WWE Raw Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from Aug. 1

While not nearly as taut and electric as last week's show, WWE Raw still managed to grab hold of the audience thanks to the power of the unexpected.

Randy Orton leaped at Brock Lesnar, although he is supposed to exist solely on the SmackDown brand. Roman Reigns moved down the card to set up a smart feud with Rusev. Cesaro took a major step toward seizing a championship.

And Jinder Mahal returned, quickly earning his way onto the Raw roster at the expense of his old ally, Heath Slater.

Monday's Raw delivered a sizable share of moments that surprised. And it's comforting to see WWE is still taking chances with its booking, as it did by moving Cesaro upward and sliding Reigns downward a notch.

On a night marked by welcome unanticipated moves, there were still things fans could see coming.

The Golden Truth bumbled. Braun Strowman and Nia Jax continued to leave a trail of jobbers behind them. WWE mishandled the women's division.

The company isn't going to bat 1.000 on any given Monday, though. The following is a look at what unfolded throughout Raw and a breakdown of what worked and what flopped.

Sasha Banks Addresses the WWE Universe

With her newly won Women's Championship in hand, Sasha Banks celebrated last week's title win with the fans. A frustrated Charlotte sauntered out to interrupt The Boss. She promised to beat Banks without any help. The two bickered before Chris Jericho stepped in.

Jericho insulted the champion and talked up Charlotte. He mocked Banks' "Boss" nickname. 

Enzo Amore came out to aide Banks. He flirted with the champ before taking shots at Jericho.

Raw general manager Mick Foley soon joined the fun. He booked Amore and Banks vs. Jericho and Charlotte.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Fans chant "You tapped out!" to Charlotte.

"Where's all your gold, sweetheart?"—Banks to Charlotte.

"It's one thing to take home the prom king. It's another to get him to put a ring on your finger."—Charlotte to Banks.

"Who has Ric Flair ever beat, right?"—Jericho.

Jericho calls Amore a "hip-hop hobbit."

Grade

C+

Analysis

What a strange stew this confrontation was. This segment was equal parts comedic success and narrative derailment.

On the plus side, WWE chose to let Banks kick off Raw. 

Jericho and Amore's banter was funny. Both Banks and Charlotte had some good lines. Still, it's an odd move to spend a sixth of the show setting up a Mixed Tag Team match.

WWE failed to capitalize on Banks' title win. Rather than stir up the emotion she created last week, the company had her play sidekick to Amore.

Inserting him and Jericho into the mix diluted the women's title story, even if it was entertaining in the moment.

Sasha Banks and Enzo Amore vs. Chris Jericho and Charlotte

Kevin Owens joined the commentary team as the two teams went to work inside the ring.

Sasha Banks and Enzo Amore rode strong chemistry in the early going to overwhelm their foes. The Boss had Charlotte beat, but Dana Brooke's distraction derailed her momentum.

Charlotte took advantage and scored the three-count for the team.

Chris Jericho attacked Amore after the bell. Big Cass, though, was there to chase the heel away. 

Result

Charlotte wins via pinfall. 

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"Do you think you're an idiot or a good commentator?"—Owens.

Amore and Banks execute simultaneous suicide dives.

Banks slaps Jericho.

Grade

C-

Analysis

In Banks' first match as champion, she lost. The final image of that match was Cass and Jericho staring each other down. That's not a running start for The Boss' reign.

The cheap defeat, though, will add animosity between Banks and Charlotte. 

Owens was entertaining on commentary. He excels at that role—one that many Superstars usually stumble in. His comments teased a possible feud between him and Amore, which is a fantastic idea.

Their promo battles would be off the charts.

Braun Strowman vs. Evan Anderholm

Evan Anderholm was out of his league from the opening bell. Braun Strowman flung around his foe in an overwhelming performance. 

Strowman stomped and slammed Anderholm in an easy victory. 

Result

Strowman wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"That's like a brick wall running through you."—Corey Graves on Strowman.

