By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Raw (Episode 1,680)
Brooklyn, New York at Barclays Center
Streamed live August 4, 2025, on Netflix
[Hour One] Raw opened with a SummerSlam video package… Michael Cole checked in on commentary while a shot aired of the exterior of the building. New WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, and Women’s World Champion Naomi were featured backstage/arrival shots…
New World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins made his entrance with Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, and Paul Heyman. Reed wore the “shoelafala” around his neck. Breakker seemed to be moving fairly well, considering that his leg was heavily wrapped at the end of SummerSlam night one. Rollins took turns hugging his three allies once they were all inside the ring.
There were loud “CM Punk” chants after Rollins’ entrance theme played. Heyman introduced himself. He pointed at the championship belt and said it’s evidence that he is The GOAT. Heyman said he’s not just the greatest of all time, he is “your humble Oracle.” He spoke about being humbled by being in the presence of Breakker and “The Tribal Thief” Reed.
Heyman said this is the point where he would have introduced Roman Reigns, but Heyman said he hasn’t been champion for a year and a half. He said he would be introducing CM Punk as the champion, but Punk wasn’t champion long enough to have sideplates put on the title belt.
Heyman said Punk had one of the greatest title matches with Gunther. Heyman said Rollins not only crashed the wedding, he stole the honeymoon with the title “and she was good.” Heyman delivered a big introduction for Rollins as the new champion and then handed him the microphone. Fans chanted Rollins’ entrance theme before he spoke.
“Brooklyn,” Rollins yelled. “Shame on you.” Rollins shamed everyone who turned their back on him after he won the main event of WrestleMania. Rollins said shame on everyone who taunted him with chants for Punk or OTC. Rollins said the lesson is that people should never doubt him again.
Rollins said he’d been a marked man for months. Rollins said shame on not only the fans, but every person in the locker room who made it their mission to stop him from successfully cashing in his Money in the Bank contract. Rollins said everyone backstage thinks they are so smart. Rollins said he always has a Plan B.
Rollins said this Plan B was top secret. He said he told two people in the world, his wife and Heyman. Rollins said they achieved absolute power, and no one can stop them. “This is the way forward,” Rollins said. “This is The Vision.”
LA Knight made his entrance and entered the ring. Knight congratulated Rollins, Heyman, and “morons.” Knight said he wasn’t there for a fight; he was there to get some answers. Knight said people wondered why Rollins had to fake an injury when he had the MITB briefcase. Knight said Rollins faked the injury to avoid Knight’s threat of taking his dignity.
Knight reminded Rollins that he was the last person to beat him and said he would be the next person to beat him. Knight said there was no better time or place. Rollins played up defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Knight during Raw, then said no and dropped the mic. Rollins and his crew exited the ring.
Raw general manager Adam Pearce walked onto the stage. He said he normally wouldn’t make a world championship match with no promotion, but normally, a wrestler wouldn’t have his medical team lie to the WWE medical team. Pearce said to hell with normal. He said Rollins would defend the championship against Knight during the show. Pearce said that since Rollins stole a great moment from the fans at SummerSlam, it’s only appropriate that he steal something from Rollins. Pearce said Breakker and Reed were banned from ringside…
“The Judgment Day” Dominik Mysterio, Finn Balor, JD McDonagh, Raquel Rodriguez, and Roxanne Perez were shown walking backstage. Dom was boasting about beating AJ Styles at SummerSlam. Rodriguez told Perez they should go regroup.
Dom, Balor, and McDonagh spotted “LWO” members Dragon Lee, Joaquin Wilde, and Cruz Del Toro. Dom asked what they were doing in his hallway. Lee challenged Dom to a match. Dom said he was on.
AJ Styles showed up after the LWO trio left. Styles said what Dom did with his boot at SummerSlam was clever. Styles said he was still coming after Dom. He said Dom would run out of tricks, and his time was running out…
Rusev made his entrance heading into the first commercial break and was introduced by ring announcer Alicia Taylor… [C]
Powell’s POV: I’m not sure whether Lee challenged Dom to a singles match or if they set up a six-man tag match. Anyway, the Rollins promo was solid, yet unspectacular. The gloating of Rollins and Heyman was fine, but I was hoping for a better explanation of how his plan worked.
