The John Report: WWE Raw Deal 07/07/25 Review
It’s WWE Raw featuring Seth Rollins in action against Penta, Sami Zayn facing Bron Breakker, and more.
The second half of the year is here as WWE gears up for a busy week. They have Saturday Night’s Main Event on July 12th, and one night later is the women’s only Evolution show on Sunday, July 13th. I’m happy that Evolution is taking place, but it feels like WWE could have done a lot better in terms of promoting the event. Looking ahead, SummerSlam is just around the corner on August 2 and 3, and it is one of the biggest WWE shows of the year. I’m back from a one-week vacation, and I’ve reviewed all the shows I missed. Check them out in The John Report section on TJRWrestling, in case you missed them.
This is the Raw Deal for episode #1676 of Monday Night Raw. It’s taking place at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island. Follow me on Twitter/X @johnreport. Let’s get to it.
The show started with a cool drone shot as the camera flew into the arena, showcasing the capacity crowd. There was a pre-show walking show of Sami Zayn, Jey Uso, Penta, and The Judgment Day, including newcomer Roxanne Perez.
Let’s Hear from Seth Rollins and Friends
Seth Rollins made his entrance as Mr. Money in the Bank, joined by the WWE Hall of Famer Paul Heyman, Bronson Reed, and Bron Breakker. The three wrestlers all have singles matches on this show. Breakker and Reed were in their wrestling gear. Rollins faces LA Knight at Saturday Night’s Main Event as well. The fans were singing Seth’s song as usual.
Bron Breakker took the microphone from Paul Heyman. Bron said that he’s standing there in the ring because Seth Rollins and Paul Heyman have a vision for him in WWE, with Bron as a main event player for the next two decades. Bron also envisions a WWE without Sami Zayn. Bron trashed Zayn’s ugly face and his stupid beard, and he doesn’t like that people sing his music. Bron bashed Zayn as somebody who didn’t play sports and didn’t even go to the gym. Bron said that Zayn is trying to get a little more out of the rag, while also noting that Zayn has an expiration date. Bron said that he’s going to maul Zayn’s head off, and he’ll be looking at the lights by the end of it. While Bron spoke, Seth and Heyman acted nervous about what Bron was going to say.
Analysis: Good intensity is shown by Breakker. He doesn’t get to talk that much as part of this group, but he has improved a lot over the last few years.
Rollins asked Bron if he was good, and he was about to say more, but Bronson Reed took the microphone from him.
Reed said that he was the man who hit Seth with six Tsunamis, which built respect between them. Reed said that Seth brought Reed into this group, and with Seth’s vision, Reed will get the respect that he deserves. Reed said that Jey Uso doesn’t respect him, so Reed will Tsunami the respect into you just like he did to Seth Freakin Rollins.
Heyman said tonight, the empire strikes back. Heyman said that the empire strikes first. Heyman discussed Bron Breakker facing Sami Zayn, and he mentioned that Zayn may have gone home to Montreal to escape Breakker. Heyman noted that Reed would face Paul’s former Bloodline ally Jey Uso, claiming that Roman Reigns doesn’t have the balls to step up to them. Heyman said that Reed would take care of Jey. Heyman added that Seth Rollins pinned Roman Reigns at WrestleMania, and he’ll don the tights tonight against Penta. Heyman spoke in Spanish to Penta. Heyman said he doesn’t understand the hand signals that Penta does, but after he gets stomped into the mat tonight, Penta won’t be in the shape to do the hand signals again. Heyman said that’s not a prediction, that’s a spoiler. There were “CM Punk” chants that Rollins didn’t acknowledge.
Rollins welcomed us to Monday Night Rollins and dropped the microphone to end the opening promo.
Analysis: It set the stage for three matches coming up on this week’s show involving the Rollins group that still doesn’t have a name. Rollins didn’t say much, but I thought Bron and Reed did well, while Heyman was great as usual. Is this group going to get a name? I don’t know. It’s been three months, and there is still no name.
Michael Cole and Corey Graves were the commentary team. They welcomed us to the show. Alicia Taylor was the ring announcer.
