Powell’s WWE Raw Hit List: AJ Lee, CM Punk, Becky Lynch, and Seth Rollins, The Usos appear, LA Knight vs. Bronson Reed, Lyra Valkyria vs. Raquel Rodriguez, AJ Styles vs. El Grande Americano

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

WWE Raw Hits

AJ Lee and CM Punk segment with Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins: It was fun to hear from Lee again after all these years. I love the way she worked in time to send a great message about good mental health. Lynch did an excellent job of playing the flustered heel. Rollins and Punk played their parts well, but Lee and Lynch carried the segment.

Jey Uso: A feel-good reunión with Jimmy would have more than enough to please the fans, so it’s interesting that they’ve added a new wrinkle by having Jey’s frustration build to a boiling point. The spear on LA Knight after the main event was booed and felt heelish. The idea that this was Jey’s revenge for Knight moving out of the way to avoid a Bronson Reed corner splash that Jey ended up taking earlier in the show wasn’t enough to justify Jey’s spear. It’s hard to say where this is going, but it’s intriguing.

Lyra Valkyria vs. Raquel Rodriguez: My favorite match of the night. It wasn’t a meaningful match, but they worked hard and made the most of their television time. On a side note, I also enjoyed the latest Judgment Day drama with Dominik Mysterio storming away from the group. Roxanne Perez saying she would go talk to him seemed harmless, but Raquel’s reaction showed that her character is still suspicious that something is up with Dom and Perez, and that she is still loyal to the injured Liv Morgan.

Bronson Reed vs. LA Knight: A good match before the latest outside interference and/or distraction finish. It’s a small consolation, but this beats that bad stretch of WWE television with main events that concluded with even weaker disqualification finishes or match outcomes that were never announced.

Asuka vs. Nikki Bella: Asuka going over clean was the right call. She’s featured in one of the most entertaining storylines on Raw, whereas Nikki doesn’t have much going on creatively. Asuka’s attempts to control Iyo Sky and Kairi Sane should set her up as a high-level heel. That said, it’s baffling to me that Rhea Ripley, who is one of the most over wrestlers in the company, isn’t featured on television as often as other stars at her level. Creating compelling storylines for Ripley should be just as much of a priority as it is for the other top stars.

WWE Raw Misses

AJ Styles vs. El Grande Americano: The ring work was solid, and Styles continues to be over. The Miss is for the new Americano gag becoming just as repetitive as the original. The concept is funny, and I got a kick out of the arrival of two more Americanos, but that hasn’t really led to anything.

Rusev vs. Penta: It looked like a fresh and fun match when it was first announced, but it also came with the assumption that the odds of a clean finish were slim and none. Rusev didn’t really gain anything from beating Penta due to New Day’s involvement, though it was nice to see him work with someone other than Sheamus. Penta came off really well during his backstage chat with Adam Pearce. The fans love Penta, and he should be featured more prominently either as a singles wrestler or in a tag team with his brother Rey Fenix.