Match Ratings For WWE Raw 7/1/19 From Sean Ross Sapp

Falls Count Anywhere
Braun Strowman vs. Bobby Lashley
Angle: 8.5/10

• We see a glimpse of Street Profits backstage.
• Lashley immediately spears Strowman, and Strowman mows him down.
• Lashley spears again at ringside, and they’re going at it. It should have been this for the last month.
• Braun and Lashley go at it with a chair in the crowd and work their way to the ramp.
• Lashley suplexes Strowman on the stage.
• Strowman spears Lashley through the LED boards, and there’s a bunch of pyro that goes off as a result.
• I’m sure someone in WWE will pretend like arm wrestling and tug-of-war had anything to do with how good that opening segment was.
• The pyro was hilarious and overdone, but goddamn, that got a great reaction.
• Corey Graves screamed out “holy shit!”
• Remember when Braun Strowman used to tear shit up a lot and looked like he could be the top guy?
• They even gave a reason for the explosions, saying that there were generators behind the set.
• That opening segment was great. It was fast paced, action-packed, tore some shit up, and showed us camera angles and parts of the arena and backstage we’ve never seen before. Amazing stuff.
• They’re both loaded up in the ambulance. They cut video feeds in the arena.
• You can tell the Street Profits are over when we see them backstage for one second and Strowman & Lashley jump through LED boards to get back there just to get a glimpse.

Samoa Joe & War Raiders defeated New Day
6/10

• War Raiders have some really great offense, but it takes a while for the crowd to care about them.
• Samoa Joe shows up and attacks Xavier Woods early in this match. You know what that means. We got ourselves a RESTARTED MATCH.
• Joe & War Raiders against New Day is set up.
• Corey Graves just casually mentioning that ladders could be involved in Joe vs. Kofi is pretty neat.
• War Raiders and Joe work so well together. They go at New Day viciously.
• There are a big series of dives that end in Ivar getting a big suicide dive.
• Joe chokes out Kofi to beat him!
• Ya know, I’m okay with Joe beating Kofi, even in this spot. Crowd was hot. But Ziggler didn’t need to pin Kofi at all last week. Not a bit.

24/7 Championship
Drake Maverick (w/ Renee Michelle Maverick) defeated R-Truth (c) to become champion

• Drake Maverick is backstage with a Maverick 24:7 shirt, and his blindfolded wife, who realizes he’s trying to take her to Raw for their honeymoon. She isn’t happy. R-Truth shows up to troll Drake.
• Drake Maverick is at ringside for Cesaro vs. No Way Jose, but Cesaro beats up Jose before the bell and does a Neutralizer on the floor.
• Drake hits R-Truth with luggage and pins him before his honeymoon.
• I can not wait to see all the 24/7 honeymoon skits

Backstage Crappenings.

• The Street Profits debut in a backstage promo saying they’re on Monday Night Raw.
• Street Profits interrupt Paul Heyman backstage and flip out over Brock Lesnar.

TAKER

• Drew McIntyre and Shane McMahon cut a promo on the Undertaker without saying a whole lot.
• Undertaker’s music hits, and it gets a great pop.
• Undertaker doesn’t say much of anything besides that he used to respect Shane McMahon a little bit and they’re gonna die.
• This felt like one of Undertaker’s longest entrance

Lacey Evans (w/ Baron Corbin) defeated Natayla
5/10 (short)

• Baron Corbin cuts a promo with Lacey backstage
• I think it’s important for Lacey to have a passable performance tonight.
• As it turns out, she does. Nothing offensive in this match, and took Natalya’s moves well.
• Corbin trips up Natalya and allows Lacey to hit the Women’s Right for the win.
• Becky Lynch and Seth are looking on.

