Powell’s WWE Raw Hit List: Rhea Ripley, Dominik Mysterio, and Liv Morgan, Damian Priest and Gunther, Drew McIntrye and Adam Pearce, Sami Zayn vs. Ilja Dragunov for the Intercontinental Title

By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)

WWE Raw Hits

Rhea Ripley, Dominik Mysterio, and Liv Morgan: Ripley’s return made for a hilariously tough night for the Dom Dom character. The frequent soap opera style segments made for fun television. Morgan played her part well and the new twist that this started as a game for her and then she developed feelings for Dom is interesting. She could be full of it or they could be setting up an actual Liv and Dom relationship. Meanwhile, Ripley telling Dom that she doesn’t belong to anyone, yet he belongs to her can also be interpreted in different ways. Does it means she has forgiven Dom and their on-air relationship is still on or will she make Dom’s life hell? They did a great job of moving the story forward while creating new questions that will keep viewers engaged.

Drew McIntyre and Adam Pearce: A great segment with McIntyre refusing to apologize to the referees that he got physical with during the Money in the Bank post show. It seemed like a simple enough request and I got a kick out of Michael Cole saying that McIntyre didn’t even have to mean it. But the logic behind McIntyre’s stubborn refusal to comply was sound and he delivered yet another top notch performance.

Erick Rowan: An awesome sit-down promo with Rowan obviously tapping into his real emotions regarding the deaths of Jon Huber and Bray Wyatt.

Bo Dallas and Chad Gable: Despite the backstage massacre on the night of their arrival, it now appears as though the Wyatt Sicks are going to be babyfaces. Dallas did his best Joker impersonation by laughing while Chad Gable and The Creeds beat the hell out of him. It was good to see Gable and The Creeds finally unite, but it was a bit odd that it occurred during an angle in which the spotlight was on Dallas rather than their new alliance. More than anything, it’s encouraging that the Wyatt Sicks are playing by the same rules as everyone else in WWE’s storyline universe. In other words, there’s been no supernatural hocus pocus. While this could always change, but so far, so good.

Damian Priest and Gunther: An effective verbal exchange that left this viewer more excited about the World Heavyweight Championship match at SummerSlam. Gunther’s line about people living on the street being a choice drew great heat. Priest is clearly positioned as the babyface heading into the match and he is a likable guy. Even so, it will be interesting to see who the fans actually choose during the match given that Gunther is a popular figure with some fans and live crowds often root for title changes.

Sheamus vs. Bronson Reed: A soft Hit for the big man match. The post match angle with Pete Dunne striking Sheamus and then leaving him to take the Tsunami from Reed was an interesting development. It’s good to see Dunne getting in the singles mix as opposed to just racking up throwaway losses while Tyler Bate is sidelined. All of that said, Reed’s monster image has taken a big hit due to all of the matches he has lost.

Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark vs. Kayden Carter and Katana Chance: This was the more effective match of the two involving members of the new Baszler, Stark, and Sonya Deville faction. Baszler and Stark are a good team and hopefully Deville’s mic work can add an ingredient that has been missing from their act.

WWE Raw Misses

Sami Zayn vs. Ilja Dragunov for the Intercontinental Title: The ring work was certainly Hit worthy. Unfortunately, the cheap finish with Bron Breakker interfering was a letdown. They took the time to establish that Breakker was banned from the building. Adam Pearce even told the security guards to make sure Breakker actually left. So it was a groaner when Breakker walked out and hit Dragunov with a low spear (which actually caused Dragunov to actually fall forward rather than take the usual back bump). Perhaps this finish would not have been so irritating if we got more clean finishes on WWE television. There comes a point when these types of finishes put heat on the company rather than on the heel for interfering.

World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest vs. Braun Strowman in a non-title match: The presentation of this match was awful. Priest’s character was booked to treat the match like an afterthought because he was more focused on his verbal exchange with Gunther. Strowman may not be at his peak of popularity, but he is a former world champion who is typically booked as a monster. It should have meant more when Priest beat him clean.

Sonya Deville vs. Zelina Vega: A blink and you missed it match. Obviously they were trying to establish strength in numbers for the new faction, but the interference happened so quickly and they made it look so easy that it made the referee look foolish.