SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE RAW REPORT
JULY 20, 2026
DETROIT, MICH. AT LITTLE CAESARS ARENA
STREAMED LIVE ON NETFLIX AT 8 P.M. ET/5 P.M. PT
REPORT BY ROBERT TOMACHICK, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves
Ring Announcer: Alicia Taylor
[HOUR ONE]
-Tonight’s episode opened with a view of downtown New York City. Highlights from Saturday Night’s Main Event played, recapping the event from this weekend.
-Cole welcomed everyone to Monday Night Raw while wrestlers like Penta, Gable, and others were shown walking into the arena.
(1) AUSTIN THEORY & BRON BREAKKER (w/Maxxine Dupri, Logan Paul) vs. JE’VON EVANS & DRAGON LEE – WWE Tag Team Title match
Je’Von Evans and Dragon Lee came out to the ring, both having separate entrances. Cole mentioned Evans was wearing Juventus’s new away jersey. The Vision made their entrance next, with Maxxine Dupri and Logan Paul at ringside. Before The Vision even made it to the ring, Evans and Lee jumped through the ropes onto Breakker and Theory. The match started, but Theory was still feeling the effects of the early attack. Evans landed a jumping knee on Theory and then quickly tagged in Lee. A basement dropkick from Lee led to a one-count. Lee tagged Je’Von Evans back in, who hit Theory with a bunch of quick moves. Evans started getting a bit too cocky and missed Theory’s quick tag to Bron. The Vision double-teamed Evans to get the upper hand in the match. After being thrown into the corner by Bron, Evans used his long reach to tag in Lee. Breakker had Lee up for a powerbomb, but Lee countered it into a DDT. A crossbody from Dragon Lee was caught by Breakker, who then slammed him right into the mat. [c]
Bron immediately missed a spear and rammed his shoulder right into the ring post. Thankfully, he was in his own corner and was able to tag in Theory. Dragon made the tag to Evans, who came in and cleared the ring, knocking Breakker out with a right hand and hitting Theory with a stunner. Evans leaped over the ropes onto Theory and landed a springboard move where he jumped halfway across the ring. Dragon Lee was tagged in and prepared to land a move on Theory as he sat dazed in the corner. Logan distracted the referee as Maxxine grabbed Lee’s ankle, allowing Bron to land a devastating clothesline on Dragon Lee. Theory hit Lee with a standing shoulder breaker, but the pin was broken up by Evans. Bron speared Evans and was then tagged in. Bron hit the ropes and then delivered a spear to Lee for the win. After the match, Theory and Bron continued beating up Lee. Tozawa and Otis came down to make the save. Unfortunately, the save didn’t last long, as The Vision fought back and speared Otis. Maxxine looked on, delighted with what she saw.
WINNERS: Theory & Breakker in 10:00 to retain the WWE Tag Team Titles.
(Robert’s Recap: The match started off great with a quick, solid pace, but that was what I expected from a team of Je’Von Evans and Dragon Lee. Truth be told, I was okay with them losing the belts. I would love to see either of them have gold around their waist, especially Dragon Lee. However, I just think Evans is ready for a singles run with the Intercontinental Championship. The way Theory sold the stunner from Evans looked really familiar. The Vision looks as if they will be feuding with Alpha Academy for a little while. This isn’t Otis’s first love story angle, but with heels like Theory, Paul, and Breakker, this feud should be an entertaining one to keep track of.)
-Highlights from Fanatics Fest played, showing Tom Brady slapping Logan Paul.
-JD had Danhausen pinned against a pillar as Liv and Dominik supervised. McDonagh told Danhausen there would be no more games and that The Judgment Day wanted their money back. Dominik told Danhausen he had thirty seconds to return the money, or else JD would beat him up.
-A vignette for Big Cass played, hinting at his return on August 3. [c]
-A video of Danhausen at Fanatics Fest, as well as highlights from his match with JD at SNME, aired.
-Danhausen made his entrance to the ring carrying a bag presumably filled with human monies. Danhausen said he took care of The Judgment Day at SNME, but they were still a problem. Instead of giving the money to The Judgment Day, he offered to give it to the crowd. The Judgment Day came out and got cursed by Danhausen. The Judgment Day started to beat up Danhausen, but Joe Hendry came out and made the save. Liv grabbed the bag of monies and proceeded to celebrate up the ramp with the rest of The Judgment Day.
