WWE Monday Night Raw Review – 7.06.26

After a few trips overseas and a double-show taping, Raw is back in its regular time slot and we have a BIG show tonight. Two SmackDown superstars are here to fight for SmackDown’s World Title for reasons. We’re also in Chicago, which could be very coincidental or could weigh heavily in the story. Let’s find out together!

The last week in WWE: Raw / NXT / Evolve / Main Event / SmackDown / Lucha Libre AAA

Then, Now, Forever, Together.

Here’s a look at Sami Zayn winning the Undisputed WWE Champion at Night of Champions, Sami celebrating on SmackDown and Cody Rhodes winning a title shot by defeating Jey Uso.

THIS is the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois, hosting Raw for the 36th time. We are live on Netflix and presented by DoorDash.

Arrivals! Oba Femi, The Judgment Day, and the Street Profits are here. Undisputed WWE Champion Sami Zayn is here as well, pulling up in a convertible with the title raised and honking the horn. He comes across Cody Rhodes. Sami tells Cody that he probably thinks tonight is the night he’s just going to sweep in and be the golden boy champion again, but it isn’t happening. Cody tells him good luck and the fans chant for CM Punk. Gunther runs up to attack, powerbombing Cody through a convenient nearby table. “You’re welcome Sami, Cody is not your problem any more. I’m your problem now.” Gunther says he’s going to come for Sami and when he does… and he kicks a car door right into Cody’s head, Cody bleeding from the ear. Well, that puts a spin on things.

Michael Cole and Corey Graves greet us from ringside, wondering what this means for the main event.

Seth Rollins is our opening promo tonight and gets the singing he usually gets. “Chicago, welcome to Monday Night Rollins.” He works the fans through getting the Punk chants out of their system. “I couldn’t care less about that guy right now.” He tells us his business is the World Heavyweight Championship, SummerSlam and Roman Reigns. The fans respond with an OTC chant now. The Shield debuted as a trio, he says, but it was made clear from the start that Roman was the chosen one. It didn’t sit right with Seth and he points at a little boy in the front row. “I was that boy. I sat in these stands and all I ever wanted to do my entire life was to walk down that ramp, to hold this microphone in my hand, get inside this ring. I wanted to main event WrestleManias, I wanted to be the biggest star in this industry. Those were my dreams and to watch those dreams be handed off to somebody else? That broke something in me and every decision that I made after that was in direct response to watching my dreams be handed off to somebody that I didn’t feel deserved it.” He knows his actions were petty but he believed if he put in the work, he could still achieve those dreams. It has never been about the money for him, the reward has always been the work. Roman has to beat him at SummerSlam because he needs to justify what he’s been trying to prove to himself for the last fifteen years, that he’s not a fraud.

L.A. Knight is here to finally interrupt the monologue and Chicago is hyped to see him. A sign in the crowd says THANK YOU FELLA, a tribute to Sheamus. Knight says he wasn’t listening to this two weeks in a row because Seth is out here putting people to sleep. Knight remembers back when you had to win matches to get title shots, reminding Seth that they both lost in the first round of the King of the Ring. Knight makes fun of the “brother” talk from last week and earns a chant from the crowd. He remembers making his rise before the Bloodline cut him off and then coming across the Vision. He says they’re the greatest at manipulating numbers but they can’t and won’t stop him from rising. Seth tells Knight that his time will come but he can’t worry about Knight right now because he has to go get his title back, telling Knight he’ll be the first he puts in the dirt if he wins. Really good promo from Knight. As Seth leaves, Jimmy Uso appears in the ring and superkicks Knight and the fans aren’t liking it.

Raw General Manager Adam Pearce is yelling at Gunther before SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis comes to yell as well. Gunther tells him that he failed as a wrestler and now he’s failing as a GM. Aldis is mad that Pearce poached his main event and tells Pearce that Cody was attacked and it is on Pearce.

Jackie Redmond is with The Vision’s Bron Breakker, Austin Theory and Logan Paul. They’re immediately interrupted by WWE Hall of Famer Paul Heyman, who tells Jackie to scurry. He says Breakker couldn’t take out Rollins and Theory couldn’t take out Joe Hendry. “Come back with something worthy of your Wiseman or don’t come back to me at all.”

