No experience, no problem, as Becky Lynch won the Women’s Elimination Chamber match in Perth.
The sight of the cage being lowered from above the big pavilion in the middle of Optus Stadium can mean only one thing: We’re starting with one of the Elimination Chamber matches. Bianca Belair, Raquel Rodriguez, Tiffany Stratton and Liv Morgan head down and into the pods, meaning Becky Lynch and Naomi will start the match.
Both women seem fine taking things to the mat as the crowd keeps singing Becky’s song. A shoulder tackle is answered in kind, and now a “let’s go Becky” chant is ringing through the crowd.
It’s as much of a stalemate as can be so far, with shows of sportsmanship sprinkled in. Naomi wants a top rope move of some sort, but Lynch sees her coming and hits a low dropkick.
Becky kicks Naomi into Liv’s pod door and goes to work near the cage, but Naomi is able to grab the steel and use her legs to drag The Man into the cage, then drop onto her with a split. That gets a near fall back in the ring.
The two women collide as they go for simultaneous cross bodies, meaning both are down as Stratton is the first to be released from her pod. Stratton shows off her crazy gymnastics moves and kicks both her foes, trying unsuccessfully to pin them both as well.
Lynch wants a Manhandle Slam, but Stratton counters into a spinebuster for a near fall. Naomi hits both of them with a top rope cross body, then covers them both for two at the same time.
Stratton tries to pin Lynch again but no dice. She also briefly gets both her opponents on her shoulders, but Becky nails her with a side Russian legsweep off the middle rope, and Naomi drops a leg on her for a near fall.
Naomi connects on a split-legged moonsault on Lynch only for Stratton to steal her near fall. The timer has expired again, bringing Morgan into the action. She sends Stratton aggressively into two pods and mocks her “Tiffy Time” catchphrase.
Morgan runs corner to corner with splashes and knees to Lynch and Naomi. Double knees to the face get her two on Lynch, but she nearly gets caught unawares by Stratton.
Lynch’s exploder sends Stratton hard into the cage, and she follows with the Disarmer through the steel links. Morgan stomps hard on Stratton’s back but gets hit with a sunset flip powerbomb by Naomi from atop a pod. However, Stratton rolls up Naomi after that sweet move and holds on for the three count. Naomi is eliminated.
Rodriguez is the next woman in, leaving only Belair still in a pod. Raquel uses her strength to pummel Becky before holding Tiffany upside down by her legs and swinging her several times into the cage.
Morgan also gets driven into the steel and dropped back into the ring. Lynch hits Rodriguez with a chop block, then gets help from Morgan for a DDT. Everyone tries at once to pin Raquel, who is strong enough to shove them all away.
Tiffany wants Bianca as soon as the pod opens, but that might be a tactical error as she gets thrashed and stuffed in a pod. Belair takes it to the others, doing a marching vertical suplex on Lynch.
Bianca and Raquel end up face to face, with neither able to hit their finisher. Belair pulls off a sweet counter using the cage to turn an attempted suplex into a DDT outside the ropes, which becomes a near fall.
A revived Stratton throws Belair out of the ring and has Rodriguez strung over the top turnbuckle. Morgan is atop the pod and pulls off a seated senton before Becky and Tiffany battle on top of the same pod. Stratton shoves Lynch down onto some of the others, and the crowd is encouraging her to jump. She does, launching herself into a swanton onto everyone but Morgan.
Stratton ends up isolated with Morgan, who pulls her backward off the top rope into the mat, then pins Tiffany. Tiffany Stratton is eliminated, though the crowd doesn’t like it.
Rodriguez sets her sights on Morgan with a spinning corkscrew elbow, but Lynch locks her in the Disarmer. That doesn’t work because Raquel picks her up off the mat, then plants both Becky and Liv. But Belair sneaks in and hits the KOD on Rodriguez for the pin. Raquel Rodriguez is eliminated.
We’re down to three now, with Belair throwing Lynch down onto Morgan. Bianca’s handspring moonsault allows her to pin both of them, but only for two again.
