Summary
- Dirty Dominik Mysterio shines in the spotlight, pinning his own father in a heated match.
- Main Event Jey Uso secures his spot in the hunt for the Intercontinental Championship.
- Bronson Reed and Braun Strowman deliver a jaw-dropping, unforgettable moment on Raw.
The final Monday Night Raw before WWE‘s Bash In Berlin PLE included the in-ring debut of The Wyatt Sicks’ leader Uncle Howdy, a series of wins for Dirty Dominik Mysterio, and Zelina Vega returning to wreak havoc on Pure Fusion Collective. Jey Uso and Pete Dunne booked their place in the Fatal Four Way to determine the next contender for the Intercontinental Championship, and Randy Orton cut an impassioned promo ahead of his World Heavyweight Championship against Gunther.
The moment of the night undoubtedly came from Bronson Reed and Braun Strowman, the former putting the latter through the roof of a car with his devastating finishing maneuver. It simply has to be seen to be believed. Winners & Losers recaps the night’s action with facts, context, and opinions about the current state of WWE, during one of the hottest eras in the company’s history. This week’s Raw episode aired from the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island
Dirty Dominik Mysterio
The most hated man in WWE has a hell of a Monday night
The segment may have ended with JD McDonagh and Carlito taking a beating from The Terror Twins but this was Dirty Dominik Mysterio’s night. As well as receiving his weekly bout of nuclear heat from the Providence, RI audience, Dirty Dom pinned his Deadbeat Dad, Rey Mysterio, for the second time this year during The Judgment Day’s entertaining win over LWO.
Liv Morgan was involved in the finish, showing the WWE Women’s Champion and her boyfriend are on the same page ahead of their clash with Damien Priest and Rhea Ripley at Bash In Berlin this Saturday. Best of all, Dirty Dom is entering the Intercontinental Championship tournament. Whether he’s successful or not, it’s great to see his trajectory and status being reflected in his booking, and his North American Championship run on NXT shows that he can add attention and prestige to a title.
Main Event Jey Uso
One step closer to his first singles championship
Competing in his first match since the July 29th episode of Monday Night Raw, Main Event Jey Uso became the first person to qualify for the Number One Contender match for the Intercontinental Championship. Winning the first of four triple threat qualifiers by beating Karrion Kross and Kofi Kingston, Uso and the night’s second qualifier, Pete Dunne, will take part in a Fatal Four Way in two weeks on Raw to determine who gets the Championship match.
Jey’s lack of matches on TV has done absolutely nothing to dim the electric reaction he receives wherever he goes. It is absolutely a case of when and not if he gets his hand on gold. The big question is will Jey Uso be the next Intercontinental Champion? It may be premature, given that we don’t know the match’s full line-up yet, but Jey Uso feels like the favorite to face Bron Breakker. Whoever it is, there isn’t anybody questioning the position of the IC title anymore.
Randy Orton
Just a microphone and a message from the 14-time world champion
This is an interesting time for the Viper. Randy Orton’s ability to tell a story in the ring has been masterful for year, but Orton’s current presentation has him adopting themes that are almost entirely new for The Viper. Gratitude for being able to return to the ring at all, embracing trust and friendship with Kevin Owens, and proclaiming to be a better man than the Randy Orton of yesteryear.
It is to Orton’s advantage that the WWE has improved exponentially at embracing a wrestler’s long-term history with the company. It’s during promos like Randy’s that the post-Vince McMahon landscape really stands out. Even the merest mention of Legacy is cause for excitement. That John Cena Retirement Tour is edging closer with every passing week. It’s a good time to be Randy Orton.
Bronson Reed and Braun Strowman
An all-time great Monday Night Raw moment that HAS to be seen
Bronson Reed and Braun Strowman’s death-defying spot at the end of their match is something we are going to be seeing on replays for years to come. In the latest chapter in his current reign of terror, Reed left a defenseless Strowman on top of a car before scaling a wall and putting Strowman through the roof with his Tsunami Frog Splash. As his body impacted Strowman’s, the windows of the car exploded like something out of an action movie. It’s the kind of spot that gets you off your sofa and is arguably the highlight of Reed’s incredible summer.
