Our WWE Raw results for tonight include The Judgement Day defending the World Tag Team titles against the LWO, Rhea Ripley, IYO SKY, Stephanie Vaquer & Nikki Bella battling Naomi, Chelsea Green & The Secret Hervice, “Main Event” Jey Uso clashing with Bronson Reed, Roman Reigns returning, CM Punk preps for his SummerSlam World Heavyweight Title Match against Gunther, while World Heavyweight Champion Gunther has a special message for Punk ahed of their SummerSlam clash. Here’s our review and grades for tonight’s show, live from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
WWE Raw Card:
- Roman Reigns Returns
- Rhea Ripley, IYO SKY, Stephanie Vaquer & Nikki Bella vs. Naomi, Chelsea Green & The Secret Hervice
- World Tag Team Title Match: Finn Bálor & JD McDonagh vs. Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro
- “Main Event” Jey Uso vs. Bronson Reed
- Gunther has a message for CM Punk
- CM Punk prepares for his SummerSlam
WWE Raw Results:
The show kicks off with the Raw roster on the stage. HHH gives a speech before throwing to a 10-bell salute for Hulk Hogan.
Four Letters, One Word…
“Main Event” Jey Uso Yeets with the crowd. Jey is about to give the crowd an encore, but Paul Heyman interrupts. Heyman says Jey’s over-reliance on family is going to lead him to destruction. Heyman notes that Jey’s cousin, Roman Reigns, didn’t pick Jey to become the next Tribal Chief. Reigns picked Solo Sikoa, and look how that turned out. Jey paces back and forth while Heyman claims Jey’s entire family has been lying to him his whole life. Heyman is telling Jey this because he loves Jey, yeet. Jey tells Heyman he doesn’t play about his family, and he will pull up for them anytime. Jey says bump that, they are going to run that sh*t back. The crowd roars as Jey yeets all over them.
Grade: B
Solid open to the show. Jey was blown up, and he didn’t even do his full entrance. Usually, that would be distracting, but it somehow made his impassioned speech more effective. Jey STILL has the WWE Universe eating out of the palm of his hands. It’s pretty impressive.
AJ Styles and The Kabuki Warriors vs. The Judgement Day (Dominik Mysterio, Raquel Rodriguez, and Roxanne Perez)
Dominik starts off the match with Styles. Before anything can happen, Dominik tags in Rodriguez. Asuka and Sane double-team Rodriguez. Rodriguez fallaway slams Perez onto Sane. Dominik pulls Perez out of the way as Sane is charging in. After the break, Rodriguez and Perez are working over Sane. Sane manages to tag in Styles. Dominik is forced to get in the ring.
Read More: Def Rebel Exposed For Using Vocal Samples On WWE Theme Songs
Styles unloads on Dominik. Ushigoroshi by Styles. Styles sets up the Phenomenal Forearm. Perez stands in front of Dominik. Dominik tries a cheap shot, but Styles avoids it and lands a Pelé kick. Sane hits the ropes, and Styles launches her over the top rope. Sane hits Rodriguez with an InSANE Elbow. Styles blasts Dominik with the Phenomenal Forearm for the win.
Winners- AJ Styles and The Kabuki Warriors
Grade: B
Fun match. Dominik did everything he could to avoid getting in the ring with Styles. There are so few real heels in pro wrestling these days. Styles has no chance of winning at SummerSlam, but the road to get here has been fun.
Sheamus vs. Grayson Waller
Sheamus dominates most of the match. Waller manages to hit a tornado DDT on the apron. Rusev tries to get involved, but Sheamus knocks him away. Sheamus drops Waller with a Brogue kick for the win.
Winner- Sheamus
After the match, Rusev attacks Sheamus and locks him in the Accolade.
Grade: C-
Standard squash stuff here. If the point was to further the Sheamus/Rusev thing, making us sit through a Grayson Waller match.
Excited Bird Noises
Lyra Valkyria is wearing big, ugly shoes. She tells the crowd that they are her Becky Lynch stompers, and she does a little jig. Valkyria stumbles and drones on and on about beating Lynch at SummerSlam. Lynch’s music hits, but she doesn’t come to the ring. Valkyia hits the ropes and dives on the opposite side of the ring. Lynch was attempting a sneak attack, but Valkyria sniffed it out early. Valkyria beats down Lynch. Lynch runs away.
Grade: D-
Everything about this was bad. Terrible promo and lame brawl after the fact. Valkryia hilariously reminds this writer of Becky Lynch when she first made it to the main roster. Good matches, but everything else is dreadful. Maybe Lynch will break Valkyria’s nose, and things will take a turn.
