Indi Hartwell – Page 2 – Syndication Server

WWE Raw results 01/15/24: Jinder Mahal comes close but not quite against Seth Rollins

See how Jinder Mahal came within a hair of dethroning Seth Rollins on WWE Raw in Little Rock.

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With less than two weeks to go until the Royal Rumble in Florida, it’s time for some of the top talent on WWE Raw to get their current programs finished and turn their attention to securing a spot at WrestleMania.

Cody Rhodes might have the first half of that plan finally checked off after he defeated Shinsuke Nakamura again last week, so he can finally put all his effort on winning the Royal Rumble match. Or we think that’ll be the case anyway, since WWE says he’s kicking off the show tonight.

What if we’re wrong, though? Is it possible Rhodes has one more in a seemingly ceaseless string of hurdles placed in his way? TBD.

Seth Rollins knows he can’t worry about Royal Rumble just yet, as he has a World Heavyweight Championship defense to attend to this evening. Plus it’s against the man of the hour, Jinder Mahal, not something we expected to be typing as recently as two weeks ago.

There would seem to be little chance WWE would put this title on Mahal, especially given the time of year we’re in. Things need to be cemented, not chaotic. Right?

Normally, we’d say yes. But there’s that little matter of Elimination Chamber in Australia, where WWE will need to put on a big show next month. Roman Reigns probably won’t be there, and while the Chamber matches are attractions in their own right, a world title match doesn’t seem like too much to ask for.

So we’re just putting this out there: Maybe Mahal wins tonight and Rollins has to win it back from him at Elimination Chamber. Or a certain Straight Edge Superstar could snag it there and go into WrestleMania making Seth chase him.

Or, you know, Rollins could just win tonight and speed on down the Road to WrestleMania. That’s why we watch, which we’ll be doing starting right now.

WWE Raw results from Little Rock:

(please scroll down for more details on any match or segment in bold)

A tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. starts the show
Are Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre more alike or different?
Damian Priest takes R-Truth to task for selling Judgment Day merchandise in the parking lot, but Truth is making a killing off the gear, and Priest relents while also telling him not to tag in during their tag team match tonight
#DIY def. The Judgment Day (Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh) by pinfall
Chelsea Green and Piper Niven interrupt a conversation between Adam Pearce and Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell, which Pearce turns into a match between those two teams tonight
Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell def. Chelsea Green and Piper Niven by pinfall
Rhea Ripley sees a Nia Jax hype video and leaves to “address her division,” while the rest of The Judgment Day takes Priest to task about the R-Truth situation; Damian shows the money he’s been bringing in and suggests to McDonagh that he may not get a cut because “your name’s not on the shirt”
Gunther is back and offering rare praise for Ludwig Kaiser, who gets a challenge from a vengeful Xavier Woods
Ludwig Kaiser def. Xavier Woods by DQ after Woods uses a steel chair, though he ends up getting it kicked into his (already bloody) face afterward
Bronson Reed says there is a champ right now who is unaware his championship will soon belong to Reed … though he doesn’t name which champ he’s talking about
Byron Saxton tries to get a word with Woods, but Kaiser attacks him until Jey Uso puts a stop to it
A video package shows us how we got to a Seth Rollins-Jinder Mahal world title match
Akira Tozawa def. Ivar by pinfall, though after the bell, Valhalla assaults Maxxine Dupri after the bell and Ivar hits a moonsault on Tozawa
CM Punk and Rhodes will be face to face next week on Raw
Ivy Nile says she will look for Pearce to deal with Valhalla; Chad Gable says he will teach Ivar a lesson next week too
Rhea Ripley addresses her division and ends up in a showdown with Becky Lynch
Seth Rollins says the only way to head to WrestleMania is to continue to be a fighting champion, a workhorse champion, and he knows this is the best version of Jinder Mahal and he wouldn’t have it any other way
Damian Priest and Finn Balor def. The Miz and R-Truth by pinfall
Jinder Mahal says everyone is divided but his focus is singular, and everyone will be unified when he defeats Rollins to become World Heavyweight Champion
Apparently Shinsuke Nakamura isn’t done with Cody Rhodes, which is interesting
Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark def. Natalya and Tegan Nox by submission, with Baszler making Natalya tap out
Seth Rollins def. Jinder Mahal by pinfall to retain the World Heavyweight Championship

Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre bicker over who will finish their story first

Rhodes asks Little Rock what they want to talk about, giving some options. He’s about to launch into his “I’m on my way to Royal Rumble” routine when he’s interrupted by the arrival of Drew McIntyre.

The Scottish Warrior turns Cody’s question around on him before reminiscing about how they came up the first time in WWE together. McIntyre says he’s proud of Rhodes as both a man and performer and also reminds him they were tag team champs together as The Dashing Ones.

Drew mentions that both of them had to leave WWE to find themselves and “become verbs.” He believes in Rhodes now too, saying he will finish the story … but not before Drew finishes his.

Rhodes says Drew could win the Rumble, but so could Jey Uso. So could CM Punk. You can’t count anybody out.

McIntyre tells Rhodes he should just be himself and doesn’t need to smile all the time and try so hard. Cody seems irritated by that, insisting that he smiles when he comes out because he is grateful for his second chance while Drew stands and complains about his.

Undeterred, McIntyre claims Rhodes is standing in his way, and at WrestleMania, the story belongs to him. But the American Nightmare says McIntyre is still blaming everyone but himself, and if he wants to keep bringing up the last time they wrestled, he has one question: Who won?

#DIY closes in on a tag team title shot with a victory over the champs’ teammates

The framing here is that #DIY is stringing together wins to get closer to a tag team title shot, and this is a victory that would surely help considering it’s the other two Judgment Day men who hold the gold.

Tommaso Ciampa takes flight with a corkscrew plancha, and Johnny Gargano does the same to send McDonagh over the announce table. They do their sitting on the apron and clapping thing as commercials arrive.

With some timely rulebending and double teaming, Mysterio and McDonagh take charge after the break. Wade Barrett calls out Dom’s fuzzy boots, which are, in fact, incredible.

Gargano is isolated and taking a beating far from his own corner. He finally hits Dom with his slingshot spear, and he nearly dives for the tag before Ciampa gets hauled off the apron by McDonagh.

Ciampa is the legal man after a second commercial break so must have gotten himself back in position while we were away. Gargano prevents a double team and Ciampa nearly rolls up Mysterio for three.

McDonagh saves his partner from another close call seconds later. Big shots start flowing in every direction, eventually leaving all four men down. The fans approve, starting a “this is awesome” chant.

Also awesome: McDonagh’s standing Spanish fly and top rope moonsault, leaving Ciampa in need of a save from his partner. Mysterio’s attempted 619 is foiled and he gets sent to the floor by a hard knee shot.

McDonagh looks like he’s in trouble now, and he eats Meet in the Middle, leaving him helpless as Gargano covers for three.

Gunther is … happy with Ludwig Kaiser? Xavier Woods definitely is not

Ludwig Kaiser does his usual ring intro for Gunther, who is back from IRL paternity leave. Giovanni Vinci is hurt, so this is all the Imperium we get.

The Ring General says he can smell the desperation this close to Royal Rumble, which he reminds us he was close to winning last year after a record-setting time in the ring. This year, he plans on winning and main eventing WrestleMania. As one does.

But for now, he wants to focus on Kaiser, reviewing what’s been happening while Gunther was gone. The champs likes the grit, confidence and courage Kaiser showed in his attack on Kofi Kingston and gives him a hug as a sign of his happiness.

Not as happy? Xavier Woods, who is here and hot for some payback. He challenges Kaiser to a match, taunting him for needing to ask his “daddy” for permission.

Kaiser accepts and says what he did to Kingston is nothing compared to what he’ll do to Woods, who comes right after Ludwig, leaping off the apron and hammering him on the floor until a ref finally calms him down.

Mami vs. The Man? Rhea Ripley and Becky Lynch tease Mania showdown

Mami makes it simple: This is her division, which is why she is the champion. As such, she says the Royal Rumble winner will be wasting a WrestleMania opportunity if they choose her. It’s just going to go the way it did last year, because Mami is always on top.

Some familiar music hits as an answer, and Bekcy Lynch joins Ripley in the ring. The Man says they are two very different people but with two very similar journeys.

Lynch says they’re the two very best to do it, but the voice in her head keeps her awake asking if perhaps Ripley is better than she is. Becky says she needs to prove that Rhea is not, and to do that means taking the title, and to do that means winning the Royal Rumble match.

Ripley says she really does want Lynch to win the Rumble and will see her at WrestleMania.

R-Truth gets some harsh truth from Damian Priest and Finn Balor

Truth is not only in The Judgment Day’s entrance video, he also walks out behind them despite being on the opposing team. He then proceeds to spill cash all over the ring before the bell. Miz is basically pleading with his partner to convince him they’re on the same team. Funny stuff.

Truth ignores Priest’s suggestion earlier in the show that he not tag in, earning him a beating from Balor as commercials arrive. Nothing has changed after the break, really. Priest tags in but is immediately outmaneuvered by Truth, who get Miz in for his first extended action.

Miz fights Balor to the floor and sends Priest over the announce table. The A-Lister is rolling, but only until Balor counters away from a Skull Crushing Finale, and Truth tags himself in for a scissor kick to Balor. Priest blasts Miz with a kick but manages to stop Truth, who ends up kicking Balor and then taking South of Heaven from Priest.

Balor crawls over and pins Truth for a chaotic win as boos rain down from the fans.

Seth Rollins overcomes chaos, retains against Jinder Mahal

Indus Sher accompanies Mahal to the ring, giving Rollins potentially one more thing to worry about. Seth has got plenty to worry about from Jinder himself in the opening minutes, though he connects on a flying knee off the apron to get a foothold in things. Damian Priest wanders out casually with his MITB case, and Rollins has a grim look on his face heading into commercials.

After we return, Mahal is treating Rollins to some pain inside the ring. Seth finally battles free of an abdominal stretch for the obligatory exchange of strikes, which the champ wins thanks to a healthy clothesline.

Rollins is tossed over the buckles, then comes flying back in with a cross body for a near fall. A second rope moonsault gives Rollins another near fall, though the announcers wonder if he tweaked a knee or ankle.

Both men want suplexes, but Rollins wins the day by pivoting to a Falcon Arrow. Seth is thinking Stomp but runs into some head kicks, though he perseveres for a Pedigree … sort of, as his knee gives out, and his cover is thwarted by Indus Sher’s timely assistance.

Rollins dives onto one of Mahal’s wingmen on the floor but misses a splash back into the ring. Priest is up on his feet as both combatants are down, but Drew McIntyre is there to throw hands with him.

While the ref is distracted by their brawl, Mahal follows a cheap shot by Indus Sher and comes darn close to stealing the world title. A chair is slid into Mahal, and dealing with that allows Indus Sher to get in a briefcase shot. Mahal hits the Khallas … but Rollins kicks out.

As Mahal tries for a second Khallas, Rollins evades it and hits a Stomp, closing the show by retaining his world title.

WWE Raw results 12/11/23: CM Punk makes his choice, Seth Rollins isn’t crazy about it

Also tonight on WWE Raw from Cleveland, CM Punk tells the world where he’s signing.

The funny thing about revenge is that it getting it might not make you feel all the way better about what got you upset in the first place. That’s worth keeping in mind for Drew McIntyre as he gets a one-on-one match with Jey Uso tonight on WWE Raw from Cleveland.

If you’ve been watching WWE programming over the past few months, you’re familiar with McIntyre’s grievances. Headed for one of the biggest victories of his career, in front of friends and family at Clash at the Castle in the fall of 2022, the Scottish Warrior instead tasted bitter defeat thanks to The Bloodline.

You may also recall that Jey Uso was a member of said Bloodline.

Jey has made amends with most people since becoming one of the top fan favorites on Raw, but McIntyre — who arguably had the biggest and most understandable gripe of all — couldn’t forgive or forget. That truth has shaped all of his actions as of late.

The question now is whether Drew will feel like that void inside would be filled even if he beats Jey. And the guess here is that no, it probably won’t. But that’s what makes McIntyre so compelling right now.

Oh, and there’s also something big going on with CM Punk tonight: He’s going to tell the world if he’s signing with Raw or SmackDown. Wonder if a certain World Heavyweight Champion might try to influence his decision one way or another …

We’re ready for all of this. We’re even ready to yeet again. Let’s do the thing.

WWE Raw results from Cleveland:

(please scroll down for full details on any match or segment in bold)

Jey Uso welcomes everyone to Raw, is excited about having yeet back and says get well to Sami Zayn before he takes on Drew McIntyre; The Scottish Warrior says he doesn’t want CM Punk on Raw and offers a semi-apology to Zayn before explaining again why he’s justified in seeking revenge against Jey
Drew McIntyre def. Jey Uso by pinfall after using a thumb to the eye to soften up Uso for a Claymore
CM Punk’s promo from SmackDown is replayed ahead of his big decision tonight
The Shinsuke Nakamura warning for Cody Rhode is played again too
There’s finger pointing in The Judgment Day clubhouse, and plenty of blame to go around, but Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley get into it more than anyone
Alpha Academy and The Creed Brothers fire up Maxxine Dupri, and Chad Gable warns R-Truth not to keep messing with The Judgment Day as he prepares to put holiday lights in their clubhouse
Rhea Ripley def. Maxxine Dupri by submission
A video promotes Kayden Carter and Katana Chance
Adam Pearce is shown entering CM Punk’s dressing room
CM Punk makes the choice to sign with Raw, setting off a passionate confrontation with Seth Rollins
Bronson Reed and Ivar talk some asynchronous trash to each other as they get ready to do battle
Bronson Reed def. Ivar by pinfall
The Judgment Day says hi to Punk, with Priest saying he hopes Punk is the one to finish a story around here, because if he does, Damian will be the one waiting for him
The Judgment Day tries to have some fun at the expense of R-Truth
McIntyre tells Punk he doesn’t care about anything but finishing his story and that he has that figured out, and he quickly says hi to Kofi Kingston, Chad Gable and Ricochet, who Pearce wants to talk to
Kayden Carter and Katana Chance def. Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell by pinfall as Chelsea Green and Piper Niven watch on guest commentary
#DIY discuss their mystery partner, not revealing his identity to Ludwig Kaiser, and Gunther stops by to wish them luck and express his skepticism over anyone teaming with them
Becky Lynch wants to “end” the lie that Nia Jax made her career, but Jax is willing to make her wait
Cody Rhodes says he’d be a lot more excited about facing Nakamura if he hadn’t been misted in the face, but agrees with Shinsuke’s assertion that he asked for this
#DIY and The Miz def. Imperium by pinfall
Gunther berates his flunkies as per usual, then turn arounds and finds Miz demanding an Intercontinental Championship rematch; Gunther grants it, but says the condition is that if he wins, Miz can’t challenge for it again as long as he’s champion, and Miz accepts it
Cody Rhodes def. Shinsuke Nakamura by DQ after Nakamura uses the mist on Rhodes, and a post-match attack gets in some more punishment on Cody until The Creed Brothers can make the save … but Nakamura runs down for one more shot as Rhodes is being helped to the back

Drew McIntyre continues further into the shadow realm, cheating to defeat Jey Uso

Spinning out of the opening segment, McIntyre doesn’t even get his jacket off before Uso sends him to the floor and the show to commercials. After the break, Jey gets a near fall with a cross body off the top.

McIntyre fires back to pummel Uso near the ropes, dropping right hands repeatedly. A vertical suplex follows, allowing the Scottish Warrior to continue his measured attack.

Jey takes some additional punishment in the corner and while strung through the ropes. Uso finally gets an opening, and he takes full advantage with a suicide dive before ads set in again.

We return to find McIntyre in the Tree of Woe, then quickly out as he sits up and hurls Uso off the top rope. He also used the bottom of the ring as a weapon during the commercials, which made for a pretty cool replay.

Uso fights back with right hands until a Glasgow Kiss halts him in his tracks. Drew goes up top but gets caught with a superkick to the gut when Jey rolls away. A Samoan Drop is next, but McIntyre kicks out at two.

McIntyre reaches back to execute a neckbreaker, then kips up. He heads to the corner opposite Uso but his Claymore attempt is countered with a superkick. An Uso Splash is next, but it catches nothing but knees, and Jey has to dig down to kick out at two following the Future Shock.

With Uso slow to rise, McIntyre removes the turnbuckle cover atop one corner. He rushes in again but no Claymore as a spear catches him first, and Uso earns another near fall.

As the ref looks at the turnbuckle, McIntyre thumbs Uso in the eye, following up with a Claymore to get the three count.

Rhea Ripley has little trouble with Maxxine Dupri

This seems like a tough spot for Dupri, though at least she has Ivy Nile out there to support her. She slaps the champ in the face early on, which seems more brave than smart.

Dupri doesn’t really pull off flinging Ripley into the corner with her legs, then gets slammed down afterward. And again. She ends up twisting Dupri like a pretzel with her knee on Maxxine’s neck, and a tapout isn’t long to follow.

Nile confronts Ripley after the bell, which is interesting.

CM Punk makes Adam Pearce happy, but Seth Rollins is not so thrilled

Adam Pearce says the man who’s coming out needs no introduction but does need to make a decision. Punk joins him in the ring and says he thought he was a bit sullen until he came out and saw the fans and the signs.

Punk says “we” have a decision to make and notes that Cleveland hasn’t always been kind to him. There are a lot of ghosts in these hallways, as he remembers his debut in this building and his return as world champion. The latter incident involved him getting kicked in the head backstage by Randy Orton and being stripped of his title.

Then 10 years ago, Punk had to make the hardest decision of his life, walking out in Cleveland. If you were disappointed when he did that, Punk apologizes.

He muses about how the deal that Pearce put together was better than the other brands, but he says that when he saw Cleveland was the location of tonight’s show, his mind was pretty much made up. Ten years ago he walked out, and tonight he’s walking right back in. Yep, Punk is home on Raw.

Punk signs for a happy Pearce, but someone is not: Seth Rollins. The World Heavyweight Champion heads straight to the ring to stare Punk down, then grabs a microphone. Rollins is offended by Punk calling WWE his home, though the fans chant for CM right after that.

Rollins accuses Punk of abandoning WWE and slandering the talent over the past 10 years. “This is not your home, this is my home!”

The champ calls the other talent and the fans his family and that he’ll do everything possible to protect it from people like Punk. Rollins says he wants to ensure that Punk understands something: “I hate you.” But if he’s going to be in WWE, Rollins wants him on Raw, because this is CM’s last chance, and either Punk will self destruct, or if he has changed and has any gas left in the tank, Seth can expose him as a fraud in a title match.

“I will wrestle circles around you, and I will make you understand in real time what it means to be the best in the world.”

Punk asks if Rollins is done and says this is Seth’s one pass to speak to him disrespectfully. He also confirms he’s entering the Royal Rumble and when he wins, maybe it’s Seth he’s coming after.

Bronson Reed wins battle of big men with Ivar

Big E, this one is for you! Reed gets off to a fast start, punishing his foe until a double clothesline puts them both down. They both take each other down on the outside as well, leading to commercials.

There’s more craziness when we return, with Ivar hitting a cannonball off the apron onto Reed. But the retaliation is even more impressive as it takes the form of a massive superplex, allowing Reed to get the three count.

The Judgment Day wants to remind everyone who they are, but The Creed Brothers aren’t listening

Trying to get some of their mojo back, the four men in The Judgment Day say they are putting everyone, old, new and returning alike, on notice. They’re about to specifically address The Creed Brothers when R-Truth joins them.

He’s confused about the locks on the clubhouse, getting him a tongue lashing from JD McDonagh. But Damian Priest invites him into the ring, saying he wants to hear what Truth has to say.

Alas, the first thing he has to say is that he thinks McDonagh should be kicked out. Second, Priest needs to quit calling himself the boss because it makes Mami mad.

Damian says everyone likes R-Truth … except him. Priest lays him out and the others join in, but The Creed Brothers come hustling to the rescue. They’re outnumbered, but that hardly matters as they manage to clear the ring anyway.

Becky Lynch wants to fight, but Nia Jax is content to make her wait

Wasting no time, Lynch says she’s here to call out Jax. While they’ve never had a singles match, they’re linked forever by the right hand that smashed Lynch’s face five years ago in a Raw vs. SmackDown battle.

After Becky gets in some barbs on Nia, Jax has heard enough and heads down to the ring. Nia says she’s right there in front of her better than ever, and says the punch was just a lucky swing … and it still almost ended Lynch’s career. Just imagine what her full force would do.

Jax claims Lynch owes her career to Nia, which Becky takes offense to as she should. It wasn’t just about a broken face but getting back up and persevering. The Man says she needs to end the lie or end Jax, which amuses Nia since she figures Becky needs to prove it to herself.

Lynch says she came looking for a fight and offers Jax a free shot, but Nia says Becky needs this a lot more than I do and walks away.

Cleveland’s finest: The Miz, #DIY join forces to defeat Imperium

Michael Cole reminds us how truly unlikely the team of Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa and The Miz are given the history between them. That feels like a lifetime ago now.

DIY shows off their usual excellent teamwork early, but a big boot from Gunther to Ciampa changes that in a hurry before a commercial break.

It’s Imperium’s turn to show off some teamwork now, even with the issues they’ve been having. Gargano geta a hot tag, however, and his flurry leads to a slingshot spear to Ludwig Kaiser that forces a save from Giovanni Vinci.

The Miz finally enters the fray, much to the delight of his hometown fans, hitting a cross body and some kicks on Gunther. More kicks force the IC champ back into the corner, but only until Gunther can catch one of them and lock in a Boston Crab.

Things break down as multiple men hit the ring, and Gargano and Miz both hit tornado DDTs at nearly the same time. Miz gets the Figure Four on Gunther while Gargano gets the Gargano Escape on Kaiser.

Alas, Gunther tags Vinci, who drops an elbow on Miz. But Miz gets Vinci in position for a Skull Crushing Finale, and he hits it to secure the victory.

Shinsuke Nakamura proves it’s not about defeating Cody Rhodes

Is Nakamura more dangerous than he’s ever been? We’ll see here, but it is kind of crazy they’ve never wrestled a singles match before. Shinsuke is a step ahead of Cody early on, sending Rhodes to the floor with a sliding kick.

Rhodes is experiencing Good Vibrations when the broadcast returns, and his attempt to battle back is halted by another stiff kick. Shinsuke grabs a headlock as Cody shows to the ref he’s not fading.

A Cody Cutter is blocked, and Nakamura tries for an armbar, even countering out of a Cross Rhodes attempt to stay at it. Shinsuke hits his sliding release German suplex, smiling before a jumping knee off the top earns him a near fall.

A Kinshasa attempt is cut off by a low dropkick that chops out Nakamura’s legs. Rhodes hits a dragon screw with his foe trapped in the ropes, then drops him face first after lifting him in from the apron.

Rhodes administers a half crab, and Nakamura has to will himself to the ropes for a break. Both men go crashing to the outside as we break for ads one last time.

They’re back inside and slugging it out now. Nakamura wins that exchange, but Rhodes hits a flying forearm shot and a powerslam to regain the momentum. He has to fall backward, however, when Shinsuke hops on his back for a sleeper.

Both have slowed now, but Rhodes is able to catch his opponent with a Disaster Kick that’s good for a two count. Here come punches and a Bionic Elbow, and the Cody Cutter is on the mark too. Rhodes wants Cross Rhodes but gets the red mist to the face.

The ref calls for the bell, but Nakamura doesn’t care continuing his attack. A blinded Rhodes attempts to fight back, but Shinsuke drops him to his knees and hits the Kinshasa to the back of the head.

With Shinsuke wielding a chair, The Creed Brothers head down to prevent any more damage, and Nakamura decides to retreat since his job is done.

Except when Rhodes is being helped to the back, Nakamura comes running down and gets in one more shot. Thanks for nothing, Creeds.

WWE Raw results 11/13/23: The Judgment Day gets a new member — and a powerful ally

Fans ended WWE Raw stunned as it wasn’t JD McDonagh who bailed out The Judgment Day.

The Judgment Day likes to go around saying it runs Monday nights. The villainous stable doesn’t necessarily need titles to back up that claim, but it sure does help, which is why the tag team title match tonight on WWE Raw in Washington D.C. is important to its efforts to keep the rest of the roster under its collective thumb.

Rhea Ripley has so far been the only member of the group to keep a firm grip on a championship. Damian Priest and Finn Balor have win the tag team titles twice, but that means they’ve also lost them once.

As luck would have it (well, more Adam Pearce than luck, but you get it), the men they beat for the championship the second time are also the ones who briefly took it from them, Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso. So if Priest and Balor can hang on to the belts tonight, they’ll pull off the rare retention/payback combo in one fell swoop.

It’s also very much worth noting that Survivor Series is coming up fast, and both of these duos are on opposite sides of WarGames at that event. Could that figure into what happens on Raw? Honestly, it might be more surprising if it didn’t.

There’s some other good stuff advertised for this show as well, especially when it comes to in-ring action. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Otis sounds like a matchup we didn’t know we wanted. The same could be said for Tommaso Ciampa vs. Ludwig Kaiser, and there are several women’s intriguing women’s matches scheduled too.

So what say you? If you’re ready to take it all in, so are we.

WWE Raw results from Washington D.C.:

(please scroll down for full details on any match or segment in bold)

Cody Rhodes and his WarGames team exchange pleasantries with The Judgment Day, which ends with Damian Priest declaring himself his group’s leader and accepting Seth Rollins’ challenge for a tag team match involving the four men NOT in tonight’s main event
Sami Zayn and Seth Rollins def. Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh by DQ, as the rest of The Judgment Day interfere, Jey Uso and Cody Rhodes get involved, and Adam Pearce responds to the ensuing brawl by declaring everyone who is in the WarGames match barred from the arena for tonight’s main event
Rhea Ripley yells at Pearce until both of them are joined in the ring by Zoey Stark, who says Rhea is simply worried about too many things; Ripley disagrees but also finds herself unable to pull off a sneak attack on her No. 1 contender
Shinsuke Nakamura says he’s still in control and waiting for his time to go after the person he’s targeting, though he still won’t reveal who that is
Cody asks to speak to Seth one on one, and Rollins promises that for one night, for WarGames, they will be good
Shinsuke Nakamura def. Otis by pinfall
A video package gets us even more hype for WarGames, if that’s possible
Drew McIntyre stops Rollins to say that the things he told McIntyre before Crown Jewel turned out to be right, and extends his hand, which Seth shakes; the Scottish Warrior says he’s going to work his butt off to earn another shot, then watches Rollins walk off
A video promotes Tegan Nox, her recovery from injury and the “craziest” year she’s had since then, where she learned she can hang with the very best in WWE
Tegan Nox def. Piper Niven by pinfall
Asked what is driving him to dethrone Gunther, The Miz says it’s his desire to restore the respect to his previous Intercontinental Championship reigns; both Ivar and Bronson Reed interrupt, and Reed ends up in a staredown with Valhalla
Tommaso Ciampa vs. Ludwig Kaiser
The Judgment Day regroups, agreeing that Priest can be the leader for WarGames, while Damian also says he’ll tell JD McDonagh he’s become a full member of the group
Xia Li def. Indi Hartwell by referee stoppage, continuing a string of her stopping opponents with strikes alone; afterward, Becky Lynch arrives with a bone to pick, and though Li retreats, The Man says they’ve got a match confirmed for next week
Gunther taunts The Miz backstage, but the A-Lister tells the Ring General to watch his match tonight and to beware at Survivor Series; the IC champ is unmoved, promising the “beating of a lifetime” for Miz at the PPV
Stark gets Shayna Baszler to admit that she hopes Zoey defeats Rhea at Survivor Series, but both Raquel Rodriguez and Nia Jax both show up to tease a fight between the two of them
The Miz def. Ivar by pinfall, and Ivar gets attacked by Reed after the bell
Priest tells McDonagh he’s officially in The Judgment Day before Balor congratulates him and tells him to leave the arena (since he’s been barred from the building and all)
Gunther is happy … but with Giovanni Vinci, not Kaiser; an angry Kaiser almost runs afoul of Indus Sher but thinks better of it
The Creed Brothers, Alpha Academy and The New Day bicker over who should go for the tag team titles, Ivy Nile and Maxxine Dupri hit it off, and Akira Tozawa breaks out his nasty moves again
The Judgment Day (Damian Priest and Finn Balor) def. Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso by pinfall to retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship after McIntyre lays out Uso with a Claymore
The show ends with McIntyre shaking hands with Ripley on the stage as the fans boo

WWE Raw preview 11/13/23: Can Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso reclaim tag titles?

WWE Raw from Washington D.C. will also see The Miz take on Ivar after they collided during last week’s Fatal 4-Way.

When Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso first teamed together and became Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions, it felt like more of a happy side effect of their battle against The Judgment Day than a goal in and of itself. That might change tonight on WWE Raw form Washington D.C. as the duo gears up to try to win the titles back.

Why? For starters, they’re up against the same two men they beat for the gold, Damian Priest and Finn Balor — who then beat Rhodes and Uso a few weeks later. There’s a measure of payback that wasn’t involved prior.

Plus the surrounding stakes are higher after Adam Pearce declared that all four men will be prominently involved in the WarGames match at Survivor Series. Is this the time to give any kind of psychological edge to the people you’ll be facing inside the double-size steel cage.

We’d say no. So it will be interesting indeed to see whether or not Cody and Jey can take the titles back, and perhaps even more so to watch what happens around this championship match that might still shape Survivor Series.

Here’s what else WWE is promoting for tonight’s Raw from the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C.:

Tommaso Ciampa will battle Ludwig Kaiser after the Imperium consigliere interfered in #DIY business last week
Shinsuke Nakamura will get a literally big challenge in the form of Alpha Academy’s Otis
Seeking some revenge on behalf of injured friends, Indi Hartwell will go one-on-one with Xia Li
After the Fatal 4-Way match featuring both men didn’t quite go as planned, The Miz and Ivar will fight each other in singles action for the first time
Tegan Nox will take on Piper Niven as an offshoot of Nox and Natalya’s ongoing issues with the women’s tag team champions

That’s a lot of in-ring action, and we’re ready to take it all in beginning at 8 p.m. ET tonight.

WWE Raw results 10/23/23: The Judgment Day keeps making moves

Rhea Ripley signed a contract but also kept up a seeming recruiting drive on WWE Raw.

OK, so I have no idea if this headline is actually true since The Judgment Day has never invited me or any of the Wrestling Junkie crew to one of their celebrations. That’s also true tonight on WWE Raw from Dallas.

Why are they in such a triumphant mood? Well, it just so happens that despite some infighting over the past few weeks, the group came together in a big way last Monday, with everyone playing their part to ensure Damian Priest and Finn Balor reclaimed the tag team titles from Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso.

Not sure the group can rightfully claim to hold “most of the gold in WWE” like it says in WWE’s official preview for tonight’s show, but everyone but Dominik Mysterio is back in possession of a title, so that seems like plenty of reason to celebrate to me.

Oh, but Priest also has to face Uso tonight, so that only heightens the chances of Main Event Jey coming out to spoil the mood during the show-opening segment. Yeet.

There’s plenty of other stuff to look forward to in Big D. Logan Paul will be on hand, though it’s not readily apparent why since the man he just called out, Rey Mysterio, works on SmackDown. Becky Lynch will once again put her NXT Women’s Championship on the line, this time against Indi Hartwell.

Drew McIntyre will battle Sami Zayn as the two men continue to disagree about whether a person can turn over a new leaf and be forgiven for past misdeeds. And The New Day will take on Alpha Academy as jostling for position for a tag team title shot continues.

So plenty for us to sink our teeth into, which is not a poor Halloween season/vampire joke, promise. If you are otherwise engaged tonight, we got you.

WWE Raw results from Dallas:

(please scroll down for full details on any match or segment in bold)

Party up with The Judgment Day? Cody Rhodes learns why it’s a bad idea
The New Day def. Alpha Academy by pinfall
Becky Lynch acknowledges the multiple people chasing her NXT championship but says she needs to stay focused on Indi Hartwell tonight
A hype video is shown for Ivar, which is well deserved after some of his recent performances
Seth Rollins seems chipper while walking backstage, but runs into Rhea Ripley, who suggests that he needs the “insurance” of The Judgment Day; Rollins retorts that maybe Rhea is uncertain that Damian Priest won’t successfully cash in his MITB contract, while she maintains that without their help, he won’t ever have a title reign like Roman Reigns — but Rollins says if there’s one thing he doesn’t want, it’s to be anything like Roman
Natalya offers her support and advice to Hartwell ahead of her title opportunity
Becky Lynch def. Indi Hartwell by submission to retain the NXT Women’s Championship; afterward, Xia Li attacks Candice LeRae in the back
Nick Aldis apologizes to Adam Pearce for kicking him out of the building on SmackDown, and Pearce accepts it but also asks for security to be doubled — though maybe for the contract signing coming up next
A contract signing with five top women’s wrestlers sounds like a disaster waiting to happen, and naturally, it does indeed turn into a brawl as Ripley stands and watches the whole thing while laughing
Bronson Reed tries to stir things up with Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci, but ends up getting challenged to a match by … Akira Tozawa?
Johnny Gargano def. Giovanni Vinci by pinfall, as Tommaso Ciampa assists with Ludwig Kaiser on the outside
Shinsuke Nakamura cuts another stylish, subtitled promo on Ricochet
Logan Paul and Dominik Mysterio do the mutual admiration thing, much to the disgust of the fans — and Ricochet
Chelsea Green and Piper Niven def. Natalya and Nikki Cross by pinfall after Cross does literally nothing for her team
Drew McIntyre sarcastically tells Jey Uso he can’t imagine what it’s like to have The Bloodline cost him a championship and says whatever happens to Sami Zayn tonight is on his head
The Miz drops in on Pearce to air his grievances about not being given anything worthwhile to do on Raw in weeks, and he’s even more upset when Ripley arrives to sign the contract she never got to sign and the camera follows her to check on Dominik
Drew McIntyre def. Sami Zayn by pinfall, thanks in part to a distraction from Ripley, obviously still on a recruiting tour
Pearce finds Aldis to express his displeasure that the SmackDown GM is talking up some of the Raw talent, and the two men shake hands as Aldis says he’s taking off; also, Cross walks by with the same vacant look in her eyes, causing Pearce to mention that he needs a drink
Bronson Reed def. Akira Tozawa by pinfall despite Tozawa’s recent Alpha Academy training
Tozawa gets a pep talk from Coach Gable despite his loss, and DIY stops by to announce their return to Alpha Academy and The New Day; also Tozawa does his training dance again
Rollins congratulates McIntyre for “your first win as the newest member of The Judgment Day,” though Drew says he say Seth talking to Rhea; both men say they don’t need The Judgment Day to beat the other at Crown Jewel
Damian Priest def. Jey Uso by pinfall thanks to help from Balor, but Rhodes, despite suffering an ankle injury earlier, is still up to the challenge of fighting off The Judgment Day (with help from some steel chairs) to end the show

WWE Raw preview 10/23/23: Can Jey Uso ruin The Judgment Day’s celebration?

Dallas will also welcome Logan Paul to WWE Raw, and Becky Lynch will defend her NXT title against Indi Hartwell.

The Judgment Day is feeling good again, which is bad news for just about everyone else on the WWE Raw roster as the scene shifts to Dallas for tonight’s show.

Just when it appeared the group might be losing some momentum among ongoing bickering, they came together in a big way last week as Damian Priest and Finn Balor regained the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship. Yes, they had some additional assistance in the form of Jimmy Uso, but hey, who’s counting, right?

They’re definitely not going to let that stop them from celebrating tonight on Raw. But there is a potential fly in the ointment in the form of Jey Uso, who not only has a match scheduled against Priest, but also figures to not just be sitting around twiddling his thumbs while The Judgment Day has a party.

There’s more, too. Becky Lynch is set to defend her NXT Women’s Championship again, this time against Indi Hartwell. It’s another face vs. face encounter, but you figure some time one of these women will explore their dark side in order to try to upset The Man.

Logan Paul, fresh off his confrontation with Rey Mysterio on SmackDown, will be in the house. And since Drew McIntyre and Sami Zayn couldn’t come to an agreement last week using their words, they’ll see if they can come to a better understanding using fists instead. Only in pro wrestling does that last sentence make sense.

Dallas should be rocking with its baseball team only one win away from the World Series, though the ALCS Game 7 will be taking place at the exact same time (albeit in Houston). Nevertheless, we’ll be here for live WWE Raw results if anyone needs running updates with one eye on the game, beginning at 8 p.m. ET tonight.

WWE Raw results 10/16/23: Brotherly betrayal as Jimmy Uso costs Jey gold

Also, see how Gunther overcame the literally biggest challenge to date for his WWE Intercontinental Championship on the season premiere of WWE Raw.

Sometimes you just have to give a dominant champion the most intimidating possible physical challenge you can. That’s exactly what Gunther is getting tonight on the season premiere (wink, wink) of WWE Raw in Oklahoma City.

The Ring General has fended off all kinds of challengers during his record-setting reign as Intercontinental Champion. Perhaps the only kind of opponent he hasn’t faced is someone who can not only stand toe to toe with him, but actually overpower him and toss him around.

Bronson Reed can do that. And while no one is probably expecting the big man to win the title tonight, stranger things have happened.

We’ll also see The Judgment Day try to reclaim their tag team gold from the gentlemen who beat them for it, Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso. While perhaps a bit of an unusual pairing at first, Rhodes and Uso have proven to be an effective team, even beating former titleholders Kevin Owens (now off to SmackDown) and Sami Zayn to prove they belong.

Of course, Damian Priest and Finn Balor may be even more motivated than the Canadian duo, since they want not just personal redemption but some manner of internal group peace as well. Would a victory stop some of the infighting in The Judgment Day? It sure wouldn’t hurt.

We’ll also see Shinsuke Nakamura and Ricochet battle in a Falls Count Anywhere match, as well as what should be an absolute collision between Rhea Ripley and Shayna Baszler.

Let’s jump in, because it’s season premiere time.

WWE Raw season premiere results from Oklahoma City:

(please scroll down for full details on any match or in-ring segment in bold)

Sami Zayn flies without Kevin Owens … but not alone, as Jey Uso helps prevent him from getting rushed by The Judgment Day
Shinsuke Nakamura delivers a message to Ricochet before their Falls Count Anywhere match comparing him to a bug he’ll squash on the floor
Walking backstage, Zayn is approached by Uso, who wants to know if they’re good, but Sami admits that he’s struggling with the Jey only being there because KO is gone; Jey says he didn’t know Sami felt like that but says “it is what it is Uce,” and Zayn runs to offer an apology that is happily accepte
Shinsuke Nakamura def. Ricochet in a Falls Count Anywhere match
Chelsea Green and Tegan Nox exchange insults … and Nikki Cross is there lurking in the background
A hype video is shown for Gunther ahead of his Intercontinental Championship later tonight
Piper Niven def. Natalya by pinfall, but finds Nox is able to prevent a post-match beating
Damian Priest wonders again if they should take out Drew McIntyre and questions Rhea Ripley for all the phone calls she’s been taking, but they all agree they’re about to handle their business tonight and the meeting of the whole team seems to end on a positive note
Seth Rollins is confused by Drew McIntyre, but they understand each other a little better after a pointed conversation
Video is shown of Logan Paul challenging Rey Mysterio after his most recent boxing match, as well as Rey’s response on YES
Ludwig Kaiser def. Johnny Gargano by pinfall
Becky Lynch likes Indi Hartwell’s suggestion that they compete for the NXT Championship Indi never lost, then turns and finds herself face to face with Ripley
McIntyre tells Zayn he respects what he’s done as of late, and Sami appreciates that … but he isn’t fond at all about Sami forgiving Jey, and while it becomes clear they aren’t going to agree on this topic, they do agree to work out some of their differences in the ring next week
Rhea Ripley vs. Shayna Baszler goes to no contest after Nia Jax, Raquel Rodriguez and Zoey Stark all crash the match
Lynch convinces Adam Pearce to make the match with Hartwell, and Xia Li wants a shot too … on her time; Jade Cargill also arrives, and Lynch tells her to get in line
Uso and Cody Rhodes are feeling good about their title defense tonight, YEET
Gunther def. Bronson Reed by pinfall to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship
The Miz is irritated to have to wait until the third hour to get on the season premiere, suggesting that Pearce should be fired and that Nick Aldis should take over as GM of both shows; Jax steals the mic from him and says everyone has hit her with their best shot, but she’s still standing and is the one who does the squashing
Ripley is mad that Pearce hasn’t controlled her division, but he’s taking no crap, so he books Rhea in a Fatal Five-Way at Crown Jewel, which she isn’t happy about; Indus Sher stops by at the end and says they need to talk
Alpha Academy is busy training (as well as Akira Tozawa), but The New Day isn’t pleases about tag team championship talk that doesn’t include them, and they agree to battle it out next week before everyone gets dazed by Tozawa’s moves
Gunther is happy that Kaiser won but says Vinci will need to make sure Gargano is stretchered out when he faces him next week
The Judgment Day (Damian Priest and Finn Balor) def. Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso by pinfall to become the new Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions after Jimmy Uso arrives to superkick Jey at a key moment in the match

WWE Raw results 08/14/23: The Judgment Day has the last laugh

The long awaited rematch between Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus is also slated for this week’s edition of WWE Raw.

