By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Raw (Episode 1,626)
Green Bay, Wisconsin at Resch Center
Aired live July 22, 2024 on USA Network
[Hour One] Raw opened with an overhead shot of Lambeau Field and then footage aired of the arrival of CM Punk. Separate shots aired of Bron Breakker and Ilja Dragunov while Michael Cole said they would meet during the show for a shot at the Intercontinental Championship. Finally, a shot aired of The Judgment Day arriving…
Gunther made his entrance while being introduced by ring announcer Samantha Irvin. Cole and color commentator Pat McAfee checked in from their desk at ringside and said Raw would air on Syfy for the next two weeks (due to the Olympics).
Gunther told the fans he wanted to explain himself. He said he took some time to reflect on the things he said to Damian Priest last week. “You suck” chants broke out. Gunther got upset and said that he meant every word he said last week. Gunther said Priest and everyone in the building is a bum (well, they are Packers fans).
Gunther said Priest’s sob story doesn’t cover up the fact that Priest is a pretender and a wannabe. Gunther recalled a saying “show me your friends and I’ll show you who you are.” Gunther said the entire Judgment Day is street trash. Gunther called out Priest while saying he should hand over the championship.
World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest made his entrance to a favorable reaction. Once Priest entered the ring, he teased talking, then tossed the mic, and blasted Gunther with a forearm strike. Officials quickly entered the ring for a big pull apart brawl.
Security guards, referees, and producers got Gunther to ringside. Priest tossed one security guard over the top rope and onto a pile of security guards below. Priest went to ringside and fought with Gunther until they were separated. Priest broke free and charged at Gunther heading into the first commercial break. [C]
Powell’s POV: Gunther’s heel mic work has not only made the fans boo him, but they are definitely getting behind Priest heading into their SummerSlam match. I enjoyed the no nonsense Priest getting physical rather than trading more verbal jabs.
An ad aired for next week’s Raw on Syfy and touted that it’s the final edition before SummerSlam… Cole and McAfee recapped highlights from the Priest and Gunther brawl…
Jackie Redmond spoke backstage and said she was hoping to get a word with Gunther, who was standing near an open parking garage. Damian Priest burst into the picture and attacked Gunther. They were pulled apart by more referees, producers, and security guards…
Entrances took place for the No. 1 contenders match for the Intercontinental Title…
Powell’s POV: So Drew McIntyre is suspended for putting his hands on referees and refusing to apologize, but Breakker ignored Adam Pearce’s order to leave the building last week and has been rewarded with a chance to earn a title shot?
1. Bron Breakker vs. Ilja Dragunov for a shot at the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam. Breakker and Dragunov fought on the ropes. Breakker stood on the bottom rope and dumped Dragunov over the top of the ring post casing. [C]
Breakker performed a gutbuster and then covered Dragunov for a near fall. Breakker went for a powerbomb, but Dragunov countered into a DDT. Dragunov followed up by turning Breakker inside out with a clothesline.
Dragunov powerbombed Breakker and then fell on top of him for a near fall. A “this is awesome” chant broke out. Breakker caught Dragunov on the ropes and hit a Frankensteiner for a near fall.
Breakker went up top and was cut off by a Dragunov kick, which crotched Breaker on the top turnbuckle. Dragunov executed a top rope superplex. Dragunov hit Breakker with an H-Bomb and then sold his ribs from earlier in the match while Breakker rolled to the apron.
Dragunov went to the apron and hoisted up Breakker on his shoulders and then hit a Death Valley Driver that sent Breakker to the floor. Another “this is awesome” chant broke out. Dragunov dove off the apron and was speared in mid-air by Breakker, who returned to the ring. Cole said Dragunov’s head hit the apron when he was speared (it did not). The referee checked on Dragunov and stopped the match.
Bron Breakker defeated Ilja Dragunov in 13:05 to earn a shot at the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam.
Powell’s POV: A very good match with a clever finish. Dragunov was protected by not being pinned, yet Breakker’s win didn’t feel the least bit tarnished by winning via ref stoppage. By the way, an ad aired for Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite Blood & Guts edition during the mid-match break on DirecTV.
