Reviews

The John Report: WWE Raw Deal 07/20/26 Review

By John Canton • Published Jul 20, 2026 22:45 EDT

WWE Raw Deal July 20 - Images via WWE.com

It’s WWE Monday Night Raw, featuring Jacob Fatu facing LA Knight (yeah) and more on the road to SummerSlam.

The WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event special took place this past Saturday in New York City. On the Raw side, Lyra Valkyria beat Bayley, Danhausen beat JD McDonagh, and Fatal Influence won the Women’s Tag Team Titles from Paige and Brie Bella. Roman Reigns also celebrated with Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks, which brought out Seth Rollins, who tried to attack Reigns just like last Monday on Raw, but this time, Reigns was ready and dropped Rollins with a Superman Punch and Spear. At SummerSlam, Reigns will defend the World Heavyweight Title against Rollins.

This is the Raw Deal for episode #1730 of Monday Night Raw, taking place at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Follow me on Twitter/X @johnreport. Let’s get to it.

A video aired showing highlights from Saturday Night’s Main Event.

There was some pre-show walking shown of The Vision, Penta, Chad Gable, Jacob Fatu with Jimmy Uso, and LA Knight with Royce Keys.

The Raw commentary team was Michael Cole and Corey Graves. The ring announcer was Alicia Taylor.

Raw will start with a match tonight since Je’Von Evans made his entrance to start the show. That’s better than the usual promo.

The Vision – Bron Breakker & Austin Theory (w/Logan Paul & Maxxine Dupri) vs. Je’Von Evans & Dragon Lee

This is not for the World Tag Team Titles held by The Vision. Evans knocked Bron off the apron, and Lee hit a dive onto Theory on the floor. The bell rang. Evans hit a jumping knee on Theory and Lee hit a dropkick on Theory. Lee hit a running hurricanrana on Theory. Evans was back in with a headscissors and a jumping kick. Bron made a blind tag, so the champs hit a double team slam to send Evans into the mat. Bron hit an overhead suplex on Evans. Evans broke free with a kick, so Lee got the tag and hit a superkick. Lee flipped over Bron and hit a DDT for two. Lee went up top, Paul with a distraction, Lee punched Theory on the apron and Bron caught a leaping Lee with a powerslam. They went on a break for some fans there, so I’ll take a break too with The Vision in control.

The match continued with Lee breaking free and Evans got the tag with a spinning kick on Theory. Evans ducked a Theory lariat and Evans hit a Stunner. Evans ran the ropes and jumped over the top onto Theory. Bron charged at Evans, who sent Bron over the barricade. Evans hit a cross body block on Bron on the floor. The fans came alive for Evans as he hit a springboard lariat for two. The fans chanted, “This is awesome” for them. Lee got the tag, kicked Theory and hit a double foot stomp on Theory by the turnbuckle. Paul was on the apron, so Dupri held onto Lee’s foot and Bron hit a lariat on Lee. The referee never saw it. Theory hit a neckbreaker onto the knee for two because Evans made the save. Bron hit a Spear on Evans. Bron got the tag, ran the ropes and hit a Spear on Lee for the pinfall win after 10 minutes.

Winners by pinfall: The Vision – Bron Breakker & Austin Theory

Analysis: ***1/4 A fun opening tag team match to give The Vision a win. The Evans/Lee team is a lot of fun to watch, and I think Evans is a guy who absolutely needs a push, but for now, he’s not really getting it. I like seeing champions win non-title matches because it gives them credibility.

After the match, Theory and Breakker attacked Evans, so the Alpha Academy’s Otis and Akira Tozawa went down to the ring. Tozawa dove onto Bron on the floor. Otis hit a powerslam on Theory. Dupri slapped Otis, who didn’t even react. Otis hit a lariat on Bron. Otis splashed both opponents against the turnbuckle. Otis clotheslined Theory out of the ring. Otis and Tozawa cleared off the commentary table, but Bron was back up with a Spear on Otis. Theory nailed Tozawa with a left elbow smash to knock Tozawa down. Bron ran the ropes and nailed Otis with a Spear. Theory got a hug from Dupri to celebrate the occasion.

