Welcome to our weekly WWE RAW review series where we look back at the biggest hits and misses from the red brand.
This week’s episode emanated from Hershey’s Giant Center in Pennsylvania. Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan, Dominik Mysterio, Drew McIntyre, and World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest, among others, worked the episode.
Here’s what went down on RAW.
Miss – Opening segment on WWE RAW
Liv Morgan kicked off WWE RAW. The Women’s World Champion talked about the kiss that shocked the world. Dominik Mysterio cut her off only to find himself cornered by Liv. Finn Balor arrived and told the champion to back off.
Liv is not the best talker on the mic. Her lack of mic skills undersold the angle from last week. Dom getting heat from the crowd was the only part worth noting. I thought Liv should’ve come up with a better response than “What if I don’t want to” when interrupted by Balor.
Hit – Ludwig Kaiser vs. Sheamus
Ludwig Kaiser attacked Sheamus before their match. The Celtic Warrior struggled with his knee throughout the match. Both men delivered some hard-hitting offense. Kaiser picked up the win following 14 minutes of action.
A great match with some fine storytelling on display. Sheamus did a great job selling the knee attack. The Celtic Warrior had welts on his chest after the match. The ending where Kaiser kicks Sheamus in the knee causing him to fall and pick up the win was executed nicely.
I’d like to see a rematch between the duo.
Miss – Finn Balor vs. Dragon Lee
Finn Balor and Dragon Lee collided in singles action on WWE RAW this week. Lee had the momentum throughout the match. However, Judgment Day’s interference ended up costing him the match.
This match, no doubt, would’ve been a lot better had it not been for TV restrictions. Balor and Lee showed some signs of chemistry. The distraction angle ruined it a bit for me, but there seems to be no other way to book Judgment Day on weekly TV these days.
Hit – Otis snaps on WWE RAW
Sami Zayn came to the ring to address his feud with Chad Gable. Maxxine Dupri, Tozawa and Otis arrived with a message for Zayn for Gable. Zayn said he’d put his title on the line against Gable at Clash at the Castle. Gable used the distraction to take out Zayn with a suplex. He then proceeded to humiliate the Alpha Academy. Zayn got up for a fight until they both accidently hit Otis taking out Tozawa and Maxxine in the process. Otis snapped and put away Zayn with the World’s Strongest Slam.
Gable is slowly becoming my favorite heel on WWE RAW. The way he berated Sami Zayn and Alpha Academy in the same letter was some brilliant heel shtick. The crowd was red-hot for Otis to take out Gable, but I’m guessing they are going to hold off on the turn till Clash at the Castle Premium Live Event.
Miss – Impromptu women’s tag team title match
Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair showed up on WWE RAW this week. The Women’s Tag Team Champions were interrupted by Zoey Stark and Shayna Baszler. Adam Pearce booked an impromptu title match between the two teams. The match ended in DQ due to Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn’s interference.
They should’ve just used a brawl to set up a future tag team title match instead of the impromptu match we got on WWE RAW. That said, the DQ finish was a smart move to protect the challengers from a clean loss. We might be getting a triple threat tag team title match between the three teams in the coming weeks.
Hit – Bron Breakker vs. Ricochet on WWE RAW
Bron Breakker took on Ricochet one-on-one this week. Ricochet’s athleticism complemented Bron’s insane strength and speed. Breakker picked up the win following a vicious spear. He tried to take out Ricochet but Ilja Dragunov made the save.
Bron Breakker’s first competitive match on WWE RAW since 2022 and it didn’t disappoint. Ricochet was the perfect opponent for Breakker. His selling of the injury and quick offense he got against Bron made for some great back-and-forth action.
Honorable Mentions
Kiana James made her in-ring debut on WWE RAW. The former NXT Women’s Tag Team Champion took on Natalya. Kiana got a quick win against the BOAT. She looked impressive in her debut but both women should’ve got at least 7 to 10 minutes of action. A missed opportunity in my opinion.
Damian Priest and Rey Mysterio headlined RAW. Priest won the match after 17 minutes of action. This was a solid match that made the champion look strong heading into Clash at the Castle. Priest planted Drew McIntyre through the announce table to cap off RAW. It remains to be seen which of these two men will walk out as the winner come June 15.
Also read: Bron Breakker vs. Ilja Dragunov, Sami Zayn vs. Otis, More Set For 6/10 WWE RAW
