Tag: natalya

WWE Raw results 06/12/23: KO, Sami battle Imperium

Also on tap for WWE Raw, the final Men’s MITB qualifier, and Cody Rhodes takes on The Miz.

Try as they might — and to semi-quote Thomas Jefferson in “Hamilton,” believe me, they’ve tried — Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn haven’t quite been able to rid themselves of the pests called Imperium. That’s good for us as fans, however, because it means they’re going to fight again tonight on WWE Raw from Wichita.

Consider Gunther and company one-up on our heroes for now. The Ring General (please hear that in Ludwig Kaiser‘s voice as you read it in your head) was able to defeat KO last week, though not without some hijinks because that’s what you get when you are embroiled in a feud with a heel stable.

So things have progressed in the way that’s most logical, meaning a tag team match. Owens and Zayn will take on Gunther and Kaiser. “Baldy” will no doubt be in their corner, and will the tag team titles be on the line? We’ll have to wait and see.

There’s more important business to settle between the ropes tonight as well. One spot is left for the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder match, which is only a few weeks away in London. Matt Riddle and Damian Priest, two men who figure to be big threats to win said match if they get in, will fight for the right to occupy that spot.

And the American Nightmare will take on the A-Lister in one-on-one action too. Cody Rhodes laid out The Miz on his own show, Miz TV, last week. Can “Mike” get some payback, or will Cody continue to rebound from his loss to Brock Lesnar at Night of Champions?

WWE Raw results from Wichita:

  • Rhea Ripley comes to the ring and gets a shiny new title belt, now renamed the Women’s World Championship, and Dominik Mysterio helps fasten it around her waist; they’re joined in turn by Cody Rhodes, who wants to address Dom showing up on Miz TV last week, and challenges Mysterio to a match at Money in the Bank that is accepted on Ripley’s behalf — also Miz tries to sneak in a cheap shot ahead of their match

  • Cody Rhodes def. The Miz by pinfall
  • Becky Lynch gets fist bumps from Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn and looks like she doesn’t know what to make of Alpha Academy, who appear to be preparing Maxxine Dupri to wrestle backstage
  • Lynch says she’s never won Money in the Bank but feels good about it this year as she’s excited about the chance to have the briefcase and make the champions scared — not unlike how Trish Stratus was so scared she had to get an insurance policy in Zoey Stark; that brings out Stark and the two exchange pleasantries until Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville interrupt and we head right into a match

  • Becky Lynch def. Chelsea Green by submission
  • The Judgment Day seems to not be all on the same page, which is relevant since Damian Priest is up next for his MITB qualifier
  • Damian Priest def. Matt Riddle by pinfall to win a Money in the Bank Qualifying match; Imperium comes out afterward to lay a beating on Riddle

  • Rhodes scoffs at how The Judgment Day is gassing up Mysterio and says “good luck Dom Dom” if their match is made official for Money in the Bank
  • Natalya says being her has gotten her nowhere, and maybe she doesn’t even know how to “be me” any more; Byron Saxton moves on to KO and Zayn, who are looking forward to payback when Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser stop by, worrying Adam Pearce and causing an irritable Owens to agree to put the tag team titles on the line

  • A video package shows the best of The Bloodline saga from this past week’s SmackDown
  • Indus Sher offers Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin a proper match instead of, we guess, the beating they received last week
  • Bronson Reed def. Ricochet by DQ after Shinsuke Nakamura invades the match to attack Reed, but Nakamura and Ricochet end up joining forces for an impressive dual superplex on Reed before they resume arguing with each other
  • Zayn wants to make sure Owens isn’t too worked up, but it’s clear Imperium is under his skin even though he tells Sami he’s great
  • Pearce tells someone, probably Triple H, that the tag team titles will be on the line, but Ricochet comes in and demands a match next week against Reed and is beside himself to learn that Bronson is already booked for a bout against Nakamura, who tells Ricochet he can have Bronson “after I’m done with him”
  • Finn Balor calls out Seth Rollins, who obliges him and hears Balor talk about how the Visionary took everything from him and how he plans to take it all back at Money in the Bank; Rollins seems fine with them fighting in London but challenges Balor to bring the best version of himself and not “the guy who’s been walking around the past seven years acting like a little bitch”

