Monday Night Raw – August 10, 2026: Business As Usual
Monday Night Raw
Date: August 10, 2026
Location: Scope Arena, Norfolk, Virginia
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves
We’re starting something new here and this time it’s taking the form of a #1 contenders tournament for a shot at Roman Reigns. The catch though is there are a lot of luchadors in the field, with the title match taking place in about a month in Mexico City. LA Knight wants the title shot too though so let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
We recap LA Knight confronting Roman Reigns last week and calling Reigns a fraud. Rather than Reigns sending the Bloodline after Knight, instead he gave the Bloodline another target. This resulted in Jacob Fatu going after Royce Keys and taking him out in a rather violent street fight. Keys is out indefinitely.
Here is Solo Sikoa, coming through the crowd, and kind of singing the Usos’ theme. He’s here to deal with the Bloodline so here is Jey Uso, through the entrance, to interrupt. Uso asks if Sikoa is sure he wants to do this and then tells him to fall in line. Sikoa finds that funny and asks if Uso fell in line. Sikoa: “Cause it looks like you fell off.”
The reality is that Uso was a World Champion who won the Royal Rumble and beat Gunther at Wrestlemania (and yes, Sikoa does do his own yeeting along the way). But now all of that is gone and Uso has nothing. Sikoa isn’t coming back to the family because he loves where he’s at right now.
Uso says he raised Sikoa, who has his big house because of the rest of the family. Uso wants to face Sikoa tonight and if Sikoa loses, he’s back in the Bloodline. He calls that a warning shot so Sikoa turns around and asks if everyone behind him is ok. Sikoa is in for tonight, but when he wins, the family is done with him. That’s Uso’s warning shot, and yes he makes a finger gun sound. When did Sikoa grow a personality? It’s working for me.
Penta is ready to win the tournament but he can’t look past Laredo Kid.
Laredo Kid is ready to show what he can do in the spotlight.
Jey Uso runs into Jimmy Uso and Jacob Fatu, the latter of whom isn’t sure what Jey is thinking. Jey says it’s just him running a play but Fatu accuses him of ignoring the rest of the team. That’s not cool with Jey, who says he’s getting Solo Sikoa back, so what has Fatu done lately? Fatu brings up taking out Royce Keys last week and says Jey better win, with Jimmy agreeing.
#1 Contender Tournament First Round: Penta vs. Laredo Kid
Kid isn’t shaking hands to start so Penta grabs a headlock instead. What looks to be a monkey flip attempt from Kid is countered with a kick to the ribs but he knocks Penta outside. That just earns Kid a kick to the head and Penta snaps off a running headscissors to the floor. Kid is right back up with a shot of his own, followed by a moonsault to drop Penta again. A moonsault Swanton hits Penta as well and we take a break.
We come back with Penta kicking him in the knee and grabbing a reverse Sling Blade. A slingshot dropkick in the corner hits Kid for two more but he hurricanranas Penta down. The 450 gives Kid two so Penta Backstabbers him out of the corner for two more. They strike it out for a bit until Penta sends him outside for the big running flip dive. The Penta Driver gets two back inside but Kid drivers him right back. Kid can’t hit a corkscrew moonsault so Penta is right back with a Mexican Destroyer for the pin at 10:45.
Rating: B+. It shouldn’t be a surprise that these two had a good match together as they have the talent and experience to make it work well. Penta getting the title shot is absolutely not out of the question and he very well could be the favorite for the whole thing. Beating Kid is a nice start and we got to see some of the stuff that makes both of them feel like major stars.
Logan Paul (with the Vision but without the arm brace) calls the Alpha Academy a bunch of jokes. Maxxine Dupri agrees, because Akira Tozawa has no chance against Austin Theory, who is apparently rather attractive. Bron Breakker does not seem to approve of any of this, but it turns out that he’s focused on Oba Femi. Yeah that works.
Akira Tozawa vs. Austin Theory
Theory charges into a boot in the corner to start and a hurricanrana takes him back down. That’s fine with Theory, who pops back up with a clothesline to put Tozawa in early trouble. The chinlock keeps Tozawa down as Bron Breakker is in another world at ringside. A full nelson backbreaker lets Theory go outside to pose with his teammates, leaving Breakker at least somewhat interested as we take a break.
We come back with Theory getting a kiss on the floor but Tozawa gets in a Shining Wizard. The backsplash gives Tozawa two and he fires off a bunch of kicks. Back up and Theory just blasts him with a spinning forearm (which is apparently called the Off Switch) for the pin at 8:28.
