We’re nearly out of days in 2023, and tonight’s WWE Raw from Des Moines, Iowa very well could be the last live televised show of the year. And with that being the case, why not finish strong?
It looks like we might have exactly that kind of card tonight, with three championships on the line. One is a rematch between Gunther and The Miz for the Ring General’s Intercontinental Championship. Miz has shown the drive and form to work himself back for a second shot, but as many have found out, standing up to Gunther and defeating him are two very different propositions.
Both the men’s and women’s tag team titles are also at stake in Des Moines. In both cases, there are up and coming teams looking to prove they’ve truly arrived — The Creed Brothers and Kayden Carter and Katana Chance. Can one or both duos succeed and claim their first main roster gold?
Warm up your singing muscles, as we’ll see Seth Rollins get some microphone time tonight. The World Heavyweight Champion did some verbal jousting with CM Punk last week, but he’s got a (literally) bigger foe to worry about first in the form of a very focused Drew McIntyre. Rollins might not even make it past Jan. 1 with his title if he doesn’t keep his eye on the Scottish Warrior.
Last but not least, R-Truth has been an unexpectedly delightful monkey wrench thrown into The Judgment Day’s machine as of late. We’ll see if he can avoid taking a big ‘L’ in Iowa as he faces JD McDonagh in a Miracle on 34th Street Fight.
We’re looking forward to taking in all the action and recapping it right here for you, so let’s get to it.
WWE Raw results from Des Moines:
(please scroll down for full details on any match or segment in bold)
- The Judgment Day is in the building … and so is R-Truth
- R-Truth def. JD McDonagh by pinfall in a Miracle on 24th Street Fight
- Kayden Carter and Katana Chance are feeling good ahead of their tag team title shot tonight
- Becky Lynch can’t quite get Nia Jax to fight tonight but does get a taste of her power
- Kofi Claus drops off a YEET shirt for #DIY, who give some props to The Miz before he gets a backstage interview to suggest he’s ready to finish what he started the first time he rattled Gunther
- Gunther def. The Miz by pinfall to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship; according to the stipulation, Miz can’t challenge for this title again as long as Gunther holds it
- The other members of Imperium congratulate Gunther, but he berates the whole year as a complete write-off for them, and says he expects them to grind and impress him for a few weeks while he takes a much deserved break; Kofi Claus also stops by to give Ludwig Kaiser some coal
- Shinsuke Nakamura treats everyone to an atmospheric reading of “The American Nightmare Before Christmas,” but Cody Rhodes is unamused by the personal attacks it contains and attacks him, with their battle heading all the way from backstage to the ring before WWE officials can finally separate them
- Chelsea Green and Piper Niven try to convince Adam Pearce to cancel their title match but fail; Bronson Reed stops by afterward to discuss Gunther’s next challenger
- Kayden Carter and Katana Chance def. Chelsea Green and Piper Niven by pinfall to become the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions
- Akira Tozawa surprises his Alpha Academy teammates by informing them he has a match with Ivar, and Chad Gable can only cringe at the thought
- The new tag team champs get some props backstage before heading out to party, while some other tag teams (Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark, and Natalya and Tegan Nox, specifically) discuss how Carter and Chance
- Ivar def. Akira Tozawa by pinfall
- CM Punk’s decision to sign with Raw and subsequent showdown with Seth Rollins is replayed
- Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre speak their minds, but one person takes it to a physical level
- The Creed Brothers geek out a bit after Cody Rhodes wishes them good luck and says he hopes they win tonight
- Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci beat up Kofi Claus, but Jey Uso hands out some “season’s yeetings” as payback, and Uso makes it clear he wants Kaiser in the ring
- Jey Uso def. Ludwig Kaiser by pinfall
- The Judgment Day tries to console McDonagh, and he’s not kicked out of the group, and Ripley tells Priest and Balor to take care of business tonight
- Damian Priest and Finn Balor def. The Creed Brothers by pinfall to retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship
The Judgment Day still can’t quite convince R-Truth he’s not in the group
After Damian Priest tells us to all rise, Finn Balor congratulates The Creed Brothers on getting to the No. 1 contenders spot. But where it’s the biggest night of their life, it’s just another night at the office for the tag team champs.
