Monday Night Raw Review - June 17, 2024

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest Accepted Seth Rollins' Challenge for Money in the Bank

Well, this was a pleasant surprise. I didn't think we'd see Rollins back for many more months, but he's definitely needed on Raw right now with the brand needing top babyfaces. Priest came off like a babyface in granting him a title opportunity at Money in the Bank, so I assume that's the direction he's headed in. I smell a title change at the pay-per-view to set up Gunther dethroning Rollins at SummerSlam.

Braun Strowman def. Chad Gable

After this weekend, I'm officially concerned for the future of Gable's singles push. He once again failed to win the Intercontinental Championship, basically got squashed by Strowman here, and seemed to be murdered at the end of the show by The Wyatt Sick6. Hey, at least Otis finally standing up to him was well done and got a big pop. Gable still gets great heat, but it's going to be difficult to take this guy seriously after all the losses he's endured.

IYO SKY def. Kiana James and Zelina Vega to Qualify for the Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match

This was a quality Triple Threat, but I don't think the outcome was ever in doubt. James just arrived on Raw and has done absolutely nothing, so SKY was the smarter choice to advance because she won Money in the Bank last year and is a more exciting addition. Liv Morgan distracting Vega made sense after their interaction last week and they can fight on their own for the Women's World Championship at the event.

Bron Breakker and Sheamus Confronted Intercontinental Champion Sami Zayn

Zayn addressed the end of his feud with Gable and storyline with Alpha Academy during this promo, so Gable won't be winning the Intercontinental Championship anytime soon after all and that sucks. However, the rest of this segment was solid with both Breakker and Sheamus stepping up as potential contenders for Zayn and announcing their one-on-one match for later in the night.

Carlito def. Dragon Lee

I appreciated that this was advertised a week in advance, but it never felt like the grudge match it should have considering Carlito was the reason why Lee had to miss WrestleMania 40 (in storyline). They had a decent match, but it was hindered by the commercial break and they didn't appear to be on the same page at several points. I realize Lee lost by interference from The Judgment Day, but he really should be winning more than he does.

Drew McIntyre Quit

Coming into this show, I was fully expecting a "pipe bomb" type from McIntyre after CM Punk screwed him at Clash at the Castle, but we actually got the exact opposite instead with McIntyre swiftly "quitting" and walking out. That was a cool development. Is he going to be gone for long? No, he'll probably be back as soon as Friday's SmackDown in Chicago to attack Punk, but this kept the buzz going in intriguing fashion.

Katana Chance and Kayden Carter def. Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai and Kairi Sane)

This came about after Chance and Carter saved Lyra Valkyria last week. Valkyria returned the favor by coming to their aid this week and aiding them to victory. This was fine, but it was too short to be anything more than that. Backstage, SKY again told Kai and Sane that Damage CTRL needs to change, but I don't know what that will entail exactly. Adding a new member? Removing a member? Disbanding the group entirely?

Sheamus def. Bron Breakker by Disqualification

This is a match I've been looking forward to for a while now and it was the hard-hitting affair I hoped it would be. I know they're capable of even better, so hopefully we get a rematch eventually. I had no issue with the non-finish because this was never technically labeled a number one contender's matchup. Plus, that Spear from Breakker to Ludwig Kaiser on the outside looked amazing. Are we headed for a Fatal 4-Way for the title? You'd get no complaints out of me.

Jey Uso def. Finn Balor and Rey Mysterio in a Triple Threat Match to Qualify for the Men's Money in the Bank Ladder Match; The Wyatt Sick6 Debuted

The Triple Threat afterthought ended up being a complete afterthought compared to what came after, but it was enjoyable and they were given plenty of time. Uso was the wise choice to advance as he could be considered the odds-on favorite to win the whole thing. As for the Wyatt Sick6 debut, it was brilliantly executed. The long camera shot showing all of the backstage carnage was tremendous and it came off exceptionally well. Now, I have no idea how they intend to follow it up and what the endgame is going to be, but I'm just happy they're honoring Bray Wyatt's memory and doing justice by the storyline he didn't have a chance to finish.

Overall Show

WWE certainly did not hold back when it came to this edition of Raw. It's up there with that Raw from Chicago in March as one of the strongest shows all year. The Wyatt Sick6 debut was awesome, we got two Money in the Bank qualifiers and a significant development in the Intercontinental Championship picture, Otis finally snapped on Gable, McIntyre quitting was a nice twist, and Rollins returned. This felt like the kickoff to WWE's summer season and they nailed it.

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