  • Shayna Baszler def. Raquel Rodriguez by pinfall with some assistance from Ronda Rousey
  • Another tribute is aired to The Iron Sheik
  • Chad Gable def. Erik by pinfall
  • Priest and Balor try to talk things out … but also Finn was talking to JD McDonagh before Damian walked up
  • Rollins says he’s as prepared as he can be to beat Balor at MITB and he’s digging the tension between Finn and Damian, but before that, he’s putting his World Heavyweight Championship on the line next week on Raw in an open challenge
  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn def. Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser by pinfall to retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship

WWE Raw results 06/05/23: Rollins still golden, 2 more women in MITB

Get all the details on WWE Raw from Hartford, with Seth Rollins making his first World Heavyweight title defense and a pair of MITB qualifiers.

The Seth Rollins Era begins in earnest tonight on WWE Raw from Hartford, so have your singing voices ready.

Even before winning the World Heavyweight Championship at Night of Champions, Seth Rollins promised to be the kind of champion we could look up to, one that would inspire others and push pro wrestling forward. That’s lofty talk, and if we’re being honest, not something over which he has full control.

But he also made it clear that a big part of it was simply being available to defend the title on a regular basis, and that begins with his faceoff with Damian Priest tonight. Why Priest? Good question! It’s because of an open challenge, ostensibly, but it’s not like he’s totally undeserving, and as The Judgment Day was the established, self-declared power on Raw, it does track that one member of the group would step up to try to topple Rollins.

And it wasn’t going to be Prison Dom.

The other big focus for tonight is a pair of Money in the Bank qualifying matches in the women’s division. After Becky Lynch battles Sonya Deville and Natalya goes up against Zoey Stark, we’ll have half the field set for the women’s Ladder match.

There’s also a common thread between these bouts, and it’s that Trish Stratus has a vested interest in both: ensuring Lynch loses and Stark wins. It would be surprising indeed if she didn’t show up and try to affect the outcomes in some way.

WWE Raw results from Hartford:

  • Seth Rollins gets his singalong to kick off the show, and says since it’s been nearly two years since there was a world title match on Raw, he wanted one tonight; Rollins says he’s psyched to take on Damian Priest tonight, and he comes out with Finn Balor but says he can take Seth on his own — and Rollins suggests he prove it by leaving The Judgment Day in the back, which Priest accepts though Balor seems unamused by the whole exchange

  • Becky Lynch def. Sonya Deville by pinfall in a Money in the Bank qualifying match, with Trish Stratus and Zoey Stark watching intently from the ramp
  • A video recaps the highlights of the Bloodline drama from this past week’s SmackDown
  • Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens don’t want to say “I told you so” and also say the Bloodline isn’t their problem any more … but their current problem, Imperium arrives, and KO is bothered enough by Gunther vowing to teach him discipline that he wants to fight right now
  • A vignette plays again to promote Kayden Carter and Katana Chance
  • Gunther def. Kevin Owens by pinfall after a wild match that saw KO have to deal with the other members of Imperium and Gunther take advantage by rolling Owens up for the pin
  • Matt Riddle says he’s tired of Gunther cheating week after week, and Ludwig Kaiser gets in his face … but it’s Giovanni Vinci who ends up feeling Riddle’s wrath
  • Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler say it was destiny for them to be tag team champions together and invite anyone to take them on; coincidentally, Carter and Chance step up, and after some ridiculing, the champs accept their challenge

  • Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler def. Kayden Carter and Katana Chance by submission
  • Ricochet and Shinsuke Nakamura trade some trash talk and decide to settle it in the ring; also Bronson Reed says hi
  • A video hypes the return of Johnny Gargano sometime soon