The Judgment Day was shown in their clubhouse, with all five members currently holding titles. Raquel Rodriguez pointed at a photo of Liv Morgan in the room with candles. Perez said that she made it for Dominik Mysterio. Raquel claimed Liv is going to be back soon. Finn Balor said it took him eight months to recover from his shoulder injury. Raquel talked about Perez facing Kairi Sane tonight, and Perez said she’s got it. Finn Balor and JD McDonagh talked about their business while Dominik Mysterio thanked them for the “Get Well Soon” cake. Dominik read the cake and said it was from AJ Styles. That led to AJ Styles standing in the background to stare at Dom, which was funny. Dominik said he had a doctor’s note.
Analysis: The Judgment Day has momentum again with a lot of gold. The Liv picture in the room was funny, and so was AJ staring at Dom from a distance.
Kairi Sane made her entrance for singles action. They went to a break for some fans as Roxanne Perez made her entrance.
Roxanne Perez (w/Raquel Rodriguez) vs. Kairi Sane
Perez attacked Sane with punches to start the match. Perez did a hair pull takedown. Sane went for a sunset flip, but Perez countered it by sitting on top for two. Perez avoided a back fist and sent Sane into the middle rope. Sane and Perez took turns going for unique pin attempts for about four two counts in a row. Perez slapped Sane in the face. Sane did a headscissors, and Sane hit a spinning back fist to the head. Sane hit a running forearm while Perez was against the ropes. Sane jumped off the apron with a clothesline on the floor. Back in the ring, Raquel did a distraction and Perez knocked Sane off the top rope. Perez stomped on Sane’s left arm by the turnbuckle. They went on a break for some fans, and I’ll take a break too.
It was Perez in control with a springboard moonsault on Sane for a two count. That was a nasty landing where it looked like Perez landed on Sane’s head/upper body area hard. Perez pulled back on the arm. Sane came back with a kick that barely touched her, so Graves covered for her, saying that Sane didn’t get all of it. Perez wrenched on the left arm again. Perez did cartwheel with her knees hitting Sane in the head. Sane headbutted Perez down from the turnbuckle. Sane jumped off the top rope and hit a forearm. Sane charged, Perez moved and Sane hit an Alabama Slam. Sane went up top and Raquel pulled Perez out of the ring. Sane jumped off the top with a cross body block on Raquel on the floor. Perez kicked Sane down low, Perez wanted Pop Rox and Sane did a backslide pin for the three count. It went about 11 minutes.
Winner by pinfall: Kairi Sane
Analysis: **3/4 It was a solid match that had some sloppy moments along the way, but they got through it. Sometimes, when two wrestlers meet for the first time in singles, they have those sloppy moments. Perez was on offense for about 80% of the match before Sane found a way to win with the deadly backslide pin.
After the match, Raquel knocked down Sane with a forearm to the back. Perez joined in, leading to Raquel hitting Sane with a boot to the face. Asuka ran down to the ring for the save. Asuka knocked down Perez and Asuka hit strikes to knock down Raquel. Perez hit Asuka, so Raquel hit a clothesline. Raquel tried a lift on Asuka, but Sane dropkicked Raquel to stop that. Asuka hit a running Empress Attack to knock Raquel off the apron. Asuka held Perez and Sane jumped off the top with an Insane Elbow on Perez. Asuka hugged Sane for this reunion of the Kabuki Warriors. The fans cheered.
Analysis: That was a good post match angle to reunite Asuka and Sane as a team. I liked that.
A replay was shown of last week when Karrion Kross attacked Sami Zayn backstage. Zayn lost a tag team match later in the show.
Sami Zayn was interviewed by Jackie Redmond in the backstage area. Zayn talked about dealing with a rib injury and wanting revenge on Karrion Kross, but he has to pay attention to Bron Breakker tonight. Zayn said he didn’t care that Bron mocked him. After Zayn left, Scarlett walked into the scene and Jackie asked what was going on, but Scarlett didn’t say much.
The New Day walked out wearing black, and they had flowers. This was during a break. Kofi Kingston claimed that the tag team division had died. Xavier Woods said that the World Tag Team Titles were stolen from them. Kofi said that they will demand a championship rematch. Woods said that you should fall to your knees, raise your hands to the sky, and scream out, “Thank God for The New Day.” The fans booed.
