Match Ratings For WWE Raw 7/15/19 From Sean Ross Sapp

Lesnar and Heyman

• Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman are in the ring during a video rundown of last night’s show.
• Heyman says that he made good on his promises again.
• Heyman runs down tonight’s battle royal that will determine Brock Lesnar’s challenger at Summerslam.
• Heyman says that in the ring, everyone is Brock Lesnar’s bitch.
• Ricochet’s music kicks off as Brock Lesnar is leaving the ring. This is pretty interesting. Brock is just standing there looking at thim. That could be a rather interesting match.
• Nothing ends up happening, Brock leaves after Ricochet just kind of scoots on by him.

Ricochet & The Usos defeated Roode & Revival
5.75/10

• 2 out of 3 falls. Okay then.
• Ricochet pins Scott Dawson after a Recoil and standing star press.
• If the first fall happens that goddamn fast, what’s the point of a two out of three falls match? Just schedule the commercial after the match, Jesus.
• The second fall goes to Scott Dawson, who pins an Uso with a FLAPJACK. Hey, I mean why not, right?
• Ricochet mounts a really awesome comeback and ends up getting the win with a 630.
• The Club come out and get superkicked to death. Then Roode & Revival take over, only to get beaten up by Ricochet, only to get beaten up by the Club again.
• So The Club beat Ricochet down on Raw, AJ won at Extreme Rules and The Club beat them down again on Raw.
• This was a good match, but the stipulation is so stupid.

The Viking Raiders defeated Jobbers
SQUASH

• C’mon. You know what’s up. These guys get their asses kicked.
• Do we need to do the fake pinfall just to pull up the opponent deal every week?
• The Viking Experience gets the win.
• Just heard that one of the guys that got squashed by the Viking Raiders sustained a shoulder injury.

Cedric Alexander defeated Drew McIntyre
5.75/10

• Drew McIntyre finds Cedric Alexander backstage and cuts a great promo on him for getting involved last week.
• Cedric starts off aggressive with a big dive, surprising Drew.
• Drew heaves Cedric across the ring and really gets his ass kicked.
• Cedric connects with a midair dropkick and does a victory roll for the win!
• I hope WWE knows if Drew just beats Cedric’s ass and pins him repeatedly after this, it negates everything.

Samoa Joe defeated Finn Balor
SQUASH

• Not Raw superstar Finn Balor says he wants his title back. Joe cuts a promo in response, and it’s a little more aggressive. Like….why is Balor vs. Joe booked for Raw? Rules matter. Continuity matters. Mattering matters. Otherwise almost nothing matters.
• Balor does a great run-up headlock takeover and gets pinned really quickly.
• After the match, Joe beats Balor’s ass and backfires. Balor beats him up and does his finish.
• Why is Balor’s music being played? Why is he celebrating? He just got pinned in like 40 seconds.

BRAY

• Fortunately, Bray Wyatt shows up in a pretty cool re-debut and Sister Abigails Balor. But I dunno why anyone would wanna see that match now.
• Bray has a neat look and a cool mask. I hope it works out for him.
• Wyatt had been listed internally as on the Smackdown brand, not like that matters.

24/7 Championship
R-Truth defeated Drake Maverick

• Drake and Michelle check into their hotel. R-Truth tries to pay off the clerk with a dollar.
• The Street Profits watch on, and can’t believe Drake hasn’t gotten laid yet. They’re making these guys very annoying.
• Drake is wearing nothing but the 24/7 Title and underwear. R-Truth beats him and Maverick gives chase.
• Drake Maverick gets pinned by R-Truth while naked, and Corey Graves says he utilized the “small package”

Zack Ryder defeated Mike Kanellis
SQUASH

• Zack Ryder is in the ring and gets a good pop.
• Maria Kanellis says she’s taking this match instead. I don’t know what that means. She argues with the ref.
• Rough Ryder. That’s it.
• We’ve seen like five squash matches the last two nights.
• I know a lot of people think Mike Kanellis is being buried here, but I’m of the belief there’s at least a plan or a story at play. I probably shouldn’t be of that belief considering recent history.

