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WWE Money in the Bank was eventful, and RAW looked set to carry on the momentum on Monday night. John Cena made his return to the WWE ring on Sunday night and made his way out early on RAW to make his intentions clear.
This week’s RAW had some big segments and matches that were full of surprises. Karrion Kross made his main roster debut but went on to pick up his first loss as well. Why did WWE allow Kross to lose to Jeff Hardy in his first match on RAW?
Jaxson Ryker picked up another victory over Elias to keep their never-ending rivalry ticking. Reginald won the 24/7 Championship after pinning Akira Tozawa.
Humberto Carrillo got his hands on Sheamus again this week, while Rhea Ripley got a rematch for the RAW Women’s Championship. There were a couple of major returns during the show along with a massive title change.
Let's take a look at the five things WWE RAW got right on the night after Money in the Bank.
#5 John Cena made his intentions clear on WWE RAW
John Cena kicked off this week’s WWE RAW after making his return at Money in the Bank. Everybody stood up to cheer for the 16-time World Champion as soon as his music hit.
After hyping up the WWE Universe, he spoke about his role in the upcoming Suicide Squad movie. He then turned his attention to Sunday night, where he ruined Roman Reigns’ celebration.
Cena claimed that he wanted to return as soon as the crowd got back to the arenas. He then said that Reigns was also a major part of the reason he returned because he held the Universal Championship.
The Champ demanded a shot for the title at SummerSlam and talked some more before Riddle came out to the ring. The two men exchanged a few “Bro” chants before Cena left the ring.
It was good to see Cena return to RAW after such a long time. His presence just made everything seem so much better. However, it’s unfortunate to see that RAW needed to build up a feud from SmackDown on their show to get the ratings up.
Cena vs Reigns will be one of the biggest matches of the year. The Tribal Chief has already overcome Daniel Bryan, Edge, Cesaro, and many other top faces. Will Cena lay himself down to put Reigns over once again?
#4 Riddle and The Viking Raiders picked up a big victory on WWE RAW
After getting a good rub at the hands of John Cena on WWE RAW, Riddle teamed up with The Viking Raiders for a match. The three men took on the team of AJ Styles, Omos and John Morrison.
Riddle and Styles exchanged some good moves at the top before Morrison made his way into the ring. Riddle stayed on top of the action for some time before The Viking Raiders got the tag.
Soon after, there was utter chaos as everyone went after each other. Omos helped Styles level the field and take back control of the contest.
The Original Bro took a beating from Omos before Johnny Drip Drip tried to get him to tap out to a submission maneuver.
Late in the match, Riddle tricked Omos into thinking that The Miz sprayed him with a drip stick. This ticked off the giant who attacked Morrison and pursued Miz at ringside. The angle allowed Erik and Ivar to level Morrison with The Viking Experience for the win.
The match was enjoyable even though it raised a few questions. Why wasn’t Ricochet in the match instead of Riddle, given his rivalry with Morrison? Why is Randy Orton missing from RAW?
However, it looks like the WWE creative team wants to put Riddle over. He’s already pinned Styles twice and was given a big spot with Cena earlier in the night. The finish also allowed The Viking Raiders to bag a rematch for the RAW Tag Team Championships.
#3 Humberto Carrillo and Sheamus put on a good match on WWE RAW
Sheamus put in another match against Humberto Carrillo after what he did to the youngster last week on WWE RAW. Instead of making it another United States Championship match, the RAW creative team made it a qualification match for Carrillo.
With another championship match on the line, Carrillo started red hot and tried to wear down The Celtic Warrior with his speed. He hit a crossbody on the floor and then another one inside the ring but could not put Sheamus away.
Damian Priest watched on from backstage as Carrillo struggled to keep the momentum going for long. He tried to take Sheamus’ protective mask off but failed to do so.
Sheamus used his power to get back into the match. He powerbombed Carrillo on the apron and then controlled the action from there on. Even though Carrillo made a comeback late into the match, he couldn’t put him away.
The Celtic Warrior shattered Carrillo’s dreams with a massive Brogue Kick to pick up the win. This was one of the best matches these two superstars have had till now. Carrillo was fantastic and proved that he’s ready for the big league.
However, it looks like the RAW creative team wants to book a match between Sheamus and Damian Priest at SummerSlam. It could be one of the top matches from RAW at the event.
#2 Keith Lee returned to face Bobby Lashley on WWE RAW
Bobby Lashley came out on WWE RAW after his massive victory at Money in the Bank, with MVP by his side. Lashley issued an open challenge to any superstar in the back. He cut a promo and said that destroying Kofi Kingston was something he needed to do.
After MVP added to his statement, Keith Lee made his long-awaited return to RAW. The two men had an intense face-off before the match got started. Both men fought for control but they continued to cancel each other out. Lee was impressive and hit a few big moves on the WWE Champion to make a statement on RAW.
The Limitless One hit a leapfrog before leveling Lashley with a massive crossbody. The All Mighty got more aggressive and beat his opponent down as MVP talked loads of trash.
MVP helped Lashley by distracting Lee late in the contest. The WWE Champion hit a huge Spear at ringside but could not lock in the Hurt Lock on the massive superstar.
Lashley hit a slam before ending Lee with a Spear to pick up the win. The Limitless One impressed even though he failed to pick up a big win.
As he celebrated, Goldberg made his return to get in the WWE Champion’s face. He laughed at Lashley before declaring he was next. The match between Lee and Lashley was good.
Goldberg’s return was expected, and it will be interesting to see how RAW books the match between these two powerhouses. Will Lashley be allowed to put down a legend to make his title run more iconic?
#1 Nikki A.S.H. defeated Charlotte Flair to become the new WWE RAW Women’s Champion
WWE RAW hosted another rematch on this week’s show. Charlotte Flair won the RAW Women’s Championship from Rhea Ripley at Money in the Bank. Early on RAW, Ripley demanded a rematch for the title, and Adam Pearce granted her the same.
The two women clashed in the main event of RAW where both traded some big moves. They once again showed off their superior chemistry with some good spots.
Charlotte was unable to put Ripley away a few times and decided to leave with her title. Ripley chased her down but Flair nailed her with the belt to cause a disqualification. The two got into a brawl which ended in Ripley taking out The Queen.
Right then, Nikki A.S.H. came out with the Money in the Bank briefcase she’d won on Sunday night. She cashed in, climbed to the top rope and hit a crossbody to score the pinfall and win the RAW Women’s Championship. Nikki celebrated her first world title victory in the company with the WWE Universe as the show came to a close.
It was a surprising end to RAW this week. Outside of Carmella, no female superstar has held the Money in the Bank briefcase for over 48 hours. However, it was good to see Nikki finally win a top title in WWE.
Her new character is over with RAW fans, and WWE did the right thing by handing her the title early. She will likely have an entertaining reign with the title.
