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After his big return last week, Roman Reigns was set to confront his former wiseman Paul Heyman this week. In the closing segment of the show, Heyman tried to convince Reigns to join forces with him again. Clearly knowing better, Reigns quickly put that idea to bed. As Reigns continued to speak his peace, Bron Breakker had some things to say to him. To no surprise, this segment escalated into a brawl.
Despite being outnumbered initially, Reigns quickly found back up in the form of his cousin. In addition to that, we had Gunther confront C.M. Punk, a reluctant Lyra Valkyria team with Bayley to challenge for the women’s Tag Team Titles, and a thrilling rematch between Iyo Sky and Stephanie Vaquer. As Summerslam is less than two weeks away, this week’s show got us one step closer towards it.
Gunther vs. C.M. Punk
Latest developments:
Three weeks ago, C.M. Punk shoved down the World Heavyweight Champion Gunther and told him to stay out of his way. Last week, Punk competed in a Gauntlet match to decide who would get a shot at Gunther’s title at Summerslam. As the match came down to Punk and Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed interfered on Breakker’s behalf. Jey Uso came out to even the odds, which left it all down to Punk and Breakker. Punk blocked a Spear attempt with a kick to Breakker followed by the GTS to win the Gauntlet and earn a shot at Gunther at Summerslam.
This week, Punk opened Raw with a promo where he said he would leave it all in the ring when he faces Gunther. As he said he’s not just another challenger but the best in the world, he was interrupted by Gunther. Gunther told Punk that unlike him, his ego is based on results. He said the best in the world is the man who wears the championship and that he’s gonna push him around and drop him like a wet towel when they meet. Gunther then told Punk that at least he has those degenerates (the crowd) cheering for you and then he walked away.
Analysis:
For what’s supposed to be the main event of night one of Summerslam, this segment did a poor job of making this match feel like the big deal that it should. While Gunther’s material was good, it was odd that Punk just let him walk away without saying anything back. When this match was made official, one of the most appealing aspects to the build for it was the back-and-forth promos between them. From what we got here, this feud is feeling like a huge letdown so far. With very little time to build interest for this match, this segment felt like a missed opportunity.
This was a prime example of how WWE booking so many shows so close to each other makes them feel less special. While Summerslam will likely still be good despite this issue, the lack of time to build anticipation for it is something that can’t be ignored. As big of a match as Gunther vs. Punk is, it deserves to be sold as such. With only one more week to hype it up, they need to do something big between these two next weeks to make people care. Regardless of how good the match turns out in the end, to treat the build for a championship match this big the way they have is unacceptable.
Grade: C
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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Lyra Valkyria vs. Becky Lynch & Lyra Valkyria & Bayley vs. Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanna Perez
Latest developments:
Last week, Lyra Valkyria defeated Bayley in a Two out of Three Falls match to earn a shot at Becky Lynch’s women’s Intercontinental Championship at Summerslam. For this week, a women’s Tag Team Title match was made official with Bayley and Lyra challenging Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez that Bayley requested behind Lyra’s back. Becky came out to cut a promo before the match when she was interrupted by Lyra. Lyra agreed to never challenge for the title again if she loses, but only if Becky agreed that the match would have no disqualifications or count-outs, which she did. Becky asked Lyra to shake her hand and as she was about to cheap shot her when she went for the handshake, Lyra hit her with a Man Slam.
As Lyra then teamed up with Bayley to challenge Raquel & Perez, there were various moments throughout the match where the two weren’t getting along. Despite that, they had the advantage when Lyra hit Perez with a sit down Powerbomb followed by a Top Rope Elbow from Bayley after Lyra tagged her in before Raquel broke up the count. As Lyra climbed up to the apron at one point, Becky appeared from underneath the ring to pull her down and throw her into the steps before going back under the ring. Bayley went to the corner for the tag with Lyra nowhere to be found, which led to her being hit with a Tejana Bomb by Raquel after she made the blind tag to retain the titles.
