WWE Monday Night Raw Review – 7.13.26

Tonight, Netflix presents the MLB Home Run Derby! Oh, and also Monday Night Raw!

Previously: Raw / NXT / Evolve / Impact / Main Event / SmackDown / Lucha Libre AAA

Then, Now, Forever, Together.

THIS is Dallas and the American Airlines Center, hosting 12,215 WWE fans and WWE Raw. We’re live on Netflix and presented by DoorDash.

Arrivals! Seth Rollins! Penta! Iyo Sky! The Vision! They’ll all join us on our voyage tonight.

Brock Lesnar and WWE Hall of Famer Paul Heyman are first tonight in the arena, with Heyman motioning for a police presence to follow. The five officers who might just be future wrestling champions block the entrance way and we all know Oba Femi can’t possibly break past five men. The crowd gets their first Oba grunting chant going for the night as Paul reminds us of his name and tries to get “Brocktagon” over again. He points to the five gentlemen and says they are there because of Oba Femi. He thinks Oba is obsessed to an unhealthy level with Brock and calls him the biggest dummy he’s ever met in his entire life. And that’s coming from a man who knows Tommy Dreamer. He tells us that Brock is also obsessed with Oba and it scares him half to death. “Brock Lesnar obsessed with Oba Femi leads to what Dallas, Texas is used to, violence.” Paul asked WWE for a “no touch” clause from WWE and pulled in a few favors to get a restaining order on Oba. Oba can’t come within a hundred feet of Brock.

As we eventually expected, here’s King of the Ring Oba Femi to the crowd’s delight. The police dive into the ring to stand in front of Brock as Oba struts down to the ring. Oba enters the ring and Paul is all smiles. Oba says he came for a fight tonight but he’s going to give Paul an opportunity to explain why the police are around. Paul says Oba has broken the court order and Oba tosses one officer, boots another, and chokeslams two more before clotheslining the fifth. Oba tosses one outside of the ring onto the other four as Brock smiles from the entrance. Oba grabs a mic. “Who is this? Where is the Beast? You used to run this place, now all you do is run away.” Oba says Hell in a Cell will mean no more running. Another good, passionate promo from Oba.

Michael Cole and Corey Graves greet us from ringside as we have the great Alicia Taylor on the ring mic tonight. They send us to the first part in a video series on Reigns vs Rollins, this one looking at the formation of the Shield. Hey, that’s Dean Ambrose!

On Twitter, Roman Reigns invites Jalen Brunson to Saturday Night’s Main Event and Jalen has accepted. One of us will have a review of that. All I know is Danhausen better get to talk with Jalen.

Queen of the Ring Iyo Sky vs Roxanne Perez (with WWE Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez)

As is the tale of Raw, it feels like these women have battled 800 times. They have crossed paths in four matches this year, though not in this singles format. I’m sure this will lead to some sort of interference and then set up an inevitable tag team match because Raw is nothing if not predictable. Cole wonders again if Rox is loyal to Judgment Day as the ladies dodge each other and trade pinning combinations. Iyo boots Rox outside of the ring and runs into Rox’s right hand. Rox tries for a suplex on the hardest part of the ring, Iyo slams her on the apron. Iyo moonsaults off the middle rope and points to her face. Iyo rolls Perez in, Jessika Carr is distracted and misses Liv tripping up Iyo to send us to a break. Becky might’ve been right about Carr.

We return to Rox trying to suplex Iyo off the second rope and Iyo punching her way out. Perez locks Iyo up into the ropes and stomps the knee again, Cole saying that Liv is annoying. Rude of him. The crowd are very into this. Iyo rolls through and stomps Rox, covering with a two count after a back breaker onto her own injured knee. Iyo kicks Rox and heads up top slowly, dropkicking Rox and then taking far too long to follow up. Rox ducks the Bullet Train and hooks Iyo into another submission focusing on the leg. Iyo rolls through into a Crossface. Rox gets out, Iyo nails her with a knee and heads up for the moonsault. Raquel distracts the ref, Iyo shoves Liv off the apron. In the distraction, Rox rolls Iyo into a two and Iyo rolls through for her own three count.

Iyo Sky pins Roxanne Perez. A very good match. The follow-up was pretty obvious, but it’ll probably lead to a good tag match.

Liv comes for the attack after and Rox takes out Iyo’s knee. The three-on-one beatdown is on until WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion Sol Ruca runs out for the save. Shocking! Shocking, I tell you. Sol tries to dive onto Raquel who catches her and slings her into the barricade. Iyo nails Oblivion on Iyo and the beatdown is on again. Morgan belts Iyo in the face with, well, the belt and stands over her, Iyo with a cut on her forehead. Trouble, trouble.

