Big Cass and Stephanie Vaquer Return on Raw After SummerSlam

WWE Raw touched down in Des Moines, Iowa, on Monday, August 3, for the first show following SummerSlam, and the fallout episode delivered a string of returns, confrontations and a violent main event that reshaped several storylines heading into the fall.

Roman Reigns opened the show as the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion after beating Seth Rollins at SummerSlam. Reigns called Rollins his brother and suggested the two may have finally made peace, even letting the Des Moines crowd sing Rollins’ entrance theme in his honor. The moment of goodwill didn’t last — LA Knight interrupted, reminding Reigns that he’d already beaten members of The Bloodline and was owed a title shot, whether it came that night, at Money in the Bank or WrestleMania. Reigns shot back by mocking Knight’s ‘Mega Star’ persona and telling him to get in line, but Knight refused to budge, promising to send the champion ‘back to factory settings.’ Backstage, Reigns made it clear the shot was his to give, overruling Jey Uso and staking his claim on dealing with Knight himself — while also warning Jacob Fatu that his loss involving Royce Keys was unacceptable and questioning why Keys was even in the mix.

The opener saw Je’Von Evans outlast Ethan Page with a double-jump cutter, but the celebration was cut short when Big Cass made a surprise return, laying Evans out with a big boot, a clothesline and a bear hug into East River Crossing — an immediate, physical statement of intent from a name that hasn’t been part of the roster in years.

The women’s division saw plenty of movement as well. Liv Morgan, flanked by Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez, declared herself the greatest Women’s Champion ever after beating IYO SKY at SummerSlam and vowed to become the longest-reigning champion in company history. In the show’s featured match, Sol Ruca and Roxanne Perez battled to a disqualification finish after Ruca appeared to injure her arm attempting the Rainbow DDT — an injury Perez exploited before Liv’s interference drew the referee’s stoppage. Perez and Rodriguez then laid Ruca out, setting the stage for Becky Lynch to return and blast Liv’s title reign as little more than valet work while demanding she actually defend the championship. Things escalated further when Stephanie Vaquer made her own comeback, attacking Liv and scattering Rodriguez and Perez before a tense staredown with Lynch signaled that the two might not exactly be allies.

Elsewhere, Oba Femi reflected on his brutal Hell in a Cell win over Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam, framing the war as one that earned him respect rather than just a victory, and vowing to lead a new generation as the veterans fade. His moment of reflection was cut short by the arrival of Bron Breakker.

With Reigns now fending off Knight, Fatu’s standing in The Bloodline in question, Cass making immediate waves, and a crowded, unpredictable Women’s Championship picture forming around Liv, Lynch and Vaquer, WWE has plenty of threads to pull heading toward Money in the Bank.