There was a lot to love about Monday Night RAW this week as WWE continued the build to SummerSlam 2025. The July 21 edition of RAW continued several storylines across the card, many of those culminating at WWE’s biggest party of the summer.
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WWE took over the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas just two weeks before SummerSlam, and it very much felt as though feuds were heating up in a big way. We had new number one contenders crowned, rivals facing off in heated promos, show-stealing matches, and, of course, Roman Reigns’ announced appearance, which is always notable when it happens. Let’s take a look at RAW’s best bits and biggest talking points.
AJ Styles Is Stalking Dominik Mysterio
- Dominik Mysterio has been ducking AJ Styles for weeks.
- AJ Styles keeps showing up in disguises to torment Mysterio.
- This entire feud has been fun, and continued to be on RAW.
AJ Styles has needed something new for a long time, and although his recent character change hasn’t seen him back in the main event scene, this “master of disguise” persona has been one of the funniest on WWE programming in recent weeks and has been perfect for this stage of his career. Styles has been showing up on Monday Night RAW in an array of disguises, with him this week dressing as a valet, cleaner, and doctor to try and not only get his hands on Mysterio, but to continue checking to see if he’s cleared to compete and defend the Intercontinental Title.
This has allowed both men to showcase a lot of personality on WWE programming, and it has allowed the Intercontinental Title feud to stand out as something unique, not feeling like just a basic rivalry. RAW this week saw Adam Pearce finally show frustration and demand that Mysterio get a medical evaluation or give up the gold, leading to a title match announcement for SummerSlam.
Gunther & CM Punk’s War Of Words Before SummerSlam
- CM Punk became number one contender last week.
- Punk was hyped up and motivated to face Gunther.
- Gunther’s promo added doubt to Punk’s confidence.
CM Punk emerged on RAW for a rallying babyface promo, telling the fans that he’d give it his all to become the World Heavyweight Champion at SummerSlam 2025 after running the gauntlet to earn a shot the previous week. Titleholder Gunther came out to deliver yet another top-class speech, something which has become a trademark of his rivalries.
Gunther spoke on how his ego has been backed up with results and titles, whereas Punk’s has been backed up only by the chants of fans for ten years. He scathingly ran through Punk and explained how he’d destroy him at SummerSlam. This added clear doubt to Punk ahead of SummerSlam, which is a nice-added layer to their match, making Punk more of the underdog.
Iyo Sky & Stephanie Vaquer Steal The Show
- Vaquer and Sky wanted to prove who is the best on RAW.
- Their match was fantastic and the best one of the night.
- The match ended in chaos with Chelsea Green, but it was a finish that worked.
The finish of this match was frustrating as Chelsea Green let her faction cause a no-contest. However, the result added further to the story of Iyo Sky and Stephanie Vaquer being unable to prove who is the better wrestler (much like was the case on the RAW after WrestleMania), adding stakes and importance to whenever they battle over a championship on a premium live event down the line.
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Prior to the finish, the match between Iyo Sky and Stephanie Vaquer was great and easily one of the best parts of Monday Night RAW. Their chemistry was undeniable, the action was smooth, and they got the audience highly invested in the action. The chaotic ending did add to several stories, including Vaquer vs. Chelsea Green, and the Women’s World Title picture as both Rhea Ripley and Naomi joined the fray.
Roman Reigns Finally Acknowledges The Bloodline
- Roman Reigns stated that The Bloodline members helped his run at the top.
- He traded words with Paul Heyman.
- He and Jey Uso teamed up to take out Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed.
Roman Reigns’ babyface turn has had something missing for quite some time, with him failing to truly redeem himself after all his heinous acts and heelish antics over the last several years. We saw some development on RAW during his promo showdown with Paul Heyman, Bron Breakker, and Bronson Reed.
Reigns acknowledged the fact that his run as Tribal Chief needed the help of The Usos, Solo Sikoa, and Sami Zayn, something he hadn’t admitted previously. It was a small note, but it was very important to his overall redemption. The segment to close RAW helped to add heat to SummerSlam, but, importantly, it showed a better version of a babyface Roman Reigns, especially since he showed some attitude, edge, humor, and fearlessness. However, he still needs to apologize!
