WWE Raw Winners, Grades and Reaction From July 6

Just nine days removed from winning the Undisputed WWE Championship at Night of Champions, Sami Zayn defended the gold in a rematch against Cody Rhodes on WWE Raw at Allstate Arena in Chicago.

The match headlined a broadcast that continued the build to SummerSlam in Minneapolis on August 1 and 2.

What went down, who emerged victorious from the night's in-ring action, and how did each match and segment grade out? Find out in this recap of the July 6 Netflix broadcast.

Lineup

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Announced in advance of Monday's show were:

• Undisputed WWE Championship: Cody Rhodes vs. Sami Zayn (c)
• Women's Intercontinental Championship: Sol Ruca (c) vs. Raquel Rodriguez
• Seth Rollins to open the show
• Oba Femi promo on Hell in a Cell at SummerSlam

Seth Rollins Kicks Off Raw

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Last Time in Action: Seth Rollins defeated Bron Breakker (Night of Champions, June 27)

Gunther brutally attacked Cody Rhodes backstage, creating doubt about his ability to compete in the main event against undisputed WWE champion Sami Zayn.

Seth Rollins kicked off the night's show proper with an in-ring promo about his upcoming SummerSlam match with world heavyweight champion Roman Reigns.

He tore The Tribal Chief down, admitting he was always the chosen one and it did not matter whether Reigns could wrestle his way out of a paper bag or cut a promo.

He wrapped up his promo by claiming Reigns needs to beat him at SummerSlam to prove he is not a fraud, and Rollins needs to win just as much to prove greatness can still be achieved by hard work and dedication.

LA Knight hit the ring from there, interrupting The Visionary to a big pop.

He took exception to last week's promo between Rollins and Reigns, calling it the "same old trash." He admitted they both had losses in the first round of the King of the Ring, but he didn't come out and claim nostalgia as the reason for another match.

Rollins ended the long promo segment by extending a title opportunity to him after he beats Reigns at SummerSlam. From there, Jimmy Uso flattened Knight with a superkick.

This was a little long-winded from Rollins to start, but once Knight hit the ring, things improved significantly. The idea that he is still hanging around the title picture and The Bloodline story bodes well for him in that it means he is not just an afterthought. The fans responded accordingly, too. A great sign for The Megastar.

Grade

B

Top Takeaways

• "He either didn't think it did anything for him to be here or the check wasn't big enough," Rollins said about Reigns' absence. Great line to play up the OTC's selfish ways.
• Knight mocked Rollins' "brother" promo from last week, nearly cracking The Architect and drawing a big reaction from the fans.
• Backstage, Nick Aldis appeared out of nowhere to confront Gunther but was backed down by Adam Pearce, who warned him not to get himself permanently placed on leave.

World Tag Team Championship: The Street Profits vs. Bron Breakker and Austin Theory

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Last Time in Action: The Street Profits defeated Bron Breakker and Austin Theory (Raw, June 22); Theory lost to Joe Hendry (Raw, June 29); Breakker lost to Seth Rollins (Night of Champions, June 27)

Warned by Paul Heyman to "come back with something worthy of your Wise Man or don't come back to me at all," The Vision's Bron Breakker and Austin Theory wasted little time attacking The Street Profits' Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins in their attempt to regain the World Tag Team Championship.

The challengers dominated early and often until a hot tag to Ford sparked a comeback after the commercial break. As the action broke down, Breakker failed to capitalize on the brass knuckles slid to him by Logan Paul and was taken out by Ford at ringside.

Back inside, Maxxine Dupri entered the ring, delivered a low blow to Dawkins, and Theory covered for the win. After the match, Dupri leapt into the arms of her apparent beau and planted a kiss on him, responding to his ultimatum from a week ago.

The big takeaway here will be Dupri's turn. As for the match itself, so much of it took place during the commercial break that it is tough to accurately grade. That it was no better than either of their previous two encounters lands it just slightly above average.

Result

The Vision defeated The Street Profits to win the titles

Grade

C+

Top Takeaways

• The ending was messy but Dupri's involvement got a solid reaction. Considering its importance as an angle and the immediate future of The Vision, that was the most crucial development.
• Backstage, the trainer refused to clear Cody Rhodes for Monday's main event.

Women's Intercontinental Championship: Sol Ruca vs. Raquel Rodriguez

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Last Time in Action: Sol Ruca defeated Nattie (Main Event, June 25); Raquel Rodriguez defeated Maxxine Dupri (Raw, June 29)

Backstage, Paul Heyman approached The Vision and congratulated "someone" on accomplishing something Monday night, referring to Maxxine Dupri. As the group left the arena, the former women's IC champion's teammates, Otis and Akira Tozawa, watched in dismay.

Speaking of the Women's Intercontinental Championship, Sol Ruca defended against Raquel Rodriguez.

Back-and-forth action dominated the opening moments until Ruca's unique offense finally caught her challenger off guard, with a cartwheel into a big kick stunning the taller, stronger competitor. A big clothesline finally turned the tide in the heel's favor.

Ruca mounted a spirited comeback after the commercial break, but a missed springboard frog splash nearly cost her. An appearance from Roxanne Perez, then women's world champion Liv Morgan, put the babyface in further peril.

Iyo Sky appeared, wiped out the heels at ringside, and Ruca delivered a Sol Snatcher to defeat Rodriguez and retain her title.

The finish was overbooked, but it at least made sense within the context of The Judgment Day's consistent interference in each other's matches. Sky took out Morgan to avenge last week's beatdown and heat up their rivalry, too.

The match was a bit disjointed at times, thanks to Ruca being a step off with some of her offense, but it picked up down the stretch and finished strongly.

