WWE Raw: Results, Highlights, and Grades for July 23, 2018

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Winner Faces Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam in a Universal Championship Match

Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley

Result: Roman Reigns defeated Bobby Lashley via pinfall

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Say what you want about either or both of these superstars, but this match ruled. Neither Reigns nor Lashley has any delusions about what kind of in-ring performer he is. So they just lean into what makes them elite: For Reigns, it’s being a great striker, and for Lashley it’s throwing his opponent around like a maniac.

https://twitter.com/WWEUniverse/status/1021589833439801344

And when they stick to their guns like this, it’s almost impossible to have a bad match. It’s not quite as good as their match at Extreme Rules, but it’s damn good. Even little things you might not recognize: After Reigns hit the legdrop while Lashley was in the ropes, he went for a pin. Lashley was real close to the ropes, so Reigns hooked both the leg and the arm, to prevent a rope break. How easy would it have been to just go for a pin and ignore the potential break?

What really helps the match along is Roman’s ability to kick out at 2.999 with regularity. How many times did it look like Lashley would end up with a second win over the Big Dog in a matter of weeks, only for Reigns to pop the shoulder up with the ref’s hand millimeters from the mat for the three count? It’s something he really excels at, and even the most “LOL Roman Wins” fans have to admit Reigns makes you think he’s down and out.

I really thought there would be some kind of shenanigans to lead to a triple threat match at SummerSlam. A clean win by Reigns was a little surprising, especially since now he and Lashley are all even. But after these two beat the hell out of each other for 20 minutes, I’d have been okay with either man winning. Hell, I would have been okay with the triple threat. There’s still time between now and SummerSlam to get to that point, I guess. But if Reigns vs. Lesnar is what we’re getting, it should deliver.

The only question now is what does Lashley do at SummerSlam? Universal Championship is set, Intercontinental Championship is set, and Braun Strowman and Kevin Owens are booked. Not sure what’s on the horizon for the Dominator, but the next few weeks should clue us in.

Next: WWE Needs to Put the Universal Championship on Bobby Lashley

What did you think of this week’s episode of WWE Raw?