WWE Raw Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from July 27
WWE returned this week with another episode of Raw as the company prepares for the second-biggest pay-per-view of the year on August 23, SummerSlam.
With Edge being out of action because of a triceps injury, WWE announced Randy Orton would kick off this week's show by choosing his next opponent.
Drew McIntyre accepted Dolph Ziggler's challenge for another match but made him wait to find out what kind of bout they would have just like The Showoff did to McIntyre at Extreme Rules.
Stephanie McMahon made a rare appearance last week to declare Sasha Banks and Asuka would have one more match to determine the rightful Raw women's champion.
Let's take a look at what happened on this week's WWE Raw.
Monday's Lineup
- McIntyre picks his stipulation for his match against Ziggler.
- Sasha Banks vs. Asuka for the Raw Women's Championship.
- Orton chooses his next target.
- Three tag teams face off for a tag title shot at SummerSlam.
- Dominik Mysterio returns to confront Seth Rollins.
Here are the segments WWE announced ahead of time for this week'show:
Randy Orton Sets His Sights on Drew McIntyre
Randy Orton opened the show with a promo talking about how much he has accomplished in his WWE career and compared himself to past stars like The Rock and Steve Austin.
He said something is missing, and he didn't know what it was until today. He has decided that he wants the WWE title back, and that means going through McIntyre.
The Viper spoke about how The Scottish Psychopath has earned his respect after what he did to Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania. He officially challenged McIntyre to a title match at SummerSlam.
He left the ring, and Nia Jax came out and spoke about how she understands where he is coming from. She said she also woke up this morning wanting her championship back. It took less than a minute before Shayna Baszler interrupted her. The show went to a break as they got physical.
Grade: B+
Analysis
This was a classic Orton promo. He was direct with his words and intimidating with his promise to hit McIntyre with an RKO out of nowhere.
The segment was short and sweet. We didn't get a response from McIntyre, but that makes sense. The champ still needs to worry about Ziggler before he can move on.
The Viper is one of WWE's most reliable veterans. Whether the plan is for him to win the belt or put McIntyre over, he will make the storyline fun. A live crowd probably would have cheered this promo.
The Viking Raiders vs. Ricochet and Cedric Alexander vs. Angel Garza and Andrade
Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins served as the ring announcers for this Triple Threat tag team match to determine who would get the next shot at the Raw Tag Team Championships.
The match featured The Viking Raiders, Ricochet and Cedric Alexander, and Andrade and Angel Garza. As usual, Zelina Vega was there to support her clients.
El Idolo and Garza attacked their opponents before the bell to get an early advantage. When we returned from the commercial break, Ivar and Alexander were trading counters.
Garza and Andrade were sitting at ringside instead of standing on the apron so they could avoid getting physical for as long as possible. The other two teams eventually worked together to take them out.
At one point, Ricochet and Andrade teamed up on Erik until it was time to go for a cover. We returned from another break to see Andrade and Garza take out Ivar.
The match came to an end when Garza finished off Alexander with the Wing Clipper.
Grade: B
Analysis
While the tag team division has suffered in recent months, this match was a reminder of how much talent WWE has on the roster. All four teams, including the champions who were on commentary, are worthy of holding the titles.
Ford and Dawkins never fail to entertain regardless of the role they are playing. As far as the action inside the ring was concerned, all three teams contributed to a fun match.
The variety of different skills on display made the bout exciting as we transitioned from the powerhouse Vikings throwing people around to the high-flyers putting their agility on full display.
The right team won, and the match they will produce with The Street Profits at SummerSlam should be one of the main highlights of the show.
Shayna Baszler vs. Nia Jax
Jax and Baszler had to wait until after the Triple Threat tag match to settle their issues from the first segment. They immediately took the fight out of the ring and brawled until they were counted out.
Several officials came out to separate them and a few ended up being injured in the process.
Grade: C-
Analysis
If all WWE wanted to do was kick-start a new feud, the brawl in the beginning of the show would have been enough. We didn't need a cheap count-out victory.
That being said, this was a physical encounter that allowed both women to look dangerous. It just didn't add anything to what we saw earlier in the show.
Dominik Mysterio Confronts Seth Rollins
Rollins came out with Murphy to address what he has done to his recent opponents such as Rey Mysterio and Aleister Black. He said he wants things to be different with Dominik and claimed he did not want any more violence.
He asked Dom to come to the ring so they could settle this like men. The younger Mysterio looked angry as he slowly made his way down the ramp.
The Monday Night Messiah offered to mentor Dominik, but he ended up tackling Rollins, which led to Murphy helping his leader take him out at ringside.
They slammed Dominik into the barricade and the side of the announce table as the Messiah berated him. Rollins looked at the steel steps and said what happened next wasn't his fault. Before he could do anything else, Black ran down and tried to help but ended up on the receiving end of a Stomp.
Rollins told Murphy he knew what he had to do for the greater good. The Juggernaut hesitated before the Messiah slapped him. Murphy grabbed Black and attempted to blind him on the ring steps.
Dom found a kendo stick under the ring and unloaded on both men until he sent them retreating to the back.
Grade: B-
Analysis
This segment probably went a little longer than it needed to, but it served its purpose well. It furthered two different but connected feuds with Black vs. Murphy and Rollins vs. both Mysterios.
Dominik didn't get to talk, but that may have been for the best. The pure emotion he showed as he stared down Rollins and beat him with a kendo stick was convincing.
We will probably get another Black and Murphy match soon, but Dominik vs. Rollins will likely be saved for SummerSlam so it can take place on a big stage.
