WWE Raw results, recap and highlights: The slow slog to SummerSlam carries on

The latest episode of WWE Raw aired from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois on Tuesday (August 3). The crowd in Chicago are notorious for being both passionate and raucous. And given recent events – such as the release of superstar Bray Wyatt – it was always going to be interesting to see how the crowd reacted. Indeed, they made themselves heard many times. As expected, a few ‘CM Punk’ chants came through. But for the most part, the show itself felt lacking in spark. Such is always the case when the top feuds of the show feel like they are dragging.

Let’s get right to an analysis of the main results and also a best of the rest.

Goldberg-Lashley a dud thus far

It’s hard to get invested in any program involving Goldberg. The former WCW star has a contractual obligation that will see him partake in a minimum number of matches. So long-term storylines are absolutely never an option.

To make things worse, the aging star was put in a segment that served to highlight his weaknesses. Goldberg’s strength lies in looking intimidating and tearing through opposition. Here, he had to cut a five-minute promo – which felt about twice as long.

“And because I’m @Goldberg… at #SummerSlam, champ, YOU’RE NEXT!”@fightbobby@The305MVP#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/ozQY3mXrbV

— WWE (@WWE) August 3, 2021

Goldberg telling WWE champion Bobby Lashley that he will die by the spear as Goldberg lives by it was… interesting, let’s say? The only highlight of the entire segment was MVP.

So of course he was the one who ate a spear when he and Lashley trash-talked Goldberg’s son, who was sitting ringside.

At this point, no one knows who will win this title match at SummerSlam. But the fact is the feud cannot end soon enough. It is both uninspired and boring at the same time.

Charlotte takes another L

Former Raw women’s champion Charlotte Flair came out to cut a long, rambling promo in which she somehow namedropped Simone Biles and also expressed frustration aplenty. Okay then.

To say it was uninteresting would be an understatement. The best part of the segment? Women’s champion Nikki A.S.H slamming her with a steel chair.

The two met in a No Holds Barred title match in the main event. If you’re wondering why Charlotte was getting a title shot despite being booked in a triple threat for the championship at SummerSlam, join the club.

The match was expectedly good, with Charlotte dominating for long bouts. However, she went through a table after Nikki ducked out of the way. The resulting cover got a two-count, but Nikki did a dragonscrew DDT and picked up the win.

ALMOST A SUPERHERO.
TOTALLY A WIN.#WWERaw Women’s Champion #NikkiASH defeats @MsCharlotteWWE in an incredible No Holds Barred Match!@NikkiCrossWWE pic.twitter.com/wNenmYzX1T

— WWE (@WWE) August 3, 2021

The former Nikki Cross winning the match was welcome, as champions should not look weak unless absolutely needed. However, the match itself taking place was weird.

They have a stacked women’s roster yet only use the same few women every week. Surely a little variety won’t hurt? It might, in fact, freshen up a stale product.

WWE Raw – best of the rest

• Drew McIntyre took on Veer and Shanky in a match that ended in a DQ when Jinder Mahal attacked McIntyre with a chair. This was one of those classic WWE Raw segments where no one got over and everyone came out looking bad. Less of this, please.
• Rhea Ripley defeated Nia Jax in a decent hoss fight. The finish saw Shayna Baszler cause a distraction that saw Jax rolled up and pinned. Stop me if you’ve heard that one before. It also looks like Jax and Baszler are breaking up, which isn’t the worst thing in the world.
• T-Bar and Mace beat Mustafa Ali and Mansoor. Ali got quite the reception from the crowd, being a Chicago native himself. The match was fun and advances the story of Ali and Mansoor needing to get on the same page more. Signs of it are there already, as they hit suicide dives in stereo to a massive crowd reaction. But Mace and T-Bar winning is the right call.
• Tamina beat Doudrop in a singles match that was fine for what it was. After the match, Alexa Bliss taunted Eva Marie and Doudrop from the screen. This led to the team attacking Alexa and Lilly afterwards. Now that Wyatt’s gone, let’s hope they drop this supernatural powers story?
• Damien Priest beat John Morrison but was attacked afterwards. So Ricochet came out to make the save and was attacked by Sheamus. You know what that means – tag team match, playa! Priest and Ricochet won, of course.
• Omos beat Riddle in a glorified squash. Riddle didn’t look bad but this match was meant to build Omos, and it did just that.
• Karrion Kross – the NXT champion, remember – lost to Keith Lee. Both men need wins for momentum, so of course WWE books them against each other. Perfect example of how not to build new stars.
• 24/7 champion Reggie beat Akira Tozawa to retain his title. It was a fun little bit of filler and it is actually nice to see the title defended instead of being a backstage comedy prop.

WWE Raw grade: C