Credit: WWE.com

WWE Raw Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from August 5

Kevin Berge

With SummerSlam 2019 just days away, WWE Raw promised major moments before The Biggest Party of the Summer.

Trish Stratus made her return to in-ring action, teaming with Natalya against their two SummerSlam opponents, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch.

With Charlotte and Lynch forced to team up and The Man ready to take off The Queen of Harts' head at any moment, this match had major tension.

After a mysterious forklift mishap on SmackDown Live, everyone was asking who tried to injure Roman Reigns. Another major question was whether Seth Rollins would be healthy enough to fight Brock Lesnar after last week's brawl.

In a rare WWE Women's Tag Team Championships match, The IIconics were forced to defend the titles against The Kabuki Warriors, Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross, and Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose in an elimination Fatal 4-Way match.

Shawn Michaels returned to Raw to address the superkick he took from Dolph Ziggler on "Miz TV," just days before The A-Lister got his hands on The Showoff.

This show did not have a high ceiling for success, but it was important to set the final stage for one of the biggest nights of the year on Sunday.

Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair vs. Natalya and Trish Stratus

At the start of the show, the wrestlers stood together on the stage in remembrance of the victims of the recent shootings in Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas.

Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair were forced to team up to fight Natalya and Trish Stratus, and the two seemed to get along well for the most part. They kept Nattie away from her teammate throughout, with the Hall of Famer never tagging in.

However, The Queen and The Man came to blows, and Charlotte walked out. Natalya took advantage by locking in the Sharpshooter. Even after Lynch got to the ropes, The Queen of Harts kept it locked in, causing a disqualification.

Backstage, Lynch and Natalya took shots at each other, promising to get a definitive submission.

            

Result

Lynch and Charlotte def. Natalya and Stratus by DQ

             

Grade

C+

             

Analysis

This was a flat tease. Stratus never wrestled for a second in this match, and the team of Lynch and Charlotte was doomed from the start. It felt like a waste of all those involved.

This should have been the moment to get everyone fully invested in The Man vs. Natalya. Instead, it was the most uninspired week of the entire feud. Meanwhile, Stratus will likely also appear on SmackDown with Charlotte, making this appearance unnecessary.

Andrade vs. Rey Mysterio

Credit: WWE.com

Andrade brutalized Rey Mysterio early in this match, but The Master of the 619 refused to stay down. He fought back through injuries, much to Zelina Vega's frustration.

Once again, El Idolo went after Mysterio's mask, which distracted the referee. This allowed Vega to bounce the WWE legend off the ropes to set up the hammerlock DDT for the win.

            

Result

Andrade def. Mysterio by pinfall

             

Grade

A

             

Analysis

This was a much better match than anyone would typically expect from Raw. The pair are always great together, and this was no exception. The counters, signature offense and storytelling made this as good as they have ever been together.

It was the right move to give El Idolo the victory, but it is time to capitalize. Whether he's getting a shot at the United States Championship or the Universal Championship, there's no better time than the present to give Andrade a title opportunity.

Maria Kanellis' OBGYN Appointment Goes Wrong

A confident Maria Kanellis went to her OBGYN appointment with Mike Kanellis. However, she did not expect her doctor to be a referee, and her husband pinned her to win the title.

R-Truth in drag caught Mike in the OBGYN waiting room and threw a fake baby at him, distracting the new champion to allow Truth to roll him up and take back the belt.

            

Result

Mike def. Maria by pinfall; Truth def. Mike to become the new 24/7 champion

             

Grade

C

             

Analysis

It's hard to rate a segment this bizarre. It wasn't all that funny, but it was original. The set was poorly constructed. Mike turning on his wife did not make much sense, but Truth made it all worthwhile in the final few seconds.

Seth Rollins Refuses to Stay Down Despite His Injuries

Credit: WWE.com

Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman taunted Seth Rollins until he came out. He limped with a steel chair keeping him up, wanting to be strong and confident.

However, The Beast Incarnate overwhelmed The Architect, laying him out with the chair he brought in.

Rollins was left in the ring and grabbed a microphone. He promised he would defeat Lesnar no matter what at SummerSlam—even if he couldn't walk out under his own power by the end.

             

Grade

B

             

Analysis

This segment did its job even if it wasn't quite the engaging follow-up to last week most expected. The Beast beat down Rollins in a far more uninterested fashion. Just a week after trying to make sure The Architect could not compete at SummerSlam, he let him off easy.

Rollins' promo should have been spectacular, but a flat crowd and a bland delivery made it feel like a missed opportunity. This was his moment to solidify himself as WWE's top babyface. Instead, it made clear he is not ready for that moment.

The Viking Raider vs. Local Competitors

Credit: WWE.com

The Viking Raiders squashed another pair of jobbers. It wasn't a fair fight, as Erik and Ivar hit the Viking Experience for the win.

