The June 29th edition of RAW aired from the Performance Center. Tonight’s show featured a double contract signing for the WWE and RAW Women’s Championship matches at Extreme Ruies.
WWE RAW Results (6/29)
- Angel Garza & Andrade def. Viking Raiders
- R-Truth def. Akira Tozawa to become 24/7 Champion
- Seth Rollins & Murphy def. Aleister Black & Humberto Carrillo
- Peyton Royce def. Ruby Riott
- Big Show def. Andrade & Angel Garza
- MVP def. Apollo Crews
- Lashley def. Ricochet
- Dolph Ziggler & Sasha Banks def. Drew McIntyre & Asuka
Here are 5 takeaways from this week’s show:
Ziggler Will Pick The Stipulation For The WWE Championship Match At Extreme Rules
RAW opened up with a brawl between Asuka and Sasha Banks in the middle of the ring. Bayley helped Sasha beat Asuka down before referees broke it up. Samoa Joe then began speaking about the contract signing before Banks and Asuka started fighting again. Dolph Ziggler came down to the ring and introduced WWE Champion Drew McIntyre. Ziggler introduced McIntyre as the most ungrateful man in the world.
McIntyre then joined Sasha Banks, Asuka, and Dolph Ziggler in the ring. Dolph stated that he has been carrying monsters like Drew on his back for his entire career and claimed that he is going to keep getting back up at Extreme Rules. Ziggler vowed to survive and that McIntyre’s redemption story will disappear at the PPV. Dolph claimed that he created McIntyre and vowed to destroy him at Extreme Rules: Horror Show.
Dolph and McIntyre then signed the contract to make the match official. McIntyre noted that he has gone through hell to become the man and champion that he is today. Drew said that Ziggler needs the title because he has never been the center of attention that he has always dreamed of being. Drew told Dolph that he was going to allow Ziggler to pick the stipulation of their match at Extreme Rules.
RAW Women’s Champion Asuka shouted and then quickly signed the contact. Banks stated that she is the standard, the leader, and the conversation. Sasha vowed to win the title at Extreme Rules and that her and Bayley are taking over the entire company. Asuka and Banks brawled again as Dolph went for a Superkick. McIntyre went for the Claymore but Dolph rolled out of the ring.
Andrade & Garza Picked Up A Win But Still Are Not On The Same Page
Big Show marched down to the ring and demanded that Randy Orton join him. Andrade, Angel Garza, and Zelina Vega interrupted and mocked the idea that Big Show is a legend. They were about to get into the ring before Ric Flair’s music hit. Flair said that Orton was the greatest wrestler alive today and will take Big Show out whenever he feels like it.
Flair said Big Show has been making cartoons on Netflix and that he has had his day in WWE. Ric told Garza and Andrade to have some fun at Big Show’s expense. Viking Raiders made the save and a brawl broke out as RAW went to a break. Garza and Andrade then battled Viking Raiders in a tag team match and Vega joined commentary.
Match Recap: Viking Raiders dominated early and isolated Garza in the ring. Andrade tagged in and beat Erik down. Garza tagged in and continued to beat Erik down but Andrade got pissed off that he wasn’t getting tagged in and left the ring. Vega stopped Andrade on the entrance ramp as RAW went to a break. When RAW returned, Andrade and Garza were still in control and had Erik trapped in the corner.
Erik escaped and tagged in Ivar as Garza tagged in as well. Ivar connected with a Sideslam and followed it up with a Splash. Erik tagged back in and Andrade caught him with an elbow to the face. Garza planted Erik with the Wing Clipper for the pinfall victory. Andrade was still pissed off and made his way backstage as Angel posed in the ring.
Rollins Sent A Message To Rey Mysterio
Seth Rollins came down to the ring with Murphy (no Austin Theory) to ask for “forgiveness”.
Rollins said that he has given Rey Mysterio every chance to walk away but he has defied him at every turn. Seth looked into the camera and asked Rey to forgive him not for what he has done but for what he is forcing him to do in the future. Rollins added that Rey is meant to be a sacrifise for the greater good of Monday Night RAW and that he will be forced to break Mysterio down piece by piece.
Mysterio and Dominik appeared on the jumbotron and Rey told his son that he hopes he can forgive him for what he has to do to Seth. Rey told Dominik that he loved him but he has to do something to Seth that is just as remorseless for what he did to him. Mysterio added that what he is going to Rollins is not by fate, it will be by design. Dominik told Rey that he forgives him and Rollins will never forget what Rey does to him.
Seth told Dominik and Rey to be careful what they wish for because Rollins will be forced to end Dominik’s career before it ever begins. Humerto Carrillo and Aleister Black came down to the ring as RAW went to a break. When RAW returned, Rollins asked Humberto why he looks up to Rey and called him a coward. Humberto told Rollins that he was a coward and less of a man than Mysterio. Aleister Black stated that he knows a thing or two about evil and recognizes it when he is looking at it. Rollins told Aleister that he thinks he knows evil but he hasn’t seen anything yet. Rollins and Murphy then battled Black and Carrillo in a tag team match.