Rating: C+. I’m still trying to care about the Alpha Academy in this spot and it’s still not working. Otis is a lot more interesting than Tozawa, but Tozawa has been treated as a joke for years now. That makes it kind of hard to just flip a switch and make it work here. He’s good in the ring when he gets the chance, but it’s hard to care about him all of a sudden.
Post match Theory teases doing more but Adam Pearce comes out to cut him off. Bron Breakker gets inside and that’s enough to summon Oba Femi, which is just what Breakker wanted. Theory is quickly dispatched and a bunch of people have to hold Femi and Breakker apart. The fans seem WAY into this one
AAA GM Rey Mysterio is excited about the tournament and Dragon Lee comes up to thank him for the spot. Dominik Mysterio pops in to ask why he’s not in the tournament when he is the king of the luchadors. Rey: “I didn’t think you wanted another handout because that’s how you became a jackass in the first place.” With that great line out of the way, Lee tells Dominik to show his father some respect and he’s ready for a match later tonight.
We look back at Stephanie Vaquer being injured back in the spring at the hands of the Judgment Day, setting up returns from both Vaquer and Becky Lynch last week.
Here is Vaquer for a chat. She’s glad to be back and has missed everything about being around here, including the fans. Above all else though she has missed seeing Judgment Day getting scared every time she shows up. That’s why she’s ready to take them out one by one and she knows Liv Morgan isn’t ready for her.
Cue Lynch to interrupt, with Vaquer asking what she wants. It’s probably the same thing Vaquer wants, including giving Morgan one heck of a beating. Lynch has worked too long to see the title go back to the mid-2000s and that isn’t going to happen. As for Vaquer, she’s a bit more of an enigma, but she seems to be gone more often than she’s here.
So is Vaquer this bada** or does her body give up so her mind doesn’t have to. Lynch is fine with Vaquer giving Morgan a beating but Lynch is getting the title. Vaquer isn’t impressed and leaves so here is Morgan, who is quickly dispatched by Lynch. Vaquer comes back in and almost (but doesn’t) hit Lynch by mistake. They go nose to nose and talk a lot of trash until Lynch storms off. Nice segment here and Vaquer getting involved with Lynch is absolutely a big deal.
LA Knight is ready for Roman Reigns and he’s fine with winning the tournament to get the World Title shot. He’s told that it’s a luchador tournament so he can’t enter, which Knight finds very convenient. Solo Sikoa comes in to say that if he loses tonight, Knight is all alone. Knight doesn’t seem overly interested.
Dragon Lee vs. Dominik Mysterio
Mysterio’s AAA Mega Title isn’t on the line. Mysterio chops away in the corner to start but gets taken down with a headscissors. A double stomp gives Lee two but Mysterio is right back up with a running clothesline. Mysterio backdrops him to the floor, with Lee’s leg landing in the ropes, allowing Mysterio to hit a big dive.
We take a break and come back with Lee superkicking him into a tornado DDT, setting up the big flip dive to the floor (that looked great). Back in and Lee hits another superkick but charges into a Michinoku Driver. Lee is fine enough to tie him in the Tree Of Woe for the double stomp but Mysterio is back with a 619. The frog splash hits knees though and Operation Dragon gives Lee the clean pin at 10:23.
Rating: B-. Well that was surprising. I wasn’t expecting the AAA World Champion to lose a thrown together match, but hopefully this isn’t due to reports of Mysterio being unhappy with his booking on Raw. It’s hard to believe that Lee is in line for a big push, but Mysterio losing isn’t something that should be happening in a spot like this.
Post match Big Cass comes in to lay Lee out. Je’Von Evans runs in and gets a few shots on Cass, who knocks him out of the air. The big boot (that looked great) leaves Evans laying. That doesn’t make beating Mysterio look much better.
Sol Ruca is ready for revenge on Judgment Day and has a partner. Danhausen comes in to offer to do it for a…..well a little discount. Ruca says she has this covered and leaves, with Danhausen asking Byron Saxton for money. That’s a no as well so Danhausen leaves too. Wacky as usual.
LA Knight says he can get a lucha mask to enter the tournament but Adam Pearce turns him down. Once the tournament is over though, they’ll find a way for Knight to earn a title shot. With Pearce gone, Jacob Fatu pops up to threaten Knight, who tells Fatu to go get a permission slip to fight from Roman Reigns. Fatu hits his catchphrase and leaves.
