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Every WWE fan was eager to see the changes Triple H would make to both Raw and Smackdown post-SummerSlam. In his first week, the new head of creative indeed produced an unforgettable week in WWE, which all ended with a surprise return.
Welcome to WWE Weekly Round-Up, where The Inner Sanctum will take you through this week’s most pivotal moments on WWE television and preview what shapes to be a huge week ahead.
In his first real week in control of the product, new Head of WWE Creative Triple H has quickly turned the tides and gave the audience unbelievable television.
Multiple title matches were made for the coming weeks, a tournament was announced and an old face has entered the fray for the Undisputed Universal Championship.
Becky Lynch injury revealed, was later attacked by Bayley, IO SKY and Dakota Kai
The Man, Becky Lynch had a grueling contest against Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Championship at SummerSlam. In a valiant effort, she completed the match and sustained a dislocated shoulder.
Lynch opened Monday Night Raw and explained she gave the match all she had, but was ultimately, “not good enough”.
Her and the E.S.T of WWE shared an emotional moment in the ring, as Lynch told Belair to hold the fort while she recovers. However, on her way to the back, The Man encountered a vicious attack from one of WWE’s newest stables.
Bayley, IO SKY and Dakota Kai unleashed a devastating assault on Lynch and gave themselves more heel heat, while taking The Man off TV for a longer period of time. WWE later announced that Lynch would be out for, “several months”.
The Inner Sanctum believes that she will make her return around the time of the Royal Rumble next year to set up a program for WrestleMania 39 against Ronda Rousey.
United States and Intercontinental Championship matches made for next week
On Monday Night Raw, two triple threat matches took place to set up an eventual number one contender’s match for the United States Championship.
AJ Styles defeated The Miz and Mustafa Ali, while Ciampa overcame Dolph Ziggler and Chad Gable. The two victors then had a solid collision later in the evening.
Ciampa successfully defeated The Phenomenal One to earn a title opportunity against Bobby Lashley next week. He is not expected to win, but Ciampa’s sudden rise on the main roster indicates he will be a major player under Triple H.
On Friday Night Smackdown, Shinsuke Nakamura was too strong for Ludwig Keiser and is slated for an Intercontinental Championship clash next week against Gunther. The two competitors have been building a rivalry in recent weeks and it is pleasant seeing the title receive some much-needed spotlight.
Don’t be surprised if next week’s collision sets up an eventual rematch between The Ring General and King of Strong Style at Clash at the Castle on September 4.
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Liv Morgan’s opponent for Clash at the Castle determined
Fresh from barely retaining her Smackdown Women’s Championship at SummerSlam, Liv Morgan will once again have the odds stacked against her at the next Premium Live Event.
At Clash at the Castle, the champion will defend her title against the woman who outlasted a gauntlet match to earn the opportunity, Shayna Baszler.
On Friday Night Smackdown, the women’s division all featured in a gauntlet match to determine the number one contender for Morgan’s championship. Although Raquel Rodriquez had an impressive showing, she was carrying an injury throughout the bout.
Baszler took advantage of the situation as the final entrant and punched her ticket to a title shot.
The story between the champion and challenger is intriguing, as the latter is a good friend of Ronda Rousey and would have hated seeing her match against Liv at SummerSlam unfold.
She forced Morgan to tap out to an armbar during their clash at SummerSlam but the referee did not see it, this led to an assault on the official which saw Rousey fined and suspended. Baszler will now attempt to avenge her friend and put the champion in her place at Clash at the Castle.
Tournament announced for the vacated Women’s Tag Team Championships
Nearly three months ago, the Women’s Tag Team Championships were vacated as a result of then-champions, Sasha Banks and Naomi walking out of WWE. The pair were understood to be upset with how the women’s division was being booked by Vince McMahon and decided to take action.
On Friday Night Smackdown, a tournament to crown new champions was announced and it will commence next week on Raw.
Reports have also circulated with Triple H now being in charge of creative, that Banks and Naomi are expected to return to the company. The two could return as early as next week and play a major part in the tournament.
A bracket has not been revealed and it is unknown which teams will be featured, but expect two members of Bayley’s new faction and Toxic Attraction from NXT to also have a vital influence on the tournament.
Karrion Kross returns and makes a statement
To close out this week’s edition of Smackdown, Roman Reigns made his way to the ring to address SummerSlam and Drew McIntyre, as he is set to defend his Undisputed Universal Championship against the Scotsman at Clash at the Castle.
McIntyre interrupted Reigns and was desperate for an early fight with the world champion. However, the arena turned dark and Scarlett Bordeaux was at the front of the ramp to the tune of Karrion Kross’ theme song.
Kross then made his remarkable return to WWE to the shock of the audience in attendance and made a statement by attacking The Scottish Warrior from behind. He then turned his attention to Roman Reigns and signaled that his time as champion is coming to an end.
The former NXT Champion was released in November, last year after being creatively mistreated by former CEO, Vince McMahon.
Kross was a huge presence in NXT when Triple H was operating the brand, as he had a lengthy reign as the brand’s world champion and even riding a two-year undefeated streak. It should not be surprising that the people Triple H adored in the next-gen brand are now being brought back to the company in important roles.
What this means for Roman Reigns vs Drew McIntyre at Clash of the Castle remains to be seen, and the expectation of the challenger beating the champion is now widely questioned.
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