Reviews

The John Report: WWE Raw Deal 07/28/25 Review

By John Canton • Published Jul 28, 2025 19:15 EDT
WWE Raw Deal July 28 Review

It’s WWE Raw featuring a huge 8-woman tag team match, a Gunther-CM Punk showdown, an appearance from Roman Reigns, and more.

This is the last Raw before SummerSlam takes place this Saturday, August 2nd, and Sunday, August 3rd. I’ll have a preview of SummerSlam later in the week and a review of both nights when they happen. I like the card so far, with 12 official matches, and there could be more matches added to the card.

It was announced last Thursday that WWE Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan passed away at 71 years old after suffering cardiac arrest. Hogan is a controversial figure, but it’s impossible to deny his impact as one of the most well-known pro wrestlers ever. They paid tribute to Hogan on SmackDown last Friday, and it could continue on Raw.

This is the Raw Deal for episode #1679 of Monday Night Raw. It’s taking place at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. Follow me on Twitter/X @johnreport. Let’s get to it.

Raw started with the WWE crew on the stage while a graphic said, “In Memory of Hulk Hogan 1953-2025.” Triple H spoke while Hulk’s son Nick was there, along with Eric Bischoff and others who were close to Hogan. The speech that played was the one that Triple H said on SmackDown because Triple H wasn’t shown talking at Raw. There was a 10-bell salute for Hogan.

A tribute video aired for Hulk Hogan, showcasing numerous images and videos from his legendary career. It also featured clips of others discussing Hogan’s legacy.

Analysis: I thought it was a nice tribute to Hogan, just like on SmackDown. Hulk wasn’t my favorite wrestler, and I understand why a lot of his critics have spoken out against him as well, but it’s still a man who put his body on the line to entertain us for decades. My condolences go out to his family, friends, and fans.

A “Remembering Hulk Hogan” video aired, showing the WrestleMania 5 main event as Hogan beat “Macho Man” Randy Savage to win the WWE Title. It was one of Hogan’s better matches, and I loved Macho Man, so it made me sad. They also showed Hogan joining the NWO in the summer of 1996, and he had a memorable heel run. It also featured WrestleMania 18, where The Rock defeated Hulk Hogan in front of the loudest crowds ever. This was during a break for some fans, as WWE likely did this to get set for the show.

There was a shot of MetLife Stadium showing crews working to get SummerSlam ready for this weekend. A drone camera was used to fly into the arena and show the packed house in Detroit, which led right into Jey Uso’s entrance. The commentary team of Michael Cole and Corey Graves welcomed us to the show. Alicia Taylor was the ring announcer.

Let’s Hear from Jey Uso…and Paul Heyman

Jey Uso made his entrance from the back part of the arena, but not from the steps where he usually comes from, because Jey was on the stage for the Hogan tribute earlier. The fans were going crazy and Yeeting along with Jey as usual.

The WWE Hall of Famer, Paul Heyman, made his entrance to huge boos. Paul said he wasn’t there to be disrespectful to Jey. Heyman said he wanted to speak from the heart about family. Jey stared at Paul, so Paul stayed on the floor rather than go into the ring. Heyman said he can’t believe that Jey would agree to team with Roman Reigns at SummerSlam against Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker. Heyman told Jey that family is always going to let you down. Heyman kept on walking backward as he said that the family would get you in trouble. There were “OTC” chants for Roman Reigns. Heyman wondered if your mother told you that Santa Claus left the presents under the tree and he said your mother lied to you. Heyman told the same thing to the fans. Heyman said not his Jewish family, though. Heyman told Jey that his father Rikishi lied to Jey as well because he didn’t want Jey to be more iconic than him. Heyman said that Roman Reigns picked Solo Sikoa as his successor, not Jey. Heyman said if Reigns told Jey that he wants Jey to be rich and famous like Reigns, then Reigns lied to him too. Heyman told Jey that he loved him, so the fans booed that because they didn’t believe Paul. Heyman said that he loved Jey just like family…yeet. The fans chanted “Bullshit” at Heyman.

