Raw Review 08/03/2020

RAW REVIEW 08/03/2020

As Raw kick’s off tonight who will become the rightful United States Champion as Apollo Crews returns to face MVP? Plus, how will Asuka respond after losing the Raw Women’s Championship to Sasha Banks last week? On that same note, what will happen when Drew McIntyre and Randy Orton meet face to face tonight? Also, what will Shane McMahon have in store for the WWE Universe when he returns tonight, and will it have anything to do with this new stable coming to Raw? Finally, what will Seth Rollins’ next move be after Dominik was able to fight back and overcome both Rollins and Murphy?

Raw comes to us from the WWE Performance Center.

Raw kicks off with us being introduced by Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, and Samoa Joe. As they are talking the lights go dim but things get back on track and here comes Apollo Crews. Crews makes his way to the ring and the lights go out fully this time. They come back on and we see the entrance of MVP, Shelton Benjamin and then Bobby Lashley

Match 1: Apollo Crews (c) vs MVP w/ Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin:
United States Championship Match
***Before the match begins MVP proclaims himself as the real United States Champion because at Extreme Rules Apollo didn’t show up after being put in the full-nelson by Lashley. He tells Crews after he wins their beef is over and he will go on to be the real United States Champion representing the Hurt Business and Apollo can go hang out with Ricochet and Cedric Alexander in catering.
The two lock up to begin the match with neither man getting the edge. MVP works him to the mat and wraps him up with a submission. Crews fights back and gets on the offensive. He gets the cover but MVP kicks out. Now back to their feet MVP gets the advantage stomping on the foot of Crews. Crews fights back and works a snap suplex. He covers but MVP kicks out. He tries again for the cover but MVP won’t stay down. Crews now focuses on the arm of MVP. MVP fights back and hits Crews in the face. He then follows up with a big forearm to the face of Crews. Crews gets to his feet and unloads on MVP who is leaning on the ropes. MVP goes to the floor with Lashley and Benjamin checking on him. Crews flies over the top rope and takes all three of them out as Raw goes to break.
As Raw returns, MVP wrenches on the neck of Crews. During the break, Lashley interfered and allowed MVP to get the advantage. Crews fights back but as he comes off the ropes he is run over by MVP. MVP tries a cover but Crews kicks out. One more cover and another kick out. MVP now hits Crews with an elbow to the back of the neck. A cover from MVP and a kick out from Crews. MVP now hits Crews with a right hand. Crews is now planted to the mat by MVP. MVP uses the ropes now to lock in a camel clutch. MVP gets Crews to his feet and meets him with a right hand.
MVP again gets Crews on the mat but can’t get the three count on the cover. MVP toys with Crews backing him into the corner. He now hits Crews with vicious elbow strikes. MVP misses on the kick in the corner/ Crews hits him in the back of the neck and follows with a crossbody. Crews stays on him before hitting a huge spinebuster. He covers and MVP kicks out.MVP counters a toss powerbomb. MVP now hits a release German suplex. Crews gets right to his feet and hits the toss powerbomb. He covers and gets the 1 2 3.
*** After the match Lashley gets in the ring looking for the full-nelson but Crews slips away. Lashley and Benjamin check on MVP while Crews celebrates on the entranceway.
Backstage Charly congratulates Apollo and asks him how it feels to be the rightful United States Champion. Crews says Lashley’s strength is unbelievable and he hurt him with that full-nelson. He yells how he had to sit on his couch watching MVP claim to be the United States Champion. Crews says his kids would ask him about it and he wanted so bad to tell them he is the United States Champion. He says he can now give them the title and hang it up in his house. He then thanks MVP for this new custom title.
Back at ringside, MVP then grabs a mic and asks about the unsafe working conditions with these lights coming on and off. He then says how Crews stole this title from him. He says he doesn’t care about Crews’ wife or kids, all he cares about is getting his rematch. He then demands his rematch for SummerSlam.
Winner: Apollo Crews: Still United States Champion
My Opinion:
A great title defense for Crews tonight as he was able to overcome a lot of brutal offense from MVP. It made Crews look very strong and it helped that it showed he could step back in after two weeks off and get the job done. This rivalry has done a lot to build up Apollo and highlight the great superstar he could be and with that, I really think this should go on until SummerSlam. It didn’t seem he and MVP got to show all they could in the ring together so I feel there is a lot left to give with more time allowed. One more match with MVP especially on a huge stage like SummerSlam could be a crowning moment for Crews.

