Heyman Steals The Show As SummerSlam Looms: A Look Back At Last Week’s WWE RAW & SD Live

On Smackdown Live!, AJ Styles returned with a somewhat predictable response to Samoa Joe in the setup for their WWE Championship matchup.

There just does not seem to be much to this matchup and the booking of the top title in the business seems all over the place. Joe does not appear to be a legitimate threat to The Phenomenal One and Styles seems to have come out of his feud against Shinsuke Nakamura without anyone that can legitimately step up. A feud with Randy Orton could be on the horizon and that could be fun with The Viper presenting a legitimate opponent that has the championship pedigree to swipe AJ’s gold.

Tuesday nights have so much talent that it seems that a new cream rises to the top every week. But, in all of that mix there is one constant … and he is AWESOME!

The Miz continues to steal the spotlight on the blue brand and the slow burn set up for his match with Daniel Bryan at SummerSlam has been executed beautifully. Lets hope the booking committee pays it off in spades.

The A-Lister is ready for a long title run and he would be a perfect foil to Styles before or after a feud with Orton. Miz could hold the strap to WrestleMania where he could tear the house down with Bryan. That is how this nearly decade-long story should be paid off … but SummerSlam is definitely a perfect spot for them to butt heads for the first time.

Elsewhere on Smackdown, the buildup for Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch vs. Carmella for the women’s championship is solid. This storyline would be a real let down if it does not end with Lynch carrying the gold heading into or following WWE Evolution.

The WWE closed its week with a stellar Tag Team Tournament final between The Bar and The New Day with the winner earning the title shot against The Bludgeon Brothers at SummerSlam.

Kofi Kingston and Big E went back and forth with Sheamus and Cesaro in an absolutely great television match before the power of positivity won out giving The New Day a shot at their fifth tag team championship reign. The trio is heading full-fledged into their fifth year together at the top of the tag team division. They have no signs of slowing and continue to be merchandise kings.

They don’t need the titles to help their cause, but they rarely disappoint as champions.

RAW Top 10:

1. Ronda Rousey
2. Roman Reigns
3. Braun Strowman
4. Dolph Ziggler
5. Seth Rollins
6. Kevin Owens
7. Alexa Bliss
8. The B-Team
9. Baron Corbin
10. Elias

Smackdown Live Top 10:

1. The Miz
2. AJ Styles
3. The New Day
4. Randy Orton
5. Daniel Bryan
6. Charlotte Flair
7. Becky Lynch
8. The Bar
9. Shinsuke Nakamura
10. The Bludgeon Brothers

Overall Top 5

1. The Miz
2. AJ Styles
3. Ronda Rousey
4. Roman Reigns
5. The New Day

Related: Big Update On Dean Ambrose’s WWE TV Return