Analysis: It’s classic Paul Heyman trying to push buttons by suggesting to Jey Uso that Roman Reigns is going to let Jey down.

Jey Uso said that family is why he’s here. Jey said that he’s going to support his family every time and that Bloodline still runs deep in his veins. Jey said that Heyman is disrespecting him talking about what Jey can do without Roman. Jey said that he won the World Heavyweight Championship to prove it to himself. Jey said that they brought Heyman to Jey’s family. Jey said that Heyman screwed his cousin at WrestleMania, then Paul’s boys screwed Jey out of his World Title, so whatever happens tonight and at SummerSlam is on Paul’s ass…yeet. Jey said that we’re gonna run this shit back and Jey’s music played as he did some more Yeeting with the fans.

Analysis: A nice babyface promo from Jey Uso refuting Paul Heyman’s mind games by making it clear that Jey is united with Roman Reigns against Heyman and his group. I think some of that went on a bit too long, but that’s what happens at the start of Raw sometimes.

AJ Styles made his entrance for a six-person mixed tag team match. The Kabuki Warriors entered as AJ’s teammates. This was during a break for some fans.

The Judgment Day – Dominik Mysterio, Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez vs. AJ Styles, Asuka & Kairi Sane

It’s Dom against AJ for the IC Title at SummerSlam. Also, Raquel & Roxanne defended the Women’s Tag Team Titles against Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss at SummerSlam. In a mixed tag, it’s men against men and women against women.

Asuka dropkicked Raquel into the ropes. Asuka worked over Raquel with repeated kicks to the head. Sane tagged in for a double dropkick to Raquel. Perez tagged in, so Raquel gave Perez a fallaway slam onto Sane for two. Sane hit a headscissors and a neckbreaker. Perez hit a dropkick on Perez against the turnbuckle. Dominik pulled Perez from the turnbuckle to save Perez from a move, and Sane hit the turnbuckle. Raquel kicked Sane on the floor. They went on a break for some fans as the heels remained in control.

Raquel hit a slingshot suplex and Perez tagged in with a springboard moonsault on Sane for two because Asuka made the save. Sane avoided a Perez clothesline and Sane hit a Spear to knock Perez down. Raquel pulled Asuka off the apron and Dominik punched Styles, so Sane couldn’t tag out. Sane managed to hit a jawbreaker. Raquel tagged in, Sane avoided it and Raquel hit the turnbuckle. Styles tagged in against Dom, leading to AJ hitting a clothesline and a sliding forearm. Styles hit a leaping clothesline on Dominik and a Ushigoroshi slam onto the knee. Perez stood in front of Dominik, so Styles stopped himself and hit a Pele Kick on Dom. Asuka kicked Perez and Raquel on the floor. Sane ran the ropes and Styles launched Sane over the top with an Insane Elbow on the floor. Styles hit a Phenomenal Forearm on Dom for the pinfall win. The fans were on fire for the last few minutes. It went about 11 minutes.

Winners by pinfall: AJ Styles, Asuka & Kairi Sane

Analysis: ***1/4 A good tag team match that was a lot of fun in the last few minutes. When Styles tagged in, the fans were on fire and popped huge for him. They have built the Styles-Dom story well, and that’s why the fans cared so much when Styles finally got his hands on him. The first half of the match was more of a classic tag with the heels isolating Sane for most of it. Anyway, I liked this as a TV tag team match.

A clip was shown of Sheamus beating Rusev in a banger match last week.

Sheamus was interviewed by Jackie Redmond earlier in the day. Sheamus said it was an old school banger, and as Big E would say, it was big, meaty men slapping meat. Grayson Waller and The New Day interrupted. Waller bragged about how he dumped Austin Theory as an ally. Waller said that The New Day has his back now, while New Day didn’t seem to have his back. Sheamus wondered if Waller wanted to fight. Sheamus said that’s music to his ears and primed for a Banger Beatdown. Sheamus said it’s banger after banger after banger. When Waller turned around, The New Day was gone.