A word for Braun Strowman too. After being an adequate distraction for The Judgment Day for a few months, this One Big S.O.B. was in fantastic form throughout this match. Taking out multiple WWE Security Guards in an overblown, comedic fashion was fun as usual. Braun may have ended the night at a local medical facility but it was not in vain. This effort will not be forgotten. Safe to say, this scene will stay viral for at least the entire week.
Uncle Howdy
A first win on his long-awaited in-ring debut
After months of dry ice, menacing behavior, and general spooky shenanigans, Uncle Howdy won his first match in a WWE ring by defeating Chad Gable in the Main Event of Monday Night Raw. Bo Dallas wrestles as Uncle Howdy with an aura that’s in alignment with the rugged, powerful style of Bray Wyatt, and distinctly different from the savagery employed by his Wyatt Sicks cohorts. By any metric, this was a satisfactory start to Howdy’s in-ring journey and the brawling from American Made and Howdy’s men felt glorious.
It is now time to add to Uncle Howdy and The Wyatt Sicks’ approach. The video vignettes that sit somewhere between the supernatural and the Saw franchise are effective but in need of a little more diversity. It is time to travel further down the rabbit hole of who Howdy is, what makes him tick and what are his motives for his future in the WWE. It’s a story that has delivered a solid enough start.
Chad Gable
American Made’s leader needs some numbers in the win column
No matter what way it is sliced, one singles win since February is not good enough for Chad Gable. It’s very easy to look at the Olympian with a half-full glass. The American Made stable has a wealth of talent, a cohesive aesthetic, and a zeitgeist-capturing gimmick that’s tailor-made to rattle cages. His ring work is flawless, his TV time has improved. What’s the man got to do to get a couple of wins around here?
Defeat to Uncle Howdy feels like the logical place for both parties to go their separate ways. Perhaps Gable goes back for revenge on his former teammates in The Alpha Academy, but ideally, there will be something fresh for Chad and his new family to sink their teeth into.
WWE Security Guards
Two beatdowns in one night for WWE’s boys in black
It feels like CM Punk and Drew McIntyre have said all the words that could possibly be said to one another since their feud began in January of this year. This made keeping things largely physical feel like a wise decision, with Punk emerging from under the ring (following a viral Instagram live stream in pitch darkness) to interrupt McIntyre’s goading with a leather strap ahead of their Strap Match at Bash In Berlin this weekend.
Punk would then turn on the WWE Security Team sent to calm the situation, whipping them like government mules, as Corey Graves gleefully mentions the fine he’ll incur for his actions. Because a security guard’s work is never finished, Braun Strowman would throw one guard through a flight case, another through a guard rail, and a final one through a catering table. It was great fun to watch but it was not a fun evening to be a WWE Security Guard.
THE FINAL WORD
- RIP Sid Eudy, aka Psycho Sid, Sid Vicious, and Sid Justice, 1960-2024.
- Corey Graves will be replacing Pat MacAfee on Raw until he returns in the new year. Graves and Michael Cole will also be calling Friday Night Smackdown.
- Bron Breakker arriving with an actual dog. This could lead to a canine feud with Cody’s faithful companion, Pharaoh.
- That springboard high wire doesn’t get any less impressive. A round of applause for Juaquin Wilde.
- Rey Mysterio’s mask really said “Mask” on it, huh?
- Dragon Lee’s involvement in the LWO vs Judgement Day match is his first match back on Monday Night Raw since losing to Carlito on June 17th. Welcome back!
- Miz chasing his record-equalling 9th IC Championship win. Sheamus needs it for his Grand Slam crown. Veterans having a legit reason to chase the Intercontinental title is great.
- It shouldn’t be that funny to watch a man be hit with a trash can but it is.
- Xavier Woods doing the Psycho Sid fist bumps on the way to the ring. Respect.
- Zelina Vega returned to Monday Night Raw for the first time since July 22nd, seeking revenge on Pure Fusion Collective.