Rhea Ripley delivers a warning to Ivy Nile and promises The Judgment Day will continue to run things in 2024, but Dominik Mysterio is interrupted by R-Truth. He didn’t know they were opening the show and thinks the beatdown he got last week was his initiation into the group, even though it hurt him physically and emotionally.
Since everyone is looking for a fight, Truth needs someone to beat up on, and the fans suggest JD McDonagh. He suggests a Miracle on 34th Street Fight, to which JD tells him it’s already been booked and it’s happening right now. Truth says there’s an added stipulation: It’s a Loser Leaves Judgment Day match.
Priest likes that idea, and even though Ripley does not, McDonagh seems like he’s fine with it.
JD McDonagh has a Blue Christmas at the hands of R-Truth
The announcers debate whether there really is a stipulation in effect saying McDonagh has to leave The Judgment Day if he loses. He has some assistance from Dirty Dom to try to avoid finding out.
Truth delights the crowd by getting out a table, but McDonagh plays Scrooge by dropkicking him in short order. Dom trips Truth but ends up driving Truth’s head into his teammate’s groin, and Christmas trees and a fire extinguisher also come into play.
A flurry of offense by R-Truth has JD down, and a Five Knuckle Shuffle pays homage to John Cena. McDonagh ends up atop a table, and even when he escapes, Truth ends up almost accidentally driving him through it for the pinfall. Michael Cole is excited that JD is out, but we’ll see if he really is.
Becky Lynch and Nia Jax are going to fight … but not tonight
Becky Lynch interrupts Nia Jax before she can even say a word, unimpressed that she’s out to announce she’s entering the Royal Rumble.
In response, Jax suggests that the reason they’ve never had a singles match is because everyone is scared Nia would destroy the “moneymaker of the company.” The Man disagrees, saying that Jax is the one who is scared and that she’s the one whose existence is owed to others.
To prove her wrong, why not fight right there? Jax calls for a ref and Michael Cole is excited, as are the fans. But you know what’s coming — Jax backs off, saying this will happen on her terms, and in her hometown of San Diego in two weeks on the Day 1 episode of Raw.
Jax is laughing as she turns to leave, but not for long as Lynch goes firing up the ramp to attack her. That goes poorly for The Man, though, as one right hand sends Becky to the ground.
No shame in defeat as The Miz pushes Gunther to the limit
If Miz loses this, he can’t challenge again for this title as long as Gunther holds it. Those are high stakes.
The champ tries to bully Miz early on, smiling after he chops the challenger down. But Miz briefly grabs an ankle lock, suggesting he’s very much up for this, and Gunther has to wiggle over for a couple of rope breaks.
After Miz misses a swinging kick to the floor, Gunther greets him with a chop and powerbombs him on the apron. It’s still the champ in control after a commercial break as the fans try to rally The Miz.
Gunther is playing to the crowd as he continues his methodical attack, and Miz’s chest is showing numerous welts. The challenger finally connects on a running clothesline, but Gunther kicks him out of midair and tortures him on the top turnbuckle.
Finally a potential break as Miz ducks a chop and Gunther’s hand smacks the post before we go for more ads. Miz breaks out of a sleeperhold when we return, trying to continue working Gunther’s hand.
The champ can’t get a Boston Crab applied but switches to a reverse crossface; Miz breaks free and hits a DDT. Miz looks confident now, executing a tilt-a-whirl DDT for a two count.
A missile dropkick leads to a powerbomb, and the champ has his own near fall. Gunther flips Miz right over into a Boston Crab, and the crowd comes alive again as Miz makes it to the ropes for a break.
As Gunther tries to hammer Miz on his knees, the challenger smiles and waves him in. Miz comes close to stealing a win, then switches to a Skull Crushing Finale and getting very close to the three.