Backstage Segment: Bayley & Sasha Banks
Sasha and Bayley are here and seem ecstatic with all their gold!

Backstage Segment:
We see a security guard standing in a dim light outside of a closed door. We are told that this has to do with Shane McMahon’s big announcement tonight.

Backstage Segment: Bayley & Sasha Banks
Sara welcomes Sasha and Bayley. Bayley tells them that they have all the gold. Sara asks them if they will be defending any or all of the titles at SummerSlam. Bayley tells Sara the question and answer thing is boring. Sasha says it does no justice for what they have done around here. Bayley then says to roll the footage and we are shown Sasha’s Raw Women’s Championship win over Asuka last week. Asuka then cuts into this video and says revenge will be very very sweet. Banks then says how unprofessional this is.
Shayna Baszler comes up and says that’s enough of this garbage. Bazler then tells Sasha she snaked her way to the Raw Women’s Championship. Baszler then says she has waited in line long enough. She then hits Sasha and knocks her to the ground. Bayley then checks on her.

Backstage Segment: Kevin Owens & The IIconics
The IIconics tells Kevin Owens they heard he is hosting the KO Show and they would be great guests. Owens says he loves Australia but he already has guests because he plans these things. He then offers them a water.

In-Ring Segment: The Kevin Owens Show
Owens welcomes everyone and then says there is a lot going on tonight like the return of Shane McMahon. He continues to see a slew of technical difficulties. Owens then talks about his first guest and how she has had a lot of issues over the past few months. He then brings out Ruby Riott. Owens brings up Ruby’s big win over Peyton and says how she got emotional after that. Ruby says she hadn’t had a win since February. She says how she has been down and she has been dealing with girls like The IIconics her whole life. Ruby says she felt great after finally getting that win. She says the only thing that would have been better is if Liv was out there to celebrate with her. Owens then says Liv is here and brings her out.
Owens thanks her for coming. Liv says that Ruby asked her to listen to what she had to say and Kevin convinced her to be here so let’s hear it. Owens says he saw them from the beginning, he praises their work in the Riott Squad. He tells how he thinks they are better together. He says he has lost a lot of friends and said a lot of crappy things but it is not worth it. He then tells Liv he thinks she should hear Ruby out. Ruy says when she came back everything was different. She says how Liv was doing so well and it hurt because it felt like she didn’t need her. She tells that after she lost to Liv twice she knew Liv didn’t need her at all. Ruby tells Liv she took this out on her and she is sorry for that. She asks for another chance for the Riott Squad to be stronger than it has ever been. Here comes the IIconics.
Peyton says everyone is sick of hearing them babble on and that no one cares about. She then says that Liv should have stayed in the bathtub. Kay says that no one wants to see Ruby’s social media posts at all. They then talk about how they have dominated and then go over what they have done in WWE. They then say that Ruby and Liv aren’t friends like them. Liv says they aren’t friends like that and they aren’t IIconic but they can agree that no one starts a riott like them. Owens then tells the IIonics to leave if they have nothing else to say. Royce then challenges Liv and Ruby to a match. Owens then asks for more technical difficulties for the IIconics mics only. Royce and Kay then both slap Owens. Owens asks them for a little help and Liv and Ruby attack the IIconics as Raw goes to break.

Backstage Segment:
We are again shown the closed door with the security guard. We are then told that whatever is going in there, Shane McMahon is behind it.