Result

Ruca defeated Rodriguez to retain

Grade

C+

Top Takeaways

• Michael Cole and Corey Graves announced a Gauntlet match for next week's show to crown a new No. 1 contender to the Intercontinental Championship, featuring Ethan Page, Dragon Lee, Rusev, Dominik Lee, Chad Gable, Joe Hendry, and Je'Von Evans.
• A backstage confrontation involving Penta, Page, Rusev, Lee, and Gable teased a tag team match between the prospective No. 1 contenders.
• Ruca can do a ton, but that does not mean she has to empty the chamber in every match. The more she misses on some of her unique offense, the more fans will, right or wrong, get the impression that she is a botch machine, a stigma that is difficult to replace. Sometimes, less is more.

Hell in a Cell Hype

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Last Time in Action: Oba Femi defeated Jey Uso (Night of Champions, June 27)

Paul Heyman cut a promo on Oba Femi and his upcoming match with Brock Lesnar inside Hell in a Cell at SummerSlam.

The Ruler cut off The Wise Man's exit, entering to a big ovation. He offered a face for Heyman to talk to.

Heyman called out Femi for making a mistake by accepting Lesnar's challenge for a match he has dominated for his entire career. Another great promo from one of the best to do it, he set the stage for another loss by The Ruler, calling him beatable.

Femi responded by pointing out that Lesnar can claim not to watch the show, but the fact that he showed up and referenced the names he called him says otherwise. He called Heyman "scared," vowed to beat The Beast Incarnate inside Hell in a Cell, and end this chapter. A great response from Femi; a big-money promo from the best and brightest young star on the roster.

Grade

B+

Top Takeaways

• Femi stumbled early here but recovered to deliver an emphatic promo that further sold the audience on the marquee SummerSlam bout.
• Backstage, Adam Pearce informed Sami Zayn that, even though Cody Rhodes is unable to compete Monday night, he will still defend the title. Based on the crowd's "CM Punk" chants, the crowd might be ahead of the creative here.

Chad Gable and Dragon Lee vs. Ethan Page and Rusev

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Last Time in Action: Chad Gable defeated JD McDonagh (Raw, June 29); Dragon Lee defeated Rusev (Main Event, July 2); Ethan Page lost to Rey Mysterio (Raw, June 28)

A preview of the No. 1 Contender Gauntlet match scheduled for next week's show.

Rusev and Ethan Page defeated Chad Gable and Dragon Lee on Monday, with The Bulgarian Brute forcing a tapout from Lee.

It never ceases to amaze how good tag team matches in WWE are when the company goes out of its way to minimize its tag team titles. The match was fun, action-packed, and had fans buying into the action down the stretch.

After a few big losses, Page and Rusev got back in the win column and, more importantly, drew some heat for themselves with beatdowns of the babyfaces, including Joe Hendry, who attempted to make the save.

This worked, hyped next week's big match, and built some momentum and credibility for the heels. A successful segment.

Result

Page and Rusev defeated Gable and Lee

Grade

B

Top Takeaways

• Gable has to win next week to pay off his redemption story and capture the title that has eluded him for two years, right? RIGHT?!
• Why did WWE remove the "Eeeeego" from Page's theme song? It was the best and most memorable part.
• Backstage, Jackie Redmond caught up with Jimmy Uso, asking him about his actions toward LA Knight earlier in the show. When The Megastar showed up, Jacob Fatu leveled him.

Undisputed WWE Championship: Sami Zayn vs. CM Punk

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Last Time in Action: Sami Zayn defeated Gunther and Cody Rhodes (Night of Champions, June 27); CM Punk lost to Roman Reigns (WrestleMania 42, April 19)

CM Punk returned from nearly three months away, walked right back into the main event of WWE Raw and defeated Sami Zayn to win the Undisputed WWE Championship in front of his family and friends in Chicago.

The Best in the World's triumphant return capped off a brilliant, competitive, red-hot main event that saw him pushed to the brink by Zayn. The Last Real Good Guy was spectacular, even dipping into Punk's move set to nearly beat him on two different occasions.

Ultimately, though, it was Punk who overcame Zayn's arsenal to deliver his own Helluva Kick and put him away with the GTS.

A fantastic match, it sets up what feels like an inevitable SummerSlam main event with Cody Rhodes. After all, The Straight Edge Superstar took advantage of a championship opportunity that "dropped out of the sky," and The American Nightmare is due a title match after beating Jey Uso on SmackDown.

The question now is what it all means for Zayn, who emerged as an unlikely champion amid a heel push. Does he fall back into the midcard or is his time at the top of the card only momentarily halted?

Result

Punk defeated Zayn to win the title

Grade

A

Top Takeaways

• Bayley challenged Lyra Valkyria to meet her "face to face" next week on Raw in a pre-taped video package.
• In another pre-taped video, Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh threatened to make Danhausen's life a living hell.
• Punk worked this match like a guy who had not been out of action for so long. He did not miss a beat.
• This went exactly as expected the moment Rhodes was revealed as unable to compete, further proof that going with the sensible, predictable path is not always a bad thing.

MVP and Overall Grade

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MVP: CM Punk

There was no other option here. Punk returned Monday and picked up right where he left off at WrestleMania 42 with another extraordinary in-ring performance. He then left with the top prize in WWE.

In the process, he set up a huge SummerSlam main event with Cody Rhodes, and left no doubt that he is one of the cornerstones of this current WWE product.

Overall Grade: A

Two promo segments (Rollins/Knight and Heyman/Femi) did a great job of building to SummerSlam, and the overarching storyline of Rhodes' injury and removal from the main event elevated this episode.

Punk's return and the quality of his match put it on another level.

There was little else to write home about from an in-ring perspective, but the entire broadcast was centered around the Zayn title defense and the mystery man who would step in for Rhodes. That it was paid off so well earned it its higher-than-normal grade.