WWE’s September 7 episode of Raw from Birmingham, Alabama had a bit of everything — title defenses, tournament drama, and a shocking closing angle. Here’s a breakdown of what worked and what didn’t on the road to Money in the Bank.
Good: Smart Booking of the Money in the Bank Qualifiers
Putting Bron Breakker, Rey Mysterio, and Ethan Page in a Triple Threat — and Sol Ruca, Lyra Valkyria, and Maxxine Dupri in another — gave both matches genuine stakes and unpredictability. Triple Threats naturally create chaos and near-falls that keep fans guessing, and advancing Breakker keeps his momentum building after his rocky night at Sunday Night’s Main Event.
Bad: The Bloodline-946 Feud Is Escalating Too Fast
Going from backstage beatdowns to literally setting a car on fire is a massive jump in stakes, and it risks WWE running out of ways to escalate this rivalry further before delivering a proper blowoff match. Arson is a shocking visual, but without a clear next step, it risks feeling like shock value for its own sake rather than meaningful storytelling.
Good: Liv Morgan vs Stephanie Vaquer Delivered a Meaningful Title Defense
Bringing back Vaquer, a former champion, as Morgan’s challenger gave the match real history and emotional weight rather than feeling like a random title defense. The involvement of The Judgment Day and Becky Lynch added extra layers of chaos and intrigue around the finish, making it feel like a bigger, more consequential match rather than a standard title defense. Morgan retaining with ObLIVion keeps her reign strong heading toward Money in the Bank.
Bad: Oba Femi’s Second Beatdown Risks Diminishing Returns
Having Femi come out and get beaten down by The Vision for a second time in as many nights makes for a repetitive story beat rather than an escalating one. After such a dramatic angle at Sunday Night’s Main Event, fans may have expected Femi to show some fight or get a measure of revenge — instead, seeing him fall victim to the same group again risks making him look weak rather than sympathetic, and could cool down enthusiasm for his eventual comeback if it isn’t followed by a decisive response soon.
Good: The Vision’s Promo Added Real Heat to the Oba Femi Story
Having Breakker and a physically transformed Bronson Reed claim they’re “the true future of WWE” — while mocking Femi’s medical status — was a sharp way to keep last night’s shocking beatdown fresh in fans’ minds.
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