WWE Monday Night Raw Review – 8.10.26

Monday! It has appeared again. With that, Raw is here on Netflix and presented by DoorDash! We have many weeks ahead before Money in the Bank, but we have a Sunday Night’s Main Event, TripleMania and Worlds Collide all to build towards between now and then. Let’s see how we do that tonight.

The last week in WWE: Raw / NXT / Evolve / Main Event / Impact / SmackDown / AAA Verano de Escandalo Night 3

Then, Now, Forever, Together.

THIS is Norfolk, Virginia’s Scope Arena, a place with a lot of wrestling history including D-Generation X driving a TANK to invade Monday Nitro and win the Monday Night War (that’s what the DVD told me). Who will drive a tank tonight? We’re live on Netflix and presented by DoorDash.

Arrivals! Stephanie Vaquer, Judgment Day, and Becky Lynch are all here.

Here’s a look at last week’s Bloodline drama including Jacob Fatu making Royce Keys bleed.

Michael Cole and Corey Graves greet us from ringside. Alicia Taylor is back on the ring mic tonight. Cole lets us know that Keys will be out indefinitely, wondering what this means for the rest of WWE. They’re interrupted by Solo Sikoa, singing the Usos theme and entering through the crowd. Solo Dolo is now in our city. He attempts to talk about what happened last week but is interrupted by the music and entrance of Main Event Jey Uso, taking the ramp for his entrance as Solo dances to his theme in the crowd. Jey asks if Solo really wants to run the family drama through public eyes again. He needs Solo to fall in line with the Tribal Chief. “How did it work out for you?” asks Solo. “Did you fall in line? ‘Cause it looks like you fell off. Brother, let’s be honest. You was a World Champion. You won the Royal Rumble. You beat Gunther at WrestleMania. Every time these people heard your music, all the kids was happy. But now, all that crap’s out the window. It sucks to be you now!” Solo says he isn’t coming back to the family. Jey tells Solo to shut his disrespectful ass up. He says they’ll handle it the only way his family knows how, Solo vs Uso tonight. If he wins, Solo comes back to the Bloodline. Solo mocks the warning shot again and accepts, telling Jey that when HE wins, the family can leave HIM alone. He gives a warning show – pew. In the words of Jacob Fatu, I love you Solo. He’s the best.

Cole and Graves tell us about the #1 contender’s tournament starting tonight, the winner facing Roman Reigns for the belt in Mexico City. We take a look at Penta and Laredo Kid, tonight’s competitors.

Jey walks backstage and comes across Big Jim Uso and Jacob Fatu who asks what Jey has going on out there. Fatu thinks Jey is trying to run plays by himself and ignoring them and the OTC. Jey says he’s bringing Solo back personally, something Jacob couldn’t do.

#1 Contender’s Tournament First Round Match: Penta vs AAA Mixed Tag Team Champion Laredo Kid

We last saw Laredo on main-line WWE programming back in the kickoff show of July’s Saturday Night’s Main Event where he lost to Trick Williams. He and La Heidra won the AAA Mixed Tag Team Titles from Lola Vice and Mr. Iguana on night one of AAA Verano de Escandalo a few weeks back. Laredo gets the commercial break entrance which isn’t a great sign for him, but he’s also up against what most of us think is the foregone conclusion winner of this whole tournament. This is his first Raw match.

Penta and Laredo do some fast-paced reversals before Kid drives Penta outside with a missile dropkick. He runs into Penta’s kick and Penta dives off with a crossbody, ranaing Kid to the corner as the fans chant for Penta. They brawl outside and Kid moonsaults onto Penta before rolling him back in. After a set of commercials from our beloved sponsors, Penta drops the corner boots onto Kid for a two count. Kid nails a surprise Poison Rana and flies off the top with a 450, Penta kicking out at two. Kid runs into a big kick and Penta lands a Backstabber for a two. Penta hits a Tope on the outside onto Kid and rolls him in, landing a Penta Driver and Kid kicking out at two. Kid hits his own Driver and goes up top, Penta rolling out and hitting a Mexican Destroying for the pin. Penta advances.

Penta pins Laredo Kid to advance in the #1 Contender’s Tournament. A good match. Very expected result, but the match was good. Penta will face the winner of Psycho Clown vs La Parka.

Byron Saxton is here with The Vision. Logan Paul tells Byron that Alpha Academy are below them. Maxxine Dupri knows Tozawa doesn’t stand a chance against her man Austin Theory. Bron Breakker is staring into space again. “What do you think of Oba Femi, Byron? Do you think he’s the future?” Byron says he does and Bron tells him that he sounds like Paul.