  • Ricochet vs. Shinsuke Nakamura ends in … a no contest, probably? Reed invades and starts beating up both men, including a Tsunami on Ricochet
  • Alpha Academy tries to get Maxxine Dupri ready to take on Valhalla, but she needs to change into something more suitable for training first

  • Cody Rhodes joins The Miz to trade quips, innuendos and other fun stuff, but they’re soon joined by surprise guest Dominik Mysterio and his mami, Rhea Ripley; Dom insults Cody as a deadbeat dad, but the American Nightmare gives better than he takes, and Dom ends up slapping him and hiding behind Rhea, and Rhodes ends up knocking out The Miz as well

  • Zoey Stark def. Natalya by pinfall in a Money in the Bank qualifying match, with some help from a Stratus cheap shot from th floor
  • Paul Heyman invites viewers to SmackDown to see Jey Uso make his historic choice, which Heyman says will be to stand by his brother, Solo

  • Indus Sher vs. Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin never starts as Indus Sher destroys Benjamin before the bell
  • Seth Rollins def. Damian Priest by pinfall to retain the World Heavyweight Championship, despite some attempted assistance for Priest (who didn’t seem to want it) from Balor
  • Rollins and Balor had a staredown as the show went off the air

WWE Raw preview 06/05/23: Seth Rollins, fighting champ

Seth Rollins will make the first of what he hopes will be many defenses of his World Heavyweight Championship tonight on WWE Raw.

Both before and after he won the World Heavyweight Championship, Seth Rollins declared his intention to be a different kind of champ (intentionally drawing a contrast between himself and Roman Reigns, though he didn’t mention the Tribal Chief by name unless he was prompted first), one who would take on all comers. He’ll get his first chance to put his money where his mouth is tonight on WWE Raw in Hartford.

Rollins issued an open challenge for his title last week that was answered by Damian Priest of The Judgment Day. Though this kind of thing makes it look like WWE has no idea who to put against Seth in an extended program, it should still be a good contest that brings out the best in his opponent.

Money in the Bank qualifying continues to be a big focus with the event now less than a month away. Tonight’s Raw will have a pair of qualifying matches on the women’s side, where so far only Zelina Vega is officially in the Ladder match for London. Becky Lynch will battle Sonya Deville in one of them, while Natalya and Zoey Stark go head to head in the other.

Last but not least, because it’s rude to deprive the people of their chance to “Whoa,” Cody Rhodes will also be featured on the show in what WWE is calling a special edition of Miz TV. When we were kids, a special episode usually meant it dealt with a more serious topic than usual, which could also in a weird way apply here since Rhodes continues to push for a third match with Brock Lesnar.

Hopefully, a good time will be had by all in Hartford, except maybe The Miz given his luck or lack thereof as of late. We’ll be watching at 8 p.m. ET on USA, and we’ll have live results going too if you can’t do the same tonight.

WWE Night of Champions 2023 results: Rollins, Asuka win gold, Bloodline drama continues

Keep up with all the action with the latest WWE Night of Champions results to start a busy weekend in pro wrestling.

WWE Night of Champions doesn’t have every title in the company at stake, but a number of them will be as a big chunk of the roster heads overseas to Saudi Arabia. In fact, on a seven-match card, championships are up for grabs in five of the bouts.

Though WWE has humorously (to us) promoted the show as having a “triple main event,” two of those three matches also have gold up for grabs. The match that has been the subject of the most discussion will see Seth Rollins and AJ Styles compete to become the inaugural holder of the new WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The winner will take their gold exclusively to Raw, at least for the time being.

That’s because Roman Reigns has set up shop on SmackDown, but he’ll be vying for another championship in Saudi Arabia as well. He and Solo Sikoa are looking to take the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship from Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, even though that pursuit has exacerbated the fissures in the Bloodline even more.