Lynch is blasted into the cage before Morgan executes the Backstabber on Belair. Bianca shrugs that off and smashes Liv into the cage, then does the same to Becky.
Morgan’s assortment of kicks drops both of her foes, and she does a cool catapult move with her legs to send Belair flying into one of the pods. Lynch takes advantage with an attack from behind on Morgan, but Belair won’t let her fly.
Bianca rains down corner punches until she’s halted by Liv. Morgan hits Belair with a sunset flip powerbomb before Lynch hits her with a missile dropkick for a two count.
A superplex hurls Lynch into the middle of the ring, though she’s still able to get knees up on Belair’s 450 splash. Bianca wants a KOD but is countered by Liv’s jawbreaker. As Belair tries to go after Lynch, Morgan sneaks up from behind and rolls her up for three. Bianca Belair is eliminated.
However, right after that, Lynch is able to get in a Manhandle Slam on Morgan, and that’s it for Liv. Liv Morgan is eliminated, and Becky Lynch is the winner.
A look at how to watch the WWE Elimination Chamber 2024 premium live event from Perth, Australia.
On Saturday, Feb. 24, WWE will present Elimination Chamber as the last premium live event before WrestleMania 40. The show will emanate from Optus Stadium in Perth, Australia, featuring matches with implications for WWE’s biggest show of the year.
The Elimination Chamber event will include matches for both men and women, offering the opportunity to earn a title bout at WrestleMania 40. While championship matches will also grace the show, these bouts inside the steel structure are the selling points.
Bianca Belair, Becky Lynch, Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Naomi and Tiffany Stratton will complete in the women’s Elimination Chamber match. Morgan and Rodriguez recently returned from injuries, Naomi came back to WWE from a long TNA stint, and Stratton received a main roster call-up after Royal Rumble, loading this match with fresh faces.
However, Lynch likely enters the Elimination Chamber as the favorite to win after her laundry list of interactions with Rhea Ripley, the Women’s World Champion, this past year. A match between them offers ample star power that’s also worthy of the WrestleMania main event, so will WWE make this match official on Saturday?
Randy Orton, Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, LA Knight, Logan Paul and Kevin Owens will fight in the men’s Elimination Chamber match, with the winner facing Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 40. The lineup features stars with credentials worthy of headlining a marquee show, but which one walks out of Perth with the ultimate title opportunity?
These matches will grace Elimination Chamber, which has a special start time. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the action this weekend.
WWE Elimination Chamber 2024
Date: Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024
Location: Optus Stadium, Perth, Australia
Start time: 5:00 a.m. ET/2:00 a.m. PT
How to watch: On Peacock in the U.S., and on WWE Network in the rest of the world
The Women’s Elimination Chamber field is also set thanks to WWE Raw from Anaheim.
It could be a historic night on WWE Raw from Anaheim — but not if the Ring General has anything to say about it.
Gunther has made the Intercontinental Championship his own, holding it for more than 600 days, most of anyone in the title’s history. Wouldn’t it be ironic, then, if he lost it right as he achieved the top spot on the list?
It’s possible. Jey Uso is certainly getting a push as a singles performer, the first big one of his career. Under normal circumstances, it would be unusual for a title change this close to WrestleMania, but with the Elimination Chamber not involved with this championship, there’s certainly a chance.
Two other matches also stand out on tonight’s card. A Last Chance Battle Royal will decide the last contestant in the Women’s Elimination Chamber, and it feels like there could be a surprise or two thrown in.
And in what could be the night’s main event if the IC title match isn’t, Cody Rhodes will clash with Drew McIntyre. Rhodes already has his WrestleMania spot secured, while McIntyre has mostly been playing spoiler and feeling great about it.
We’re set for big things from Anaheim and the final live show before Elimination Chamber. Let’s see what we’ve got.