Analysis:
Once again, the matches/segments involving Becky, Lyra, and Bayley continue to be the most consistent part of Raw every week. From the promo between Becky and Lyra to the Tag Title match that followed, everything here delivered. Considering how reluctant Lyra was about being in this match in the first place, it was clear that that was going to play into the match. They really did a good job in making Bayley come off bad with how she had the match made behind Lyra’s back and in escalating the issues between them. The ending to the match was especially well done as Lyra was pulled off the apron by Becky and was nowhere to be found when Bayley went to tag her.
After losing to Lyra last week and Lyra not being available to be tagged in for the match this week, Bayley’s clearly going to have an axe to grind that’s going to lead to her inevitable heel turn. While Becky vs. Lyra is great on its own, especially with the new stipulations added, it still feels like Bayley’s still going to be involved in one way or another. Either she’ll end up interfering, or she could be added to the match as the guest referee and play into the outcome that way. Regardless of which way it plays out, Lyra and a newly heel Bayley is going to be the feud we get coming out of Summerslam. Considering that Bayley has gone as far as she can go in this recent babyface run, there’s no better use of her right now to keep her interesting than that scenario.
Grade: B+
Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross
Latest developments:
Over the last few months, Karrion Kross has taunted Sami Zayn in various backstage segments. At Night of Champions, Sami defeated Kross with the Helluva Kick. The following Monday on Raw, Kross attacked Sami backstage with a steel pipe to the ribs before he was scheduled to compete in a tag team match. The following week, Kross once again attacked Sami’s ribs with the pipe as he was heading to the ring to face Bron Breakker. After that and the beating Sami suffered in his match with Breakker immediately after, Paul Heyman revealed that Sami would be out indefinitely.
This week, Sami returned to face Kross in a Night of Champions rematch. Sami hit Kross with a Moonsault outside the ring, but aggravated his ribs in the process. As Sami tried to get back into the ring, Scarlett kicked him in the ribs while the referee was distracted. Sami recovered with a Sunset Flip to Kross from the top rope, but Kross kicked out. After Sami hit Kross with the Exploder, Scarlett handed him the steel pipe while the referee was distracted again. Scarlett then pulled Sami’s leg when he went for the Helluva Kick and as the referee was busy reprimanding her, Kross nailed Sami in the ribs with the pipe to pick up the win.
Analysis:
For the first time in a long time, Kross finally won a singles match on TV. The consistent work he’s been putting in recently combined with this feud with Sami now seems to be paying off. Even though Kross lost to Sami at Night of Champions, that loss didn’t hurt him as he’s gotten the better of Sami in their interactions ever since. This win he got over Sami this week was the biggest win he’s had in a long time and is hopefully a sign of things to come. With Sami and Kross now having a win a piece over each other, the tie breaker between them seems likely to happen at Summerslam.
Kross is a prime example of how much someone has to offer if given the right storyline to sink their teeth into. From something that started as brief backstage run-ins, this has now turned into an extended feud that’s likely going to be featured on the Summerslam card. Much like he did for Bron Breakker last summer, Sami is showing here how good he is in elevating whomever he’s feuding with. While the matches in this feud have been fine, it’s been the story told beyond the matches that have made this feud so good. For the work both men have put into this storyline, they deserve to have the blow off for it on the biggest stage possible.
Grade: B-
Iyo Sky vs. Stephanie Vaquer
Latest developments:
On the April 21 Raw, Iyo Sky’s promo in the ring was interrupted by Stephanie Vaquer. This led to an impromptu match between both women that had no set winner as it was thrown out due to interference from Roxanne Perez & Giulia. At Evolution, Vaquer won a Battle Royal to earn a shot at the Women’s World Championship at Clash in Paris. This week, Vaquer had a brief confrontation backstage with the new Women’s World Champion Naomi. She later had another run in with Iyo, which led to both women agreeing to face each other later in the night.