Analysis: Poor Otis and Tozawa, who are beloved but are rarely featured on Raw. I assume this will lead to a match at some point.

A video aired about how WWE was all over Fanatics Fest in New York City. Tom Brady said he would get in there for one match, and then he slapped Logan Paul in the head, so there’s the tease of what’s to come.

Danhausen was shown backstage with JD McDonagh, Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan, who wanted Danhausen to give them their money. Dominik said Danhausen had 30 seconds to find the money and come back. Danhausen left.

A video package aired about Big Cass, and it included highlights of him in WWE, along with quotes about his personal life problems. It said 8/3, meaning his debut is on the August 3rd Raw.

Analysis: The rumor is that Enzo Amore is coming back with Big Cass, and I think that’s the right move, but if WWE wants to try Cass on his own, then I can see that happening too.

The Judgment Day’s Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez were interviewed by Byron Saxton. Perez said that Danhausen better have all of Dominik’s money or else. Perez said The Judgment Day had their eyes set on gold. Saxton informed Raquel that she’ll get to challenge Sol Ruca for the Women’s Intercontinental Title. Raquel warned Sol about their match next week.

A video aired about Danhausen beating JD McDonagh at Saturday Night’s Main Event because of the New York Knicks’ Karl Anthony Towns, aka Kathausen, assisting Danhausen. It was well done. Towns is a 7-footer and hit some big Chokeslams on JD and Dominik in the match.

Let’s Hear from Danhausen

Danhausen made his very nice and very evil entrance for a promo while carrying a bag to the ring. Danhausen said hello to Detroithausen, and I believe he’s from Michigan. Danhausen talked about how he thought he took care of The Judgment Day at Saturday Night’s Main Event and claimed he didn’t want The Judgment Day to have this money, so he wanted to give it to the fans.

The Judgment Day’s Dominik Mysterio, JD McDonagh and Liv Morgan went to the ring to say they want the money. Danhausen told them they were cursed. JD and Dominik beat up Danhausen with punches and stomps. Liv slapped Danhausen. Joe Hendry made his entrance and sent JD out of the ring. Hendry hit a fallaway slam on Dominik. Hendry clotheslined Dominik out of the ring. Liv grabbed Danhausen’s bag, so The Judgment Day were happy they got the bag of money, or whatever it is.

Analysis: This story just keeps on going. I wouldn’t mind seeing it end, so they can all move on to something else.

A video aired about Roman Reigns-Seth Rollins history as we saw Seth Rollins cash in Money in the Bank at WrestleMania 31 in 2015. Rollins talked about how great it felt, and Reigns said Rollins stole his moment, while adding that he should have seen it coming.

There was a backstage scene with The Judgment Day and Adam Pearce, along with Danhausen and Joe Hendry. JD opened the bag and said it wasn’t even real money. JD threw the bag down, and it hit Oba Femi, who was holding it. Pearce booked JD in a match against Femi. Dominik said that’s not fair, so Pearce put Dom in a match with Hendry. The Judgment Day wasn’t happy.

Analysis: The deal is that Danhausen cursed The Judgment Day, so now JD has to face Oba Femi, so the curse is real. What a story, huh? Riveting. I don’t mind it, though.

Oba Femi made his entrance to a huge ovation. The fans were chanting for him and doing the Oba strut on his way to the ring. They went on a break for some fans there.

Oba Femi vs. JD McDonagh

JD was hesitant, so Joe Hendry and Danhausen forced him into the ring along with Dominik Mysterio. Oba sent Dominik out of the ring. The bell rang, JD hit a strike, and that had no effect. Femi hit a back body drop. Femi hit two running uppercuts. Femi picked up JD and tossed him across the ring. Femi hit Fall From Grace for the pinfall win after 1 minute.

Winner by pinfall: Oba Femi

Analysis: * Squash city, as it should be. I like JD, but Femi winning easily was the right way to book this.

It was announced that Darius Rucker will sing the National Anthem on SummerSlam Sunday, August 2nd.

LA Knight was shown getting ready, while Royce Keys talked with him.