WWE Raw results from Anaheim:
(please scroll down for more details for any match or segment in bold)
Drew McIntyre def. Cody Rhodes by pinfall thanks to blatant interference from The Bloodline’s Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa
A video segment promotes the Intercontinental Championship match later tonight between Gunther and Jey Uso
Andrade says his destiny is here in WWE, and the era of Andrade El Idolo has begun
Adam Pearce says the Bloodline members will get hefty fines and checks on Rhodes, who tells the GM “I’m good”; Seth Rollins drops by as well, saying nothing but getting a nod from Cody before leaving
A video package reviews the five women who have already qualified for Elimination Chamber as we get ready to find out who’s joining them
Raquel Rodriguez wins the Last Chance Battle Royal for the Women’s Elimination Chamber match, last eliminating Chelsea Green
Michael Cole remotely interviews Rhea Ripley and Nia Jax, which of course turns to insults between them and ends with Ripley storming out
A “Truthline” segment in the style of investigative TV journalism has Jackie Redmond talking to R-Truth about his experience with The Judgment Day, and you really have to see it to properly appreciate it
UFC fighter Michael Chandler is shown in the crowd, and he’s given a microphone to call out Conor McGregor
Both Chad Gable and Ivar cut promos head of their match tonight
The Judgment Day def. The Miz, R-Truth and #DIY by pinfall, with Damian Priest pinning R-Truth
Highlights are shown of The Rock officially joining The Bloodline on the most recent episode of SmackDown
Jackie Redmond catches up with Sami Zayn, who says he doesn’t want to get fixated on McIntyre because he’ll end up getting stuck and potentially miss his path to WrestleMania
Becky Lynch talks Elimination Chamber before she’s joined by all of her opponents … and a rampaging Nia Jax
Gunther cuts a promo before his title defense against Jey Uso
Shinsuke Nakamura makes it clear he’s not done with Sami Zayn, vowing to defeat him again
Chad Gable def. Ivar by submission
Cathy Kelley talks with McIntyre, who says his victory over Cody wasn’t tainted by Bloodline interference, claiming that he wanted to attack them on sight but he had to keep his eyes on the big picture, saving WrestleMania … for the fans, of course
The New Day says Uso will win tonight, but next week it’s their turn, making it clear it’s not over with Imperium until they say it’s over; next week, it’s New Day vs. Imperium in a Street Fight
Gunther def. Jey Uso by pinfall to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship, in large part due to interference from Jimmy Uso, who lays an extra beating on his twin brother as Raw goes off the air
Image credit: WWE.com
Drew McIntyre gets Bloodline assistance to defeat Cody Rhodes
The crowd is definitely into this one, cheering enthusiastically for Rhodes and giving him a “let’s go Cody” chant immediately after the bell. He quickly sends the Scottish Warrior to the floor, then is able to apply a Figure Four back in the ring.
McIntyre flips the hold over, forcing Rhodes to the ropes for a break. Cody is selling damage to his right knee as commercials arrive.
Things aren’t going much better for our hero, after the break, but he manages to survive a series of chops before McIntyre puts him back on the canvas. Cody rallies for a Disaster Kick and a two count, drawing on the energy from the crowd.
A Cody Cutter is on target too, good for another two count. McIntyre takes both of them out to the floor, and we break for ads again.
Both men score near falls, including a very close one after a Cody Pedigree. Drew fires back with a Future Shock, but no one can get more than a two count, and Pat McAfee wonders what can possibly end it.
McIntyre looks up at the WrestleMania sign before he climbs the turnbuckles, but Rhodes meets him there for an emphatic superplex. There’s a super Cody Cutter off the top rope, but just as it appears Rhodes can get the win, Jimmy Uso is out to provide a distraction.
Solo Sikoa uses it to full advantage, delivering a Samoan Spike from the apron while the ref is occupied with Jimmy. A Claymore from McIntyre is next, and that’s a big win secured for Drew.
Image credit: WWE.com
Raquel Rodriguez makes her return a spectacular one, winning the Last Chance Battle Royal
Teammates Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark are the first two women to head to the ring, but the crowd really roars for the return of Raquel Rodriguez, who has been out injured for some time.