And the highest profile non-title match is part of this group of three as well. Cody Rhodes has suffered several vicious attacks at the hands of Brock Lesnar, including one this week that left him with a left arm that Dr. Triple H says was broken (wink, wink). He’s determined to fight Lesnar anyway, even though tangling with the Beast Incarnate can be foolhardy enough with all one’s limbs functioning.

Because the show is overseas, it means an early start time for fans in the U.S.: afternoon on the east coast and late morning in the west. Join us back here starting at 1 p.m. ET for the latest WWE Night of Champions results, updated as they happen all day long.

WWE Night of Champions 2023 results:

(click any match with a link for full details)

  • Seth Rollins def. AJ Styles by pinfall in the tournament final to become the inaugural World Heavyweight Champion, and has the belt handed to him by Triple H after his victory
  • Cody Rhodes is shown getting checked on by a doctor, with a wrap or brace of some sort on his left forearm
  • Trish Stratus def. Becky Lynch by pinfall after Zoey Stark emerged from under the ring to assist
  • Gunther def. Mustafa Ali by pinfall to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship
  • Sami Zayn tells Kevin Owens how crazy it is that they’re there and that even if it ended tonight … KO asks why it would end tonight, because he’s sick of hearing about Roman Reigns’ 1000-day reign and vows that Roman and Solo Sikoa will lose tonight
  • Asuka def. Bianca Belair by pinfall after raking Bianca’s eyes with mist on her fingers to become the new WWE Raw Women’s Champion
  • Rhea Ripley def. Natalya by pinfall to retain the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship, with help from Dominik Mysterio as a ringside distraction
  • Rollins tells Byron Saxton that he will be on Raw on Monday and every Monday moving forward, just with World Heavyweight Championship things on his mind
  • Brock Lesnar def. Cody Rhodes by submission as Cody passes out while in a kimura on his injured left arm
  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn def. Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa by pinfall to retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship, after The Usos, who initially arrive to beat up the champs, end up accidentally superkicking Solo and then intentionally (from Jimmy, anyway) superkicking Reigns

WWE Night of Champions 2023: Predictions for every match in Saudi Arabia

Who will emerge triumphant in Jeddah? Our Vaughn Johnson takes a stab at picking all the winners in his WWE Night of Champions 2023 predictions.

Night of Champions (not to be confused with Clash of Champions or WCW’s Clash of the Champions) is usually a show some fans could skip. But WWE upped the ante in 2023 (mainly because it is taking place in Saudi Arabia) and decided to crown a new World Heavyweight Champion.

Yes, the title is a consolation for those unable to dethrone the Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns, but WWE will go out of its way to make it seem like this title is of equal importance Saturday despite the promotion’s own employees, including one who is vying for the title, having already disparaged its somewhat good name.

Who will leave Saudi Arabia with the new title? Will Cody Rhodes even make it to Night of Champions? Will the confusion surrounding the women’s titles be remotely cleared up?

Here are my predictions for the event:

Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar

I know, the world title should probably close out Night of Champions, but I feel like if WWE put Rhodes and Brock Lesnar after Bad Bunny in Puerto Rico, they’ll put them after Seth Rollins and AJ Styles.

If WWE is trying to get a third match out of this feud, which I imagine it will, then logically Rhodes would have to lose to set up the rubber match. WWE has already kind of given Rhodes the out of being less than 100%, so it wouldn’t completely extinguish what momentum the American Nightmare has left following WrestleMania.

With that said, this feud is not doing what WWE wants it to do, which is carry the main event scene while Reigns challenges for the tag titles for some strange reason. However, we’ll get one more between these two because Lesnar gets his win back to set up a third and decisive encounter in the future.

Winner: Brock Lesnar

WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Seth “Freakin’” Rollins vs. AJ Styles

I am a big fan of both Rollins and Styles, but as I wrote last week, crowning Rollins as the first world champion since 2013 is the only decision, in my book.

The new title is indeed a consolation, but no one should be awarded that consolation before Rollins. Not to mention, Styles has already called the title secondary in an interview with the New York Post, which I’m willing to bet WWE didn’t love hearing.