Sol Ruca, the Women’s Intercontinental Champion, was interviewed by Byron Saxton in a skybox in the arena. This was during a break. Ruca bragged about beating Raquel before, so if Raquel wants to get her soul snatched, she’ll do it again. Lyra Valkyria interrupted to congratulate Ruca on doing a fantastic job with the title she created. Lyra claimed that Ruca was perfect and a golden girl. Ruca asked if Lyra was okay because this is not like her. Lyra said whether it’s Ruca or Raquel, she’s coming back for her title, so she hopes Ruca is ready.

Let’s Hear from Solo Sikoa

Solo Sikoa arrived in a red jacket and slacks, so it’s fitting for Raw. Solo said that he’s not even supposed to be on this show, but he has a proposition to make. Solo called for Seth Rollins to get out here now. Seth Rollins made his entrance with the fans singing along with his theme song as usual.

Rollins welcomed Solo to Monday Night Rollins and asked what Rollins can do for him. Solo clarified that he was there to talk. Solo said he knows Rollins is focused on getting ready for Roman at SummerSlam. Solo told Rollins it’s him against the whole damn Bloodline, so it’s 4 against 1. Solo said he knows what they are going to do because he was a part of it. Solo said they’ll make sure Rollins doesn’t win at SummerSlam. Solo claimed it didn’t have to be like that because he can watch Seth’s back at SummerSlam. The fans chanted “OTC” for Roman Reigns.

Rollins said that Solo makes a lot of good points and he’s right about Reigns and The Bloodline. Rollins claimed if they worked together, they could do something special. Rollins told Solo to let him think about it. Solo stopped Rollins from leaving. Solo claimed he could help Rollins beat Reigns just like Rollins helped Cody two years ago.

Jacob Fatu made his entrance, so Solo bailed out of the ring and left through the crowd. Fatu shouted at Solo, saying he knows what he has to do. When Fatu turned around, Rollins superkicked Fatu. Rollins left.

Analysis: It was an interesting proposal by Solo Sikoa, but I keep saying The Bloodline is better when they were heels and they could be jerks about stuff like this. Instead, they are babyfaces, so the fans are chanting for Roman Reigns and it makes the whole thing feel awkward. Anyway, Rollins pissing off Fatu like that should lead to some payback down the road.

There was a clip shown from the SummerSlam Kickoff Show when Chad Gable and the Intercontinental Champion Penta went face to face. Gable said he’s going to take that IC Title at SummerSlam. Penta said he’ll prove why he’s better.

Ethan Page and Rusev made their entrance for tag team action. They went on a break for some fans. Ethan Page did a promo trashing Chad Gable and Penta since they were their opponents.

A clip aired from WWE Unreal Season 3, which debuts on Netflix this Tuesday, July 21st. They showed CM Punk doing his promo in the ring with John Cena and Punk said he’s going to miss him. Cena called it a very special moment.

Penta & Chad Gable vs. Ethan Page & Rusev

Page knocked down Penta with a boot. Rusev and Penta hit a double suplex on Penta for two. Page and Rusev made some quick tags. Penta broke free with kicks to bring in Gable, who hit a clothesline on both opponents. Gable sent Page to the floor. Rusev gave Penta a back body drop on the ring apron. Rusev sent Penta into the steel steps, leading to a break for some fans as the heels took control.

It was Penta hitting a cross body block and bringing in Gable for his team. Gable hit two German Suplexes on Page and a German Suplex on Rusev too. Gable hit another German Suplex on Page. Gable hit an Angle Slam for a two count. Gable went up top for a moonsault, Page avoided it and Rusev got the tag. Rusev and Page kicked Gable, leading to Rusev hitting a spinning slam for two because Penta broke it up with a kick. Penta jumped off the ropes, but Page stopped that with a punch. Penta sent Page out of the ring and Penta hit a somersault dive over the top onto Page on the floor. Gable and Rusev exchanged punches, leading to Rusev taking down Gable with the Accolade. Gable fought back up, so Rusev headbutted him in the head. Rusev kicked Gable in the back. Rusev sent Gable into the turnbuckle to knock Penta down. Gable applied an Ankle Lock. Page went into the ring, so Penta hit a Mexican Destroyer on Page. Gable locked in the Ankle Lock with a heel hook on the leg and Rusev tapped out to give Gable the win. It went about 10 minutes.