We won’t try to do play by play for a match this chaotic, but we can say Maxxine Dupri and Valhalla are out early on. Xia Li follows quickly. Rodriguez continues clearing people out, including Isla Dawn.
Natalya eliminates Tegan Nox, a bit of payback for what happened between them in the Royal Rumble. Zelina Vega and Elektra Lopez keep fighting even after they’re eliminated, while Baszler and Stark work together effectively, especially to get rid of Indi Hartwell and Katana Chance.
After Ivy Nile is eliminated, we’re left with four: Baszler, Stark, Rodriguez and Michin. It quickly becomes three as the tag team partners get rid of Michin.
There goes Baszler, leaving Rodriguez and Stark. Though Shayna catches Zoey when she’s first thrown out, a big boot soon sends her to the floor. Chelsea Green was apparently never eliminated properly and tries for a sneak attack, but Raquel sends her out quickly to wrap things up.
Image credit: WWE.com
The Elimination Chamber contestants have words, but Nia Jax has more than enough power to clear them all out
The Man gives props to the great crowd tonight before musing that she’s been lucky enough to accomplish so much, meaning that there are few “new” things left for her. One thing she hasn’t done is compete in the Elimination Chamber, which she needs to win to face Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania.
Lynch notes that it is inevitable that she and Mami collide, which is appropriate because both of them live for that kind of fight. They’ve been living differently as of late, however, with Rhea riding a once-in-a-lifetime wave, propped up by The Judgment Day.
And then there’s Becky, the biggest threat to the championship and one who’s been hiding in plain sight. Lynch says she’s the best she’s ever been right this moment, strengthened by taking on all kinds of opponents.
On the flip side of that, however, is that everybody else is also the best they’ve ever been — especially the five women in the Elimination Chamber match with her. Becky says she has nothing against any of the women (“though Tiffany’s kind of annoying”), but she’s beaten most of them, just not inside the Chamber.
Liv Morgan arrives to say she’s a big fan of Becky’s hat, but she’s not a big fan of Lynch saying she’s the one to face Ripley. Liv admires Becky wanting to prove she’s the best, but all she cares about is her revenge. She has both professional and personal reasons for wanting to pay Rhea back, and Liv reminds Becky that she was also the last person to defeat Ripley.
That brings out Raquel Rodriguez, who says they’re making great points. But the champ after Elimination Chamber could also be Nia Jax, and only she’s big enough to stand up to either one of them.
You see where this is headed now, as Naomi comes out too. She says it’s time to climb her way back to the top but doesn’t get any further before it’s Tiffy Time. Tiffany Stratton says nobody cares about the past, but that’s all she sees in the ring.
That only leaves one final Chamber contestant, but Bianca Belair quickly makes that number zero. She reminds them all that you can’t spell WrestleMania without “EST,” and when Stratton gets lippy with her, Tiffany decides to smash Liv int he face, and soon all six women are scrapping.
Make that seven as Nia Jax hits the ring as well. Jax crushes Naomi with a Samoan Drop and casually tosses Morgan and Stratton around.
Jax runs over Belair as well, gives Rodriguez a legdrop to the back of the neck and has some left for Lynch as well. Nia is the only woman still standing at the end of the segment, making an emphatic statement.
Image credit: WWE.com
Jey Uso falls short against Gunther … but only because of Jimmy
Can Uso end Gunther’s 619-day reign? Or will there be hijinks in this one since The Bloodline has already made its presence felt once tonight?
After Jey smacks him in the mouth, The Ring General wastes zero time punishing Uso with chops, both in the center of the ring and on the top rope. The attack continues on the floor, where Gunther drops Jey on the barricade. Commercial break one is here.
Gunther continues his assault when the broadcast returns, punishing Jey with a backbreaker. They head back to the floor, with the champ looking for a piledriver but foiled by a back drop. Gunther is smacked off the announce table with a Samoan Drop, exciting Pat McAfee.