As the match progressed and both women were down, the Secret Hervice came down to the ring. Vaquer fought them both off but as her back was turned, Chelsea Green attacked her from behind to end the match on a disqualification. Iyo and Vaquer teamed up to fight off all three women until Naomi attacked Iyo and caused her to knock Vaquer out of the ring. As Naomi continued to attack Iyo while she was down, Rhea Ripley appeared. Rhea attacked the Secret Hervice outside the ring and attacked Naomi in the ring before she ran away. Rhea then hit a Riptide onto Green as her, Iyo, and Vaquer all stared at each other to end the segment.
Analysis:
For the second time in three months, we got a great match between Vaquer and Iyo with a non-finish. Unlike last time, the fact that the match ended this way was less of a surprise as it doesn’t seem like the company wants to beat either woman right now with the big matches they have coming up. Eventually, Iyo and Vaquer will make for a great match for PLE with possibly the title on the line. While there is a good chance that it could be the match we get at Clash in Paris, the other possibilities aren’t any less appealing. Considering the brief confrontation Vaquer had with Naomi and even the brief stare down she had with Rhea in the ring, WWE did a good job in making you wonder who she’ll end up challenging for the title at that event.
While the ending to the match was a letdown, it was cool to see Rhea, Iyo, & Vaquer all share the ring together. That image was a clear example of how the women’s division is as strong as it’s ever been, especially on Raw. From how this played out, it feels like we’re going to see all three women team up next week against Chelsea and her Secret Hervice. In addition to that, there’s a strong chance that we’ll likely get a one-on-one match between Vaquer and Chelsea at Summerslam to get them both on the show. Between this storyline and the one involving the women’s Intercontinental Title, there’s no shortage of great feuds we can see involving all these women as the months go on.
Grade: B-
Roman Reigns & Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed
Latest developments:
At WrestleMania 41, Paul Heyman turned on Roman Reigns and C.M. Punk to align himself with Seth Rollins. The following Monday on Raw, Reigns came out for revenge as he attacked Rollins and knocked down Heyman with a Superman Punch. As he was about to hit Heyman with a Spear, he was hit with a Spear by a man in a hoodie who was revealed to be Bron Breakker and Reigns hadn’t been seen since. Last week as Breakker was setting up Punk & Jey Uso for a Tsunami from Bronson Reed, Reigns returned to clear the ring of both of them. After clearing the ring of their foes, Reigns helped up his cousin Jey.
In the main event segment this week, Reigns came out to meet Heyman, Breakker & Reed in the ring as Heyman tried to convince Reigns to take over the vacancy recently left by an injured Seth Rollins to lead his new stable. Reigns told Heyman that he would’ve taken his offer if he were still a wiseman, but now he’s just a dumb ass. Reigns went on to mention that he made Heyman a part of his family, only for him to throw it all away for a best friend that left for ten years. Breakker was handed the mic by Heyman, and he told Reigns’s that he’s the top dog now and that he should do what he does best and leave. Reigns then said he didn’t hear any of the trash he just said and then threw his mic in Breakker’s hand to distract him before he laid him out with a Superman Punch. Breakker Speared Reigns as he was tangled up with Reed and they double teamed Reigns until Jey came out to fight them both off. The cousins Speared Breakker & Reed simultaneously as they both stood tall to end the show.
Analysis:
Unlike the Gunther/Punk segment from earlier in the show, this segment really sold Summerslam without the match even being made official. From what we saw here as well as last week, the match that we’re getting there is inevitable. In the year since he’s technically been a baby face, this was the best baby face promo Reigns has ever done. From saying he’s still the Tribal Chief because the people acknowledge him to mentioning that he’s been busy at home raising the new Bloodline, it was hard not to root for him throughout this. While Breakker’s promo was short and might not have been as strong, it was wise to give him the chance to talk as he’ll never get better at it unless he’s given a chance to.
For as big of a match as Reigns against Breakker will be, there’s no reason to rush into it so soon. With the relationship between Reigns and Jey as well as Jey’s recent issues with Breakker & Reed, a tag team match for Summerslam is the best route to go. It’ll be a fun attraction match, and it’ll give Breakker & Reed the chance to shine in arguably the biggest match either of them has ever had at a PLE. Whether it’s the star power of Reigns or how well these segments have delivered, this tag team match feels like more of a must-see match than either of the title matches at Summerslam. With all the talent involved, there’s no way that it won’t be one of the matches people walk away from that show talking about the most.
