Rollins returned on Monday, but Uncle Howdy will be the lasting memory from the show
By Brent Brookhouse
• 1 min read
Until the final moments of Raw on Monday night, the show was all about the build to Money in the Bank. This meant qualifier matches for the men's and women's ladder match and setting up the next world heavyweight championship program. The final moments of the show, however, were defined by the introduction of Uncle Howdy and his new group.
The key to the top of the show was the return of Seth Rollins, who had been out of action since pulling double duty at WrestleMania XL to recover from various injuries. He made his return at the top of the show and left the ring having secured a match with Damian Priest for the world title.
But it was Uncle Howdy and his new group that left a lasting memory. Howdy and his crew left a bloody scene backstage as the group debuted in the final minutes of the show.
CBS Sports was with you all night with recaps and highlights of all the action from the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Seth Rollins returns and the build to Money in the Bank begins
Seth Rollins made his return to Raw at the top of the show and immediately made it clear his goal was to win back the world heavyweight championship, which brought out Priest. Priest said he was sincerely happy to see Rollins back and healthy, but that Rollins needed to understand Priest now ran the show. This all built to Priest offering Rollins a shot at the belt at Money in the Bank, telling Rollins this wasn't a put-on that would end with Judgment Day jumping him. Rollins accepted and the match was confirmed later in the evening.
Women's Money in the Bank qualifying match -- Iyo Sky def. Kiana James and Zelina Vega via pinfall with an Over The Moonsault on James. Liv Morgan came to the ring wearing Dominik Mysterio's purple cow vest that had gone missing backstage, distracting Vega and allowing Sky to get the win.
Men's Money in the Bank qualifying match --Jey Uso def. Finn Balor and Rey Mysterio via pinfall with an Uso Splash on Balor. Judgment Day got involved but were eventually chased away by Braun Strowman. Shortly after, Uso got the win.
It's an odd thing that one of the reasons Priest has struggled to come across as "the guy" during his title reign is a lack of true character direction. He's the "leader" of Judgment Day, a heel group, but only when Rhea Ripley isn't around. Despite leading a heel faction, he seems to often want to do things the right way or emphasize respect, as he did with Balor. It would help if fans could pin down how, exactly, they're expected to react to him. All that said, the return of Rollins gives Raw a much-needed shot of star power at the top of the card. Also, who doesn't get excited for the chaos of Money in the Bank? Grade: B
Uncle Howdy and his friends make an impact
After the conclusion of the main event, the lights went out in the arena before a door appeared onthe entrance ramp. This began a parade of characters as the camera moved through the backstage area, slowly introducing Uncle Howdy's band of misfits and, eventually, Howdy himself. They left a bloody scene backstage, which included some roster members left unconscious. The group moved to the top of the entrance ramp, grabbed a lantern in the style of Bray Wyatt and Howdy announced "We're here" before blowing out the light and ending the show.
I don't know how much life this will have, but WWE absolutely nailed the presentation here. Everything felt impactful, dramatic and strange. The best thing that could happen, in my opinion, is a feeling of wondering where this all is going. It doesn't have to be purely "great" vs. "terrible." Being interesting is key. This was interesting. Grade: A-
What else happened on WWE Raw?
- Braun Strowman def. Chad Gable via pinfall with a spinning powerslam. Gable asked Adam Pearce for another shot at the intercontinental championship but was told to go to the back of the line and work his way back up, Gable agreed and said to give him someone tough. After the match, Gable blamed Akira Tozawa for the loss but Maxxine Dupri intervened. Gable kicked Dupri out of the ring, causing Otis to snap, shove Gable into the corner and yell before leaving with the rest of Alpha Academy. Later in the show, Otis packed his bag and told Gable "We're done" before walking away with Dupri and Tozawa.
- Carlito def. Dragon Lee via pinfall with a Backstabber. Morgan again made her way to ringside in the cow vest, leading to a brawl between Judgment Day and the LWO and a distraction that allowed JD McDonagh to interfere and set up Carlito for the win.
- Drew McIntyre came to the ring to address being screwed by CM Punk at Clash at the Castle. Rather than go into details, McIntyre simply said, "Screw this company. I quit." McIntyre then walked off as Pearce attempted to stop him. Paul Levesque also attempted to intervene but McIntyre just reiterated his seriousness and walked off again.
- Kayden Carter and Katana Chance def. Damage CTRL via pinfall after hitting The Afterparty.
- Sheamus def. Bron Breakker via disqualification after Ludwig Kaiser ran in and attacked Sheamus. The match came about after Breakker interrupted a Sami Zayn promo, saying he wanted a shot at the intercontinental title. Sheamus then interrupted saying that Breakker is just a new kid who needs to work his way up. Zayn said he'd go get the match made official. After the match, Breakker ended up spearing both Sheamus and Kaiser and then nearly brawling with Zayn.
- Dominik Mysterio tried to get his vest back from Liv Morgan. After Morgan told him to take the vest off of her, Damian Priest caught Mysterio removing it and demanded Mysterio leave as Morgan laughed.
