Welcome to the latest edition of our weekly WWE RAW hits and misses series.
The June 24, 2024, episode of RAW went down at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Two superstars from the red brand punched their ticket to Money in the Bank. The scheduled world title match got an interesting stipulation added to it as well, and we saw more from the Wyatt Sicks and a mysterious video tape.
Here’s what went down on RAW this week.
Hit – Drew McIntyre makes it personal with CM Punk on WWE RAW
Drew McIntyre walked to the ring from the crowd as Michael Cole and The Miz looked on. The Scottish Warrior recapped his brutal beatdown of CM Punk last Friday on SmackDown. McIntyre called out Punk’s fans as well before announcing his plan to compete in a Money in the Bank qualifier. He then showed the fans a bracelet bearing the names of Punk’s wife and dog.
McIntyre didn’t make his usual entrance on WWE RAW this week which was smart as he wasn’t advertised for the show. What I like the most about McIntyre’s current gimmick is he knows he has to earn his spot in the world title picture. Instead of taking the Austin Theory route, McIntyre will compete in triple threat MITB qualifier on RAW next week.
P.S. Never drag a man’s dog into a fight. We all know how that ended the last time (cough, Brawl Out, cough).
Miss – Liv Morgan & Zelina Vega segment on WWE RAW
Liv Morgan had a live microphone in her hand on RAW this week. The Women’s World Champion said she got in the ring to get Dominik’s attention. Zelina Vega showed up and asked Liv to put her title on the line before Dominik Mysterio arrived to confront Liv.
The world title feud between Liv and Zelina seems secondary because of the love angle between Dom and Liv. Zelina is arguably the better talker between her and Liv. The segment only got interesting after Dom showed up leading to a physical altercation with Rey Mysterio.
Hit – Bron Breakker vs. Ludwig Kaiser
Bron Breakker and Ludwig Kaiser squared off on WWE RAW. Both men got plenty of offense on each other. Kaiser tried to take out Breakker with the running dropkick attack, but was intercepted by Sheamus leading to a DQ ending.
A good match between two great athletes. The DQ ending served as the logical conclusion given Kaiser’s history with Sheamus from the previous week. Breakker was the one standing tall in the end after he took out Sheamus, who had Kaiser hoisted for a slam, with a spear.
Breakker will take on Sami Zayn for the Intercontinental Championship at WWE Money in the Bank.
Miss – Another loss for Shayna Baszler on WWE RAW
Shayna Baszler competed in a triple threat Women’s Money in the Bank qualifier on WWE RAW this week. Baszler squared off against Lyra Valkyria and Kairi Sane. Lyra picked up the win after nearly nine minutes of action.
A decent triple threat with the wrong person winning the match. I am a fan of Lyra, but Shayna needed the win more than her. Lyra was a finalist in the Queen of the Ring tournament. They could’ve built her more with a proper feud against Damage CTRL.
Hit – Chad Gable advances to WWE Money in the Bank
Chad Gable squared off against Braun Strowman and Bronson Reed in a triple threat MITB qualifier on RAW. Strowman was jumped by The Judgment Day towards the end of the match, allowing Gable to pick up the win over Reed. The Alpha Academy mentor was confronted by Nikki Cross of the Wyatt Sicks, who proceeded to hand a VHS to Michael Cole.
Chad Gable is in the Money in the Bank ladder match, yes! Gable cut a brilliant promo before the match where he acknowledged Wrestling Twitter’s reaction to him “dying” during the Wyatt Sicks assault last week on RAW. Also, they once again tease Gable x Creed Brothers after Gable was once again shunned by Otis backstage after his win.
Miss – Seth Rollins has a stipulation for Damian Priest
Seth Rollins and Damian Priest had a segment on RAW this week. Both men showed respect to each other before Rollins threw in a little surprise of his own. Rollins said if Priest loses at Money in the Bank, he’ll have to leave The Judgment Day. The world champion accepted by shaking hands with his challenger before Gunther showed up to confront the pair.
Seth Rollins should be the last person to ask someone to leave their faction. They could’ve added another stipulation like Judgment Day disbands or leaves RAW instead of DP leaving the faction. I know they are moving towards the inevitable Damian Priest face turn, but the stipulation announcement feels a bit contrived.
Hit – Bo Dallas and Uncle Howdy promo on WWE
Bo Dallas didn’t appear in flesh on RAW, but he did have a sitdown exchange with Uncle Howdy. This was the same VHS Nikki Cross gave Michael Cole earlier during the show. Bo talked his love and admiration for his late brother Bray Wyatt (Windham Rotunda) before telling the world how losing him hurt him the most.
Bo talked from the heart in this promo. You could feel his pain. Great promos aren’t often scripted. They are raw and organic. I always thought Bo was an underrated promo. His involvement in the Wyatt Sicks storyline is going to be interesting.
Honorable Mentions
The angle between Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio continued on WWE RAW this week. Liv wanted Dominik’s attention and she got it. Carlito’s reaction to Dom showing them what Liv sent him on his smartphone was brilliant. This has got to be the most entertaining storyline on RAW apart from the ongoing Drew versus Punk feud.
Finn Balor and JD McDonagh won the world tag team titles in the main event. The pair defeated Awesome Truth for the championship Liv Morgan’s interference. It’s great to see Devlin finally get hold of a title after nearly five years, and he go to that with the person who trained him to become a wrestler, Fergal Devitt.
Also read: WWE Women’s World Title Match, More Set For 7/1 WWE RAW
