Raw Review 07/29/2019

RAW REVIEW 07/29/2019

Tonight we have some high stake matches set, first, in the five-man gauntlet match between Ricochet, Rey Mysterio, Cesaro, Andrade, and Sami Zayn who will come out on top and become the #1 Contender for the United States Championship? Also, can R-Truth retain his 24/7 title as he and Carmella team up to take on Drake Maverick and his wife Rene Michelle? Plus, ahead of his Universal Championship Match Seth Rollins has to take on Dolph Ziggler. Can Rollins beat Ziggler or with The Show Off continue making headlines? Finally, can Becky Lynch gain some momentum ahead of her championship match with Natalya as she takes on Alexa Bliss?

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Raw comes to us from the Verizon Arena in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

 Raw kicks off with a look back at the history of the 24/7 Championship, we are then welcomed by Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Rene Young.

Match 1: R-Truth (c) & Carmella vs Drake Maverick & Rene Michelle: 24/7 Mix-Match Championship Moshpit Match
The match begins and Maverick tries to pick up a quick win but Truth kicks out. Truth comes back and knocks Maverick down to the mat. Truth stays on him and lands a leg drop. Truth goes for the cover but Maverick kicks out. Maverick is thrown into the moshpit and is caught by superstars. They then bring Maverick back to the apron. Truth again takes down Maverick and goes for the cover but Maverick kicks out. Carmella then goes after Rene. Truth sends Maverick down face-first to the mat. Truth goes for the cover and gets the 1 2 3.
*** After the match the superstars pile into the ring and get on top of Truth. The referee counts 1 2 3. Mike Kanellis gets the win and the title. Kanellis runs away and backstage he continues trying to find a place to hie. The superstars chase him but he is able to hide in a room. Maria comes up and bangs on the door telling him to let her in. Mike questions this and Maria tells him if he doesn’t open it she will kick down the door and kick him in the vagina. He then lets her in.
Winners: R-Truth & Carmella
My Opinion:
Truth and Carmella made quick work in this match but it seems Truth didn’t get that all the superstars on the outside were going to come from him. He celebrated a little too long and it was over from there. A big congrats to Mike Kanellis for winning his first title in WWE. This is a big accomplishment but he is going to have to fight if he wants to keep it for a long time. Let’s see if he makes it through the week or night for that matter.

