'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
What's the story?
Roman Reigns performed double duty this week on RAW. He teamed up with his Shield-mate Seth Rollins to take on Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre and then allied himself with Bobby Lashley to take on The Revival.
In the aftermath of these two big matches, RAW's ratings saw a significant rise. I thank SEScoops for the numbers.
Only Sportskeeda gives you the latest Wrestling News, rumors and updates
In case you didn't know...
The July 2 edition of RAW aired from Sioux Falls and built up to Extreme Rules. In addition to the two Roman Reigns matches during the show, there was a hilarious segment featuring Braun Strowman, Kevin Owens and a portable toilet, that really does have to be seen to actually be believed.
Some big matches for the forthcoming pay-per-view were set up during the show as well. Despite the fact that two top stars, Ruby Riott and Bray Wyatt missed action owing to injuries, it was a packed show overall. The rise in ratings really reflected this.
The heart of the matter
Last week's episode of RAW saw Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler in the main event match. The episode scored a viewership of merely 2.663 million.
Conversely, this week's episode of RAW saw a 1.65% increase in viewership, with a viewership of 2.707 million. The first hour was the weakest with 2.641 million viewers, the second saw a rise to 2.822 million whereas the final hour saw a dip to 2.658 million. This is a strong performance for RAW, especially considering viewership hasn't been the best!
What's next?
Everything on RAW is now building towards Extreme Rules. Bobby Lashley and Roman Reigns are due to collide, and this is a match that could determine the future of the Universal Championship situation. There will be another episode of RAW before Extreme Rules and much could transpire on that big stage!
Do you think Roman Reigns equals ratings? Sound off in the comments below.
Send us news tips at [email protected]