They return to the ring, where Uso hits a back elbow and a superkick, plus an uppercut that sends Gunther into the corner. The champion retaliates with a big dropkick and a powerbomb, stacking Jey for a two count.
Another two count is in Gunther’s favor after a clothesline, and he quickly locks in a Boston Crab. Even after Jey escapes he’s not clear of danger, but he is able to send Gunther to the floor and greet him with a dive that brings the final set of commercials.
More hard chops greet Jey after the ads, and his chest can’t be feeling too good now. Gunther spends some time verbally berating Jey, slapping him around some more and looking for a powerbomb. But Uso slides out the back side and delivers a spear, earning a near fall.
Uso heads up top, where Gunther rushes to meet him with another chop. There’s a release superplex that just flings Jey down, and he hits his own top rope splash but sees Uso kick out again at two.
Another spear for Uso has Gunther looking for a respite on the apron, but Jey spears him there, then out on the floor. The challenger rolls the champ back into the ring for his fifth spear of the bout. Up top goes Jey, dropping the Uso Splash … but the bell rings in mid-count. It’s Jimmy Uso, smirking wildly.
WWE security orders Jimmy to leave, but the damage may already be done, as Gunther is back on his feet. A superkick puts the champ down so Jey can fly to hit his brother with a suicide dive.
Uso climbs again, but this time Gunther gets his knees up on the splash, rolling Jey up and barely surviving with his title intact.
Jimmy gets a chance to beat on Jey some more after the bell, including an Uso Splash of his own. He delivers one more for good measure, raising one finger to the sky as the show goes off the air.
A look at the full match card for the 2024 WWE Elimination Chamber event in Perth, Australia.
While WrestleMania 40 dominates the discussion with Cody Rhodes, The Rock and Roman Reigns, WWE has another premium live event to stage in between, around the world. Superstars are set to take over Optus Stadium in Perth, Australia, for Elimination Chamber on Saturday, Feb. 24.
One or more Elimination Chamber matches traditionally dominate this event of the same name. With the majority of world title situations set, the focus shifts to the Women’s World Championship as the sole No. 1 contendership is up for grabs.
Meanwhile, Rhea Ripley will still defend her title against Nia Jax. Tensions have brewed between them throughout 2024, and following Jax’s clean victory over Lynch, it put her on a trajectory to challenge for the Women’s World Championship.
Judgment Day’s Damian Priest and Finn Balor will also put their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship on the line against Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne. A win likely locks Priest and Balor into a WrestleMania match, perhaps against R-Truth and The Miz if tensions continue.
Elimination Chamber goes down on Saturday, Feb. 24. We’ll update this post with more matches as WWE makes them official, so check back often until the show rolls around.
Latest update: Feb. 19, 2024, 9:05 p.m. ET.
WWE Elimination Chamber 2024 card:
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Nia Jax – Women’s World Championship match
Judgment Day (c) vs. Tyler Bate and Pete Dunne – Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship match
Women’s Elimination Chamber match – Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair vs. Liv Morgan vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Naomi vs. Raquel Rodriguez (winner receives Women’s World Championship match at WrestleMania 40)
Men’s Elimination Chamber match – Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton vs. Bobby Lashley vs. LA Knight vs. Kevin Owens vs. Logan Paul (winner receives World Heavyweight Championship match at WrestleMania 40)
Kabuki Warriors (c) vs. Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell – WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match (pre-show)
WarGames matches are about as memorable as they come. We rank every one from WWE and WCW history.
“Mad Max” is among the most memorable action franchises in film history, but it is the third installment of the franchise, “Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome,” that was particularly notable, as it starred the late great Tina Turner and featured a dome-like structure where two people entered and only one left after a fight to the death.
Although “Beyond Thunderdome” isn’t necessarily seen as the peak of the “Mad Max” franchise, its look at a gritty, post-apocalyptic dystopian future undoubtedly left an impression on its viewers.
One of the viewers that were particularly inspired by what they saw was a man by the name of Virgil Runnels, better known to professional wrestling fans as the “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes.
