This was a subpar episode of Monday Night Raw. We are less than a week out from Extreme Rules, so the lack of quality matches wasn’t particularly shocking. The Rollins-Riddle promo was the highlight of the night, as both men got personal in their promos and added to the realness of the feud. The lowlight of the show was the Candace LeRae-Dakota Kai match. The action wasn’t anything special and there wasn’t much story there, although we did get another White Rabbit reference. The main event was good but the imagery of Damage Control on the ladder builds up to the pay-pay-view. While the action wasn’t the best, the drama continues to build for matches between Seth Rollins and Matt Riddle in the men's division as well as between Bayley and Bianca Belair on the women’s side. The show loses points for lacking good matches, which also hurts the rating for the show structure and atmosphere.
Tonight on Monday Night Raw: Seth Rollins comes face to face with Matt Riddle. What does the latest chapter in their heated rivalry look like? Bianca Belair and Bayley sign the contract for the title match at Extreme Rules. Chad Gable takes on Braun Strowman. Will the leader of Alpha Academy come out of the match in one piece? Rey Mysterio partners with AJ Styles to face off against Finn Balor and Damian Priest of Judgement Day. Will Mysterio and Styles withstand the combined force of Judgement Day? Finally, Johnny Gargano takes on Otis and, later in the evening, his wife Candace LeRae takes on one-half of the Women’s Tag Team Champions in Dakota Kai.
GOOD the Judgement Day vs AJ Styles and Rey Mysterio:
The Judgement opened the show by trash-talking Edge, Rey Mysterio, and AJ Styles. Once the match got started, Balor elicited some boos when he hit Mysterio with the Three Amigos. Interference from Rhea Ripley proved crucial, as she pulled Rey Mysterio off the ring apron and clotheslined him. Finn Balor hit AJ Styles with a Coup de Grace for the win. Post-match, AJ Styles argued with Rey Mysterio, and Styles was beaten further by Judgement Day.
Results: the Judgement Day by Pinfall via Coup de Grace
Matt Cookson WR Star Rating – 3 Stars
Mustafa Ali demanded a shot at the United States Championship from Bobby Lashley.
The Bloodline has a confrontation backstage that ends with Angelo Dawkins challenging Solo Sikoa to a match.
ABOVE AVERAGE Bobby Lashley vs Mustafa Ali for the US Championship:
Ali forced Lashley out of the ring after a Superkick and a Tornado DDT. later, Lashley twice rammed Ali into the ring post and then threw him into the timekeeper’s area. He was nearly counted out but made it back in the ring just before the ref counted to ten. Lashley got the win in the end, as he submitted Mustafa Ali with a Hurt Lock. After the match, Seth Rollins stomped Bobby Lasley and then Mustafa Ali as well.
Results: Bobby Lashley by Submission via Hurt Lock
Matt Cookson WR Star Rating – 2.75 Stars
GREAT Seth Rollins and Matt Riddle:
Riddle promised that he wouldn’t just beat Rollins, he would kill him. Then, the Original Bro got the crowd to sing ‘bro’ to the beat of Rollins’ theme song. The promo heated up after that, Seth Rollins brought up Riddle’s family issues and Riddle brought up Rollins playing second fiddle to people like Roman Reigns as well as his wife Becky Lynch. Finally, Daniel Cormier came on the screen to tell Rollins and Riddle he would keep them both in line as the special
Matt Cookson WR Star Rating – 3.75 stars
Another White Rabbit easter egg as Candace LeRae talks with Asuka, Alexa Bliss, and Bianca Belair.
AVERAGE Candace LeRae Dakota Kai:
Initially, Dakota Kai avoided a suicide dive by LeRae but received a dropkick on the other side of the ring. Later, LeRae had Dakota Kai in a sleeper hold but Kai broke out of it. In the end, a distraction by Bayley and Iyo Sky allowed Dakota Kai to roll up the Poson Pixy.
