WWE Raw July 17th episode was aired live from Atlanta, Georgia. The build to SummerSlam is going high. Brock Lesnar returned to the show. Titles changed hands, and we saw the Intercontinental Title being defended on the show. Let’s take a look at everything that happened on this weekly episode of WWE Monday Night Raw.
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Brock Lesnar brings demolition
Cody Rhodes opened the show in his hometown and received a thunderous ovation. The UK crowd has taught every crowd to sing along to theme songs, which is good. Cody called out Lesnar, who didn’t show up. He then diverted the fans’ attention toward his mother sitting in the front row. As he was about to leave, Brock’s theme music hit. Brock didn’t come out. Instead, Cody marched backstage, where an angry Beast awaited him. Brock attacked Cody with the chair and destroyed him% in front of his mother. He also accepted the challenge for a match at SummerSlam.
Grade: B+
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Analysis:-
Brock generated immense heat, which is good for further storyline progression. The third match needs to be with a stipulation to end the storyline.
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Gunther vs. Matt Riddle
Next was a MITB rematch as Matt Riddle challenged Gunther for the IC Title. Imperium’s Kaiser and Vinci were banned from ringside. Early on, Riddle used his submission moves to take down Gunther. But a vicious chop from the Champ turned around the match. Gunther chopped the hell out of Riddle’s chest, but Bro was resilient and absorbed every pain. Riddle also delivered some of his chops. However, in the end, Riddle did not answer the powerbomb, and Gunther retained the championship.
Winner: Gunther
Grade: B
Analysis:-
Both men are known to do great work in the ring, and they did that exactly. It was a hard-hitting bout. Gunther is nearly reaching his day to become the longest-reigning IC Champ in WWE history. He surely needs to achieve this feat after coming this much nearer.
Judgment Day meets Zayn-Owens
Judgment Day entered the arena, and trash talked about the various feuds at the time. Dominik was booed heavily and was unable to talk. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens came out. The crowd gave huge pop to Undisputed Tag Team Champions. Damian Priest challenged for the Title, which an angry Kevin Owens accepted.
Grade: C
Raquel Rodriguez and Liv Morgan vs. Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green
Rhea Ripley brawled with Raquel backstage. This resulted in a knee injury (kayfabe) for Rodriguez. She was the target for Deville and Green. It was unexpectedly a good match. The crowd was firmly behind Raquel. Deville is a talented superstar, and we saw that in this match. At one point, Sonya broke the pin with an awesome flying knee. In the end, Liv was the victim of Sonya, and the titles changed hands.
Winner: Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green
Grade: C
Analysis:-
It is a debatable decision as Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez lost the titles. Raquel is seemingly building up a feud with Rhea Ripley. Liv seems directionless after the titles’ loss.
:- There was a sit-down segment between Seth Rollins and Finn Balor with nothing new than their previous promo segments. Balor attacked Rollins in the end.
The Viking Rules Match
In a Viking Rules match, Viking Raiders Erik and Ivar battled Alpha Academy’s Otis and Gable. Maxxine Dupri and Valhalla were at ringside. Out of nowhere, Titus O’Neil was on commentary. The action began before the ref’s call, as Otis sent Gable to Erik and Ivar. Gable once tried to put a jacket on Maxxine, but Valhalla put Maxxine through a table. Otis catching Ivar in mid-air was awe-inspiring. Otis got sidelined thanks to a double powerbomb from both Vikings.
Winners: The Viking Raiders
Grade: B
Analysis:-
It was a fun match. Otis and Gable make up a good pair. It was wise to let The Vikings win in a Viking Rules match. This feud has been going on for a long time. Let’s see if it is over now.
Shayna Baszler vs. Nikki Cross
It was a short match, and Baszler ended Cross with a kirifuda clutch. After the match, Rousey was in the crowd, where she challenged Baszler to a match at SummerSlam.
Miz TV
Becky Lynch was a guest at Miz TV. Lynch delivered a powerful promo. Then she threw chairs out of the ring and called out Trish. After arguing a lot, Trish agreed to a match against Becky at SummerSlam. Stratus put on some conditions. She said that Becky would first go through Zoey Stark, and if she lost, she had to thank Trish and tattoo “Thank You, Trish.” Then both Stark and Stratus attacked Lynch. In the end, Lynch had a bit upper hand and even took off Trish’s face mask.
Grade: B
Analysis:-
It was a good segment to hype up fans for this feud. Lynch was brilliant on the mic. Zoey Stark is getting full advantage by working with two of the best in the business.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Bronson Reed
The first notable thing was that “Big” is now added to Bronson Reed’s name. The match was decent. Bronson Reed was dominant, but Nakamura had the answer with his striking abilities. In the end, Tommaso Ciampa attacked Reed causing a disqualification. Nakamura was not happy with this move, and he kicked Ciampa.
Winner: Bronson Reed by DQ
Grade: B+
Analysis:-
It is a three-way feud building up between Nakamura, Ciampa and Reed. Maybe, Miz gets involved. Therefore, a multi-man match sets up between these superstars at SummerSlam. It is a nice way to keep all these relevant and give them significant TV time.
Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens vs. Judgment Day
Damian Priest and Dominik Mysterio challenged Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens for the Undisputed Tag Team Titles in the main event. Before the match, Rollins came out of nowhere and attacked Balor. Both went backstage brawling. In the ring, Priest dominated early on. But Zayn and Owens had some good double-team moves on Dominik. These brilliant superstars put on a great match, with fans chanting, “This is Awesome.” In the end, Liv Morgan interfered and attacked Rhea. It allowed the Champs to get the advantage. Owens delivered a Stunner on Priest. Sami hit a Helluva Kick on Dom for the pin to retain the titles.
Winners: Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens
Grade: B+
Analysis:-
KO and Sami are much more feuding with Judgment Day since their chapter finished with the Bloodline. They need fresh opponents. On the other hand, JD is going strong. They are involved everywhere in almost every segment. No doubt, they run this show.
