The high-wire act of Monday nights

If you think the product on USA Network is running on all cylinders, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. Last night’s RAW was a textbook example of why booking is a fickle mistress. We saw flashes of brilliance wedged between segments that felt like they were written by someone who hasn't watched a wrestling show since 1998. It is time to look at why this show is hitting the wall.

First off, the love. The opening segment between Gunther and Ilja Dragunov was pure professional wrestling violence. They didn't need pyrotechnics or a cinematic preamble. Just two guys deciding who deserves to stand on top of the food chain. When Gunther locked in that sleeper hold at the 18 minute mark of their broadcast window, the crowd didn't need a signal to get on their feet. It was authentic, stiff, and exactly what we miss when the show leans too hard into soap opera tropes.

The booking blunders that ruined the rhythm

Then we have the things that made me want to throw my beer through the TV—or at least tweet angrily until my thumbs cramp. The decision to have the Judgment Day implode for the fifth time this year is lazy. We are watching a repeat of the same internal squabble that dominated throughout last spring. It is tiring, predictable, and frankly insulting to the intelligence of a viewer who remembers what happened three months ago.

Speaking of repeats, seeing the tag team division turn into a rotating door of jobbers this month is offensive to the history of the championships. The street team recruitment vibe that TNA is hitting the pavement with lately honestly puts the WWE mid-card effort to shame. The energy there is desperate but sincere. WWE’s tag division just feels like a clock-out-at-5:00 job for everyone involved, including the writers who put these segments on paper.

The bright spots in a messy room

Let’s talk about the women’s division, because that is where the real fire is hiding. The ladder match qualifying bout between Lyra Valkyria and Iyo Sky delivered the goods. It wasn't just a collection of spots. They told a story of two people who actually want to carry the belt. The way Iyo countered a suplex attempt into a basement dropkick showed more technical precision than the entire men's main event combined.

We also need to address the elephant in the room regarding the veteran returns. The office seems obsessed with checking their nostalgic rolodex. Much like how Big Cass and Enzo Amore are back in WWE, the company refuses to let the past die. Bringing back old names is a Band-Aid, not a cure for a roster that is clearly missing a sense of fresh, dangerous direction. Every time we hear a siren or a glass shatter, it steals time from talent that is actively trying to build a career.

Final thoughts from the cheap seats

If HHH wants to keep the momentum high, he needs to stop relying on the Greatest Hits album. The main event of RAW on July 13th, 2026, was a perfect encapsulation of the current issue. It ended in a double count-out that felt like it was plucked from a 2012 script. Nobody wins, the crowd leaves grumpy, and the story goes absolutely nowhere. When your biggest stars are fighting in a parking lot instead of settling things in the ring for a definitive pin, you are failing the audience.

I enjoy the chaos as much as the next fan, but I prefer my chaos with a conclusion. We need pay-offs, not setups that drag on for three months. Stop giving us fifty-fifty booking. Give us a star. Give us a villain who actually wins clean once in a while. RAW is currently a show that fears its own potential. It is time to cut the anchors and let the boat actually sail, or prepare to watch the ratings sink faster than a lead balloon in 2026. If I wanted a sitcom, I’d turn on Netflix. I want a fight, and usually, it arrives at the 10:30 PM hour, if it arrives at all.