Cast members of the second season of Netflix’s Wednesday were shown in the crowd. Podcast host Joe Budden was also shown in the crowd. Corey Graves, who was on color commentary, called Budden a world-famous rapper… Sheamus made his entrance…
1. Sheamus vs. Rusev. Sheamus rushed into the ring and immediately fought Rusev to start the match. Sheamus hit White Noise from the middle rope heading into a break. [C] Rusev and Sheamus fought at ringside. Rusev ran Sheamus into the ring steps. Sheamus dumped Rusev over the barricade. Rusev grabbed him from behind and hit him with three shots in Ten Beats fashion. Sheamus grabbed Rusev and hit him with the actual Ten Beats and beyond, but both men were counted out.
Sheamus fought Rusev to a double count-out in 10:00.
After the match, Rusev grabbed the top part of the ring steps and slammed them into the head of Sheamus. Rusev grabbed the shillelagh, but Sheamus hit him with a Brogue Kick while security, producers, and referees struggled to keep them apart…
Footage aired from earlier in the day of “New Day” Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods wearing ridiculously over-the-top black garb while continuing to mourn their loss of the World Tag Team Titles. Grayson Waller showed up and questioned where they were the week before. Kingston blamed Adam Pearce for not giving them what they deserved.
Waller approached Pearce, who just happened to be a few feet away while talking with Penta. Waller called for New Day to get a tag title shot. Pearce said they could have one when they earn it. Pearce booked Waller in a match against Penta…
Penta made his entrance… [C]
Powell’s POV: A graphic listed Dom vs. Lee for later in the show, so that cleared up my earlier confusion. The latest Sheamus vs. Rusev match was a good brawl until the weak finish. I got a kick out of New Day morning the loss of the tag team titles the first week. Woods wore an absurdly huge hat, meaning they are now resorting to the type of cutesy humor I hoped they left behind when they turned heel.
SummerSlam still shots were shown…
2. Penta vs. Grayson Waller. Waller’s entrance was not televised. Waller was down at ringside after Penta got the better of him for about 90 seconds. Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods walked out in their mourning attire (including Woods’ giant hat). Waller took advantage of the distraction and put Penta down with a clothesline at ringside. [C]
Kingston and Woods sat in on commentary. Penta and Waller traded big strikes and then clotheslined one another. Waller went to the floor and tried to do his rolling finisher, but Petna caught him with a superkick. Penta followed up with clunky Destroyer and then got the three count.
Penta defeated Grayson Waller in 8:20.
After the match, Kingston and Woods entered the ring and bickered with Penta. Kingston knelt down to check on Waller. Woods got cocky with Penta, who pushed him over Kingston.
[Hour Two] Penta cleared the duo from the ring and then put Woods’ giant hat on. Penta threw the hat frisbee style, and then dove onto the New Day duo on the floor…
Powell’s POV: It wasn’t enough to change my tune on New Day’s cutesy humor, but I must admit that Penta’s antics with the giant hat were fun.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss were shown walking backstage. Rusev and Sheamus brawled into the area. Cole set up a WWE Unreal clip that focused on Flair… [C]
Cole set up a video package that recapped the return of Brock Lesnar, who attacked John Cena at the end of SummerSlam night two… A graphic touted that Lesnar’s return generated 75 million social media views within the first 12 hours…
Cole and Graves were shown at the broadcast table. Cole said Nick Khan and Paul Levesque told him that they reached out to Lesnar a number of weeks ago and told him that they thought it was time for him to come home. Cole said they told him that Lesnar said, “Let’s do it.” Cole hyped John Cena for Friday’s Smackdown. Graves hyped the World Heavyweight Championship match for later in the show…
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss made their entrance. There was a “you deserve it” chant. Flair said that might be her first “you deserve it” champion, and thanked the Brooklyn fans for it. Flair said it felt amazing to be champion again. Bliss said she thought Flair meant it was amazing for the two of them to be champions. Flair conceded it was nice. Bliss thought Flair was about to use the “F-word” (friendship). Flair said Bliss is a pain in her “A-word.”
