WWE RAW Top-3 Hits (07/22/24): CM Punk cleared, gets Summerslam shock; Wyatt Sicks 6 gets physical

Patrik Walker

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WWE RAW Top-3 Hits (07/22/24): CM Punk cleared, gets Summerslam shock; Wyatt Sicks 6 gets physical image

There was quite the letdown at the end of SmackDown in the eyes of the WWE Universe, of what was otherwise a show that opened with a bang between Carmelo Hayes and Andrade and also provided unparalleled mic work by Bayley, LA Knight and Logan Paul, but RAW stole the entire week for the promotion.

It’s likely that will again be the case this week, as CM Punk returns to speak on and/or take action on the suspension of Drew McIntyre after asking general manager Adam Pearce, two weeks ago, to give McIntyre another chance.

WATCH: TOP-3 MOMENTS FROM LATEST SMACKDOWN

He did, only it came attached to some groveling, of which McIntyre would have none of; and that puts the Summerslam match between the two in jeopardy. 

Although, and I’ll break kayfabe here for a moment, it’s actually CM Punk’s medical status that does, so it was time to get some clarity on where he stands in that regard as well.

And with rumors of Seth “Freaking” Rollins being the potential guest referee for that match, the Visionary might also have words to say.

Rhea Ripley’s Brutality Tour is now officially underway but Liv Morgan has no intentions of letting up on her seduction of “Dirty” aka “Daddy” Dominik Mysterio, at all, and it’s not as if Mami doesn’t also have the attention and affection of “Main Event” Jey Uso — as their potential Waffle House date is quickly beginning to manifest.

WATCH: RANDY ORTON GETS RKO’D BY HIS OWN WIFE

You can bet the Wyatt Sicks 6 care nothing about the syrupy goals of those two, however, as Bo Dallas made his way to the ring for the first time as himself since the faction debuted, only to be beaten down by Chad Gable and the Creed Brothers; and Dallas seems to have planned it all along and, of course, that means he gets to aim the Wyatt Sicks 6 at not only Gable, but at the Creeds as well.

And then there’s the buildup between Gunther, 2024 King of the Ring, and WWE Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest, a spicy verbal war that escalates weekly. 

All of that and lots more awaited us when this week’s episode of RAW got underway and, as you could expect, it did not disappoint — as Mysterio cut a scathing promo that broke the heart, for now, of Liv Morgan and earned him a face lick from Mami.

She was dangerous before, but now Morgan is a woman scorned, especially after going so far as to bring the cakes out of the bakery for him in Green Bay. 

She might now be the most dangerous person on Earth.

Now let’s talk about the three biggest moments of the night because, believe it or not, that didn’t make the list on an explosive evening of RAW. 

Honorable Mention:

Ilja Dragunov found himself coming off of a double elimination during the WWE Speed tournament along with Carmelo Hayes only to battle with the brutality of Bron Breakker, after Breakker cost Dragunov a shot at the Intercontinental Championship in a match with Sami Zayn one week ago — Breakker delivering spears to both men to ruin the match.

In an attempt to settle this once and for all, Pearce booked a No. 1 Contender’s Match to determine who’d face Zayn at Summerslam for the title, and it would mark Breakker’s second attempt in as many PLE’s (having lost at Money in the Bank) if he could put down the Mad Dragon. 

The match was an all-out banger, as their bouts have always been, from their many in NXT to their several on RAW, and there was no predicting which way this match would fall. It stood to reason that Breakker would win for a rematch against Zayn, but Dragunov did a sensational job of making you question it.

That was until he made the mistake of trying to jump off of the ring to deliver a blow to Breakker outside of the ring and got hit with a vicious spear in mid-air that injured him and ended the match, abruptly. 

And there you have it: Zayn vs. Breakker in a rematch at Summerslam. 

Can Zayn put the Dog in a kennel … twice?

3. The Priest vs. The Devil

Gunther got things started by giving major consideration to turning face, amid chants of “you suck!” from the crowd, but that thought was gone as quickly as it popped into his mind.

“I know, I know. I took some time to reflect on some of the things I said to Damian Priest last week,” said Gunther before pivoting back to megaheel. “And I agree — you know what? Let’s skip that. I meant every word I said last week. Damian Priest and everybody here in this building is a bum.”

Then wearing a major smirk before continuing to belittle both the audience and Priest, calling the latter more names and giving him “one more chance to give” Gunther a belt the Ring General says belongs to him, he got half of his wish when Priest ran out to the ring.

