If you’re reading this, it’s already too late, because it means Paul “Triple H” Levesque officially has you in the proverbial Pedigree with his promotion’s storytelling and star power — whether you’re a legacy watcher or a newcomer to the sport — and escape is futile.
As the flagship show for WWE (RAW) continually tries to outdo what was once its longtime little brother (SmackDown), and with NXT currently in its prime as a talent farm for those two brands, what fans of the promotion are left to sift through are amazingly explosive episodes that are constantly dueling for supremacy.
The most recent episode of SmackDown (05/31/2024) ended with a detonation that will send shockwaves throughout both of the top two brands — as “The Phenomenal” A.J. Styles used the entire episode to plant seeds for what was ultimately a faux retirement that ended with the deepening of his heel turn when he used the ploy to decimate WWE [Universal] Champion with a Styles Clash off of the steel stairs and onto the floor below.
So whaddya got, RAW?
Date: Monday, June 3, 2024
Location: Giant Center (Hershey, PA)
Time: 8 pm ET
Liv’s Kiss of Death … or Life?
It was the kiss heard ‘round the world. For the second time in as many days and in as many matches, “Dirty” Dominick Mysterio went out of his way to try and guarantee Becky Lynch would take victory over Liv Morgan, his first attempt failing at WWE King and Queen of the Ring — when his first interference led to the very chair he tossed to Lynch being used by Morgan to DDT “The Man” into oblivion.
And then came the literal ObLIVion.
1-2-3. Ding ding ding.
And new WWE Woman’s World Champion: Liv Morgan.
The second interference was on last week’s episode of Monday Night RAW, during the back end of the rematch between Morgan and Lynch, one that took place in a steel cage (mostly a rarity on any non-PLE show).
Mysterio opened the cage for Lynch to escape and win but a pissed off Braun Strowman (more on this in a moment) bulldozed the cage door into Lynch’s face and Morgan did the rest to retain the title that was recently relinquished by Rhea Ripley — injured a few weeks ago in a sneak attack from Morgan.
Morgan then went from her revenge tour being sinister to outright diabolical when she then planted an aggressive kiss right on a supposedly disgusted “Dirty” Dom’s lips, another chess move in her war to “take everything” from Ripley.
Championship belt? Check.
Boyfriend? TBD.
It was so surreal that even former WWE Queen of the Ring (2021) Selina Vega weighed in on social media — taking to X (formerly known as Twitter) to take aim at Morgan.
Bro I don’t even like Rhea but this is on a laughable level of messed up. She grabbin all on his ratty mullet like that? Nahhhh 😂 you wildin Liv. Could never be me out in these streets. #sucia pic.twitter.com/EaQ0MQ114f
— ZV (@ZelinaVegaWWE) May 31, 2024
Morgan would, of course, not let that shade slide, instead eviscerating Vega with a scathing reply.
You let Rhea beat and embarrass you in front of your family and home territory as you were wearing your flag draped on your back. Could never be me 💁🏼♀️
— LIV Morgan (@YaOnlyLivvOnce) May 31, 2024
And besides… I think I liked it https://t.co/d6EfjmC47e
In other words, cry about it, I guess.
Morgan is set to explain her kiss of death on this coming Monday, and if you’re wondering who her next opponent might be with Lynch’s contract now reportedly expired and a hiatus coming, and with Ripley still rehabbing her shoulder, the answer might be staring us in the face, in the form of a pissed off Boricua.
Or will it be Lyra Valkyria — the newcomer from NXT who is both over and currently getting a huge push while possibly wanting revenge for what Morgan has done to her mentor, Lynch, not once, but twice??
There is a line of opps forming to put Morgan’s reign to the test.
Damian Priest vs. Rey Mysterio
Look what you’ve done, Carlito. The treachery perpetrated as of late by Carlito against both Rey Mysterio and the LWO is as rotten as the core of an apple left to its own devices.
And that's precisely what Carlito has become: a rotten apple (yes, irony).
As he tries to snake his way into The Judgment Day with the aid of “Dirty” Dom, he’s been met with plenty of resistance from Damian Priest, the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, but the latter has been softening enough to allow Carlito a chance to prove himself.
The latest interference by Carlito in a match between Stroman and JD McDonough was an entire fail, when Carlito was dispatched easily by Stroman before McDonough found himself being nearly put through the mat with a crushing power slam that ended in a three count.
Carlito, McDonough and Finn Balor all decided to triple team Stroman but were swatted away like flies from the aforementioned rotten apple, and even a chair to Stroman’s back at the hands of McDonough did nothing — save for pissing off Broman that much more.
He’d then literally chase McDonough around the entire arena for the rest of the evening, leading to Lynch’s face being tattooed by a steel cage door.
Fed up with how things have been going with TJD in Ripley’s absence, Priest is going right at the head of the LWO this coming Monday, and it’s doubtful that it’s to appease Carlito.
It’s instead to send a message. Is that message that TJD is as strong as ever? Or that Priest doesn’t need them anymore (follow these bread crumbs, folks)??
Hmm …
Oh, and be on alert for Gunther to make a surprise appearance to try and rattle Priest in this match, given the tension established between the champion and the King of the Ring last week. That said, you can almost bet Drew McIntyre will make his presence felt between the two, yet again, as the buildup for the “Clash at the Castle” PLE reaches critical mass.
Ludwig Kaiser vs. Sheamus
This rivalry started out as a simmer when Kaiser helped guarantee Gunther defeated Sheamus en route to becoming 2024 King of the Ring, and it’s already off of the hinges before their first official match on June 3.
Sheamus, a future Hall of Famer, missed time with injury before returning recently and trying to re-establish himself and while his days as a main eventer are likely behind him, the former champion Irishman is still a big draw as a middle carder.
Kaiser desperately wants and needs to establish himself as more than a faction piece of Imperium, and the WWE is obviously on board with this arc that began with the decimation of Giovanni Vinci.
It’s not quite time for Kaiser to break out on his own as a soloist, especially with Gunther still towing his boat, but sparking a rivalry with a bruiser like Sheamus could make for the start of several matches in a full-blown war between the two and, hopefully, banger after banger after banger after banger.
We can only hope that the plan isn’t simply to make Sheamus a jobber, because he’s still got plenty of fight in him and there’s a careful line to be drawn here between making sure Sheamus continues to be a draw while also possibly asking him to help put Kaiser over.
Make that pen cook, Hunter.
The New Day vs. The Authors of Pain
Karrion Kross is up to something, as usual. The leader of The Final Testament was seen trying to recruit The New Day, of all acts, to turn heel and consider joining his faction.
Sure, it’s not often nowadays that acts/talent will go their entire career without having ever turned to the dark side, but TND might end up being such an exception — the longstanding babyfaces of the tag team division.
After all, what would Big E do?
He’d tell Kross where to stick his offer, and then he’d twirl his hips in defiance. Absent the famous group hip twirl, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods not only stiff-armed Kross’ offer, but they took added exception at the implication they could “learn” something from the Authors of Pain (Akam and Rezar).
I mean, seriously, it was a laughably insulting comment for Kross to make but it clearly landed, because TND and AoP will square off on Monday.
Just a hunch here but, short of interference, class will likely be in session when the future Hall of Famers (TND) show why they’ve donned plenty of jewelry, including solo (Kofi - WWE Champion) and Woods (KOTR - 2022); and several tag team championships (Woods is a Tag Team Triple Crown winner).
We’ll see who ends up learning the lesson when the bell sounds.
So ring it.
All eyes are on RAW this week to see what happens next, and to see if they can one-up what took place on Friday evening — a pretty big challenge they're certainly up to accepting.
