WWE Raw Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from August 8

Just two weeks before SummerSlam, Raw rolled into Anaheim, California, focused on determining the remainder of the summertime spectacular's card. It accomplished its goal, announcing a few new matches while simultaneously enhancing ongoing rivalries through hot angles and competitive in-ring battles.

Seth Rollins called out Finn Balor for what he perceived to be disrespectful behavior before referring to himself as myth and legend, perhaps paranoid the newcomer Balor may have his number.

Cesaro was the night's breakout star, turning in two extraordinary performances and proving himself a main event talent, even if through in-ring work alone.

Rusev and Roman Reigns saw their feud intensify after The Guy interrupted The Bulgarian Brute's wedding celebration and humiliated new wife Lana. It was not the last time they would meet.

Enzo Amore and Big Cass found themselves on the receiving end of Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho's attention. By night's end, all four Superstars would have cashed their tickets to SummerSlam and a high-profile tag team war.

On a night in which Raw needed to counter last week's strong SmackDown effort, the red brand delivered a newsworthy broadcast that did just enough to drum up intrigue for SummerSlam.

Relive Monday's event with this look back at every match, results, grades and all of the instant analysis surrounding them.

Enzo Amore and Big Cass vs. Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens

Enzo Amore and Big Cass kicked off the broadcast, drawing a huge ovation in doing so.

Amore recalled the events of last week's show and called Chris Jericho out. The Fozzy front man made his presence felt and announced he had backup...in the form of Kevin Owens.

Owens accused Cass of carrying dead weight in the form of Amore and vowed to hurt Cass for exposing him to The Certified G each and every week. Jericho followed up by warning Amore that he is going to get "it," though he failed to specify what "it" was.

Enzo threatened to shove "it" down Y2J's throat, and the segment ended abruptly with the babyface's music thundering over the PA system.

Grade

B-

Analysis

The continued interactions with Jericho and Owens heighten awareness of Enzo and Big Cass and elevate them in the eyes of fans. The mic work was strong, particularly on Owens' end as he related the story of Cass and Enzo to that of him and Sami Zayn.

That one, brief story could foreshadow the eventual split between the babyfaces.

The abrupt end of the segment hurt it a bit, costing it a stronger grade.

Enzo Amore vs. Chris Jericho

In a follow-up of the opening promo, Enzo Amore and Chris Jericho squared off in singles competition.

The former undisputed champion controlled the early portion of the match, cutting Amore off at every turn. When Y2J was sent crashing to the arena floor, the match came to a standstill as the show went to a second commercial break in short order.

Amore mounted a comeback as action returned, netting a near-fall in the process. Smack Talker Skywalker found himself trapped in the Walls of Jericho but made it to the ropes, frustrating his future Hall of Famer opponent.

A Codebreaker from Jericho had him on his way to victory, but a big boot from Cass drew the disqualification.

Y2J and Owens celebrated as Amore and Cass watched intently from the squared circle. Cass grabbed a microphone and issued a challenge to the heels for a match at SummerSlam, to which Owens and an arrogant Jericho accepted.

Result

Chris Jericho defeated Enzo Amore via disqualification.

Grade

C+

Analysis

A solid match to kick off the in-ring portion of the show. Amore is as great an underdog performer as there is, and Jericho is the perfect, cocky opposition for him. Their chemistry spells good things for the big tag team match added to the SummerSlam card.

An entire half-hour was dedicated to the feud, shining a spotlight on the four performers and enhancing the importance of their contest to the Raw brand. Imagine if WWE Creative spent that much time building up other undefined midcarders on its roster.

Braun Strowman vs. Jorel Nelson

Prior to Braun Strowman's scheduled execution...squash...of Jorel Nelson, Byron Saxton attempted to grab a word with the unlucky competitor. Nelson was petrified, speechless as he realized what awaited him.

What followed was a one-sided demolition of poor Nelson that ended with a reverse chokeslam.

Result

Braun Strowman defeated Jorel Nelson.

Grade

D

Analysis

Well...the finisher is impressive.

These squash matches always work best when the monster doing the destruction is explosive and interesting. Strowman is neither of those things so the shelf life of his squash matches is significantly shorter.

Darren Young vs. Titus O'Neil

The second attempt at a feud between Titus O'Neil and Darren Young continued Monday night with a rematch no one asked for.

O'Neil dominated early, catching Young with a big boot and taking the action to the arena floor. Young caught him charging in with a big boot and then rolled his former partner up with a handful of tights for the pinfall victory.

Result

Darren Young defeated Titus O'Neil.

Grade

D

Analysis

Young returned the favor from last week, grabbing the victory by nefarious methods, so that was fun continuity. What is not fun is the idea of this feud continuing. It failed miserably in 2014, with the lack of chemistry apparent from the get-go. Neither wrestler is exponentially better now than he was then, leaving one to wonder who thought this was a good idea.