Match 2: The IIconics (Peyton Royce & Billie Kay) vs Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott
Kay gets the early advantage and hits a neck breaker. She covers but Riott kicks out. Royce comes in and hits Riott. She now tries a cover but again Riott kicks out. Royce now works the neck of Riott. Riott gets to her feet but she is pulled by her hair to the mat. Kay comes in now and continues to punish Riot while taunting Liv. Riott finally gets the tag and so does Royce. Morgan comes in and slams Royce off the canvas. She gets Royce down to the mat and goes for the cover but Royce kicks out. Royce works away and tags Kay. Morgan stays with it and gets a quick cover getting the 1 2 3.
After the match, Royce tries to attack Liv but Ruby helps her out and stops her. They then double team, Royce. The two leave together and seem to be on the same page.
Winners: Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott
My Opinion:
If Ruby and Liv are on the same page this is a huge win for them that should give them a lot of confidence going forward. As the Riott Squad they were so good and one of my favorite groups in WWE at the time. I felt like that was Ruby’s best work in WWE so far and now with Liv coming into her own, there is no telling what they can be as a group. They showed they can get it done in the ring and I believe they can be more valuable together than apart. I think they will also help the tag team division and bring it to a new level if given the chance.

Backstage Segment: Charly Caruso & MVP
Charly reports there was a loud noise back here today. She then shows these rates fell over. She says that people are saying this was no accident and there were a lot of things going on here today. MVP comes up and asks Charl why she is reposting on boxes when he was robbed out of the United States Championship. Charly then informs MVP that Apollo Crews has in fact accepted his challenge for SummerSlam. MVP says of course he did because what his kids would think. Shelton comes up and tells MVP someone stole the 24/7 Championship. MVP says let’s go and find it and show what happens when you steal from the Hurt Business.

In-Ring Segment: Drew McIntyre & Randy Orton w/ Ric Flair
McIntyre says Randy Orton has spent 20 years praying on vulnerability. He says Randy isn’t the kind of guy who would show you how he felt like Stone Cold or The Rock. he then says how Randy said he was better than those guys. He says Randy is the kind of guy who will slither through the back and RKO you out of nowhere. McIntyre goes on about how he believes Orton doesn’t actually want this and is just here because it was easy for him. He then talks about how he was fired and it was his own fault. He then talks about all the mistakes Orton has made and says Orton should have been fired more times than him.
Orton comes out and says he is here because he wants to be. He says he hasn’t been fired because he is too valuable to this company. He says he was the chosen one then, now, and forever. Orton then asks McIntyre to come up with one original thought about him. McIntyre brings up how in the Last Ride Orton said that Undertaker brought him up to his level. McIntyre asks Orton when he has ever reached down and pulled some up to his level. McIntyre brings up 10 years ago when Orton walked past him and knew his life was self-destructing but Orton said nothing to him. McIntyre says he sees a selfish prick when he sees Orton. He then says he has a lot of receipts to give at SummerSlam. He tells Orton he will rip off his head and he will see it coming.
My Opinion:
I cannot wait for this match at SummerSlam! I think they will absolutely kill it and we will see a very hard-hitting championship match that we will remember for a long time to come. Both McIntyre and Orton are awesome at building to matches and once again they have me hooked. We have a few weeks to go so there is much more that can be done but I’m very excited to see how they do it.

Backstage Segment: Nia Jax & Pat Buck
Nia Jax has words with WWE Official Pat Buck. She will be live, next.

Backstage Segment: Kevin Owens & Ric Flair
Owens talks with Ruby and Liv and tells them they were great tonight. Ric comes up and says hello. He then says he needs to have a word with Kevin. He reminds Owens of all the advice he has given him in the past. Ric then tells Kevin he thinks he is helping other people instead of himself. Owens says he has done a lot of crappy things in the past to get to the top but he is trying to get there in another way. He says he wants to actually help people and be who Randy could be if he tried. Ric tells him to mind his own business and worry about Kevin Owens and maybe he would get a title shot at SummerSlam. Owens tells Ric he will show him how much fight he has and tells him to tell Randy to meet him in the ring next week. Ric says really and Owens follows with really.

