10 Notes from the 8/9/15 Raw

The most recent episode of Raw was pretty good, but definitely not great. It advanced storylines and had some good matches and segments, so it was definitely much better than some awful episodes over the last year. As we draw closer and closer to the four-hour extravaganza that is SummerSlam, WWE will need to hype it up even more. Since there are only 7 matches announced for the show so far (and no pre-show match), expect a couple of matches to be announced over the next couple of weeks. After all, there is only one more Raw left before the PPV.

In this article, we’re not going to review Raw, just simply examine 10 things that happened on Raw and see whether or not they worked and what will possibly result from it. Let’s get started.

10. Orton vs. Sheamus All but Set for Brooklyn

On Raw, Sheamus interfered in Orton’s championship match with Seth Rollins, giving Orton the win but not the belt. Then, when Sheamus attempted to cash in on the vulnerable champion, Orton took out Mr. Money in the Bank with an RKO. It looks almost certain that these two will meet in the summer’s biggest event in two weeks. There could be a stipulation attached (such as No Holds Barred or Last Man Standing), as we’ve seen these two fight plenty of times before.

The first time these two clashed was in 2010 at the Royal Rumble, where the two met with Sheamus’s WWE Championship on the line. They would meet in four more PPV matches in 2010, including a singles match at SummerSlam with Sheamus’s title on the line and in a Hell in a Cell match in October. Sheamus was briefly involved in Orton’s feud with Christian in 2011 and the two were on the same team at Survivor Series that same year, but it wasn’t until the Rumble match of 2012 that they competed against each other on PPV. Four months later, Orton was one of three men (along with Chris Jericho and Alberto Del Rio) who unsuccessfully challenged for Sheamus’s World Heavyweight Championship at Over the Limit. They then clashed again in the 2013 Rumble and then teamed up to take on The Shield, Big Show, and Mark Henry over the course of a number of weeks. The two again met in the 2013 WWE Championship Money in the Bank Ladder match, WWE World Heavyweight Championship match at Money in the Bank 2014, and 2015 Money in the Bank Ladder match.

Their most recent encounter was a very good singles match at the last PPV, Battleground. Orton won the match cleanly, and it seemed like the end of their feud. However, it seems like the writers realized they didn’t have anything else for either man, so they paired them up again. This might not even be the end of their current rivalry.

9. Triple H is Back

Triple H returned to television to announce that Seth Rollins would defend his title in the show’s main event against the winner of the Kevin Owens/Cesaro/Randy Orton match. Rollins was understandably upset, and the two had words backstage. Triple H was finally able to convince Rollins to go through with the match, but there was some definite tension between the two. With Kane and J&J Security injured, Big Show feuding with Ryback and The Miz (more on that later), and Stephanie McMahon not on TV, these two are the only Authority members interacting with each other right now. Tension has been building between Rollins and the rest of the group for months now, but it has yet to come to a head.

Before John Cena was announced as Rollins’s next challenger, many fans expected Triple H to step in the ring with Rollins. After all, it would have fit in with the storylines. It looks like however, we will not see that match for a while (if it even does happen). If it does eventually happen, it will no doubt be a fantastic match. After all, all three of Triple H’s matches last year were excellent and Rollins was one of three superstars (along with Brock Lesnar and Cena) in the current MOTY leader, the WWE World Heavyweight Champion match at the Royal Rumble.

8. Luke Harper’s Biggest Singles Win of the Year?

Luke Harper clashed with Dean Ambrose, a man he’s met in three PPV matches this year and will meet again at SummerSlam when Harper and Bray Wyatt team up against Ambrose and Roman Reigns. When this match was first announced, I was certain (along with many other people I’m sure) that Ambrose would win, it would be a DQ or countout victory, or it would be a no contest. And although Reigns and Wyatt got involved, Harper picked up the win via pinfall, giving his team some momentum for SummerSlam.

The question then arises: was that Harper’s biggest singles win of 2015? The answer is yes, as Harper has only had one singles PPV match this year: a loss to Ambrose at Extreme Rules. The only other match that could be considered was his victory over Erick Rowan in January on Smackdown. Rowan, along with Dolph Ziggler and Ryback, had just been rehired and were put in Royal Rumble qualifying matches. Ziggler and Ryback won their matches, but Rowan shockingly lost. He did end up at the Rumble match anyways, so it didn’t really matter. Also, Ambrose is one of WWE’s top faces, while Rowan was just a midcarder. Therefore, this match wins.

7. Daniel Bryan on Miz TV

              Since Raw was taking place in Washington, WWE brought back Washington-native Daniel Bryan to be interviewed by his fellow Tough Enough judge, The Miz. The four-time World champ was cheered loudly by the audience, who also booed Miz. The Awesome One was great as always on Miz TV. This talk show has allowed Miz to stay relevant even in times when he has nothing else going on. Though Bryan is not a great mic worker (something he himself has said), he was great in this segment. We can only hope that his recovery process will not last much longer and that he will return to the ring sooner rather than later.

                The Miz used this interview to talk about the IC champ Ryback, who had been out for a number of weeks due to a staph infection, and the IC title triple threat match at SummerSlam. This brought out both Big Show, who is also in the match, and Ryback. We’ll get to Ryback’s return later. The segment ended with Bryan holding up Ryback’s hand, just as he did at Elimination Chamber when Ryback won the title.

