WWE Raw rolled into the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on June 16, delivering an episode focused on advancing the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments and building anticipation for Night of Champions on June 28. Following SmackDown’s tournament quarterfinals that saw Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Jade Cargill, and Alexa Bliss advance, Raw needed to determine the other half of the semifinalists from the red brand. The show also continued key storylines and featured a major return.
Here’s a breakdown of the significant events, results, and reactions from this week’s Raw:
Liv Morgan’s Heel Persona on Display
The night kicked off with Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio making their way to the ring. Fresh off her attack on Nikki Bella the previous week, Morgan leaned into her newly aggressive heel persona. She delivered a confident promo, boasting about her accomplishments and dismissing Bella as a “reality show diva.” Morgan then shifted her focus to Iyo Sky, demanding a rematch for the Women’s World Championship. The Genius of the Sky quickly appeared, leading to a physical confrontation that ended with Sky clearing the ring of both Morgan and Mysterio. This segment solidified Morgan’s position as the next challenger for Sky’s title, though the execution felt somewhat standard in advancing the storyline.
Queen of the Ring Quarterfinal Delivers Action, Asuka Advances
The first match of the night was a Queen of the Ring quarterfinal Fatal 4-Way featuring Asuka, Ivy Nile, Raquel Rodriguez, and Stephanie Vaquer. This match followed earlier tournament action on SmackDown and the previous week’s Raw, where Roxanne Perez secured her spot alongside the blue brand qualifiers. The four competitors in Green Bay showcased their diverse styles, with temporary alliances forming and breaking down throughout the extended contest, which spanned two commercial breaks. Stephanie Vaquer particularly stood out, controlling significant portions of the match.
The finish saw a crucial interference from Rhea Ripley, who pulled Raquel Rodriguez out of the ring at a critical moment and hit her with a Riptide. Ripley then rolled Rodriguez back into the ring, allowing the returning Asuka to capitalize and secure the pinfall victory with a running hip strike. While the match itself was praised for the participants’ efforts, criticism was directed at WWE for spoiling Asuka’s return via a graphic prior to the show and the disruptive frequency of commercial breaks during the bout. Asuka now advances to face one of the SmackDown qualifiers in the semifinals.
Gunther Celebrates, Goldberg Answers the Challenge
Having recently regained the World Heavyweight Championship from Jey Uso on the June 9th episode of Raw in an acclaimed match, Gunther came to the ring to celebrate his victory. The Ring General acknowledged Uso as a formidable opponent at WrestleMania 41 but declared himself untouchable on any other night. As Gunther began to ponder his next challenger, the crowd erupted in Goldberg chants.
The WWE Hall of Famer made his way to the ring, confronting the champion. Goldberg congratulated Gunther before issuing a direct challenge for the World Heavyweight Title at “Saturday Night’s Main Event” on July 12. This segment, while not entirely surprising given circulating rumors, was efficiently handled, taking less than 10 minutes to set up the major title bout.
AJ Styles vs. JD McDonagh Showcases Chemistry
AJ Styles faced JD McDonagh in singles action, a match influenced by ongoing tensions within The Judgment Day, particularly between Dominik Mysterio and Finn Balor. Mysterio advised Balor to stay backstage for the match. Styles, with his experience advantage, controlled the initial moments, but McDonagh fought back, including a risky dive into the timekeeper’s area. Despite attempted interference from Mysterio, Styles ultimately defeated McDonagh with the Styles Clash. Balor did appear post-match to save Mysterio from further attack. The match was well-received, highlighting surprisingly good chemistry between Styles and McDonagh and suggesting a potential for future encounters with more time.
Bayley and Becky Lynch Set Up IC Title Match
Bayley delivered a promo positioning herself as a champion fighting for the fans. She asserted that Becky Lynch taking her out before WrestleMania had only made her stronger. The Man emerged to respond, agreeing to defend her Women’s Intercontinental Championship against Bayley. The segment quickly escalated into a physical confrontation attempt by Lynch, which Bayley evaded before laying The Man out of the ring. This straightforward segment effectively built anticipation for their upcoming title match, with Lynch drawing heat from the Green Bay crowd for wearing Chicago Bears gear.
Liv Morgan Suffers Apparent Injury
A scheduled singles match between Liv Morgan and Kairi Sane was abruptly cut short. Early in the bout, after taking a takedown from Sane, Morgan appeared to suffer a legitimate shoulder injury. She immediately rolled out of the ring, being checked by the referee. The match was unable to continue and was subsequently called off due to Morgan’s apparent inability to compete. The severity of the injury remains unknown, but it cast a somber note on the episode.
King of the Ring Main Event Features Chaos
The main event was a King of the Ring quarterfinal Fatal 4-Way featuring Jey Uso, Rusev, Sheamus, and Bronson Reed. Similar to the Queen of the Ring, this match would determine the other half of the semifinalists joining Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes from SmackDown, and Sami Zayn from the previous Raw. Jey Uso entered the match selling taped ribs from his recent World Title loss to Gunther, putting him at a significant disadvantage against his larger opponents like Rusev and Reed, whose return alongside Sheamus in recent weeks had built anticipation for this clash.
Despite being outweighed, Uso remained competitive throughout the hard-hitting match. The bout saw various pairings and power displays, including a notable standoff between Sheamus and Rusev, both recently returned to action. The finish dissolved into chaos with multiple interferences. Bron Breakker attempted to prevent Uso from hitting a splash on Reed, but was thwarted by Sami Zayn and Penta, reigniting their ongoing feuds. LA Knight also appeared, pushing Bronson Reed off the top rope. Jey Uso capitalized on the assist, hitting two splashes on Reed to secure the pinfall victory and advance in the tournament. The segment became even more crowded with the late appearances of Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes, though it delivered an exciting, albeit busy, conclusion to the night’s in-ring action.
Overall Episode Assessment
Monday’s Raw was considered a fairly standard episode by the original author, but it featured several key moments that advanced major storylines. The focus on the women’s division was prominent, highlighted by Asuka’s advancement in the Queen of the Ring and the unfortunate injury suffered by Liv Morgan. The segment setting up Gunther vs. Goldberg was efficient and generated significant reaction, even if the match is several weeks away. The King of the Ring main event provided the most in-ring excitement despite a crowded finish involving numerous feuding parties. The episode’s flow was notably hindered by frequent commercial breaks, disrupting immersion in the matches. Despite some pacing issues, the show successfully built towards Night of Champions and solidified key matchups for the coming weeks.