Backstage, Rhea Ripley spoke with Dominik Mysterio, Finn Balor, JD McDonagh, and Carlito. Dom pulled Ripley aside and said he was a little concerned that she wrote “yeet” in response to Jey Uso wanting her number. Ripley said she was just messing around, just like Dom was with Liv Morgan.
Balor told Dom that he needs to take care of Jey once and for all. Ripley said Jey doesn’t matter. Balor asked if Ripley was defending Jey. Ripley said she wasn’t defending anyone, but she didn’t see the point of starting a war with Jey. Ripley told Dom to use his brain and then left the room. Balor told Dom that he knew what he had to do…
Drew McIntyre was shown backstage with Adam Pearce and two referees. McIntyre and Pearce shook hands…
Lyra Valkyria made her entrance with Kayden Carter and Katana Chance… [C]
Backstage, Xavier Woods held a birthday cake for Akira Tozawa while Otis and Maxxine Dupri stood by. Otis and Tozawa grabbed cake with their hands and ate it…
Cole said Damian Priest and Gunther were both ejected from the building…
Powell’s POV: Because it was so effective when Pearce ejected Breakker from the building last week.
2. Lyra Valkyria (w/Kayden Carter, Katana Chance) vs. Sonya Deville (w/Zoey Stark, Shayna Baszler). The heels also had a televised entrance. Deville ran Valkyria into the ringside barricade. [C]
Cole issued another reminder that Raw will air on Syfy the next two weeks. Valkyria caught Deville with a series of kicks. Valkyria suplexed Deville into a bridge and got a near fall. Valkyria performed a gut-wrench sit-out powerbomb for another near fall.
Valkyria went up top. Baszler distracted the referee while Stark shoved Valkyria off the ropes. Carter and Chance tried to intervene, but Stark and Baszler got the better of them. Deville hit Deville’s Advocate and scored the pin…
Sonya Deville defeated Lyra Valkyria in 8:10.
Powell’s POV: The finish felt a little lazy, but I get that they are still trying to establish the new heel faction.
Cole and McAfee spoke at ringside about The Wyatt Sicks. Cole said they would learn more about “the witch-like being” who has delivered the VHS tapes…
Footage aired of Nikki Cross while Uncle Howdy said, “Look at yourself. They lied to you. They ignored you, watched you suffer.” Howdy said he has been the answer all along. Cross screamed after Howdy said “look at yourself” again…
CM Punk was shown walking backstage. “What was that?” Cole asked about the Cross footage. Cole said Punk would appear after the break… [C]
Powell’s POV: How much longer will the broadcast team have to act like they don’t recognize Nikki Cross? It was bad enough when they had to do it while she was dressed as a witch at ringside, but it’s really bad now that she just had a little hair blocking her face in the video.
An ad aired for Jelly Roll performing at SummerSlam… Cole hyped that Jelly Roll will perform “Liar” live during SummerSlam. McAfee called it an absolute banger and said Jelly Roll will kill it like he always does…
CM Punk made his entrance to Living Colour’s “Cult of Personality.” Punk stopped to greet fans on both sides of the stage before heading to the ring.
[Hour Two] Punk jumped off the top rope and ran around the ring. There were loud “CM Punk” chants once his music stopped playing. Punk asked if the bay was green. Punk said his shoes were pink and he said he wanted to stain them both with the blood of a Scottish Psychopath.
“I saw my surgeon on Saturday night and he said I’m cleared,” Punk announced. Punk called for McIntyre to come get the beating that he deserves. Punk pulled out tape and started to put it on his hands.
Drew McIntyre made his entrance with a mic in his hand and stopped on the stage. McIntyre walked toward the ring as he said there was nothing stopping him from getting in the ring and tearing Punk apart.
“Except the fact that I don’t want to,” McIntyre said. Punk responded, “Well, I do.” Punk left the ring and tried to get to McIntyre, but he was intercepted by security, referees, and producers. McIntyre told him to relax and said they are a big money match. McIntyre taunted Punk with the bracelet he took from him.