            

Result

Viking Raiders def. local competitors by pinfall

             

Grade

D

             

Analysis

This is just lazy at this point.

Everyone understands The Viking Raiders are dominant heavyweights. It is time to give them legitimate competition. Whether that is The Usos or The New Day, Erik and Ivar need some team to push them to show how good they can be.

Drew McIntyre vs. Cedric Alexander

Credit: WWE.com

Drew McIntyre interrupted Kurt Angle, who was preparing with Street Profits for his role as referee for the Scot's match against Cedric Alexander.

The Scottish Psychopath warned the former Raw general manager not to ruin his bout.

However, McIntyre and Alexander never got to the ring. The two battled around the squared circle until the lights went out. Bray Wyatt appeared and choked out Angle with a mandible claw.

             

Grade

B

             

Analysis

This again served the purpose of developing McIntyre vs. Alexander without wasting the rematch.

The two need a solid spotlight for their next bout given the heat that has built between them. It likely isn't coming at SummerSlam, but that just means WWE has more time to keep them apart.

The OC vs. The New Day and Ricochet

Credit: WWE.com

In a battle of tag team champions, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson did not even let their match with Xavier Woods and Big E start before laying out the duo with the help of AJ Styles. They made the most of Kofi Kingston not being in the arena until Ricochet made the save.

The six-man tag that followed was an impressive showcase of the power of The O.C. The team dominated before hitting the Magic Killer for the win.

            

Result

The O.C. def. Woods, Big E and Ricochet by pinfall

             

Grade

B

             

Analysis

While the match wasn't quite up to the level of competition, it was a perfect way to showcase the impact of the heels as a trio. They shockingly dominated.

While it makes sense that Ricochet wouldn't mesh as well with Woods and Big E, this should have still been a dangerous trio to fight.

Styles, Gallows and Anderson need as much momentum as possible. This gave them that in impressive fashion.

Roman Reigns Almost Suffers a Deadly Hit-and-Run

Samoa Joe stood on the announce table and berated the commentators for assuming he had anything to do with the attack on Roman Reigns on SmackDown last week.

Later, he took to the ring and called out The Big Dog. After multiple challenges, The Samoan Submission Specialist headed backstage to find Reigns getting out of his car—only for another vehicle to run straight into his car and drive off.

             

Grade

C+

             

Analysis

It is rarely smart to sell actual life-threatening spots in wrestling. They are too dangerous to be believable, so it doesn't feel legitimate. Wrestlers hate each other, but they rarely try to actually kill each other.

This is a supposed new rival who isn't looking to make a statement: He is looking to take Reigns out of commission.

The only bright spot here was Joe's tone changing from threatening to concerned for The Big Dog. If this ends by setting up redemption for The Samoan Submission Specialist, who went to the aid of Reigns, it might be what the heel needs.

The IIconics vs. Kabuki Warriors vs. Bliss and Cross vs. Rose and Deville

Credit: WWE.com

Mandy Rose eliminated The IIconics with a bicycle knee to Billie Kay.

Asuka then made Rose tap out for the second elimination.

Finally, Alexa Bliss caught Kairi Sane with Twisted Bliss to take the win and capture the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships.

            

Result

Bliss and Cross def. Kabuki Warriors, Rose and Deville and The IIconics by pinfall to become the new WWE women's tag team champions

             

Grade

A-

             

Analysis

This was a strong title match to right the ship for the women's tag team division. Each team got a chance to deliver, and a well-known credible team captured the gold. It felt like a restart for a division that has been floundering for months.

Hopefully, this will lead to more screen time for the champions and the titles. It is a shame the least-experienced team took the championships, but Bliss and Cross give more focus to the division. Asuka and Sane will get there eventually.

The Miz Reveals Dolph Ziggler Will Face Goldberg at SummerSlam

Credit: WWE.com

Dolph Ziggler came out for "Miz TV" to face down The Miz and Shawn Michaels once again.

After he promised to beat The A-Lister and become a legend, Miz announced he wasn't actually Ziggler's opponent at SummerSlam.

Instead, it was Goldberg who arrived and sent The Showoff running up the ramp. Michaels gave Ziggler a Sweet Chin Music for good measure.

             

Grade

B-

             

Analysis

While the fans mostly saw this coming before it happened, it was a smart shift to go from the overdone Ziggler vs. Miz to a more interesting first-time bout. The Showoff is going to get squashed by Goldberg, but it should get more people talking.

It was interesting to have WWE tease so heavily that we could see The Showoff vs. Michaels, but that match likely won't ever happen. HBK seems content avoiding the ring.

Meanwhile, this gives Goldberg a chance to redeem himself after his disappointing match with The Undertaker at Super ShowDown in June.

   

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