Triple H continues to change things, great and small, in the new WWE era. Some old lingo is new again, and the mystery of Dexter Lumis deepens.
Here are a few details you may have missed.
Is Rhea Ripley the Leader of the Judgement Day?
Raw’s newest evil faction, The Judgement Day, has had its sites focused on breaking up the Mysterio family. It culminated last week when Rhea Ripley beat up Dominik, leaving him a bloody heap on the entrance ramp.
And then we saw the entrance for this week. Ripley was the group’s center and the first one to speak in the opening segment.
#TheJudgmentDay kicks off #WWERaw!@RheaRipley_WWE @FinnBalor @ArcherofInfamy pic.twitter.com/jmMOq2rom6
— WWE (@WWE) August 16, 2022
So, is Rhea now the leader? I think she is. She is the one with the most upside and the most untapped potential. WWE is treating her like a legit threat to men or women, something we haven’t seen since Chyna or even Beth Phoenix.
Now, I don’t think we will see Rhea wrestle a man. That would probably be a bit too far for most people. But it does open opportunities to build Rhea as the top woman on RAW and the top woman to confront Bianca Belair.
“Ezkeiel Taken To A Hosptial”
Another tiny but noticeable change by the HHH regime? Jimmy Smith mentioned in a segment that Ezekiel had been taken to a “hospital.” What’s notable here is that “hospital” was a banned word under the notoriously germophobic Vince McMahon, hence the ridiculous-sounding “medical facility.
They said hospital again!#wwe #raw #WWERaw #WrestlingCommunity #wrestling #WrestlingTwitter #WWEUniverse
— Panda Monium (@PandaMonium_XL) August 16, 2022
No “local medical facility” from Jimmy Smith.
He said “hospital”#WWERaw
— “Mischievous” Mike De Silva (@AGuyNamedMike89) August 16, 2022
ERNIE JR.!?
Also Jimmy Smith said hospital and not medical facility #WWERaw
— Beastmode9000™ (@_Beastmode9000_) August 16, 2022
I just heard Jimmy Smith say “hospital” on WWE commentary and I can’t believe how surprising that was to me
— Robbie Russell (@vApathyv) August 16, 2022
And then there’s Drew yelling, “WRESTLERS IN A WRESTLING RING!”
Kevin Owens and Drew McIntyre with an absolutely tremendous promo back and forth.
They are “pro wrestlers in a wrestling ring”
Holy shit. Statement fucking made #WWERaw
— JDfromNY (@JDfromNY206) August 16, 2022
Drew McIntyre said “we’re not sports entertainers, were pro wrestlers” and I felt that shit. I was waiting for someone in the WWE to say that shit. #WWERaw
— Summer of Me (@DoubleDragonXP) August 16, 2022
“We are wrestlers in a wrestling ring, so let’s freaking wrestle” — Drew McIntyre to Kevin Owens. #WWERaw
The Triple H era is unbelievable!
— Geekdom101 (@EmperorBigD) August 16, 2022
More Lumis Chaos backstage
Dexter Lumis is one of the hottest wrestlers right now, and they haven’t even said his name once.
Dexter Lumis is in the building! #WWERAW pic.twitter.com/ecY78Tlsqp
— (@WrestlingCovers) August 16, 2022
There’s also the matter of the trash fire.
Drew McIntyre runs into Dexter Lumis’ dumpster fire backstage #WWERAW pic.twitter.com/jDeZzXnfkI
— False Finish on Channelside Sports (@FalseFinishCSN) August 16, 2022
Remember when Theory got kidnapped by Lumis in NXT?
Imagine if Dexter Lumis kidnaps Theory AGAIN #WWERaw
— Roman Reigns SZN (@reigns_era) August 15, 2022
And then Lumis showed up and jumped the barricade during AJ Styles‘ US Title match.
Dexter Lumis jumped the barricade!! #WWERAW pic.twitter.com/yL1EkluOLf
— (@WrestlingCovers) August 16, 2022
At this rate, we should expect Lumis to hit the ring next week.
What did you think of Monday Night Raw? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