In-Ring Segment: Nia Jax & Pat Buck
Nia says she is out here to apologize for her actions last week and putting her hands on a WWE Official. She then takes it back and says as a role model to people she needs to step up when a scrawny WWE Official who couldn’t cut it in his own career put his hands on her. She then challenges Pat Buck to match. Pat is reluctant and says he thought he was out here for an apology. Nia says he will get one after their match. Nia then gives him the mic to say what he has to say. Buck tells her she is suspended indefinitely. Nia grabs him and drops him with a headbutt. She then kicks him out of the ring and tells him he has no authority to do this. Nia then storms off. As Nia leaves R-Truth runs by as he is chased by Benjamin, Tozawa, and the ninjas.
My Opinion:
I enjoyed this segment with Nia and I think it again conveys that she is not here to mess around and she will not be told what to do. I think if Nia goes away for a while it can give Shayna a chance to be the top dog and then Nia can come back meaner and tougher than ever to have the epic showdown with Bazler. I hope in some way they keep showing how dominant Nia can be and keep her being the no-nonsense fighter that she is.

Match 3: Shelton Benjamin (c) vs R-Truth & Akira Tozawa
Tozawa rolls to the outside as Truth goes right after Benjamin. He backs him in the corner but here comes Benjamin fighting back. Benjamin takes control now. Tozawa tries a surprise cover on Benjamin but he kicks out. Benjamin now grabs Tozawa and hits him with a devastating powerbomb. Truth gets back in the match but Benjamin gets on the offensive. Benjamin lays out Truth but here comes a ninja to get involved. Benjamin then kicks him. MVP and Lashley then come out to help take out all the ninjas. As Benjamin is distracted Tozawa hits a senton on Truth. He covers and gets the 1 2 3. MVP consoles, Benjamin, after the match as he is angry.
Winner: Akira Tozawa: New 24/7 Champion
My Opinion:
This is a tough loss for Shelton but I think the title did him more harm than good anyway. It’s a title that is meant to be fun but not really about getting people to that next level. Truth and Tozawa have a lot of fun with it so it’s best it stays between then so I’m glad Tozawa got this win. I know he and Truth will continue to entertain with the title while Benjamin can now focus on making the Hurt Business the best that it can be as I think there is so much potential with those three.

Backstage Segment: Shane McMahon
Shane says he is back and he is bringing something new to Raw. He says to tune in to Raw Underground right here at 10.

Backstage Segment: Dominik Mysterio
Sara asks Dominik why he keeps showing up and taking risks while his father is still at home recovering. Dominik says he witnessed his father get blinded and says that this is driving him. He says if people think he is crazy now they are going to think he is even crazier when he challenges Seth Rollins to a match at SummerSlam.

Match 4: Shayna Baszler vs Sasha Banks w/ Bayley
Banks sounds off on Baszler and then pushes her. Baszler comes right at her and brings her to the mat. Baszler toys with Banks and lets her get back to her feet. Banks tries to take her down but Baszler drives her down to the mt instead. Baszler stays on her after trying to put Banks away. Baszler blocks Banks now and works an armbar. Banks is able to roll and get to the ropes which breaks the hold. Bayley now helps provide a distraction and this allows Banks to get on the offensive. Banks works a cover but Baszler kicks out. Banks stays on her and hits her with a big kick in the corner.
Banks then works the arm of Baszler. Baszler fights to her feet and shoves Banks into the corner. Banks fights back and knocks Baszler to the ground. Banks lands a cross body but Baszler rolls through. She then hits a backbreaker on Banks. Baszler hits Banks in the back. Banks out of nowhere works Baszler to the mat and gets her in the Banks Statement. Baszler fights out of the hold. Baszler now hits Banks with a huge kick. Asuka now comes down to ringside and attacks Bayley. She then tries to attack Sasha but she escapes. Asuka yells at Banks as Raw goes to break.
Winner: No Contest

