Welcome to the Raw Review for July 17, 2017. For both this and Smackdown, I will go over what the big talking points were, pick the match of the night, and look ahead to the next show.
Talking Points
Kurt’s Secret
We finally got an answer on what the phone and text messages for the past few weeks have to do with Kurt Angle. Kurt came out to the ring and admitted that he had fathered a child in college. That son had joined the WWE and Kurt was bringing him to Raw. The son turned out to be American Alpha’s own Jason Jordan. There are many questions after this revel. Will Kurt use his position in order to make favorable matches for his son? What does this mean for Chad Gable? We will get the answers in the coming weeks, but I would just like to point out how well Kurt sold this. He was crying as Jordan came out, looking like a true father. Kurt is special and the WWE Universe is lucky to have him
A Repaired Shield?
The Shield was one of my favorite stables and I was sad when they broke up. On Raw, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins talked about the night that Rollins tore it all down. We got a surprising apology from Rollins and an offer for Dean to hit him with a chair if that’s what it would take to trust him again. The Miz and his band of goons attacked, which will lead to a match between Rollins and Dean and The Miztourage next week. The good guys are down by one in this match up. If only there was someone they could turn to…
The Eater vs. The King
Elias Samson and Finn Balor had another match, I think the third in as many weeks. After Sampson hit Balor with a guitar, the lights went out and Bray Wyatt appeared on the screen. His taunts and threats directed toward Balor means that Wyatt has found his next opponent. The build, which I hope will lead to a match at Summerslam, should be very interesting. The power of Wyatt should match well with the speed of Baylor. Even with his skill, it might be too much for Baylor to fight the self proclaimed God. Perhaps he must make a change…into a Demon.
Match of the Night
Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe (No Contest)
If you are a fan of hard hitting, near falls, and almost total destruction, this match was made for you. Roman Regins and Samoa Joe went all out, giving fans a match that could have headlined a pay-per-view. Joe looked like a monster and Reigns was only a small step behind. Reigns looked to punch his ticket to Summerslam, but Braun Strowman made his return. He set his sights on anyone including Joe. When it was over, Strowman was the only one left standing. The question remains: Who is the #1 contender for Brock Lesnar? We might see a triple threat to settle this question next week, or maybe the championship match at Summerslam will be a fatal four-way.
Conclusion
In regards to the women, Baily and Sasha Banks will meet next week to determine who is the number one contender. There are still quite a few matches for the red band of WWE to fill in for Sumerslam. We will see how Angle treats his “son.” Cesaro and Sheamus need some competition. And two former members of The Shield look to beat the Hollywood out of the Miztourage. This week’s show wasn’t the strongest, but it made me excited to see what happens next week.