6 Ups & 5 Downs From WWE Raw (22 August - Results & Review)
Judgment Day drama rules the show, Canadian champs stand tall, Gunther is human after all.
By now, it should be plainly obvious that WWE has determined that the Bloodline is the greatest thing in the company, and therefore, any successes involving that stable should be replicated elsewhere if possible.
When the company looks at Raw, they see a popular heel stable that has the opportunity for a similar “dominant force that is always at risk of tearing apart at the seams” vibe – the Judgment Day.
What that means is Raw now revolves around the internal issues surrounding the group, whether they can co-exist and continue to rule Monday nights, as Rhea Ripley constantly reminds fans. Monday’s episode was no different, with WWE hitting the reset button of sorts after last week’s show ended with the faction standing tall over the brand’s top faces. Instead of continuing that this week, the group almost immediately was right back in turmoil.
Raw did deliver some great action, with an Intercontinental Championship match that whetted fans’ appetites for a follow-up. WWE also leaned into their locale and hometown heroes, with Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens milking crowd reactions and looking like bigger stars in the process.
The Payback card also took shape Monday night, with a few matches either locked down or coming more into focus, so that also was a nice development. All in all, not a terrible episode, but definitely a step down from overall quality – with some good in-ring action saving the day.
Let’s get to it…