USA Network Reportedly Open To Unique Presentation Of Tonight’s Raw
Change is in the air in WWE, and apparently, USA Network is jumping on board.
According to the WrestleVotes Twitter account, the network that broadcasts Monday Night Raw "is allowing the first hour [of tonight's 'WWE Raw'] to be commercial-free if WWE wants." The tweet also stated that tonight's episode "looks really good as of now, and is a packed show."
I'm told RAW tonight looks really good as of now, and is a packed show. So much so, USA Network is allowing the 1st hour to be commercial free if WWE wants.
— WrestleVotes (@WrestleVotes) August 1, 2022
This follows reports from Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp stating that he was told by someone that tonight's episode "sounds like a 'statement' show." Sapp followed up by saying he didn't exactly know what that meant, but promised to follow up if he received more information. Since then, a tweet from WWE's official Twitter account has seemingly teased the return of former WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks and Naomi.
I don't know what this means, but I'll let you all know when I do
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) August 1, 2022
As far as what's been officially announced so far for tonight's show, The Usos will defend their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships against Rey and Dominik Mysterio following their win over The Judgment Day"at this past weekend's WWE SummerSlam premium live event. The card will also feature a United States Championship #1 contender's tournament, starting with two triple-threat matches and closing with a singles match between the winners to determine Bobby Lashley's next opponent. The first match will feature Dolph Ziggler, Ciampa and Chad Gable, while the second will feature AJ Styles, Mustafa Ali, and The Miz.
Tonight's show is set to be Triple H's first night starting fresh with storylines and setting up matches for the future since taking over as head of WWE creative, without having to build on previous stories constructed by the newly-resigned Vince McMahon. "The Game" has officially run three WWE shows in his new role, including SummerSlam, which saw the return of several big-name stars, including former Women's Champion Bayley, alongside Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky (formerly known as Io Shirai), and a returning WWE Hall of Famer in "The Rated R-Superstar," Edge.