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Coming into Raw on Monday night, Roman Reigns had not wrestled on the program since September 2021. He made his return to the ring a triumphant one when he teamed with The Usos to defeat The Street Profits and Riddle in six-man tag action.
Reigns also delivered a message to Brock Lesnar ahead of their Last Man Standing match at SummerSlam, using Paul Heyman as a mouthpiece to say that he would be using that match on Saturday to end their long rivalry and make sure he stands alone in the record books by beating Lesnar on Reigns' 699th day as world champion.
CBS Sports was with you all night with recaps and highlights of all the action from Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The Bloodline opened the show with an in-ring promo. Reigns demanded to be acknowledged before saying he didn't want to talk anymore and handing the microphone to Paul Heyman. Heyman cut a promo about Reigns' SummerSlam match with Brock Lesnar, saying their names are tied together in the minds of fans but that will no longer be true after Reigns destroys Lesnar at SummerSlam. Theory then interrupted, saying everyone was forgetting the most important factor heading into the event, his plan to cash in the Money in the Bank contract on the winner. Reigns told Theory he needed to realize that his "daddy" (Vince McMahon) was gone and he was now in Reigns' ring. Theory hit Jey Uso with the Money in the Bank briefcase as The Bloodline left the ring, but it led to nothing more than Reigns laughing and calming Uso down.
The Bloodline def. The Street Profits & Riddle via pinfall when Roman Reigns hit Riddle with a spear. The wild tag match saw Montez Ford busted open early. Reigns was able to counter an RKO before hitting the spear to finish the match. Seth Rollins made his way to the ring after the match and attacked Riddle. After hitting Riddle with the ring stairs, Rollins hit a stomp on the floor and another after draping Riddle of the steel steps.
It's easy to read too much into a single show. This being the first Raw with Paul "Triple H" Levesque in charge of creative following Vince McMahon's retirement may have led to doing just that. There were throughlines across the show, segments that logically flowed and were connected, from the opening promo and Theory's involvement leading up to a match with Drew McIntyre and that match turning into a tag match that ended because of Dolph Ziggler on the outside. Then AJ Styles teaming with Ziggler out of an appreciation for what Ziggler was doing to Theory before all spinning back to The Bloodline in the main event. The show felt coherent and like things weren't thrown together at the last minute. It's still not a perfect show, but more of this line of thought could go a long way. Grade: A-
You better get comfy…the last TWO #MizAndMrs episodes of the season start NOW on @USA_Network 🤯 @mikethemiz @marysmizanin pic.twitter.com/nkd6FsNGPc
A vicious attack from @WWERollins to @SuperKingofBros on #WWERaw! Can Riddle recover before their match this Saturday at #SummerSlam? pic.twitter.com/b1smx1n7p3
Twice as nice for @WWERollins. Will @SuperKingofBros be 100% for this Saturday at #SummerSlam?!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/9vPOpKkdm8
#SummerSlam STOMP!@WWERollins #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/hfrg0MBiFf
They meet again.@WWERollins @WWERomanReigns #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/BmNJrc5Nv3
MADISON SQUARE ROMAN@WWERomanReigns @WWEUsos @HeymanHustle #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/OMSNJAstyi
Not on this night, @SuperKingofBros.@WWERomanReigns #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/FzDpq17ZTI
😲😲😲😲@AngeloDawkins #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/6ntebkUpgN
Vintage @WWERomanReigns!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/uLPrLZ60GA
FLOATING BRO!@SuperKingofBros #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/lf8qQSYtPH
"@WWERomanReigns is playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers leading into #SummerSlam this Saturday." - @jimmysmithmma #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/XOaarUlV5e
.@MontezFordWWE, meet @WWERomanReigns.#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/4CJLSlmCUu
Here comes @WWERomanReigns! ☝️#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/lADSOQOI9x
.@MontezFordWWE bringing that @nyknicks energy at @TheGarden!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/mw4MGT4rF0
The #StreetProfits and @SuperKingofBros are giving #TheBloodline a run for their money tonight on #WWERaw! pic.twitter.com/qGulnGHNZH
#AcknowledgeMe@MontezFordWWE @WWERomanReigns #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/D1WoV64KnN
#SummerSlam#BrockVsRoman#CowboyBrock #AcknowledgeMe pic.twitter.com/viG5LJoLFP
☝️@WWERomanReigns @WWEUsos @HeymanHustle #WWERaw pic.twitter.com/mccqzr4G9C
THIS SATURDAY at #SummerSlam@LoganPaul vs. @mikethemiz pic.twitter.com/ocpsUMb5s3
Who will walk out of #SummerSlam as WWE Undisputed Universal Champion following the LAST MAN STANDING Match between @WWERomanReigns & @BrockLesnar?@HeymanHustle pic.twitter.com/vrCivlqyCc
#WWERaw Women's Champion @BiancaBelairWWE looks to rewrite #SummerSlam history against @BeckyLynchWWE this Saturday. pic.twitter.com/vzg3JCNDXl
The Undisputed WWE #TagTeamTitles are on the line THIS SATURDAY at #SummerSlam as @WWEUsos defend against @MontezFordWWE & @AngeloDawkins with special guest referee @RealJeffJarrett! pic.twitter.com/ntkWE4l5w7
Can @PatMcAfeeShow shut @BaronCorbinWWE up this Saturday at #SummerSlam or will Happy Corbin write his biggest hit yet? pic.twitter.com/ye16DgCqFu
In a battle of two who despise each other, only one can win at #SummerSlam this Saturday when @SuperKingofBros takes on @WWERollins! pic.twitter.com/DmTXnLNhko
UP NEXT on #WWERaw#TheBloodline vs. @SuperKingofBros & The #StreetProfits@WWERomanReigns @WWEUsos @HeymanHustle pic.twitter.com/EYIbDyeQV3
#AlphaAcademy's @otiswwe just absolutely laying out @HEELZiggler on #WWERaw! pic.twitter.com/nbw2E9Y2BB
BREAKING: @reymysterio & @DomMysterio35 will take on #TheJudgmentDay in a No Disqualification Tag Team Match THIS SATURDAY at #SummerSlam!@FinnBalor @ArcherofInfamy @RheaRipley_WWE pic.twitter.com/XYkpwJqw4O
What a win for @HEELZiggler & @AJStylesOrg! 👏👏👏#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/BnXyGL8tXZ
.@HEELZiggler with the assist on #WWERaw! pic.twitter.com/V9FcCrsus1
.@otiswwe hasn't forgotten, @HEELZiggler.#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/jY2HKNdJ0J
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