WWE Monday Night RAW July 13, 2026 Preview: Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins Sign the SummerSlam Contract as Brock Lesnar Returns

WWE Monday Night RAW July 13, 2026 rolls into the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, tonight with SummerSlam less than three weeks away and Saturday Night’s Main Event looming this weekend from Madison Square Garden. Last week’s “Championship Monday” fundamentally altered WWE’s main-event landscape, producing two championship changes, the surprise return of CM Punk and another violent escalation from Gunther. Tonight’s show now has the responsibility of turning that chaos into a clear direction. Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins will sign the contract for their World Heavyweight Championship match, Brock Lesnar returns to answer Oba Femi, IYO SKY battles Roxanne Perez, Bayley finally confronts Lyra Valkyria and seven competitors enter a gauntlet for the right to challenge Penta at SummerSlam. On top of everything officially advertised, Roman may also have unresolved Bloodline business waiting for him following Jacob Fatu’s ultimatum to Solo Sikoa on SmackDown. This is not a filler episode designed to pass time before August. Tonight should be one of the most consequential stops remaining on the road to SummerSlam.

Here is everything advertised for tonight’s card

• World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins sign the contract for their SummerSlam championship match
• Brock Lesnar returns to Monday Night RAW
• Chad Gable, Je’Von Evans, Dragon Lee, Joe Hendry, AAA Mega Champion Dominik Mysterio, Rusev and Ethan Page compete (WWE Intercontinental Championship No. 1 Contender’s Gauntlet Match. The winner challenges Penta at SummerSlam)
• IYO SKY faces Roxanne Perez
• Bayley and Lyra Valkyria meet face-to-face for the first time since Valkyria’s betrayal

Last week’s RAW was built around the promise of championship matches, but the most important moment occurred before the opening bell. Cody Rhodes arrived expecting to challenge Sami Zayn for the Undisputed WWE Championship, only for Gunther to ambush him and remove him from the match. The attack was not random. Gunther has been unraveling since his controversial loss to Cody at Clash in Italy, where his foot appeared to be beneath the bottom rope during the decisive pin. He then watched Sami defeat both him and Cody at Night of Champions. Rather than accepting either result, Gunther chose to destroy the man who had beaten him and sabotage Cody’s attempt to regain the championship.

That decision unintentionally opened the door for CM Punk.

Sami was still willing to defend the championship despite losing his scheduled opponent, and Chicago’s reaction made it obvious who needed to replace Cody. Punk walked into a title opportunity he had not earned through a tournament or contender’s match, but the location, the circumstances and his history made the moment feel enormous. Sami attacked Punk’s midsection, looked for the Blue Thunder Bomb and continued trying to create room for the Helluva Kick. Punk survived the pressure, avoided the Helluva Kick, stunned Sami by delivering one of his own and followed with the Go-To-Sleep to capture the Undisputed WWE Championship.

The execution created an unforgettable closing scene, but the booking came with a cost. Sami’s first world-title reign ended after only nine days and without receiving enough time to establish him as champion. His victory at Night of Champions was supposed to be the culmination of years of near-misses, setbacks and questions over whether WWE would ever truly commit to him at the highest level. Instead, he became the bridge between Cody and Punk. Punk’s championship victory was a major moment, especially in Chicago, but the company cannot pretend that Sami’s reign was anything more than transitional. Both things can be true. Punk winning was defensible. Sami being reduced to a nine-day plot device was disappointing.

The response reflected that conflict. Some saw Punk’s victory as the beginning of a layered SummerSlam program involving Punk, Cody, Gunther and Sami. Others felt WWE rushed through Sami’s reign because it wanted the larger Punk-Rhodes match as quickly as possible. The Chicago atmosphere protected the moment from rejection, but the real test will be whether the weeks ahead give Sami meaningful character development instead of simply moving him out of the championship picture.

The other major championship change was equally questionable. Bron Breakker and Austin Theory regained the World Tag Team Championship from The Street Profits after Logan Paul introduced brass knuckles and Maxxine Dupri struck Angelo Dawkins with a low blow behind the referee’s back. Theory capitalized and scored the pin, ending the Street Profits’ reign almost immediately after Montez Ford and Dawkins had finally beaten The Vision.

