A Room with a Review: Raw 07/06/20

This episode of Raw consists of myriad returns, a revamped championship belt, and impromptu matches with wrestlers in various stages of dress.

• We are (Claymore) kicking things off with the WWE Champion, Drew McIntyre. Last week, Drew told Dolph Ziggler that he could pick the stipulation for their title match at The Horror Show at Extreme Rules, which is the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of pay-per-view titles. Dolph comes out and says that the stipulation is a secret and that he’d be a fool to let McIntyre know it ahead of time. He says that Drew hasn’t done it all by himself and brings out somebody that McIntyre used up and threw away: Heath Slater. He goes through their history together and Heath says that Drew wasn’t there for him. Heath wants a match, but Drew doesn’t want to fight him. That is until Slater paintbrushes him good and McIntyre says it’s on.

• It’s Drew McIntyre vs. Heath Slater in a Jeans-on-Jeans match. It’s classic Slater, as Drew in less than 30 seconds with a Claymore. Afterward, Ziggler beats on Heath and McIntyre comes back down for the save. They share a bro-hug.

• Sarah Schreiber is backstage with Bayley Dos Straps and the future Two-Belts Banks. They don’t want to waste their time with Sarah and head to the ring. Asuka walks up and Sarah asks how she will handle those two by herself. Asuka says she’s not alone.

• After a commercial break, the Golden Role Models are in the ring. They have more nicknames than there are people in the crowd. Sasha Three Shows says Asuka is going to tap. Asuka comes out and says Bayley is not ready for her. She points out that Sasha isn’t booked tonight and Bayley says her partner is ready for any challenge. Asuka brings out her own partner, a returning Kairi Sane. 

• It’s Sasha Banks w/ Bayley vs. Kairi Sane w/ Asuka. This is Kairi’s first match since Nia Jax did the Nia thing and injured her by throwing Sane into the steel ring steps in a manner that prevented Kairi from controlling her bump. It’s a fantastic match, but it ends in a disqualification after Bayley hits Kairi. After the match, Sane hit the InSane Elbow drop onto both Sasha and Bayley.

• Backstage, Seth Rollins and Murphy are standing over an injured Aleister Black, who is wearing a Rey Mysterio mask. 

• The Viking Raiders are reminiscing about their bowling victory when Big Show stops by and reminds them they will be in the ring with Randy Orton later.

• Next up, it’s the return of the KO Show. Kevin’s guest is Seth Rollins, so he goes ahead and clears the chairs out of the ring. The Monday Night Messiah comes down with his disciple, Murphy. Owens presents Seth with a gift – an official KO-Mania shirt that Kevin was wearing when he beat Rollins at WrestleMania. Rey Mysterio is medically cleared, so Seth challenges him to a match at Extreme Rules. Rey Rey comes out to accept the match. Since Aleister Black is out, KO volunteers to be Mysterio’s partner tonight.

• After the commercial break, it’s Rollins and Murphy against KO and Rey Rey w/ Dominik. The winning team gets to pick the stipulation for the Rollins/Mysterio match at THS: ER. Towards the end of the match, Black comes down to help. Rey Rey gets the win after a frog splash. Mysterio grabs a mic and says the stipulation is an Eye for an Eye match. He wants to rip Seth’s eye out with his bare hand.

• Backstage, Charly Caruso is with MVP and Bobby Lashley. 

• Another commercial and Lashley and MVP head down to the ring. They are unveiling a new United States Championship, which MVP says fits the new champion, himself. He thinks since he beat Apollo Crews last week, he’s the champion. Ricochet and Cedric Alexander come down to stick up for their injured friend. 

• It’s an impromptu match as Ric and Ced square off with Lashley and MVP in a suit. Lashley pins Cedrick after a spear.

• Backstage, Ric Flair and Randy Orton give Andrade and Angel Garza a pep talk, which consists of Orton telling them not to screw up.

• Charly catches up with the Kabuki Warriors, and they are challenging the Golden Role Models to a Tag Team Championship match next week.

• It’s time for 6-man tag action as the Big Show teams with the Viking Raiders against Randy Orton, Andrade, and Garza w/ Zelina Vega. There’s some friction between the Vegaboys and Orton threatens Garza, telling him to get it together. The heels dominate until Big Show gets the tag. Orton gets the victory, though, pinning Erick after and RKO. 

• The IIconics are backstage and running down Ruby Riott. Nearby, MVP is talking with Cedric Alexander, trying to get him to join up with him and Lashley. 

• After a commercial break, Ric Flair is congratulating RKO on his victory when R-Truth runs into them. He thinks Flair is a ninja until he here’s Tozawa heading his way. Truth takes off and Orton directs the ninjas in another direction.

• Next up is Ruby Riott vs. Billie Kay w/ Peyton Royce. Kay gets the win after Peyton distracts Ruby and Billie hits her with a sit-out spinebuster.

• Backstage, Charly asks Bayley and Sasha about Asuka’s challenge. Sasha says there’s no team that can touch them, so they accept. 

• Nikki Cross has joined the commentary table for the main event. It’s Bayley w/ Sasha Banks against Asuka w/ Kairi Sane. Bayley and Sasha taunt Nikki as they come to the ring, prompting Samoa Joe to have to hold her back. During the match, they finally get Nikki so worked up that security escorts her out. I’m so glad they gave these two the full last 30 minutes of the show. Bayley has Asuka hung up on the ropes and takes a water break. Nikki Cross pops up in the “crowd”, pounding on the hockey glass that surrounds the ring. With Bayley’s back to the ring, Asuka pulls her through the ropes and applies the Asuka Lock. Sasha jumps in the ring to break it up but is cut off by Kairi. Bayley slips out of the hold, but Asuka rolls her up for the win.

A good show that was carried by the women. I think Bayley still gets slept on when it comes to the women from that era of NXT that made it to the main roster. They biffed her character at first, but Bayley Dos Straps is the underappreciated MVP of WWE right now.

Who do you think has been carrying the shows in the Performance Center Era? Let me know in the comment section below.

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