Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly WWE RAW hits and misses series.
The August 12 episode of RAW was held at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. The Judgment Day, Damian Priest, Drew McIntyre, CM Punk, Randy Orton, and Gunther appeared at the show.
Here’s what went down on 8/12 RAW.
Hit – A chaotic opening to WWE RAW
Rhea Ripley opened RAW. “Mami” cut a promo on Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio. The pair interrupted Rhea before Dominik explained why he turned his back on Rhea at WWE SummerSlam. Damian Priest then popped up and attacked Dominik while Rhea chased Liv. Carlito arrived to kick off his match against Priest. The former world champion emerged victorious, The rest of the new Judgment Day then ganged up on Priest before Ripley made the save. Dominik attempted a cheap shot, but Priest caught him. The former NXT North American Champion barely escaped a Riptide, as Morgan saved him.
RAW openings are must-see these days. There’s always something chaotic going on. Ripley eviscerated Dominik in her promo. Priest popping up behind Liv and Dom made for a great visual. Liv running for her life from Rhea was delightful as well. Plus, Dom getting caught by Damian while he was hugging Rhea was a fun moment as well. The Terror Twins still run Monday Night RAW. The combination of the promo and the match nicely set up the mixed tag team action at WWE Bash in Berlin.
Miss – Karrion Kross promo
The Final Testament interrupted The New Day following Odyssey Jones’ successful WWE RAW in-ring debut. Kross cut a promo on the newfound alliance between Kingston and Jones, claiming that Kingston was using the powerhouse to replace Big E. Woods told Kross he saw right through him. Next, the two sides will collide in tag team action next week.
Some fans have wondered why Kross does all the talking when he has the legendary Paul Ellering and Scarlett beside him. It’s a fair criticism. At the very least, with Kross doing most of the promo work, the group isn’t connecting as well as it could.
Hit – Tornado tag team match on WWE RAW
American Made took on Alpha Academy in a Texas Tornado tag team match. The crowd was red hot for Otis and Akira Tozawa. Ivy Nile turned her back on Maxxine Dupri in the closing moments of the match to cause a distraction for Otis. The Creed Brothers took advantage of the diversion to pin Tozawa for the win.
This was a fun match with plenty of awesome moments. The Creeds have unreal strength. Alpha Academy is super over. Tozawa botched his suicide dive, but thankfully, he wasn’t hurt. Ivy Nile betraying Maxxine was a no-brainer because she’s Diamond Mine first and foremost. It remains to be seen whether the feud will continue next week.
Miss – The Pure Fusion Collective
Sonya Deville, Shayna Baszler, and Zoey Stark cut a promo on Damage CTRL ahead of their tag team match. Deville referred to her group as “The Pure Fusion Collective.” Baszler and Stark then took on IYO SKY and Kairi Sane for a shot at the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles. The Unholy Union ultimately interfered to cause a disqualification.
The “Pure Fusion Collective” name was met with plenty of criticism. To make matter worse, the match itself was underwhelming. WWE’s women’s tag team division is really struggling at the moment despite having some terrific workers. Plus, not showcasing the women’s tag team titles at a PLE is a missed opportunity.
Hit – RKO x Punk
Randy Orton showed up to address his title match at WWE Bash in Berlin. Gunther interrupted the 14-time World Champion. “The Ring General” played mind games with his challenger. Drew McIntyre arrived, and Orton used the distraction to drop Gunther with an RKO. CM Punk then attacked McIntyre before whipping him with his own belt.
Gunther was already excellent between the ropes. Now, he’s starting to show a new side on the main roster. With each passing week, it’s clear that Gunther is great at psychological warfare. Gunther almost caused Orton to snap by insulting his family, so the World Heavyweight Champion had the RKO coming. Punk and McIntyre was great angle as usual.
Honorable Mentions
- NXT North American Champion Oba Femi was shown in the crowd during WWE RAW. Oba had a staring contest with Otis before the Alpha Academy star made his way to the ring for tornado tag team action. Oba will hold an open challenge for his championship this week on NXT.
- Mark Henry and his son Jacob Henry were shown on camera ahead of Bronson Reed’s match against The Miz. Jacob recently signed an NIL deal with WWE, as he previously committed to Oklahoma’s wrestling program. The duo watched Reed destroy R-Truth with multiple Tsunamis.
- Bron Breakker and Sami Zayn had the best match of their trilogy this week on RAW. They collided in a thrilling Two-Out-of-Three Falls match. Breakker won the first fall with a spear. Zayn tied the score with a helluva kick. Breakker then retained his title following a mid-air spear.
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