The interference gave Breakker and Theory heat, while Maxxine’s involvement added another piece to The Vision’s growing collection of personalities. However, trading the titles back so quickly made the Street Profits’ victory feel temporary and disposable. Ford and Dawkins had spent years waiting for a meaningful championship run. Giving them the belts and taking them away two weeks later did little for them beyond supplying a brief feel-good moment. The Vision now has the gold again, but the tag division needs an actual direction instead of championships moving whenever WWE wants to manufacture a surprise.

Sol Ruca’s successful Women’s Intercontinental Championship defense against Raquel Rodriguez was more effective. Raquel controlled the physical exchanges and attempted to turn the match into a power contest, while Liv Morgan and Roxanne Perez repeatedly threatened to tilt the numbers in Judgment Day’s favor. IYO SKY neutralized Liv and Roxanne, allowing Sol to catch Raquel with the Sol Snatcher and retain. The result protected Raquel, kept Sol’s reign moving and advanced IYO’s issue with Liv without forcing the SummerSlam opponents into another direct match.

Rusev and Ethan Page also defeated Chad Gable and Dragon Lee after Rusev trapped Lee in the Accolade. Their post-match attack was more important than the victory. Gable and Lee were beaten down, Joe Hendry attempted to make the save and Rusev overwhelmed him as well. That scene feeds directly into tonight’s gauntlet because all five men are now competing for the same SummerSlam opportunity. The match is not simply seven unrelated names fighting for a title shot. Several of them already have unfinished business.

Seth Rollins’ promo was one of last week’s weaker major segments. Rollins accused Roman Reigns of avoiding RAW, questioned his commitment as champion and positioned himself as the workhorse who never truly lost the World Heavyweight Championship. The core argument was legitimate, but it sounded familiar. Rollins has questioned Roman’s schedule, leadership and priorities for years. LA Knight’s interruption injected life into the segment because Knight addressed Seth directly rather than talking around an absent champion. Jimmy Uso then attacked Knight, once again dragging the growing conflict between Knight, The Usos and The Bloodline into Roman’s championship story.

That is why tonight’s contract signing is so important. Roman and Seth cannot rely entirely on their history and assume the match will sell itself. Their history is tremendous, but the current chapter still needs its own defining issue.

Rollins betrayed Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose on June 2, 2014, ending The Shield and aligning with The Authority. At WrestleMania 31, Seth inserted himself into Roman’s championship match against Brock Lesnar, cashed in Money in the Bank and pinned Roman to steal the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. At Money in the Bank 2016, Rollins defeated Reigns for that same championship, only for Ambrose to cash in on Rollins moments later. Their last singles match came at the 2022 Royal Rumble, where Rollins won by disqualification because Roman refused to release the Guillotine after the referee’s five-count. Roman retained the Universal Championship, but he did not beat Seth.

Rollins later played a decisive role in helping Cody Rhodes end Roman’s historic championship reign at WrestleMania XL. He then defeated Roman and CM Punk in a WrestleMania Triple Threat Match and took Paul Heyman away from the former Tribal Chief. Seth currently holds a 5-4-1 advantage over Roman in singles competition, making him one of the few performers who can credibly claim to have consistently occupied Roman’s blind spot.

Roman entered 2026 determined to rebuild everything he had lost. He defeated CM Punk at WrestleMania 42 to win the World Heavyweight Championship and began restoring his position at the head of his family. Rollins, meanwhile, wants to reclaim the championship he says he never truly lost because an injury forced him to relinquish it. That is the strongest current foundation for the match: Roman rebuilt his empire after losing everything, while Seth believes Roman is holding the championship that should still belong to him.

Tonight’s contract signing needs to make that conflict feel personal in the present, not simply replay their greatest hits. Rollins should challenge Roman’s claim that he has changed. Roman should force Seth to confront the fact that nearly every major achievement of his career has involved betraying, exploiting or humiliating someone close to him. The expected physical confrontation will matter, but what they say before the table is overturned will determine whether this feels like the continuation of an all-time rivalry or another match assembled from familiar talking points.

Roman’s attention may also be divided because The Bloodline is once again approaching a breaking point.

The current story began when Jacob Fatu challenged Roman for the World Heavyweight Championship in Tribal Combat at Clash in Italy. They fought throughout the arena, used the ring steps, exposed turnbuckles, a toolbox and a table. Roman damaged Jacob’s hand to weaken the Tongan Death Grip, survived Jacob’s moonsault and eventually drove him through a table with a Spear before hitting another Spear to retain. Jacob reluctantly followed Roman and The Usos after the match while Solo Sikoa and the MFTs watched from behind the barricade.