Judgment Day vs. Sol Ruca/???
The mystery partner is…Iyo Sky, which is probably better than a random NXT debut. Ruca ducks Rodriguez out of the corner to start but a headlock is easily shoved off. Rodriguez sends her into the corner for the elbows to the face so Perez comes in to hit Ruca in the face. It’s off to Sky for a basement dropkick into an elbow as everything breaks down. Rodriguez catches Sky’s dive so Ruca dives onto them, with Perez adding one of her own.
We take a break and come back with Ruca still in trouble but she reverses a suplex into an X Factor (well close enough). Sky gets to take over on Perez, with a shotei knocking Perez silly. The Bullet Train to Perez sets up a great looking missile dropkick as everything breaks down. Rodriguez has to save Perez before being knocked outside, leaving Perez to kick Ruca down. Sky reverses Perez’s Shining Wizard and hits the Bullet Train in the corner but Rodriguez is back to break up Over The Moonsault. That earns Rodriguez an Asai moonsault so Ruca flips out of Pop Rox, setting up the Sol Snatcher for the pin on Perez at 11:51.
Rating: B-. This got rolling near the end as it was a bunch of flying around and saves until Perez got caught with the Sol Snatcher. The ending felt like it was a question of when the Sol Snatcher would connect rather than when, which is ok. Hopefully Ruca gets to move on from now, though I’m not sure what is next for Sky.
Bron Breakker comes up to Paul Heyman (Why is he here?) and talks about the showdown with Oba Femi. Breakker asks Heyman who he thinks the future of WWE is, with Heyman saying he respects both of them. That’s not what Breakker asked and he gets a bit more serious before asking it again.
Heyman says he’s starting to think Breakker is starting to think Femi is the future, which is the problem. Heyman is going to keep respecting Femi until Breakker says Heyman that Femi isn’t worthy of that respect. That has Breakker thinking and he walks away, with Heyman realizing he dodged a bullet.
Rey Mysterio praises Penta for his match earlier and Chad Gable comes in to do the same. Penta leaves and Gable says he wants to defend the Intercontinental Title against Mysterio. Works for Mysterio and Gable will talk to Adam Pearce.
Sol Ruca and Iyo Sky are happy with their win but run into Lyra Valkyria (who is looking more and more like a….whatever she is right now). She thinks Ruca is getting close to the Women’s Intercontinental Title, with Valkyria bringing up Bayley. Valkyria tells her to stay out of the way of her title. Sky isn’t sure what Valkyria is at this point and I can’t help but agree.
Jey Uso vs. Solo Sikoa
If Uso wins, Sikoa is back in the Bloodline. After a rather lengthy Uso entrance, they shove each other around a few times until Sikoa clotheslines him out of the corner. A running headbutt gives Sikoa two and he elbows Uso down to cut him off. Sikoa sends him crashing out to the floor and we take a break. We come back with Uso sending him outside for the suicide dive and Sikoa is in trouble for a change. That’s cut off with a clothesline out of the corner and they’re both down.
A kick to the face just annoys Sikoa, who grabs a Samoan drop. The running Umaga Attack in the corner gets two but another Samoan drop is countered into the sleeper. That’s broken up and a spinwheel kick breaks up Uso’s spear attempt. Cue Jimmy Uso for a distraction though and the spear gives Jey two. Sikoa fights back but goes after Jimmy, allowing Jey to hit another spear. The Superfly Splash sends Sikoa back to the Bloodline at 12:06.
Rating: B-. This was a match that felt like it should have been a bit deal but instead it just came off like a thing that happened. At the same time, having Sikoa be in the Bloodline against his will could be interesting if they go that way, but odds are it’s just business as usual again. That’s not a great thing, and the result here was kind of disappointing.
The Usos celebrate to end the show.
Overall Rating: B. This show was a good use of a bunch of stuff that didn’t feel the most important. You had one tournament match and a bunch of people talking about what they’re going to do later. Next week feels like the show where some more top level stuff happens, but I’ll take a show that does a lot with only so much.
Results
Penta b. Laredo Kid – Mexican Destroyer
Austin Theory b. Akira Tozawa – Off Switch
Dragon Lee b. Dominik Mysterio – Operation Dragon
Sol Ruca/Iyo Sky b. Judgment Day – Sol Snatcher to Perez
Jey Uso b. Solo Sikoa – Superfly Splash
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