The final episode of WWE Raw before SummerSlam featured several major developments ahead of this weekend’s premium live event.
Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi came face-to-face inside Hell in a Cell during an explosive weigh-in, Raquel Rodriguez challenged Sol Ruca for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins met for one last confrontation before their World Heavyweight Championship clash, and The Bloodline rivalry intensified with a chaotic brawl involving LA Knight, Jacob Fatu and Royce Keys.
Elsewhere, Je’Von Evans looked to build momentum against Rusev, Rey Mysterio faced Ethan Page, and The Vision continued to make an impact on Raw.
Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi weigh in for Hell in a Cell
Last night’s Raw opened with Michael Cole and Corey Graves welcoming viewers before Oba Femi headed to the ring, where Adam Pearce and Triple H were waiting inside the Hell in a Cell structure for the official SummerSlam weigh-in.
Pearce explained that before Femi challenged Brock Lesnar inside Hell in a Cell, both men would officially weigh in. Femi tipped the scales at 302 pounds before Lesnar made his entrance alongside Paul Heyman.
After locking the Cell door behind him, Heyman warned everyone that allowing Lesnar inside the structure was a mistake. He labelled Femi the underdog and reminded everyone that Lesnar had never lost a Hell in a Cell match, insisting that record would remain intact. Heyman then revealed Lesnar had already weighed in backstage at 303 pounds.
Lesnar simply told Femi he would see him at SummerSlam, but the champion had other ideas.
Femi stopped Lesnar from leaving and declared that Lesnar was mistaken if he thought he was walking away freely. He warned Lesnar that it was Brock who would be trapped inside Hell in a Cell with him, not the other way around.
Frustrated that Lesnar had already departed, Femi turned his attention to the security officers surrounding the ring. He laid waste to multiple officers, chokeslamming one before planting another with Fall From Grace as Raw began with a dominant statement from “The Ruler”.
The Vision vs. Alpha Academy
Bron Breakker started the match against Otis before Akira Tozawa tagged himself into the contest. Breakker immediately overpowered Tozawa, driving him into the corner before Austin Theory entered the match to continue the assault.
Maxxine Dupri created an opening from ringside by tripping Tozawa while Theory distracted the referee, allowing The Vision to remain firmly in control throughout the early stages. Tozawa absorbed a lengthy period of punishment but eventually fought back after escaping a submission attempt and climbing to the top rope.
Any momentum was short-lived, however, when Logan Paul distracted both Tozawa and the referee from ringside. Theory capitalised by getting his knees up before Breakker received the tag and exploded across the ring with a devastating Spear to secure the victory.
Winner: The Vision
Following the bell, Breakker and Theory continued attacking Tozawa until Otis made the save with a pair of shoulder tackles. As Otis climbed the ropes looking for a comeback, Dupri distracted him from the apron.
The distraction allowed Theory and Breakker to hit a double powerbomb from the ropes before Breakker flattened Otis with another Spear. Theory then added insult to injury by smashing a chair into Otis’ head against the ring post, leaving Alpha Academy laid out.
Rusev vs. Je’Von Evans
Je’Von Evans looked to use his speed from the opening bell, catching Rusev with a dropkick before following up with a hurricanrana and another dropkick that sent the powerhouse to the floor.
Rusev quickly halted Evans’ momentum, catching him with a right hand before launching him with a thunderous Fallaway Slam. The Bulgarian Brute continued to dominate during the commercial break, throwing Evans over the barricade before slowing the pace with a submission hold.
Evans refused to stay down and battled back with a flipping kick before soaring over the top rope onto Rusev at ringside. He later connected with a Busaiku Knee after escaping The Accolade, but Rusev reapplied the submission and appeared to have the match won.
Evans survived once again by reaching the ropes. When Rusev charged in looking for the Machka Kick, Evans countered with a Stunner before delivering the OG Cutter to score a huge upset victory.
Winner: Je’Von Evans
Joe Hendry and Danhausen hold a concert
Joe Hendry and Danhausen entertained the WWE Universe with a musical performance mocking The Judgment Day, repeatedly singing “I believe that you are cursed” while accompanied by three Minihausens and several dancers.
The performance was interrupted when boxer Ryan Garcia jumped the barricade and smashed a guitar across Hendry’s back. Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh then stormed the ring to attack Danhausen, quickly overcoming the Minihausens before Dominik finished the assault with a Frog Splash.
After the commercial break, WWE aired another teaser confirming that Big Cass will return on the Raw after SummerSlam on August 3.
Rey Mysterio vs. Ethan Page
Rey Mysterio attempted to use his speed early, but Ethan Page countered by powerbombing the WWE Hall of Famer onto the ring apron after catching him in an electric chair position over the top rope.
Page remained in control throughout much of the contest, driving Rey into the announce desk before continuing to target him in the ring. Rey eventually mounted a comeback by sending Page shoulder-first into the ring post and later followed with a hurricanrana that sent Page crashing into the announce desk.
Rey looked poised to finish the match after lining up the 619, but Page cleverly used the ring skirt as a shield before capitalising with the Egoplex to pick up the victory.
Winner: Ethan Page
Danhausen receives unusual SummerSlam stipulation
Backstage, Danhausen was shown recovering in his laboratory alongside the injured Minihausens following the earlier attack by The Judgment Day. Adam Pearce checked on the group, only for Danhausen to demand that his SummerSlam match against Dominik Mysterio become a Human Monies On A Pole Match.
Pearce agreed to the request, officially adding the unique stipulation to their SummerSlam encounter.
The Usos confront Solo Sikoa, LA Knight and Royce Keys
The Usos headed to the ring to address the WWE Universe ahead of SummerSlam.
Jimmy Uso declared that The Bloodline had arrived in Los Angeles before Jey Uso issued a warning to Solo Sikoa, LA Knight and Royce Keys. Before Jey could continue, Sikoa interrupted from the crowd.
Sikoa claimed that the real Bloodline was the one led by him and dismissed the current version of the group. Jimmy fired back by telling Sikoa to make things easy on himself, but Sikoa mocked The Usos before insisting he had no intention of ever returning to Roman Reigns’ Bloodline and that there was no love lost between the two sides.
LA Knight then interrupted and sided with Sikoa, blaming The Usos for costing Royce Keys a Number One Contender’s opportunity on SmackDown. Rather than waiting until SummerSlam, Knight decided to settle matters immediately by marching to the ring alongside Sikoa.
The Usos initially gained the upper hand, but the numbers game soon caught up with them until Jacob Fatu stormed to ringside to even the odds.
Royce Keys quickly followed and attacked Jimmy Uso on the entrance ramp before squaring off with Fatu. The two heavyweights traded blows before Keys briefly staggered Fatu, only for Fatu to respond with the Tongan Death Grip.
Sikoa broke up the exchange with a Samoan Spike on Fatu, allowing Keys to deliver a spinebuster before Knight finished the sequence with a BFT, leaving Fatu laid out as tensions continued to escalate before SummerSlam.
WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship Match: Sol Ruca (c) vs. Raquel Rodriguez
Raquel Rodriguez challenged Sol Ruca for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship in one of the night’s featured title matches.
Ruca started brightly, connecting with a moonsault to the outside before taking the fight to the champion. Rodriguez eventually slowed the pace, using her strength advantage to control much of the contest and grounding Ruca with a prolonged submission hold.
Back from the commercial break, Ruca fought back with an impressive DDT from the top rope that almost secured the victory, but Rodriguez kicked out.
The closing moments quickly descended into chaos.
Roxanne Perez appeared at ringside only for Ruca to neutralise her. Liv Morgan then tripped Ruca from the outside, allowing Rodriguez to steal a near fall. Moments later, Iyo Sky ran to ringside and brawled with Morgan, sending her into the ring post.
As Ruca looked to finish Rodriguez with the Sol Snatcher, Perez pulled her across the ropes while the referee’s attention was elsewhere. The distraction gave Rodriguez the opening she needed to plant Ruca with the Texana Bomb and score the decisive three-count.
Winner: Raquel Rodriguez – NEW WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion
Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins meet before SummerSlam
Roman Reigns closed the show by making his way to the ring ahead of his World Heavyweight Championship clash with Seth Rollins at SummerSlam.
Before Reigns could address the crowd, Rollins interrupted and sarcastically demanded that Los Angeles acknowledge him instead. Reigns responded by calling Rollins an “a**hole”, prompting Rollins to admit that label suited him just fine.
Rollins reminded Reigns that while The Tribal Chief may have advantages in many areas, he believed nobody was better than him inside the ring. He insisted he owned both Reigns’ mind and their rivalry, questioning whether Reigns would once again rely on family interference to defeat him at SummerSlam.
Reigns fired back by declaring himself the only true superstar and champion in WWE. He admitted he needed to defeat Rollins not only for himself, but for his family and the entire wrestling industry.
Rollins referenced cashing in Money in the Bank at WrestleMania 31, reminding Reigns that he had previously sent his family home in tears. He claimed he hoped Reigns’ family would be in attendance at SummerSlam so they could witness another painful defeat.
The personal comments finally pushed Reigns over the edge.
The champion exploded with a flurry of right hands before dropping Rollins with a Spear. Reigns briefly picked up the World Heavyweight Championship before instead grabbing a steel chair, looking to inflict even more punishment.
As Reigns re-entered the ring with the chair, Rollins countered by driving him face-first into it with a Curb Stomp. Rollins stood tall over Reigns’ fallen body as Raw came to a close, giving the challenger the final word before one of SummerSlam’s biggest matches.
