLesnar is ready for a fight right about now.
@_Theory1 #WWERaw https://t.co/KvReOKGj70
Brock Lesnar opened the show on RAW this week as expected; his appearance was announced beforehand. Given that he would either be in the first or last segment, it only made sense to have him kick off the show to keep viewers hooked.
He had a stand-off promo with Paul Heyman, as well as Theory, who made his presence known as Mr. Money in the Bank. WWE also seemed to subtly hint at a future singles match between the two - even if it won't be anytime soon.
Lesnar would then proceed to take out both members of The Alpha Academy in a display of dominance. There was nothing subtle about that.
#3. AJ Styles is grasping at straws to save his feud
What an act of cowardice from @mikethemiz!!
#WWERaw https://t.co/0v8nxe5Vqh
AJ Styles' feud against The Miz and Ciampa took a turn for the worse this week as nothing about it seemed cohesive. From the Miz TV segment to the random tag team match starring Ezekial and Styles against Miz and Ciampa, it was one of the weaker parts of the night.
Logan Paul will return next week to make the rivalry even more entertaining, but so far, this has been a poor build-up to what should be a huge SummerSlam match.
#2. The women of RAW are heading for a triple threat clash at SummerSlam
👀👀👀👀👀
@CarmellaWWE #WWERaw https://t.co/HUfiFYyEqX
The direction for the RAW Women's title at SummerSlam seems clear. While Carmella getting a rematch against Bianca Belair was practically a given, they had a championship match last night.
Becky Lynch was at ringside as she demanded a title bout herself, and the outcome of the bout was a bit surprising as Lynch helped Carmella get a count-out win.
This gave Belair her first singles televised loss since early November 2021 - marking over nine months since it happened. It seems like Lynch's impact will result in her getting added to the contest to make it a triple threat match at SummerSlam.
#1. What does Dolph Ziggler's return to RAW signify?
Welcome back to #WWERaw, @HEELZiggler. https://t.co/i4a1SAVEQP
Dolph Ziggler returned in the middle of the main event. In a stunning moment, he pushed Theory's legs off the ropes and seemingly helped Bobby Lashley and Riddle pick up a win over Seth Rollins and Theory.
Ziggler's actions post-match cemented his face turn as he super-kicked Theory to end the show standing tall. We're not sure what sense to make of it, but Ziggler could be Theory's post-SummerSlam feud on the red brand.