Seth Rollins vs. Humberto Carrillo
The show began with Samoa Joe hosting the contract signing between Seth Rollins and Dominik Mysterio for their match at SummerSlam. Both Joe and Dominik went off on Rollins. Rollins said Dominik is ungrateful because without him, Dominik would not be a WWE Superstar. Rollins made relatively quick work of the Mexican Superstar after a superkick into a powerbomb and the Stomp. Afterward, Murphy attacked Dominik, and the two trapped the son of Mysterio in the ropes before smacking him with kendo sticks repeatedly. They left welts all over Dominik’s body.
Results: Seth Rollins defeats Humberto Carrillo via pinfall
Grade: B
Andrade vs. Angelo Dawkins; Bianca Belair vs. Zelina Vega
Angelo Dawkins battered El Idolo early with right hands, but Andrade’s singles experience allowed him to quickly grind down the larger man. Zelina Vega tried to interfere, but Bianca Belair attacked her. The distraction allowed Dawkins to hit the Cash Out for the three-count. This quickly transitioned into a match between Belair and Vega. The manager used her speed and ingenuity to get the upper hand on The EST. She did not account for Belair’s stamina, as The EST got back up again and again. A powerbomb from The EST set up the K.O.D. for a dominant win.
Results: Angelo Dawkins defeats Andrade via pinfall; Bianca Belair defeats Zelina Vega via pinfall
Grade: B+
Apollo Crews vs. Shelton Benjamin
MVP called out Apollo Crews on “The VIP Lounge,” demanding an admission that he caused the lights to flicker. The United States champion laughed at the accusation. He rushed the ring and fought off The Hurt Business enough to set up an impromptu match with Shelton Benjamin. Bobby Lashley distracted Crews, allowing Benjamin to get a surprise roll-up to pick up a huge victory.
Results: Shelton Benjamin defeats Apollo Crews via pinfall
Grade: C
The Viking Raiders, Ricochet, Cedric Alexander vs. Akira Tozawa and His Ninjas
Akira Tozawa demanded all his ninjas get into the action instead of him. One of the ninjas refused, and Tozawa decided to bail instead of fight. The Viking Raiders hit the Viking Experience on a ninja for the win. R-Truth rolled up Tozawa on the ramp to take the 24/7 Championship.
Results: The Viking Raiders, Ricochet, and Cedric Alexander defeat Akira Tozawa and his ninjas via pinfall
Grade: D
Liv Morgan (w/ Ruby Riott) vs. Peyton Royce (w/ Billie Kay)
Peyton Royce planted Liv Morgan early with a spin kick. Ruby Riott tried to stop Billie Kay from interfering, but the referee caught only Riott on the apron. The distraction allowed Royce to catch Morgan with the Deja Vu for the victory.
Results: Peyton Royce defeats Liv Morgan via pinfall
Grade: D
Bayley vs. Asuka
Asuka attacked Bayley at the bell, but The Role Model fought back. As the lights flickered, the action raged back and forth. Both women were willing to batter the other for this victory. Sasha Banks distracted the referee to help her best friend and also took cheap shots at The Empress of Tomorrow when she could. The Role Model used every opening to target the legs of Asuka, using a variety of impressive submission transitions. After a sunset bomb into the corner, Bayley mocked Kairi Sane, taking too long. As The Role Model charged at The Empress, she got rolled into the Asuka Lock and quickly tapped out.
Results: Asuka defeats Bayley via submission to earnt he right to face Sasha Banks for the Raw Women’s Championship at SummerSlam
Grade: A
Randy Orton (w/ Ric Flair) vs. Kevin Owens
The Viper escaped the early onslaught with a thumb to the eye. The two blocked the other’s finisher early and focused on battering each other inside and outside the ring. Orton injured KO badly after throwing him onto the announce table. Owens refused to give up and headbutted The Viper off the top rope to set up a senton bomb. KO was in position for a stunner, but The Viper turned it around into an RKO for the win. Afterward, Orton told Flair to stick around as The Viper had something to say. Orton called out The Nature Boy as a liability. He had forced The Viper into a match because of his ego. He labeled his former friend washed-up and a junkie for the spotlight. Flair told The Viper that he took those words personally. He wanted Orton to know how much he respected his ability and wanted him to break his 16-time world title record. They hugged, but Orton followed through by catching his mentor with a low blow. The Viper punt-kicked The Nature Boy and whispered a final farewell to his friend. Drew McIntyre ran down to make the save. The WWE champion told Orton he would pay for his actions.
Results: Randy Orton defeats Kevin Owens via pinfall
Grade: A+
Analysis: This weeks episode of Raw was good with the exception of the Raw Underground segment and the Liv Morgan-Peyton Royce match. However, the last two matches were very good and well booked. I would give this weeks episode of Raw a B-.
Brian's World of Sports 