By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Raw Hits
Penta vs. Dragon Lee vs. Dominik Mysterio in a Triple Threat men’s Money in the Bank qualifier: Man, that was a tough crowd in San Antonio. They greeted Lee with perhaps the quietest reaction to an entrance all night. The fans eventually got into this match, but even that seemed to take longer than it would have in most other buildings. Even so, the follow-up to Penta’s competitive loss to Roman Reigns in Mexico City was strong. I feared that Penta would go back to chasing Chad Gable for the Intercontinental Title, so it was a pleasant surprise when the broadcast team framed him as a main event player, which was followed by him replacing the kidnapped Solo Sikoa and winning this qualifying match.
Roxanne Perez vs. La Catalina vs. Iyo Sky in a Triple Threat women’s Money in the Bank qualifier: An enjoyable match with a finish that caught me by surprise. I figured Sky would go over so she could do some big spots in the MITB ladder, but they made the interesting call to go with Perez instead.
LA Knight: This wasn’t his strongest promo, as he spent too much time putting over Roman Reigns and didn’t do enough to sell me on their match at Money in the Bank. That said, the big positive also involved Knight praising Reigns, in this case for winning his recent title matches without help from The Bloodline. This hasn’t been getting enough attention on WWE television, so it was helpful that Knight put a spotlight on it.
WWE Raw Misses
Bayley vs. Lyra Valkyria: Two good wrestlers wrapped up in a feud that’s colder than Chargers’ quarterback Justin Herbert through two weeks of the NFL season. I give credit to Valkyria for going all in with her crazed character, but it just hasn’t clicked with the fans. And for as much as fans like and respect Bayley, it’s been a while since they seemed genuinely invested in what her character has done on television.
The 946 kidnap Solo Sikoa: Hey, maybe Royce Keys, Bronco Nima, and Lucien Price were the guys in the white van who kidnapped Samoa Joe on TNA television in 2010. Granted, Nima would have been 15 and Price would have been 13, but perhaps 25-year-old Keys was a bad influence. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Anyway, most kidnapping angles in pro wrestling are ridiculous. At least TNA went with a mystery crew (who were frustratingly never revealed), whereas Keys, Nima, and Price kidnapped Solo in plain sight on live television. The should be leading to the three men spending time in a prison cell rather than Hell in a Cell, but viewers are supposed to turn their brains off and accept this far-fetched nonsense. It is worth nothing that all signs point to Jacob Fatu being secretly aligned with the 946. Sure, the beating Fatu gave Keys led to the 946 arrival. But if Roman Reigns beating family members in Tribal Combat matches can lead to them becoming Roman’s minions, then why can’t Fatu’s violent attack on Keys have been to establish the leader of their new faction? This would also help to explain why the guy who lives by the words “all gas, no brakes” continues to encourage the Usos to continue lying low.
Bron Breakker vs. Je’Von Evans: Did these guys have a Freaky Friday body-swap moment once they got the in the ring? Evans slapped Breakker backstage, so it seemed likely that Breakker would get his revenge during the match. Rather, Breakker spent way too much time selling and never looked like the dominant badass who can hang with Oba Femi. On the other hand, Evans not only got the better of Breakker, but he also fought off Bronson Reed and Austin Theory’s interference. One week earlier, Evans beat Theory and Big Bill in a Triple Threat match that he dominated before winning. I’m high on Evans, and I’m all for him being pushed, but this sudden badass approach feels forced. Worse yet, it came at the expense of Breakker on a night when it seemed like his character evolved. The other Vision members were irate when Evans slapped Breakker, who actually stayed calm for a change. This was an interesting development, but it was essentially forgotten once Evans started dominating Breakker.
Joe Hendry and JD McDonagh: How could Hendry be so likable in TNA, yet come off like such a goof on WWE television? I cringed when I saw him leading fans in the concourse in a singalong, and I wanted to turn the channel once I realized it was another angle about McDonagh’s having a head like a Funko Pop.
Nothing announced for next week’s show: A minor Miss. The NFL season is here, meaning Monday Night Football is back and dominating the television ratings again. I can’t think of a worse time for WWE not to advertise matches in advance and leave fans without an incentive to come back the following Monday.
(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.)
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