WWE Raw: Results, Highlights, and Grades for July 16, 2018

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Drew McIntyre vs. Finn Bálor vs. Roman Reigns

Result: Roman Reigns pinned Finn Bálor to win the match

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars

Prior to the match, Constable Corbin questions Kurt Angle as to why he made a perfectly logical decision. It’s like Angle is a reformed drug dealer, and Corbin is his PO wondering why he became a school custodian instead of a sanitation worker. Let the man have his win, Baron!

Of course, Corbin is mad because he didn’t get one of the six spots. Maybe someone should tell Big Banter that you get booked by wandering into the ring near the authority figure, not by complaining backstage. The whole “But you lost!” thing would be a perfect argument from Angle, had Rollins and Reigns not lost at Extreme Rules, too. But Shield Bros, I guess.

And predictably, this match owned. Drew McIntyre by far did the most to impress, at least to those still unaware of just how good he was between his WWE stints. He looked like a billion bucks, and that topé to Reigns outside the ring shouldn’t be possible. The announcers kept putting him over as a future Universal Champion, and that prophecy should be realized on August 19.

Bálor also looked really good, as he continues to be the first superstar to earn a rematch for the Universal Championship after losing it. The stuff with the chair was excellent, as was the story of Finn’s frustration at not getting a rematch. The extra edge to Finn’s persona as the Universal Championship is within grasp is great storytelling.

But besides the expected Finn/Corbin stuff, the most obvious possible outcome was a Reigns win here and a Lashley win later to set up an Extreme Rules rematch won by Reigns.

Although the callback to Bálor’s second-ever match on WWE Raw in 2016 led you to believe he would once again score a pinfall over The Big Dog, Reigns managed to survive and move on to next week.

Just like everyone expected. But it was a great match, and that’s the most important thing here.

Kurt Has an Epiphany

After realizing “friendship counseling” went horribly wrong, Kurt Angle books Sasha Banks and Bayley into a tag match against Dana Brooke and Alicia Fox. And if they can’t co-exist, one will be traded to SmackDown.

Bye Bayley, it’s been nice knowing you.