-A video package highlighting the history between Seth and Roman played.
-The Judgment Day were backstage celebrating their confiscation of the bag, but Pearce quickly put an end to the celebration by scolding them for always ruining his show. Hendry and Danhausen appeared, and chaos broke out as everyone started yelling at each other. JD told everyone to stop yelling when he realized the money in the bag was not real. JD threw the bag and started threatening Danhausen when everyone told him to turn around. Unfortunately for JD, the bag he threw landed on Oba Femi, who did not look pleased. Pearce offered to settle their differences in the ring. Dominik claimed it was unfair of Pearce to make the match. Pearce agreed and scheduled Dominik to face Joe Hendry later in the show.
-Oba strutted to the ring.
(2) OBA FEMI vs. JD MCDONAGH
Pearce had to force JD down to the ring. They stopped at the ramp, but Danhausen and Hendry came down to help them in. Oba immediately hit them with a double clothesline. Femi threw Dominik out of the ring allowing JD a chance to land some offense on Oba. It didn’t phase Femi at all. A minute of pure domination and a Fall From Grace from Oba gave him the quick victory.
WINNER: Oba in 1:00.
(Robert’s Recap: Everything involving Danhausen is pure gold right now. It is clear that he is one of their biggest moneymakers, and he also receives one of the biggest pops. I love it when the creative team brings two characters from different storylines together for a quick segment. That little segment did so much for all of the talent involved. It allowed Oba to continue looking dominant without having to wrestle a twenty-minute match while also giving the paying crowd a chance to see him in action. It also progressed the Danhausen and Hendry storyline with The Judgment Day. The match was exactly what it needed to be: quick and one-sided. JD always impresses; he has grown into one of WWE’s most consistent and trusted talents.)
-Graves announced Darius Rucker would perform the American national anthem at SummerSlam.
-Knight and Royce Keys were chatting with each other backstage. [c]
-Cole and Graves were promoting Fanatics Fest as Solo Sikoa walked in front of the camera and made his way to the ring. Solo started by saying that he was not even supposed to be on Raw tonight. He called out Seth Rollins, who happened to be waiting and ready. Rollins welcomed Solo to Raw and asked what he wanted. Sikoa made it clear that he was not there to fight Seth. Sikoa told Rollins that he needed help because Seth would not only be taking on Roman at SummerSlam, but the entire Bloodline. Unfortunately, the crowd erupted in “What?” chants. Solo offered to have Seth’s back at SummerSlam. Rollins told Solo he had to think about it and turned away to exit the ring. Solo grabbed him and told him there was nothing to think about. He brought up how Seth helped Cody against Roman and told him it could be exactly like that. Jacob Fatu’s music played, and Solo dashed out of the ring and into the crowd. Fatu yelled at Solo, telling him that he knew what he had to do. As Fatu turned around, Seth hit him with a superkick and left the ring.
-Highlights from the interaction between Penta and Gable at the SummerSlam Kickoff were shown.
-Page and Rusev started to make their way down the ramp for their tag team match against Gable and Penta. [c]
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Raw: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “wade keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
[HOUR TWO]
-Cole plugged in season three of WWE Unreal, a sneak peek into the season showed the insights from the feud between CM Punk and John Cena.
(3) CHAD GABLE & PENTA vs. ETHAN PAGE & RUSEV
Rusev threatened to crush everyone that night. Gable and Penta made their entrances to the ring. Rusev quickly gained the upper hand as the match got started. Page was tagged in, and they started to double-team Penta. Penta managed to fight them off and led them toward Gable, who was waiting on the top turnbuckle. Outside the ring, Penta was thrown into the steps as Gable went after Page. [c]
Penta and Rusev traded shots in the middle of the ring. A crossbody from Penta left both men down and looking for a tag. Double tags were made, and Gable took control of the match. German suplexes and an Angle Slam on Page led to a two-count. A missed moonsault attempt from Gable gave Page and the newly tagged-in Rusev an opportunity to control the match. Penta attempted a springboard move but ate a right hand from Page. Page attempted to throw Penta out of the ring, but Penta reversed it and sent Page to the outside. Penta ran the ropes and performed a tope con hilo. In the middle of the ring, Gable and Rusev traded right hands. A failed Angle Slam attempt gave Rusev a chance to lock in the Accolade. Gable powered out of it but was thrown into the corner. Rusev attempted the Accolade again, but Gable crawled underneath and grabbed Rusev’s ankle. Gable locked in the Ankle Lock, but as he bent over, Penta launched himself off Gable’s back and landed a Mexican Destroyer on Ethan Page. Rusev tapped out to the Ankle Lock. After the match, Gable and Penta shook hands.
