5 Ups & 5 Downs For WWE Raw (11 Aug - Results & Review)

2. Kabuki Warriors Wavering

Ever since Asuka and Kairi Sane returned to Raw, some have wondered whether Iyo Sky would rejoin her former Damage CTRL stablemates, especially since they are all babyfaces and didn’t part on bad terms.

However, Iyo has repeatedly rebuffed efforts by the Kabuki Warriors to team up or even second her for her matches, with Monday being the latest instance. This time, though, Asuka and Kairi came down the ringside when Raquel Rodriguez got involved in Sky’s match against Roxanne Perez, seemingly trying to even the odds.

That attempt backfired, directly leading to Perez rolling up Iyo and sowing the seeds. Backstage, things spiraled, with Iyo arguing that they didn’t help her – they cost her the match. Asuka tried to apologize, but she grew impatient after more back-and-forth and shoved Sky before storming off. Kairi looked conflicted, but she ultimately walked off with her fellow Kabuki Warrior.

If this is leading to a natural heel turn for the Warriors, that is probably the best thing that could happen, as they’re somewhat treading water, having lost both their tag team matches (but winning a mixed six-person tag with AJ Styles) since returning. It also could make for a reason to bring Iyo and Rhea Ripley together as a team, which would make for a fantastic tag match.

There’s more matchmaking potential with a heel Asuka and Kairi, and if that’s happening, it’s nice to see it developing rather than just a sudden turn with minimal build or explanation.

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Scott is a former journalist and longtime wrestling fan who was smart enough to abandon WCW during the Monday Night Wars the same time as the Radicalz. He fondly remembers watching WrestleMania III, IV, V and VI and Saturday Night's Main Event, came back to wrestling during the Attitude Era, and has been a consumer of sports entertainment since then. He's written for WhatCulture for more than a decade, establishing the Ups and Downs articles for WWE Raw and WWE PPVs/PLEs and composing pieces on a variety of topics.