4 Mistakes WWE made on RAW (July 6, 2026)

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CM Punk predictably returned because RAW took place in Chicago. Instead of at least letting Zayn walk into SummerSlam as Champion, he’s now lost two titles on the first defense this year.

IYO SKY got a measure of revenge on the Judgment Day, while Seth Rollins and LA Knight had one of the best promo segments of the year. Despite some decent promos, WWE made the next four mistakes on RAW from Chicago.

#4. Wasting time before SummerSlam

Paul Heyman appeared several times on RAW since Roman Reigns and the Bloodline didn’t eat up most of this week’s show. One segment saw him motivate the Vision with an ultimatum.

His in-ring segment hyped up the upcoming Steel Cage Match at SummerSlam between Oba Femi and Brock Lesnar. Instead of a scathing promo, it was the usual words of Lesnar being a bad man and unstoppable.

Femi then came out and essentially cut the same promo he did the first time he exchanged words with Heyman. It felt like filler on RAW and a way to just get Femi on the show.

#3. So much for that important vow

Roman Reigns promised that he’d be around more after WrestleMania 42. It was even more important this time since he defeated CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship at the PLE.

He defended the title at Backlash Tampa and Clash in Italy. Until then, he had made good on his promise, appearing weekly. Once those two defenses were in his back pocket, his schedule drastically changed.

He’d show up one week and then disappear the next week. This has happened over the last six weeks. Last week saw his verbal exchange and agreement of a title match with Seth Rollins at SummerSlam.

Maybe he felt exhausted after his 15-minute segment. WWE then did what it usually does when he no-shows an episode – advertise his ‘return’ for next week’s show.

Seth Rollins showed up and does so whenever he isn’t hurt. He’ll have to carry the feud every other week, apparently. The Champion should be on RAW more than he has been, especially since he hasn’t competed in over a month.

#2. Why didn’t Penta save his allies from a post-match attack?

WWE announced a seven-man gauntlet on next week’s RAW that will determine Penta’s SummerSlam opponent. Joe Hendry, Dragon Lee, Je’Von Evans, Chad Gable, Dominik Mysterio, Ethan Page, and Rusev will compete for the spot.

Lee and Penta had a confrontation with Rusev and Page backstage. Even Gable participated to ask if there was a problem. It led to a tag team contest pitting Rusev and Page against Gable and Lee.

The heels ended up winning after The Bulgarian Brute forced Lee to tap out in the Accolade. The attack didn’t end there as Page directed a post-match assault. Gable tried to end it, but met the same fate.

Joe Hendry then came down but was also locked in the submission. Hendry is in next week’s gauntlet, but why didn’t Penta come down to make the save?

It makes the earlier confrontation seem a bit pointless other than to set up the match. They’re all involved in the same plot, but one missed the climax of the latest chapter on RAW.

#1. Undercutting a deserving WWE star

When Sami Zayn won the Undisputed WWE Championship from Cody Rhodes at Night of Champions, it felt like a double-edged sword for the Last Real Good Guy. He was finally able to check being a World Champion off his list.

However, savvy fans knew that with SummerSlam fast approaching, he was likely a lame duck so Triple H could book what he would consider a bigger match for the two-night show. Zayn was simply the acceptable casualty to get to SummerSlam.

It’s extremely disappointing for a guy who’s proven to be one of the most selfless performers in the industry. He’s put over nearly every WWE star he’s feuded with.

Rewarding him with a major title run after falling short in nine other opportunities felt like the right move. Zayn didn’t even get to hold a major belt as long as Kofi Kingston, Jey Uso, or Damian Priest.

It was his first title defense, didn’t take place on his normal brand, and he didn’t know who his opponent would be after Gunther’s attack took Rhodes out of the contest. Sami Zayn deserved much better than he got, and it would have been disappointing regardless of who beat him for the title.