Here are the highlights and a review of the July 31 WWE Monday Night Raw in Houston, Texas. After last week’s events, Seth Rollins and Sami Zayn established an alliance to take on Damian Priest of Se’or Money in the Bank and Dominik Mysterio of NXT North America. Maxxine Dupri and Valhalla finally entered the ring to resolve their issues once and for all following several confrontations. Alpha Academy and The Viking Raiders are always nearby whenever they are involved. Cody Rhodes, Brock Lesnar, and Logan Paul all made appearances. Let’s review everything that occurred in Monday’s episode.

Logan Paul and Ricochet

Logan Paul entered the stage at the start of the show to the customary booing. He claimed that Ricochet was the reason he was there, not the fans. The high flyer stepped out and declared that while he had little respect for Paul as a person, he did admire his athleticism and flair. Paul made some comments on Samantha Irvin, Ricochet’s fiancee and the ring announcer. 

The acrobat pulled out his opponent’s legs and began pounding him. The two got into a fight, and when Ricochet leaped off the top rope, Paul smacked him with a powerful right hand. The YouTuber took a selfie with him on the mat as the episode came to a close. This wasn’t anything remarkable, but it was the perfect method for WWE to build anticipation for this match in ten minutes.

Ludwig Kaiser vs. Matt Riddle

This week, The Original Bro and Ludwig Kaiser engaged in combat as part of the ongoing conflict between Matt Riddle and Imperium. Ludwig Kaiser needed to win to gain Gunther’s approval after losing to Drew McIntyre the previous week. This bout started off with a superb demonstration of grappling skills. They mainly concentrated on holds and takedowns, but once Riddle fired the first blow, a left-right fight broke out. 

After the commercial break, The Bro was firmly in control as Gunther and Giovanni Vinci watched from the ringside. The German grappler Kaiser has been one of Raw’s most dependable performers, and this was another outstanding performance from him that, for once, resulted in him raising his hand. Kaiser finished off Riddle with a modified DDT and a cover for the pin to put an end to the entertaining match.

Maxxine Dupri vs. Valhalla

This week, Dupri and Valhalla finally entered the ring for a one-on-one match as the feud between Alpha Academy and The Viking Raiders continued. Although Chad Gable and Otis provided assistance, this was Dupri’s official singles debut. Valhalla didn’t require Erik and Ivar, even though they were in her corner. She crossed the bell’s ring as soon as it rang and kneed Dupri, knocking her off her feet. 

Otis and Gable quickly climbed onto the apron to cheer on their friend as they struck a pretty careless caterpillar. Otis, Ivar, and Erik were eliminated from the situation by Gable with a moonsault. To obtain the three-count, Dupri lifted Valhalla onto an electric chair before slamming her into a bridge. Nobody will argue that this was a solid match in terms of wrestling, but it was entertaining, and at the end of the day, that’s what WWE excels at. Dupri is excellently portraying a character who isn’t yet skilled in this.

Tommaso Ciampa vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

The Judgement Day appeared and announced their dominance. Raquel Rodriguez arrived on the scene to exact revenge on behalf of her tag team partner, Liv Morgan, after each speaker had finished. Eventually, Ripley gained the upper hand and severed her leg. Tommaso Ciampa and Shinsuke Nakamura’s match was next. The two ultimately made the decision to enter the ring to see if they can overcome their recent conflicts, which have occurred frequently in fights involving Bronson Reed.

Backstage, Reed was seen observing as Nakamura assumed command. These two men were acting aggressively despite the fact that they might not even dislike one another. The outcome of this hard-hitting encounter wasn’t quite what Ciampa had hoped for. Nakamura rolled him up while they struggled, then used a number of trunks to secure the pin. This did not provide a definitive resolution and keeps the door open for a future rematch.

Gunther vs. Chad Gable

Coming out, Lesnar discussed his impending SummerSlam encounter against Rhodes. He recited his accomplishments before calling out The American Nightmare, who complied and arrived in battle-ready attire. After shaking hands and exchanging uncomfortable looks, Rhodes killed his opponent with a suicide dive as he tried to depart. Rhodes was struck in the face by The Beast Incarnate after being thrown against a set of steel stairs. Lesnar pretended to depart but returned twice to deal additional damage. He hit the F-5 key to end the section. 

The following contest lasted for five minutes and was between Gunther and Gable. As the timer began, The Ring General easily flung his opponent across the ring to demonstrate his superiority. Gable was in Gunther’s control for four minutes before the head of Alpha Academy managed to counter him into an ankle hold. The intercontinental champion managed to escape, but Gable was able to block his powerbomb and eventually ran out the time to win.

Before Gable delivered a running dropkick to send us into a commercial, Gunther begged that additional time be added to the clock. The announcer declared that it would continue. The Olympian was being destroyed by The Ring General when we got backstage, and Gunther was being held in an armbar over the top rope for the full five counts. After a competitive final few minutes, Gunther ultimately finished him off with a powerbomb. After all was said and done, this turned out to be one of the best games of the evening.

Read more: “Well, don’t think he’s a good worker” expressed Ex-WWE star Maven about John Cena

Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus

Trish Stratus was eliminated by Becky Lynch due to intervention from Zoey Stark. Lynch was informed by Stratus that she would be ready to fight her right then, but she has no control over the timing of their encounter. Pearce entered to announce that the match would in fact begin right away, but Stark interrupted right away to end the match. Pearce said subsequently that the game will be rescheduled for two weeks later.

Seth Rollins and Sami Zayn vs. Dominik Mysterio and Damian Priest

The Judgement Day (Damian Priest & Dominik Mysterio) were defeated by Seth Rollins & Sami Zayn via pinfall after Rollins stomped on Priest. Late in the contest, Priest regarded his Money in the Bank suitcase before Finn Balor hesitated and gave it to him. Priest and Mysterio paid the price for their reluctance when Rollins was able to eliminate both of them before Balor was eliminated by Zayn to set up the conclusion.

Overall Show 

This episode of Raw did a pretty decent job of promoting every match that will be on the SummerSlam programme on Saturday night as far as go-home shows go. The superb video packages for Rousey and Baszler clearly highlighted the emotional impact of their feud as a result of their protracted relationship. Kaiser defeating Riddle cleanly was a pleasant surprise, while Ciampa losing to Nakamura as a result of cheating will keep the narrative continuing for at least another week. Gable and Gunther put on a banger of a match that initially appeared to be a joke. Although this programme had several flaws, it did a decent job of preparing the audience for the pay-per-view and providing entertaining matches along the way.

For more WWE news

Roman Reigns – On WWE Night of Champions 2023, Roman Reigns reached a massive milestone

Cody Rhodes – WWE hall of Famer thinks Cody Rhodes should turn heel

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