Analysis: It was a silly heel promo. Good stuff.
Raw GM Adam Pearce talked to American Made’s The Creed Brothers and Ivy Nile. Pearce said that El Grande Americano has a match tonight. Brutus Creed mentioned that it couldn’t happen because it was Chad Gable, but Julius tried to get him not to say it. Ivy Nile said she wanted to be in the Evolution battle royal, and Pearce said she was in.
Asuka and Kairi Sane spoke with Adam Pearce, stating they wanted to face The Judgment Day. Pearce said they can represent Raw in the Women’s Tag Team Title match at Evolution because it’s the return of the Kabuki Warriors. Asuka and Sane liked that.
Analysis: I thought there would be a qualifying match to get a title shot, but instead, it’s just going to the Kabuki Warriors.
Nikki Bella was featured in a backstage promo saying she wants one more moment to prove what she can do. Nikki said that she’ll prove it when she enters the battle royal at Evolution. Nikki said she’ll do whatever it takes to win. Nikki wants that title match at Clash in Paris. Nikki said you don’t run from your past. Nikki said that she’ll prove to everybody again why Nikki Bella is fearless.
Analysis: It was a good promo from Nikki, showing a lot of confidence. She could win the battle royal, but I think Stephanie Vaquer will also be a popular pick to win.
Sami Zayn made his entrance for singles action. Karrion Kross attacked him from behind. Scarlett had a pipe, so Kross used the pipe to hit Zayn in the taped ribs. Adam Pearce and officials went out there to get Kross out of there. Zayn was down selling the rib injury.
They spent three minutes during the break for some fans, with Zayn telling officials that he was fine to compete. Pearce was hesitant, but he let Zayn compete in the match.
Bron Breakker vs. Sami Zayn
Bron was in control after the match began because Zayn was selling the rib injury. Bron pulled the tape off Zayn’s ribs, and Bron hit a double knee attack to the ribs. Bron set up for a Spear, but Zayn was back up with a clothesline to stop that. The fans got behind Zayn as he sold the ribs and hit a double axhandle to knock Bron down. Zayn jumped off the turnbuckle again, but this time Bron hit a huge Spear! That was awesome. Zayn rolled out of the ring while Bron made angry faces at the camera. Bron ran around the ring while Cole was telling Zayn to look out. Bron hit a running Spear on Zayn on the floor. I don’t think Bron hit him that hard, but Zayn sold it well. Cole was shouting about how they should stop the match. Bron sent Zayn into the ring, Bron ran the ropes, and Bron hit another Spear for the pinfall win after five minutes.
Winner by pinfall: Bron Breakker
Analysis: **1/2 This wasn’t about having the best match possible and we’ve seen these two guys have better matches in the past. This was about the story of Zayn trying his best to compete despite a rib injury, but he couldn’t do it, and Bron destroyed Zayn in this match. Zayn might be the best performer in WWE in terms of selling an injury. As a story, it was very well done.
A replay was shown of last week when Bayley brawled with Lyra Valkyria.
Raw GM Adam Pearce was talking to the War Raiders, who wanted Pearce to keep them in consideration. The New Day arrived in all-black gear, and they wanted to know when they would get their rematch. The War Raiders said you don’t get automatic rematches. Becky Lynch walked in saying, “Sorry for your loss” to The New Day. Lynch complimented New Day on getting rid of Big E, who she called a scumbag. Lynch walked toward the ring for a promo coming up.
JD McDonagh was featured in a video package that aired during a break for some fans. JD talked about how tough he is and how you don’t know what he’s capable of.
Let’s Hear from Becky Lynch
The Women’s Intercontinental Champion, Becky Lynch, made her entrance for a promo. She is defending the Women’s IC Title against Bayley and Lyra Valkyria at Evolution.
Lynch wondered how Bayley and Lyra got a title match against her when they both lost last week. Lynch talked about how she is the greatest women’s wrestler of all time, so she gets it that Pearce needs her to be on Evolution. Lynch said that she beat Lyra and Bayley, so she should get to pick her own opponent, like Iyo and Tiffany. Lynch said she picked a woman in the crowd who she could easily beat. Lynch claimed that Bayley and Lyra were working together to try to take the title from Becky.