Former champions Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez made their entrance and joined Flair and Bliss in the ring. Rodriguez said she understood they may not get a rematch, but she and Perez “did not come out here to not take those titles back tonight. Huh? Flair and Bliss decided to put the titles on their line on the spot.
Adam Pearce came out and told them to take a breath. Pearce teased the possibility of holding off on the match, but then he said tonight wasn’t normal and booked the match. A referee ran out… [C]
3. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss vs. Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles. The match was joined in progress. Perez dropkicked Flair off the apron and then hit her with a suicide dive. Later, Rodriguez caught Bliss going for a cannonball off the apron. Rodrigeuz dumped her onto the barricade. [C]
Flair went on an offensive roll with a cartwheel lariat. She also hit a top rope moonsault onto both opponents simultaneously. The challengers came back briefly, but Flair slammed Perez’s face into the middle turnbuckle and clotheslined Rodriguez off the apron. Perez rallied with a huracanrana that pulled Flair off the ropes. Rodriguez tagged in and hit Flair with a corkscrew elbow and went for the pin, but Bliss broke it up.
Flair sidestepped Rodriguez, who ended up on the apron. Flair knocked her off with a big boot. Perez sent both champions to the floor and then set up for a suicide dive, but Bliss returned to the ring and cut her off. Bliss hit Sister Abigail and scored the pin…
Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss beat Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez in 12:45 of television time to retain the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles.
Powell’s POV: A fun match. These teams work well together, which is one of the reasons why I hoped they would keep Flair and Bliss in chase mode rather than have them win the titles at SummerSlam.
Iyo Sky was talking with Asuka and Kairi Sane when Rhea Ripley interrupted and asked for a word with Sky. Asuka and Sane made their exit. Ripley said she heard that Sky went to Adam Pearce and asked for a singles match for the Women’s World Championship. Sky said she didn’t get pinned at SummerSlam. Ripley said there’s nothing she would like to do more than finally beat Sky and take the title from her. Ripley went to leave, but Sky stopped her and told her that she would never beat her…
Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio made his entrance… [C] Cole hyped SummerSlam coming to Minneapolis next year, and touted the VIP packages… More SummerSlam still shots were shown… Highlights aired from SummerSlam of Becky Lynch beating Lyra Valkyria when Bayley’s interference backfired…
Backstage, Valkyria caught up with Bayley and told her that she didn’t want to hear her excuses. Valkyria said she screwed things up for Bayley, who now screwed things up for her. Valkyria said they are not good for one another. She said they are not friends and told Bayley to stay out of her life forever… Graves hyped Triplemania for August 16…
4. Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio vs. Dragon Lee in a non-title match. Lee’s entrance was not televised. Dom was in offensive control heading into a break. [C] Lee had Dom in the tree of woe and hit him with a double stomp. El Grande Americano ran out and climbed on the apron. The second Americano showed up. Lee knocked them both off the apron. A third Americano arrived and took a cheap shot at Lee while the referee was focused on the other two. Dom took his boot off and hit Lee with it, then the referee turned around and counted the pin.
Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio beat Dragon Lee in 8:30 in a non-title match.
After the match, Dom set up to hit Lee with his boot, but AJ Styles came out and chased him off. AJ ended up with Dom’s boot and threw it at him. Styles shook hands with Lee…
Powell’s POV: Three Americanos is funny. Three Americanos leading to the addition of WWE Trios Titles would be soul-crushing.
Sami Zayn spoke with Jackie Redmond in a backstage area. Zayn said his win over Karrion Kross wasn’t about proving him wrong. Zayn recalled having the pipe in his hand, and assumed that Kross, Scarlett, and some people would have liked if he had used it as a weapon. Zayn said it would have felt good if he had. He said it’s not about who he is, it’s about who he wants to be. Zayn said he wants to be a world champion, and he will be, but he wants to do it right.