Seth Rollins Promo

Two weeks out from SummerSlam and a date with Finn Balor to crown the first universal champion, Seth Rollins hit the ring for a promo discussing the bout.

Rollins admitted he once considered Balor a cheap, second-rate knockoff of himself. "If being simply the best was an Olympic sport, I'd have more gold medals than Michael Phelps," Rollins said, his ego inflated just slightly.

"Finn, you won two matches to get into that match at SummerSlam and granted, those two guys you beat are no joke, they're also no me," he continued.

Rollins referred to himself as the myth and legend and suggested stories will be told about him in the future and vowed to leave Brooklyn with the WWE Universal Championship.

Grade

A+

Analysis

All one must do is go back and re-watch Rollins' promo work from last year to fully understand how much he has grown as a talker. He speaks with confident and makes solid points unrelated to The Authority. Without the dark cloud of Stephanie McMahon and Triple H hanging over him, Rollins has had the opportunity to showcase his skills.

Gone is the phony laugh and in its place is an intensity we have not seen enough of since his heel turn two years ago.

This did a great job of setting up the SummerSlam title match and presenting Rollins as somewhat of a paranoid former champion, realizing Balor may have his number come August 21.

Cesaro vs. Sheamus

Cesaro exploded through the curtain, then through the ropes and onto Sheamus, as he looked to prove to management he deserved to be drafted higher than he was.

Sheamus wrestled control momentary, but the determined Swiss Superstar cut him off. As the show went to break, The Celtic Warrior flattened his opponent and checked on his teeth.

The former WWE champion worked a headlock coming out of break, but Cesaro fought his way back into the bout with a series of his trademark uppercuts.

Cesaro countered out of White Noise and nearly delivered the Cesaro Swing. He ducked out of a Brogue Kick and scored a near-fall off a rollup. Sheamus delivered the Irish Curse backbreaker and netted a two-count, the frustration setting in as evidenced by the look on his face.

Late in the match, the referee was run into during a scuffle, allowing Cesaro to score a win over the distracted Sheamus with a rollup.

Result

Cesaro defeated Sheamus.

Grade

B

Analysis

The match itself probably deserves a higher grade than "B," but the complacency of Cesaro and Sheamus doomed it.

Both men should have been reinvigorated by the draft but, instead, find themselves lost in the shuffle. They are engaged in a rivalry that is anything but awe-inspiring. No matter how strong their matches may be, nothing about them captivates audiences beyond the pure athleticism of it all.

Neither man is moving up or down. Instead, both find themselves stuck in treadmill booking, perhaps the most unenviable position to be in.

Neville and Sin Cara vs. The Dudley Boyz

Neville recruited Sin Cara to battle The Dudley Boyz in a tag team match setup earlier in the night in a backstage confrontation.

Bubba Ray and D-Von, for all their championship accolades, had no chance against the high-flying babyfaces.

Late in the match, D-Von threw a reckless clothesline that caught his own partner and led to the Red Arrow from Neville for the pinfall victory.

Result

Neville and Sin Cara defeated The Dudley Boyz.

Grade

C-

Analysis

It is disappointing to see Neville's continued misuse. The tag team division could use some strengthening but not with a Superstar capable of great things. A dynamic wrestler with an unmatched aerial arsenal, The Man That Gravity Forgot belongs in championship matches, not meaningless tag bouts.

The most interesting thing to come out of this uneventful match was D-Von's accidental clothesline of Bubba. Could this be the first hint of a split and singles run for the latter?

Roman Reigns Ruins Rusev and Lana's Wedding Ceremony

Rusev and Lana, dressed to the nines in their wedding attire, came to the ring to celebrate their union with the WWE Universe.

It would be interrupted by Roman Reigns, who pointed out that The Bulgarian Brute did not have a best man when he tied the knot. Reigns sarcastically offered to fill that void and even pour a few drinks.

Rusev was not amused, and it was only a matter of time before the two heavyweights were throwing fists at each other. In the process, Lana ended up face-first in the wedding cake—a humiliating end to a life-altering week.

Screaming "I hate you" as she stomped her feet, Lana watched as Reigns casually walked away to the WWE Universe's delight.

Grade

C-

Analysis

Is it really any surprise Vince McMahon, the creative genius behind Golden Truth, thinks the cake-to-the-fact shtick is still funny in 2016?

Bad comedic spots aside, this got Reigns over as a babyface, something WWE Creative had not been able to accomplish no matter how hard it pushed the second-generation star over the last two years. In that light, McMahon's creative process may not be as flawed as it appears on the surface.

While the boos were still there, Reigns received his most positive reaction since Philadelphia in December 2015, when he won the WWE Championship from Sheamus. Any angle that accomplishes that miracle is deserving of a fairly positive great.

