The first time Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez were WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, no one ever beat them for the titles. That’s something they will once again be trying to avoid tonight on WWE Raw from the State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
The once and current champs only saw the straps slip away because of an injury to Morgan. Raquel tried to regroup with a new partner, but instead saw Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler win the gold.
All became right in their world, however, when Morgan returned and the MMA besties had their friendship disintegrate in a very public way during a title match. Morgan and Rodriguez reclaimed what was rightfully theirs, but they’ve yet to defend their championship.
Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville may not have seemed like a legitimate threat a few weeks ago, but WWE has done a nice job building them up and making them earn this shot. It still feels too early for another title change, but you never know.
One thing that’s a bit more certain is the other thing that WWE has been heavily promoting for Raw this week. Cody Rhodes hasn’t gotten Brock Lesnar out of his system just yet, and he made that clear by challenging the Beast Incarnate to a third bout at SummerSlam in just a few weeks. Lesnar is supposed to be in Atlanta tonight to give his response, but does anyone really think he’s going to say no? Or that the two men won’t end up fighting again if they’re under the same roof at the same time?
As the Magic 8-Ball might say, signs point to no. But signs very much point to yes for us watching everything that goes down in Atlanta tonight.
WWE Raw results from Atlanta:
Cody Rhodes, come on down. The American Nightmare appears dressed for a fight even though he’s ostensibly out here to talk. Or maybe not, because Rhodes says Brock Lesnar usually accepts challenges and should do so again, no chatting necessary.
The fans boo as no music hits and no Brock appears. Cody instead tears up as he points out his mom, Michelle, and mentions how his relationship with Lesnar is “hard times.” Welp, enjoy Raw everyone, as Rhodes hugs family and friends.
Oh, or maybe not, as now Lesnar’s music hits. As it hits again, Rhodes goes looking for Lsnar, who was apparently waiting right off-stage with a steel chair. This … probably won’t end well for Rhodes. He takes an F5 right in front of his mom, and Lesnar follows by locking in a kimura.
Another kimura is applied in the ring before Lesnar yells that the challenge is accepted, so he’ll see Rhodes at SummerSlam.
Gunther def. Matt Riddle by pinfall
The big deal for this one is that Gunther’s Imperium goons, Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser, have to watch backstage as they’ve been banned from ringside. Also, Riddle’s ankle is feeling better.
Alas, neither of those things end up mattering, with Gunther pinning Riddle clean in a moderately short encounter.
Reveling in some boos from the crowd, Gunther stands atop the announce desk and calls this the greatest night in the fans’ lives. It feels like a good time for Drew McIntyre to come out, but nope.
Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez say that being champs means they need to be ready for anything tonight, but are they ready for Rhea Ripley? The Judgment Day’s badass attacks Liv and starts brawling with Raquel, who looks like she needs attention for her left knee.
The Judgment Day comes out for what appears to be its weekly brag session. Ripley is already a champ, says Finn Balor and Damian Priest will be as well, and Dominik Mysterio will become NXT North American Champion Tuesday night.
Priest reiterates that Balor gets first crack at Seth Rollins, and Finn says the issues between them will never be over until his arm is raised as World Heavyweight Champion. As Dom tries in vain to speak over the boos again, though, he’s interrupted by the arrival of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. Sami asks rhetorically if the fans paid to hear Dom talk or someone shut him up, then says they’re in luck because the tag team champs will get to do that tonight.
In response, Priest wonders if KO and Zayn are confident enough to put their titles on the line tonight. Sami defers to Kevin for a response, and he emphatically accepts.
Rodriguez is “technically” cleared to compete, and Adam Pearce somewhat reluctantly agrees the tag team title match is still on.
Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville def. Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez by pinfall to become the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions
It seems pretty smart to give the champs a handicap, as it were, to make this matchup even more compelling. The heels are smart about being aggressive early, going right after Raquel’s bad wheel.
Green is able to hit her finisher on Morgan, but Liv kicks out at two to keep the match going. But with Rodriguez out of commission on the outside, she’s fighting alone, and after a second Unpretty Her and a running knee strike from Deville, we’ve got new champs.
Green thanks some hilarious people. including the person at the tanning salon, for her victory, while Deville says they plan on running the division and everyone better respect them.
The weekly Bloodline update from SmackDown arrives in video highlight form.
