WWE Raw: AJ Lee’s Return Electrifies, But Is the Megastar Fading?
Let’s be honest, Monday Night Raw has been doing a surprisingly decent job treading water without its top dog, Cody Rhodes. As the WWE universe careens towards the first-ever Wrestlepalooza, the Raw Milwaukee crowd was treated to a show that had a little bit of everything: a legendary return, sibling drama, and a main event that left more questions than answers. It was a classic three-hour rollercoaster, and your humble correspondent is here to break it all down from last night’s Raw.
AJ Lee Reminds Everyone Why She’s a Legend On Raw
Okay, let’s get this out of the way immediately. AJ Lee is back, and my god, she hasn’t lost a step. Her first promo in a WWE ring in a decade was an absolute masterclass. This wasn’t some pre-scripted, robotic monologue; this was pure, uncut April Mendez speaking from the soul. She was funny, she was vulnerable, and she had the entire arena eating out of the palm of her hand. She talked about her mental health struggles and somehow got a “therapy” chant going. A “therapy” chant! At a wrestling show! That’s like getting a “salad” chant at a steakhouse. Pure magic.
Naturally, the good vibes couldn’t last forever. Becky Lynch, sporting sunglasses so absurd they must have been stolen from a 1980s Elton John lookalike contest, came out to complain about her stolen Intercontinental Championship. The hypocrisy was thicker than a milkshake, as she accused CM Punk of hiding behind his wife, the very thing Punk accused Seth Rollins of doing. It was a beautiful, chaotic mess of insults and stolen catchphrases.
The whole Raw segment built to a fever pitch when Lee laid down the gauntlet: either fight me for the belt or face me and Punk in a mixed tag match at Wrestlepalooza. Rollins, ever the opportunist, accepted the tag match after nearly getting his head taken off by a surprise GTS from Punk. And just like that, the most exciting return in recent memory has a date with destiny. This feels fresh, it feels important, and frankly, it feels like a shot of adrenaline this company desperately needed.
The Usos: A Family Divided?
The show kicked off with The Usos back together, and the tag team division on Raw is immediately better for it. But let’s talk about the elephant in the room: Jimmy Uso is on another level right now. On the mic, he was so much more fluid and natural than his brother Jey. It makes you wonder what could have been if Jimmy had gotten that main event push. No shade to Jey, but if you’re drafting a promo team, Jimmy’s your first-round pick right now.
Their reunion, however, feels about as stable as a Jenga tower in an earthquake. They came out to Jey’s solo theme, and by the end of the night, the cracks were already showing. After a main event melee, Jimmy was left scratching his head when Jey seemingly bailed early. Jimmy’s line, “You’re starting to sound like Roman Reigns,” hit like a ton of bricks. If they’re setting up another brother vs. brother feud, they’re playing with fire. We’ve seen that movie, and while the first one was a blockbuster, the sequel rarely lives up to the hype.
What’s the Deal With LA Knight?
Speaking of sequels nobody asked for, what is WWE Creative doing with LA Knight? The guy’s character is finally evolving, but he’s collecting losses like they’re going out of style. He lost “cleanly” (if you count a distraction finish as clean, which I don’t) to “Big” Bronson Reed in the main event. The match itself was perfectly fine, but the whole “Vision” stable is starting to feel as inspired as a corporate team-building exercise.
The Raw post-match beatdown was predictable, but the real story was Jey Uso delivering a shocking Spear to Knight. It was a full-blown heel turn that Jimmy looked none too pleased about. It has the vibe of what Edge and Christian are doing over in AEW—the classic heel/face dynamic in a team that’s bonded by history.
It is an interesting angle, but Knight is getting lost in the shuffle. The man is a certified star, and right now, he’s being treated like a jobber to the stars. Someone in creative needs to throw this man a life raft, and fast. He’s earned it. This has been your WWE Raw breakdown.