There have been a number of pieces written over the years about the verbal prowess of Rhodes. But as much as he was a force in front of the camera, Rhodes was arguably even more influential behind the scenes.
He was the primary booker for multiple territories during his career and while he could map out a week-to-week story, Rhodes’ true creative genius shined when it came to creating spectacles.
When Rhodes laid eyes on the Thunderdome, he saw his next project.
Rhodes added a few wrinkles to make the concept pro wrestling-friendly, but the violence and excitement remained. The result is one of the most anticipated matches in professional wrestling, one that has provided countless fond memories during its near 40 years of existence.
But which WarGames match is the best of all time? Conversely, which one is the worst? I am here to answer that question once and for all. Well, in my opinion, at least.
Before we dig into the rankings, some ground rules: First, this ranking will only feature WarGames matches from the National Wrestling Alliance, World Championship Wrestling and NXT/WWE. Yes, I know, AEW has its own version of WarGames called Blood and Guts, but for the sake of this list, I’m only including matches that actually carries the match’s namesake.
Secondly, this list does not include WarGames matches that were not televised. Televised WarGames matches only!
Lastly, remember that this is merely my opinion, so don’t kill me too much if you disagree. Please feel free to disagree and give your thoughts. But again, these are just my thoughts after recently watching all of the matches that qualified for this list.
The Viper didn’t appear on Raw but it seems almost certain he’ll be in WarGames this Saturday.
When Drew McIntyre turned on the biggest faces on the Raw roster last week, it wasn’t a complete surprise. But that doesn’t mean it was any easier to take, and what he does tonight on WWE Raw from Grand Rapids.
The Scottish Warrior has been in the midst of what appears to be a slow motion heel turn for weeks, bitter at seeing his world championship aspirations foiled: first by Jey Uso, back when he was still part of The Bloodline, and more recently by Seth Rollins, who defeated him straight up.
That made it perfectly logical when he aided The Judgment Day in retaining their tag team titles, even if the WWE Universe was still upset when it happened. It also seems like it won’t be enough to help him prove his point.
Might siding with The Judgment Day and trying to stomp out Uso, Rollins, Cody Rhodes and Sami Zayn personally in WarGames do it? Perhaps, and since McIntyre is slated to kick off the show tonight, we may find out if that’s his plan pretty quickly.
Of course if he throws in with the heels, the face will need a fifth man of their own. You’ve all heard the rumors. Some of you even seem to be hoping a certain Pepsi Phil will get the call. However, there are others who are hoping the Viper makes his long awaited return, and that would make this show very interesting indeed.
Also there could be a new theme song, which would be pretty cool as well.
Here’s what happened tonight in chronological order.
WWE Raw results from Grand Rapids:
(please scroll down for full details on any match or segment in bold)
Drew McIntyre explains his heel turn in frankly relatable terms and says he’ll stand with The Judgment Day in WarGames, bringing everyone else involved in that match out ahead of the match for the advantage later tonight
Damian Priest says as the leader of the WarGames team, Rhea Ripley should have asked him first before adding McIntyre to their team, and through Ripley admits that probably should have been the case, they’re going to wait for Drew before picking the person for the advantage match
Nia Jax def. Raquel Rodriguez by pinfall
Priest is impatient but McIntyre has arrived, and he wants to be in the advantage match; Priest eventually relents and says Drew can go prove his worth to the team, then tells Ripley he better get the job done
The good guys in WarGames discuss who they might add for their team, with Rhodes suggesting he has an “old friend” he can call, telling Uso to just focus on the advantage match
Becky Lynch def. Xia Li by pinfall
After the match, Damage CTRL comes down through the stands, but so does the face team, and a huge brawl breaks out that needs security and officials to break up
Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci have a disagreement about the Ring General’s instructions, with Kaiser telling Vinci to stay in the back for his match with Johnny Gargano
A video package hypes up Zoey Stark ahead of her match with Ripley at Survivor Series
Johnny Gargano def. Ludwig Kaiser by pinfall after Vinci ignores Kaiser’s instructions and distracts him
Pearce has lost it because he’s being nagged by multiple teams who want to challenge for the women’s tag team titles, eventually giving up and putting them all in one match to find a No. 1 contender, and not even Chelsea Green’s threat to talk to “the office” makes him rethink his decision
Stark and Shayna Baszler have invaded The Judgment Day’s locker room, and Zoey fells confident enough to taunt the champ there; Rhea says she kind of respects Zoey’s chutzpah and that she’ll get her beating on Saturday
Tegan Nox and Natalya win a Women’s Tag Team Championship No. 1 Contenders Fatal 4-Way
Gunther demands an explanation from Kaiser and Vinci and isn’t in the mood for Ludwig’s excuses; he tells them to watch him handle The Miz and suggests they sort it out
Pearce has his hands full again backstage, where the men’s teams want the same opportunity as the women’s teams, so he tells them they can have Tag Team Turmoil next week on Raw, then turns to find SmackDown GM Nick Aldis there asking for a conversation
The Miz gets bullied by Gunther until he can take no more
Seth Rollins gives Jey Uso a pep talk ahead of the advantage match
Ivar (and Valhalla) have some words for Bronson Reed, challenging Reed to a match next week on Raw
Shinsuke Nakamura def. Chad Gable by pinfall
Priest tells McIntyre he better get the job done, and the Scottish Warrior says he won’t just win but will take Jey Uso out
Reed accepts Ivar’s challenge and says the Viking won’t survive
A short video explains the rules for the WarGames matches
Though Rollins and Zayn say they’ve had no luck securing a fifth member for their team, Rhodes tells them the person he called picked up and “he’s in”
Drew McIntyre def. Jey Uso by pinfall, winning The Judgment Day the advantage for WarGames
After the bell, McIntyre continues to beat on Uso, and quickly, everyone in the WarGames match is in the ring, with the faces clearing the ring thanks to steel chairs; Rhodes says he’s glad The Judgment Day has the advantage because they have someone on their side: an Apex Predator
We’re just five days away from Survivor Series WarGames, but there’s still some serious business to attend to in Grand Rapids tonight on WWE Raw.
Can The Judgment Day or Cody Rhodes’ team of heroes grab the WarGames advantage?
Despite assembling an all-star team of sorts to take on The Judgment Day in the men’s WarGames match, Cody Rhodes and company found they couldn’t gain the upper hand last week by taking the tag team titles from Damian Priest and Finn Balor.
We’ll get to the reason why in a second, but there’s no time to wallow in misery as the advantage for WarGames is on the line in Grand Rapids. One member of each team will square off in a singles match to gain the coveted edge, and it will be interesting to see if the good guys go with the man who only seemed to grudgingly join the fight, World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins.
For The Judgment Day, no one but Dominik Mysterio would be a surprise.
Will Drew McIntyre be added to the WarGames match?
Right now, all WWE is promoting for Drew McIntyre is that he’ll explain his actions from last week’s episode of Raw, when he ensured The Judgment Day held onto the tag team titles. He then doubled down by shaking hands with Rhea Ripley as the show went off the air.
While no one expects the Scottish Warrior to actually join The Judgment Day, what seems likely to happen is that he’ll reveal that because of mutual interests, he’s going to be their fifth member for WarGames — which will in turn force our heroes to find a fifth member for their side.
We’ll see if that plays out tonight on Raw.
Can Raquel Rodriguez back up her big talk against Nia Jax?
Nia Jax has been an absolute force of nature since making her WWE return, crushing just about everyone in her way. Raquel Rodriguez was vocal about saying she was the one who could stand up to Jax.
Something has to give when they collide tonight, and while Ripley already beat both women in a Fatal 5-Way, you figure that the winner could be close to a solo title opportunity either this weekend or in the not too distant future.