In-Ring Segment: Asuka
Charly tells Asuka she wants to ask her about Kairi Sane but before she does let’s show what happened last week. We then see the attack Bayley put on Sane. Charly then asks Asuka if she has any updates on Kairi. Asuka says Kairi will be okay. She says Kairi though isn’t here but she is and so are Sasha and Bayley. She then says she wants a rematch at SummerSlam. Baszler gets in the ring and tells Asuka she is rooting for her. She then tells her she wants her to win the title from Banks. Baszler says she will be so excited to dismember and take the title off of her. Banks comes out and tells them this is her Raw Women’s Championship. She then says she will defend the title against her at SummerSlam if she can beat Bayley next week.
My Opinion:
This was a decent match but I didn’t think it was needed right now especially when they are trying to build Shayn back up and make her dominate. This at some points made her look weak. I hope Shayna will get back on track after this one. It also didn’t help that the match didn’t have a great finish to it. It seems Asuka will get her chance at Banks again but I’m really disappointed that Shayna isn’t getting a fair shot and is being used differently than how she was over the past few weeks.

Backstage Segment: Angel Garza & Demi Burnett
Garza gives a rose to Demi Burnette after they exchange numbers. Andrade comes up to get him as they have singles matches next. Zelina comes up and tells Garza to get going.

Backstage Segment: Shane McMahon
We are shown the Raw underground again where we are seeing a shoot/fight style that will debut next.

Raw Underground: Hosted By Shane McMahon
Shane says this will bring carnage and chaos. He then says he wants to see the next contest. We see the first fight as the small guy is destroyed Dabba-Kato. Another opponent is brought in and he too is destroyed very quickly by Dabba-Kato. Even after winning, Dabba-Kato throws his opponent to the floor. Raw asks who’s next and says they will be back.

Match 5: Angelo Dawkins w/ Montez Ford vs Angel Garza w/ Andrade & Zelina Vega
***Before the match, Ford and Dawkins bring up the attack they received thanks to Garza and Andrade. Dawkins tells how Zelina just threw Garza and Andrade together but he and Tez are family. Ford then tells how they were attacked twice, and they want the smoke.
As the match begins Garza gets the early advantage and works Dawkins into the corner. Dawkins fights back and is able to send Garza crashing into the barricade on the floor as Raw goes to break.
As Raw returns, Dawkins works the arm of Gaza. Garza gets to his feet and beats on the back of Dawkins. Dawkins fights back and takes Garza to the mat. He covers but Garza kicks out. Dawkins hits the dropkick. He then covers but again Garza kicks out. Dawkins lifts Garza but Garza hangs on and gets on the top ropes. He then hits a huge dropkick off the ropes. Garza now looks for the Wing Clipper but Dawkins fights out with a big right hand. He hits the splash and then hits a bulldog. On the outside, Ford collapsed to the floor. Dawkins gets concerned and this allows Garza to take advantage and hit Dawkins with a huge kick. He covers and gets the 1 2 3.
Winner: Angel Garza