Grade: A
Sheamus vs. Rusev
After Rusev defeated Sheamus three weeks ago due to pulling him into the exposed turnbuckle, both men faced each other again this week. As Sheamus jumped off the top rope, he ran into a kick to the face from Rusev for a near fall. Rusev then trapped him in the Accolade and despite having multiple attempts blocked, Sheamus grabbed the ropes to escape. Rusev once again exposed the back of the turnbuckle, but it backfired as Sheamus slammed him into it. Rusev then grabbed Sheamus’ shillelagh as the referee’s back was turned but before he could use it, Sheamus nailed him with the Brogue Kick to get the win.
Analysis:
Much like their match three weeks ago, this was another strong performance from both Sheamus and Rusev. After Rusev won their first match, Sheamus had to win here to keep the feud going. Now tied at one win a piece, the tie breaker match they eventually have is one that deserves proper promotion. While it could happen at Summerslam, it would feel like it’s being rushed to have it there since it’s less than two weeks away. The best place to have their blow off would probably be Clash in Paris as it’ll give them time to heat the feud up more and the Paris setting will make it stand out more than it would if it happened anywhere else.
New Day vs. Creed Brothers vs. Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro
Still in mourning after losing the World Tag Team Championship three weeks ago, the New Day had a chance to get back into the title picture as they faced the Creed Brothers and Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro of the L.W.O. in a Triple Threat Number One Contender’s match. After getting the hot tag, Joaquin Wilde took everyone down and maintained the advantage until he was pushed off the top rope by Ivy Nile. Despite being attacked by the Creeds as he attempted to check on Wilde outside the ring, Dragon Lee fought them both off until he was attacked by El Grande Americano. The Creeds argued with Americano as it’s clearly not their leader Chad Gable under the mask, but that distraction led to them being taken out by Del Toro with a Corkscrew. After escaping a Midnight Hour attempt from the New Day, Wilde threw Xavier out of the ring and rolled up Kofi for the win to earn he and Del Toro a future title shot.
Analysis:
Even if it was just for one night, this match added a little bit of life into the dead Tag Team Division that has exists on Raw. While everyone looked good in this match, the L.W.O. were the ones who really stood out. Del Toro & Wilde winning was the right outcome as the two of them against Finn Balor & J.D. McDonagh will make for an incredible match. As great of a match as it will likely be, it shouldn’t be put on the Summerslam card over the Tag Titles on Smackdown. While this match and the match a few weeks ago where J.D. & Finn won the titles were great, there’s still a lot of work to do in order to make the Tag Team Division on Raw feel like something worth being invested in.
Dominik Mysterio vs. A.J. Styles
This week, Dominik Mysterio was set to have his physical to see if he would be cleared to defend his Intercontinental Championship against A.J. Styes at Summerslam. Throughout the night, Styles stalked Dominik as he disguised himself as a valet driver and a janitor. After Dominik was accidentally kicked by Raquel Rodriguez while he was at ringside for her and Roxanne Perez’s match, an EMT came to check on him that also turned out to be Styles. As Styles later waited outside of the doctor’s office to see if Dominik was cleared, Dominik attacked him from behind. Dominik help up the doctor’s note to show Styles that he was cleared and said he would see him at Summerslam.
Analysis:
While we knew this match was inevitable, this was a fun angle that played out throughout the show. Styles was hilarious playing the various roles he played, especially when he showed up at ringside as the EMT. In hindsight, it’s better that we didn’t get the match earlier as having this feud stretched out longer added a lot more to it than it had when it first started. While Styles likely won’t win the title, he can pull a great match out of Dominik that’s worthy of being an Intercontinental Title match at Summerslam. Even with Styles being close to the end of his career, storylines like this are an example of how much he can still offer even at this stage of it.
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