WWE World Tag Team Championship: WWE World Tag Team Champions The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford) vs The Vision (Bron Breakker and Austin Theory with Logan Paul)

Theory and Ford start it off and the crowd is all over Logan already. Dawkins tags in and slams his partner on top of Theory, something Theory easily kicks out of. Theory thrusts Dawkins into the corner and tags in Bron. Bron hits the gas pedal and runs over Dawkins with a clothesline to send us to a break.

Ford gets a hot tag as we return, kicking Bron in the head and flying in with a crossbody for a two count. Bron pops up Ford and hits a power slam, tagging in Theory who rolls right into a superkick because he’s a big dummy. Dawkins tags in and nails a Blockbuster off the top for a two count, stopped by Bron. Bron slings Ford outside and Theory catches Dawkins with a left hand. Logan slides the brass knuckles into the ring and the referee catches it. As the ref tosses Paul, he slides a second pair in and Dawkins nails Theory. Dawkins gets a hold of them as Logan argues with the ref when Maxxine Dupri appears to low blow Dawkins. Theory covers and that’s a title victory. After the match, Dupri jumps into Theory’s arms and gives him a big kiss.

Austin Theory pins Angelo Dawkins, The Vision defeats The Street Profits to become the new WWE World Tag Team Champions. The nut shot is always the lamest way to lose. This was the most entertained I’ve been by a Vision tag match in a while, probably because it didn’t have the long heat segment. I like Maxxine getting an edge. The Vision will continue until morale improves. I’d like to see the Profits get more time as champs, but perhaps the follow through will be good for them and they won’t just disappear again.

The medical squad checks on Cody and the medic tells Pearce that he can’t sign off on Cody. Cody says he’s fine, Pearce says no. Pearce, of course, weeks ago told a man who had been electrocuted minutes earlier that he was signing him up for a match. All I’m saying is that Nick Aldis would never and Pearce is inconsistent..

The Vision boys and girl celebrate and come across Heyman. Heyman nods. “Okay, first step but it’s only the first step.” He says at least someone got something accomplished tonight and points at Maxxine. As the Vision crew climb into their car and roll off, we see Akira Tozawa and Otis walking up and the crowd gasps.

To the Judgment Day Clubhouse. Liv Morgan tells Raquel Rodriguez that they’re doing everything in their power to make sure she leaves with gold. Raquel says she’s ripping the title off Sol Ruca’s waist.

Jackie Redmond is with WWE Intercontinental Champion Penta as we learn we’ll have a gauntlet match next week to determine his SummerSlam contender. Ethan Page and Rusev walk up to laugh that they’ve put Rey Mysterio on the shelf. Dragon Lee tells them to watch their mouths and Rusev tells him to learn English. Chad Gable joins them to defend his masked buddy and Page thinks they should go talk to Pearce and set up a tag team match.

WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship: WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion Sol Ruca vs Raquel Rodriguez

Cole tells us Cody is on the way to the hospital to get scans to clear him for tonight. Good luck with that, that’s like a four-hour ER wait. Cole also reminds us that the last time Raquel held singles gold, it was in NXT. Ruca lifts Raquel out of a bridge and tries to roll her up. Sol kicks Raquel and slips before flying onto her shoulders, Raquel catching her with the Snake Eyes onto the turnbuckle. Raquel charges at Sol, Sol ducks and tries to moonsault onto her. Sol cartwheels on the apron, hits a kick and corkscrews onto her. In the ring, Raquel clotheslines the hell out of Sol to send us to break and Becky Lynch with the DoorDash bag.

After John Cena tells us about the benefits of Chime, we come back to Sol spring boarding onto Raquel for a near fall. Sol shoulder blocks Raquel several times but can’t chop her down until she nails a missile dropkick. Sol nails the Shining Wizard for a two count. Sol tries to splash Raquel but misses as Roxanne Perez finally joins us at ringside. Sol slides out of a Tejana Bomb attempt and Roxanne distracts the ref. Sol tries for a Sol Snatcher, WWE Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan appears and grabs her leg to prevent it. Here’s Iyo Sky to leap off Rox from the barricade and kick down Olivia. Iyo Moonsaults on the shorter Judgment Day women and Sol takes it as a chance to hit Raquel with the Sol Snatcher, retaining the title.

