Becky Lynch and Stephanie Vaquer return as Raw kicks off World Heavyweight No. 1 contender tournament in Norfolk
The August 10 edition of Monday Night Raw will emanate live from the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia and will feature the returns of Becky Lynch and Stephanie Vaquer while kicking off a tournament to determine the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. Seth Rollins, Oba Femi, Liv Morgan, Dominik Mysterio, Sol Ruca and Penta are listed among the featured superstars for the show.
The tournament set to begin on Raw includes competitors from WWE and AAA, with the winner earning a title match against Roman Reigns on the September 14 edition of Raw in Mexico City. The first first-round match scheduled for Monday pairs Penta against AAA star Laredo Kid, with the victor advancing to the semi-finals.
Last week’s program saw Big Cass return following multiple vignettes promoting his comeback; he reappeared after Je’Von Evans’ win over Ethan Page and launched a brutal attack on the Young OG. In an interview with Jackie Redmond, Cass said there was nothing personal about attacking Je’Von Evans, as Evans was simply in his way. He added that Evans was the first victim, but certainly not the last, which likely means the unhinged version of him is going to wreak havoc on the Red brand.
Bron Breakker and Oba Femi engaged in a brief but intense staredown at the entrance ramp last week, and Breakker later approached Paul Heyman asking where Heyman’s new best friend 'Oba Femi' is. This face-off and Breakker’s segment with Heyman hint towards a potential showdown between the two, a feud that the preview notes could help Breakker re-enter the main event scene and continue to rise up the roster after his push waned in part due to his injury earlier this year.
Becky Lynch returned to confront Liv Morgan and made clear she is not back to challenge Women’s Intercontinental Champion Raquel Rodriguez but has her sights on the Women’s World title. Stephanie Vaquer also returned to target Morgan, Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez, a segment that suggested the possibility of a triple-threat rivalry over the Women’s World championship.
In last week’s main event Jacob Fatu defeated Royce Keys in a Street Fight and continued an assault after the bell that left Keys coughing up blood and ultimately being carried out on a stretcher. Fatu’s post-match attack received a nod of approval from Roman Reigns, who is not scheduled to be present at the August 10 Raw; per his schedule, Reigns will appear on the August 17 edition of Raw in Buffalo, New York. The preview also notes the Bloodline may continue to hunt, with their next target likely being Solo Sikoa, as Reigns has barred them from targeting LA Knight, though Knight and Solo also can decide to retaliate after last week.
Money in the Bank is listed as the next premium live event after SummerSlam 2026 and the 2026 edition is set for October 10, 2026 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. The tournament winner from the Raw bracket will meet Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship on the September 14 edition of Raw in Mexico City.