Match Ratings For WWE Raw 7/8/19 From Sean Ross Sapp

Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch defeated Zelina & Andrade
5/10

• I like that we’re starting the show with a match.
• Zelina is so tiny compared to Becky. I’d love to see this used as an opportunity to switch up Lynch’s offense.
• That doesn’t happen. We get the same stuff.
• Rollins and Andrade go at it and end up outside.
• Zelina gets eliminated with the Disarmher.
• Lacey is at ringside and attacks Becky.
• What is the point of a mixed tag elimination match? Men can’t wrestle women here. Because it doesn’t make any sense. It’s just another excuse to get them to a commercial.
• So there is no point of this match.
• That dumbass Del Rio stomp spot hits for Andrade. One of the fakest spots in wrestling.
• Rollins is able to land his Falcon Arrow.
• Zelina gets involved and hits a rana on Seth, but Becky beats her up.
• The interference allows Andrade to get double knees.
• Rollins wins with a Stomp. This should have just been a mixed tag team match without the lame elimination gimmick.
• After the match, Baron Corbin and Lacey Evans attack Lynch and Rollins. They then gloat about it backstage.
• Later in the night, Becky Lynch takes charge in a promo with Seth Rollins to show she’s the boss.

Heyman

• Paul Heyman came out before the commercial after the attack, as a nice cliffhanger.
• Heyman teases that Brock Lesnar could be at WWE Extreme Rules.

2 out of 3 Falls
The Usos & Miz defeated The Revival & Elias

• A six-man tag….two out of three falls match. Well, okay then. Damn.
• The Revival get the first pin on one of the Usos with a Shatter Machine.
• These 2 out of 3 falls matches are going to bring a new, horrible development to 50/50 booking.
• Dash gets posted, but rolls through a body press from one of the Usos and almost gets the pin.
• Watching The Usos and Revival work is ART.
• Elias walked out on The Revival.
• Miz tags in and gets a Skull Crushing finale and a pin.
• Usos are going crazy with superkicks and the bell rings to signify the third fall, which is confusing.
• Usos win with an Uso splash. The teams are good but the booking of this is such a mess.

Bobby Lashley defeated Rey Mysterio
N/A (short)

• Rey Mysterio is back and issues an open challenge.
• Bobby Lashley answers it. The announcers are in disbelief.
• Mysterio hits a 619, but Lashley does a great lifting STO.
• Spear on Mysterio and Lashley wins.
• Lashley throws Mysterio onto a gaggle of refs.

Cesaro defeated No Way Jose
Squash

• No Way Jose is aggressive and gets dropped.
• Cesaro Swing and Sharpshooter. That’s a wrap.
• Cesaro getting a pretty strong push, here.

Backstage Crappenings

• Street Profits are backstage putting over Cesaro and Extreme Rules. They say that Taker and Reigns are taking “holes and souls.” There’s my BlueChew read.
• Mike Kanellis apologizes to Maria, she wants Mike to get her ice cream and pickles. Mike and Maria played this really well. She’s mad because he’s going to make her fat. She says she’s not sure that Mike is the father.
• An EVOLVE video rolls.

The Viking Raiders crush Jobbers
SQUASH

• Erik goes through a German suplex and his gutwrench combo into a powerbomb.
• Ivar does the flying splash, but pulls up El Hijo Del Jabroni
• The Handicap Slam sets up the Viking Experience.
• This is a great build.

24/7

• Drake Maverick brought his wife to Newark for their honeymoon.
• Good for Renee Michelle becoming a recurring Raw character. Drake has to run from the 24/7 pack.
• R-Truth is backstage looking for Maverick with Carmella. He sings Jeff Jarrett’s old theme and runs the opposite direction of the herd.
• This all spills out into the Viking Raiders match.
• Backstage, R-Truth is hiding in a crate that Drake is sitting in and gives chase.

Ricochet defeated Luke Gallows (w/ Club)
5/10

• We see AJ being a dick backstage about turning on Ricochet last week. It’s great to see The Good Brothers used.
• Ricochet says he’ll just fight all three. Styles seems happy to oblige, he tells Ricochet to slow down.
• Gallows lands a really good chokeslam and clothesline. Out of nowhere, Ricochet rolls Gallows up for the win.
• This was just there. It made Gallows look strong, but dumb for being cocky. That’s been his character, though.
• Styles says if Ricochet wants to go through all three, Anderson is next.

Ricochet defeated Karl Anderson (w/ The Club)
5.5/10

• Ricochet hits a springboard clothesline.
• Anderson slows it down, but also catches Ricochet with a spinebuster.
• The Club distracts, but Gallows gets a dive from Ricochet. Styles gets a serving too.
• Ricochet wins with a 630.
• The Club beat down Ricochet after the match. Finishers all around. Ricochet has no friends. This goes on quite a while. This is an exceptional ass kicking. Styles Clash, forearm, Magic Killer, everything.

Beat The Clock To Decide Extreme Rules Stipulation
Bayley defeated Sarah Logan at 4:32
5.5/10

• Bayley and Nikki are doing the separate room interview, and Bayley says Alexa is using Nikki. Nikki is really grateful for Alexa, and for good reason in storyline. Alexa got Nikki on TV! I thought this was pretty solid all things considered, they could play off each other.
• Riott Squad hasn’t been a thing for months, and neither has Sarah Logan, but Sarah is still using their music. Okay.
• Logan does a nice pop-up headbutt after some back and forth.
• Logan applies a nice Figure Four Toehold.
• Bayley lays in a clothesline, per usual. It looked really good.
• A knee and sunset bomb get the job done at 4:32

Beat The Clock To Decide Extreme Rules Stipulation
Nikki Cross defeated Dana Brooke with 1:50 left
5/10 (Short)

• I hate these, because it implies that the person not involved in the match can’t win. They need to mention that it has happened before
• Dana Brooke runs away, but eventually has to make her way in the ring.
• She misses a swanton, and it looked great.
• Nikki wins with the Purge.
• Let’s see more of Dana Brooke on Raw.
• Nikki Cross says Bayley doesn’t understand what a real friendship means, because Extreme Rules will be a 2-on-1 handicap match. This wasn’t Nikki’s best promo. Nikki says Bayley needs a friend to slap some sense into her.
• Bayley hits the Bayley-to-Belly

Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre defeated Roman Reigns & GARY
4.5/10

• We see Shane and Drew McIntyre backstage kind of ridiculing a concession worker, a janitor with a limp. They offer the janitor $5,000, but he has a bad knee. They suggest him wearing a mask.
• The janitor limps out with a mask.
• He goes wild and obviously isn’t the janitor, but botches a bunch.
• A Claymore hits and the guy is pinned.
• Reigns chases the heels off, and it was Cedric Alexander under the mask.

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!