Sol Ruca pins Raquel Rodriguez to retain the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship. There were a few sloppy spots in this, but overall an enjoyable match. They had me thinking maybe they were going to put the belt on Raquel for a few, so it all worked. She’ll have singles gold before this time next year I bet.

Here’s a sneak peak at season three of WWE Unreal, a thing happening on Netflix in a few weeks featuring John Cena’s retirement, the rise of Oba Femi, CM Punk and AJ Lee, and of course the center of our universe Triple H.

WWE Hall of Famer Paul Heyman is in the ring because we need more Paul Heyman on this show, damn it. He says he is here to talk about Oba Femi. He says that Oba being hit in the nuts last time is nothing compared to the pain coming to him at Hell in a Cell. He promises Brock will destroy Oba. We were told WWE King of the Ring Oba Femi was here, so it is no shock that this is the point he decides to make his grand entrance. The fans, as always, are very into Oba, chanting through the whole thing. Oba says he came out to give Paul a face to talk to, and Paul gives us the “talk shit, get hit” line from last week. He gives Oba credit for WrestleMania but says that Brock proved Oba is also beatable in Italy. He reminds Oba that Brock has a good history in a cage both in WWE and UFC. “That Cell is the Brocktagon.” Okay. One man will leave SummerSlam with their reputation of being the unbeatable superstar, Heyman says, and that man is Brock Lesnar. “The beatable one is going to be Oba Femi.”

Paul tosses the mic and Oba lifts his own. The fact that Brock showed up proves that Brock watches the show, he says, but now Heyman keeps writing checks that Brock can’t cash. “That’s what you are, Paul. You’re less than an advocate. You’re just a mouth. And that’s the thing about a mouth, mouths need to be fed. But how can you feed if you have no head?” Paul is also very good at writing checks that can’t be cashed. He says that Paul is scared because every man knows when his time has come and this is the final chapter for Brock. “In front of his friends, in front of his family, in front of his wife, in front of his children.” He says you have to walk through hell to get to heaven and tells Paul to let Brock know he’ll see him in hell. A hell of a promo yet again for Oba.

Jackie Redmond is with Sami Zayn, taping his wrists. She confirms Cody can’t compete tonight and a smile lights up on Sami’s face and the fans immediately chant for CM Punk. Sami says he’s a good guy, perhaps the last good one, and he doesn’t wish ill upon Cody. Adam Pearce walks up and asks Sami if he knows where they are. He promised Chicago a championship match and tells Sami to prepare because he’s defending tonight.

Here’s a look at El Grande Americano attending the World Cup yesterday, something that is going on right as this program airs but also please don’t turn the channel. You can buy a WWE x FIFA World Cup Championship Title because of course you can.

Chad Gable and Dragon Lee vs Rusev and Ethan Page

All four men will be competing next week in the gauntlet along with Je’Von Evans, Dominik Mysterio and Joe Hendry to determine who is going to battle Penta at SummerSlam. The heels attack to start as Cole wonders what happens if Page and Rusev are the last two in the gauntlet match. Gable gets a hot tag and suplexes Rusev around the squared circle before tossing Page across the ring as well. Rusev pulls Ethan out of the ring and Gable suplexes a running Lee out of the ring and onto Page and Rusev for our ad break highlight moment.

We come back to Rusev beating down Gable as Cole reminds us we have no idea who Sami will defend his title against tonight. Gable DDTs Rusev and gets the hot tag to Lee while Rusev tags in Page. Lee drops the corner boot onto Page and hits a tornado DDT even without hitting the rope to get the momentum to spin. Rusev nails Gable with a kick, Lee kicks Rusev in the face and goes up top. Rusev catches him with a slam and a kick, hooking the Accolade on. Lee actually taps and Rusev won’t let go. Gable hooks Rusev from behind and deadlifts him in a suplex attempt, Page coming in for the beat down. Gable’s in the Accolade until Joe Hendry appears. Hendry hits a fallaway slam on Page and Rusev kicks him down as well. Page lands the Ego Plex and now it’s Hendry’s turn for the Accolade.

Rusev makes Dragon Lee submit, Rusev & Page defeat Lee & Gable. A good enough match with some good development in the post-match ruckus. I was shocked that Rusev actually won with the Accolade which is not a good sign of how the move has worked since his return. Also where is Je’Von?