Match 2: United States Championship #1 Contender Gauntlet Match
Rey Mysterio and Cesaro start off the match. Cesaro brings Mysterio down and tries quick pins but Mysterio kicks out. Mysterio fights back and he now gets a near fall. Mysterio stays on him but he is then hit with a big clothesline. Cesaro hits him with a strike and goes for the cover but Mysterio is out quickly. Cesaro hits him with uppercuts in the corner and then goes to a chin lock. Mysterio hits him in the gut and fights out. He lands a kick and gets in control. On the outside, Mysterio is able to send Cesaro into the apron. Mysterio then slides and lands a splash on the outside. Mysterio sends Cesaro into the ropes and tries a 619 but Cesaro moves out of the way and goes to the outside. Mysterio lands a baseball slide and sends him into the barricade as Raw goes to break.
As Raw returns, Cesaro lands a big elbow but Mysterio kicks out of the cover. Cesaro then goes to work on the neck of Mysterio. Mysterio is able to fight back and land a senton off the turnbuckles. Mysterio is able to land a kick but can’t put Cesaro away on the cover. Cesaro sends Mysterio off the ropes. Off the springboard, Cesaro lands an uppercut. Cesaro goes for the cover but can’t get the three. Cesaro lands a leg drop and then a big boot but still can’t put him away. Cesaro lifts Mysterio but it allows Mysterio to counter and send him into the ring post. Mysterio goes to the top but Cesaro catches him and Mysterio drops to the mat. Cesaro lifts Mysterio but again Mysterio fights back. He tries a hurricanrana but Cesaro hangs on. Mysterio again reverses him and hits a bulldog from the top turnbuckle. Mysterio gets him in position and lands a 619. Mysterio lands a splash and goes for the cover and gets the 1 2 3. Out next is Sami Zayn. Zayn stomps on Mysterio and the ref tries to get control. Zayn misses on the Helluva Kick and Mysterio rolls him up to get the 1 2 3. Next out is Andrade as Raw goes to break.
As Raw returns, Andrade backs Mysterio into the corner. Mysterio gets around on him but is hit with a back elbow. Andrade then works the arm of Mysterio. Mysterio fights out using elbow strikes. Andrade hits him with a chop but then Mysterio gets back into it. Mysterio is able to take him down to the mat but can’t get the 3 on the cover. Andrade hits him with a clothesline in the corner. Andrade stays on him and then knocks Mysterio down on the outside. Back in the ring, Mysterio fights back but Andrade fights back and hits two suplexes and then taunts Mysterio before hitting the third. Andrade tries another cover but still can’t put him away. Mysterio lands a step-up enziguri. Mysterio goes for the 619 but gets caught. Andrade then hits a backbreaker. Andrade drops Mysterio and goes for the cover and gets the 1 2 3. Andrade then attacks Mysterio and tries to rip his mask off. Ricochet then comes out and save Mysterio. Ricochet checks on Mysterio as Raw goes to break.
As Raw returns, the two lock up. Ricochet and Andrade trade moves. Ricochet hits him with a dropkick and gets in control. Andrade goes to the outside and Ricochet looks to fly but Vega gets involved. Ricochet stays the course and lands a big kick. Andrade comes back and sends Ricochet tot he outside. On the outside, Andrade lands a big chop and then sends Ricochet into the barricade. Andrade stays on him and again hits him with a chop. Ricochet doesn’t give up and is able to hit with a dropkick. Ricochet gets to his feet and hits Andrade with big rights. He then knocks him down to the mat. Ricochet hits a hurricanrana. He hits him in the midsection but misses as he flies off the top rope. Andrade then sends him into the turnbuckles. Andrade hits double knees and then goes for the cover but again Ricochet stays alive. Ricochet is able to counter Andrade and lock in an inside cradle but Andrade kicks out. Ricochet lands an inverted hurricanrana but it isn’t enough to put Andrade away. Ricochet goes to the top but Andrade knocks him down. Ricochet then hits him with forearms. Andrade is sent to the mat and it allows Ricochet to set up and hit the 630. Ricochet gets the 1 2 3 and is going to SummerSlam.
*** Kayla congratulates ricochet and tells how Ricochet is going on to face AJ Styles for the United States Championship at SummerSlam. Ricochet says when he beat Samoa Joe no one could believe it and it was hard for him to believe it himself. He says he learned that people only believe what they can see so at SummerSlam when he beats AJ Styles and raises that title over his head again then everyone will believe and so will he.
Winner: Ricochet: New #1 Contender
My Opinion:
Wow, that was an awesome gauntlet and I think stuff like this works really well. We get constant action and in this, we got some really great matches. Mysterio out up an amazing fight but obviously he was out there a while and it caught up to him. It wasn’t too much of a surprise that Ricochet won but now that he has he needs to go make the best of it. On one of the biggest nights in WWE of the year, he has a shot to dethrone AJ Styles and he better take advantage of it. This is a night Ricochet can become a star in the eyes of millions and I truly hope he can overcome the numbers game and do just that. He’s shown he is more than capable of getting the job done and now has the golden opportunity to become a 2 time United States Champion!

Backstage Segment:
Mike tells Maria he did this for them. He says she can look at him with respect and dignity. He won this for them. Maria tells him to get down on his back like he always does. He asks what she is doing. Maria says she is pinning him so her unborn child has a champion as a parent. Mike gets down and the ref makes the count. Maria declares she is the first-ever pregnant champion. Maria walks out and asks Titus what would he do to be a two-time champ, would he wrestle a pregnant champ. She tells them that she has an OBGYN appointment on Thursday if they would like to come to pin her.

