Pat McAfee bids farewell, Uncle Howdy’s in-ring debut, and more: 5 key takeaways from Raw 8/19

Here are 5 major key takeaways from the August 19th, 2024, edition of Raw, such as Uncle Howdy's long-awaited debut and Pat McAfee's farewell.

Pat McAfee bids farewell, Uncle Howdy’s in-ring debut, and more: 5 key takeaways from Raw 8/19

5 Key Takeaways from Raw Aug 19, 2024 (via WWE)

The latest episode of Raw was filled with a lot of action, story developments, and even some emotional moments. The show also elevated with the hottest feud on the red brand, which is between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre, where The Best in the World added an extremely violent stipulation for their rematch at Bash in Berlin.

The Wyatt Sicks continued to make life hell for American-Made. Pat McAfee temporarily bid farewell to his role as a commentator on the red brand, and Bron Breakker will soon find out who his first challenger will be for the Intercontinental Championship. Here are five key takeaways from the latest episode of Raw, which will heavily influence storylines in the future.

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1. CM Punk and Drew McIntyre will face off in a strap match at Bash in Berlin

The latest episode of Raw opened with Punk coming down to the ring with a strap around his neck. He talked about how much Drew McIntyre had become obsessed with him and reminded the fans of the beating he gave the Scottish Warrior on last week’s episode.

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CM Punk Drew McIntyre
CM Punk challenges Drew McIntyre to a strap match (via WWE)

CM Punk said that he had already talked to Raw GM Adam Pearce, and unless McIntyre was going to chicken out, they would have a strap match at Bash in Berlin. This is one of the most brutal stipulations in professional wrestling, and the intense blood feud between these two superstars has certainly justified it.

2. Uncle Howdy’s in-ring debut announced for next week’s episode of Raw

Uncle Howdy, played by Bo Dallas, has been an on-screen character on WWE programming since 2022. However, he never had an in-ring match, as it was hard to portray a character like that inside of the squared circle. However, the time has finally come, and he will lace up his boots to take on Chad Gable in a singles match next week on Raw.

Uncle Howdy Chad Gable
Uncle Howdy delivers a Sister Abigail to Chad Gable (via WWE)

The latest episode of Raw featured Maxxine Dupri facing her former friend, Ivy Nile, in a singles match. Members of both Alpha Academy and American Made were present at ringside to cheer on their stablemates. The match was cut short by interference from the Wyatt Sicks, and Uncle Howdy delivered a Sister Abigail to Chad Gable, setting up their match for the show’s next episode.

3. Braun Strowman challenges Bronson Reed’s dominance

Bronson Reed has been a menace on Raw over the past few weeks. His brutal attack on Seth Rollins and R-Truth has written both these characters off of TV for the foreseeable future. This week, The Miz looked for revenge on behalf of his tag team partner. He took on the Australian in a No DQ match on the latest episode of Raw.

Bronson Reed Braun Strowman
Braun Strowman goes to face-to-face with Bronson Reed (via WWE)

The 35-year-old continued his reign of dominance and came out on top by pinning the 2-time Grand Slam champion. After the match, former Universal Champion Braun Strowman came out to square up with Bronson Reed. Although it is unlikely that this will turn into a high-profile feud that blows off on a PLE, it would surely keep viewers engrossed on weekly TV.

4. Jey Uso will take part in the #1 contender’s tournament for Bron Breakker’s Intercontinental Championship

The next few weeks of Raw weekly TV will feature a tournament, the winner of which will get to challenge Bron Breakker for the Intercontinental Championship. The 26-year-old warned the ‘poor soul’ who would win the tournament that he would get speared and take the beating of a lifetime.

Jey Uso Bron Breakker
Jey Uso participates in #1 contender’s tournament to face Bron Breakker (via WWE)

Jey Uso was announced as the first participant in this tournament. He said that his friend Sami Zayn was taking time off to clear his head and would not participate. Instead, he encouraged the Samoan to take part in the tournament. If the 10x Tag Team Champion does not get involved with Rhea Ripley, as teased by The Eradicator herself, going up against Bron Breakker could be a great feud for him.

5. Pat McAfee bids farewell to Monday Night Raw commentary desk

During the show, Michael Cole announced that the latest episode of Raw was going to be Pat McAfee’s last show as a commentator for a while. He will be covering the upcoming college football season, and will also provide commentary for some upcoming NFL games.

Pat McAfee Michael Cole
Pat McAfee and Michael Cole (via WWE)

The show even featured a montage of some of the 37-year-old’s best moments. Michael Cole is also rumored to be moving to SmackDown shortly after. However, it was confirmed that Pat McAfee will return to the commentary desk for Raw’s debut on Netflix in 2025.

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