Raw General Manager Adam Pearce came out and told Punk that there’s a reason they are not fighting tonight. Pearce said McIntyre’s suspension was lifted, Punk is medically cleared, and their match is official for SummerSlam.
Pearce said the match would be off if either one of them lays a finger on the other. Pearce said the person who threw the first punch would be suspended. Pearce said he had a big problem. “I got a big referee problem,” he said.
Seth Rollins made his entrance and danced behind McIntyre. Rollins got in McIntyre’s face and laughed before heading to the ring. Cole pointed out that Rollins has issues with McIntyre and Punk.
Rollins shook hands with Pearce and then entered the ring. Punk stood at ringside and stared at Rollins, who got the mic and said they had a problem. Rollins said McIntyre and Punk hate one another and all of the chaos they’ve caused over the last year has scared anyone from getting in between them.
Rollins said he’s not a problem guy, he’s a solution guy. Rollins said he knows a guy who thrives on chaos and would like to put both men in their places. Rollins said that man is a visionary and a revolutionary and would be the special guest referee at SummerSlam.
Punk climbed on the apron while producers held his legs. McIntyre entered the ring while Rollin danced and laughed…
Powell’s POV: A strong segment. Punk didn’t say much, but he said the magic words that he is medically cleared. I love the idea of Rollins being the special referee for the first Punk vs. McIntyre match. The Rollins character has issues with both men and one can only assume that the loser of the match will be protected as a result of Rollins being involved, which will create the need for a rematch or even a Triple Threat.
Backstage, Dom, Balor, McDonagh, and Carlito were searching for Jey Uso. Carlito said they should divide and conquer. McDonagh and Carlito went one way. Balor told Dom he would check one area and then sent him to another area.
Liv Morgan showed up. Dom said she couldn’t keep doing this. Dom asked what she was doing. Morgan said she knows how Ripley is making Dom feel. Dom said they are perfect. Balor showed up and then Morgan made her exit…
Xavier Woods, Otis, Akira Tozawa, and Maxinne Dupri made their entrance to the New Day theme song… An ad for Smackdown focused on previously advertised segments… [C] Another ad aired for Raw moving to Syfy for two weeks…
Cole spoke about WWE characters being added to Call of Duty…
Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn was interviewed by Cathy Kelley in a backstage area. Zayn said Bron Breakker earned his title shot. He said he’s not worried but he is taking Breakker seriously. Zayn advised Breakker to do the same by taking him seriously.
Zayn heard some commotion and left the interview set. Zayn stopped JD McDonagh and Carlito from attacking Jey Uso. Zayn and Jey fought off McDonagh and Carlito…
Highlights aired of Braun Strowman and Otis appearing at Packers’ training camp…
Powell’s POV: It’s only fitting that the WWE characters who act like they have a combined three brain cells are both Packers fans. Let me guess, Eugene also loves the green and gold? BTW, relax if you’re an overly sensitive Green Bay fan. Most of my family members are diehard Packers fans and it’s all in good fun.
The Final Testament made their entrance…
3. Karrion Kross, Akam, and Rezar (w/Scarlett, Paul Ellering) vs. Xavier Woods, Otis, and Akira Tozawa (w/Maxxine Dupri). Birthday boy Tozawa got off to a fast star and tore off his t-shirt after clearing the ring. [C]
A “We Want Otis” chant broke out. Otis took a hot tag and got a big reaction while working over the heels. Otis hit the Caterpillar on Akam, who rolled out of the ring. Kross hit Otis, which led to Woods tagging in and working over Kross with punches.
Woods turned his attention to clearing one of the AOP members off the apron. Kross hit Woods with The Final Prayer and then pinned him.
Karrion Kross, Akam, and Rezar beat Xavier Woods, Otis, and Akira Tozawa in 8:50.