Winners by submission: Chad Gable & Penta

Analysis: ***1/2 That was a very entertaining tag team match. I don’t think Rusev has tapped out that many times, so it felt like a big deal for Gable to win that way. Penta hitting a Mexican Destroyer on Page at the same time as Gable applying the Ankle Lock was really cool. It was a fun match between four veterans.

After the match, Chad Gable held the Intercontinental Title first and presented it to Penta, who posed with it. They celebrated together.

Analysis: I think Chad Gable winning the IC Title at SummerSlam is a lock. Penta has been a great champion, but it’s the right spot for Gable to win in his hometown.

A Seth Rollins-Roman Reigns video aired called Chapter 4 showing their first singles match on a PLE. Rollins said that it felt great to beat Roman and take back the WWE Title, even for a moment. It was at Money in the Bank 2016. They didn’t show Dean Ambrose cashing in Money in the Bank on Rollins to leave with the WWE Title.

Seth Rollins walked up to Jacob Fatu in the backstage area. Rollins dared Fatu to hit him. Rollins said that he thinks Fatu is under strict orders from the Tribal Chief not to lay a finger on Rollins. Rollins asked when he beats Reigns at SummerSlam, does he get his title and his bag boy? Fatu told Rollins that he got one up on him and it won’t happen again. Fatu said if there’s anything left of him after SummerSlam, Fatu will beat his ass. Rollins said, “I can’t wait” and left.

A video package aired about The Vision’s angle with Otis & Tozawa last week when Maxxine Dupri fooled Otis.

There was a clip from WWE Unreal on Netflix.

There were more clips from Fanatics Fest from this past weekend, and they showed clips of celebrities doing their WWE entrances.

Paul Heyman Previews Hell In A Cell

Paul Heyman was featured in a video package talking about Brock Lesnar facing Oba Femi in a Hell in a Cell match at SummerSlam. Heyman talked about the extreme violence that will take place. Heyman mentioned Lesnar has never lost inside Hell in a Cell. Heyman claimed Oba Femi has had the best rookie year in WWE history since Brock Lesnar, and Femi thinks he’ll rule over Brock’s streak inside Hell in a Cell. Heyman said that Femi can’t beat Lesnar inside Hell in a Cell. Heyman claimed that Femi’s rookie year will come to a violent end in Minneapolis at the hands of Brock Lesnar.

Analysis: A very articulate Paul Heyman promo as usual. I think it was effective.

Brock Lesnar is UNDEFEATED inside Hell in a Cell! ⛓️

Truly the BROCKTAGON! @HeymanHustle pic.twitter.com/Jeq8vkkGb0

— WWE (@WWE) July 21, 2026

A graphic mentioned that Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins have 13 World Titles combined in their careers.

There was another video about Roman Reigns-Seth Rollins history, talking about how they put The Shield back together. Rollins claimed it never felt right. Reigns said it was lost time before he became the Tribal Chief and it never should have happened.

Dominik Mysterio, the AAA Mega Champion, made his entrance joined by the Women’s World Champion, Liv Morgan. They went on a break there for some fans, so Dom and Liv posed in the ring to kill some time.

They showed a video about Oba Femi talking about his entrance, where he put his own spin on the Ric Flair strut. It’s a clip from WWE Unreal.

Joe Hendry made his entrance for his match.

A clip was shown from SummerSlam Kickoff with Gunther fighting Nick Aldis on stage. Triple H booked them in a SummerSlam match as expected.

Joe Hendry vs. Dominik Mysterio (w/Liv Morgan)

It was Joe getting some offense with a hiptoss and some strikes. Joe sent Dominik hard into the turnbuckle. Joe hit a delayed vertical suplex. Dominik hit a boot to the face and tossed Joe out of the ring. Dominik tried a suicide dive, so Joe caught him and Joe tossed Dominik onto the commentary table hood. Joe sent Dominik back in the ring, and the referee looked at Dom in the ring, so Liv shoved Joe into the ring post. Danhausen made his way down to the ring, so Liv punched him and Danhausen went to the back. They went on a break for some fans as the match continued. Dom sent Joe into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Dominik hit a jumping back elbow to knock Joe down. Dominik did a head slam into the mat. Dominik hit two suplexes, then I could hear them talking and Joe popped back up with strikes, so Dom slammed him down. Dominik hit a senton splash for two. Dom grabbed a chinlock.