Winner: Seth “Freakin’” Rollins

Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship: Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens (c) vs. Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa

By virtue of WWE debuting a new world title, Reigns, in theory, should no longer be an “undisputed” champion. Right? I guess he is trying to rectify that by bringing the undisputed tag titles back to The Bloodline.

I honestly have no idea why this match is happening. I thought the whole point of bringing back the World Heavyweight Championship was so that there would be a world title in the company while Reigns wasn’t around. What’s the point of that title when Reigns is, in fact, around? Not only is he around, he is traveling across the world to challenge for … the tag titles?

There are so many confusing things going on in WWE at the moment, and this is high on the list.

So what does WWE do here? Do they find a way to keep the titles on Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens? How does that happen? Does WWE want to beat Solo Sikoa? We know they won’t beat Reigns. Is there a disqualification finish? It would be kind of wild to have Reigns’ fly across the world for a DQ finish, but it is an option.

Or …

WWE could have Reigns and Sikoa defeat Zayn and Owens and give Reigns two more titles for a total of four. Let’s not forget that the tag titles are two separate titles that have been unified, not one consolidated title, which is why Zayn and Owens still walk around with two belts.

If Reigns is in possession of four titles simultaneously, he’d only be halfway to looking like Ultimo Dragon in these streets.

Jokes aside, that would be absurd. Reigns has been on top of the world in dominant fashion going on three years. He’s been so dominant that WWE literally created a new title for when he is not around. But here is WWE, using up one of Reigns’ few appearances not to headline a big show or put someone else over, but to possibly win the tag titles from a team that won them in the main event of WrestleMania not even two months ago.

Because it would be bizarre to give Reigns two more titles, I feel like I have to go with the champs to somehow retain. WWE has defied logic countless times in the past, and I wouldn’t put it past the company to look logic in the eye with defiance yet again.

Winners: Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens

WWE Raw Women’s Championship: Bianca Belair (c) vs. Asuka

On paper, Bianca Belair and Asuka should be must-see TV, but it really hasn’t been and I’m not sure why. They are both extremely talented and are over with the fans. But to put it simply, the feeling I get from this feud is apathy — and I don’t take joy in saying that.

As far as a winner, I don’t see a reason to take the title off of Belair to put it on Asuka. I would not be opposed to Belair losing the title, but it should not come after a feud as lackluster as this one.

Winner: Bianca Belair

WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship: Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Natalya

Rhea Ripley’s title reign has also been kind of uneventful so far. WWE has a pair of potential megastars on its hands with Ripley and Belair, but has seemingly forgotten how to book them in the last few months. It’s really weird, to be honest, and I’m not sure what happened.

Even Ripley’s lone title defense wasn’t really about her as much as it was a moment for Zelina Vega in Puerto Rico and dedicating the match to her late father. Ripley was sort of a background player in that encounter despite winning.

I’d be willing to bet that Ripley and Natalya will both put on great performances in Saudi Arabia, but I wouldn’t be willing to bet if anyone would remotely care.

Winner: Rhea Ripley

Before we move on to the next match, I would like to take this time to implore WWE to have Belair and Ripley switch titles so they can stop walking around with the title of the show they used to be on. It makes ZERO sense why this hasn’t happened already.

OK, back to our regularly scheduled programming …

Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus

Once again, on paper, this should be a dream scenario. In reality, it’s merely  fine. However, I think this could be a candidate to steal the show on Saturday.

As far as a winner, I think it has to be Becky Lynch.

Winner: Becky Lynch

WWE Intercontinental Championship: Gunther (c) vs. Mustafa Ali

I mean, I think we all know how this one is going to go — Gunther retains.

However, where does Gunther go from here? You have to imagine folks like Drew McIntyre (whenever he returns) will go after the new world title. Maybe Shinsuke Nakamura? At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter that much as we’re just biding time for when Gunther finally drops the Intercontinental title and goes for the world title.

I don’t see that happening anytime soon. Until then, Gunther’s reign lives on.

Winner: Gunther

WWE Night of Champions 2023 match card: Rollins vs. Styles and more

WWE Night of Champions is set to crown the inaugural WWE World Heavyweight Champion, but that’s not the only big match on the card.

WWE Night of Champions has a little extra championship flavor to it this year.

That’s because the upcoming show from the Jeddah Super Dome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia will feature the crowning of the first ever WWE World Heavyweight Champion, as Seth Rollins (Raw) and AJ Styles (SmackDown) won the right to represent their respective brands to compete for this brand new title (not to be confused with the previous World Heavyweight Championship, a.k.a. the Big Gold Belt). The winner will be exclusive to Raw, or at least that’s the plan WWE has announced.

Another big title match will see Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn defend their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship … but not against The Usos. Instead, Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa will go for the tag team gold, which could make the already tense Bloodline situation even more fraught if they succeed.

WWE Night of Champions will start at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT on Saturday, May 27. We’ll be updating this post with the latest matches as they are announced.

Last update: May 23, 2023, 11:15 a.m. ET.

WWE Night of Champions 2023 match card:

WWE Raw results: KO, Sami run into unholy alliance

Find out what went down on the May 15 episode of WWE Raw from Greensboro, with Cody Rhodes, Becky Lynch and more.

Sometimes when you want to leave something in the past, it just keeps running to keep up with you. And sometimes that thing running at you also finds you, pulls you out of a match, destroys you outside the ring and then challenges you to a match so that the whole world is waiting for you to respond on WWE Raw.

If that sounds like your personal story, my condolences. It definitely applies to Cody Rhodes, who made the logical assumption that once he defeated Brock Lesnar at Backlash, that would be the end of things between them.

Alas.

Now WWE says we will hear from the American Nightmare tonight in Greensboro, giving his answer about whether he will accept Lesnar’s challenge to fight again at Night of Champions. As the Magic 8-Ball might say, signs point to yes.

Someone who hasn’t had to fight anyone in a little bit is WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther since he’s newly arrived on the Raw roster. Tonight’s show will feature a battle royal to find him a No. 1 contender, which should definitely be interesting.

There’s big happenings in the women’s division as well. Tag Team Champions Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez will defend their titles against the annoying but no less dangerous threat of Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville. And Becky Lynch is scheduled to appear after surprising Trish Stratus last week, and you know she isn’t coming just to talk if Stratus is in Greensboro in person.

Update: Morgan was apparently injured last week so the tag team title match is said to be off. We’ll see how that plays out.

WWE Raw results from Greensboro:

  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn see the title challenge from Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa as a gift as it gives them a chance for revenge on Reigns, but a visit from The Judgment Day inevitably turns to fisticuffs

  • Shinsuke Nakamura def. The Miz by pinfall
  • Adam Pearce confirms Liv Morgan was injured on SmackDown so the tag team title match is postponed, but because of the griping from the challengers, Chelsea Green is going to have a singles match with Raquel Rodriguez
  • Corey Graves introduces his previously recorded interview with Seth Rollins, who talks about his desire to effect change all the way back to his NXT days … and of course, the chair shot heard ’round the world that ended The Shield
  • Gunther figures an introduction might be necessary considering he started his impressive Intercontinental Championship reign on SmackDown, and says one man has a chance to both become his next challenger and earn his respect; press ‘X’ to doubt that last part

  • Mustafa Ali wins a Battle Royal to become No. 1 contender for the WWE Intercontinental Championship that includes Ricochet, Apollo Crews, Bronson Reed, Matt Riddle, Chad Gable, Otis, Baron Corbin, Von Wagner, Johnny Gargano, Dexter Lumis, JD McDonagh, Riddick Moss, Elias, Shelton Benjamin, Cedric Alexander, Mace, Mansoor, Humberto, Angel, Eri, Ivar, Akira Tozawa and Xyon Quinn; last eliminating Reed and Ricochet