Results: Dakota Kai by Pinfall via Rollup
Matt Cookson WR Star Rating – 2.25 Stars
ABOVE AVERAGE Otis vs Johnny Gargano:
Otis got off to a hot start punctuated by a bodyslam and a Canadian Backbreaker. Later, Gargano reversed an Otis slam into a DDT and went for the pin after a superkick. In the end, Austin Theory hit Gargano with the Money in the Bank briefcase. Otis then finished off Gargano with a power slam. After the match, Theory, Otis, and Chad Gable tried to continue the assault on Gargano but Braun Strowman interrupted.
Results: Otis by Pinfall via Powerslam
Matt Cookson WR Star Rating – 2.75 Stars
GOOD Braun Strowman vs Chad Gable:
During the commercial break, Otis threw Strowman into the announcer’s table, which caused Otis to be banned from ringside. At one point, Gable had Strowman on the ropes as he target the Monster’s legs. However, Strowman moved out of the way of a Shooting Star Press and finished off Chad Gable with a powerbomb.
Results: Braun Strowman by Pinfall via Powerbomb
Matt Cookson WR Star Rating – 3 Stars
Bobby Lashley promised he’d get revenge on Seth Rollins.
GOOD Bayley and Bianca Belair’s contract signing:
Bayley tells Bianca Belair how the fans who cheer for her now, used to cheer for Bayley. Belair then told Bayley the reason fans stopped cheering for her is that Bayley was inauthentic. Finally, the jumbotron showed Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai attacking Alexa Bliss and Asuka. Alexa Bliss then challenged Sky to a match.
Matt Cookson WR Star Rating – 3 stars
GOOD Solo Sikoa vs Angelo Dawkins:
Solo Sikoa was frustrated early on and went for a chair but Jimmy Uso and Sami Zayn talked him out of using it. Later, Sikoa threw Dawkins in the corner and then landed a Samoan Drop. bickering between Sami Zayn and Jimmy Uso, nearly cost Sikoa the match, as the ref delayed counting the pin. Despite all the chaos, Sikoa picked up the win with an Urinagi.
Results: Solo Sikoa by Pinfall via Urinagi
Matt Cookson WR Star Rating – 3 Stars
Edge promised that he is ready for a war against Finn Balor in their “I Quit” match.
GOOD Alexa Bliss vs Iyo Sky:
Iyo Sky looked for an Over the Moonsault but Alexa Bliss moved out of the way. Alexa Bliss landed Twisted Bliss but Bayley distracted the ref. The distraction allowed Iyo Sky to take back the momentum, picking up the win on an Over the Moonsault. After the match, Damage Control laid waste to the trio of Alexa Bliss, Bianca Belair, and Asuka. The show ended with Bayley and the rest of Damage Control standing on the sides of a ladder holding the tag belts and the Raw Women’s Title.
Results: Iyo Sky by Pinfall via Over the Moonsault
Matt Cookson WR Star Rating – 3 Stars
Overall…
This was a subpar episode of Monday Night Raw. We are less than a week out from Extreme Rules, so the lack of quality matches wasn’t particularly shocking. The Rollins-Riddle promo was the highlight of the night, as both men got personal in their promos and added to the realness of the feud. The lowlight of the show was the Candace LeRae-Dakota Kai match. The action wasn’t anything special and there wasn’t much story there, although we did get another White Rabbit reference. The main event was good but the imagery of Damage Control on the ladder builds up to the pay-pay-view. While the action wasn’t the best, the drama continues to build for matches between Seth Rollins and Matt Riddle in the men’s division as well as between Bayley and Bianca Belair on the women’s side. The show loses points for lacking good matches, which also hurts the rating for the show structure and atmosphere.
Matches: 0.25/1 Stars
Show Structure: 0.5/1 Stars
Atmosphere: 0.5/1 Stars
Storytelling: 0.5/1 Stars
Production/Theme: 0.75/1 Stars
Overall Rating. 2.5/5 Stars
Photo Credit: WWE
For inquiries about the rating criteria check out the article announcing the new system here:
