And just like that, The Great One stepped into the ring for his match against Dexter Lumis. It all came down to this final punch from Dexter as a fan boos, and The Miz looks on in disgust.
Seth Rollins has proven to be a fighting champion by putting the United States title on the line against Matt Riddle, his nemesis.
We saw Brock Lesnar make an appearance on this week’s episode of RAW, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson battled Alpha Academy, and Elias made his highly anticipated return.
Monday’s show was focused on the following:
Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley Fight, Gallows and Anderson vs. Alpha Academy
1 OF 6
Raw opened abruptly with Bobby Lashley in mid-sentence. He quieted Brock Lesnar, who did not seem too eager to wait for the show to start, and The Beast Incarnate did not make him hold it against him.
Lesnar plunged himself into the ring and The All Mighty quickly tried to attack him. But the former United States champion, who was wearing an evil smile on his face, ran him into the barricade and he started storming into The All Mighty with a malicious look in his eyes.
Answers:
Lashley did not try to clear the ringside area and was making his way back around the ring. He quickly found himself in a power offense against The Beast and driving his shoulder through the announce table before putting him down with a slam.
This is how these two handled this disagreement. Lashley was the lone winner and there’s honestly nothing to change about this.
Grade: A
When AJ Styles showed up for the match against Chad Gable and Otis, we were thrilled. We had to watch it a few times before we could get over the excitement of seeing him again.
For Gable and Anderson, the first sequence was an opportunity to kick things off with some fast-paced action before their bigger competitors got a chance to lock horns.
The O.C. went away for a while but no one really noticed as they were always running strong streaks with WWE. That same is true here, with this match being all about Gable and Otis putting others over in their first match back.
The two groups engaged in a verbal exchange. The Judgment Day challenged the crowd favorite and former WWE Champion, Dominic Pizzino to get in the ring for a match. He accepted and his fans erupted into chants of “WWC” as soon as he got in the ring.
Winners: Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson
Grade: B
Notable Moments and Observations
WWE has been doing a good job of preserving their show openings without overdoing it. They know how to make it seem like anything can happen at any moment but not enough that you always expect it.
Corey Graves described himself and The O.C. as a successful duo, but he did not specify what titles they won or which promotions they were part of.
Anderson has always been a talented wrestler, and it was great to see him get so much time in the ring. It feels like he didn’t get to show off much during his first WWE run, even though he’s always been one of my favorites.
Finn Bálor telling their story by taking credit for starting their little club was a nice way to avoid having to directly reference The Bullet Club.
Rhea Ripley is so good as the devil on Dom’s shoulder telling him what to do.
Seth Rollins Promo, Damage CTRL vs. Bianca Belair and Candice LeRae
2 OF 6
Rollins came to the ring, and he was extremely over with the crowd. He held his own throughout the match, and he dominated everything in front of him.
Mustafa Ali came by to remind Roman Reigns that he was supposed to main event against Brock Lesnar, but Roman wasn’t willing to back down now. The Visionary told him that Matthew Riddle should be the No. 1 concern because he had Seth Rollins to face Monday night.
After ending up on the wrong end of a beating from Rollins, Ali was left struggling to stand.
Rollins’ segment was solid, but he got the most time in the spotlight. This show is all about getting titles, so Rollins did his job quite well here. It just didn’t accomplish anything substantial other than reminding us that Ali wants a title shot, which has been obvious for weeks.
Grade: C+
This bout saw Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky wrestle against Bianca Belair and Candice LeRae in a tag team match. Bayley was at the commentary table to provide insights.
Belair got into it with the other team, kicking off a physical and strategically wild fight. Weakness in any form was not tolerated. It would be at least 2 minutes of insanely aggressive jousting before one team conceded with a submission hold.
This was a tag match that followed a fairly standard outline. Both sides had several good moments throughout, and the bout also included some sloppy double team spots. There were, however, no major problems during the match.
Belair wasn’t ready for Kai and Sky, so they moved in and came out on top. Bayley was too busy wrestling at ringside with Sasha to even notice.
Winners: Sky and Kai
Grade: C+
Notable Moments and Observations
Ali made his smiling face turn into a cringe-worthy one when he saw the look on Rollins’ face.
Even when Michael Cole is not there, Bayley can’t escape being teased and mocked by Michael Cole. It’s one of the most funniest running gags in all of pro wrestling.
At the Belair Arena, LeRae used her trusty revolver in a spot where it looked a little awkward, but she was able to make it work with the power needed.
LeRae looked good during this match. She did not have much ring rust, if any at all, if she needed it to shake off.
The way Belair and LeRae hit the mat when Sky hit it looked nasty. She seemed fine, though, since she didn’t leave the ring. It could have been an ugly scene that would have ended badly.
Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler
3 OF 6
JBL came out to deliver a special introduction speech for his former WWE rival, Baron Corbin. He ditched the Happy name and wore a new vest but still seemed to have most of the same presentation that he did years before.
Kevin Corbin seized control of the situation and sent Ziggler off as JBL sat with the commentators to give his new protege some encouragement.
When The Showoff turned the tide in his favor, he successfully halted the advances of Corbin. However, it didn’t take long for him to realize that this was a battle he couldn’t win.
It’s difficult to tell what these two men are thinking or feeling, and the match was just “okay” rather than great. The match didn’t do well when it came to revealing new layers of Corbin as a more dangerous and unpredictable wrestler.
With what was probably a little more time than this match needed, The No-Longer-Lone Wolf won with End of Days.
The Winner: Baron Corbin
Grade: C+
Notable Moments and Observations
During the Attitude Era, stars like John Cena would have been impossible to defeat. There’s no way to know whether Ziggler had a better chance at winning back then because of wrestling becoming less shoot-style in that period.
Ironically, Corbin’s new gear might just have too little to it. Nothing about the product stands out.
Even though the reverse suplex Corbin hit was perfect, some of this credit also goes to Ziggler for having great balance and body control.
Corbin always makes Deep Six look good.
AJ Styles vs. Dominik Mysterio
4 of 6
Dominik Mysterio made his way to the ring with the Judgment Day tagging along. He will feel some kind of encouragement from Ripley before he enters the squared circle.
The Phenomenal One wanted to teach the younger Mysterio a lesson, so he was beating him up in the beginning so everyone would know his punishment.
Though the youngest guy in The Judgment Day had some offensive moments, this was mostly controlled by Styles. Ripley was really responsible for any opportunity Dominik found to get ahead of Styles.
After Styles nearly threw the match, Dominik was able to roll HIM up and secure a pin that could very possibly be one of the biggest upsets we’ve seen in a long time.
From an action perspective, this match was fine. This is because it happened at an unexpected time and from a story perspective, it was quite good as well with some surprising details.
Winner: Dominik Mysterio
Grade: B-
Notable Moments and Observations
As we grow older, standing becomes an issue. In order to help prevent this from happening, we use Photos of Jake Rosenberg and Styles McCarthy to remind people Styles isn’t that tall.
Though it wasn’t his first match, this was a great one for Dom. He played the patient game in taking all of Styles’ moves and hitting back without giving anything away.
When the announcer mentioned that there is no one involved in a match, Ripley’s laugh at the poor sucker was comical.
The Miz Takes Out Dexter Lumis, Elias Returns
5 OF 6
The Miz’s attempt to avoid a certain fight led to him having to face his recent stalker. Fortunately for him, Johnny Gargano was there to help and expose his lie.
The A-Lister attacked him in the aisle with a steel chair and hit the Skull-Crushing Finale on the chair to knock him out.
Grade: Incomplete
The moment started like it would for any other concert, but the audience was in for a shock when Elias and Riddle were interrupted by Riddle, who was trying to duet with him.
Elias never got to sing because this match went a lot longer than Rollins was expecting. That’s why it ended prematurely, and he made his entrance right after.
Riddle stalled any momentum Elias had when this began.
Grade: C
Notable Moments and Observations
The way Lumis hit the chair when The Miz dropped him looked and sounded good.
Elias had a decent beard again, but it was nowhere near as long as it used to be. That might take a while.
Seth Rollins vs. Matt Riddle (U.S. Title)
6 OF 6
Elias came to the ring as Rollins and Riddle fought for the United States of America Championship. The Original Bro immediately tried to lock in his own submission, but The Visionary used the ropes to force a break.
It happened when the referee was distracted by another blow and Rollins saw his opportunity. He punted a haymaker to Elias who, of course, didn’t have his guard up right then.
In the second half of the game, Elias provided no measurable impact. Riddle was in control, and Elias was much less important than earlier on in the game.
Elias defeated Rollins for the WWE Championship by slamming him into the steel steps and then hitting a Stomp on Riddle. However, Ali prevented one more attack from landing on Riddle.
It was great that The Bro and The Visionary decided to put all the past hostility behind them. However, it’s hard to see either man moving on right now. Maybe it is time for a new chapter in this rivalry.
Seth Rollins is the winner of this match.
Grade: B+
Notable Moments And Observations
Graves implying anyone needs a license to be a manager in WWE was pretty funny.
The jumping knee Elias hit on Rollins looked great. It’s one of his better moves.
The reverse superplex Rollins hits were outstanding.