  • Becky Lynch says “Thank you Trish” for hitting her and calling her daughter stupid, because that turned on a light in Becky that had been off for a while … and she’ll show how thankful she is when she kicks in Trish’s head at Night of Champions

  • Rhea Ripley and Natalya have a difference in opinion about respect, and the SmackDown Women’s Champion says she will end Nattie’s career if she ever sticks her nose in the champ’s business again
  • Ali doesn’t want to hear any negativity from Alpha Academy, but Gunther says he feels regret for him for traveling halfway around the world to lose and get the beating that goes with it
  • Dominik Mysterio def. Xavier Woods by pinfall
  • A video promo hypes JD McDonagh, who says the Irish Ace is here to stay; he also says live that he attacked Dolph Ziggler during the battle royal to make a statement
  • Indus Sher deg. Local Talent by pinfall, and Jinder Mahal tells the announce team their future is written in gold
  • Imperium pays a visit to KO and Sami, who tell them they’ll fight next week
  • Cody Rhodes tells the story of the scorpion and the frog, accepts Brock Lesnar’s challenge for Night of Champions and says that Brock isn’t the Next Big Thing any more — he’s simply in Cody’s way
  • Candice LeRae takes exception to the way Zoey Stark is talking about Nikki Cross and Candice’s “family” and the two women agree to settle things in the ring next week
  • Raquel Rodriguez def. Chelsea Green by pinfall … but Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler arrive afterward to beat down Rodriguez on the stage
  • Paul Heyman has been talking to Imperium, that can’t be good

  • The second part of Graves’ interview with Rollins covers the time right up to his pursuit of the World Heavyweight Championship and his motivation for wanting to win it: to push the industry forward
  • The Judgment Day (Finn Balor and Damian Priest) def. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn by pinfall thanks to interference from Imperium

WWE Raw results: Cody Rhodes’ misfortune is Seth Rollins’ gain in World Title tourney

Brock Lesnar made his presence felt on Raw in a way that directly affected the tournament.

If there’s such a thing as May Madness (and if there is, we’re likely going to hear about it from Legal), WWE’s got it for tonight’s episode of Raw from Jacksonville.

Why, you could very reasonably ask? Because the WWE World Heavyweight Championship tournament, kicks off tonight, that’s why. Two Triple Threat matches will narrow a field of six down to two, with the winners doing battle later this very night to determine who will go on to Night of Champions later this month to fight for the right to be the inaugural wearer of the new big gold belt.

WWE has helpfully revealed who will be in each of the first round tournament matches. One will see Cody Rhodes, Finn Balor and The Miz square off, while the other features Damian Priest, Seth Rollins and Shinsuke Nakamura. Those combinations set the stage for lots of fun possibilities for the Raw semifinal, including things like an all Judgment Day affait.

(Of course, we have our own ideas on how things should play out.)

The other segment WWE is promoting ahead of the episode is the return of Trish Stratus. The women’s wrestling icon and WWE Hall of Famer seems to have gotten the better of Becky Lynch both physically and psychologically over the past few weeks, as Lynch hasn’t been on TV for a while. But Stratus might not want to be too cocky when she appears on Raw tonight, because when The Man comes back around, there just might be hell to pay.

It’s also the first show where the post-WWE Draft rosters are in effect on Raw, so expect to see some new faces as well.

WWE Raw results from Jacksonville:

(click on any match with a link for full details)