Sheamus made his entrance for singles action. Sheamus greeted fans around ringside during a break for some fans.

They showed Jahmyr Gibbs of the NFL’s Detroit Lions at ringside. Gibbs is an awesome RB. UFC fighter Jamahal Hill was also at ringside.

Sheamus vs. Grayson Waller

Waller attacked early, but Sheamus with a double axhandle to knock Waller down. Waller came back with a rolling flatliner. Waller tried a DDT, but Sheamus came back and hit a powerslam. Waller slapped Sheamus in the face and ran away. Sheamus was on the floor, Waller tried an attack, but Sheamus punched him. Sheamus hit a rolling senton on the floor. Waller stunned Sheamus in the knee while on the apron. Waller hit an impressive DDT on the apron. Back in the ring, Waller jumped at Sheamus, but Sheamus hit him with a jumping knee to the face. Sheamus hit Waller with the 10 Beats of the Bodhran with the fans chanting along for the ten forearms. Sheamus wanted more, but Rusev was on the apron, so Sheamus knocked him down with a punch. Waller got a rollup for two. Sheamus hit a Brogue Kick for the pinfall win. It went about 5 minutes.

Winner by pinfall: Sheamus

Analysis: ** Easy win for Sheamus to continue his momentum. Waller is a guy who I’d like to see featured more, but it’s not going to happen any time soon.

After the match, Rusev went into the ring with the shillelagh that Sheamus uses. Rusev hit Sheamus in the back with the shillelagh a few times. Rusev applied the Accolade submission. It took three referees to get Rusev to stop. Rusev stood tall over a fallen Sheamus.

Analysis: It wasn’t a big surprise to see Rusev attack Sheamus since Rusev and Sheamus each got one win, so I expect a third match. I also want to see a third match because I enjoyed their other matches.

The Women’s World Champion Naomi was interviewed by Jackie Redmond, who mentioned Naomi will be against Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky at SummerSlam. Naomi said that Rhea won’t be the only one bringing the brutality and Naomi will fly high like Sky. Naomi did a crazy laugh, saying she didn’t care who you throw at her. Naomi said she’ll take everybody out. Naomi said don’t be shocked because you’ve all been warned to proceed with caution.

Lyra Valkyria was shown walking backstage, and she’s up next.

A sneak peek was shown of WWE Unreal on Netflix, which premieres on Tuesday and there are five episodes. They showed John Cena behind the scenes, including a talk with Triple H.

The New Day were interviewed by Byron Saxton in a skybox. This was during a break for some fans. Kofi Kingston said we should celebrate Grayson Waller dropping dead weight like Austin Theory. Xavier Woods discussed The Judgment Day facing LWO and said that it would be an incredible match if they were in it. Woods said J-Day cheated the fans out of seeing New Day out of their ring garnish. They ended it with Woods saying that you need to thank God for The New Day. The fans booed throughout the promo.

A Hulk Hogan video aired featuring comments from people who were at SmackDown and some from Raw. There were comments from Logan Paul, AJ Styles, Jimmy Hart, Natalya, The Miz, and Cody Rhodes.

Bronson Reed was backstage with Paul Heyman, who told Reed that Jey Uso’s family thinks that this is now a group without a leader since Seth Rollins is injured. Bron Breakker walked in, saying he’s a leader and we’ve got this. Bron said that they’re going to restore total power in all of WWE and it starts with Reed tonight. Reed said that starting tonight, he’s going to leave Jey Uso and any member of his family down, out, and Tsunami’d. Reed walked away. Heyman said that works. Bron said he has a plan.

Let’s Hear from Lyra Valkyria

Lyra Valkyria made her entrance for a promo. They showed a clip of Becky Lynch attacking Lyra during Lyra’s tag team match with Bayley last week on Raw, so Bayley lost for her team. Lyra challenges Lynch for the Women’s IC Title at SummerSlam in a No Countout/No DQ match.

Lyra mentioned the giant shoes she was wearing and said she calls these Becky Stompers. Lyra said that in one week, she’ll either be here as the two-time Women’s Intercontinental Champion or without the title because she won’t be able to challenge Lynch again. Lyra said that she knows that Becky Lynch doesn’t like playing by the rules, which is how Lynch beat Lyra for the title. Lyra said that you can’t break rules if there are no rules to be broken. Lyra spoke about how Lynch doesn’t know what Lyra is capable of, but Lyra will go to a place she’s never gone before.

Becky Lynch’s music played and Lyra realized that Lynz was behind her, so Lyra hit Lynch with a dropkick on the floor. Lyra used a kendo stick to hit Lynch several times in the ribs and back. They went into the ring, Lynch got the kendo stick, Lyra fought back and Lynch bailed to the floor.

Analysis: A quick segment to push this Lynch/Lyra feud that has been going on for a few months. They didn’t need to do that much, so it was kept simple and quick.

Sami Zayn Interview

Sami Zayn was interviewed by Corey Graves earlier in the day. Zayn said that he is ready to be done with Karrion Kross because it’s impeding him. Zayn said that at SummerSlam he’ll put an end to it. Karrion Kross and Scarlett interrupted, so Graves left. Kross said that he had this idea that he would blast Zayn across his ribs again because then Zayn wouldn’t make it to Summerslam, which doesn’t work for Kross. Kross said that after he beats Zayn at SummerSlam, he wants Zayn to say Kross told the truth, and then Kross will go away. Kross said with everybody else, he was able to change them, but he hasn’t done that with Zayn yet. Kross said Zayn isn’t better than anybody else and Kross had his steel pipe that he gave to Zayn. Zayn wondered what Kross thinks. Zayn said if Kross beats Zayn at SummerSlam then he’ll say what Kross wants him to say. Zayn said maybe you’re wrong about yourself. Zayn said that when he beats Kross at SummerSlam, he wants Kross to say that he (referring to Kross) was wrong. Zayn gave Kross his steel pipe back and left.

Analysis: I liked the intensity of both guys. I think Zayn will likely win at SummerSlam, but I am also glad Kross is being featured. If Kross were to win, it wouldn’t bother me.

Naomi made her entrance as the Women’s World Champion for tag team action. There was a break for some fans. Chelsea Green made her entrance with her Secret Hervice allies Alba Fyre and Piper Niven.

Bayley was interviewed by Jackie Redmond backstage. Jackie mentioned Bayley isn’t on the SummerSlam card. Bayley said that she lost her opportunity for the Intercontinental Title and lost her opportunity for the Women’s Tag Team Titles. Bayley said she was at a loss for words. Bayley looked sad and left.

Analysis: I think a Bayley heel turn could be coming. I’m all for it. She’s better as a heel.

The babyface side made their entrances, and all of them got big ovations. Iyo Sky was up first, Stephanie Vaquer was next, Nikki Bella got a lot of screams from the female fans, and Rhea Ripley was last. This babyface team was beloved by the crowd.

Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky, Stephanie Vaquer & Nikki Bella vs. Naomi, Chelsea Green, Piper Niven & Alba Fyre

Ripley hit Naomi with two clotheslines and a slam into the mat. Green tagged in, so Nikki tagged in and nailed Green with punches. Nikki sent Green into the Niven/Fyre on the apron. Nikki hit a spinebuster, so Green bailed to the floor. Fyre got the tag, Nikki hit a forearm, Niven tagged in, and punched Nikki. Niven hit an elbow drop on Nikki for two. They went to break for some fans as the heels remained in control.