After the match, Chad Gable, Julius Creed, and Brutus Creed came out dressed in suits… [C]
Gable and the Creeds stood in the ring across from Otis, Tozawa, and Dupri. Gable said Otis taking on a leadership role was a choice. He told his former Alpha Academy members to rejoin the team and said they would have extra protection from The Wyatt Sicks.
Otis said when things got dangerous, Gable fled the scene. Otis said that’s the kind of man that Gable is. “My answer is still no,” Otis said to cheers. Gable said it was pathetic and asked if Tozawa and Dupri were going to let “this clown” speak for them. They indicated that they were.
Gable said it was unfortunate. “Boys,” Gable said. The Creeds attacked Otis and Tozawa. Otis put the Creeds down with a double clothesline. Otis grabbed Gable and picked him up for a slam, but the Creeds hit him from behind.
Gable and the Creeds put the boots to Otis. The Creeds ran Otis through the ropes and into the ring post casing. The Creeds went to ringside and ran Otis into the apron. The Creeds were about to use chairs, but they stopped once they heard entrance music.
The Wyatt Sicks lighting wind-down occurred and the single key piano music played while Gable stood in the ring and Creeds had chairs at ringside.
Four of the Wyatt Sicks appeared on the stage. Uncle Howdy showed up inside the ring and performed Sister Abigail on Gable heading into a break… [C]
Powell’s POV: Otis was mega over with his home state crowd, but it doesn’t feel like the Final Testament and New Day feud is gaining much traction. The Wyatts were also very over with the live crowd.
Cole and McAfee narrated highlights of the previous segment…
Bronson Reed and Pete Dunne made their entrances for a match against one another. Before the referee could call for the bell, Sheamus entered the ring and put Dunne down with a running knee strike. Sheamus also roughed up Reed.
Sheamus got Dunne on the apron and hit him with Ten Beats while the live crowd counted along. Sheamus removed his shirt and played to the crowd. Sheamus set up for his finisher on Dunne, who rolled out of the ring and avoided it. Sheamus hit Reed with a Brogue Kick instead…
Powell’s POV: I smell a Triple Threat.
Inside the Judgment Day clubhouse, Rhea Ripley asked Balor, Dom, and the weary McDonagh and Carlito what happened. Balor said he’s had enough of being disrespected. Balor said he and McDonagh would take care of Sami Zayn and Jey Uso.
Balor took issue with Gunther referring to them as a joke and said we’d see who is laughing when they meet next week. Ripley recalled saying that no one could touch Jey Uso. Ripley grabbed Dom by the arm. Dom asked what they were doing. Ripley said they were going to the ring…
An ad for NXT spotlighted NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez, as well as Josh Briggs vs. Brooks Jensen in a No DQ match for Tuesday’s television show… [C]
Cole and McAfee said they will co-host the SummerSlam Kickoff event on the Friday of SummerSlam weekend…
Backstage, Jackie Redmond asked Sheamus what was happening between him and Pete Dunne. Sheamus said he was still scratching his head. Sheamus addressed Dunne and said their issues could be easily fixed over a pint or they could take it to the ring and find out who the real Bruiserweight is. “Are you up for a banger?” Sheamus asked…
Rhea Ripley made her entrance and pushed a reluctant Dominik Mysterio toward the ring a couple times. Ripley continued to bark at Dom once they were inside the ring. “Liv, you want him, come get him,” Ripley said of Dom.
Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan’s entrance music played, but she didn’t come to the ring. Morgan was shown in the crowd in the section on the side of the arena opposite the stage.
Morgan said she has self control unlike Ripley and therefore would not go to the ring. Morgan said she would wait until SummerSlam. Morgan said she has feelings for Dom and he can’t deny that he also has feelings. Morgan said boys like Dom go for girls who look like her, not Ripley.
Ripley tried to leave the ring to go after Morgan. Dom grabbed Ripley by her right arm and held her. Ripley got upset and asked Dom what he wanted. Dom asked her to let him take care of it.
Morgan asked the fans to let Dom talk. She said she thought she knew what Dom was going to say and she feels the same way. Morgan said Dom could finally say those three little words.