Cole and Graves send us back to SmackDown and the Bloodline’s internal strife. Royce Keys was also there.

The Vision (WWE World Tag Team Champions Bron Breakker & Austin Theory, Logan Paul and Maxxine Dupri) join us in the arena for some thoughts. I support evil Maxxine, even if she is hanging out with a doofus. Logan introduces Maxxine as Akira Tozawa and Otis walk out with microphones. Tozawa asks if they can talk and the Vision boys powder to the outside to give them some room to talk. Maxxine tells them that she still loves them and the fans boo her. The fans chant, “you sold out.” Otis interrupts and calls Theory bad news. She’s determined they just don’t know Theory. Otis: “I know you, I’ve known you for a long time here Maxxine. I gotta get something off my chest. I have something to say to you.” Theory laughs at ringside and comes into interrupt, laughing at how he thinks Otis is confessing his feelings. Theory says people like Otis don’t end up with people like Maxxine. Theory missed 2020 Pandemic WWE like many others, apparently, even though he was on the show at the time. Otis grabs Theory and yanks him in the ring, Bron coming for the save. Tozawa ducks Bron and leaps into him, Bron catching him and slinging him over the announce table.

The beatdown is on for poor big Otis and Maxxine gives us “conflicted.” Otis fights out and splashes Theory down before dodging a Bron spear and splashing both champs in the corner. Otis clotheslines Breaker outside and sets his vision on Theory as Maxxine yells for him to stop and them runs in between them. The fans chant “whoop that trick” as Maxxine goes in for a kiss on Otis before we zoom out and see Theory low-blowing Otis, Maxxine laughing and yelling at Otis that she would NEVER. Bron spears the hell out of Tozawa and Maxxine gives Theory those brass knuckles, Theory happily knocking out big Otis with them. The fans chant “you sold out” again and it might just be this Dallas crowd, but they have gotten all of this very over. Theory calls Otis a loser and holds him for a big Bron spear. This went on a little long, but it was a hit and now I want to see Otis and Tozawa win.

Breaking news! Survivor Series: WarGames will come to us from Houston and Daikin Park, the home of the Houston Astros.

Here’s a video package of the various men in tonight’s gauntlet match expressing their desire to be Intercontinental Champion.

We come back to… a match that has already started? Sure.

Royce Keys vs Jimmy Uso

This is the first Raw match for Royce as we learn these two brawled to ringside and Raw General Manager Adam Pearce decided to make it a match. Anything can happen on Monday Night Raw! Jimmy kicks Keys to the outside and leaps right into his arms, Keys slamming him into the ring apron and then announce table. Jimmy grabs Royce into a Samoan Drop onto the table and we take a break, continuing the awkward timing of this whole deal.

Jimmy chops at Royce, Royce grabs him with a big powerslam. We go split screen and see Jacob Fatu arriving in the back, passing a handy monitor and seeing all of this happening. Jacob heads right to the ring as Keys hits a Sky High on Jimmy for a near fall. Fatu attacks Royce and that’s our DQ. Jacob gets a chair and yells that he tried to warn Keys to stay out of the family business. “I didn’t want to do this to you!” He nails Keys with the chair as Cole tells us how heartbreaking this is, and I guess that’s true if you invested emotion in this friendship we just learned existed a few nights ago. Here’s Solo Sikoa in his red suit to yell at Jacob to stop.

“I get it, I understand now. I was lost, I left my family, I was being stupid. I always know that blood is thicker than water so I’m coming home to the family.” Solo gives us the finger of acknowledgement and Jimmy and Jacob pose with him. Solo laughs and spikes Jimmy, elbowing Jacob. Jacob stomps Solo down and Royce is back up to try to even things up. L.A. Knight comes out to join the fight and backdrops Jimmy out, nailing Jacob with the chair. He chairs the Werewolf to the outside. Knight says he’s done with the Bloodline and he has realized he doesn’t have to do this by himself. He wants a six-man tag at SummerSlam.

Royce Keys defeats Jimmy Uso by disqualification. This was probably meant to feel like a surprise, but we probably could’ve done this without the weird match that felt entirely out of place. The SummerSlam match will be good.

The Vision are walking backstage and wander across Paul Heyman who says THAT is what he calls a Vision for the future. He’s proud of all of them. Theory asks if they’re back together now and Heyman says Maxxine was so magnificent that they don’t NEED Heyman. Hell of a push for Maxxine, honestly. I like it.