Match 6: Montez Ford w/ Angelo Dawkins vs Andrade w/ Angel Garza & Zelina Vega
As Raw returns, Andrade gets around on Ford. Ford fights back and works the arm of Andrade. Andrade breaks the hold and reverses it. Ford gets back on Andrade and works a waist lock. Ford now goes to a side headlock. Andrade works out of it and hits a big belly to back suplex. Andrade now hits him with a chop. Andrade lands a knee to the midsection. He then uses the ropes to choke Ford. Andrade hits another knee to the gut and then a big kick as Ford cannot get off the mat. Ford goes to the outside and he is in rough shape. Andrade meets him out there and kicks him in the face. Ford comes too and pushes Andrade into the barricade and plexiglass.
Ford gets him back in the ring and he stomps on him. Andrade is able to get away and get in the corner. This then allows Andrade to hit Ford with a big forearm. Andrade tries a cover now off of a suplex but Ford kicks out. Ford hits Andrade with elbows to the gut. Ford comes off the ropes and hits a series of clotheslines. Ford drops Andrade and is in control. Andrade hits him with a kick in the corner now. Ford comes back and hits a dropkick to the chest which sends Andrade to the floor. Ford then flies to the outside and lays out Andrade. Ford gets back in the ring and shakes the ropes. He then passes out and the match is called.
Winner: Draw: Montez Ford Was Medically Unable to Compete
My Opinion:
Hopefully, Montez is okay and he will recover soon from whatever happened out there. I’m not sure exactly what that is about or what it will lead too but I do hope we get the traditional wrestling match between these teams. I feel like even in singles competitions you can tell how much chemistry they have together. I know tag team wrestling isn’t where it should be in WWE but I think these two teams could give us a very entertaining match that helps do some justice for the tag teams.

Backstage Segment: Seth Rollins & Murphy
Murphy watches the video of himself disfiguring the eye of Aleister Black. Rollins comes up to him and tells him he made the right decision. He tells Murphy he is proud of him and he should be proud of himself. He then tells him they need to focus on tonight and that the past is the past and the future is the future. Murphy then asks Rollins if he has thought about Dominik’s challenge. Murphy goes over how Dominik has never stepped in the ring before and it is a ridiculous challenge. Rollins doesn’t say anything and walks away.

Raw Underground:
We now see Erik in a fight. Erik beats his opponent down and hammers away on him. He hits him with a series of suplexes and dumps him out of the ring. He hits him with huge knee strikes before knocking him out with a knee to the face.

Backstage Segment: Angel Garza & Andrade & Zelina Vega
Charly says there is no new information on Montez Ford’s condition at this time. Angel comes up and sweets talks Charly. Vega and Andrade now join. Vega says they are all concerned about Montez. She then says he is an amazing competitor. Vega then asks what this will mean for SummerSlam. Dawkins comes out and says the doctors think he has been poisoned. Bianca Belair comes up and tells her to say what happened. Belair is not messing around and when Vega tries to beat around the bush Belair attacks her.

Backstage Segment:
We then see a video that shows five people showing up and burning one of the transformers outside that controls the power to the Performance Center.

Backstage Segment: The Hurt Business (MVP & Bobby Lashley &
Shelton Benjamin)
Charly brings up how MVP failed to capture the U.S. Championship and then how Shelton Benjamin lost the 24/7 Championship. She then says it was probably a good thing Bobby didn’t compete. MVP then brings up all the crazy things that have happened tonight on Raw. Bobby then brings up the Raw Underground. Shelton says isn’t it a strange coincidence all this stuff is happening when Raw Underground shows up. Charly then says that is where the fighting is happening. Lashley then questions this and the Hurt Business leaves to check it out.

In-Ring Segment: Seth Rollins & Murphy
Rollins says before he addresses Dominik Mysterio and his challenge he and
Murphy has some housekeeping to do. Rollins then calls out Tom Phillips and says he would like to ask him a few questions. Rollins asks Tom if he considers himself a professional. He then asks if he considers himself an unbiased journalist. He then asked Tom if he takes pride in his work and what he says. He then asks Tom what he was doing last week when Rey Mysterio’s stupid kid was assaulting him with a kendo stick. He tells Tom he was cheering him on and inciting his rage. He tells Tom what he says is important and he is the voice of Raw. He tells Tom is a part of the greater good whether he likes it or not. He tells Tom what the people hear him say they believe. Rollins goes on and tells Murphy to take him.
Samoa Joe gets up and tells him it’s not going to happen and he is not going to bully his broadcast partner. He tells Rollins to get back in the ring before he beats his disciple. He then tells Rollin he was laughing more than anybody. Rollins tells Joe he doesn’t want to do this. Joe says he does. Rollins and Murphy get in the ring now. Rollins tells Joe to get in the ring and whatever happens, is not his responsibility. Raw then goes to break.
As Raw returns, Rollins and Murphy wait for Joe with weapons. Dominik comes behind and beats both of them with the kendo stick. He gets them on the outside and clears the ring after attacking Rollins. Dominik then goes up top and flies off of the top rope taking out Rollins and Murphy. Rollins grabs a mic and says he has had enough. He then tells Dominik he has jumped in way over his head. Rollins tells him if he wants a fight at SummerSlam, he accepts.
My Opinion:
Good for Dominik! I’m glad to see him get some much-needed retribution and payback tonight. I really liked the role that Samoa Joe played in this and smartly done in order to draw your attention to him and then send Dominik in there as the savior of the night. Dominik killed it and I know he will only get better the longer he has to stand on his own. With this match at SummerSlam, he has a huge opportunity and I hope he runs with it. I think Rollins will be a great opponent for him who will help him shine.