The Club defeated Lucha House Party
5.75/10

• I like this use of Lucha House Party. They’re not over to the point of doing anything else with them on Raw, and The Club need a win.
• Lucha House Party get some shine here. Ricochet interferes and attacks AJ Styles. Officials have to pull Ricochet off.
• IT’S ALL TO RESTART THE MATCH, WOW.
• Dorado does a springboard stunner to Anderson. I’d probably take that out of the arsenal with Kevin Owens looking to make that his regular finish.
• Kalisto is going 100 MPH and doing it well. Anderson staying right there with him.
• Anderson doesn’t pin after a spinebuster, which is confusing. Styles holds on to the Calf Crusher after the win.
• This would have hit recommended viewing, but the stupid restart ruins it for me.

Top Contender Match
Elimination Match
Natalya defeated Alexa Bliss (w/ Nikki Cross), Naomi and Carmella
4.5/10

• Commentary giving everyone the hard sell on Naomi. Becky Lynch shows up, too.
• We get a commercial before the match, so I imagine we will again after an elimination.
• Carmella repeatedly tries to pin everyone. She does a Stratusphere, but the crowd is silent for this one.
• Carmella is dominating this match, and then Alexa Bliss rolls her up and pins her.
• COMMERCIAL MID MATCH AFTER A LAME ALEXA AND NAOMI EXCHANGE.
• We come back to see the contenders all squaring off.
• Naomi has some good offense with a Blockbuster to the floor, and a bulldog into the corner.
• Natalya does a spinning powerbomb, but Naomi kicks out of both opponents pinning her.
• This match is just dragging along. This gets “this is awful” chants about 17 minutes in. That should tell you about how well WWE has developed female characters.
• I think maybe the crowd didn’t want a 20+ minute match with four people who haven’t been winning matches or on TV.
• Natalya pins Naomi.
• Another break and we’re 22 minutes in, when Nikki gets the crowd into it by telling the crowd to “shut up and cheer for her friend Alexa Bliss.”
• Natalya clotheslines Nikki on accident and applies a Sharpshooter to Alexa and wins.
• Why did they need a Smackdown wrestler in that top contender match? Why not Sarah Logan? Dana Brooke? Nikki?
• Natalya cuts a nice promo, but then Becky Lynch gets in her face and says Natalya’s career needs her.
• I would have rather they referred to Natalya being Ronda Rousey‘s friend and used that as material over what they did. There’s a lot to pull from that.

Miz TV

• Miz brings out Dolph Ziggler — another damn Smackdown wrestler. Jeez. Nine wrestlers from Smackdown on this show. Why, man?
• Ziggler really targets Miz. They go back and forth about their careers.
• Ziggler says Miz is everything that he doesn’t wanna be now.
• Ziggler brings up Miz’s wife and gets attacked.
• This segment was lame, but I wouldn’t mind seeing them team together.

Top Contender Match
Battle Royal
Seth Rollins wins
5.75/10

• These entrances and comments seem like they take forever to get through.
• I’m really confused — Cesaro got beat by Aleister Black, but Black isn’t in the match.
• We see Baron Corbin and Seth Rollins go right at each other.
• Cesaro gets some shine, but Lashley press slams him outside. This was very impressive.
• Strowman has now beaten Lashley in a battle royal, tug of war, arm wrestling, singles matches and Last Man Standing Matches.
• Big E vs. Braun is a hell of a face off. Big E does the Big Ending on Braun — INSANE.
• Big E is eliminated by Zayn after an RKO. Then Sami gets tossed after an RKO and a 619.
• Reigns is welcomed with an RKO as well.
• Baron tosses out Rey Mysterio. It’s down to Braun, Baron, Rollins, Orton and Reigns.
• Brock Lesnar has faced all of the remaining entrants, as Baron Corbin is eliminated after getting jumped pretty well.
• Strowman side-steps and causes Reigns to spear Rollins. However, Rollins dumps both out.
• Orton reappears. They go back and forth, but Rollins is able to Stomp and eliminate Orton. Rollins gets his re-match, and we’ll technically see it for the third time since WrestleMania.
• Lesnar is there, and Heyman takes a shot at Rollins.
• Rollins uses the worn out “FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE, SHUT THE HELL UP,” but cuts a pretty passionate and fiery promo after.

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!