Here’s a video package on Hell in a Cell. It’s a cage! It was red for a few years!

Pearce is on the phone when he’s interrupted by Femi. He tells Oba that Heyman had a phony restraining order and officers. Oba knew and he knows they’re afraid.

Bayley is in the ring and has some thoughts, calling Lyra Valkyria out. Lyra comes out in a ratty sweater and looking like she hasn’t had a good shower in a few weeks. Lyra tells Bayley that she was lying about everything good she’s ever told Bayley. She calls her a doormat, that her face does not belong on posters, and Bayley drags down every person she works with and has always been the worst of the Four Horsewomen. Bayley responds by telling Lyra she’s not as special as she thinks she is and Bayley reminds her that she was half of the first ever Women’s Tag Team Champions. She says she’ll be seeing Lyra at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Lyra attacks and stomps down on Bayley’s face, yanking Bayley up and hitting her with her own Bayley-to-Belly. I liked this. Good fire from Lyra.

Here’s part two of our multi-part, multi-week series on Reigns vs Rollins. This one looks at the breakup of the Shield. There’s always a Plan B.

We get a vignette of Big Cass, wondering what happens when the whole world calls you “can’t miss” and wondering what happens when the whole world is wrong. The date 8/3 flashes on the screen.

WWE Intercontinental Title #1 Contender’s Gauntlet Match

The winner of this goes to SummerSlam to battle Penta for the WWE Intercontinental Championship. We start with…

AAA Mega Champion Dominik Mysterio (with JD McDonagh) vs Joe Hendry

It’s 9:35 already, so we’ll see how many segments they can drag this out. The possibilities for commercials are endless! Hendry and Mysterio battle to the announce table before Dom whips Hendry into the steel steps. The fans sing for Dirty Dom who punches down Hendry in the ring. This is dragging. Hendry suplexes Dom and hits a running elbow before catching Dom with a fallaway slam. JD hops on the apron to distract, giving Dom the chance to hit 619 and the frog splash. Dominik Mysterio pins Joe Hendry. This made Hendry look like a doofus.

AAA Mega Champion Dominik Mysterio (with JD McDonagh) vs Je’Von Evans

This one started during the break and we come back to Evans down at ringside, apparently at the hands of JD. Je’Von gets into the ring and bounces Dom onto the announce table before tossing him back in and hitting the Red Dot for a two count. JD distracts the ref again and Je’Von knocks him down, Dom setting up another 619 and landing it. He goes up top for the frog splash when we are joined by Danhausen, riding out in his fancy automobile and cursing Dom, pyro coming out of the wrong ring post. JD heads towards Danhausen and Danhausen shoots him with a t-shirt gun. At the same time, Je’Von hits the OG Cutter and moves on. The production crew manages to do a great job of not showing us either thing. Je’Von Evans pins Dominik Mysterio.

Je’Von Evans vs Dragon Lee

Danhausen has vanished, as he does, but left his car behind. Lee springs over Evans and kicks him right in the face. Lee flies over the top onto Evans and we advance to another set of commercials. We return to the two men trading blows. Penta charges at Je’Von outside and Je’Von hiptosses him into the timekeeper’s area. Je’Von skips around the ring and then bounces onto Dragon and almost destroys himself in the process. Back in the ring, Je’Von runs into a super kick, Lee gets a two. The fans chant that the match is awesome as Lee ranas Je’Von outside and rolls him back in, hitting a tornado DDT that still can’t get the three count. Hell of a sell on the DDT. “This is awesome” chant again from the Dallas crowd as Lee suplexes Evans and then pushes him onto the ring post. Lee hits the corner stomp and tries for the Styles Clash, Evans rolls him up for the pin. Je’Von Evans pins Dragon Lee. Lee and Evans shake hands as Rusev appears from behind to attack them both. After the first legs of the match were slow, this one rocked.

Je’Von Evans vs Rusev

Evans throws Evans across the ring with a fallaway slam and we take another break. We learn that Rusev has dominated through the break. Evans tries for a sunset flip, Rusev tries to butt splash his way out of it but Evans dodges. With Rusev outside, Je’Von flies onto him as well. Evans hits the Red Dot in the ring for a two. Rusev snatches Evans into the Accolade and Je’Von reaches the ropes, so Rusev drags him backwards and hooks it again. Evans fights to his feet and lifts Rusev, dropping him backwards. Evans dodges a charging Rusev and misses the OG Cutter, Rusev hooking the Accolade a third time. Evans tries to fight out yet again, but Rusev keeps a strong hold, Evans passing out. Rusev defeats Je’Von Evans.

