5 Ups & 6 Downs From WWE Raw (22 July - Results & Review)
Chaos reigns supreme, with world title brawls, interference galore, and a great main event.
Fans who enjoy their wrestling with a heavy dose of chaos – brawls, mid-match interference, interruptions, and other disorder – probably lapped up Monday Night Raw with a spoon and asked for more. But after three hours of WWE relying on very similar booking techniques throughout the show, it felt like the writers punched the “easy” button to keep things stirring up on the penultimate Raw before SummerSlam.
In some cases, the frenzied nature of the show worked very well: the show-opening segment was outstanding, the first match was excellent, and the main event delivered. Unfortunately, the women’s matches dragged, featuring a new trio that just isn’t clicking on camera (though you have to hope for better). The Wyatt Sick6 pulling Chad Gable and the Creed Brothers into their vortex doesn’t feel like a smart play, neutering a new heel act before it even gets off the ground. And then there’s the Liv Morgan/Rhea Ripley/Dominik Mysterio angle, which made Liv look like an oversexualized single white female rather than a mastermind. Even if there’s a bait-and-switch coming, Monday’s contribution detracted from the feud rather than adding to it.
As always with Raw in the Triple H Era, there was a lot to like about this show, which balanced against the low points. Your mileage might vary.
Let’s get to it…