WWEremained in Saudi Arabia afterCrown Jewel 2024for a pre-taped edition of Monday Night Raw, whereDamian Priest emerged as Gunther’s next opponentfor the World Heavyweight Championship. He did so by winning a Fatal Four Way against Sheamus, Dominik Mysterio, and Seth Rollins, who was taken out of commission by Bronson Reed giving him a Tsunami through a table. Dragon Lee defeated Chad Gable to pour more misery on American Made after Ivy Nile distracted her teammate by fighting Zelina Vega, and the War Raiders continued their winning streak with a victory over The New Day, as Kofi and Xavier Woods' problems continued.
Liv Morgan continued her hot streak by eliminating Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill from a Number One Contender’s Battle Royal for her championship, withIyo Sky becoming the new challengerfor the Women’s World Championship. The Wyatt Sicks released disturbing footage of a kidnapped Miz, and Sami Zayn will go to SmackDown with The Usos to talk to Roman Reigns after their physical exchange at Crown Jewel.
Iyo Sky
Iyo’s Babyface Run Goes From Strength To Strength
After outlasting the competition and eliminating Lyra Valykria,Iyo Sky is the new number-one contender for Liv Morgan’s World Championship. Damage CTRL has had a friendlier presentation in recent months, with Iyo’s frantic pointing at herself with both hands after doing a move that pops the crowd being particularly endearing. What comes next will be fascinating.
Time will tell what story Morgan and Sky will tell but the prospect ofsomething fresh for Raw’s Women’s World Championship is welcome. Raw has been dominated by Rhea and Liv since Ripley’s triumphant return. This opens the field a little ahead of The Eradicator’s return.
Damian Priest
All Rise For The New Challenger
All signs had been pointing to Dirty Dom or the returning CM Punk but instead,Damian Priest will be the next challenger for Gunther’s World Heavyweight Championship. Raw’s Main Event saw Seth Rollins, Dominik Mysterio, Sheamus, and Priest in a Fatal Four Way to become the number-one contender and Priest would emerge victorious after Bronson Reed came back to take another pound of flesh from Seth Rollins.
Running back to the match that took place for the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam, Gunther and Damian Priest have enough history and bad blood with one another to make this contest intriguing.It’s hard to imagine Priest regaining the titlethat Gunther took from him, not to the level that CM Punk felt like a viable threat, but these two are always guaranteed to deliver so it’s a smart choice from creative.
The Wyatt Sicks
Chilling Footage Courtesy Of The Wyatts
During an argument between The New Day on last week’s Raw, The Miz was seen being abducted by The Wyatt Sicks. This week, they hijacked the broadcast to show hostage footage of The Miz tied to a chair in a warehouse. This wasa welcome dose of something new from The Wyatt Sicks, the creepy, grainy, Saw-esque aesthetic added a layer of much-needed intensity to proceedings.
As Miz begged for his release and distanced himself from The Final Testament,Uncle Howdy revealed Miz had been intentionally hunted. It’s an interesting dynamic to have the coldest, most horror-friendly act on the roster combine with the usually rubber-faced Miz. This angle will not be goofy. It will demand something entirely new from The Miz, a performer who has proved himself up to any task.
Liv Morgan
Red Hot Work From The Women’s Champion
Rhea Ripley’s unfortunate injury has left a giant hole at the top of Raw’s Women’s division. Thankfully, Liv Morgan can laugh with lemonade when life has handed her lemons. As she was opening the show to celebrate her victory at Crown Jewel, Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill interrupted her. Morgan’s mic work is in such great form,Liv created immediate buzz around her dislike of the women’s tag champions.
After Bianca dropped Morgan with a right hand, Adam Pearce intervened to book a Battle Royal to determine a new number one contender for the Women’s World Championship. Iyo Sky won, but Morgan and Rodriguez were responsible for the elimination of both Cargill and Bianca. Looking at the wider picture,Belair and Cargill both represent credible opposition for Morgan(especially with WWE’s move to Netflix on the horizon). Her victory dance right in their faces was deplorable and delectable. Adaptable to any situation put in front of her, Liv Morgan is on fire right now.
Sami Zayn & The Usos Start The Journey To WarGames
It has long been expected that the original Bloodline would get back together to do battle with Solo Sikoa and his posse at Survivor Series. Sami Zayn put a spanner in the works of that with his accidental Helluva Kick on Roman Reigns. After speaking to the crowd in Arabic,Sami and The Usos enjoyed a segment that was vintage Bloodline cinema, and reminded everyone whythe Bloodline story is still going strongafter so many years.
As Jey vouched for Sami, and Zayn admitted fighting alongside Roman and The Usos felt good and like old times, Jimmy ostracized the former Honorary Uce by reminding him he’s not family.It’s all poised for an explosive episode of SmackDownand that’s before anyone has thought about what Sami and Roman burying the hatchet will do to the off-the-rails Kevin Owens.
Seth Rollins
Bronson Reed Returns In Devastating Fashion
As Seth Rollins slumped out of the ring following his hard-fought victory over Bronson Reed at Crown Jewel, the two men were caught in a stare-down that let you know this wasn’t over. Seth being caught mouthing “what is wrong with you?” while Reed stared down Rollins like Bowser staring down Mario was one of the moments of the night, so whenBronson Reed jumped the barricade to attack everyone in the match, it was Rollins who had the most to fear.
And so it came to be, asBronson Reed delivered to Seth a devastating Tsunami through the announcer’s table, leaping off the barricade with reckless abandon. It put The Architect out of the match and took away his shot at the World Heavyweight Champion. There’s a lot of talk of CM Punk vs Rollins at WrestleMania, but Seth’s going to have to get through one of his toughest opponents in recent years to make it there.
Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair
Failure Brings A Glimpse Into Their Future
It had been such a good weekend for the women’s tag team champions. Belair and Cargill defended their titles successfully against four different teams at Crown Jewel, but something seismic happened in the Raw Battle Royal. Shining like stars, Bianca and Jade were among the final four women left in the ring with the pair dumping Iyo Sky and Lyra Valkyria to the ring apron but not the floor.Jade and Bianca came face-to-face in direct competition, as everyone held their breath.
Both women would be eliminated shortly after but any doubts about the star power and validity of a match between these two women just left town.Jade Cargill vs Bianca Belair is a marquee match in waitingand just the tease of it felt monolithic. Belair may have spent 2024 playing Obi-Wan, but you had better believe that Darth Cargill is in her future.