A Moment of Bliss
Bliss congratulates Maria and says it’s inspiring seeing the women break down boundaries. Her and Nikki then bring up Raw Reunion and tell how awesome it was and how it gave them goosebumps. She then tells how Stone Cold said they were all family but then says Dolph Ziggler broke that on SmackDown when he super kicked Shawn Michales. She then says what she saw today broke the moral compass and it was disturbing. In the video, Natalya is training before Raw and Lynch comes in and attacks Finlay and her while Finlay was trying to teach her counters to the Disarmher. Bliss calls it ridiculous. Cross says it seems like Lynch is trying to take out Natalya before their match. Bliss says shes is going to knock The Man down a few pegs. Lynch then comes on the screen and tells her it is easy for her to run her mouth when there is distance so say what you want for now for free because she is going to pay for it later. She then asks Cross where her Celtic pride is. She tells Bliss she remembers everything she has done so she will see her later. The Usos then come out for their match.
My Opinion:
This was another time of Bliss trying to stir the pot but it seems she is biting off more then she can chew since she has to face Lynch. Bliss definitely likes to make trouble and for her and Cross I’m interested to see what they do next. I think since they were brought together and it doesn’t seem either will get a single’s run with a title, they should go for the Women’s Tag Team Championships and be the heel team that The Iconics just aren’t living up to.

Match 3: The Usos vs The Revival vs The OC (Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson)
Raw Tag Team Championship Match
Dawson tries o get an early advantage but Jimmy gets the control and wors the neck of Dawson. Dawson comes back with a side headlock. Dawson is able to take down Jimmy and land a high elbow as he comes off the ropes. Dawson lands a big chop and then a big right. Wilder comes in and tries to stay on Jimmy but can’t. Jey tags in and takes it to Wilder. Wilder fights back and is able to tag Dawson. Dawson brings Jey to the mat and works a chin lock. Dawson lands a series of knee strikes. Jey comes back with a backdrop, he then lands a kick to the newly tagged Wilder. Jey stays on Wilder but eventually, he fights out and tags Dawson. Dawson locks in the sleeper. Wilder tags in and hits Jey again. Jey knocks Wilder to the mat and then hits a crossbody. Jey lands a big right hand. Jey is sent through the ropes and Gallows takes him out with a clothesline as Raw goes to break.
As Raw returns, Anderson is in control holding Jey on the mat with a chin lock. Anderson hits him with a kick. Anderson then goes for the cover but can’t get the three. Gallows gets the tag and rains on Jey with right hands. Gallows then hits an elbow drop. Gallows goes for the cover and can’t get the three. Anderson tags in and throws Jey into the corner. He takes him down and tries another cover but still can’t put him away. Anderson continues toying with Jey but Jey is able to get away. Jimmy gets the tag and goes after Wilder. Jimmy hits an enziguri and then a kick. Jimmy is able to fight off an attack from wilder and land a Samoan Drop. Jimmy goes for the cover but gets a 2 count. Dawson makes a tag and Jimmy doesn’t realize it. Dawson flies and he and Wilder plant Jimmy. Dawson goes for the cover but Anderson breaks it up. Dawson and Anderson then crash to the outside. Jimmy then flies and takes out Anderson and Wilder. Dawson hits Jey with a right as he goes to the top. He then bounces him off the top of the ring post. Dawson goes up top and looks for a suplex. Jey then suplexes Dawson into everyone on the outside. Jimmy looks for a splash but Dawson moves. Wilder and Dawson are able to land The Shatter Machine. Jey then hits a splash. Anderson hits a spine buster. He and Gallows then hit The Magic Killer. Gallows goes for the cover and gets the 1 2 3. Anderson and Gallows are the new Raw Tag Team Champions!
Winner: The OC (Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson)
New Raw Tag Team Champions
My Opinion:
What a match between these three teams. They all gave their best shots but the wave of momentum of The OC continued and Gallows and Anderson have finally recaptured the gold! I’m so excited for these guys as they’ve been through a lot since they last had the titles. They were the smart team in this match as they waited a while before getting involved and when they did they just came at the other teams hard. With them having the tag titles and AJ having the U.S. title they are running Raw right now. The OC is finally getting to the level we all wanted to see way back when they were first together in WWE.