WWE Tag Team Champion Austin Theory (with Bron Breakker, Logan Paul and Maxxine Dupri) vs Akira Tozawa

As Tozawa enters, Cole flashes us back to highlights of Bron and Oba from last week. Theory works over Tozawa for a bit as Bron stares at the ground, not caring about an Austin Theory match. He’s just like me! Theory whips Tozawa into the corner. Akira attempts to come back with a few chops, but Theory slams him down and runs out to pose with Maxxine and, for some reason, send us to commercials and make this a two segment match. Meanwhile, Lyra Valkyria is stuck on Main Event.

We come back to Theory taunting Tozawa outside and making him watch Maxxine give him a kiss. Inside, Tozawa springs up with a flying DDT, a Shining Wizard and a Senton, all of which only gets him a two count. Tozawa rips off his shirt and lays in kicks. It doesn’t take long for Theory to hit his forearm, The Off Switch, to take Tozawa down and out for the pin.

Austin Theory pins Akira Tozawa. This was a match that happened and long enough to have a commercial break for some reason.

Theory continues his attack after the match. Theory grabs his chair and Adam Pearce and friends come yank it away. Bron heads into the ring and sets up a spear only to be interrupted by the music of one Oba Femi. Theory tries to attack and Oba slugs him away, continuing his way into the ring to LOUD “Oba” chants. Pearce and friends get right between the two men as Bron smiles, backing off for now. When this truly explodes, it is going to feel like the biggest thing in the company.

My favorite unbiased journalist Cathy Kelley has found AAA General Manager & WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio. Dragon Lee interrupts and AAA Mega Champion Dominik Mysterio interrupts him, wondering why he isn’t even in the tournament. A match between Dom and Dragon is set up in all of this.

Graves and Cole take us through Stephanie Vaquer being attacked four months ago and then returning last week.

Stephanie Vaquer joins us in the ring for some chatter. She’s happy to be back and missed the ring, Monday Night Raw, and even the WWE Universe. Most of all, she missed seeing Liv Morgan and Judgment Day get scared when they see her coming. She says she will destroy them one by one. The Man Becky Lynch is here to interrupt and share her thoughts. Stephanie asks what she wants and Becky responds that she probably wants the same thing Stephanie does, to beat the piss out of Liv Morgan. She thinks Liv has taken the title back to the 2000s. She doesn’t know much about Stephanie, but she does know she has made a big impact in her short time on Raw which is impressive “because you seem to be gone more often than you’re here.” She knows the title doesn’t need any more bad luck so Stephanie can get her revenge and cheer her on, but the championship matches are her domain. “You don’t deserve that title. That title deserves ME.” Stephanie says she doesn’t care and if Becky gets in her way, she will show her what she’s all about. A good little promo between the two.

As Stephanie leaves, WWE Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan attacks Becky from behind in the ring. She tries for Oblivion, Becky catches her with the Bexploder. Stephanie comes back to help but Liv is already gone so she wasn’t particularly helpful. Becky and Stephanie argue before The Man heads out.

Commentary congratulates Bianca Belair and Montez Ford on the birth of Romeo Leonardo Allen Crawford. Beautiful.

L.A. Knight is backstage with Cathy. Solo interrupts and Knight says SummerSlam was one night only and he doesn’t care about the teamwork deal.

AAA Mega Champion Dominik Mysterio vs Dragon Lee

These two last had a singles match at AAA Heroes Inmortales 2025, one that Dom won. Unlike that match, this one is non-title. We get our usual back and forth as you might note that Dom is wearing his Dude Wipes shirt around his waist. Dom sends Lee tumbling to the outside and then leaps onto him, sending us to a break to learn about Denny’s. We come back to the men in the ring, Lee superkicking Dom. Lee springbboards off the ropes with a tornado DDT for two and flies outside onto Dom with a Tope. Dom slams Lee into the apron and hits a 619 variation. Lee sets Dom up for the running elbow but Dom drops him right into a 619 and a frog splash into Lee’s knees. Lee hits Operation Dragon and pins the AAA Mega Champion. Okay then.

Dragon Lee pins Dominik Mysterio. Fairly paint by numbers. I’m not sure I’d have Dom losing here especially in a clean manner, but here we are. Maybe there is some fire to those rumors of Dom not being happy about his main roster booking.

Big Cass attacks Dragon Lee after the match, threatening us with the concept of a Big Cass vs Dragon Lee match. Je’Von Evans runs out for the save and bounces right into a big clothesline.

