 Cody Rhodes Confronted Seth RollinsThis was the verbal exchange I've been hoping for from these two, even before WrestleMania 38. They discussed their journeys over the last six years and how Rhodes "blindsided" Rollins by being a surprise at 'Mania. Thus, it made perfect sense for Rollins to want to have Rhodes face a mystery opponent in the main event. This was a strong segment all around and Rhodes opening the show three weeks in a row essentially confirms the report that WWE sees him as the top babyface on Raw. WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks and Naomi def. Rhea Ripley and Liv MorganThis didn't get much time at all and I'm not sure why because there was a lot of star power involved, but what we saw from these two teams before and after the commercial was entertaining. Even more than the match itself, I was looking forward to seeing what would happen afterward with Ripley and Morgan, and sure enough, Ripley turned on Morgan as we all expected her to due. It's been nearly three years since Ripley was last a heel, so I'm excited to see her back in this role and hopefully aligning with Edge and Damian Priest soon. Sonya Deville Announced She Will Challenge Bianca Belair for the Raw Women's Championship Next WeekDeville is a damn good talker and this was a great promo from her as she explained why she targeted Belair last week and announced next week's title match in Belair's hometown. Why couldn't we get this same explanation for her during her feud with Naomi? Belair also played her role well and I like how we're nearing the end of Deville's time as an authority figure. It's been a nice change of pace for her, but she really should be back in the ring full-time at this point. Plus, it makes no sense for the higher-ups to keep her in this role if she's going to continue abusing her power. Veer Mahaan def. Jeff BrooksThis was a standard squash for Mahaan coming off his notable debut attacking both of the Mysterios two weeks ago and then destroying Dominik Mysterio last week. I was worried we'd see Dominik resurface (I'm holding out hope he goes to NXT), but thankfully not. Then again, we didn't see Rey show up, either. This was simply pure domination from Mahaan, who continues to build momentum. Kevin Owens Forced Ezekiel to Undergo a Lie Detector Test; Ezekiel def. Chad Gable by DisqualificationI was probably more excited for this than anything else coming into this show. Yes, this storyline is stupid, but Owens and Elias/Ezekiel are making it work with their terrific comedic timing. They play off each other exceptionally well, so this was a blast. Getting Gable involved as well was a wonderful idea. The match that followed was fine and I assume Otis interfering leads to him facing Ezekiel next week on Raw. The Street Profits def. Raw Tag Team Champions RK-Bro (Non-Title)I'm glad Street Profits are still in the mix despite not being officially involved in the tag title unification match at WrestleMania Backlash. I don't think they should be, especially since we've already gotten two Raw Tag Team Championship Triple Threat matches in recent months, but them winning here does set up the need for a rematch next week. The two teams work well together and this was fun while it lasted. Theory def. Finn Balor to Win the United States ChampionshipTheory has gotten the better of Balor at almost every turn since they first started feuding last year and I'm happy WWE decided to go all the way with Theory by having him win the United States title. He's a perfect fit for it right now and is bound to be booked better than Balor, so why the hell not? I feel bad Balor's latest main roster run has been a bust so far, but Theory capturing the championship was the right call. This was very well wrestled and Mr. McMahon coming out afterward to celebrate with Theory on the stage was a nice touch. A Double Commitment Ceremony Ended in 24/7 Championship ChaosUnless there's been an official match, I haven't discussed any of the 24/7 Championship crap in my reviews at all because it's been such a waste of time. Unfortunately, that's exactly what this "wedding" was as well. Weddings in WWE are almost always awful, and this was even worse because I doubt many people can bring themselves to care about the pointless 24/7 title. R-Truth did his best to make it bearable, but this went on for way longer than it should have. The 24/7 title changing hands during Drake Maverick's wedding three years ago was much better than this. Cody Rhodes def. Kevin Owens by Count-OutFun fact: This was the dark match for the post-WrestleMania Raw when I attended two weeks ago. I wasn't a fan of this happening unadvertised, but Owens was a logical opponent for Rhodes given Owens is on-and-off partners with Rollins. They had a ton of time to work with, and while it turned out to be a well-worked main event, I wasn't a fan of the finish as it ended the evening on an underwhelming note. It was also clear they were running out of time because everything felt so rushed, so hopefully we get a chance to see Rhodes and Owens run it back again down the road. Overall ShowI'm expecting to be in the minority on this, but I've actually been enjoying Raw since WrestleMania. I realize that may sound stupid coming off that wedding segment, but that was really my biggest gripe with this episode. Everything else held my attention and they're doing a better job than they have in the past of creating compelling storylines, filling the three hours and advertising stuff in advance. Thus, this was a thumbs-up show for me. It's nice to have at least one brand that doesn't completely suck like SmackDown lately.
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