WWE RAW PRIMER 7/23: Stephanie McMahon Announcement, Lashley vs. Reigns II, B-Team vs. Hardy & Wyatt, Sasha & Bayley, Rousey suspension extension

WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW PRIMER
JULY 23, 2018
CINCINNATI, OH. AT U.S. BANK ARENA
AIRS ON USA NETWORK, 8:00 P.M. EDT
BY FRANK PETEANI, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Arena / Opening Thoughts

Tonight, WWE Raw will emanate from the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, OH for the first time in nearly two years as the previous show took place in September of 2016.  We’ll continue to get ready for SummerSlam, WWE’s signature annual summer event, which is just under four weeks away and will take place in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Last week we got finally somewhere with the WWE Universal Championship picture as G.M. Kurt Angle demanded Brock Lesnar defend his championship at SummerSlam.  Angle set up two triple threat matches in which the winners would face tonight for the right to challenge Lesnar for Raw’s top prize.  Ronda Rousey returned only to have her suspension extended, but she didn’t suffer all that much.  We learned we’ll have a tag team championship rematch and what’s next for Sasha Banks and Bayley as their story took a bit of a detour.  Let’s dig in to what’s on the menu for tonight according to WWE.com.

Raw Commissioner Stephanie McMahon Major Announcement

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Raw commissioner Stephanie McMahon, but tonight she makes her return to make a historic announcement.  This was announced on WWE’s twitter account this past Friday and retweeted by Stephanie herself.

Thoughts:  There are a lot of theories out there as to what this announcement will entail.  I’m purely speculating here, but there’s talk of a woman’s tag team championship.  Given Sasha Banks & Bayley’s situation, which I will expound upon later, this could go a way of getting them as well as others back into relevancy.  There’s also talk of an all-women’s show some time this year.  It’s not clear if it’s a one-time show, an annual program, or weekly offering.  The second Mae Young Classic is coming which could be tied somehow to the announcement.  Finally, “Constable” Baron Corbin told G.M. Kurt Angle he would inform Stephanie of Kurt’s decision to give Ronda Rousey a Raw Women’s Championship match at SummerSlam after violating her suspension.  The announcement could involve the “management” structure of Raw.  In either case, Forbes has an article out that seems to think this will boost Raw viewership.

Bobby Lashley vs. Roman Reigns II: Winner Faces Lesnar at SummerSlam for the WWE Universal Championship

As I said earlier, we got some clarity on the WWE Universal Championship picture.  Kurt Angle was about to strip Brock Lesnar of the championship when his advocate, Paul Heyman appeared.  Angle and Heyman had a back-and-forth negotiation including Heyman expressing Lesnar’s desire to challenge for the UFC Heavyweight Championship while holding the Universal Championship.  Angle would have none of it as he demanded Lesnar defend the title at SummerSlam or be stripped of the title.  Heyman agreed to Angle’s terms.  We then got Bobby Lashley, Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, Finn Balor, Elias, and Roman Reigns to come out one by one, not necessarily in that order, all expressing their desire and case to be the one to challenge Lesnar.  Angle would set up two triple threat matches where the winners would face tonight, and that individual would go on to face Lesnar for the Universal Championship at SummerSlam.

Reigns defeated Balor and McIntyre, and Lashley defeated Rollins and Elias.  We essentially get a rematch from Extreme Rules as Reigns takes on Lashley for the right to face Lesnar.

Thoughts:  One comforting thought is that Rocky Balboa vs. Apollo Creed’s fight in Rocky II was better than the one in the original Rocky, even though the original Rocky is a better overall movie.  Perhaps the same theory applies tonight.  Now, since everyone who came out was granted an opportunity to get into the match at SummerSlam where was Curt Hawkins?  Why not Mojo Rawley?  Since he’s won a few matches recently he had more of a case than Roman Reigns who said he was just looking for a fight anyway.  No Way Jose could have gotten in on the action for that matter.  I joke but the way WWE told the story last week, anyone who came out in the opening segment was given an opportunity at the Universal Championship.  McIntyre, Balor, and Lashley had all won their recent matches.  Later on, Kurt Angle would deny “Constable” Corbin an opportunity to get into the fray because he lost his match at Extreme Rules.  Didn’t Reigns and Rollins lose as well on the same night? 

Raw Tag Team Championship: B-Team (champs) vs. Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt (challengers)

Following their victory at Extreme Rules the B-Team, Bo Dallas & Curtis Axel had their first successful title defense over The Ascension (who earned a championship opportunity via… I don’t know).  Following the match, former champions Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt claimed they would exercise their rematch clause for next week (meaning tonight).  The Raw Tag Team Championship will be on the line as the B-Team faces Hardy & Wyatt, the team from which they won the titles at Extreme Rules.

Thoughts:  There’s not much here other than a straight-forward rematch.  I’m 50/50 as to whether B-Team keeps the titles or flips them back to Hardy & Wyatt in this program.  Either way, The Authors of Pain have to be waiting in the wings.  Not to be blunt, but it’s a matter of whom WWE wants AOP to squash when they inevitably become kings of the Raw tag team division.  The Revival could play a factor as well in the near future. 