Byron is joined by Sol Ruca. She’s tired of being in the Judgment Day Vortex and after tonight, she’s going back after her title. Danhausen appears and says he will be glad to be her partner. Unfortunately, the spot is already taken. I would’ve subbed him in due to his sparkling record against Judgment Day, but I’ll let Sol make her own choices.

Adam Pearce and L.A. Knight argue. Knight offers to enter the tournament with a lucha mask and Pearce promises to work Knight into the #1 contender’s spot after the tournament. Jacob Fatu comes across Knight and Knight taunts him about not being able to attack him again.

The Judgment Day (WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez) vs Sol Ruca and Iyo Sky

Of all of the possibilities for a mystery partner, we chose the most obvious pick. Sol and Iyo leap outside onto Raquel, Roxanne leaps onto them and we take our mandated commercial break to learn about frozen pizza. We come back to the heels having the advantage as we almost always do. Sol gets the hot tag and Iyo goes to work on Roxanne, hitting the big uppercut on Rox as well as Raquel. Raquel goes down to the Bullet Train and Iyo heads up to hit Rox with the missile dropkick. A backbreaker only gets Sky a two count. Sol Ruca comes in with a Shining Wizard and gets dumped to the floor by Rox. Raquel lands an inverted suplex on Iyo and Rox springboards with a moonsault for a two, broken up by Sol and kicking her right in the nose. No nose is safe in the women’s division. Iyo blocks a German suplex and hits Rox with a Bullet Train, tagging in Ruca. Rox tries for Pop Rox, Sol lands on her hands and nails the Sol Snatcher for the three.

Sol Ruca pins Roxanne Perez, Ruca & Sky defeat Judgment Day. A good little tag team match, particularly once we got past the commercial break and into the part of the match that felt like it mattered. Sol and Iyo are cute together.

Paul Heyman is met backstage by World Tag Team Champion Bron Breakker. Bron asks Paul is he thinks Oba is the future. Paul: “I have great love for you both personally and professionally and truth be told, I respect Oba Femi. The man did everything he said he was going to do to Brock Lesnar and I have to respect that.” Bron says that isn’t what he asked and asked again. “I think you’re starting to think that Oba Femi is the future of WWE and that’s the problem.”

Rey and Penta talk backstage and are joined by WWE Intercontinental Champion Chad Gable, telling Penta that he is his favorite. Gable tells Rey he is impressed by everything Rey is doing in AAA and tells him he would be honored to defend his championship against the greatest luchador of all time, Rey. Rey says he has a lot left in the tank and he’d be honored. Nick Aldis is again wondering why he had to drop his position to wrestle a match.

Next week, Rey Fenix vs El Fiscal and Dragon Lee vs El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. in the tournament. Plus, our Tribal Chief Roman Reigns will be here.

Sol and Iyo walk backstage and come across Lyra Valkyria. They argue about what Lyra has done to get an Intercontinental Championship match, so Lyra threatens her and Iyo tries very hard to not corpse during it all.

Solo Sikoa vs Main Event Jey Uso

Jey yeets through the crowd because that’s still a thing he does sometimes and they still eat it up. I appreciate that Solo believes he’ll never have to deal with Bloodline stuff again if he wins this though we all know that isn’t true. This starts very slowly before Solo yeets Jey to the outside and we take an an break, though we continue picture-in-picture as they brawl around the announce table. When we lose our ads, we’re back in the ring until Jey dodges Solo and dives onto him and into the barricade. Jey shoves Solo back in and dives on him with a crossbody for a two. They brawl in again and Solo Dolo smacks Jey with the corner hips, unable to get a three count. Solo measures up a Samoan Drop, Jey drops into a sleeper that Solo shoves his way out of. Solo gives us “doubt” as he motions for the spike and Jimmy Uso appears. Jey hits the spear and Solo kicks out. Jey lines up another spear and runs into a boot. Solo smacks Jimmy down again and Jey hits another spear. Main Event Jey hits the Uso splash and gets the pin. With this, Jey will “deliver” Solo to the Tribal Chief next week.

Jey Uso pins Solo Sikoa. This was pretty average I’d say, but I was entertained enough. I’m a little surprised at the story twist but we’ll see where it goes next week.

A mediocre episode this week with some questionable moves. Why is Dom getting pinned by Lee? Why must Austin Theory matches go so long? At the same time, we have some interesting things happening. The Women’s World Title scene continues being interesting. Solo Dolo is the best part of the show. The lucha tournament is good, though I am worried about the live crowd not caring about two matches next week. You aren’t missing a lot if you skip this week’s episode