Shinsuke Nakamura is done playing around. Tonight on WWE Raw from Winnipeg, we’re apparently going to find out just why he had his recent change of heart.

Nakamura seemed pretty entrenched as a fan favorite during his current run, even helpfully volunteering to team with Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes to take on The Judgment day last week after the villainous stable had taken out Sami Zayn.

There was just one problem: After the match, Nakamura laid out Rollins with a vicious Kinshasa, leaving the World Heavyweight Champion staring up at the lights.

The assumption is that Shinsuke wants Seth’s gold for himself. That’s how these things usually work, after all. But perhaps there’s a little more to it than that, and WWE is hinting that we’ll find out tonight.

The other big to-do for this Monday is Becky Lynch battling Trish Stratus. You may recall that they were supposed to have a match two weeks ago, except Stratus had Zoey Stark aid her as soon as the bell rang, content to lose by DQ.

Adam Pearce said “uh-uh!” (hopefully in his best Stone Cold Steve Austin voice) and that Becky and Trish would have a proper rematch, this time with Zoey banned from the ringside area. We thought it might be at SummerSlam, but it will instead take place on this episode of Raw.

We think. Hopefully.

There’s also the not so small matter of Payback coming up in just a few weeks, so time’s a wasting on getting the gears in motion for that event. That could happen tonight as well.

Let’s dive in.

WWE Raw results from Winnipeg:

(scroll down for more details on any match or segment in bold)

The Judgment Day is out here without Finn Balor, and they aren’t happy about it; also JD McDonagh and Sami Zayn get into a scrap
Sami Zayn def. JD McDonagh by pinfall
Chelsea Green apologizes to Chelsea Green and looks like he’s going to strip her of the tag team titles, but she threatens to call Human Resources on him, then suggests they hold auditions for a new partner; Piper Niven tries to declare herself Green’s new partner and doesn’t appear she’ll take no for an answer
Cody Rhodes notes that Balor has always been a leader, but one of the problems with The Judgment Day is that both Priest and Ripley are too; Cody says he’ll be ready for Finn and The Judgment Day tonight
The Ring General has arrived in Winnipeg, but while Alpha Academy has to accept that Gunther is very good, they don’t take any crap from Ludwig Kaiser
Chad Gable def. Giovanni Vinci by pinfall
Gunther def. Otis by pinfall
Ripley has to step between Balor and Priest to stop their bickering, and Finn comes around and says the group will show they are still a united force against Cody later tonight
The weekly SmackDown Bloodline recap video plays
Drew McIntyre is asked what’s next for him, but he doesn’t get to answer before Matt Riddle asks him if he’ll tag up to face the Viking Raiders tonight; McIntyre says he’ll consider it, and Riddle does the “so you’re telling me there’s a chance!” thing
A short video hypes up Indi Hartwell
Matt Riddle and Drew McIntyre def. Viking Raiders by pinfall
Raquel Rodriguez tells Candice LeRae and Hartwell how frustrated she is that she can’t get cleared since she can’t wait to rip Ripley apart, but everyone agrees this is Indi’s night to show what she can do
Riddle thinks he and McIntyre can win the tag team champions, but The New Day is offended by the thought that one win can make them title contenders and they challenge Matt and Drew to a match next week
Rhea Ripley def. Indi Hartwell by pinfall, though LeRae may have made a tactical error by attacking Ripley after the match
A quick replay shows Nakamura’s attack on Rollins again from the end of last week’s Raw
Shinsuke Nakamura gets a title shot from Seth Rollins … and lays him out again
The Miz denies shaking LA Knight’s hand, says he’ll beat someone better than Knight ever has, and may show up on SmackDown too
Trish Stratus vs. Becky Lynch ends in a double countout, with Zoey Stark joining in when they brawl up to the concourse
Gunther is angry at Vinci for losing and ticked at Kaiser at getting distracted with Dupri, then says he’ll go to Pearce and sort it out by giving Gable his title shot next week
Speaking of Pearce, he’s furious with Stratus and tells her Trish will have to face Becky in a steel cage
Cody Rhodes def. Finn Balor by pinfall, but after the match, he and Sami Zayn take a horrific beating from The Judgment Day after the arrival of McDonagh turns the tide

Australia a potential market for future WWE premium live event

Australia has so far played host to only one WWE PLE.

While once almost the exclusive domain of continental North America, WWE has shown an increasing willingness to take premium live events (or PLEs) to other locales. The home country of one of its most fast-rising current stars could be added to that list in the not too distant future.

According to Fightful Select (subscription required), “WWE has spoken with reps in Australia to gauge interest of a potential PLE event.” No specifics were given on when or in what part of the country a show might take place.

The timing for those discussions is fitting. WWE is currently in the midst of a WrestleMania to SummerSlam stretch where none of its PLEs are in the continental U.S. or Canada. Backlash just set records in Puerto Rico this past weekend. Night of Champions will take place in Saudi Arabia later this month before Money in the Bank hits The O2 Arena in London in early July.

Australia has so far played host to just one previous premium live event, Super Show-Down on Oct. 6, 2018. That show originated from the Melbourne Cricket Ground and featured a main event promoted as the last match ever between Triple H and The Undertaker, a claim that ended up sort of true as it was the last singles match between the two legends (though they faced off in a tag team match the following month).

Super Show-Down had an announced attendance of more than 70,000, and even though Wrestling Observer claimed the actual number of fans at the show was around 62,000, there was a huge crowd on hand regardless. Australia is clearly a market with the population and appetite for a WWE stadium show.

It’s also more relevant than ever in terms of the current WWE roster. SmackDown Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley, who’s seen her profile rise considerably over the past year and a half, is a native Australian, born Adelaide. Fellow Aussies Indi Hartwell (Melbourne) and Grayson Waller (Sydney) were among the NXT call-ups in the recent WWE Draft.

With no lack of venues to host a show, homegrown talent on the rise and proof that overseas fans will turn out in big numbers, a PLE in Australia over the next 18 months would make a lot of sense, and there would undoubtedly b plenty of fans who would be thrilled if one came together.