Monday Night Raw Review - August 12, 2019

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

The O.C. Confronted Universal Champion Seth Rollins

Rollins hasn't come across too well in his recent promos on Raw, so this was a nice step in the right direction. He talked about how it was the fans' support that helped him beat Brock Lesnar, and regardless of whether that's true or not, it was the right thing for him to say. The O.C. interrupting him led to AJ Styles vs. Rollins being set up for the night's main event. They wanted to see who was the better champion of the two, though I don't think either title feels terribly important at this point.

Samoa Joe def. Sami Zayn

Zayn crapped on the crowd despite being from Canada, which led me to think that Joe was turning face after showing compassion for Roman Reigns last week. It seemed like the fans were ready to embrace Joe too, so I'm a bit disappointed his character clearly isn't going in that direction if his post-match promo was any indication. In case anyone was wondering, this was a total squash. Zayn can't catch a break even in his own home country.

The Miz def. Dolph Ziggler

Ziggler tried to act like he wasn't medically cleared to compete after the beating he endured at the hands of Goldberg at SummerSlam but blindsided Miz before the bell. It would have been comically bad for Miz to lose to Ziggler after he got the shit kicked out of him at SummerSlam, not to mention that Miz desperately needed this victory. It was a good match while it lasted, but I'm ready for Miz to move on.

Ricochet def. Elias

After Edge interrupted Elias on the SummerSlam Kickoff show, I'm sure fans were slightly let down by Ricochet being the one to cut his shtick short on this show. The match that followed between the two was fairly forgettable, and although Ricochet came out on top, this win didn't do him any favors because Elias' shoulders were up and there was one awful botch halfway through. Then again, it's not like defeating Elias means anything, anyway.

Andrade def. Rey Mysterio in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match

It's amazing how the 2-out-of-3 Falls match between Johnny Gargano and Adam Cole went almost an hour at NXT TakeOver: Toronto II, yet this lasted roughly five minutes. I enjoyed their encounter last week more because it didn't feel as rushed, but this was fun, nonetheless. Andrade going over Mysterio in two straight falls was a pleasant surprise, but like I said last week, it remains to be seen whether he'll actually be elevated coming out of this. I'm also intrigued for where Mysterio goes from here now that he's teasing that he's down on his luck.

Drew McIntyre def. Cedric Alexander

I'd say this belonged on the SummerSlam Kickoff show, but the fans in attendance probably would've sat on their hands for it, so they benefited from being bumped to the Raw instead. This was an absolutely excellent match with both men putting forth a hell of an effort. Everyone knows how fantastic McIntyre is, but this was Alexander's chance to shine and I thought he did exceptionally well. Even in defeat, Alexander gained a ton and I hope he's able to build off of this. Meanwhile, McIntyre would be the perfect person to take the King of the Ring crown.

Robert Roode def. No Way Jose

I honestly couldn't tell you the last time Roode appeared on Raw. I'm happy he had the chance to compete in his home country of Canada and receive a hero's welcome from the crowd, even if it was a meaningless squash against No Way Jose. Hey, at least he got a full televised entrance and went over decisively. If you haven't been keeping up with Main Event (and I wouldn't blame you if not), Roode ditched the porn mostache months ago but is still going by Robert Roode.

The Revival vs. The Lucha House Party Ended in a No Contest

Part of me was actually optimistic that The Revival would get back on track with a win here after losing the Raw Tag Team Championship last month, but I was quickly proven wrong. This didn't last long at all before it dissolved into nonsense over the 24/7 Championship. The Revival became co-24/7 Champions at one point before losing the belt right back to Truth, who was then pinned by Elias backstage. I get a kick out of the title most weeks, but these segments aren't doing anything to add to Raw or help anyone involved in them aside from Truth and Drake Maverick.

Sasha Banks Attacked Raw Women's Champion Becky Lynch and Natalya

It's hilarious how WWE truly thought this crowd would rally behind Natalya. I realize she's from Canada, but she was portrayed as a heel going into SummerSla. Thus, it was only academic that she'd get booed here. She received a "boring" chant even while talking about her deceased father, which was sad for an entirely different reason. Banks then saved the segment by making her grand return, laying out Natalya to a big pop, and brawling with Lynch at ringside. WWE should have turned Banks heel long ago, but at least it finally happened. I'm not a fan of her immediately being put in the title picture after willingly sitting on the sidelines for four months, but the truth is that WWE needs compelling challengers for Lynch at the moment and Banks fits the bill. There could be some real heat and animosity there, so I'm interested to see how those matches will play out.

The Viking Raiders def. Local Athletes

Michael Cole brought up on commentary how it was five years ago to the day that Erik was nearly killed in a car accident, and five years later, he's wrestling on Raw. That was the most we've gotten to know about Viking Raiders since they were called up to the main roster in April. They decimated yet another pair of enhancement wrestlers to silence from the crowd. I really want them to succeed, but aside from keeping the duo undefeated, WWE has done nothing to get viewers invested in them.

WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross def. The Kabuki Warriors

Bliss and Cross have already defended their tag titles more in the last week than The IIconcis did in four months. I'd love to think that'd be a positive sign for the remainder of their reign as champions, but now they've defeated both The IIconics and The Kabuki Warriors, I have no clue who else is left to challenge them except for possibly Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. This wasn't too great from an in-ring standpoint, and in fact, it served as a sad reminder of how far Asuka has fallen over the last year and how Sane has been horribly underutilized since being brought up from NXT.

Universal Champion Seth Rollins def. United States Champion AJ Styles by Disqualification

While I wouldn't put this up there with their Match of the Year candidate from Money in the Bank, it was still entertaining and a vast improvement over their outing at Raw Reunion. They're obviously capable of much more, but I liked it for what it was. Ricochet made the save for Rollins once The O.C. rushed the ring (meaning their feud isn't over yet) and then Braun Strowman surfaced to lay out the entire The O.C. He teased taking Rollins' belt to close the show, so that must be the next program over the Universal Championship. The dude has done nothing for months, and apparently now we're supposed to take him seriously as a threat to Raw's top title. I may be in the minority here, but that isn't a rivalry that excites me at all.

Overall Show

It's worth noting that Stone Cold Steve Austin made a quick cameo via Skype during the show to promote Straight Up Steve Austin on USA Network, but his interview with Michael Cole was so brief that I didn't bother to write an entire paragraph about it. At any rate, I enjoyed Sunday's SummerSlam pay-per-view on the whole, but WWE has a tough time translating that success to their weekly television shows it seems. Banks' return was easily the highlight of the night, and although there was a ton of fallout from SummerSlam (where the hell was Bray Wyatt?), but there was enough decent stuff to hold my interest. On a side note, I'm looking forward to finding out how the King of the Ring tournament will be handled next week.