The continued focus on eye attacks is strange, but it is effective in showing how violent the Messiah has become since turning heel.
Mustafa Ali vs. Bobby Lashley
MVP was in the ring with Shelton Benjamin and Bobby Lashley after the break for another episode of "The VIP Lounge." The faux United States champion said he wanted to help Mustafa Ali and invited him to the ring.
Ali did not seem interested in anything MVP had to say. He made it clear he wanted nothing to do with The Hurt Business. That is when R-Truth showed up and tackled Benjamin out of the ring. He failed to win back his 24/7 title and took off before MVP and Lashley could get their hands on him.
The match began after the break. Lashley showed off his power by easily putting Ali on the mat with a couple of shoves and throws.
The All Mighty dominated his smaller opponent until he was forced to help dispatch some ninjas. This allowed Ali to hit a suicide dive that sent him into the barricade. After the break, Lashley was back in control.
Ali was able to counter the Dominator and hit a beautiful tornado DDT. He missed the 450 splash, and Lashley put him into a full nelson for the submission victory.
Grade: C+
Analysis
Ali is a great character who hasn't been featured nearly as much as he should have been in recent months, so it was awesome to see him get a chance to talk again.
MVP was his usual charismatic self on the mic, and Lashley was as physically dominant as we have ever seen. In fact, he seemed more intense than usual during this bout.
The match itself was fine if a little lackluster. When you put two Superstars like this in the ring together for a two-segment contest, it unfolds in a predictable way. The powerhouse controls most of the action, while the underdog has occasional bursts of offense.
Having Ali lose so soon after returning is an odd choice, but having Lashley lose would have hurt him even more, so this was the only outcome that made any sense.
Asuka vs. Sasha Banks (Raw Women's Championship)
Last week, Stephanie McMahon announced this match to determine the rightful Raw women's champion after Banks and Asuka's Extreme Rules bout ended in controversy.
Kairi Sane chased Bayley away from the ring before the match began to make it an even playing field. The Empress was irate and immediately took control with some stiff kicks.
The Boss was able to turn things around and began focusing all of her offense on Asuka's left leg. Banks tried to pull an Eddie Guerrero move by pretending Asuka attacked her with the title belt, but the official saw everything and refused to declare a disqualification.
We came back from a commercial to see Banks with the upper hand again. It took a long time for Asuka to hit a counter and give herself a little breathing room.
A frog splash couldn't keep Asuka down, so The Boss transitioned into the Bank Statement. When the Empress took control, we saw footage of Bayley beating up Sane backstage on the big screen. The distraction led to Asuka releasing her signature submission so she could save her friend. The ref counted her out and declared Banks the rightful Raw women's champion.
Grade: B+
Analysis
Banks and Asuka both have reputations for being two of the best performers in the division, but something kept this match from being as good as their Extreme Rules encounter.
It's hard to say exactly what it was. Both Superstars put all their effort into their performance. Perhaps Bayley being absent is what made it feel different.
However, this still ended up being one of the better bouts on Raw. Their chemistry is undeniable, and the story they told made perfect sense, especially when Banks tried and failed to emulate Guerrero's dirty tactics. The finish wasn't ideal, but it worked from a storytelling standpoint.
This was really good, but it could have been great. Let's just hope this isn't the last we see of these two together because they are natural rivals.
Humberto Carrillo vs. Murphy
Humberto Carrillo has been an ally to both Black and Mysterio, so he was looking to avenge his friend when he took on Murphy.
The Juggernaut took control early, but the luchador didn't let him have the upper hand for long. He used his speed and agility to turn the tables and send his opponent out of the ring.
Carrillo came close to winning with a missile dropkick to the back of Murphy's neck. After he managed to recover, The Juggernaut hit Murphy's Law for the win.
Grade: B-
Analysis
WWE didn't give these two a ton of time, but they packed a lot into the minutes they were given to make this a quick but entertaining contest.
Murphy works well with high-flyers because he can overpower most of them while matching their speed at every turn. This combo could be turned into a great feud.
Carrillo losing doesn't hurt him much since he has barely been featured recently. If Black is unable to compete by SummerSlam, Murphy vs. Carrillo would be a solid substitute.
Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler
Before the match began, McIntyre accepted Orton's challenge for a WWE Championship match at SummerSlam with a quick promo. When Ziggler showed up, he demanded to know what stipulation McIntyre had chosen. The champ said this would be another Extreme Rules match, but it would not be one-sided like last time.
The Showoff had the champ reeling after the break, but The Scottish Psychopath quickly turned things around with one back elbow to the head. He propelled Ziggler into the plexiglass divider before taking out a kendo stick and teeing off on his opponent.
It took a low blow for Ziggler to give himself some time to recover. McIntyre caught him jumping from the apron and drove him through the barricade as the show went to a commercial.
We returned right as McIntyre began throwing Ziggler around the ring with suplexes. After putting The Showoff through a table with a Claymore Kick, McIntyre scored the win. As he celebrated, Orton hit the RKO out of nowhere to close the show.
Grade: B+
Analysis
Waiting another week just to find out this would be another Extreme Rules match was a little underwhelming, but the two men in this bout worked their butts off to make it good.
Because McIntyre was able to use weapons this time, Ziggler took a lot more punishment than he did in their previous encounter. He was sent through the barricade and the plexiglass divider, and he was hit with multiple weapons.
The match lived up to their previous contest, and the ending set the stage for SummerSlam. All in all, this was a good way to end the show.
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