Jacob acknowledged Roman on RAW the following day because he had promised to do so if Roman defeated him. That distinction always mattered. Jacob did not suddenly become submissive or forget his own ambition. He honored the terms of Tribal Combat. Two weeks later, Roman gave him an Ula Fala and officially welcomed him into the rebuilt Bloodline, much to the surprise of Jimmy and Jey Uso. Roman immediately tested Jacob’s obedience by ordering him to attack Eric André, and Jacob complied. Later that night, Jacob attacked LA Knight after Jey ruined Jimmy’s attempt to settle the growing hostility peacefully.

The family has never looked completely united. Jimmy has tried to become the diplomat. Jey remains distrustful and territorial. Jacob follows Roman, but his loyalty is based on honor rather than fear. Solo continues operating outside Roman’s control with his own allies. Royce Keys has now added another complication by questioning why Jacob would follow Roman after years of loyalty between Royce and Jacob.

On SmackDown, Jimmy and Jacob called for Solo, only for Royce to confront them. Jacob initially abandoned Jimmy during the resulting match, but returned when Solo attempted to interfere. Jimmy defeated Royce after Jacob neutralized Solo. Jacob then destroyed Solo but stopped before inflicting a potentially serious injury, issuing one final warning for Solo to rejoin the family. The larger message was that Solo needed to come to RAW and deal with Roman.

That creates a major possibility for tonight. Roman may begin the night concerned only with Seth Rollins and leave it facing another family rebellion. Solo appearing during or after the contract signing would connect Roman’s championship feud with the larger Bloodline story. Jacob’s presence would make the situation even more unpredictable because no one truly knows whether he will continue enforcing Roman’s orders or eventually decide Roman has asked for too much.

The Bloodline story is at its best when loyalty is complicated and every character has an understandable motivation. It is at its worst when it becomes another repetitive cycle of acknowledgments, betrayals and forced reunions. Jacob is currently the character preventing it from becoming stale. He is dangerous enough to destroy either side, honorable enough to respect Roman’s victory and independent enough that his loyalty never feels guaranteed.

Brock Lesnar’s return gives tonight another attraction with legitimate SummerSlam weight. His rivalry with Oba Femi is tied at one victory apiece. Oba defeated Brock at WrestleMania 42 in his WrestleMania debut, after which Lesnar left his boots and gloves in the ring and appeared to signal that his career might be over. Brock later returned, attacked Oba and defeated him in their rematch at Clash in Italy.

That second match was structured around Brock attempting to overwhelm Oba before Oba could establish his power. Lesnar hit four immediate F-5s, but Oba kicked out. Brock transitioned into the Kimura Lock after receiving instructions from Paul Heyman, yet Oba lifted him and drove him down while still trapped in the hold. Brock eventually delivered an F-5 through the announce table, but Oba beat the count, returned to the ring and began throwing Lesnar around. Oba attempted the Fall From Grace, only for Brock to counter with a seventh F-5 and secure the victory. Lesnar left reminding Oba that the series was tied 1-1.

Oba responded by winning the King of the Ring tournament. In the final, he survived three Superkicks, a Spear and an Uso Splash from Jey Uso before powering free from a Sleeper, connecting with two running uppercuts and finishing Jey with the Fall From Grace. That victory gave Oba the right to challenge for a world championship at SummerSlam, but he chose Brock instead. Lesnar accepted under one condition: the rubber match would take place inside Hell in a Cell in his home state of Minnesota.

Brock enters with a 2-2 Hell in a Cell record and two victories over The Undertaker inside the structure. Oba has never competed in the match. The cage therefore gives Brock something he did not have in their first two encounters: a decisive experience advantage. Oba is physically capable of matching Lesnar, but SummerSlam will test whether he can remain composed when there are no count-outs, nowhere to retreat and no protection from the violence Brock understands better than almost anyone.

Last week, Oba confronted Paul Heyman and made it clear that he was not intimidated by the structure or Lesnar’s history. Tonight, Brock must give the rivalry something beyond another stare-down. The match has already been sold through physical dominance. The next step should make the rubber match personal. Brock needs to explain whether he returned because losing to Oba damaged his pride, because he views Oba as the first legitimate successor to his position or because destroying Oba is the only way to prove WrestleMania was an aberration.

