Bodeen’s Top 5 Moments: WWE RAW (7/5/21)

Bodeen brings you his Top 5 moments from the July 7 Raw, including another great Ricochet vs John Morrison showdown!

Monday Night RAW once again came to us from the Thunderdome this week as RAW had its second last show before Money In The Bank as well as the return of live crowds. Despite a slow opening segment that dragged on, RAW managed to improve some of its major problems as it delivered a somewhat solid showing this week with names such a Ricochet, John Morrison, AJ Styles and Riddle stealing the show this week as they delivered and put on some amazing matches leading up to Money In The Bank a week from Sunday.

So without further ado, I am Bodeen Green and I am back to look at the positives as I take a look at the top 5 moments from this week’s edition of Monday Night RAW.

5. Mustafa Ali teaches Mansoor a big lesson   

Mansoor and Mustafa Ali would once again confront each other this week on RAW as they went one on one. Before the match, Mansoor would ask Mustafa Ali about why he eliminated him in the Battle Royale last week on RAW, with Mustafa Ali explaining to Mansoor that he did not want Mansoor to end up like him. Ali would dominate the early part of the match, wearing down Mansoor with holds, yelling advice to Mansoor throughout the match.

Mansoor would later get some offence in against Ali, send Ali to the rope. When rolling to the ropes, Ali foot would get underneath the bottom rope. Rather than using this to his advantage, Mansoor would help his opponent free his foot from the ropes. Ali would then roll up an unaware Mansoor for a win out of nowhere.

While this was a short match, it told a great story with Mansoor’s inexperience costing him the match. Hopefully, WWE have a long term plan for this storyline has it has great potential.

4. Lucha House Party and Mace and T-BAR put on a solid performance  

While it was nothing special, Lucha House Party and Mace and T-BAR would put on a solid match in the short time they had with each other. Early in the match Lucha House Party would use their agility against the two big men, keeping their distance using kicks to try and wear their opponent only for T-BAR to catch Lince Dorado in mid-air hitting the Lucha House Party member with a backbreaker.

T-BAR and Mace would use their power throughout the match to dominate the Lucha House Party during the match with the Lucha House Party getting cut off throughout the match whenever they would try and make a big comeback as Mace and T-BAR showcased their power. Late in the match Mace and T-BAR would attempt High Justice on Lince Dorado with Gran Metalik making the save, sending Mace outside. Lince Dorado would capitalise on this and would pin T-BAR for an upset win.

Even though the match itself was nothing too special it was still a good showing for the two teams, especially as both teams a hugely underrated. Hopefully, both Lucha House Party and T-BAR can continue to have good showings such as this one and can gain momentum.

3. Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston  take on a returning MVP and Bobby Lashley in tag team action 

The main event of RAW, this week would see the in-ring return of MVP after MVP spent several weeks out with a knee injury as both teams would try and get the upper hand leading up to Kofi Kingston’s WWE Championship against Bobby Lashley at Money In The Bank. Xavier Woods and MVP would start things off for their teams with Woods getting the early advantage for The New Day. Kingston and Woods would keep MVP away from the WWE Champion, Bobby Lashley, however, it would only be a matter of time until MVP was able to tag in Lashley with Lashley taking out Kingston to swing back the momentum.

Both teams would fight back and forth throughout the match with neither team getting a major advantage for too long until Kingston hit a series of moves against MVP for multiple nearfalls. Kingston would then get ready to hit MVP with the Trouble in Paradise only for Lashley to interfere from the apron, allowing MVP to hit Kingston with a clothesline for a nearfall. MVP and Lashley would try and finish things with MVP tag in the WWE Champion, with Lashley hitting a chokeslam on Kingston, only for Xavier Woods to break up the pin, saving the match for his team.

Lashley and MVP would tag each other once more, only for Kingston to hit a Trouble in Paradise on Lashley, with Woods following it up with a dive from the steel steps onto Lashley. Kingston would then reverse a Playmaker attempt from MVP, hitting Trouble In Paradise for the win in a solid match event with Kofi Kingston getting the upper hand ahead of his WWE Championship match against Bobby Lashley at Money In The Bank.

2. AJ Styles takes on an injured Riddle  

Despite having his injured foot attacked by AJ Styles and Omos in the opening segment and having his tag team partner, Randy Orton missing, Riddle would fight through his injuries to take on AJ Styles in a great match, with Riddle doing a great job in selling his injured foot throughout the match with Riddle feeling pain after he jumped over the ropes during his entrance. Riddle would start things slow against a cocky Styles, keeping his distance, not allowing Styles to go for his injured foot, but it would only be a matter of time until Styles would get a chance to attack Riddle’s injured foot, giving him the early advantage.

Styles would continue to inflict pain on Riddle’s injured foot, cutting off Riddle’s offence throughout the match. This would lead to Riddle thinking outside the box and performing a crane stance, with Styles mocking Riddle for it only for Riddle to nail a kick, followed up with a gutwench suplex to get back into the match. Riddle would continue to fight back against AJ, escaping a submission hold to hit a Bro-ton for a close nearfall. Riddle would then use the playbook of his tag team partner, Randy Orton and would hit the hanging DDT on Styles, however, Styles would quickly regain the advantage after he moved out of the way when Riddle attempted moonsault causing further damage to Riddle’s foot.

Styles would then attempt to hit the Styles Clash on Riddle but would then be distracted by The Viking Raiders, Ivar and Erik as they surrounded Omos outside the ring. Riddle would then use the distraction to his advantage, rolling up Styles from behind for the win, with Riddle gaining huge momentum heading into the Money In The Bank ladder match. Later in the night, it would also be confirmed that the Viking Raiders would take on Omos and AJ Styles for the RAW Tag Team Titles and Money In The Bank. While there has not been much of a build for this match, both teams have the potential to put on a great match for the titles.

1. Ricochet and John Morrison steal the show once again 

After Ricochet and John Morrison, stole the show last week with their amazing match and ended in a double countout, both men would do the same this week on RAW as they put on an amazing opening match that was arguably the best match on the card. Ricochet would get the early advantage on Morrison, trading his high-flying offence for strikes early in the match against Morrison. Morrison would then trade strikes with the one and only as both men held back on their high-flying innovative offence as they tried to get the early advantage against each other.

However, it was only a matter of time until both men showed off their innovative offence as Ricochet tried to use the Miz and his wheelchair to get the advantage on Morrison, only for Morrison to hit a powerbomb on Ricochet against the barricade. Morrison would keep piling on the offence against Ricochet, hitting Ricochet with a Spanish Fly for a near fall. Ricochet would later fight back against Morrison, hitting a clothesline only for The Miz to distract Ricochet with the drip stick allowing Morrison to roll up Ricochet for a tight near fall. Both men would continue to push each other to their limit with Ricochet hitting a flying crossbody whilst Morrison was on the ring apron to send both men outside the ring. Both men would struggle to get inside the ring, with Morrison getting in the ring first. This would allow The Miz to block Ricochet’s path to the ring leading to Morrison winning via countout in an amazing performance from both men.

This was a great match that did a good job in reviving RAW after a long and slow opening promo segment that seemed to drag on. Later in the night, it was announced that both men would have one final match against each other next week on RAW, before Money In The Bank with the match being Falls Count Anywhere. This is sure to be yet another amazing showing for two underrated and underused talents heading into Money In The Bank.

These were my top 5 moments from an improved edition of Monday Night RAW this week. What were your top 5 moments and what was your favourite match from RAW this week? Let us know in the comment section down below.