Bayley interrupted and walked down to the ring for a promo, but here comes Lyra Valkyria as well. Lyra walked right past Bayley and went into the ring. Lyra called Lynch a raving lunatic. Lyra thinks it’s time to take back her title. Bayley said that the way she sees it, she should be standing there as the IC Champion if it wasn’t for Lyra two weeks ago. Bayley said if WrestleMania taught her anything, she doesn’t need partners or friends. Bayley said she needs that championship.
Lynch said after 13 years of failed friendships for Bayley, another one bites the dust. Lynch said that Lyra dropped her at WrestleMania. Lyra said that everybody thinks that Lyra brought back Lynch, but it was Lynch secretly attacking Bayley and Lynch called Lyra. Lynch said that Lyra didn’t hesitate. Lynch continued to try to push their buttons. Lyra said that Bayley doesn’t seem to care about friendship when it comes to championship gold, so that makes her like Becky. Lyra said that she needed to rescue that title from two disappointments.
Bayley talked about how she supported Lyra became a champion and a double champion. Bayley said then she saw Lyra lose that title and raise Lynch’s hand like a little bitch. Lyra hit Bayley and sent Bayley out of the ring. Lyra hit Nightwing on Lynch. Bayley went back into the ring, and Lyra hit Nightwing on Bayley as well. Lyra stood tall over Lynch and Bayley, as they sold the Nightwing in the ring.
Analysis: I liked the promo exchange with Lyra Valkyria standing tall when things got physical. Becky Lynch was in the role of the woman that was trying to press buttons and piss off the other two women. Meanwhile, Bayley and Lyra continue to have issues even though they respect eachother as babyface friends. That match should be awesome at Evolution. I have enjoyed their singles matches together, and I expect the triple threat match to be intense. The triple threat match at Evolution might be the best match of the night as well. I’m leaning toward a Becky win at this point, but I would be cool with a Bayley win, too.
A video package aired about last week’s Raw when Rusev beat Sheamus in a very physical match.
Seth Rollins was in the locker room with Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed. Bron was upset that Karrion Kross attacked Zayn, and people would think Bron couldn’t do it by himself. Rollins said don’t worry because nobody likes Kross. Rollins said that Bron got the job done. Paul Heyman walked in to say that Sami Zayn was out of action indefinitely. Rollins talked to Reed about how Jey Uso is in perfectly fine health, but Reed said he won’t be after Reed is done with him.
Jey Uso made his entrance from the back part of the arena. The crowd exploded as usual, and they were Yeeting with Jey on his way to the ring. As usual, it took Jey a few minutes to get into the ring. They took a break for some fans at that point, which led to three more minutes of Jey doing his Yeeting with the fans.
Bronson Reed vs. Jey Uso
Reed sent Jey into the turnbuckle and hit a running body attack to knock Jey down. Reed hit an elbow drop. Reed went for a senton splash, Jey moved and Reed hit the mat. Jey punched Reed, Jey kicked Reed in the ribs, and Jey hit a spinning kick to knock Reed out of the ring. Jey hit a suicide dive that sent Reed over the commentary table at ringside. Jey cleared the commentary table off, went back into the ring to break the referee’s count and Reed headbutted Jey. Jey superkicked Reed into a chair at ringside. Jey superkicked Reed on the floor, so Reed fell back onto the chair on the floor. Reed threw the chair at Jey during his suicide dive attempt, so there’s the DQ finish. It lasted three minutes.
Winner by disqualification: Jey Uso
Analysis: *1/2 This wasn’t about having a great match. It was about furthering the story of the Seth Rollins group wanting to destroy their rivals. Jey was in control, but Reed had enough of that, and Reed threw the chair at Jey to end the match.
After the match, Reed went up top and hit a Tsunami splash. Reed went up top again and hit another Tsunami on Jey. Raw GM Adam Pearce and other officials checked on Jey in the ring. Reed left.
Analysis: I thought Reed would hit the Tsunami more than twice, but I guess twice was enough in this case.