Will that be as close as Miz gets? Gunther hits a big punch and heads up top, fighting off the challenger for a second. Miz kicks Gunther in the hand and nails the Skull Crushing Finale off the second rope. But they don’t call him the Ring General for nothing, and Gunther uses Miz’s brief delay to roll out of the ring.
When they return to the ring, it’s powerbomb/clothesline/powerbomb for Gunther, and he stacks up his foe to finally bring it to a close.
Let the party commence: Kayden Carter and Katana Chance are tag team champs
Niven has a serious power advantage against both of the challengers, so we’ll see if they can use their speed and teamwork to neutralize that. Piper manages to squash both of them with a corner bomb, but it’s only good for a near fall prior to commercials.
It’s Green taking the brunt of the punishment when the broadcast returns, especially when Niven accidentally lands on her. Carter nearly pins her and looks frazzled when it’s only two.
Carter and Green go to the top rope, but nothing huge ends up connecting and Chelsea ends up hitting a Famouser of sorts for two. Niven tags back in for a running senton on Carter, who is saved by Chance.
The challengers have Niven in some trouble with the Keg Stand, but Green saves her partner at the absolute last moment. Chelsea isn’t out of the woods, though, and she takes the Afterparty and can’t kick out. We’ve got new tag team champs, folks.
Drew McIntyre doesn’t want any pity from Seth Rollins
Iowa’s own gets a warm welcome from the fans in Des Moines. Rollins says things are heating up around here, and that the little “confrontation” he had last week (with CM Punk) has him more motivated than ever. Seth says he’s planning for a big 2024, and that stars on Day 1 when he faces Drew McIntyre.
Speak of the devil … er, the Scottish Warrior. McIntyre joins Rollins in the ring but is warned to “tread lightly.” McIntyre says he isn’t there to fight but instead to say he’s proud of Rollins for standing up to Punk and telling him the truth. “And that, my friend, is a real leader.”
McIntyre says the last time he went home he wondered if the sacrifices he’s made were worth it, and that Rollins might understand it because his wife, Becky Lynch, is on the same journey far from home. Drew says he doesn’t want Seth’s title, he needs it so he can find out if all the sacrifices he’s made were worth it — and he’s willing to hurt Seth to get it.
Rollins says he wants to believe McIntyre but his actions and words haven’t lined up. He does respect Drew, however, because of the way he worked his way back into title contention after Crown Jewel. But what makes McIntyre think the outcome will be any different this time? Is it just the willingness to take shortcuts? Either way, Seth muses, Drew isn’t taking responsibility for his actions.
The champs says he pities McIntyre as a result, and that finally gets the Scottish Warrior to snap. A brief scuffle leads to Drew giving Seth an Alabama Slam on the steps, leaving Rollins grasping his left arm in pain.
Damian Priest, Finn Balor squeak by The Creed Brothers to retain
The Creeds look bright to start, with Brutus in command after a quick commercial break. Balor is getting double teamed and not enjoying it, but Priest low bridges Julius and treats him to a clothesline.
Rhea Ripley is doing some distracting as well, but she gets dangerously close to getting taken out. The champs stay in control through another commercial break, so the question now is whether the Creeds have another rally in them.
Brutus makes it look like he does, showing off some impressive strength by suplexing Priest. Both sides make tags, but it’s Julius hurling Balor all over the place and following with a standing Shooting Star Press for two on Finn.
Is it Brutus Ball time? Priest says no as he intercepts. Julius and Balor both clothesline each other at once, and Ripley gets into it with Ivy Nile on the outside, paying for it by getting bounced off the apron.
Balor is in trouble again, taking the Brutus Ball, but Priest hustles to make the save. A dropkick prevents a South of Heaven, but Julius responds by flying to the floor to take out Priest.
All four men might figure into this finish; Priest takes the Brutus Ball, but Balor hits Julius with a Coup de Grace to the back as he covers. Amidst the commotion, Priest is able to hit Julius with a South of Heaven, covering to secure the win.