Rusev vs Chad Gable

After our fourth set of commercials for this gauntlet (that’s 27 commercials, if you’re counting), they slug it out for a while and I’m tired, grandpa. Rusev hooks the Accolade on Gable. Gable gets out, knocks Rusev into the turnbuckle and rolls him up for a pin. Chad Gable pins Rusev. Rusev isn’t happy and hooks the Accolade again, which just happens to bring out our final entrant.

Chad Gable vs Ethan Page

Page beats down Gable for a while. Gable fights out and tries for a Moonsault, missing and Ethan rolling him into the corner. Ethan lands a Confidence Breaker and Gable kicks out because this match but go on forever. Ego Tries for an Ego Plex, Gable turns it into an Angle Slam for a two count as the fans chant for Gable. Page grabs Gable for the Avalanche Body Slam in the corner, Gable slides through and hooks an ankle lock. Page tries to roll out but can’t, tapping. Chad Gable is going to SummerSlam.

Chad Gable defeats Ethan Page by submission, advancing to SummerSlam. This felt fifty years long, probably because of the 27 commercials, and had a fun part in the middle with Evans and Lee surrounded by some slower parts. Meh. WWE Intercontinental Penta appears in the ring during the replays, offering a handshake of respect to his SummerSlam challenger.

Here’s a look at Cody Rhodes finding his way into the title shot against CM Punk at SummerSlam.

Another car pulls up, this time with WWE World Champion Roman Reigns, pulling up at 10:19 p.m. Well, better late than never I guess.

Adam Pearce is in the ring to introduce yet another contract signing. WWE World Champion Roman Reigns joins us in the arena for our main event segment first. Roman asks for acknowledgement and I ask for them to hit his opponent’s music so I can go to bed because why haven’t these men already signed the contract for this match they’ve been promoting for weeks. Seth Rollins is out next and sits right next to Roman, signing his name to the contract. Seth just wants to go home too. But first, the fans have to sing and Seth has to talk. He says he beats Roman every single time and tells Roman to sign on the line and get this over with. Roman says that Seth bored them half to death last week and that they aren’t on the same level. He’s going to show the difference between them at SummerSlam and prove that he will show Seth what #1 looks like. Roman signs and Seth laughs. Seth hands the contract to Pearce and tells Roman thanks for keeping his title warm and he’ll take it at SummerSlam. “My brother, I’ll see you next time you want to show up for work.” Seth heads out and Roman asks where he is going. Roman, he’s going home. Let us go to sleep. Roman asks what happens if Seth does win at SummerSlam. “You’re gonna carry it for a couple of months and get hurt again? I mean don’t act shocked, that’s what happens every single time. Some would say its self-sabotage because some people just can’t handle the weight and the pressure and the burden of being the top guy around here.”

Seth marches back to the ring and gets in Roman’s face. He tells Roman to not hold back and say what he needs to say. Roman: “You want to know how I know you’re number two? Because after all these years, he still needs a Money in the Bank briefcase to become champion. And if you thought that was bad enough, he had to fake an injury to use the damn thing. Let’s just be honest here, if there was ever a time for this guy to be #1, come on. Your work daddy Triple H is damn near running this joint. They pretty much gave you all my stuff and you still couldn’t walk in my shoes, Number Two.” Roman tells Seth to “acknowledge it, bitch.” Seth yells for Roman to tell him how he’ll never be him or draw as much money as him. He’s told himself everything Roman could tell him but they’re not fighting the same fight. He is a visionary, a revolutionary, and he is Seth Freakin’ Rollins and “I am so glad that I am not you.” Seth decks Roman and yells, asking where his Bloodline is now. Seth runs into a Superman Punch and Roman tries to powerbomb Seth through the table, Seth turning it into a Pedigree and hitting the stomp. We end on the crowd giving Seth a mixed reaction as he stands over Roman. Some good fire here, Roman in particular was good.

A long one tonight that, for the most part, didn’t hit for me. The gauntlet match was designed to eat up a bunch of time and it did that well, unfortunately the excessive ad breaks kind of killed it. Iyo-Rox was good but the post-match actions were easily predictable. The Vision stuff, and I don’t think I’ve ever typed this, was very good. Maxxine is a good fit and you can always make a crowd care about Otis. Oba was good.

Sometimes this two and a half hour or so show doesn’t feel that long. Tonight, it felt four hours long. Catch the Vision segment on YouTube and just check out the highlights video for everything else.