The powerful Hendry got back into it with a vertical suplex. Joe hit a fallaway slam. Joe hit a discus clothesline for a two count. Morgan went on the apron, Joe was distracted and Dominik hit a Tornado DDT. Danhausen returned driving his car and brought Iyo Sky out with him, so Sky went after Liv with punches. They exchanged punches and Sky sent Liv into the ring apron. Liv was sent into the ring, so Sky hit a missile dropkick. The fans were going crazy for Sky. Sky jumped off the apron and hit a cross body block on Liv on the floor. The referee was looking at the women, so Danhausen went into the ring with the Triple D aka Danhausen Death Drop. Hendry covered Dom for the win. It went about 9 minutes.

Winner by pinfall: Joe Hendry

Analysis: *** A solid TV match with a happy ending thanks to Danhausen bringing out Iyo Sky to take care of Liv Morgan, and Hendry benefited from the chaos to beat Dominik as well. It continued the story that Danhausen cursed The Judgment Day, which led to JD and Dominik losing on this show.

After the match, Joe Hendry and Danhausen posed together. The fans loved it.

A video aired about the SummerSlam Kickoff event from Fanatics Fest.

LA Knight was shown walking backstage for his match up next.

The Vision’s Austin Theory, Maxxine Dupri, Bron Breakker, and Logan Paul were interviewed by Byron Saxton. This was during a break for some fans. Theory trashed Otis and Tozawa. Dupri said that last week, she stood up for her man Theory. Paul said that the Alpha Academy doesn’t want to deal with The Vision. Paul said that Otis has no chance with Maxxine and he doesn’t even have a neck. Paul said that they cannot handle the pressure of Austin Theory, or the pressure of Bron Breakker, who said nothing. Theory said that The Vision is clear and she is his.

A clip aired from Saturday Night’s Main Event with the Roman Reigns-Jalen Brunson celebration segment. Seth Rolins and Tyrese Haliburton tried to interfere, but Reigns beat up Rollins to end it.

It was announced that a new match has been added to SummerSlam: Danhausen vs. “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio.

The announcers talked about next Monday’s Raw in Los Angeles:

* Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins face to face

* The Vision vs. Alpha Academy

* Women’s Intercontinental Championship: Sol Ruca vs. Raquel Rodriguez

* Joe Hendry & Danhausen in concert

* Oba Femi and Brock Lesnar weigh in

Analysis: A face-to-face and weigh-in on the same show. It’s just another way to say the guys will be in the same segment ahead of their SummerSlam matches.

It was main event time with LA Knight up first. Knight did a pre-match promo saying we are only a couple of weeks from SummerSlam. Knight said that he’ll be teaming with Solo Sikoa and Royce Keys against The Usos and Jacob Fatu. Knight called out Solo, wanting to work with Seth Rollins. Knight said Reigns against Rollins at SummerSlam makes him sick. Knight said that Reigns has conned the fans, begging people to like him. Knight said that the fans booed him year after year until finally he figured it out. Knight talked about how he is everything that Roman Reigns wants to be. Knight said Reigns couldn’t do it. Knight doesn’t like Solo wanting to help Rollins. Knight said that Jacob Fatu’s Mortal Kombat music will hit and Knight talked about how he’s going to smack him all around the ring. Knight did his catchphrase to end it.

Jacob Fatu was next as the opponent. The fans like both guys.

LA Knight vs. Jacob Fatu

It was a slow start to the match as they went to a break quickly. The referee Chad Patton informed them it was about 35 seconds before the match returned from a break. Knight grabbed a chinlock and the match returned for some fans.

Knight hit a leaping clothesline. The veteran Knight tripped up Fatu and rammed his knee into the ring post. Knight stomped on Fatu’s legs. Fatu cleared the ring and hit a suicide dive elbow attack for two. Fatu sent Knight into the barricade. Fatu was in control for a few minutes as Fatu hit a running hip attack on Knight against the turnbuckle. Fatu squeezed on the trapezius muscles of Knight.