“I hate you, Liv,” Dom said. He added that he doesn’t like Morgan and she has ruined his life. Morgan acted like she was crying and then turned around and walked into the concourse. Ripley was all smiles. Ripley licked Dom’s face and then kissed him. Dom smiled and then held open the ropes for Ripley, who exited the ring and then hugged Dom at ringside…
Powell’s POV: Did Ripley just pull a Brad Marchand? The soap opera fun continues.
[Hour Three] Cole hyped Damian Priest’s show for SummerSlam weekend and then recapped the Priest and Gunther segments from earlier in the show…
Zelina Vega came out with her right arm and hand heavily wrapped and was interviewed by Cathy Kelley. Vega said her injury wouldn’t stop her. She said no one can keep her down. She said it’s time that she starts proving people wrong and shutting them up. Vega headed to the ring for a match against Zoey Stark. McAfee acknowledged the “Push Zelina” hashtag.. [C]
Cole hyped Shawn Michaels action figures and then he and McAfee sang “Happy Birthday” to Michaels while a graphic was shown… Zoey Stark made her entrance with Sonya Deville and Shayna Baszler…
4. Zoey Stark (w/Sonya Deville, Shayna Baszler) vs. Zelina Vega. Vega sold her arm while getting a bit of offense in to start. Stark grabbed the bad arm and wrenched it, but Vega moved the arm when Stark tried to drop her knees on it. A short time later, Stark wrenched the bad arm over the top rope. [C]
Stark hit a missile dropkick on Vega and went back to work on the injured arm. Vega came back with a DDT. Vega went up top and hit a moonsault that led to a two count. Deville distracted the referee while Baszler tripped Vega.
Kayden Carter and Katana Chance ran out and fought Deville and Baszler. Vega hit Stark with the padded elbow area of her brace, then hit Code Red and scored the pin…
Zelina Vega defeated Zoey Stark in 8:50.
Powell’s POV: The #PushZelina campaign feels manufactured, but if it works, great. I wonder how many singles matches there have been in WWE history involving two wrestlers whose first names both start with the letter Z.
Backstage, Xavier Woods told Adam Pearce that he needs to face Karrion Kross in a singles match next week. Pearce asked him if he was sure than booked the match. Woods thanked him and walked away.
Drew McIntyre showed up and was unhappy that Pearce didn’t tell him that Seth Rollins would be the special referee of his match with CM Punk. Pearce informed McIntyre that he and Punk would be in the ring with Rollins next week when Rollins gives them both the official referee instructions. After Pearce left, McIntyre wondered what that meant…
Finn Balor and JD McDonagh were shown in the Judgment Day clubhouse getting fired up for their match… [C] An ad aired for the WrestleMania XL: Behind The Curtain documentary…
Jackie Redmond spoke with WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre. They spoke about appearing on Smackdown to respond to the challenge made by former champions Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill.
Sonya Deville, Zoey Stark, and Shayna Baszler showed up. Deville said Belair and Cargill are not the biggest issue facing Dawn and Fyre, they are. Deville said they would see the duo soon…
A Gunther video package aired. He spoke about how the World Heavyweight Championship needs him to create a new mountaintop. He praised Seth Rollins, yet said being champion drove him into the ground. He said Drew McIntyre’s obsession with CM Punk cost him.
Gunther spoke about how the cracks were showing with current champion Damian Priest. Gunther said he is the only one who can redefine the prestige of the championship. He said he will become the World Heavyweight Champion at SummerSlam…
Sami Zayn and Jey Uso were shown walking through the concourse while fans cheered them. A fan gave them both “Yeet” foam fingers, which they wore while doing their handshake. Zayn and Uso made their entrance through the crowd to Jey’s entrance theme… [C]
An ad for Raw and Syfy aired. Cole listed the following matches for next week’s Raw: Seth Rollins giving referee instructions to CM Punk and Drew McIntyre, Lyra Valkyria, Kayden Carter, and Katana Chance vs. Sonya Deville, Zoey Stark, and Shayna Baszler, Karrion Kross vs. Xavier Woods, and Gunther vs. Finn Balor…
Cole and McAfee ran through the updated SummerSlam lineup… Finn Balor, JD McDonagh, Dominik Mysterio, and Carlito made their entrance for the main event…
5. World Tag Team Champions Finn Balor and JD McDonagh (w/Dominik Mysterio, Carlito) vs. Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn and Jey Uso in a non-title match. Cole played up the possibility of Zayn and Jey earning a tag title match as soon as next week if they could win this match.