Jimmy Uso is leaving and Jackie runs up after him, asking what message he was trying to send. Big Jim says he’s going to SmackDown to get Solo. Knight comes up to confront and Jacob Fatu lays him right out, followed by a smiling Main Event Jey Uso.

Pearce is on the phone trying to find a challenger for tonight. Otis is there! Give him a shot.

Here’s a vignette on Bayley with some words for Lyra Valkyria.

Next week, Brock Lesnar will be here, we’ll have the gauntlet match, and Iyo Sky faces Roxanne Perez. The OTC will be there too.

Pearce is texting as Aldis wanders up behind him. Pearce says he made a successful call and has secured a replacement to face Sami. “That superstar is in the building.” The fans chant for a certain Chicago native as Sami heads to the Gorilla position.

The great Alicia Taylor gives Sami the big championship introduction as Sami fist bumps a girl with a sign saying it is her birthday. The last real good guy! Boy, they’re going to have to do something wild to win back this crowd if the challenger is not in fact a certain Chicago resident. The fans chant for CM Punk before we see the Allstate Arena door open and CM Punk, walking into the arena. He walks from the door to Gorilla as “Cult of Personality” hits and the Allstate Arena explodes.

Undisputed WWE Championship: Undisputed WWE Champion Sami Zayn vs CM Punk

We last saw Punk, of course, in a losing effort at WrestleMania against Roman Reigns. Zayn last competed on this program in a win over Rusev back in August. The Undisputed WWE Championship itself was last defended on a Raw way back in November 2021 when Big E successfully defended it against Austin Theory in the Barclays Center before it evolved into being called the Undisputed WWE Championship.

The fans boo Sami loudly every time he overtakes Punk in the starting run of the match. Punk pulls Zayn outside and slams him to the apron before diving onto him with a suicide dive, our very favorite way to send the show to a commercial break.

We return to Sami taunting a downed Punk. Sami knees Punk to the mat. Punk fights back with a running knee – “Vintage Punk,” calls Cole – as Punk hits a spinning neckbreaker for a two count. Punk signals for the GTS, lifting Sami up and Sami slithering out. Punk counters a Blue Thunder Bomb attempt and hammer locks Sami into a clothesline and another pin attempt. The fans chant for Punk as he heads to the top rope, Sami knocking him down and suplexing him to send us to one final break.

The men are trading blows when we return as Cole reminds us of the title’s 60-plus year history. Punk tries for a GTS, Sami slips out and Punk hits the corner knee. Sami grabs Punk as he plays to the crowd, spinning into the Blue Thunder Bomb for a two count. Punk knees at Zayn and this time lands the bulldog, going up and landing his Macho Man elbow for a near fall. Punk locks the Anaconda Vice and Zayn tries to fight it, flailing and finally counting out. In his pink and black gear, Punk tries for a Sharpshooter but Sami kicks out. Those of us who have played through WWE 2K26 are having flashbacks to CM Hart. Punk scoops him for the GTS and Sami rolls through, this time not getting the surprise three count. One more GTS attempt and Sami again scoops his way out, grabbing his own GTS for a near fall. Sami signals for the Helluva Kick and takes a while to go for it, Punk catching him with the Exploder into the corner. Sami hits another GTS on Punk and a Blue Thunder Bomb, Punk again kicking out.

Sami slaps Punk, telling him he is the champion now. The fans are hating it. Punk works his way to his feet and starts trading blows, hitting the running knee on Sami and dodging a Helluva Kick. Punk hits his own Helluva Kick and lands the GTS. The reign of Sami Zayn ends at nine days, the shortest reign since The Miz and his eight day reign in 2021.

CM Punk pins Sami Zayn to become the new Undisputed WWE Champion. A very, very good match. I’d like to see Sami get a longer run, but I feel like they might spin this into something fun for Sami and it’s cool he got the title in the first place. I think we might’ve just found something for Cody to do at SummerSlam (if not Sami and Gunther as well).

We close our show with Undisputed WWE Champion CM Punk celebrating with his title, telling the camera, “I’ll be home in twenty minutes, babe” and then blowing a kiss, leaving through the crowd as he has done before in this arena.

A good episode this week. The main event is worth your viewing time because it is Punk vs Zayn in Chicago. None of the other matches feel “can’t miss” and you can digest just as well through YouTube highlights, but I would also recommend checking the Oba promo.