WWEMonday Night Rawwill be just two hours between now and the company’s debut on Netflix in January. The night in St. Louis, Missouri, started in explosive fashion whenCM Punk announced he needs time off after Saturday’s Hell In A Cell, only to be interrupted by Seth Rollins wishing him a speedy recovery so he can meet him in the ring and retire the Second City Saint for good. Rollins also mentioned his unfinished business with Bronson Reed, offering him a match as his soonest convenience, before Jey Uso successfully defended his Intercontinental Championship against Xavier Woods.
Bron Breakker decided against turning face after all, attacking Jey Uso and The New Day at the end of the IC title match. Following on from last week’s incident, The Miz challenged R-Truth to a match on next week’s Raw, andWWE Champion Cody Rhodes was in the house to watch Gunther defeat Sami Zayn, setting up a dream match between the two for the Crown Jewel Championship in Saudi Arabia.
Winners
CM Punk vs Seth Rollins
Opening Monday Night Raw, CM Punk was still showing the effects ofSaturday’s Hell In A Cell war with Drew McIntyre. Limping in his entrance, stopping at the top of the ramp, and speaking in a somber tone,Punk revealed that he did not know when he would return to a WWE ring. He thanked everyone for their support, his family, and his doubters for their motivation, and then took his leave. Or he tried to, at least.
Barely letting Punk’s final word linger in the air, Seth Rollins’s music hit, and he made sure he took Punk’s sweet little goodbye moment from him. Strutting to the ring,Rollins wished Punk a speedy recovery so that he can “retire his ass for good"when he returns. The undercurrent of disdain these men have for one another should make this feud generational. Seth promised he would make Bronson Reed pay for injuring him for two months while Punk is getting healthy. That’s exciting too, but the stick of dynamite has now been lit for the most anticipated feud in WWE’s recent history.
Bron Breakker
The Dog of WWE Has Not Turned over a New Leaf
Well, it was fun while it lasted. Onlast week’s episode of Monday Night Raw, Bron Breakker seemed to turn face. He was sporting in his words to Jey Uso, and seemed to have his eyes set on Gunther’s World Heavyweight Championship. This week,Breakker went back to his devious ways by spearing Jey Uso, Kofi Kingston, and Xavier Woods after the Intercontinental Champion had successfully defended against The New Day member.
When approached for comment, being asked for answers when his actions this week contradicted his words from last,Breakker gave Cathy Kelly the cold shoulder and leftthe building. The dog’s popularity will not be dependent on the direction of his character. His reasons for this change of heart will have to wait. As with everything with Bron, it’s easy to feel assured that it’ll be worth it.
Sheamus and Pete Dunne
A Much-Needed Win for the Big Fella
It has not grabbed many headlines butPete Dunne and Sheamus have had an enjoyable, bitterly personal rivalrythis summer as former partners turned enemies, Pete Dunne has been expertly playing the jilted, overlooked sidekick to Sheamus’s unassuming, Irish everyman. 1-1 before this week’s match, Sheamus would grab the victory while his hands were zip-tied to win their feud and a wildly entertaining Good Old-Fashion Donnybrook match.
Sheamus should thrive in his new-found role as one of WWE’s most lovable veterans. TheWhite Noise off of the whiskey barrels and through the waiting tables below was a stand-out spotacross WWE in recent days. Pete Dunne has to continue this form and follow the recent exploits of Bronson Reed and Andrade El Idolo when it comes to re-establishing his reputation. This feud and this match have helped both men in their respective causes.
Sami Zayn
Another Unsuccessful World Title Attempt
Alas, it was not to be. After his brave stand at this year’s WrestleMania,Sami Zayn couldn’t repeat his heroics against Guntherand take his World Heavyweight Championship, as he passed out to Gunther’s deep sleeper hold. His quest for the big one is over for the time being. It’s the right result for this moment in time, as it was unlikely for Gunther to lose his championship so soon, but Sami Zayn has to now regroup and find new motivation.
It looks bleak for Zayn as one of his best friends is holding the Intercontinental Title, and he has to go to the back of the World Heavyweight Championship line.The smart money is now on Sami to become involved with The Bloodlineahead of Survivor Series in Vancouver. Jimmy Uso is back and has sworn his allegiance to the OTC. The Rock has returned to WWE to wage war on Cody Rhodes and his friends. Could the band be getting back together to feel Ucey once more to do battle with Solo Sikoa and his gang in the coming weeks on the road to this year’s WarGames?
The Two-Hour Raw
A Lot of Downsides Emerge From the Two-Hour Format
What do Rhea Ripley, Drew McIntyre, Finn Balor, American Made, Rey Mysterio, The Wyatt Sicks, Bronson Reed, Raw’s tag team champions, and Damage CTRL all have in common? That’s correct.All of that talent went entirely unused on this week’s episodeof Monday Night Raw. Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, and Dominik Mysterio were on-screen for less than two minutes and offered no explanation for their newly found union. Cody Rhodes was also in a “blink and you missed it” backstage segment. Week one of this new arrangement was weird.
It makes sense that there will be weekly casualties with Raw losing a third of its runtime, butit was very noticeable that Raw had fewer noteworthy incidentsthan audiences have been accustomed to. The show itself was still great and there were plenty of talking points to come out of the show. Raw is rumored to be returning to its three-hour runtime when it hits Netflix this January. It will be interesting to see how WWE finds the balance between their wealth of talent and their shortage of time every Monday night in the meantime.
The last two-hour episode of Monday Night Raw took place on July 16th, 2012.
Cody Rhodes vs Gunther for the Crown Jewel Championship
Is This the Right Place for a Genuine Dream Match?
The term gets thrown around a lot in the world of professional wrestling, butCody Rhodes and Gunther’s first match is a legitimate dream matchand has been teased as far back as January 2023. Gunther entered the Royal Rumble at number 1 and would be the last man eliminated by The American Nightmare in his first Rumble victory. Gunther and Cody were two of the final three men again this year. They have not yet shared a ring in a singles competition. Is a match in Saudi Arabia for a made-up championship the right time for this legitimate dream match to happen?
WWE values its partnership with Saudi Arabia greatly. King and Queen Of The Ring this year had real stakes, with a world title shot coming alongside being crowned King or Queen Of The Ring.Perhaps this match makes the Crown Jewel Championship feel prestigiousat the night’s end. As it stands now, it feels like a match that should be saved for an occasion far greater than this.