Fatu worked over Knight with strikes. Fatu charged, Knight moved, Fatu hit the ring post, and Knight hit a neckbreaker for two. Knight went up top, so Fatu kicked the turnbuckle and hit an elbow to the back. Fatu went up top, Knight went after him, Fatu shoved him down, so Knight did his leap to the top. Knight hit a Superplex into the middle of the ring. Jimmy Uso went down to ringside to support cousin Fatu. Jimmy went to the barricade, so Solo showed up to attack his brother Jimmy. Fatu hit a suicide dive onto Solo on the apron. Knight worked over Fatu with punches. Fatu tried a Samoan Drop, Knight avoided it and hit BFT with a cover, but Jimmy distracted the referee. Royce Keys pulled Jimmy off the apron and hit a clothesline on him. Keys tossed Jimmy over the commentary table. Jey Uso made his entrance with the fans exploding for Jey as his song played. Jey hit Keys with three superkicks in a row. Knight jumped through the ropes with a kick on Jey. Back in the ring, Fatu hit a superkick and a popup Samoan Drop. Fatu went up top and hit a Mighty Moonsault on Knight for the win. It went about 14 minutes.

Winner by pinfall: Jacob Fatu

Analysis: *** It felt like a solid main event that wasn’t as good as most Raw main events, but it was a passable match. Fatu got the win because of the chaos caused by The Usos, and cousin Fatu was able to get the win. It’s not like Knight was made to look bad here, and it was a cheap win.

After the match, Solo Sikoa attacked cousin Fatu. Jimmy went in the ring to superkick brother Solo twice and set him up for a Spear from Jey. Keys went into the ring with a double clothesline. Keys and Fatu exchanged punches, which led to Keys hitting a massive spinebuster. The Usos hit a double superkick on Keys, and The Usos hit a 1D on Keys. Knight applied the Tongan Death Grip on Knight, who was down against the turnbuckle. The trio of Jey, Jimmy and Fatu all hit running hip attacks on Knight. Jey went up top and hit a Superfly Splash. The Bloodline trio raised their hands up to let us know they are the 1’s. That was the end of Raw.

Analysis: It continued the Bloodline’s positive momentum by having them dominate their SummerSlam opponents. Simple enough.

Things have spiraled OUT OF CONTROL 🤯

The Bloodline STAND TALL! pic.twitter.com/QPqrrCa3LI

— WWE (@WWE) July 21, 2026

This week’s Raw had a runtime of 2:15 on Netflix. Last week was 2:44.

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Three Stars of the Show

Chad Gable & Penta
Jacob Fatu
The Vision – Bron Breakker & Austin Theory

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The Scoreboard

7 out of 10

Last week: 7.25

2026 Average: 7.49

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Final Thoughts on WWE Raw

It didn’t feel like that big of a Raw episode with barely anything advertised beforehand. They lacked star power a bit since Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar weren’t there. Match quality was okay for most of the show, but nothing special. Promo segments were fine. I thought they built up the SummerSlam card fairly well.

The next WWE PLE is SummerSlam on August 1 & 2 from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Here’s the lineup so far:

* WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs. Seth Rollins

* Undisputed WWE Championship: CM Punk (c) vs. Cody Rhodes

* Hell in a Cell Match: Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar

* Women’s World Championship: Liv Morgan (c) vs. Iyo Sky

* Intercontinental Championship: Penta (c) vs. Chad Gable

* LA Knight, Royce Keys & Solo Sikoa vs. The Usos – Jimmy & Jey Uso and Jacob Fatu

* Gunther vs. Nick Aldis

* Interim WWE Women’s Championship Ladder Match: Tiffany Stratton vs. Jade Cargill vs. three other women

* Danhausen vs. Dominik Mysterio

You can watch SummerSlam, a special two-night event, STREAMING LIVE on Saturday, August 1, and Sunday, August 2, at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT on the ESPN App with an ESPN Unlimited plan in the United States and on Netflix internationally.

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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