Jey Uso was down in the ring getting checked on as the show went to a break for some fans. Jey was helped back to his feet by WWE Producers Shane Helms and Jason Jordan, along with referee Eddie Orengo. Jey slowly walked backstage.
LA Knight was backstage talking about his issues with Seth Rollins, leading to their match at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Knight said he feels like Money in the Bank should belong to him. Knight talked about how he took multiple Tsunamis, but he was back in one week and went after Rollins. Knight said that Rollins can be the one to hold the MITB case, but Rollins will know it’s LA Knight’s game…yeah.
Analysis: That Knight/Rollins match has been built up well. I think Seth will win.
A video package aired about the Iyo Sky-Rhea Ripley match for the Women’s World Title at Evolution. It mentioned how Ripley hasn’t beaten Sky, so they showed Sky beating Ripley multiple times, going back to their NXT days. They showed the Ripley-Sky promo last week to set up the title match at Evolution.
Analysis: I am leaning towards a Rhea Ripley win at Evolution. I like Iyo Sky a lot, but I figure they are going to do a major title change at Evolution, and Ripley winning makes the most sense.
El Grande Americano made his entrance. We know Chad Gable is injured with a shoulder injury, so now it’s Ludwig Kaiser in the outfit. Grande’s entrance continued Cole claimed that he was a foot taller than Chad Gable. Cole mentioned that this Grande doesn’t have a tattoo like Gabl,e and Graves claimed that you can have a tattoo removed. The announcers continued to bicker about it.
El Grande Americano vs. Dragon Lee
Grande and Lee each hit headscissors takedowns as the announcers continued to argue about Grande’s identity. Grande celebrated a move, so Lee hit a shoulder tackle and Lee sent him into the turnbuckle. Lee hit a cross body block off the top on Grande. Lee hit a drop toe hold to send Grande into the turnbuckle. Grande landed on his feet after a monkey flip and Lee hit a dropkick. Lee kicked Grande onto the commentary table. Lee went for a dive, but Grande kicked him to stop that. Grande sent Lee into the steel steps. Grande sent Lee over the barricade at ringside. They went to a break for some fans as Grande continued on offense for a few minutes.
Grande and Lee battled by the turnbuckle, where Lee hit a sitout Powerbomb for a two count. Lee tried to pull the mask off Grande, but Grande avoided it. Lee hit some kicks to knock Grande down. Lee jumped over the top rope, leading to a kick to the head. Lee hit a running dropkick against the turnbuckle for two. Grande chopped Lee in the chest. Grande jumped off the top with a Blockbuster for a two count. Lee set up Grande upside down against the turnbuckle and Lee hit a double foot stomp for a two count. Good nearfall. Lee dove onto Grande on the floor. Grande adjusted his mask and possibly put something inside of it. Lee jumped off the top with nothing because Grande moved and Grande hit a running headbutt (with the metal in the mask) for the pinfall win after 10 minutes. The replay showed Grande put the steel plate in his mask before the final headbutt.
Winner by pinfall: El Grande Americano
Analysis: *** I thought it was a good match that continues the story of El Grande Americano cheating to win, even though it’s Kaiser in the role instead of Chad Gable. The announcers danced around the “who could it be?” story throughout the match, but it’s obvious to most of us. Lee rarely gets TV time, and he’s not pushed much, so of course, Grande was going to win here. I like that it was cheap for Grande as usual.
Penta was getting ready backstage when the “Oracle,” Paul Heyman, spoke to him in Spanish, and Penta spoke in Spanish back to him. Bron Breakker warned Penta, who said “Cero Miedo” in response. Penta left.
Karrion Kross and Scarlett were interviewed by Jackie Redmond in the upper deck part of the arena. This was during the break for some fans. Kross laughed about his attack on Sami Zayn earlier. The fans chanted, “We Want Kross” for him. Kross said: “Now you got me!” Kross said that every single week that Zayn comes out here, Kross is going to blast his guts with a steel rod. Kross wondered if Zayn actually thought that Kross would go away. Kross wanted Zayn to say that Kross told the truth. Kross said until you do that, this will continue. Kross said that he’s the devil they know, while Zayn is the devil they don’t know. Kross kissed his wife Scarlett to end it.