WINNERS: Gable & Penta in 9:00.
(Robert’s Recap: It was a solid match, but it felt like we had already seen it. All of the competitors in the ring are great workers, but it seems like we get some variation of this fight week after week. Whether it’s Rusev versus Gable or Penta versus Page, it just feels repetitive. I do not think this did anything to help build toward their match at SummerSlam.)
-More highlights from the history between Roman and Seth were shown.
-Seth ran into Jacob Fatu and proceeded to mock him, asking Jacob to hit him. Rollins told Fatu that he knew Roman would not allow Jacob to hit him. Seth called Jacob Roman’s bag boy and asked if he would also get Fatu as a prize when he beat Roman. Fatu let Seth know that he would be coming for him after SummerSlam. [c]
-Highlights from Fanatics Fest featuring Tom Brady, Tyrese Haliburton, and Trick Williams played.
-A vignette featuring Paul Heyman aired. He discussed the match between Brock and Oba. In a very serious tone, Heyman described the horrors of Hell in a Cell. Heyman brought up Brock’s undefeated record in Hell in a Cell matches. He compared Oba’s rookie year to Brock’s. Paul did an excellent job of putting over Femi while also reminding us of how dominant Brock Lesnar truly is. Heyman ended by saying that Femi’s rookie year would end in defeat at the hands of Brock.
-Justin Jefferson announced discounted tickets for SummerSlam. Fans could use the code JJETS to purchase tickets starting at $25.
-Chapter four of the history between Seth and Roman played.
-Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan came to the ring. [c]
-The drama between Gunther and Nick Aldis at the SummerSlam Kickoff was shown, leading to Triple H announcing their match for SummerSlam.
(4) JOE HENDRY vs. DOMINIK MYSTERIO (w/Liv Morgan)
Joe Hendry was in the middle of the ring and ready to go. Cole announced that The Judgment Day was still cursed. Hendry took control of the match by working Dominik over in the corner. Hendry showcased some of his power with a vertical suplex on Mysterio. Mysterio threw Hendry to the outside and ran the ropes for a suicide dive, but he was caught. Joe Hendry lifted Dominik and dropped him onto the announce table. Liv Morgan pushed Joe into the ring post. Danhausen came down while Liv was celebrating and tried to curse her. Morgan landed a right hand on Danhausen. [c]
Dominik had Joe Hendry in a headlock in the middle of the ring. Hendry struggled to escape the headlock but powered Dominik up for a suplex. Hendry performed a kip-up into his signature pose. A Hit Single from Hendry led to a close two-count. Morgan jumped onto the ring apron to distract Joe, allowing Dom to hit a tornado DDT. Danhausen came back out with Iyo Sky and the Danhausenmobile. Sky ran down the ramp and started attacking Liv Morgan. Iyo hit Liv with a missile dropkick. Danhausen got in the ring and landed his Danhausen Death Drop on Dominik. Joe Hendry covered Dominik for the win. Hendry and Danhausen performed Joe’s signature pose.
WINNER: Hendry in 10:00.
(Robert’s Recap: Anything involving Danhausen is going to be great television. The aura he brings will help elevate any segment. Coming back with Iyo was a nice touch. Joe Hendry displayed some power that I think many people forget he possesses. WWE has done a good job of balancing Danhausen’s backstage and in-ring appearances. His backstage segments are great, but he also needs to come out and get involved in matches or step into the ring himself. Not having JD at ringside helped sell what happened earlier in his match with Oba. It was a good, quick match.)
–Highlights from the confrontation between CM Punk and Cody Rhodes from this weekend played. [c]
-Clips from SNME featuring Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Haliburton, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns played.
-Cole and Graves announced that Dominik would face Danhausen at SummerSlam. They also went over next week’s Monday Night Raw card.
