5 Ups & 5 Downs From WWE Raw (29 July - Results & Review)

2. Nine Women, Minimal Reaction

On paper, WWE tried to do things the right way in booking its women’s division. They formed a new heel stable, sent the old one away for a few weeks, and had the new heels run roughshod, only for the older stable to return as conquering heroes.

There’s just one problem: the fans went absolutely mild for all of it.

Sonya Deville, Shayna Baszler, and Zoey Stark battled Lyra Valkyria, Kayden Carter, and Katana Chance in a six-woman tag that played out to mostly silence, save for a few spots. This was all in service of Damage CTRL’s big return. However, they didn’t exactly set the arena on fire. It was almost as if they were ice-cold heels when they left, and no one cared – or understood how they should receive them – when they returned.

This might improve week by week as Damage CTRL reasserts itself, and the matches should also be crisp. But wow, this was a true death slot before the main event.

One additional gripe: Dakota Kai challenging Sonya Deville to a match next week on Raw felt like a big logic gap. Wrestlers challenge other wrestlers for PLE matches all the time and then ask the GM to make it official later. Why wouldn’t Kai (in storyline) do the same here? Obviously, it’s because the card is full and they need matches for Raw, but Dakota the character should want a PLE match on the second-biggest show of the year, so shoot your shot.