Bayley & Sasha Banks: All You Need is Love 

Following their therapy sessions, Bayley and Sasha Banks were forced to team up by Kurt Angle to face Alicia Fox and Dana Brooke.  It’s been quite some time since we had seen Fox and Brooke compete.

The referee stopped the match when Sasha Banks went after both Fox and Brooke outside the ring following Bayley being attacked by Fox, who the “illegal” women.  His decision was not clear, but it appeared to be a draw.  Nonetheless, later on Sasha would confess to Bayley that she “loves her.”  She admitted she loved how Bayley loves everyone, is always there for her, girls look up to her, and she knows when something is wrong.  Sasha admitted she hates talking about her feelings, and it’s one thing for her to fight Bayley but she doesn’t want anyone else going after her.

Thoughts:  I immediately wondered if they were “going there” with Sasha and Bayley.  Is this love about friendship, or is it romantic?  Coincidentally, Kevin Eck (a frequent Wade Keller PWTorch Interview Friday guest) alluded to the same question in his “Am I The Only One” article which came out this past Friday.  If memory serves me correct it would be the first same-sex romance angle we’ve seen on WWE programming if in fact they are going in that direction.  Stephanie McMahon has previously alluded to the possibility of WWE doing such a story.  It also could be to throw us off where we’re made to believe everything is OK between Sasha and Bayley and someone turns, generating strong boos contrary to the reaction Bayley got when she attacked Sasha a number of weeks ago in San Diego.  Finally, I did speculate about Stephanie’s announcement possibly being about introducing a Women’s Tag Team Championship.  If that’s the case, Bayley and Sasha would be great candidates to be the first champions as their singles pushes have certainly fell flat. 

Rousey Fallout

Last week Ronda Rousey got suspension extended by one week and was awarded a Raw Women’s Championship opportunity at SummerSlam against Alexa Bliss.  She came out of the crowd to interrupt an Alexa promo (accompanied by Mickie James).  Ronda would go on the attack, giving Mickie a spinning Samoan drop and an armbar to Alexa.

G.M. Kurt Angle would come out and tell Ronda she needed to finish out her suspension.  “Constable” Corbin came out recommending her suspension be extended, to which Angle agreed.  He extended it by a week, but Corbin thought it should be longer.  Corbin couldn’t find his phone to call Stephanie McMahon and thus went to look for it.  Angle revealed he had it.  It was at this point he re-affirmed Ronda’s suspension extension and title opportunity.  Tonight, WWE follows up on this situation.

Thoughts:  Check out Ronda’s twitter account for her happenings on Shark Week, which certainly lines up with the “suspension” angle as her time has been consumed with that show.  I thought it was odd she was immediately given a title opportunity when she clearly violated her suspension.  As someone told me when I tweeted these thoughts last week, it could be Kurt “giving the child the toy to quiet her down” as a parent may do when a child is acting up.  As a father of three children six and under, I could certainly understand that theory! 

Other Items

• As Elias told us, his debut album dropped this morning.  Here’s a link to it from his Twitter account:

WWE: Walk With Elias – EP
by Eliashttps://t.co/f4LjecRjA1

— Elias (@IAmEliasWWE) July 23, 2018

• Mojo Rawley continues to gain some momentum as he defeated Tyler Breeze of Breezango in a quick match.  Breeze is going it alone these days as Fandango recovers from shoulder surgery

• Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler defeated Bobby Roode in a non-title match.  Roode initially challenged Ziggler for the title.  Ziggler made it seems like her accepted; however, he only agreed to a match.  He did not agree to put the championship on the line.  Roode continues to flounder since his move to Raw which could signal a heel turn coming or just a move to be a glorified jobber.

• The Revival looked on from backstage during the B-Team vs. Ascension match.  Things have been quiet for them since being featured in a prominent spot vs. Bobby Lashley and Roman Reigns. 

• Cincinnati is the home of Dean Ambrose.  I have no reason to believe he’s returning tonight, but stranger things have happened out of nowhere before.  A loud pop would certainly be in order if he graced us with is presence this evening.

Dark Matches / Wrestlers Advertised

In keeping with tradition recently, an eight-man tag is being advertised.  The U.S. Bank Arena’s website shows Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins and Finn Balor vs. Intercontinental Champion Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens, and Baron Corbin.  They also advertise G.M. Kurt Angle, Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss, Bobby Lashley, Elias, Sasha Banks and “many more.”  At least they have the champions correct.  Yes folks, the “card is subject to change.”  (Isn’t is always?)

Start time shown is 7:30 p.m. with doors opening at 6:00 p.m.

Follow me on Twitter @FrankPeteani.  Thank you for reading!

NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S RAW REPORT: HEYDORN’S WWE RAW REPORT 7/16: Alt Perspective coverage of the live show including Extreme Rules fallout, the future of the Universal Championship, and more