Sheamus and Rusev brawled into the area and bumped into Zayn to end his interview. Referees held back Zayn, who yelled, “What was that?”…
Becky Lynch was shown walking backstage… [C] Cole plugged the WWE podcasts… Rapper Method Man was shown in the crowd. Dave East, Da’Vinchi, and Adam Blackstone were also shown in the crowd…
Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch made her entrance to her new theme song. Graves praised the song by The Wonder Years, who are hopefully working on a song for Lynch’s heel husband that won’t be chanted like he’s a babyface. Anyway, Lynch boasted that Lyra Valkyria won’t be getting additional title shots. Lynch said it’s time to open the floor to new competitors.
[Hour Three] Lynch said that wouldn’t be happening tonight. Nikki Bella’s entrance theme interrupted Lynch, and then she made her entrance. Nikki said Lynch is one of the greatest of all time. Lynch corrected her and said she’s the greatest. Nikki said it was easy to step aside because the women’s division was in good hands with Lynch, who thanked her.
Nikki said Lynch turned out to be such a disappointment and accused her of handcuffing the next generation. She asked if Lynch came back because she was jealous of watching Valkyria kill it, or because Hollywood isn’t what she thought it would be.
Lynch reminded Nikki about her role in Happy Gilmore 2. Lynch recalled Nikki being on the set and then reminded her that her scenes were cut from the movie. Nikki said she’s not buying what Lynch says and accused her of being a liar just like her husband. Nikki said everyone bought Seth’s lie, but no one buys Lynch’s lies. Nikki said Lynch is the same scared little girl she was when she entered the division.
Lynch told Nikki not to talk about her and her hot husband. Lynch claimed she and Rollins are the greatest wrestling couple of all time. Lynch said that would have been Nikki and someone else at one time, but Nikki can’t see him anymore. Lynch did the “you can’t see me” hand gesture. The fans popped big and chanted “holy shit.” Nikki smiled and nodded.
Lynch said that when she came up, she did it to combat Nikki’s era. Nikki said Lynch was afraid to face her during her era, then challenged her to a title match. Nikki led the crowd in a “yes” chant. Lynch said she and Nikki never went one-on-one. She teased explaining why, and then dropped Nikki with a sucker punch. Lynch left the ring…
Powell’s POV: The crowd was quiet for Lynch’s solo promo, but they were invested in her back and forth with Nikki. It seems odd to have these two veterans feuding over the secondary championship. Nonetheless, I’m looking forward to their match.
Byron Saxton interviewed Women’s World Champion Naomi in a backstage area. Naomi said she warned everyone that she would leave SummerSlam with her title. Naomi said she would defend her title against Iyo Sky on next week’s Raw.
Stephanie Vaquer showed up and said that she would face the winner of Naomi vs. Sky for the title at Clash in Paris. Naomi said it would definitely be her. She said she would she would take Vaquer’s horns and stick them so far up Vaquer’s behind that she would leave Paris with a limp…
Cole and Graves spoke at their desk and said Gunther would be out of action indefinitely with a nose injury suffered during his match with CM Punk… Graves hyped new WWE Champion Cody Rhodes for Friday’s Smackdown…
Cole listed the following matches for next week’s Raw in Quebec City: Sami Zayn vs. Rusev, and Naomi vs. Iyo Sky for the Women’s World Championship…
LA Knight was shown walking backstage while Cole said the main event was up next… [C]
Becky Lynch was walking backstage when she was approached by Natalya, Maxxine Dupri, and Akira Tozawa. Natalya said she used to be friends with Lynch, but what she did to Nikki Bella was wrong. Natalya challenged Lynch to a match for next week. Lynch accepted, but then said she’d be facing Dupri rather than Natalya…
LA Knight made his entrance for the main event. Seth Rollins made his entrance with Paul Heyman while Cole reminded viewers that Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed were banned from ringside during the match…
5. Seth Rollins (w/Paul Heyman) vs. LA Knight for the World Heavyweight Championship. Alicia Taylor delivered in-ring introductions for the title match. Rollins had Knight draped over the ringside barricade and then hit him with a double stomp. [C]
Rollins performed a Buckle Bomb and then went for a Stomp, but Knight avoided it and picked up a near fall moments later. A “this is awesome” chant broke out. Knight avoided another Stomp attempt and then put Rollins down with a DDT.
