By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Raw Hits
Gunther vs. AJ Styles: This was pushed as a bigger-than-usual Raw main event, complete with being a rare non-title match that received in-ring introductions. The wrestlers produced an enjoyable first match of what should be a multi-match feud. With that in mind, I never expected to see a clean and decisive outcome. The finish they went with has been done before, but it hasn’t been overdone like so many others. I get the argument that veteran Styles should have known better than to release the hold before the referee stepped in to tell him the match was over. It’s also not uncommon for sports fans to see veteran players screw up in ways that are dubbed as rookie mistakes because the idea is that a veteran should know better. As such, it didn’t seem far-fetched to me that the Styles character would feel Gunther tap and then instinctively and/or excitedly release the hold. I doubt we’ll get it, but a simple acknowledgement from Styles that he made a mistake would be a nice touch. Either way, they did a good job of telling the story that Gunther tapped out strategically and that it wasn’t a case of him being lucky that the referee couldn’t see it.
Stephanie Vaquer and Raquel Rodriguez: After having Rodriguez double down with two attacks on Vaquer last week, they, um, triple downed by having her do it again this week. The silver lining to Vaquer suffering what appears to be a minor injury is that it’s led to the creative forces putting heat on Rodriguez and giving the match a stronger build than it likely would have received if Vaquer were healthy. If they play it right, they can use the injury to make Vaquer seem vulnerable before and during their eventual showdown match.
Liv Morgan and Roxanne Perez vs. “The Kabuki Warriors” Asuka and Kairi Sane vs. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria in a three-way to become No. 1 contenders to the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles: The match was good for a soft Hit, even if I wasn’t a fan of the segment that kinda, sorta set it up. With Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky as champions, it felt like the heel teams were the favorites, but there was a bit of a mystery because they just as easily could have gone with Asuka and Sane getting a rematch after dropping the tag team titles last week.
CM Punk and Finn Balor: A soft Hit for a decent segment. I just rolled my eyes when Punk started to wrap up his promo in record time. Has any Punk in-ring promo ever come close to being that brief? Punk and Balor followed that up with a good verbal exchange. While there’s no reason to view Balor as a threat to win the title next week, it will be fun to see how his hometown fans react to both men. Will Belfast become what Long Island was for Punk during his AEW run?
Penta and Dragon Lee vs. Bronson Reed and Austin Theory: A soft Hit for the solid action before the weak DQ finish. The post-match angle was the true highlight of the segment. Bron Breakker had a good bounce-back week after losing to CM Punk on last week’s show. Adam Pearce always does a great job of acting angry, and it was an interesting twist when he suspended Breakker indefinitely, only for Heyman to point out that Pearce put his hands on Breakker first. Pearce was even more fired up than usual. There’s a lesson to be learned here, kids. When your favorite team is eliminated from the playoffs, as Pearce’s Green Bay Packers were on Saturday, it’s best to call in sick to work for a day or two to avoid taking out frustrations on your subordinates. As a Minnesota sports fan, I’m sadly an expert in this field.
WWE Raw Misses
Opening segment: A minor Miss for a showcase of the brand’s female tag teams. The teams all made quick appearances and fought without actually setting up anything. Sure, the three-way tag team match was eventually announced, but this was a rare opening segment that didn’t provide a hook designed to keep viewers watching.
Je’Von Evans vs. Bravo: A minor Miss. While Evans can learn plenty from being in the ring with Ludwig Kaiser, Pete Dunne, and Tyler Bate, he doesn’t really gain anything from beating the Bravo or Rayo characters. Beating El Grande Americano doesn’t mean much, so getting the better of his sidekicks feels more expected than impressive.
(Jason Powell, founder and editor of ProWrestling.net, has covered pro wrestling full-time dating back to 1997. He hosts a weekly podcast, Pro Wrestling Boom, and also appears regularly on the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast. Reach him via email at dotnetjason@gmail.com and on social media via @prowrestlingnet.bsky.social or x.com/prowrestlingnet. For his full bio and information on this website, click here.)
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