Seth Rollins sits down with “Sax-man” Byron Saxton to talk about his “big plans” for the World Heavyweight Championship. He says it’s a very short list of potential challengers for SummerSlam, at which point Balor crashes the convo and says he wants his rematch.
But Rollins says the title is bigger than Balor’s personal vendetta, and even bigger than him. He tells Balor he can take his shot right there if they just want to settle things, and after teasing like he’s leaving, Finn takes him up on it, laying out the champ and telling him to make the match.
Viking Raiders def. Alpha Academy by pinfall in a Viking Rules match
Titus O’Neil joins the announcers for commentary and immediately raises the humor level of the broadcast. The idea is that there are no rules and falls count anywhere, but there are plenty of Viking props to go around as well.
The crowd comes alive as Ivar does a top rope moonsault, then again as Chad Gable pulls off a German suplex on one of his much larger foes. Titus loves it even more when Maxxine Dupri takes out Valhalla, receiving her varsity jacket … but then getting speared through a table.
Otis looks like he’s destined to be involved in the finish, and indeed he is, getting victimized by the Ragnarok from the Raiders and pinned as a result.
Shayna Baszler def. Nikki Cross by submission
Baszler wins in about 30 seconds, then gets a mock congratulations from Ronda Rousey from one of the luxury boxes. Ronda is not impressed with Shayna’s assertion that she slid into the back door of the industry, but Baszler says she’s a “better Ronda Rousey than you.”
Shayna challenges her former friend to come to the ring to settle things between them right now, but Ronda says she will see her in the Motor City instead.
Ricochet says he showed Logan Paul he could bring it in a real fight last week, and challenges him to show up next week on Raw so he can hurt Paul where it really hurts him most: his ego.
The Miz kicks off Miz TV by bragging about how he’s “back” after beating Tommaso Ciampa last week and playing in the American Century Championship golf tournament. His guest, however, hasn’t been winning as much as of late: Becky Lynch.
When the host asks The Man if she’s lost a step, Becky takes out some anger on the show’s furniture and threatens Miz to bring Trish Stratus out “before you lose your tiny testicles.” Stratus obliges, along with Zoey Stark, but Trish sees no reason to fight Becky since she’s already beaten her.
“I’m done with you. Zoey and I are moving on, baby.” But Lynch says she has spent more time in WWE and accomplished more, so if Stratus is as good as she claims, she should fight her one on one.
Trish agrees, but under a few conditions. Lynch has to go through Stark first, and if she loses, Becky will have to get on her knees and thank Trish. Lynch even agrees to get “thank you Trish” tattooed across her chest if she loses, before she proceeds to dismantle both heels in a brief scuffle.
Bronson Reed def. Shinsuke Nakamura by DQ
The announcers remind us that Reed has been messing with Nak for a while and question why Shinsuke would want to mess with him. Reed also really deserves a better nickname than “Big,” but hey.
A “big” Death Valley Driver looks like it could be lights out for Shinsuke, but he survives it and hits a diving knee shot for a near fall. Just when Reed looks like he might move in for the kill, Ciampa invades the ring to attack Reed … who does at least get the DQ win.
Nakamura expresses his displeasure with Ciampa afterward in very violent and direct fashion.
Shinsuke tells Saxton he’s tired of everyone getting involved in his business, then repeats it, louder for the people in the back.
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn def. Damian Priest and Dominik Mysterio by pinfall to retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship
Chaos ensues almost immediately, as Rollins flies down and takes out Balor, who accompanied the challengers to the ring. Mysterio ends up getting smashed into the announce table right in front of Ripley, who distracts the champs long enough for her teammates to seize control of the action.
KO changes that almost singlehandedly, running off a hyperactive series of moves after getting the hot tag. Only Priest getting his knees up on a frog splash stops that, and Mysterio covers to force Zayn into a save.
Mysterio and Owens go back and forth until a Popup Powerbomb has Dom in trouble, but it’s Priest to make the save this time. Both teams make tags, and a big tornado DDT gets a near fall for Zayn.
Priest fires back with a top rope hurricanrana that nearly wins it. Dom hits Sami with a dropkick to the back but can’t get the 619. Both of the champs take flight to the floor, and they’re feeling it now.
But Ripley throws Owens into the steel steps, giving Mysterio a chance to roll up Zayn for another close two. Rhea is in the face of the ref but gets pulled off the apron and assaulted by Morgan.
With the coast clear, KO stuns Priest and Zayn nails Dom with the Helluva Kick to get the pin.
