WWE Raw Preview (July 17, 2023): Brock Lesnar Answers Cody Rhodes' Challenge, Women's Tag Title Match

By Connor Casey

Tonight's Monday Night Raw will look to further lay the groundwork for WWE's SummerSlam 2023 event with another confrontation between Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar, a WWE Women's Tag Team Championship match, a non-title match involving Intercontinental Champion Gunther and tag team grudge match between Alpha Academy and The Viking Raiders. Rhodes recently threw down the challenge for a tiebreaking match between himself and "The Beast" for SummerSlam and the former UFC Champion will be on the Red Brand tonight to likely accept the challenge and have some sort of stipulation thrown in. And since these two fight every time they're in the same building, expect some violence between Rhodes & Lesnar.

As for the advertised matches, Gunther will take on Matt Riddle with the rest of Imperium barred from ringside in a non-title bout, Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens will face The Judgement Day's Damian Priest and Dominik Mysterio (their tag titles won't be on the line either) and Chad Gable & Otis will look to get revenge on Erik & Ivar for spoiling Maxxine Durpi's graduation ceremony last week.

Could a Title Change Hands on WWE Raw Tonight?

The only title bout booked for the show is Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez defending their women's tag titles against Chelsea Green & Sonya Deville. The challengers earned their shot by winning a Tag Team Turmoil Match last week and could be poised to pull off an upset as Rodriguez's focus is being pulled toward Rhea Ripley's Women's World Championship. 

There's no word yet on what World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins or his (likely) SummerSlam opponent Finn Balor will be up to during the show. Stay tuned for full coverage of the episode tonight! 

Related:

WWE SummerSlam 2023 Rumored Card

  • Undisputed WWE Universal Championship: Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso
  • World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor
  • Intercontinental Championship: Gunther vs. Drew McIntyre
  • SmackDown Women's Championship: Asuka vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Bianca Belair
  • Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships: Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn vs. TBA
  • Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar (with some sort of stipulation)
  • Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus
  • Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler
  • Ricochet vs. Logan Paul

Cody Rhodes' Documentary Premiere Date Confirmed

Peacock officially announced a documentary centered on the life and career of Cody Rhodes on Monday — American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes — dropping the first trailer and confirming the release date will be on July 31. 

The official synopsis for the documentary reads, "Cody Rhodes grew up living in the shadow of his father, WWE Hall of Famer 'The American Dream' Dusty Rhodes. In 2016, Cody risked it all by leaving WWE to make a name for himself, becoming the 'American Nightmare.' This intimate and revealing documentary follows Cody's journey away from the WWE, and his return at WrestleMania 38 last year, as he chases the dream of winning the WWE championship, the one title his father was never able to claim. Through never-before-seen footage and unprecedented access, this Peacock Original illustrates the transformation of a man who is blazing a new trail in sports entertainment."

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