  • Cody Rhodes says he discovered at Backlash that Brock Lesnar could be defeated, and that he’s now completely focused on the World Heavyweight Championship, so he says let the tournament begin
  • Damian Priest doesn’t really want to discuss his loss to Bad Bunny but does think he and Finn Balor will battle in the semifinal later tonight
  • Seth Rollins def. Shinsuke Nakamura and Damian Priest in a World Heavyweight Championship Tournament first round match by pinning Nakamura
  • “You’ll still be Imperium in five minutes, right?” Imperium wants Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn to know Gunther is coming to Raw next week, but their insistence on not being bothered seems like it’s going to lead to a match
  • Mustafa Ali def. Otis by pinfall
  • The Miz reminds the world that he’s a history maker and will have respect put on his name when he wins the tournament\
  • Finn Balor def. Cody Rhodes and The Miz in a World Heavyweight Championship Tournament first round match after Brock Lesnar attacks Rhodes and Balor pins Miz
  • Rhea Ripley def. Dana Brooke by submission, then is confronted by Natalya but leaves without any fisticuffs breaking out
  • A video package shows all of the NXT performers who got drafted to Raw, and one of them, Zoey Stark, challenges Nikki Cross for her first Raw match
  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn def. Imperium (Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser) by pinfall
  • Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green are busy getting signatures on their petition to get a rematch for the tag team titles, and The Way is nearly all back together backstage
  • Zoey Stark def. Nikki Cross by pinfall
  • Dominik Mysterio and Xavier Woods talk their way into a match later tonight, while Akira Tozawa wanders off
  • Trish Stratus is worried because Becky Lynch is missing, and says Lynch will be found but won’t be coming to “her” show … except she’s 100% wrong, and The Man gives her a quick beating before insisting she’s come around to kick Trish’s ass
  • Dominik Mysterio def. Xavier Woods by pinfall
  • Indus Sher says they’ve been waiting for their chance to strike; The Miz accidentally ends up with a match against Nakamura next week; Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez find out Deville and Green started their petition thinking they would be facing Damage CTRL for the tag team titles
  • Rhodes says this is the second time that Lesnar has attacked him from behind for no reason, so he says “let’s fight” at Night of Champions
  • Seth Rollins def. Finn Balor by pinfall to win the World Heavyweight Championship Tournament semifinal

Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler win women’s fatal 4-way at WrestleMania 39: Best photos

Check out these photos of Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler’s win in the women’s fatal 4-way at Night 2 of WrestleMania 39.

Check out these photos of [autotag]Ronda Rousey[/autotag] and [autotag]Shayna Baszler[/autotag]’s win over [autotag]Liv Morgan[/autotag], [autotag]Raquel Rodriguez[/autotag], [autotag]Natalya[/autotag], [autotag]Shotzi[/autotag], [autotag]Chelsea Green[/autotag], and [autotag]Sonya Deville[/autotag] in a women’s fatal 4-way on Night 2 of WrestleMania 39 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. (Photos courtesy of Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports, Joel Zietcer/WWE)

WrestleMania 39 results: Ronda Rousey barely breaks a sweat while winning WrestleMania Showcase

See how the winning team emerged from the Women’s WrestleMania Showcase tag team match on night 2.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Sadly no tanks for Shotzi, so the most interesting ring walk is made by Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler in their respective gis.

Liv Morgan wants to work this one at a breakneck pace, but she ends up needing to tag in her partner for some double team offense on Natalya. After getting a taste of Raquel’s partner, Nattie tags Chelsea Green, who finds a missile dropkick doesn’t even budge Rodriguez.

Shotzi tags herself in for a two count on Green. But her prospects worsen quickly as Rousey menaces her on the floor. Everyone but Ronda and Shayna get into it, and Shotzi launches herself into a cross body on Sonya Devilel and Green. A suicide dive by Shotzi also finds the mark, as does Green’s dive to the floor. Rodriguez picks up her partner and hurls Morgan onto everyone but Rousey and Baszler.

Rodriguez hits a fallaway slam on Shotzi and a corkscrew elbow, but Deville tags herself in, and she and Green double team Rodriguez. Deville and Green spend a little too long celebrating and get laid out by Shotzi and Natalya, who gets her team a two count.

Natalya ends up getting both Deville and Green in the Sharpshooter at once, which the crowd enjoys, but Morgan ends up breaking up the hold. Liv is now legal to face Shotzi, and Morgan ends up hitting Oblivion. Amidst the chaos, Shayna and then Ronda tag in, and Rousey quickly gets a tapout with an armbar on Shotzi.