Strowman throws Anderholm into the air. 

Grade

B-

Analysis

As individual moments, Strowman's jobber feasts aren't great fun, but as a whole, they are the right way to present him. He again got to look like an unstoppable monster. He wasn't asked to deliver a long match.

Being intense and dominant is what Strowman does best at this point. Letting him do that is smart.

This just has to lead to him climbing the WWE ladder in the near future. Watching him devour lesser men can only work for so long.

The Shining Stars vs. The Golden Truth

Primo and Epico overpowered Goldust in their corner. R-Truth, meanwhile, was too busy playing Pokemon Go to make the tag.

That led to Primo rolling Goldust up as R-Truth scrambled for his phone. The teammates argued briefly after the loss.

Result

The Shining Stars win via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"'Pokemon No' for The Golden Truth tonight."—Michael Cole.

Grade

D

Analysis

Raw needs comic relief, but this was too predictable and hurried to be amusing. Last week's infusion of Pokemon Go worked far better, with an unexpected moment capping off a series of backstage segments.

This was more just thrown out there. If this is how it's going to go, WWE has to wrap up this narrative as soon as possible.

Goldust and R-Truth need something else to provide the audience with a palate cleanser between matches. 

WWE's smartest addition to all this was Corey Graves mentioning Primo and Epico's wrestling lineage. The Colons are a storied wrestling family; it's a no-brainer to weave that into the on-screen narrative.

Finn Balor and Seth Rollins Face Off

Michael Cole interviewed Finn Balor—the No. 1 contender for the WWE Universal Championship.

Balor's conversation with Cole, though, lasted only seconds. Seth Rollins sauntered out to confront him. The Architect downplayed Balor's achievements while talking up his own.

Balor promised to win the universal title at SummerSlam. Rollins told him to watch him later on Raw as he took on Sami Zayn.

The two rivals brawled for a moment until Balor forced Rollins into retreat.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"Winning the Home Run Derby does not make you Babe Ruth."—Corey Graves.

"I'm kind of like the OG Bill Murray, and you're Melissa McCarthy."—Rollins.

"That's about as laughable as the Atlanta Braves going to the World Series."—Rollins on Balor's chances of winning at SummerSlam.

"The only thing you're going to have handed to you at SummerSlam is your ass."—Balor to Rollins.

Grade

A

Analysis

Intense, focused and taut, this was everything the Sasha Banks-Charlotte showdown should have been. It was simple and zeroed in on what these men are fighting for—the WWE Universal Championship.

Balor didn't have nearly as much presence as Rollins, but that's to be expected. WWE wisely had The Architect talk more. That dynamic must continue as Balor adjusts to the bigger stage.

The promo also did well to sell fans on Balor's NXT accomplishments. Some fans still need to learn about him, something WWE can't forget moving forward.

Mark Henry vs. Rusev (United States Championship)

Backstage, Stephanie McMahon tried to offer Mark Henry a mentor role on the roster. The big man refused. He said he had a championship run left in him.

Mick Foley responded by giving him a title shot against Rusev.

In the ring, Henry had Rusev reeling with headbutts and power moves. He momentarily overwhelmed the champion and hyped the crowd.

Rusev put Henry in the Accolade, but The World's Strongest Man powered out of the hold. It took more punishment and a second attempt to put Henry away.

The Bulgarian Brute then ripped the Olympic Games, calling them rigged. Roman Reigns cut him off, stared down the champ and then knocked him off his feet.

Result

Rusev wins via submission.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"I'm going to take that title and put it on my shoulder. I'm gonna bring it back to America."—Henry. 

Henry leaps onto Rusev while the champ leans on the ropes.

"I'm a super athlete and a natural-born winner."—Rusev.

Reigns hits a Superman Punch off the ring steps.

Grade

A-

Analysis

After having him warm the bench for so long, this was a smart, creative use of Henry. Having the big man hold onto the threads of his former glory and refuse to let the new guard take over has big potential as a story beyond this edition of Raw.