Raw Underground
As we return. Dolph is in there and is teeing off on his opponent. He has him down on the mat and works a sleeper. His opponent then taps out. The Hurt Business then shows up. Shane then gives MVP the mic. MVP says this is Raw Underground but until further notice, Raw Underground is under new management. He then says they came to fight. Lashley the CEO gets in and faces his first opponent. He lays him out with ease. MVP then jumps in. MVP lands a takedown and now hits his opponent who was forced into facing him with big forearms.
MVP then finishes him off easily. Shelton now jumps in. Shelton takes down his opponent and tees off with right and lefts. He then hits him with big knee strikes as he sends him to the floor.MVP, Shelton, and Lashley drop to the floor and now cause chaos as they beat up everyone in sight. Shane tells them they have proven their point and they can hang out as long as they would like. He then says anything goes here at Raw Underground. Shane thanks everyone and says he can’t wait to see what they do next week. MVP finishes the show by saying they are the Hurt Business and business is booming.
My Opinion:
I really dig this Raw Underground, there is something special about it and although it has a long way to go and there needs to be some polishing it’s off to a great start. I can’t wait to see what they do next week and I’d really love to see some more shoot/fight style matches. I think there are a lot of guys who can do this style and it will add something that we don’t get to see on tv much. Next week should be even better and I can’t wait to see who will show up there next.

Final Thoughts:
A very wild but interesting and intriguing Raw tonight. There was a ton to take in a lot of story development but with that it seems that there is a lot to look forward to. This is the first time Raw has been like this so I’m going to keep giving this a chance and see how it plays out. I think there is a ton of potential for this new feel to Raw and I felt myself getting lost in the story much more as you never knew what was coming next. If they can polish this more and allow more time for things to sink in this would be amazing. I really liked the beginning match between Apollo and MVP. It wasn’t the craziest thing ever but I feel like this story has brought out the best in Apollo and has shown not only what he can do in the ring but on the mic. Now with another shot to face MVP, I still think they will tear it down and Crews will continue to get better because of this and who he is working with. I loved the war of words between McIntyre and Orton, they’re building this match well and I’m excited about this one. They will bring a hard-hitting style at SummerSlam that will replicate someone of the classic world title matches in the past.
Another thing I liked tonight was the reformation of Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan. They will do great things together as they have in the past and I can’t wait to see how this helps both of them elevate their game and become key players on Raw once again. I loved the Dominik story with Seth, it’s something that will get Dominik off to a fast start and you couldn’t ask for a better way into WWE than this. Dominik came off looking like a star tonight and I think Seth will do his part and really make Dominik shine by the time SummerSlam is said and done. Finally, I love the concept of Raw Underground and I think the execution was good but there is a lot that can be added to this, that style is awesome and I love seeing. It’s new and fresh but I can’t wait to see what happens next and what they will do with this. Also, I can’t wait to see who these five people are that showed up and torched the power. Overall it was Raw to remember that’s for sure! I hope everyone stays safe and healthy this week and enjoys NXT and SmackDown!
Overall Rating: 6/10