The June 23 episode of RAW marked the go‑home show before WWE heads to Saudi Arabia for Night of Champions, and it felt every bit like one. The King and Queen of the Ring semifinal matches took place, the card was finalized, and the groundwork was laid for what could happen next.
Cody Rhodes vs. Jey Uso in the King of the Ring semifinals headlined the show. Which one advanced to face Randy Orton? And did Jade Cargill overcome Roxanne Perez in her own semifinal match?
What went down in Columbus? Let's break it down.
Best: King and Queen of the Ring semifinals matches
WWE’s focus isn’t always on delivering in‑ring action as much as it is on creating drama through promos and backstage segments, but the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments put in‑ring ability firmly in the spotlight.
Jade Cargill and Roxanne Perez have wildly different styles, the former is more powerful (and still a bit green), while the latter is a technician with a more diminutive frame. In a typical WWE setup, Cargill would be the heel and Perez the face, but even with those roles reversed, it worked well.
Although the former AEW star felt like the predictable winner, especially with speculation that WWE is setting up a Naomi cash‑in when Cargill eventually challenges for the championship, it’s still been a valuable chance to build Cargill’s presence and give her more experience working with top‑tier talent.
Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso also delivered a thrilling main event, a first‑ever match that lived up to the hype and was arguably one of the former World Heavyweight Champion’s best singles performances since breaking away from Jimmy.
This always felt telegraphed for "The American Nightmare." Between his history with Randy Orton and the clearly laid path to a rematch with John Cena at SummerSlam, it felt tailor‑made to happen.
Worst: What's Seth Rollins' faction supposed to be?
RAW has been built around Seth Rollins, and rightfully so. He’s a proven top guy who can carry the spotlight. But something hasn’t quite clicked with his still‑unnamed faction in the two‑plus months since its debut, and that trend continued this Monday night.
Rollins cut a solid promo about being the cause and effect of everything that happens in WWE. That’s fine, but something is still missing when it comes to making people truly dislike him and his group. He’s still getting cheered, and his theme song is still a sing‑along favorite. Meanwhile, the fans are barking for Bron Breakker, and Paul Heyman is still as beloved as ever.
They're not really doing anything to get people to hate them. They took out LA Knight, but that didn't do anything to make the Columbus crowd hate them. Breakker and Reed even assisted Rollins' victory at Money in the Bank, but clearly that didn't do anything either.
If WWE truly wants this group to be a faction, they can at least start by changing Rollins’ theme and giving them an actual name, something more refined and structured, rather than a random hodgepodge of wrestlers. They need some adjustments, and hopefully those come sooner rather than later, so this group doesn’t fade into irrelevance.
Best: Goldberg clarifies his plans
There had been some question as to whether Goldberg’s match at Saturday Night’s Main Event would be his final match. He didn’t explicitly say so when he returned to WWE to confront Gunther on the June 16 episode of RAW, but in an on‑air interview with Michael Cole, he stated it would be his last match.
However, Cole mentioned that he asked the former WCW star if he’d consider sticking around if he won the title, to which Goldberg replied that it would make for an “interesting dilemma.”
It would be surprising if Goldberg wrestled more than one more match. At 58 years old, having not competed in three years, he naturally looks older in the ring — especially when standing across from a younger, spryer Gunther. But after all he’s accomplished in his career, he deserves one final match, and it’s fitting that WWE has essentially closed the book here.
If, for whatever reason, Goldberg wins this match, it will boggle a lot of minds. For now, this feels right, and WWE has put a stamp on what this match will be.