6 Ups & 5 Downs For WWE Raw (7 July - Results & Review)

5. Intertwined IC Feud

In one sense, the feud over the Women’s Intercontinental Championship is a bit lazy: take the last two challengers for the title and book a double pin so both of them get a title match at Evolution, giving fans a “fresh” match without having to do any heavy lifting.

However, Becky Lynch defending her title against Bayley and Lyra Valkyria brings together three combustible elements who have been intertwined since WrestleMania 41, with Lynch attacking Bayley and replacing her at 'Mania to tag with Lyra and win the women’s tag titles. Becky turned on Lyra the next night, and Bayley returned and jumped over Valkyria to challenge Lynch. Then we learned that Bayley hadn’t responded to Lyra while she was hurt.

All three women shared the ring Monday night, with Lyra drawing comparisons between Bayley and Becky as women who valued championship gold above friendships, casting herself as the only pure wrestler competing for the IC title. Bayley noted that Valkyria cost her the title two weeks earlier, putting Lyra squarely in the wrong, and then called out Valkyria timidly raising Becky’s hand on the Raw after WrestleMania, preceding the heel turn.

And Becky was Becky, calling both women losers who lost to each other, and then egging on both challengers as they verbally sparred with each other. The three would brawl after Bayley insulted Lyra, with Valkyria standing tall.

Fans’ investment might vary here, as some will be really into this considering the three women involved, while others might think this was a forced triple threat. The truth is that, regardless of whether this match was forced into existence or the build feels artificial, these three women all have personal grudges with each other, and this could be a sleeper for Match of the Night at Evolution, rivaling the Women’s World Championship.