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This week kickstarted with the Season Premiere of WWE RAW. The red brand featured multiple surprises, including big returns and a title change. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson returned to back AJ Styles in his feud against Finn Balor-led Judgment Day. The show's highlight witnessed D-Generation X celebrate the legendary faction's 25 years in the wrestling business.
Here, we look at some of the biggest flops and hits from this week's edition of WWE RAW. So, without further ado, let's begin.
#1 Hit on WWE RAW: Rey Mysterio cries
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Rey Mysterio has been an underrated part of the WWE RAW roster lately. He has been involved in an extended feud with Judgment Day, especially after his son Dominik's betrayal. This week on RAW, the younger Mysterio took things a step further and slapped his father after the latter's match.
This development left the masked legend in tears. Based purely on the theatrics, it would be fair to say that Rey Mysterio is carrying this storyline.
WWE fans aren't fond of Dominik as a heel, and he gets mercilessly booed during the shows. It seemingly doesn't help that the faction's feud with Rey Mysterio and Edge has been going on for too long. This has put the narrative at risk of turning monotonous. However, Rey's devastating reaction to the slap added a new layer to the betrayal.
#2 Hit on WWE RAW: Brock Lesnar returns and destroys Bobby Lashley
Brock Lesnar made a surprise return on WWE RAW this week. He interrupted Bobby Lashley during The All Mighty's promo ahead of his title match against Seth Rollins. Lesnar walked out to a huge pop and marched straight to the ring. He then briefly addressed the crowd before launching a brutal attack on the now-former United States Champion.
He hit The All Mighty with multiple F5s, took him to the Suplex City, and ended their encounter with a Kimura Lock. Brock Lesnar made it clear that he plans to revisit his feud with Lashley, which ended abruptly earlier this year. The segment also laid the groundwork for a surprising title change on the show.
#3 Hit on WWE RAW: Seth Rollins makes history
While Bobby Lashley struggled in the attack's aftermath, we saw Seth Rollins make his way to the ring for the scheduled title match. He provoked The All Mighty until he agreed to compete despite not being in the best shape. Although Lashley made a decent effort at defending his gold, it wasn't enough against a resilient Rollins.
The Architect was also fresh from a grueling match against Matt Riddle inside the Fight Pit. His in-ring performance was a testament to his work rate this year. One can't deny that Rollins has picked up the biggest losses this year at consecutive premium live events and still remains one of the best performers on the roster.
No one deserved a title reign more than Rollins, who won his first gold over 900 days after defeating Bobby Lashley. He also made history in the process as he became only the second-ever two-time Grand Slam Champion after The Miz in the company's history. While some may argue that the bout or the result wasn't fair, Rollins will undoubtedly remember this year's RAW Season Premiere for a long time.
#4 Hit on WWE RAW: Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn appeared in the opening segment of WWE RAW with The Bloodline. Roman Reigns implied that Jey Uso's anger might turn him into the weakest person in the room. Zayn interfered and reminded the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion that he is now responsible for one-half of The Usos. Zayn's interaction with Jey and the rest of the faction members accounted for comedic gold and received a thunderous pop from fans.
Later in the night, Sami Zayn delivered an impressive match against Riddle in the main event. Reigns had instructed Jey Uso to help secure Zayn's victory, but the latter initially refused help. By the time The Honorary Uce set up a spot where The Usos could have helped, Jey had stopped his brother, allowing Riddle to pick up the victory.
The growing tension between Sami Zayn and Jey Uso in addition to their dynamics with Reigns has given us one of the most compelling narratives in all of pro wrestling today. It will be interesting to see how The Tribal Chief will react to Jey not helping Zayn on RAW. The Honorary Uce has been incredible as the heart of this storyline, which has deservedly earned him GOAT shouts from the WWE Universe.
#5 Flop on WWE RAW: Austin Theory
This week on WWE RAW, Austin Theory returned to in-ring action for a match against Johnny Gargano. The two superstars have been involved in a feud ever since Johnny Wrestling made his much-awaited return. Mr. Money in the Bank feels that he has surpassed his former mentor in terms of accomplishments and desperately wishes to establish his supremacy.
Unfortunately for him, Austin Theory has failed miserably in his plans so far. Gargano has bested him at every step of this feud, and tonight was no different. Although Theory performed well inside the ring, he couldn't beat the former NXT Champion. The latter picked up an impressive victory on RAW to further assert his position on the roster.
Theory is an excellent in-ring performer, and his character gets him a lot of heat from fans. However, one can't deny that he has lost credibility since Vince McMahon's abrupt retirement. He might not be the "future of the company" anymore, but he still holds the Money in the Bank briefcase. The upstart's losing streak is worrying; all of this must eventually meet a justifiable end.
