WWE Raw Results: Highlights, Analysis, and Grades for July 3

Source: WWE.com

Neville vs. Mustafa Ali

Result: Neville defeated Mustafa Ali via submission

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

I really wanted to love this match, but I feel like they were both trying to shoot maim the other. It was a little uncomfortable to watch, to be honest. Exciting, for sure – but this was the stiffest cruiserweight match I’ve seen in a long time.

With a Cruiserweight Championship defense coming up on Sunday (on the Kickoff Show, bleh), the likelihood of Neville taking a loss was slim to none. His whole gimmick is King of the Cruiserweights – why have him lose to a “peasant” who hasn’t even earned the right to challenge for the title. But Ali is probably one of the most exciting superstars on 205 Live, so this had the “wow” factor in its favor.

So we get Ali planting Neville with a tornado DDT, Neville launching Ali off the turnbuckle face first into the barricade, that sort of thing. It was kind of rough. But in a good way!

The lariat by Neville to prevent the rolling neckbreaker was a tremendous maneuver. And Neville’s Rings of Saturn looks so painful every time he locks it in. Good, but uncomfortable, stuff here.

Alexa Bliss

Charly Caruso asks the hard hitting questions, and Bliss puts her down. Sounds like Goddess behavior to me.