Rhea Ripley, IYO SKY, Stephanie Vaquer & Nikki Bella vs. Naomi, Chelsea Green & The Secret Hervice
Ripley tries a big boot, but Naomi slides under and lands a mule kick. Ripley tosses Naomi across the ring. Naomi tags in Green, who doesn’t want to get in the ring. Green eventually does. Bella tags in and immediately attacks Green. After a distraction, Fyre attacks Bella from behind. Green and Co work over Bella. Vaquer eventually gets the tag and clears the ring. Devil
s Kiss by Vaquer to Green. Naomi grabs her championship and tries to leave. SKY sends Naomi back into the ring. Missile dropkick by SKY. Bella and SKY do SKY’s emote. Niven runs over both women. Ripley and Niven have a staredown. Ripley hits Riptide. Green slaps Ripley. Vaquer drops Green with the SVB for the win.
Winners- Rhea Ripley, IYO SKY, Stephanie Vaquer, & Nikki Bella
Grade: C+
World Tag Team Title Match: Finn Bálor & JD McDonagh vs. Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro
Bálor and McDonagh are in control early. Del Toro avoids a low dropkick and tags in Wilde. Wilde and Del Toro double-team McDonagh. Del Toro lands a lionsault for a near fall. McDonagh drives Del Toro into the corner. Bálor and McDonagh take turns working over Del Toro. Del Toro manages to tag in Wilde. Wilde lands a dive that takes out Bálor and McDonagh.
After the break, Del Toro traps McDonagh in a tree of woe. Coast-to-coast dropkick by Del Toro. McDonagh kicks out. El Grande Americano runs down to ringside and hops on the apron. Dragon Lee appears and takes out Kaiser… err… Americano. Another person in an Americano mask pushes Del Toro off the top. Bálor lands the Coup de Gras for the win.
Winners and STILL World Tag Team Champions, The Judgement Day!
Grade: B
Good match. The Americano stuff is still interesting, but it may have served the Judgement Day to lose this match to kick off an actual feud with the LWO. Neither team has really had much to do and it’s a shame.es out Bálor and McDonagh.
GUNTHAAAAAH
Gunther says he went toe-to-toe on the mic with the supposed best talker in WWE, CM Punk. The crowd chants “you tapped out” at Gunther. Gunther says he made CM Punk understand he can’t call himself the best in the world. Most importantly, Gunther made CM Punk shut the hell up. Cult of Personality blares as Punk stomps down to the ring. Gunther greats Punk with a cocky smirk. Punk says he wasn’t speechless; he was dumbfounded. He realized, standing across from Gunther last week, that he doesn’t want to be World Heavyweight Champion.
Read More: CM Punk Names The Hardest-Hitting Wrestler He Ever Faced
He NEEDS to be World Heavyweight Champion. Punk needs it like air to breathe, or like blood pumping through his veins. Punk doesn’t drink or smoke, but Punk understands addiction. This place (WWE) is his addiction. Gunther was right, Punk doesn’t deserve to call himself the best in the world; he earned it. Gunther tries to tell Punk to shut up, but Punk puts his hand over Gunther’s mic and tells him that he wasn’t finished. There are levels to this, and Gunther isn’t on it. At SummerSlam, Gunther will know what it means to stand in the ring with the best in the world.
Grade: A
Punk and Gunther are firing on all cylinders and haven’t touched each other leading up to this. This is probably the most anticipated match of SummerSlam weekend. This was cinema.
Read More: Update on Brock Lesnar’s WWE Status After Daniel Cormier’s ‘Banned List’ Remark
“Main Event” Jey Uso vs. Bronson Reed
Jey starts off hot, landing a flurry of strikes and an early hip attack. Jey runs into an elbow from Reed. Reed flattens Jey with a senton. Reed works over Jey. After the break, Jey fires up and lands a dive. Bron Breakker runs down the ramp and Spears Jey. The referee disqualifies Reed.
Winner- Jey Uso
After the match, Breakker and Reed attack Jey. Roman Reigns’ music hits. Reigns makes the save. Reigns and Jey set up double Spears outside the ring. Breakker surprises Reigns with a vicious Spear while Reed simultaneously cuts Jey’s Spear off with a lariat. Breakker Spears Jey. Reed crushes Jey with a Tsunami. Reed crushes Reigns with a Tsunami. Breakker does Reigns “all of this is mine” speech. Breakker Spears Jey and Reigns through the barricade. Reed steals Reigns sneakers… BWHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA!
Grade: B
Good match, with a predictable but fun ending. Breakker, yet again, looks like a trillion bucks. Reed taking Reigns’ kicks after the match was one of the funniest things this writer has seen in years. No clue whose idea that was, but chef’s kiss.
WrestleZone features weekly audio and video content on Facebook, YouTube, and your favorite podcast apps like Apple, Spotify, and SoundCloud. Subscribe now for hours of exciting wrestling content, including exclusive interviews, previews, reviews, and more!