The other half of the wish vaporized when Priest, who had nothing to say after calling Gunther a “boring, privileged scumbag” last week, hauled off and punched him in the face. It took a gaggle of officials to separate the two, but not before Priest also hit Gunther square in the teeth with a superkick and then hunted him down on the ramp to inflict more violence.

The broadcast went to commercial break and when it returned, Jackie Redmond was backstage on the loading dock prepared to talk to Gunther but, nope, because Priest wasn't done beating his ass and it might be the most feral we've seen Priest in his career.

It’s safe to say this match will be personal, and Priest’s face turn is nearly complete — the cheers from the crowd during his attack on Gunther providing evidence toward that belief. 

The Priest is less than two weeks away from a potentially successful exorcism. 

2. Sister, Sister

If you simply can’t get enough of everything surrounding the Wyatt Sicks 6, know that you are far from alone. 

The faction has stolen the attention of every single fan within the WWE Universe with their masterpiece of a debut but, and this is key, the fact that they’ve continued to find ways to ramp up the suspense and intensity nearly every week — putting us all on the edge of our seats and doing this without having a single match yet.

It’s unreal.

As noted above, Bo Dallas set the bait for Gable that was devoured, and things got physical again between the two but, this time, it was Gable who’d end up being put to sleep at the hands of Dallas.

As the WWE seeded a coming feud between the new-look Alpha Academy and the original version — the two sides meeting face to face in Green Bay before the Creeds launched an assault on Otis and Akira Tozawa — the energy from the Wyatt Sicks 6 filled the air.

That was because, as it turned out, they were watching it all unfold, until they couldn’t stand to watch anymore.

The arena went dark, the smoke filled the ring, and out came the Wyatt Sicks 6 with harmful intent toward Gable and his new friends, only his friends were already taken out of the picture. That left only Gable in the ring attempting to stand his ground, but he wouldn’t be standing at all in a few seconds.

Bo Dallas appeared behind him, Uncle Howdy mask and all, and finished him.

“There you are!” he yelled before the punishment.

But he didn’t just hit him with any finisher — no, no, no — he hit him with none other than a Sister Abigail, the move made famous by his late brother Bray Wyatt/Windham Rotunda.

The homage to The Fiend and leader of the Wyatt Family is being perfectly executed. 

Simply put, this is masterpiece theater.

Shoot it directly into my veins, every single week.

1. The 'Saint' Marched In

Despite being suspended, McIntyre was seen making some sort of deal with the officials and Adam Pearce backstage before Punk took to the ring, and this is key information when you take into consideration that … um … he’s supposedly still suspended indefinitely. It looked as if Pearce was giving McIntyre another chance to be obedient. 

This could only end well, right? 

Well, it did, to say the least.

But first things first: 

CM Punk has officially been medically cleared, he announced in Green Bay.

That meant Punk was ready for war, wanting to “stain” his pink shoes “with the blood of a Scottishman” — effectively calling McIntyre to the ring to catch hands. McIntyre would of course oblige his request, but stopped short of actually going to the ring, instead laughing off the challenge for what we would soon find out was the reason we’d all been waiting for. 

“Except the fact that I don’t want to,” said McIntyre. “CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre is a lot bigger than Green Bay.” 

That it is, and that’s why Pearce ran out to stop Punk from igniting the war, yet again, by declaring the match official for Summerslam and with a stipulation: if either of them “so much as lays a hand on the other” before the match, they’re suspended indefinitely.

He also brought out someone who’d serve as guest referee, and if you’ve been following the rumors we’ve been delivering to you this past week, then you have an idea of who it was.

And he blew the roof off of Green Bay with his very own announcement. 

“I’m not a problem guy,” said Rollins. “I’m a solution guy. I know a guy who thrives on chaos. And I know a guy that would love nothing more than to put the two of you in your places. He is a Visionary. He is a Revolutionary. 

“And at Summerslam, he is your special guest referee. He is Seth ‘Freaking’ Rollins!” 

Whoa.

It’s going to be Hell in Cleveland, and law enforcement better be ready.

Patrik Walker

Patrik Walker Photo

Patrik [No C] Walker is an accredited, award-winning journalist and podcaster who has worked to become one of the most respected and recognizable forces covering the Dallas Cowboys. Having never lost his lifelong passion for the wrestling, the one-of-a-kind analyst is using his talents to complete a journey that began as a rambunctious kid wearing a championship belt fashioned from cardboard and aluminum foil, to the ranks of covering an industry that's had his heart pinned to the mat for decades now. Follow him on Twitter/X: VoiceOfTheStar.