Backstage Segment :
Kayla tells how AJ will be defending the U.S. title at SummerSlam and then mentions how Gallows and Anderson just won the tag titles. She is then cut off as Gallows and Anderson come in and The OC all celebrate with their championships.

Match 4: The Viking Raiders vs Cole Carter & Johnny James
Erik hits him with a right hand and knocks James down. On the outside, Carter is hit with a spinning heel kick from Ivar. Carter is then driven into the corner. Ivar tags in and hits a cannonball on James and Carter. Erik then slams James and Carter. They hit The Viking Experience and get the 1 2 3.
Winners: The Viking Raiders
My Opinion:
Another quick win for The Viking Raiders and they are definitely making a case for themselves to get a shot at the tag titles. We keep seeing them face local competition and that’s fine but I think for them to be taken seriously again you have to work in some talent from the roster to face them. Hopefully, they continue on their path of dominance and can reach the top of the mountain at some point.

Backstage Segment:
The Street Profits recap the big moments of Raw tonight and say how crazy of a night it was. They tell how Maria won the 24/7 title Dawkins questions why. Ford questions Dawkins if he is the baby daddy to Maria’s child. Rollins comes up and shares a moment with them. Dawkins says they know Ziggler has smoke coming his way. Rollins cuts them off when they try to say Burn It Down and says that’s his thing. He then tells them if they are going to do it then they need to put some stank on it. They then share a Burn It Down together.

Backstage Segment:
Becky Lynch heads to the ring for her match with Alexa Bliss.

Match 5: Becky Lynch vs Alexa Bliss w/ Nikki Cross
Lynch tells Bliss to take her best shot but instead, Lynch stops waiting and hits her with a right of her own. She gets her on the mat and goes to work on Bliss. Back on their feet Lynch lands a suplex and stays in control. Lynch looks for the Disarmher but can’t get it locked in. She tries a cover but Bliss kicks out. Cross takes a cheap shot and it allows Bliss to drive Lynch to the outside. Lynch comes back in and lands a series of strikes. She knocks Bliss to the mat and then goes to the top. Bliss gets up and pulls Lynch down. Bliss then hammers on Lynch with kicks in the corner. Bliss then locks in an abdominal stretch. Bliss continues to fight off Lynch and hits her with a right hand. Blis hits knees to the midsection. Bliss tries a cover but Lynch kicks out. Bliss gets Lynch on the apron but it allows Lynch to land a kick. Lynch looks for the becksploder but Bliss counters. Lynch lands another kick and then is able to pick up speed with a clothesline. Lynch now finally hits the becksploder. Bliss hurts her ankle and the ref pulls Lynch off. The match is called off and Lynch is declared the winner.
*** After the match Cross comes in and yells at Lynch. She then challenges Lynch to a match right now.
Winner: Becky Lynch: Declared winner after the  match was stopped