The heels were still in control of Nikki as Naomi hit a sliding slap to the face. Nikki came back with a springboard kick to knock Naomi down. Sky tagged in with a roll through stomp on Fyre. Sky punched Naomi on the apron, so Fyre punched Sky in the back. Green tagged in, Sky dropkicked Fyre after Fyre pushed Green out of the way and Green hit a jumping kick to the head. Niven splashed Sky against the turnbuckle. Naomi hit a forearm on Sky. Naomi sent Sky to the apron and Naomi hit a double knee spike headfirst into the mat. Naomi hit a leg drop for two. Green hit knees on Sky, Niven hit a senton and Fyre hit a Swanton Bomb, but the pin was broken up. Ripley kicked Naomi and Niven hit a Black Hole Slam on Ripley. Green sent Ripley out of the ring, so Naomi sent Ripley into the steel steps. Sky hit a flapjack on Fyre. Vaquer tagged in against Green and hit a springboard cross body block. Vaquer superkicked Fyre and hit Eat Defeat on Niven. Vaquer sent Naomi into the turnbuckle and Vaquer hit headbutts to knock Naomi down. Vaquer saw that all four opponents were down, so Vaquer hit three double knee attacks and a dragon screw leg whip on Naomi. Vaquer hit a belly-to-back suplex on Green. Vaquer hit the Devil’s Kiss knee smashing on Green for two. The fans love that move. Fyre broke it up with a kick. Nikki hit a Bella Buster sitout slam on Fyre. Naomi grabbed her title and walked out on her team. Sky sent Naomi back into the ring and Nikki hit a forearm on Naomi. Sky hit a missile dropkick on Naomi. Niven was back up with a double clothesline and a mockery of Sky’s taunt. Ripley battled the powerhouse Niven and hit a headbutt. Ripley hit Riptide on Niven. Green slapped Ripley. Vaquer was back in and hit SVB onto the knee of Green for the pinfall win. It went about 15 minutes.

Winners by pinfall: Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky, Stephanie Vaquer & Nikki Bella

Analysis: ***1/4 I thought it was a very good tag team match. It was another classic tag team match with the heels controlling most of it and coming close to winning, but it was the right call to have the babyface side win. Vaquer pinning Green protects Naomi as the champion and it keeps Naomi strong. They got plenty of time, the faces were loved by the fans and it was a fun match.

The Judgment Day was shown in their clubhouse. Finn Balor tried to cheer up Dominik Mysterio, Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez about how they have all this gold and how they have survived as a team. JD McDonagh said that they’re going to beat up the LWO. Balor told Dom they didn’t need help. Roxanne suggested that Dom play WWE 2K25 with her. Raquel mentioned that Liv Morgan loves video games too, so Dom said Let’s FaceTime her.

The LWO guys, Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro, entered as the challengers. There were videos shown of two WWE live events in Mexico over the weekend. Penta had a cool entrance. The Judgment Day made their entrance as well.

There was a backstage scene featuring Rhea Ripley, Nikki Bella, Iyo Sky and Stephanie Vaquer. They were happy about their win. Iyo Sky pulled Rhea Ripley toward her. Ripley said she’s finally going to have Sky’s number as a way of saying she’ll beat Sky. Iyo said that Rhea never beat her and never will. Ripley: “We’ll see about that.” Rhea left.

Analysis: Interesting comments. I think I’m picking Naomi in that triple threat.

World Tag Team Championships: The Judgment Day – Finn Balor & JD McDonagh vs. LWO – Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro

There were some kicks exchanged by the two sides early on. LWO made quick tags, leading to a double elbow on JD, and Wilde hit a splash. Cruz hit a Lionsault for two. Balor took over by driving Cruz into the turnbuckle. JD hit a moonsault for two. JD hit a running clothesline. Cruz hit a missile dropkick and another dropkick. Cruz sent both opponents out of the ring. Wilde hit a cross body block off the top onto both opponents on the floor. They went on a break for some fans as J-Day took over when JD hit a dropkick on a leaping Wilde.

