WWE Raw: Bobby Lashley continues U.S. title dominance

By Ryan Satin
FOX Sports WWE Analyst 

This week on WWE Raw, Bobby Lashley once again retained the United States Championship over a fierce competitor.

First, a brief recap of the show’s full match results:

— Alexa Bliss and Asuka defeated Nikki A.S.H. and Doudrop via submission to advance in the Women’s Tag Team title tournament 

— Ciampa and The Miz defeated Mustafa Ali and Cedric Alexander 

— Drew McIntyre defeated Kevin Owens by disqualification due to interference from Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso

— Veer Mahan made quick work of a local wrestler and won via submission 

— Bobby Lashley defeated AJ Styles via pinfall to retain the US title

— Dakota Kai defeated Dana Brooke via pinfall in roughly two minutes 

— Theory defeated Dolph Ziggler via pinfall after landing the A Town Down

Match of the night: Lashley vs. Styles 

AJ Styles & Bobby Lashley’s first-ever showdown for the United States Title | WWE on FOX

Bobby Lashley’s United States Championship was on the line as he went head-to-head with AJ Styles for the first time on Monday Night Raw.

WWE continued to elevate the importance of the United States title by featuring another competitive match for the belt on Raw. 

Much like last week with Ciampa, Monday’s bout between Lashley and AJ Styles was a heater — and, surprisingly, a first-time encounter.

AJ was bumping and selling like no one’s business, Bobby impressed with his power-based offense, and both men had the crowd on their feet. It was a very entertaining 20-minute affair.

Going forward, Lashley regularly defending the belt on Raw in competitive matches against worthy opponents could be great for the show. 

They could even rehash the open challenge concept to pave the way for additional competitors of interest. 

Moment of the night: McIntyre brings wrestling back 

“I don’t care if you’re a Prize Fighter, a Sports Entertainer or a Superstar, we’re wrestlers in a wrestling ring. Let’s just freaking wrestle.”

This line by Drew McIntyre may have been simple, but it was huge.

It’s clear from the last few shows under Triple H that the new head of creative is looking to inject more pro wrestling back into WWE. 

Rather than just showing you, however, this week it was straight up told to the viewer. Plus, in that same segment, Kevin Owens breathed new life into his character by saying he’s going to be like his old bad-ass self again.

Things are moving in a positive direction for wrestling fans.

Additional highlights: 

Alexa Bliss & Asuka take on Nikki A.S.H. & Doudrop in Tag Team Championship Tournament | WWE on FOX

Alexa Bliss teamed up with Asuka on Monday Night Raw to take on Nikki A.S.H. and Doudrop in the Women’s Tag Team Champion Tournament.

Alexa Bliss and Asuka advanced in the Women’s tag team title tournament. 

They’ll face-off against Dakota Kai and IYO SKY in the next round.

Riddle comes for Rollins in shocking return to Monday Night Raw! | WWE on FOX

Riddle made a surprise return to Monday Night Raw after announcing that he has been medically cleared from his injury sustained at the hands of Seth Rollins.

Riddle returned to Raw with his sights set on Rollins.

Now they can finally settle their beef at Clash.

For a segment-by-segment breakdown of the show, listen to the RAW Roundup podcast in the “Out of Character” feed on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Don’t forget to follow all your favorite WWE Superstars and shows in the FOX Sports app to receive alerts on what they’re doing and more!

Ryan Satin is a WWE analyst for FOX Sports. Satin previously appeared on FS1’s “WWE Backstage” and founded Pro Wrestling Sheet, where he broke countless news stories as editor-in-chief.