Match Recap: Aleister Black and Murphy started the match off. Black was in control but Rollins got in a cheap shot as the referee was distracted. Seth tagged and beat Aleister down outside the ring. Back in the ring, Murphy tagged in and continued to beat Aleister down. Humberto tagged in and connected with an Enziguri to Murphy’s face. Humberto followed it up with a Crossbody and then launched Seth out of the ring.
Carrillo made his way to the top rope and hit a beautiful Dropkick and went for the 619 but Rollins broke it up. Carrillo then took Murphy and Rollins out with a Splash off the apron as RAW went to a break. When RAW returned, Carrillo was trapped in the ring but hit Rollins with an Enziguri that knocked both superstars to the canvas.
Aleister and Murphy tagged in and Black connected with a springboard Moonsault. Humberto tagged back in and hit Murphy with the 619 and went for the cover but Rollins broke it up. Seth leveled Black with a Suicide Dive and Murphy hit Humberto with a knee to the face for a near fall. Murphy lifted Humberto up in the Electric Chair and Rollins hit a knee to the face off the top rope but Carrillo once again kicked out at two. Rollins hit Carrillo with the Stomp for the pinfall victory.
After the match, Seth and Murphy sent Aleister into the timekeeper’s area. Murphy grabbed the steel steps and blasted Carrillo in the face with them. Rollins laughed and put a Rey Mysterio mask on Humberto’s face. Rollins tried to shove Humberto’s eye into the corner of the steps but Black broke it. Seth fought off Black and then hit Humberto with the Stomp on top of the steel steps. Seth and Murphy retreated up the entrance ramp as Aleister checked on Carrillo.
Opinion: Rollins’ decent into madness has been one of the best parts of RAW for some time now. I am looking forward to the eventual match between Mysterio & Rollins and to see how Dominik will factor in.
Big Show Def. Andrade & Angel Garza
Angel Garza and Andrade faced Big Show in a Handicap Match tonight on RAW. Zelina Vega was ringside for the match.
Match Recap: Andrade and Angel spent some time arguing about who was going to start off the match. Garza and Andrade slid into the ring but Andrade quickly rolled back out. Big Show hit Garza with a chop that echoed throughout the Performance Center as Andrade hopped up on the apron. Big Show beat Garza down for several minutes before Andrade tagged in. Andrade walked into a massive Body Slam from Big Show as Vega had a horrified look on her face.
Angel tagged back in and Big Show went for a Splash in the corner. Garza got out of the way and stomped the hell out of Big Show. Andrade tagged himself in and Garza got pissed off. The two started shoving each other and Garza rolled out of the ring. Big Show got up and planted Andrade with a Chokeslam for the pinfall victory. After the match, Big Show hit Andrade with the KO Punch.
Opinion: I don’t understand why Garza and Andrade defeated Viking Raiders earlier in the night if they cannot work as a team. It makes the Viking Raiders look terrible that they couldn’t defeat them. I don’t have much interest in a Big Show versus Randy Orton match and I certainly don’t want to see Big Show walking through younger superstars on the way to Extreme Rules.
Sasha Banks Pinned The RAW Women’s Champion
Drew McIntyre and Asuka faced Dolph Ziggler & Sasha Banks in a Champions versus Challengers tag team match in the main event of this week’s RAW. SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley joined commentary for the match.
Match Recap: McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler started the match off and Dolph got right in Drew’s face. Ziggler started taunting McIntyre and paid for it with a massive chop to the chest. Ziggler hit McIntyre with the Fameasser and went for the cover but Drew kicked out before a one count. Sasha Banks and Asuka tagged in and started shoving each other. Asuka leveled Banks with a shoulder tackle and Banks rolled out of the ring as RAW went to a commercial break.
When RAW returned, Ziggler connected with a DDT on McIntyre and both superstars fell to the canvas. RAW Women’s Champion Asuka and Banks tagged in and Asuka hit Banks with a Shining Wizard. Bayley distracted Asuka and Sasha capitalized with a Meteora off the ring apron. Back in the ring, Banks went for the cover but Asuka kicked out at two.
Sasha connected with Double Knees and went for the cover but Asuka kicked out at two. Asuka battled back and tagged in McIntyre. Drew leveled Ziggler with a Clothesline and followed it up with a massive Arm Drag. Drew launched Dolph across the ring like he was nothing and then made his way to the top rope.
McIntyre hit a Flying Clothesline and sent Ziggler into the corner. Banks tagged herself in and McIntyre punched Ziggler in the face. Asuka hit Banks with a boot to the face and went for the cover but Sasha kicked out at two. Ziggler shoved McIntyre into the ring post as Sasha locked in the Bank Statement in the middle of the ring. Asuka broke free and applied the Asuka Lock. Banks countered into a roll-up for the pinfall victory.
Opinion: It was pretty evident that WWE was working with a limited roster during this week’s episode and the show definitely suffered because of that. The main event was entertaining and Banks versus Asuka at Extreme Rules should be great.