The heels were in control until Wilde broke free and brought Cruz in. Cruz set up JD against the turnbuckle and kicked him. Cruz kicked Balor off the apron to the floor. Cruz went up top and hit a Coast to Coast dropkick on JD for two. Balor tagged in, Wilde jumped off the top, Balor kicked him and LWO each hit suplexes on their opponents. The LWO boys each hit suicide dives on their opponents on the floor. Back in the ring, Wilde with a moonsault off the middle rope and Cruz hit a Phoenix Splash off the top because JD made the save. JD clotheslined Wilde out of the ring. El Grande Americano (Ludwig Kaiser) showed up at ringside, Cruz was distracted by him and Dragon Lee showed up to fight with Grande. Balor got an inside cradle for two. Cruz kicked Balor and kicked JD on the apron. Wilde hit a somersault dive off the top onto JD on the floor. There was somebody in a mask (Pete Dunne?) who tripped up Wilde on the top rope. The referee never saw it. Balor hit a Coup de Grace double foot stomp on Wilde for the pinfall win. It went about 11 minutes.

Winners by pinfall: The Judgment Day – Finn Balor & JD McDonagh

Analysis: *** A cheap win by the champions, which is fitting for heels like The Judgment Day. We saw El Grande Americano, and then there was another masked guy, but we don’t know who that is. It looks like a new story with a second masked guy that helps out the heels. The LWO boys are fun to watch, and I hope they get more opportunities. Finn and JD work very well as a heel team.

A video aired featuring Bronson Reed discussing his path of destruction.

Rusev was interviewed by Byron Saxton in the skybox. This was during a break for some fans. Rusev said that Sheamus is a backstabbing snake. Rusev said that next week on Raw, he’s coming to break Sheamus’ mind, body and spirit. Rusev said that he will finally celebrate his day and the camera zoomed in on his face.

Analysis: I would have liked to see Sheamus against Rusev at SummerSlam, but they’re doing it at Raw instead.

Gunther’s Message For CM Punk

The World Heavyweight Champion Gunther made his entrance in street clothes. Gunther said that last week was a clean victory for him. Gunther bragged about going toe to toe with the best talker in the business and supposedly best in the world, so the fans chanted “CM Punk” at him. Gunther told Punk what’s going to happen at SummerSlam and he left the Voice of the Voiceless speechless. Gunther said that he made Punk understand that he doesn’t deserve to call himself the Best in the World and he made CM Punk realize he won’t be the World Champion. Gunther said he made CM Punk shut the hell up.

CM Punk made his entrance to confront his SummerSlam opponent as the fans sang along to the “Cult Of Personality” song.

CM Punk got in the ring to say that he was dumbfounded last week, not speechless. Punk said it dawned on him standing across the ring, across from somebody as great as Gunther. Punk claimed it dawned on him he didn’t need to be World Heavyweight Champion…I need to be World Heavyweight Champion. Punk said he needs the title like he needs air to breathe, blood in his veins and like the Detroit Red Wings need a Stanley Cup. Punk said that he understands addiction because wrestling is his addiction. Punk said that he needs the World Heavyweight Title as a thank you to the people who chanted his name for over 10 years. The fans chanted “CM Punk” for him. Punk said it means the world to them and it means a lot to him. Punk NEEDS to be World Heavyweight Champion. Punk said Gunther is here, saying Punk doesn’t deserve to call himself the Best In The World. Punk said that he earned the right to call himself that. Punk said he earned the right to be arrogant about it. Punk said that Gunther can’t back it up while Punk has beaten Hall of Famers and top superstars. Gunther wanted Punk to shut up. Punk told Gunther that there are levels to this, but Gunther is not on his level. Punk said on Saturday night, he’s leaving the World Heavyweight Championship, but at least Gunther will finally learn what it’s like to be in the ring with the Best in the World…CM Punk – the fans chanted his name. Punk left to cheers while Gunther was frustrated.

