Why Roman Reigns' Alliance with Jey Uso Is a Storytelling Fail, More WWE Raw Fallout
The July 21 edition of Raw on Netflix featured major buildup for SummerSlam including another big appearance from Roman Reigns at the Toyota Center in Houston.
The OTC stepped up to Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed and found help from an unexpected source as Jey Uso stepped up to even the odds.
Stephanie Vaquer challenged Iyo Sky, but Naomi attacked both women to cost them a fair finish.
Gunther confronted CM Punk to set the tone for their upcoming World Heavyweight Championship clash.
Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro pulled off an upset victory over The Creed Brothers and The New Day to earn a future shot at the World Tag Team Championships.
This was an important show in setting the stage for Raw's talent heading into SummerSlam on August 2-3.
Rushed Roman Reigns-Jey Uso Alliance is a Big Mistake
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The greatest story of the modern era in WWE was The Bloodline saga. The angle made multiple stars and completely changed the perception of Roman Reigns.
In particular between 2023 and 2024, the biggest stars of that storyline were The OTC and Jey Uso.
The development of Jey into his own man over the course of this story while escaping the vindictive grip of Reigns set the stage for him to become a world champion in 2025.
Bringing Reigns and Jey back together at this stage should be a monumental story, even if The Bloodline epic is more or less completed.
In 2023 on SmackDown, this is a story that could have sustained 20-minute segments for a month to set the stage for the tag match.
Instead, The OTC returned one week ago. This week, he aligned with Jey to combat Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed, setting up a likely tag match at SummerSlam.
There is not enough time to let these two men fully talk about the implications of teaming together again, particularly as a duo for the first time ever.
WWE needed a few more weeks to truly sell this as a must-watch tag match, especially with Seth Rollins out of action.
At this stage, it feels like filler, even if it still has greater importance than most any men's traditional tag matches WWE has put on a PLE in a while.
WWE Men's Tag Division Gets Screwed Out of SummerSlam
2 of 5Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro are the new No. 1 contenders to the World Tag Team Championships but with that victory, WWE has guaranteed the titles will not be defended at SummerSlam.
The champions, The Judgment Day, have no tag teams on Raw that they are genuinely feuding with. LWO has barely interacted with the stable in months.
The WWE Tag Team Championships are also not booked for SummerSlam despite the show's two-night length.
The Wyatt Sicks have a few potential challengers, but all signs points to none of those matches to come happening on PLE.
This is a division that has delivered on TV with time, and there is enough talent involved to create stories, especially for a show as big as SummerSlam.
WWE is simply not respecting the value of the men's tag team division.
Even the women's tag team division feels scattershot, but at least the Women's Tag Team Championships will be represented at MetLife Stadium on August 2-3.
Stephanie Vaquer is Chosen One to Dethrone Naomi
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Few women in recent memory have made a more immediate impact in WWE than Stephanie Vaquer.
Her rise has rivaled the start Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair enjoyed in terms of popularity and opportunity.
This is especially clear in her quick rise to the Women's World Championship scene. Her Battle Royal victory has not been ignored as she has been appearing on both Raw and SmackDown recently to sell her future title challenge.
The stage has been set for La Primera to face Naomi at Clash in Paris after she likely retains at SummerSlam over Iyo Sky and Rhea Ripley.
While The Glow has earned a shot to run with the gold, she does not feel like the long-term answer to carry the gold into WrestleMania season.
It would be the best option to crown Vaquer at Clash in Paris, setting up many exciting matchups in the upcoming months including Sky, Ripley, Lyra Valkyria and Becky Lynch.
Naomi will not suffer for losing the gold and will likely get more shots to challenge for the title, especially if Jade Cargill dethrones Tiffany Stratton at SummerSlam.
Gunther Needs to Dominate CM Punk to Rebuild Momentum
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Few men have been better booked since Triple H took over WWE Creative than Gunther, but a few odd choices recently have taken away his mystique.
The Ring General's loss to Jey Uso at WrestleMania 41 was expected, but making him tap out was an unnecessary move that has lingered with Gunther.
Fans have not allowed him to forget that finish. It did not help that Pat McAfee emphasized the chant and then refused to tap out in his own match with Gunther.
Even winning the gold back from Uso has changed nothing about how fans see The Ring General. Something massive needs to be done to change the conversation around Gunther.
The best answer right now would be making an example out of CM Punk.
Many may expect The Best in the World to dethrone Gunther, allowing him to capture his first world title since returning to WWE.
That result though will only further emphasize that The Ring General has lost his edge. It would be better for Gunther to overwhelm Punk and win in definitive fashion.
A submission victory would especially make that point. Punk would then be forced to reckon with whether he can keep up with the next generation of top stars in WWE, making his eventual world title win sweeter.
If WWE stays on this track too much longer with Gunther, he will need to take time away to regain his credibility, and that may not be something the company can afford.
Sheamus, Rusev Going Nowhere Fast
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Sheamus and Rusev delivered another strong match on Raw, but this story has not developed at all since The Redeemer returned to WWE.
If this is meant to be an angle that can get Rusev back in title contention, matches alone are not enough to sell him.
Rusev needs momentum and development as a rising heel on the roster. Sheamus needs something to latch onto so he does not disappear from TV for months again.
Both men have the mic skills and experience to do more with this story, and wasting their obvious chemistry is bad business.
Each man has a win over the other. It is time to go somewhere with this angle.
Otherwise, a rubber match between these two will be wasted on an angle without any heat and leave both men with nothing to show for their recent efforts.
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