Analysis: The crowd response for Kross is telling, and I hope it leads to more TV time for him. He deserves it. Great promo, as usual, by him.
A video aired about Stephanie Vaquer, who said she was here to dominate.
Let’s Hear from Gunther
The World Heavyweight Champion Gunther made his entrance with the title around his waist. The crowd chanted “Goldberg” before Gunther said a word. Gunther said he’ll defend the World Title at Saturday Night’s Main Event against Goldberg. Gunther thinks that Goldberg is afraid of him, and he’s afraid of the pressure.
Goldberg was shown driving up to the arena in a sports car. Goldberg walked into the building and down to the ring while his music played. The fans were chanting his name.
Goldberg got in Gunther’s face saying that Gunther has been talking too much crap. Goldberg didn’t have a microphone in his hand. Gunther tried to speak, so Goldberg knocked the microphone out of his hand. Goldberg dared Gunther to take a shot, Gunther tried, Goldberg blocked it and Goldberg punched Gunther. Goldberg teased a Spear, but Gunther bailed to the floor. Goldberg shouted “Five days” at him.
Analysis: It was quick and effective like many Goldberg matches. I think it was smart not to have Goldberg hit the Spear here. Save it for the SNME match. Goldberg brought the intensity as usual, so the fans were totally behind him as usual. I think Gunther should win at SNME, but I believe Goldberg will get a few believable nearfalls in the match, and the fans will buy into everything Goldberg does.
This Saturday at Saturday Night’s Main Event has this lineup:
* LA Knight vs. Seth Rollins
* Randy Orton vs. Drew McIntyre
* World Heavyweight Championship: Gunther vs. Bill Goldberg
Analysis: I assume that they will add one or two matches to that show.
They went over the Evolution lineup on Sunday, July 13th:
* WWE Women’s Championship: Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Trish Stratus
* No Holds Barred Match: Jade Cargill vs. Naomi
* WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships: Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez (c) vs. Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair vs. The Kabuki Warriors – Asuka & Kairi Sane vs. Sol Ruca & Zaria
* NXT Women’s Championship: Jacy Jayne (c) vs. Jordynne Grace
* Women’s Intercontinental Championship: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Bayley vs. Lyra Valkyria
* Battle Royal for a Women’s World Championship match at Clash in Paris
* WWE Women’s World Championship: Iyo Sky (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
Analysis: I think the Ripley-Sky match will main event. The announcers didn’t say it, but that’s what I feel.
There was some backstage walking as Penta and Seth Rollins were making their entrance. As Penta was walking, Grayson Waller was talking to The New Day like we have seen many times in the past.
A video aired about Kairi Sane. This was during the break for some fans.
Natalya, Maxxine Dupri and Akira Tozawa were interviewed by Jackie Redmond in the upper deck. This was also during the break for some fans. Natalya talked about how she’ll work together with Dupri in the Women’s Battle Royal at Evolution. Redmond asked what would happen if it came down to them. Dupri and Natalya avoided that question and said they’d work together. Tozawa said they would win, followed by Tozawa ripping his shirt.
It was main event time, with Penta up first, followed by Seth Rollins, who was joined by the “Oracle” Paul Heyman, who had the Money in the Bank briefcase.
Seth Rollins (w/Paul Heyman) vs. Penta
Penta knocked Rollins out of the ring to start the match. Penta sent Rollins into the barricade. Penta chopped Rollins while they were on the floor. Penta sent Rollins into the commentary table. Penta went for a chop, Rollins moved and Penta chopped the LED ring post. Rollins tossed Penta over the barricade. Rollins broke the referee’s count, so Penta hit a hurricanrana on the floor. Back in the ring, Rollins punched Penta a few times, along with Rollins doing a necksnap across the top rope. Penta clotheslined Rollins over the top to the floor. Penta hit a somersault dive over the top onto Rollins on the floor. They went to a break for some fans as the action continued. Rollins was in control for most of the break.