The match allowed Rusev to show off his strength and Henry's heart.

The U.S. title picture is the perfect spot for Reigns right now. WWE finally stopped beating its head against the wall trying to sell The Big Dog as the No. 1 guy, letting him garner momentum in the midcard instead. 

There's no rush with Reigns; he's only 31 years old.

Titus O'Neil vs. Darren Young

The battle between former tag team partners was largely one-sided. Titus O'Neil steamrolled Darren Young to open the match, grounding the speedier wrestler.

Young's coach, Bob Backlund, watched on as O'Neil smashed his foe. The Real Deal used a schoolboy pin and a hold on Young's tights to get the win.

Backlund confronted O'Neil backstage about the shady win. When things grew intense, Young stepped in and clocked his old partner.

Result

O'Neil wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"When exactly were you great?"—O'Neil to Young.

"You better calm down, or I will knock your old ass out."—O'Neil to Backlund.

Grade

C

Analysis

It looked at first as if WWE had lost sight of Young's character direction. And then he went berserk backstage—a follow-up to his meltdown at Battleground.

That's something WWE needs to keep exploring.

But as we have seen with these two previous bouts, fans should keep their expectations low. O'Neil and Young's chemistry is decent, as is this feud's potential. There isn't enough electricity between them to be a show-stealing kind of rivalry.

Nia Jax vs. Ariel Monroe

Ariel Monroe rolled her eyes as Nia Jax entered. She was soon writhing on the mat instead. Jax pushed Monroe around, slammed her and finished her off in mere seconds. 

After the match, she stopped mid-sentence during an interview to attack Monroe again.

Result

Jax wins via pinfall. 

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"Why don't you ask her how it feels?"—Jax (referring to Monroe) on what it feels like to get the win.

Grade

B

Analysis

In a path parallel to Braun Strowman's, Jax is beating up on low-rung foes. That's a wise way to transition her from NXT, both in terms of booking and allowing her to get her bearings.

The obvious choice is to present Jax as a vicious beast. She most thrives when in that role and was more convincing here than Strowman was earlier in the night.

Fans will be too impatient for her to keep stomping out jobbers for too long, though. The next step needs to be her overwhelming the likes of Summer Rae and Alicia Fox.

The New Day vs. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson

The New Day had to ban one of its members from ringside. It chose Xavier Woods via drawing fruits out of a bag.

Kofi Kingston and Big E remained to fight Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. The champs had The Club reeling briefly. And Big E later rolled up Anderson to get the quick win.

The Club attacked Big E after the bout, twice hitting the Boot of Doom. Woods tried to fight off Gallows and Anderson, but they dropped him as well.

Result

The New Day wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

The New Day pits two oranges and a banana together to create a suggestive image.

"Seriously, go buy it. We need the money."—Kingston on Booty-O's cereal.

"Gallows and Anderson reveling in the destruction they just caused."—Corey Graves.

The Club smashes Big E's groin into the ring post.

Grade

B-

Analysis

The blink-of-an-eye match was forgettable, but it was a means to get to the beatdown that followed.

The New Day has lacked a real challenger for too much of its reign. The Club made a powerful statement with this attack, giving the champs plenty of reason to be fired up for the rest of the feud. Big E's storyline injury is an easy way to create pathos for his squad.

WWE has to keep the intensity level up between these two. Their eventual SummerSlam clash should be a slobberknocker.

Cesaro vs. Sheamus

Mick Foley explained that Cesaro dropped in the draft because his shoulder was a question mark. And to end Cesaro and Sheamus' backstage argument, Foley booked a match between them. Whoever impressed the most would earn a future title shot.

The match itself was a hard-hitting brawl. Cesaro rattled Sheamus with uppercuts; Sheamus smashed The King of Swing with forearms.

The Celtic Warrior took control for a good stretch, but Cesaro rallied back with high-impact offense. Cesaro pinned Sheamus after hitting the Neutralizer.