Zayn performed a springboard moonsault onto the champions on the floor. Moments later, Carlito ran Zayn into the ring post casing while the referee was tied up with Dom. [C]
A “headlines” graphic recapped notable Raw developments in the lower part of the screen and then the Raw on Syfy graphic appeared on the other side of the screen. The champions isolated Jey for a bit. Jey caught Balor jumping off the top rope with a superkick and made a hot tag.
Zayn hit an exploder suplex on McDonagh, who also tagged in. Zayn set up for his finisher, but Dom grabbed his leg while Carlito distracted the referee. McDonagh took advantage of the distraction by hitting a standing Spanish Fly on Zayn for a near fall. A “this is awesome” chant broke out.
Jey tagged in and then he and Sami hit the 1D on McDonagh. Jey had the pin, but Balor broke it up. Balor dragged McDonagh to his corner and then tagged in. Balor put Jey down with a sling blade clothesline.
Balor set for a move in the corner and then ran into a superkick. Jey knocked Carlito and Dom off the apron, but McDonagh clotheslined him over the top rope. McDonagh hit a shotgun dropkick. Balor hit a Coup de Grace and then McDonagh hit a top rope moonsault and went for the pin, but Zayn broke it up.
The champions placed Jey on the top turnbuckle. Zayn tossed Balor to the floor. Jey headbutted McDonagh. Zayn blasted McDonagh with a Helluva Kick in the corner and then performed a flip dive onto Balor on the floor. Jey hit an Uso Splash on McDonagh and got the three count.
Sami Zayn and Jey Uso defeated World Tag Team Champions Finn Balor and JD McDonagh in 17:20 in a non-title match.
After the match, Bron Breakker entered the ring and speared Zayn. Breakker made a quick exit and smiled at the floor while Jey glared at him…
Powell’s POV: A very good tag team match with a nice clean finish to close the show. I wish Zayn and Jey beating the tag team champions packed more of a punch, but the new champions haven’t even had a successful title defense since they won the titles last month.
Overall, a solid show that did an effective job of building to the SummerSlam matches while also giving attention to some of the undercard programs. I will have a lot more to say about Raw in my weekly same night audio review available exclusively for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Let me know what you thought of Raw by grading the show below.
“well, they are Packers fans” how’s that collection of Vikings Super Bowl rings looking, JASON? 🙂
Probably the same as it will look when Jason turns 90; and yes I live in Minnesota also.
Exactly. It’s not like this is long lost footage. The whole thing is dumb. Punk and Drew might go at it, so 50 security guards come out to stop it. Where are all the guys when these goofs come out?
Is Green Bay a city that doesn’t allow indoor pyro?
So…the Wyatt Sucks can control the production system in the building but they can’t make anything but glitchy, grainy VHS recordings?
This shit has got to end.
Exactly. It’s not like this is long lost footage. The whole thing is dumb. Punk and Drew might go at it, so 50 security guards come out to stop it. Where are all the guys when these goofs come out?
The pyro’s for their beloved Packers!
Lol
Cole just said Uncle Howdy got revenge for Bo Dallas.
This entire gimmick is the embodiment of Dolph Ziggler’s music.
God that was 3 hours of garbage il never get back. I say 3 hours, i fell asleep before the thrown together tag team eliminator zzzzz
Sami and jey gotta be teaming up for a reason
Sami, Jey, Jimmy, Roman, and Brock vs Solo, Jacob, Tama, Tonga, and Talla.
Roman and Brock on the same team?
Hmmmm..That could be interesting..