Match Ratings For 8/3/20 WWE Raw From Sean Ross Sapp

WWE United States Championship
Apollo Crews (c) defeated MVP (w/ The Hurt Business) to retain the title
5.75/10

• The lights have been going out and there have been some planned technical difficulties early on.
• MVP says Apollo Crews isn’t the United States Champion since he didn’t show up.
• There’s not much to write home about here until Apollo does a tope con hilo onto the Hurt Business.
• There’s a great Camel Clutch in the ropes by MVP.
• The lights dim again, and MVP sells it.
• Apollo Crews ends up hitting a Toss Powerbomb and winning his first match back.
• Lashley tries to slap on the Full Nelson, but Apollo Crews gets away from him.
• Apollo Crews is retiring the old United States Title. This was a pretty good promo.
• MVP takes a mic, and bitches about the lights. Apparently Tom runs the show. MVP wants a rematch at Summerslam. There is no automatic rematch clause.
• MVP is upset about Charly reporting on BOXES. Shelton’s belt has been stolen.
• I don’t wanna hear any of you all saying things I post aren’t newsworthy when we just all watched a show reporting on BOXES.
• The Hurt Business is peeved, and wearing nice suits. They seem interested in Raw Underground.

Kevin Owens Show
Riott Squad defeated The Iconics
N/A (Short)

• IIconics want to be on the Kevin Owens Show, but he says he already has guests.
• Owens brings out Ruby Riott. She says she has been dealing with people like The IIconics for a long time.
• She wishes Liv Morgan was there to celebrate. Kevin Owens brings back Liv. He says he thinks they bring out the best in each other.
• Liv says she’ll hear Ruby out because Kevin Owens convinced her.
• Ruby Riott cries and mentions the tattoo of their debut date, and Sarah Logan being gone.
• The IIconics come out and talk trash, and it looks like Riott Squad are on the same page.
• Peyton and Billie Kay slap Kevin Owens, and he asks Riott Squad for help.
• Ruby and Liv pretty quickly win a match.

LEADERS

• Drew McIntyre comes out and says he’s ready for Randy Orton, and Orton probably should have been fired way more than Drew was.
• Orton interrupts, and has Ric Flair with him.
• Orton says he’s made his money and he enjoys being there. He’s there and hasn’t been fired because he’s the chosen one, not Drew.
• Drew says he remembered being in catering with his world crumbling around him and Orton didn’t do anything.
• Drew didn’t see a leader, he sees a SELFISH PRICK. He’s gonna cash in his receipts.

Flair/KO

• Ric Flair says he’s worried about where Kevin Owens’ career is going.
• Owens says if Flair is that worried about where his career is going, Orton can meet him in the ring next week.

Nia and Pat Buck

• Nia Jax pretends to apologize, then calls Pat Buck a scrawny runt who couldn’t cut it in his own career.
• Pat Buck legit beat up Big Cass.
• Nia Jax wants to fight Pat Buck. He doesn’t want to.
• He suspends her without pay. She goes off and headbutts him and knocks him out.

24/7 Championship
Akira Tozawa (w/ Ninjas) defeated R-Truth and Shelton Benjamin (c) (w/ The Hurt Business) to win the title

• Truth had stolen the title belt.
• Shelton Benjamin destroys Tozawa with a powerbomb and Truth with Paydirt.
• Ninjas get involved and MVP & Lashley beat them up.
• Tozawa wins with an unbelievable senton.

Shayna Baszler vs. Sasha Banks (w/ Bayley) goes to a No Contest
N/A (Short)

• Sasha and Bayley throw to a hilarious video of them, which is interrupted by a livid Asuka. They say the same thing MVP did about this “operation.” Shayna Baszler shows up and punches Sasha Banks.
• This match rules right out of the gate. A lot of great moves and transitions.
• Asuka attacks Bayley. Why the fuck is that a DQ?
• Asuka isn’t happy about Kairi Sane leaving. She wants a rematch at Summerslam.
• Shayna Baszler says she’s cheering for Asuka so she can dismember Asuka after.
• Sasha Banks says Asuka can have a rematch if she beats Bayley.

Other stuff

• That “security cam” video was the corniest shit lol. They show people setting fire to equipment outside.

Angel Garza (w/ Zelina & Andrade) defeated Angelo Dawkins (w/ Montez Ford)
5.5/10

• Garza is flirting with some girl on the Bachelorette. Zelina gets her to hit the bricks.
• We’re getting a series of singles matches. Dawkins mows down Garza.
• There’s a great flapjack, too.
• A distraction leads to Angel Garza hitting a big dropkick to win.
• Montez Ford collapses in front of the table.

Montez Ford (w/ Angelo Dawkins) vs. Andrade (w/ Zelina & Angel Garza)

• Montez Ford had collapsed or something, but now he’s okay and flipping over the top rope.
• Nope, he collapsed. End of match.
• Garza and Andrade and Zelina are trolling outside the trainer’s room.
• Angelo Dawkins comes out and says he might have been poisoned.
• Bianca Belair blames Zelina and attacks her.
• God, Bianca is such a fantastic promo.

DOM

• We get a Rey/Rollins video. Buddy Murphy is also watching footage of him beating up Aleister Black.
• Dom Mysterio challenges Seth Rollins.
• Rollins blames Tom Phillips for making people angry and inciting rage.
• Seth Rollins says it’s time to find a new voice of Raw.
• Samoa Joe stands up and protects Tom Phillips and warns them to step back.
• Rollins says Joe doesn’t want to do this.
• Joe says he does.
• We go to an oddly placed commercial.
• Dominick whips both heels with a kendo stick and a 619 on Dominick. He dives onto both.
• Rollins is livid. The match is on.

RAW UNDERGROUND

• Shane McMahon shows off Raw Underground. It’s a ring with no ropes and girls dancing and shit.
• I wonder if they realize 800 camera cuts during this “gritty, underground” presentation defeats the purpose.
• Babatunde has a new name and knocks out one guy, then does a great head and arm belly-to-belly suplex to guy number two.
• Later, Erik of Viking Raiders beats the living shit out of a guy.
• I like the execution of Raw Underground from an in-ring point, I just don’t need the shakes, zooms and cuts. It undermines the impact of the ass whoopings.
• I’m all for seeing guys like Dolph Ziggler on Underground. There are a whole lot of people who have no idea how technically refined from a shoot perspective his grappling is.
• Bobby Lashley, still dressed up, knocks a guy out after a great gutwrench slam.
• MVP beats a guy too, with a camera cut for every elbow strike.
• Everybody leaves.
• SHELTON’S MOMMA HAS RETURNED VIA A PROMO MENTION!
• Shelton beats up Dio Maddin.
• The Hurt Business beats up a bunch of people around ringside.

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 that may change upon a second viewing, or sitting on the match for a period of time. Don’t take them too seriously, and have (and share) your own!