Result

Cesaro wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"You ain't as tough as me, Cesaro!"—Sheamus.

Cesaro deadlifts Sheamus into a suplex.

Cesaro reveres a backbreaker attempt, turning it into a Neutralizer.

Grade

B+

Analysis

A match fans have seen several times already suddenly felt significant thanks to some clear stakes and a subplot about each man feeling shafted by the draft results.

That left both rivals hungry and focused for the fight, elevating their brawl. And not announcing when his title shot will be gives the company some flexibility.

It's great to see WWE showcasing Cesaro and pointing him toward contention. The Swiss Superman is long overdue for that kind of space in the spotlight.

Heath Slater Welcomes Back Jinder Mahal

Heath Slater, with Jinder Mahal at his side, claimed Raw needed to sign the both of them. Mick Foley set up a match where the winner would earn a spot on the roster.

Slater hesitated to fight his old partner. Mahal didn't. He knocked out Slater with a single kick and scored the quick win.

Result

Mahal wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

"You ain't gonna break up the band, baby!"—Slater.

Grade

C-

Analysis

It's unclear what WWE's plans are for Mahal, but it's hard to get excited regardless of what the company is cooking up. Mahal was not a success the first time around—whether as a singles star or as part of 3MB.

The pace and amount of airtime of his reintroduction suggests he will be low on the WWE food chain. The hype level was low here.

As for Slater, his story of trying to get onto a roster has to keep going. It's a great way to make use of him, giving him motivation and direction each week.

Seth Rollins vs. Sami Zayn

Seth Rollins and Sami Zayn traded the momentum in the early stages of the bout. The Architect moved the action to the outside and took control by flinging Zayn into the barricade.

Zayn staved off defeat, even as he grabbed his ribs in pain. He went on a rally, but a missed Helluva Kick cost him. Rollins pounced on him, hitting the Pedigree for the win.

Result

Rollins wins via pinfall.

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Zayn hits a moonsault off the security barricade.

Zayn nails Rollins with a picture-perfect tornado DDT.

Grade

A-

Analysis

Both winner and loser emerged looking good after the match. Rollins played a vicious opportunist here rather than the slimy coward he so often is. Zayn showed compelling heart, and his many near-wins lessen the damage of the defeat.

WWE needed a way to get Rollins hotter ahead of SummerSlam and provide some strong in-ring action on a night full of talking and shenanigans. The plan worked well. 

The company just has to decide what's in store for Zayn. After his stellar win against Kevin Owens, he needs a fresh, prominent rivalry.

Brock Lesnar Returns

JP Yim/Getty Images

Paul Heyman trumpeted his client's accomplishments before welcoming him to the ring. The manager mocked the New Era and talked about how Lesnar didn't need to impress anyone.

The focus turned to SummerSlam and, specifically, Randy Orton. He warned Orton of what Lesnar would do to him.

The Viper ambushed Lesnar, hitting an RKO before darting into the crowd. 

Memorable Moments and Quotes

Heyman calls Lesnar "the viper slayer."

"I can stand next to Brock Lesnar, which means I can say any damned thing I want to say."—Heyman.

"How many of these voices tell you that Brock Lesnar is going to beat your ass at SummerSlam and drag you down to Suplex City?"—Heyman.

"The Viper just laid out The Beast."—Corey Graves.

"Did Randy Orton fire the first shot or did he sign his death wish?"—Michael Cole.

Grade

A+

Analysis

A surprise arrival, a sizzling promo and smart, effective booking powered a tremendous climax to Monday's Raw.

WWE offered just a taste of violence between Orton and Lesnar. Bringing in The Viper despite him being a part of the SmackDown roster made the attack feel like a bigger deal—like a collision of worlds. 

Heyman was his usual stellar self. He sold Orton's RKO as the only way Lesnar would fall and continued to present his client as a monster and rebel.

With just one moment, the temperature of the Orton vs. Lesnar feud went up several notches.