IYO SKY against Roxanne Perez serves a different purpose. IYO already defeated Roxanne, Giulia and Lash Legend in the opening round of Queen of the Ring before beating Raquel Rodriguez in the semifinal. At Night of Champions, she defeated Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan in the final despite Liv repeatedly targeting her left knee. IYO countered Oblivion into a Spanish Fly, climbed the ropes on the injured leg and connected with Over the Moonsault to earn the SummerSlam championship opportunity. She immediately selected Liv.

Liv’s championship reign began after she won the 2026 Royal Rumble and defeated Stephanie Vaquer at WrestleMania 42 with assistance from Raquel and Roxanne. Her greatest advantage is not merely her ability; it is the constant presence of Judgment Day. IYO has already proven she can beat Liv in a singles match, but winning when the championship is at stake will require surviving the champion, Raquel and Roxanne simultaneously.

Tonight’s match allows Roxanne to weaken the challenger before SummerSlam. Roxanne is technically sharp enough to attack IYO’s previously injured knee, and Liv and Raquel are unlikely to remain passive. IYO neutralized their interference last week, but repeatedly fighting Judgment Day alone is not a sustainable strategy. She either needs backup or must find a way to turn the group’s numbers against itself.

The Intercontinental Championship gauntlet may produce the best wrestling of the night because each entrant brings a different style and a current storyline.

Chad Gable is the most accomplished pure technician in the field and already owns a submission victory over Rusev, forcing him to tap to the Ankle Lock on June 15. Rusev has since reasserted himself by submitting Dragon Lee and attacking Gable, Lee and Joe Hendry. Their unfinished issue gives either man a believable path to the closing stretch.

Ethan Page has aligned himself with Rusev when convenient, but a gauntlet eliminates any illusion that their partnership is built on loyalty. Page will sacrifice Rusev the moment the championship opportunity becomes reachable. Dragon Lee supplies speed and counters but enters after being submitted and beaten down last week. Joe Hendry has the crowd support and now has a direct reason to target Rusev after attempting to stop the post-match assault.

Je’Von Evans rejected Logan Paul’s invitation to join The Vision and has continued proving that his athleticism belongs on the main roster. He defeated Austin Theory by disqualification after Bron Breakker interfered and recently defeated Grayson Waller, giving him momentum entering the gauntlet. Dominik Mysterio remains the wild card. He possesses championship experience, Judgment Day support and an unmatched willingness to steal a victory after everyone else has exhausted themselves.

The unknown entry order may determine everything. Gable, Dragon or Evans could wrestle for an extended period and still lose to a fresher opponent entering late. Rusev could dominate several competitors but be vulnerable after accumulating damage. Dominik could draw the final position and win without doing nearly as much work as the others.

Penta needs the winner to emerge with genuine momentum. His championship has occasionally felt disconnected from RAW’s biggest stories. A well-constructed gauntlet can correct that by creating a challenger with a clear identity and a reason to believe the Intercontinental Championship represents the next major step in his career.

Bayley and Lyra Valkyria finally meeting face-to-face should also produce a SummerSlam direction. Their partnership survived championship disappointments, misunderstandings and outside interference until Lyra attacked Bayley during their Women’s Tag Team Championship match against Paige and Brie Bella. Rather than allowing Bayley to continue fighting, Lyra struck her with Nightwing and walked away. Bayley has since made an emotional appeal for Lyra to explain herself, but tonight is their first direct confrontation since the betrayal.

Lyra needs to articulate more than frustration. The story works if she believes Bayley repeatedly benefited from her loyalty while failing to give that loyalty back. It becomes weaker if the explanation is simply that Lyra wanted to become more aggressive. Bayley has spent years moving between selflessness and manipulation, friendship and ambition. Lyra can legitimately accuse her of understanding loyalty only when it benefits her.

The confrontation should end with a SummerSlam match or at least a physical escalation that makes one inevitable. Bayley does not need another temporary partnership. Lyra does not need to retreat into vague statements. Both need to define exactly why their friendship failed.

The Undisputed WWE Championship situation will continue developing toward Saturday Night’s Main Event even though CM Punk and Cody Rhodes are primarily SmackDown stars. After Punk defeated Sami, he appeared on SmackDown as champion and was confronted by Cody. The two agreed to a SummerSlam championship match, giving Cody the rematch he never received against Sami but placing a completely different champion in front of him.

