Raw recap & reactions: The road to royalty

Sorry

Let’s start this week the way I start a lot of weeks. Let’s talk about Judgment Day.

Things looked unsettled after Backlash. The last time we saw the crew who loves purple, they didn’t look on the same page, the same book, or even the same reading option. So consider me shocked we got an apology from the big man when Raw started. And not an insincere one either. He acknowledged that the crew held him down and did everything to make sure he kept his championship. That’s quite the 180 from a guy who just a week ago bellowed that the team needs him more than he needs them. But it’s a welcome development if only for a while.

Damian clearly wants to become a better leader but maybe realized that he does need them. Rather than berate Finn Balor for not defeating Jey Uso, he gave him a pass. The one weak link in the chain at the moment is Dirty Dom. He did this:

This, combined with the shots of Dom and Liv, plus Liv’s continued focus on taking everything from Rhea Ripley, screams to me that Dom might find himself excommunicated sooner rather than later. When/if the Carlito maneuver backfires, I think that’s where Damian loses his cool. It’s an efficient way to cut him off from the group and continue the story that he keeps playing away games. For those of you who don’t speak The Wire, that means he does his own thing without telling anyone. Rhea constantly checked him on this and now it’s Damian’s turn.

Even without Rhea, WWE maintained Judgment Day’s spot as the most interesting thing on Raw.

B-Sides

Pulp Fiction

Why this headline? Well, if you missed CM Punk’s promo, he ended with a line that riffs on one of my favorite Pulp Fiction quotes. I’ll let the video speak for itself but another solid promo from the man who kinda does this in his sleep. This thing between he and Drew McIntyre is a little snake bitten right now with them both nursing injuries at different moments. Drew’s out of commission right now, which means it’s on both men to carry it on the mic and, of course, the writing.

So far so good from my perch.

Royalty

Lumping the King and Queen of the Ring tournament matches in the same section, with various thoughts on each match since they made up the bulk of the show. Raw smartly booked matches that provided variety. Some were rematches, some were steeped in current storylines, and some showcased talent in the name of the crown. Each provided its own entertainment.

• As noted, Drew is out. So who took his place? Jey Uso. So our first match featured Jey Uso and Finn Balor, which not only continued Jey’s Judgement Day feud, offered a chance for some payback, and would no doubt get under Drew’s skin. Fittingly, Drew hit the ring during the match’s closing moments. He thought that he’d throw Jey off his game. Yeah, nah that’s not what happened. Jey won, which pissed off Drew beyond belief, and fed beautifully into the Scotsman leaving the arena right before Punk showed up.
• Nattie vs. IYO SKY didn’t go the way I predicted. Commentary talked up Nattie’s Owen Hart dedication since May 7 is her fallen uncle’s birthday. All that talk, along with the Hart legacy in the tournament made me pick Nattie for the W. That didn’t happen. IYO pinned her opponent and moved to the next round.
• Ilja Dragunov made his official Raw debut. Only The Mad Dragon announces himself in such a fashion. I’m not a fan of the “instant classic” phrase for anything really. I think time is the best arbiter and things change over time. But Ilja and Ricochet put on an instant classic. It showcased Ilja perfectly with possibly the perfect dance partner. Ilja advances to fight Jey in what I assume will be a very different match. This one rocked my world and I hope you give it your time if you missed it.
• Zoey Stark defeated Ivy Nile and advanced. Solid match but nothing too noteworthy.
• Lyra Valkyria, fresh off helping Becky Lynch fend off Damage CTRL, defeated DAKOTA KAI. Lyra didn’t get as much time as Ilja but she showed the form that made her NXT Women’s champ. As long as she gets some personality, she’s got a bright future. I think the tournament, along with the Becky connection, might do that.
• Prior to the main event tourney match between Sheamus and GUNTHER, Kofi Kington told the world that he’s stepping in for Xavier Woods. Devotees will remember that GUNTHER tore up Xavier’s knee last week. As a result, X can’t compete. Kofi dropped a Kendrick Lamar and Drake reference to describe just what he wants to do to GUNTHER should they meet. That telegraphed the winner but the how is always important for a match. Especially when said match is a rematch from a fantastic feud. Thankfully, they didn’t try recreating their Clash at the Castle match. The story really settled once Ludwig Kaiser wrenched Sheamus’ knee the same way GUNTHER did Xavier’s. Sheamus worked the rest of the match with an injured knee, and eventually tapped out to the same Boston Single Leg Crab that cost Xavier his King of the Ring dreams. That’s a perfect setup for Kofi vs. GUNTHER, so here’s hoping we get there.

Planet Apes

Chad Gable, Bronson Reed, and Sami Zayn just can’t get along. Sami interrupted Chad and Bronson’s match, just like Chad interrupted last week’s affair between Sami and Bronson. Sami then gave me, and I suspect several others, what we want: a triple threat match between all three at King and Queen of the Ring. Loved this setup and the logic for getting from point A to point B.

Mad Rapper

Liv Morgan is mad. She’s mad Becky didn't mention her during the champ’s interview with Michael Cole. She’s mad people overlook her. She’s even mad Becky never thanked her for taking out Rhea. But the newly minted heel is happy she finally has a date for her championship match: three weeks at King and Queen of the Ring.

Damage CTRL showed up during the promo to continue their assault against Becky but give Liv some go just because. Liv, in a beautiful heel move, left Becky’s side once the Damage CTRL surrounded them. I loved that. My knock against Liv for the longest is the lack of personality. This heel run if off to a promising start with little things like that. I hope it continues from now till her big match.

I’m a sucker for tournaments and I love the way they used this opening round. It not only advanced the tournament for the crown but integrated stories as well. Well done night all around.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Your turn!