Rollins was in control after a kick to the back. Rollins was bleeding above the right eye, but it wasn’t a lot of blood. Penta got some offense going with a kick to the knee and a Slingblade. Penta hit a jumping kick to the head, along with a handstand dropkick on Rollins. Rollins went for a Powerbomb, but Penta got out of it, and Penta jumped on Seth’s back, leading to a Backstabber with the double knees to the back, and that got a two count. The fans chanted, “This is awesome” for them. Penta went to the ropes for an attack, but Rollins caught him and Rollins hit a gutbuster into the knee. Rollins went up top and hit a Frog Splash for two. Rollins went for The Stomp, Penta avoided it and Penta hit a kick to the head. Penta had Rollins set up on the top rope, so Penta hit a hurricanrana. Penta hit a Penta Driver on Rollins for just a two count. The fans were chanting, “Let’s Go Penta” for the masked star. Rollins fought out of a Penta move by hitting two boots to the face. Rollins hit a Buckle Bomb on Penta, who did not sell that, and Penta hit a Mexican Destroyer for two because Rollins was near the ropes, so Rollins got his hand on the bottom rope. The fans chanted, “This is awesome” again. Penta was going for a move, but Rollins used the back of his head to hit Penta in the groin. Rollins acted like it was an accident. Rollins hit The Stomp on Penta for the pinfall win after about 13 minutes.
Winner by pinfall: Seth Rollins
Analysis: ***1/2 Great match. It was not a surprise that Rollins got the win since he’s the bigger star, and I expected that result. Penta hit a lot of big moves, came close to winning a few times, and he has a lot of credibility as a veteran wrestler. Rollins hitting that “accidental” low blow was a clever way to set up the finish. It puts over how crafty Rollins is.
After the match, Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker were in the aisle. While they were there, LA Knight got into the ring behind Rollins and hit a BFT to drop Seth. Breakker and Reed went into the ring, but Knight left the ring and was in the crowd. Knight hat a staredown with Rollins from a distance while the fans chanted “LA Knight” and that was the end of the show.
Analysis: I mentioned earlier that I liked the build for the Rollins-Knight match, and that attack by Knight helps it as well. The fans are into the rivalry, for sure.
This week’s Raw had a runtime of 2 hours and 32 minutes on Netflix.
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Three Stars of the Show
- Seth Rollins
- Bron Breakker
- Penta
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The Scoreboard
7.5 out of 10
Last week: 7.5
2025 Average: 7.54
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Final Thoughts on WWE Raw
I liked the show. I wouldn’t say the match quality was great all night long, but I enjoyed the final two matches the most, especially Rollins-Penta. Yes, the Rollins win was predictable. However, I like how it was done. The fans were chanting for CM Punk at Rollins for most of the show, and there was no sign of him, but LA Knight showing up to drop Rollins with a BFT was effective in terms of building their SNME match.
They did a solid job of building up the Evolution PLE. The Lynch-Valkyria-Bayley segment was very effective. I’m excited about that match. When it comes to Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky, I’m surprised they weren’t featured on the show more. Just a video package? I expected more to promote that match.
Next week, they will need to start pushing SummerSlam matches because, at this point, that show is barely being mentioned. I get it with SNME and Evolution this weekend. I’m just saying they need to make SummerSlam feel like a big deal.
The next WWE PLE is the women’s only Evolution on Sunday, July 13th. Here’s the lineup.
* WWE Women’s World Championship: Iyo Sky (c) vs. Rhea Ripley
* WWE Women’s Championship: Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Trish Stratus
* Women’s Intercontinental Championship: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Bayley vs. Lyra Valkyria
* No Holds Barred Match: Jade Cargill vs. Naomi
* WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships: Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez (c) vs. Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair vs. The Kabuki Warriors – Asuka & Kairi Sane vs. Sol Ruca & Zaria
* NXT Women’s Championship: Jacy Jayne (c) vs. Jordynne Grace
* Battle Royal for a Women’s World Championship match at Clash in Paris
You can watch WWE Evolution on Sunday, July 13, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, streaming live on Peacock in the United States and on Netflix everywhere else.
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Thanks for reading. Please check out my reviews of every WWE PPV ever listed in order. Go Toronto Blue Jays. My contact info is below.
John Canton
Email [email protected]
Twitter/X @johnreport