Punk and Cody have not wrestled one-on-one in nearly 18 years. Their previous singles match occurred on RAW in September 2008, when Punk defeated a much younger Rhodes. Their careers then took radically different paths. Punk became one of WWE’s most outspoken champions, left the company for nearly a decade and returned as a figure whose relationship with the audience is built on admiration, skepticism and controversy. Cody left WWE, helped build an alternative, returned as a bigger star and completed his story by becoming champion.

They also shared the closing moments of the 2024 Royal Rumble, where Cody eliminated Punk to win the match. At that time, Cody was fighting to finish his story and Punk was trying to prove that returning to WWE had not come too late. At SummerSlam, Punk holds the championship Cody believes still belongs to him.

Cody did not lose his title in a singles match. Sami pinned him in a Triple Threat Match at Night of Champions. Punk did not defeat Cody to become champion. He replaced him after Gunther’s attack and defeated Sami. Both can therefore argue that the other is standing in a position created by circumstances rather than direct superiority.

Before SummerSlam, Punk and Cody must coexist against Gunther and Sami Zayn at Saturday Night’s Main Event. The match is far more than an exhibition tag team contest. Gunther believes Cody escaped him at Clash in Italy and then cost him another opportunity at Night of Champions. Sami defeated Cody and Gunther to become champion, only to lose the title to Punk nine days later. Punk wants to establish himself as a fighting champion. Cody wants his championship back.

None of the four men has a reason to trust his partner completely.

Gunther demanded a championship match on SmackDown and reacted violently when one was not granted. After Nick Aldis arranged the tag match, Gunther attacked the general manager with multiple Sleeper Holds before Cody made the save. Sami, meanwhile, is attempting to process the loss of a championship he spent his entire career trying to win. The Madison Square Garden match should expose which partnership can suppress its internal resentment long enough to survive.

Saturday Night’s Main Event also includes Paige and Brie Bella defending the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship against Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid of Fatal Influence. Paige and Brie have already retained against The Irresistible Forces twice, Bayley and Lyra Valkyria, and Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez. Fatal Influence enters without the same main-roster experience, but the challengers also have the advantage of facing champions who have accumulated damage through repeated defenses.

Danhausen will face JD McDonagh after Judgment Day invaded his laboratory, damaged his belongings and stole the New York Knicks jersey that had been presented to him. The storyline is deliberately strange, but the Madison Square Garden audience could turn it into one of the night’s strongest reactions. The original card received criticism for lacking enough star power for such a historic venue. Punk, Cody, Gunther and Sami have fixed much of that problem, but the show still needs every advertised match to feel important rather than relying entirely on the main event.

Saturday Night’s Main Event

• Undisputed WWE Champion CM Punk and Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther and Sami Zayn
• Paige and WWE Hall of Famer Brie Bella (c) vs. Fatal Influence (WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship)
• Danhausen vs. JD McDonagh

Saturday Night’s Main Event takes place Saturday, July 18, from Madison Square Garden in New York City. The broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET on Peacock in the United States and streams internationally on Netflix.

SummerSlam

• CM Punk (c) vs. Cody Rhodes (Undisputed WWE Championship)
• Roman Reigns (c) vs. Seth Rollins (World Heavyweight Championship)
• Liv Morgan (c) vs. IYO SKY (Women’s World Championship)
• Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi (Hell in a Cell Match)
• Penta (c) vs. the winner of tonight’s No. 1 Contender’s Gauntlet Match (Intercontinental Championship)

SummerSlam takes place across Saturday, August 1, and Sunday, August 2, from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Both nights begin at 6 p.m. ET.

Final Thoughts

Tonight’s RAW has a stronger lineup than last week’s show because nearly everything advertised has a direct purpose. Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins must finally give their SummerSlam rivalry a present-day identity. Brock Lesnar’s return needs to push his rubber match with Oba Femi beyond another exchange of threats. IYO SKY must survive the Judgment Day numbers game. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria must explain the end of their partnership. The Intercontinental Championship gauntlet must elevate someone rather than simply filling a vacant position on the SummerSlam card.

The biggest variable remains The Bloodline. Jacob Fatu has ordered Solo Sikoa to answer to Roman, and Roman is scheduled to be in the building. That cannot be ignored. A confrontation involving Roman, Solo, Jacob, Jimmy and potentially Jey would give tonight’s show another major layer while testing whether Roman can prepare for Seth Rollins without losing control of his family.

Last week delivered surprise. Tonight must deliver clarity. With Saturday Night’s Main Event only five days away and SummerSlam rapidly approaching, WWE no longer has room for major stories to remain in neutral.

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