6. Divas Match Set for SummerSlam

               The Divas Revolution continued in full force, as Team Bella took on Team B.A.D. in a six-Diva tag match. Brie Bella, who got cheered for being in her husband’s home state, picked up the win for her team by pinning Tamina. It was also announced that all three teams (the third being Team P.C.B.) would compete in a Three Team elimination tag match at SummerSlam. With nine Divas involved, this is sure to be a fun match that could really let some of the women shine.

               SummerSlam will be the second straight PPV where Nikki Bella will not defend her Divas Championship. Though it makes some sense in accordance with the Divas Revolution storyline, attention must come back to the title soon. After all, it is the top prize in the division. At this point, it seems like WWE is just trying to elongate Nikki’s reign until she passes AJ Lee’s record-setting one. Once that happens, she can drop it to someone from another team, most likely Charlotte.

5. Tag Title Match Set

               It was announced on Raw that at SummerSlam, the Prime Time Players would defend their tag team titles against The New Day, Los Matadores, and Lucha Dragons. The tag team division has been on fire this year, thanks to teams like Cesaro & Tyson Kidd, The Usos, and of course, the four teams mentioned before. The only real possible winners seem like PTP and New Day. Los Matadores is only ever in contention for the tag titles when there are more than two teams involved. In fact, all of their title shots in 2014 and 2015 came from those types of matches. While the Lucha Dragons will undoubtedly win gold over the next year or so, now is not the right time. It wouldn’t make sense for them to beat a face team for the titles. That leaves us with New Day, who have been on fire the last few months and are certainly deserving of the belts. However, PTP have been great as champs and deserve a strong reign.

                Including this one, there are now four tag matches on SummerSlam: two tag matches, a Fatal 4-Way tag team match, and a Three Team Elimination match. This is smart on WWE’s part, as it keeps things fresh. Compare this to this year’s Royal Rumble, where the show opened with four tag matches in a row. Fans grew quickly bored and it led to the event feeling monotonous. It’s clear WWE has learned its lesson.

4. Stephen Amell Impresses

              Most fans hate celebrities showing up at WWE events. After all, there have been some terrible experiences, like with Jeremy Piven, Kevin Federline, and NeNe Leakes. However, there have been great ones too, like Maria Menuonos, Floyd Mayweather, Jon Stewart, Mike Tyson, and Seth Green. Stephen Amell is looking like he might fall into the latter category. I was impressed by his athleticism and his in-ring movement. Granted, it was a brief segment and is not indicative of how he will perform in an actual match, but it did allow fans to be optimistic. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s paired up with Neville, who is a great hand and tons of fun to watch.

             Another reason fans should be happy about Amell showing up: without him, Stardust, King Barrett, and Neville might not even be on the card. Granted, a celebrity match isn’t exactly a big match, but it is better than being left off of the card entirely.

             One of the biggest storylines going into this match is Stardust breaking the fourth wall. While the announcers keep calling him Cody Rhodes, Stardust insists that he is simply Stardust. Now that kayfabe is dead, WWE can use this as a real storyline. While this could easily have failed, it is working so far, mainly thanks to Stardust’s dedication to the role. A lesser actor would have floundered completely. This is a really interesting storyline and it will be fun to see where it goes.

3. Ryback Returns

              The defending Intercontinental Champion has been out for a few weeks due to a staph infection, causing him to miss his scheduled title defense against Big Show and The Miz at Battleground. That match will now take place at SummerSlam. The Big Guy made his return to the WWE by crashing Miz TV and laying out both of the #1 Contenders to his title. The segment ended with him and Bryan in the ring while the fans cheered.

               Ryback hasn’t done much as IC champ yet, but he has the potential to make it a great title again. The last few reigns (Daniel Bryan, Bad News Barrett, and Dolph Ziggler) did nothing whatsoever to elevate the title back to its former prestige. John Cena has done a tremendous job of building up the United States title, Ryback could do the same with his belt.

2. Cesaro/Owens Could Tear the Roof Down

              It was finally announced this week that Cesaro and Kevin Owens would meet at SummerSlam in a singles match. These are two great wrestlers, so their match could be one of the best of the year. Yes, that’s how high the ceiling is here. Their rivalry over the last number of weeks has become very personal and has led to a number of attacks and brawls. This is easily one of the most anticipated matches of the night.

               Cesaro’s stock has been trending upwards in recent months. After not doing anything of note since dropping the tag titles a few months ago, the WWE writers have invested time into building him up into a noteworthy face. If WWE continues this, he could become one of the top faces in the company. After all, he has the fan support.

1. Rollins and Cena for Two Titles

               At SummerSlam, WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and United States Champion John Cena will put their titles on the line in a singles match. These two have great chemistry together and this should be a really good match. The title-for-title concept makes this match even more interesting. Had just one of the titles been on the line, it would really have devalued the other one.

                So who wins? I’ll break this match further down in my predictions article, so look out for that one. There are cases to be made for both men winning. For example, a win for Rollins would elevate him even higher up on the WWE totem pole. A win for Cena on the other hand, would elevate the United States title.

Thanks for reading. Be sure to check back for more articles soon.