Sasha Banks vs. Dana Brooke

With the promise that Dana Brooke would be banned from ringside if she could score a victory Monday night, WWE women's champion Sasha Banks battled the former fitness competitor as No. 1 contender Charlotte watched closely.

The match was short-lived as Banks outclassed Brooke and pinned her with the double knees to the midsection.

Charlotte attempted to get involved, but The Boss shut her down en route to victory.

Result

Sasha Banks defeated Dana Brooke.

Grade

D-

Analysis

WWE Creative had three hours to play with Monday night and opted to devote two minutes of ring time to women's wrestling. Couple that with last Tuesday's SmackDown Live and the farcical treatment of the female talent there and you have an alarming treatment of what the company touts as its women's revolution.

All this did was result in banning Brooke from ringside come SummerSlam. It did nothing to further the Banks-Charlotte feud, and it did not give fans a reason to care any more (or less) about their upcoming match.

At some point, WWE Creative must protect Brooke's credibility or face a scenario where her legitimacy is doomed before it can ever properly push her.

Kofi Kingston vs. Doc Gallows

One week after injuring Big E's...penile area...The Club looked to take out further frustrations on WWE tag team champions The New Day as Luke Gallows battled Kofi Kingston one-on-one.

Karl Anderson took out Xavier Woods at ringside, seizing and opening and sending him face-first into the ring post. Inside the squared circle, Gallows pinned former intercontinental and United States champion Kingston clean in the center of the ring to give him and his partner a sense of momentum heading into SummerSlam.

After the match, Gallows and Anderson attempted to injure Kingston in a method similar to how they sidelined Big E, but Woods chased them off with a steel chair.

Result

Luke Gallows defeated Kofi Kingston.

Grade

D

Analysis

Can the penis jokes stop? This is Raw in the New Era, not the sophomoric days of Vince Russo and attitude. WWE Creative, you are better than that.

Maybe. Hopefully.

This did nothing to make the tag title match at SummerSlam any more exciting. Rather than a heated feud that brings focus back to the tag team division and establishes Gallows and Anderson as threatening contenders, it has rendered the entire ordeal an exercise in penile pranks.

It does nothing to help anyone involved and devalues the titles in the process.

Daniel Bryan and Mick Foley Summit

Credit: WWE.com

Mick Foley invited Daniel Bryan to the ring for a meeting Monday night in what was the most hyped segment of the entire show. Instead of a newsworthy occurrence, it was but an excuse to set up an impromptu main event.

Bryan had fun at Foley's expense, goading him into booking a United States Championship match between Rusev, who had interrupted the proceedings, and Cesaro.

Foley reluctantly did just that, despite the fact Roman Reigns had booked himself a championship opportunity at SummerSlam.

Grade

C+

Analysis

Things were tense between Bryan and Foley, who thought his rival general manager was smug and sarcastic in his approach to the meeting. Perhaps that was the case. Bryan did poke and prod at Foley verbally, even going as far as to incite a "Yes" chant that forced Foley into scheduling a match he had no interest in.

Can fans expect to see continued escalation of hostilities between Raw and SmackDown authority figures going forward?

The grade is reflective of how uneventful the grand meeting was. After a week of hype, it accomplished little more than booking a championship match that was not originally scheduled and made little sense within the context of ongoing stories.

United States Championship Match: Cesaro vs. Rusev

Credit: WWE.com

The Swiss Superstar, fresh off a victory over Sheamus, attempted to add championship gold to his waist as he battled Rusev in a match that had no business being as close as it was. After all, Cesaro had wrestled a physically exhausting match against The Celtic Warrior earlier in the night. Yet, there he was, coming inches away from dethroning The Bulgarian Brute.

Unfortunately for him, it was that budding rivalry with Sheamus that cost Cesaro the signature win.

Late in the match, Cesaro was rolling when Sheamus reared his ugly head. The Swiss competitor thwarted one attempt to interfere but failed to block the Brogue Kick that put him down and allowed Rusev to leave Anaheim with his title reign intact.

After the match, as Rusev celebrated, Roman Reigns appeared and flattened his SummerSlam opponent with a thunderous spear and stood tall to end the show.

Result

Rusev defeated Cesaro.

Grade

B+

Analysis

This was an outstanding way to shine the spotlight on Cesaro. Did he lose? Sure, but it took a ref bump and Sheamus' repeated interference to keep him from claiming gold. After a great performance against the Irishman earlier in the night, he proved Rusev's equal in the main event—something fans will not be quick to forget.

For Cesaro, losing netted him as much positive energy as winning the midcard title would have.

The close of the show, with Reigns delivering the spear, will certainly have some complaining but realistically, it added more heat to a heavyweight showdown that could be one of the dark-horse contenders to steal the show come SummerSlam.