Match 6: Becky Lynch vs Nikki Cross
Cross pushes Lynch and continues to yell at her. Lynch takes it to cross and sends her into the corner. Lynch hits her with strikes and takes her down. Lynch then hits a clothesline. Cross fights back and goes to the top to hit a crossbody. Cross goes for the cover but Lynch kicks out. Cross lands a snap mare and works the arms of Lynch using them against her. Lynch comes back but Cross continues to fight her off and drop her to the mat. Cross comes at her but Lynch is able to fight her off again and sends her to the outside. Lynch looks to slam her and finally does with a man handle slam. Lynch goes for the cover and gets the 1 2 3.
*** After the match Bliss gets up and attacks Lynch from behind. Cross then joins in on the two on one assault on Lynch. Natalya then hits the ring and goes right after Becky looking in the Sharpshooter on her.
Winner: Becky Lynch
My Opinion:
This was a good night for Lynch from a competitor’s standpoint as he won not one but two matches. Bliss and Cross gave her good fights in their respective matches but Lynch is to good these days and it doesn’t take much for her to get into control and put things away. The big story is Natalya got a measure of revenge and showed Lynch she is ready to go. Now they’re even and this rivalry is getting more and more personal. Next week they really got to try to step it up and send this thing into SummerSlam with a bang.

Backstage Segment:
Kayla asks Natalya about how many say her’s and Lynch’s friendship as been ruined. She says it’s not about being friends but instead respectful. She says when she wins Lynch won’t want to shake her hand. She then proposes a submission match but says she won’t propose because she knows Lynch won’t take it.

Backstage Segment:
Maria takes photos with the 24/7 title. Braun Strowman comes up and she asks Braun is he seriously crowding him. She tells Braun to show her how big and strong he is. Braun doesn’t like her antics.

Match 7: Seth Rollins vs Dolph Ziggler
*** Before the match Ziggler comes out to Shawn Michaels song and then tells Rollins he looks like he lost his smile. He tells Rollins he should thank him for doing what he did. He says tonight he gets to see the real show-stealer.
Rollins goes right after Ziggler and sends him to the floor. Rollins goes to the outside and throws him off the barricade. Rollins lifts him and again sends him into the barricade. Rollins continues the punishment and brings Ziggler back into the ring. Ziggler is able to right back and the two make their way to the apron. Ziggler plants him on the apron and Rollins crashes to the floor as Raw goes to break.
As Raw returns, Rollins hits Ziggler with a chop. He then comes at him with big right hands before hitting a rolling elbow. In the corner, Rollins stomps away on Ziggler. Rollins hits a sling blade and goes for the cover but Ziggler kicks out. On the ropes, Ziggler is able to fight him off and drop him to the mat. Ziggler goes for the cover but Rollins kicks out. Rollins fights back and plants Ziggler but Ziggler still won’t go down. Ziggler is able to avoid Rollins and then grab him to send him into the ring post. Ziggler hits the Zig Zag and tries another cover but again Rollins kicks out. Ziggler looks for a superkick but Rollins hits him with one of his own. He then lands another kick to the face. He then sets up for the stomp but here comes Brock Lesnar! Lesnar hits the ring and floors Rollins. He then hits a German Suplex and follows with another. On the outside, Lesnar sends Rollins into the barricade. He picks him up and drives him into it once more. Lesnar then hits him with a suplex on the floor. Lesnar then lifts Rollins and hits him with an F5 across the ring post. Lesnar throws him into the ring and grabs a chair. Lesnar then hits him with a shot across the back. Lesnar sits in the chair and laughs. Lesnar then hits him with an F5 on the steel chair. Lesnar then hits an F5 one more time on the chair. Heyman tells Lesnar to stop but again he hits a third F5 on the chair.
Winner: Seth Rollins: Via DQ
My Opinion:
First, the match between Rollins and Ziggler was a good one. These two facing off is one of those things that is magic and no matter the time or place they always deliver. The bigger story was the attack from Lesnar because this was a shocker to see him out there. Lesnar didn’t just attack Rollins but destroyed Rollins. This was the kind of attack where you sit and wonder if Rollins will even make it to SummerSlam. When Heyman was trying to back Lesnar off that’s when you know it was getting bad. On the other hand, this is making a great story. If Rollins comes back from this and faces Lesnar then not only does Lesnar become more of the bad guy but Rollins is going to look like a superhero and everyone is going to be behind him. Rollins is down but not out and I can’t wait to see how The Beast Slayer battles back.