2 out of 3 Falls
Miz defeated Elias 2-1
6/10

• Miz wishes Bobby and Braun the best in a pre match promo.
• Oh goody, another two out of three falls match.
• What’s the point of a goddamn two out of three falls match if they’re just gonna end the first one in a few seconds? Stop doing this dumb stuff.
• Miz wins fall one with Skull Crushing Finale, Elias wins fall two with Drift Away.
• They could have just had Elias perform, go to a commercial, and not do the first two falls.
• They get into a really nice chop battle, but Elias lands Cross Rhodes for a two count.
• Elias gets ring post on a knee attempt, and submits to Miz’s Figure Four!
• I loved the finish of Elias vs. Miz. Miz winning with a hold he doesn’t win with much, after the setup into the post.
• Clever finishes should be the standard, not the outlier.

Becky Lynch & Seth Rollins defeated Mike & Maria Kanellis
SQUASH

• Seth Rollins also has well wishes for Bobby and Braun.
• There’s an odd promo with Becky and Seth discussing their relationship,
• Maria interrupts them and challenges them to a match. Maria calls Mike her bitch, and Becky Seth’s bitch.
• Seth Rollins lays out Mike Kanellis, and Maria runs from Becky.
• She says she’s pregnant and says Mike isn’t man enough to knock her up.
• Mike gets submitted by Becky Lynch.
• Maria does this wild promo where she implies Becky Lynch should knock her up instead of Mike Kanellis.
• Big thanks to @HeymanHustle for all the @BlueChew segues on my Raw post-shows
• Are Mike and Maria wild cards?

Carmella defeated Alexa Bliss (w/ Nikki Cross)
SQUASH
Nikki Cross defeated Carmella
N/A (Short)

• Alexa also wishes Braun and Bobby well.
• I’m not sure if it’s good or not, but I can’t take my eyes off of it.
• Nikki comes out and they kiss up to each other.
• Carmella comes out — A WILD CARD. If Mike & Maria are wild cards, that’s 5 “acts.” If not, there’s four. It doesn’t matter, I just like to count things
• She pins Alexa after challenging her. Immediately.
• They restart with Nikki vs. Carmella after the break…. shit.
• Nikki wins with her finish. Carmella is 50/50’d. Yeesh
• Backstage, Nikki is interviewed, and Alexa won’t let her comment on possibly facing Bayley at Extreme Rules.

WWE United States Championship
Ricochet (c) defeated AJ Styles (w/ Good Brothers)
6/10

• Why is Charly Caruso approaching wrestlers cold for interviews backstage while live, interrupting their conversations!? She does that to Ricochet, who is approached and challenged by the Good Brothers.
• The Good Brothers rile up AJ Styles about being soft and Ricochet challenging him. AJ approaches Ricochet and challenges.
• Ricochet hits the Fosbury Flop.
• AJ Styles gets the pin with a Phenomenal Forearm, but Ricochet’s foot is under the ropes.
• OH BOY! We got ourselves a good old fashioned RESTARTIN’!! That son of a bitch John Cone sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong again!
• We do, and Ricochet is on fire back from the break. He kick flip enziguris off Styles and does the Final Cut.
• Styles can still fly, and does so well. He also does an insane brainbuster and a release Rack Bomb.
• The Good Brothers are at ringside, and Ricochet rolls up Styles for the win.
• They shake hands, and Good Brothers mock them.
• Like a doofus, Ricochet hangs around, and AJ Styles turns on him.
• This is great. An AJ Styles heel turn, and Club reformation. I like it.
• Second rope Styles Clash, and a hot angle to close the show.

Rating guide

10- Perfect, 9- MOTY Territory, 8- Excellent, 7- Great, 6- Good, 5- Average to above average, 4- Slightly below average, 3 or below: Poor

Each match starts at a 5 and slides up and down based on entertainment, execution, time, environment, reaction and stakes. The ratings are in no way an indication of a “star rating,” which is a completely different system. A standard, non-offensive “TV match” lands at a 5. The gap between 5.75-6 is generally the largest, with anything reaching 6 being recommended viewing.
These are opinions, and incredibly inconsistent ones. Don’t take them too seriously, and have (and share) your own!