Analysis: Excellent promo from CM Punk as usual. They set it up well because Gunther did most of the talking last week and Punk was frustrated, so this time it was about giving Punk a chance to fire back at Gunther, which Punk did well. I think Punk winning at SummerSlam makes a lot of sense and maybe Seth Rollins will show up to cash in Money in the Bank right after, but maybe you do that another show down the line. It should be one of the better matches of SummerSlam weekend.

The announcers went over the SummerSlam card.

Saturday, August 2nd Matches:

  • World Heavyweight Championship: Gunther (c) vs. CM Punk
  • WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships – Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez (c) vs. Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss
  • Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross
  • Randy Orton & Jelly Roll vs. Drew McIntyre & Logan Paul
  • WWE Women’s Championship: Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Jade Cargill
  • Roman Reigns & Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed

Sunday, August 3rd Matches

  • Women’s World Championship: Naomi (c) vs. Iyo Sky vs. Rhea Ripley
  • United States Championship Steel Cage Match: Solo Sikoa (c) vs. Jacob Fatu
  • Women’s Intercontinental Championship (No Countouts, No Disqualifications): Becky Lynch (c) vs. Lyra Valkyria
  • Intercontinental Championship: Dominik Mysterio (c) vs. AJ Styles
  • WWE Tag Team Championships TLC Match: The Wyatt Sicks – Joe Gacy & Dexter Lumis (c) vs. Motor City Machine Guns – Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin vs. The Street Profits – Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins vs. #DIY – Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa vs. Andrade & Rey Fenix vs. Fraxiom – Nathan Frazer & Axiom
  • WWE Championship Street Fight: John Cena (c) vs. Cody Rhodes

The graphics right there confirmed the TLC Match will be on SummerSlam Sunday. That’s what I expected.

A clip from a Jelly Roll interview with Jackie Redmond will air on the Countdown Show. Jelly remarked that Logan Paul probably hates him because Logan is an athletic guy and Jelly is a fat guy that people like.

Jey Uso made his entrance for the main event. They went on a break for some fans as Jey continued his Yeeting routine. Bronson Reed made his entrance, joined by Paul Heyman.

Bronson Reed (w/Paul Heyman) vs. Jey Uso

Jey brought the fight with Reed by working him over with punches. Jey tripped up Reed into the turnbuckle, followed by Jey hitting a running hip attack against the turnbuckle. Jey hit Reed with clotheslines to stagger Reed, but then Reed ran over Jey with a body attack. Reed hit a senton splash onto Jey. Reed stood on Jey’s chest by the ropes. Reed sent Jey hard into the turnbuckle. Reed sent Jey into the turnbuckle, Jey hit a kick, but Reed caught a leaping Jey and hit a front slam. They went to a break for some fans as the action continued. It passed the 2.5-hour mark. Reed dominated Jey for a couple of minutes.

The match continued with Jey hitting some punches, along with a superkick that sent Reed out of the ring. Jey hit a suicide dive onto Reed on the floor. Bron Breakker showed up and hit a Spear on Jey on the floor. It went about 7 minutes. Awesome Spear by Bron there.

Winner by disqualification: Jey Uso

Analysis: ** I’m not shocked by the DQ ending because it keeps both guys strong going into the tag team match at SummerSlam. No surprise there. It would have been foolish to have either side lose.

Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed beat up Jey with punches. Roman Reigns made the save. Reigns did a necksnap on Reed across the top rope. Reigns clotheslined Bron across the ring. Reigns sent Reed shoulder-first into the turnbuckle. Reigns helped cousin Jey back up. Jey superkicked Bron off the apron. Reigns hit a Superman Punch to knock Reed off the apron and to the floor. Reigns and Jey went for attacks on the floor, but Bron hit a spear on Reigns while Reed nailed Jey with a clothesline on the floor. Reed held Jey in the ring, so Bron ran the ropes and hit another Spear on Jey. Bron held Jey, while Reed went up top and Reed hit a Tsunami splash on Jey. There was nobody at ringside trying to break this up. Bron jumped off the apron and hit Reigns with a clothesline over the commentary table. Bron put Reigns into the ring. Reed went up top and hit a Tsunami on Reigns. Reed stood tall over Reigns. Bron said that this used to be Roman’s ring, but this ring is Bron’s ring now. Bron said that they own this camera and the fans in the arena bark for him. Bron threw Reigns out of the ring. Bron and Reed stood tall in the ring.