-LA Knight came out to the ring to thunderous applause from the crowd. Knight grabbed a microphone and brought up his match at SummerSlam. He said he didn’t trust Solo, and what Solo had done earlier made him distrust him even more. The crowd chanted “OTC!” to which LA Knight said he wasn’t mad at them for it. He mentioned that Roman was nice to them. Knight talked about how he was everything Roman wanted to be. LA appreciated everything Solo had done against The Bloodline, which was why he was teaming up with him at SummerSlam. Knight continued by saying that the mission for SummerSlam was to incapacitate The Bloodline so they would be a nonfactor in Roman’s match.
-Fatu’s music played, and he came out to the ring. [c]
[HOUR THREE]
(5) LA KNIGHT vs. JACOB FATU
The match had already started when we returned from the break. Knight knocked down Fatu, but much to Knight’s surprise, Jacob got right back up. Knight worked Fatu into the corner but let up, allowing Fatu to land a devastating chop to Knight’s chest. Fatu charged toward the corner, but LA dodged him, slipped out of the ring, and pulled Jacob down. Knight grabbed Fatu’s leg and smashed it against the ring post. Knight started targeting Fatu’s injured knee. Jacob then threw Knight out of the ring. Fatu continued to punish Knight against the barricades, casually rolling in and out of the ring to break up the count. This allowed Knight to throw Fatu into the steps. Knight jumped from the steps onto Jacob’s shoulders but was immediately caught with a Samoan Drop on the apron. Fatu threw Knight into the steps. Knight sidestepped Fatu, resulting in Jacob running into the steps.
The match continued in double-box format as advertisements played on the other screen. Back in the ring, Fatu had control of the match. Fatu thrashed Knight around the outside before hitting him with a running senton. Jacob went for the cover but only got a two-count. A mistake by Fatu led to a neckbreaker from LA. Knight climbed to the top rope, but a kick from Fatu knocked him down. Jacob went to the top rope but was stopped by Knight. A superplex from Knight left both men down as Jimmy Uso came to ringside. Solo was on the other side of the barricade and attacked Jimmy. Jacob attempted a pop-up Samoan Drop, but Knight reversed it into a BFT. Jimmy jumped onto the apron to distract the referee, causing Royce Keys to come out and take care of him. Jey Uso came out from the crowd and superkicked Keys. LA took out Jey but was hit with a superkick and a pop-up Samoan Drop from Fatu. A Mighty Moonsault gave Jacob the win.
After the match, Solo attacked Jacob. The Usos came back to take out Solo. Royce Keys entered the ring and took out The Usos. Fatu attacked Royce, but Royce got the better of him. The Usos hit Keys with stereo superkicks and a 1D. The Usos went after LA, but he fought them off until Jacob came back and locked him in the Tongan Death Grip. The Bloodline stood tall over Knight, Keys, and Sikoa.
WINNER: Fatu
(Robert’s Recap: It was chaos in the best way. Knight’s promo was a bit messy, as it seemed like he got off track at times. The match wasn’t PLE-quality. However, the antics and interference were exactly what they needed to be. Royce Keys finally found something stable to be a part of. His style fits right in with The Bloodline saga. Solo continuing to go against The Bloodline seems a bit fishy to me, but we will have to wait and see.)
FINAL THOUGHTS: The show started at a good pace. A solid match for the Tag Team Championship and some Danhausen were good ways to catch the crowd’s attention.
I appreciated WWE showing highlights of the history between Seth and Roman over the past couple of weeks. Although there doesn’t seem to be a clear heel or babyface in the rivalry, WWE appears to be leaving it up to the fans to decide who they want to root for. As a sports fan, I enjoy this very much. There are times when I’m watching a football or hockey game and find myself just enjoying it without particularly rooting for a certain team. Sometimes, that might be exactly what WWE needs. A split crowd would also be better for the match since split crowds are typically louder than those watching a traditional heel-versus-babyface match.
I find it annoying when WWE puts two wrestlers who have a big match coming up together as tag team partners for a night. Gable just delivered masterclass performances on the microphone down in Mexico. We all know he is a strong wrestler, so let the crowd get emotionally invested in his character. The match was great, but it did not really do anything to help build Penta and Gable’s match at SummerSlam.
The main event did what it needed to do. It was nice to see Royce Keys get involved. SummerSlam is drawing closer, and for the most part, WWE has done a good job of building up these matches. However, some matches, such as Penta versus Gable, still need serious work before the big show. Overall, it was a great and very entertaining show.
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