Moments later, Rollins fled to ringside. Knight kicked him through the ropes and then Rollins tumbled over the broadcast table. Knight tried to pick up Rollins, who hit him below the belt. Rollins ran Knight into the ring post casing and then worked him over with punches on the floor. Rollins pulled the ringside pad back and set up for a Stomp on the floor, but CM Punk hopped the barricade and attacked Rollins for the DQ.
Seth Rollins beat LA Knight by apparent DQ in 14:00 to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.
After the match, Punk worked over Rollins at ringside and then inside the ring. Knight was upset about Punk interfering in the match and pulled Punk off Rollins. Punk blew off Knight and went after Rollins at ringside, but Bron Breakker ran out and speared Punk. Knight went after Breakker, but Bronson Reed ran into him.
Reed and Breakker brought Punk and Knight inside the ring. Reed held Knight while Breakker ran the ropes and then speared him. Rollins returned to the ring and Stomped Knight. Reed held Punk, and then Rollins gave Punk a Stomp. Rollins held up his title belt while Breakker and Reed stood next to him as the executive producer credits were shown. CM Punk stood on the apron and mockingly chanted Punk’s name. The heels went to ringside and posed.
Roman Reigns’ entrance music played. Reigns took out Reed with a Superman Punch. Reigns worked over Breakker with punches and then ran him into the ring steps. Reigns looked up at Rollins, who was in the ring. Rollins motioned for Reigns to bring it. Reigns climbed on the apron and entered the ring, but Rollins ducked out the other side.
Breakker tried to hit Reigns from behind, but Reigns saw him coming. Reed went after Reigns, who also put him down and then threw punches at him. Rollins entered the ring and blindsided Reigns with a Stomp. Rollins and Reed held up Reigns, and then Breakker ran the ropes and speared him. Reed followed up with a Tsunami on Reigns. Breakker held Reigns down, and then Reed hit another Tsunami.
Adam Pearce entered the ring with producers and referees, but Reed hit Reigns with another Tsunami. Rollins and Pearce argued. Rollins held up his title belt. Reed stole another pair of shoes from Reigns. The heels posed to close the show while Graves said, “Absolute power, total control.” Cole said to never doubt Rollins again…
Powell’s POV: Another heavy heat angle for the Rollins crew, which I’m all for. Reigns took a spear and three Tsunamis, so this was probably meant to write him out temporarily. Rollins didn’t beat Knight clean, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they run it back or go with a Triple Threat with Punk at Clash in Paris. Overall, a good follow-up to SummerSlam. I will be back later tonight with my weekly same-night audio review of Raw for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Let me know what you thought of Raw by grading it below.
I wonder if Bronson and Breakker being banned from ringside means there’s a new member of Rollins’ group tonight.
Part of me was hoping so, but no one really jumps out as an obvious fourth man.
Karrion Kross?
Where was Jey Uso I wonder?
My gut tells me that Kross is going to “disappear,” but it’s another kayfabe-bending curveball.
It’s set up nicely for Kross to reappear suddenly and tipping a title shot in Sammy’s favor, keeping him from claiming a win “the right way.”
Did I miss something? Where was Jey Uso? Wouldn’t it have made logical sense for him to try to help Roman? Especially after Roman took the bullet for him at Summerslam? Seems odd.
Maybe he was in the concourse just waiting and waiting for someone to play his music? Okay, I have no idea. But they can always cover that one next week by coming up an some excuse for why he wasn’t in the building.
They should bring in a newer version of The FBI in masks and call them the Cappuccinos to feud with the Americanos.
I find it typical that people like WWE, so they can do angles and they have no issue with it, but if another company did it, it would be “racist” or “stereotypical” or “they shouldn’t say/do that at this time.”
Happens in politics too, with the “woke” virtue signaling ones who seem to have “left” their moral high ground at the door if it’s one of their own doing or saying it…
WTF are you even talking about, Snowflake Mike?
I’m watching past nights RAW Tuesday afternoon.
The female ref with terrible posture is calling the entire match for the ladies. And she’s even louder than Cena.