The Riyadh Fallout and the King's Coronation

WWE is wasting no time following the dramatic events of Saturday night in Saudi Arabia. Monday Night RAW tonight broadcasts live from the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with a special early start time of 6 PM ET on Netflix.

The main hook is already set for the evening. As Ringside News reported, the newly crowned King of the Ring, Oba Femi, is scheduled to open the broadcast.

Femi earned this spot by dismantling Jey Uso in Riyadh. The match was brief, lasting exactly 7:55 before Femi pinned the veteran. Jey Uso had his moments, landing quick strikes and an Uso Splash that forced a visual three-count while the referee was out.

Femi kicked out at one, showing the kind of physical resilience that has made him NXT's most terrifying prospect. He escaped a headlock, hit massive uppercuts, and finished Uso with his signature Fall From Grace powerbomb.

Before he was steamrolled in Riyadh, Jey Uso addressed the backlash regarding his tournament run. Uso claimed he no longer cares about the negative reactions on social media, but his arrogance was his undoing against Femi.

Femi's victory justifies the massive praise he has received from Triple H. After the loss, Jey took to Instagram, writing: "yall mfs lucky; respect Oba; still beat yo ass in spades."

“Oba Femi is just another man in my way, another chapter in my book that I’ve got to rip out.”

But while Femi holds the crown, the actual booking of the final warrants criticism. Giving your new King of the Ring less than eight minutes of ring time in a tournament final is a massive missed opportunity. If Femi is being groomed as the next dominant force, he needs to show he can work longer, main-event-style matches.

Short matches protect a wrestler's limitations but do not help them grow. Femi is a phenomenal athlete with an intimidating presence, but he is chasing a ghost if the creative team refuses to let him work full-length main events.

The Boardroom Battle and the SummerSlam Choice

The crown gives Femi a guaranteed world title shot at SummerSlam on August 1 and 2 in Minneapolis. He now faces a massive choice between the brand champions.

He can challenge either Roman Reigns on RAW, or Sami Zayn on SmackDown. Zayn won the Undisputed WWE Championship on Saturday night, pinning Cody Rhodes in an 18:40 Triple Threat match that also featured Gunther.

Roman Reigns is scheduled for RAW tonight in Atlantic City after missing last week's show in London. Reigns captured the gold back in April by defeating CM Punk and has spent every week claiming he rescued the title from obscurity.

Seth Rollins, the man who built the championship's prestige, has publicly called Reigns' claim absolute garbage. Femi entering this environment adds a volatile element to the red brand.

Rumors suggest SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis is lobbying to put Sami Zayn directly in Femi's crosshairs. Aldis wants to bring the dominant powerhouse to the blue brand to challenge the new champion.

But Femi has unresolved business that could derail his title plans. The shadow of Brock Lesnar still hangs over the NXT standout.

Femi shocked the world at WrestleMania back in April, pinning the Beast in a brutal upset. Lesnar returned to RAW on May 18, setting up a rematch at Clash in Italy where the Beast leveled the score to 1-1.

The stage is set for a massive Last Man Standing rubber match on Brock's home turf of Minneapolis at SummerSlam. If Lesnar returns tonight, Femi's title shot will have to wait.

Rollins, Breakker, and the Mid-Card Chaos

The other major talking point from Riyadh is Seth Rollins' controversial victory over Bron Breakker inside a cage. The 19:05 cage war was filled with weapons, tables, and blood.

Rollins won, but the finish sparked massive outrage among fans. Breakker had turned on Rollins, kicking him out of The Vision faction.

Rollins superplexed Breakker off the cage through a table, leaving Bron bleeding from the eye. The veteran finished him with a Pedigree and a top-rope Stomp.

Fans immediately took to social media to blast the decision to have the veteran beat a rising star. Beating Breakker clean halts the momentum of WWE's most explosive prospect.

It was a questionable decision that hurts the future of the brand. Breakker is a powerhouse who belongs in the main event, and having him lose clean to a veteran who did not need the win is bad booking.

RAW will also feature a singles match between Chad Gable and JD McDonagh. Gable's recent heel turn is the best character work on Monday Night RAW.

He has turned from a lovable underdog into a delusional, abusive mentor who tortures his own students. Gable needs a clean, decisive win tonight to show he can back up his threats.

McDonagh is a member of the Judgment Day, meaning we can expect plenty of outside interference. Gable will have to watch his back to secure the pinfall.

Predictions and the Atlantic City Verdict

Here is how tonight's show plays out. Oba Femi will open the show and declare his intention to challenge Roman Reigns.

This will bring out the Tribal Chief, leading to a tense face-off in the center of the ring. But before Femi can make his decision official, Brock Lesnar's music will hit.

Lesnar will return, level Femi with an F-5, and lay down the challenge for their Last Man Standing match at SummerSlam. The Minneapolis rubber match is too big to ignore.

This allows WWE to save Femi's title shot for later while delivering the massive stadium match fans want to see in Minneapolis. Femi gets his rubber match with Lesnar, and Roman Reigns is free to defend his title against Seth Rollins. It is the logical path forward for a creative team that needs to salvage its summer booking.

Here is what we are tracking tonight:

  • How the Atlantic City crowd reacts to Oba Femi's opening promo.
  • Whether Bron Breakker seeks immediate revenge against Seth Rollins.
  • The fallout from Sami Zayn's Undisputed Championship win in Riyadh.

The pieces are on the board. The special start time on Netflix means WWE wants a massive audience for this fallout show. It is time to see if they can deliver.