Backstage Segment:
Rollins is being wheeled out on the stretcher. The OC and Samoa Joe then attack Roman Reigns and The Usos. We cut back and Rollins is being placed in the ambulance. Lesnar steps in front and tells them to park it. Lesnar pulls Rollins out on the stretcher and goes back on the attack. He then hits an F5 on the stretcher.

In-Ring Segment: Samoan Summit
Joe informs the Samoan Summit has been canceled. He says he is okay with that because he didn’t come here to talk, he came here to fight. He tells Reigns to get out there. Here comes Reigns.
Reigns gets in the ring and Joe goes after him. Reigns gets the upper hand and sends him to the outside. On the outside, he hits him with big rights. The two trade blows and Reigns is able to fight back with a headbutt. Joe sends him into the stairs and gets in control. Reigns gets up and throws the steps at Joe. Mcintyre comes out and blindsides Reigns. Reigns is able to fight back and send him into the crowd. He meets him out there and the two fight in the crowd before making their way back to ringside. Joe now comes back in and it’s a two one one attack. Cedric Alexander comes out and takes out Joe. He then lands a kick to Mcintyre and takes him down. Cedric looks to fly but Joe catches him and slams him to the mat. Mcintyre and Cedric fight on the stage while Joe and Reigns fight in the ring. Joe brings Reigns up the stage while Mcintyre sends Cedric into the screens. They bring Reigns over to the announce table but here comes The Usos. The OC then come out. Cedric Alexander flies from the top of the LED boards to take them all out!!! He then takes it to Mcintyre as he gets up. They go to the ring and Mcintyre looks for a Claymore but Cedric is able to hit him. The OC come down and attack Cedric. Reigns comes in and hits Anderson, Gallows, and Joe with Superman Punches. Cedric then flies to take The OC out on the floor. The Usos come in and hit Joe with double Superkicks. Reigns, Alexander, and The Usos stand tall in the ring as Raw ends.
My Opinion:
Wow, that was wild and I loved every second of it. The chaos was awesome and tonight Cedric Alexander made a statement flying through the air off the screens and laying everyone out. That’s the kind of action we need! That’s the unpredictable nature and the way ou build people up and make the crowd go nuts. I love what I saw and hopefully, these 8 men get a chance to all brawl it out once more next week!

Final Thoughts:
Tonight wasn’t the most exciting Raw but we definitely had a lot of good things throughout and the final hour was pretty wild. First, I loved the gauntlet match tonight and we had some very exciting match-ups throughout it. Mysterio had a great showing and was very impressive, as was Andrade. Ultimately Ricochet gets the in and now he has a shot to get the U.S. title back. If he can overcome the numbers game SummerSlam could be a huge night for Ricochet to cement himself as a top guy. I liked Natalya coming out and attacking Lynch after she was down. All is fair when you going for a title and Natalya showed The Man that she will do whatever it takes to win the title and hopefully they have that Submission Match. Also, from tonight a big congrats to Anderson and Gallows for finally getting the Raw Tag Team Championships back. Next, the Seth Rollins and Brock Lesnar story really heated up tonight. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a beating like Lesnar gave to Rollins. It seems we are going back to much more edgy content because that was brutal. It was one of those things both in the ring and the backstage attack really made you feel and almost uncomfortable with the amount of abuse Rollins took. That was brutal from Lesnar and a side we haven’t seen in quite some time. It’s going to be interesting to see how this all plays out heading into SummerSlam with less than two weeks to go. Finally, the ending segment was insane and it was the kind of intensity and action we have been craving! Cedric Alexander made a statement and did something we won’t forget! These 8 need to keep going at it because that was awesome. Hopefully, they battle it out with an 8 man tag next week! Overall it was a solid night and I can’t wait for the build to SummerSlam to continue, we’re almost to the Biggest Party of the Summer!!!
Overall Rating: 5/10