6 Ups And 6 Downs From Last Night's WWE Raw (July 30)

by Michael Hamflett

1. The Main Event (...75% Of It)

Samoa Joe Braun Strowman Roman Reigns
WWE.com

As uttered by the commentators ad nauseam (along with 'three quarters', both clearly under presumably wailed instruction through the headsets), the highlight of this week's edition of Monday Night Raw came in the form of an outstanding triple threat contest between Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman and Samoa Joe.

As with the John Cena/Shinsuke Nakamura match to follow on SmackDown Live!, there were bewildered calls from sections of the audience that much of the SummerSlam drama could be given away by the match's placement on television so close to the big event itself, but as a standalone three way brawl, it was absolutely excellent.

Furthermore, it served only to whet the appetite for a second meeting of the triumvirate, alongside Universal Champion Brock Lesnar in a match that increasingly looks like it could separate the earth's tectonic plates when the bell rings.

Strowman's ability to throw large men around as if they were children remains an undisputed highlight of anything he does, but Joe's intensity was again unparalleled and the decision to give the victory to Reigns was a useful reminder that he was actually the guy that retired The Undertaker, and not the fourth wheel the fans may attempt to make him look.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett