Seth Rollins’ “vision” for the future of wrestling includes holding the world heavyweight championship. Rollins was moments away from seeing that come to fruition against Jey Uso on Monday’s episode of Raw when Sami Zayn and CM Punk intervened to allow Uso to retain the title.
Paul Heyman executed the first part of Rollins’ plan at the top of the show, baiting an “unprepared” Uso into a title match later in the night. Unfortunately, Heyman and Rollins didn’t count on Punk and Zayn evening the odds, eventually leading to a disqualification that allowed Uso to escape Monday night still in possession of the title.
CBS Sports was with you all night with recaps and highlights of all the action from CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
Sami Zayn and CM Punk save Jey Uso during title match with Seth Rollins
Jey Uso was out to open the show and he quickly called Logan Paul to the ring after the pair’s issues on the previous week’s Raw. Instead of Paul, it was Paul Heyman who made his way to the ring. After back-and-forth between the two about Heyman turning on Roman Reigns and CM Punk at WrestleMania, Heyman admitted none of that had anything to do with Uso. What mattered, however, was that Seth Rollins not only wanted but needed to be world heavyweight champion. Heyman challenged Uso to face Rollins any time, any place, anywhere. Uso responded to the challenge by offering up the title match later in the night. Heyman was shown backstage telling Rollins that Uso “fell for it,” with Rollins responding, “I told you so.”
World Heavyweight Championship — Seth Rollins def. Jey Uso (c) via disqualification. Breakker interfered when the referee was distracted, leading to a near fall after a Rollins superplex, falcon arrow and stomp. After that, Sami Zayn’s music hit before he attacked Breakker from the crowd. Rollins was distracted, allowing Uso to hit a super kick, spear and Uso Splash for a two-count. Breakker then took out Zayn with a spear outside the ring. Uso left the ring to tend to Zayn but got crushed by a Breakker spear. Back in the ring, Rollins hit another stomp but CM Punk’s music hit before Rollins could score the pin. Punk took out Breakker with a steel chair and then entered the ring where he hit Rollins with the chair to end the match. Rollins and Breakker then scampered away and up the entrance ramp to end the show.
The title match was always going to end without a true result. Uso has yet to successfully defend the title he won at WrestleMania and WWE isn’t in a period where they would so quickly take the title off of a transitional champion, but they also couldn’t have Rollins lose cleanly right after forming a new top group. Knowing that, it always felt like a countdown to run-ins from the likes of Zayn and Punk. That said, it’s nice to see that Rollins’ motivations include wanting Raw’s top title rather than simply talking about his being at the center of the “vision” for the future of wrestling. Grade: B
What else happened on WWE Raw?
- Penta def. JD McDonagh via pinfall with a Mexican destroyer. Penta dealt with interference from Carlito, Finn Balor and Chad Gable but still managed the victory. It was announced later in the show that Penta would face intercontinental champion Dominik Mysterio for the title at Backlash.
- Sheamus def. Austin Theory via pinfall with a Brogue Kick. Adam Pearce had given Grayson Waller the Sheamus match before Theory walked up and Waller said he wanted to be a good tag team partner and offered Theory the match instead, leaving it as a surprise that Sheamus was the opponent.
- Lyra Valkyria hit Becky Lynch with Nightwing after the two brawled. Valkyria interrupted a Lynch promo, and the two traded words until Lynch tried a sucker punch. The brawl spilled outside the ring and then back in where Valkyria countered a Manhandle Slam into Nightwing.
- Iyo Sky def. Roxanne Perez via pinfall with a counter into a pinning combination. After the match, Perez offered Sky a handshake, which Sky accepted and the two bowed before Perez left the ring. Sky gave her a thumbs up before Giulia attacked Sky from behind and Perez ran back into the ring to join in on the assault. With Rhea Ripley in Australia, there was no one there to make the save for Sky.
- Rusev def. Otis via submission after locking in an Accolade. After the match, Akira Tozawa entered the ring, ripped off his shirt and challenged Rusev to a match “right here, right now,” but Rusev ducked out of the ring. As Tozawa tended to Otis, Rusev ran back to the ring and powerbombed Tozawa onto his Alpha Academy teammate before throwing Otis into the ring post several times. Rusev finished the assault by putting Otis back in the Accolade.
- Pat McAfee and Gunther came face-to-face ahead of Backlash. McAfee told Gunther that he could tell this version of Gunther had lost his passion for wrestling and it was just a job for him now. McAfee said that Gunther would overlook him just like Gunther overlooked Sami Zayn and Jey Uso and he would make him pay. Gunther thanked McAfee for putting him in the right mood, saying that now he would not overlook or underestimate McAfee and that McAfee would have his undivided attention.
