Powell’s WWE Raw Hit List: A show-stealing match, Royce Keys and OTM attack both teams in the main event, Je’Von Evans gained more while losing than Big Cass did from beating him

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

WWE Raw Hits

Rey Fenix vs. Dragon Lee in a semifinal tournament match for a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship: A terrific spot-fest with back-and-forth near falls that had the live crowd fully invested. Fenix was the favorite due to widespread assumptions that he would face his brother Penta in the tournament final, but the fans still bought into some of Lee’s great near falls. Hopefully, this match will lead to bigger and better things for both wrestlers.

Big Cass vs. Je’Von Evans: This wasn’t a typical Evans match with all of the crowd-pleasing high spots. He worked in some of those spots, but Evans showed an edgier side by taking it to Cass while working a more physical style than usual. It’s great that Evans showed the ability to flip the switch from a fun-loving babyface to having a mean streak, even going so far as to talk shit while beating up the big man. The bloody lip that Cass suffered during the match may have been accidental, but it really enhanced how strong Evans looked in defeat. The post-match attack by Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh left me wondering if this was the end of the Cass vs. Evans feud.

Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso vs. LA Knight and Solo Sikoa with Royce Keys and “OTM” Bronco Nima and Lucien Price: I’m not a fan of WWE’s love of “apparent no-contest” finishes when it only takes a few seconds for the ring announcer to declare what the finish was. I also groaned when the Usos made their babyface entrance through the crowd after coming off like complete heels last week. Now that we have the negatives out of the way, the match was fun while it lasted, and the Keys and OTM attack of both teams was a fun surprise. I’m not sure where this is all going, but I look forward to the follow-up, including what Roman Reigns has to say about it next week.

Stephanie Vaquer vs. Roxanne Perez: A good opener that went longer than anticipated. The outside interference from Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez kept things interesting. Becky Lynch countering Morgan and Rodriguez got a good reaction from the live crowd, and it was good to see Vaquer show that she appreciated the help rather than looking annoyed by Lynch’s help again. It was interesting to hear Michael Cole question whether Vaquer and Lynch can get on the same page. I assumed this was leading to a Triple Threat, and perhaps it still is, but it came off like they might want to get a tag team match or two out of it first.

Oba Femi and Bron Breakker contract signing: A minor Hit. Oba came off like a big star, while Breakker was scripted to look below that level when Oba got the better of their brief fight, and even after Austin Theory helped him out, Breakker still couldn’t get the better of Oba. I suspect that Breakker is going to steal the win in their first match, so perhaps that’s why Oba is being made to look like the stronger of the two. This is still a hot program, but I hope they have a better go-home segment in mind for next week’s Raw.

WWE Raw Misses

Penta vs. La Parka in a semifinal tournament match for a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship: Meh. It felt like a mistake to have this match take place after the red-hot Rey Fenix vs. Dragon Lee match. Fenix and Lee set the bar high, and Penta and La Parka couldn’t measure up. The crowd was flat for this match, and it carried over to the post-match moment between Penta and Fenix. On the bright side, Penta and Fenix should tear the house down if they are given enough time and freedom in their tournament final match next week.

Chad Gable and Ethan Page: An annoying segment with Gable saying he was going to give Page a title shot until Page accused him of giving washed-up wrestlers title shots to avoid him. Gable came off a little too precious, and it was sad to see Page selling Gable’s preachy comments by looking like a boy being scolded by his father. Why does Gable get to decide who he defends the title against?

(Jason Powell, founder and editor of ProWrestling.net, has covered pro wrestling full-time since 1997. He hosts the 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.)