Bron Breakker left the ring and hit a double Spear on Reigns and Jey through the barricade. That was amazing. Reed said that this is theirs now. Reed took Roman’s white sneakers off and said they are his sneakers now. Bron and Reed stood tall in the ring with Heyman. That was the end of Raw.

Analysis: A dominant ass kicking to put the heels over. That makes sense to do that on the last Raw before SummerSlam because it tells the fans that the heels might have the advantage, but I expect Roman and Jey to win the SummerSlam match. That beatdown took about five minutes and no WWE Officials showed up to try to break it up. There was just one referee out there. I get that you don’t want Officials and referees out there to ruin camera shots or whatever, but it’s unrealistic to have nobody out there trying to stop it. It happens all the time on other wrestling shows, other wrestling companies, and in WWE, too. I want some consistency, that’s all.

This week’s Raw had a runtime of 2 hours, 40 minutes on Netflix.

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Three Stars of the Show

  1. CM Punk
  2. Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed
  3. Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky, Stephanie Vaquer & Nikki Bella

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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. It didn’t blow me away as a go-home PLE show, but it was good in terms of adding heat to some stories. I think the main event angle worked well to put over Bron & Reed in their rivalry against Reigns & Jey. We saw it with some of the other SummerSlam matches too. Reed stealing Roman’s shoes was a bizarre move, but I kinda liked it because of how weird it was.

It was a busy night for tag team action with three tags on the show. They felt repetitive a bit, but I liked most of the finishes. I would have liked to see the Sheamus-Rusev third match get the SummerSlam spotlight instead of being on Raw next week, but I understand having big matches on Raw too. I believe those guys deserve to be on a major PLE show like SummerSlam.

CM Punk’s promo was my favorite part of the show. They set it up nicely by what Gunther said, and Punk did a nice job of making the point that he needs to win the World Title, and I think it might happen. Bring on SummerSlam over two nights this weekend.

The next WWE PLE is SummerSlam from MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on August 2 & 3. Here’s the lineup.

Saturday, August 2nd Matches:

  • WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships – Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez (c) vs. Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss
  • World Heavyweight Championship: Gunther (c) vs. CM Punk
  • Randy Orton & Jelly Roll vs. Drew McIntyre & Logan Paul
  • Roman Reigns & Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed
  • WWE Women’s Championship: Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Jade Cargill
  • Sami Zayn vs. Karrion Kross

Sunday, August 3rd Matches:

  • Intercontinental Championship: Dominik Mysterio (c) vs. AJ Styles
  • WWE Championship Street Fight: John Cena (c) vs. Cody Rhodes
  • United States Championship Steel Cage Match: Solo Sikoa (c) vs. Jacob Fatu
  • Women’s Intercontinental Championship (No Countouts, No Disqualifications): Becky Lynch (c) vs. Lyra Valkyria
  • Women’s World Championship: Naomi (c) vs. Iyo Sky vs. Rhea Ripley
  • WWE Tag Team Championships TLC Match: The Wyatt Sicks – Joe Gacy & Dexter Lumis (c) vs. Motor City Machine Guns – Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin vs. The Street Profits – Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins vs. #DIY – Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa vs. Andrade & Rey Fenix vs. Fraxiom – Nathan Frazer & Axiom

You can watch SummerSlam on Saturday, August 2, and Sunday, August 3, streaming live at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT 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