Also advertised for Raw from Grand Rapids:
Becky Lynch looks for some payback against XI Li
Chad Gable steps up to take on the man who’s been running through the Alpha Academy, Shinsuke Nakamura
Raw hits our screens on this pre-holiday Monday at 8 p.m. ET, so tune in then or check us out here at Wrestling Junkie for live results and updates later tonight.
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
The latest victim in the Tribal Chief’s reign of dominance was LA Knight, who came into Crown Jewel with the fans firmly behind him.
I don’t think anyone thought Knight had a realistic chance of winning the title, but the key for me was making sure Knight looked like he belonged in the same league with Reigns despite losing. I think WWE accomplished that in Saudi Arabia.
Not only did Knight lose due to constant interference, Reigns didn’t even kick out of Knight’s finisher, Blunt Force Trauma. Instead of kicking out, Reigns managed to get his foot on the ropes to stop the count, which only happened because Jimmy Uso put it there.
Where does Knight go from here? Well, I see him playing a key role in WarGames, which was made official during Crown Jewel. From there, I think he could have a very entertaining feud with Logan Paul over the United States championship.
For Reigns, see you in 2024, I guess. Enjoy the holidays.
Logan Paul is a champion
As I just mentioned, a YouTube star is the new WWE United States Champion.
But while that may sound like another farcical decision done to merely generate mainstream eyeballs, in reality, this was the fruition of a carefully crafted plan that has been executed over the course of multiple years.
Paul first appeared in WWE in 2021 and signed a contract with the promotion in 2022. WWE could have easily put a title on him back then and it could have caused a stir, but it would have been looked at as merely a publicity stunt.
But having Paul work against a variety of opponents, lose to some, defeat others, and actually prove himself in the ring made him topping the legendary Rey Mysterio for the prestigious United States digestible for wrestling fans. That’s because Paul put the work in before being put in such a coveted position.
Just 8 matches into his career, @LoganPaul has cemented his place in the world of sports entertainment… and now, he’s got the hardware to prove it.
And to his credit, Paul has delivered. Even in the ring with a legend like Mysterio, Paul didn’t look out of place. He didn’t look like a fish out of water. He looked like someone that has been working to improve his skill in the ring.
Like him or not — and I completely understand if you do not — he has earned this opportunity. And yes, this is still a publicity stunt, but it is one that was well thought out and executed.
Solo Sikoa beats the brakes off John Cena
Man, is this really it? Is the last time we’re really going to see John Cena in the ring was him being beaten to a pulp by Solo Sikoa? It sure looked like it on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.
But something tells me that isn’t quite the way Cena would even like to go out. I think this story isn’t quite over and Cena will ultimately pick up the win he has been desperately looking for — and it could happen over Sikoa.
But maybe that is my wrestling fan naivete talking. Maybe Cena simply wanted to ride off into the sunset by putting a young star over in dominant fashion. If so, what a way to go out.
Women’s matches receive little reaction from fans
Look, I understand why this happened. I understand the cultural differences as to how women are viewed in Saudi Arabia. I don’t personally agree with it, but I am aware of the situation at hand here.
However, I still feel like I have to acknowledge it because it is such a stark contrast to what we’re used to hearing from the women’s matches. It’s not for a lack of quality. I feel like the five-way was fine, but the title match between Bianca Belair and IYO SKY was great.
But when the fans don’t seem to be interested, it hurts the quality of the match.
Sky Pirates are back
One of the biggest moments of the show was during a women’s match, as Kairi Sane made her official return to WWE television by helping SKY retain the WWE Women’s Championship and reunite the Sky Pirates from NXT.
I feel like if Sane’s return happened elsewhere, it would have received a much bigger ovation. But alas, it didn’t.
However, that doesn’t take away from the importance of Sane’s return as it adds a new wrinkle to the to the SKY-Belair-Bayley story and adds depth to an already deep women’s division in WWE.
The odds were against her, but Rhea Ripley emerged from the Fatal 5-Way at WWE Crown Jewel still the Women’s World Champion.
As befitting a dominant champion, Rhea Ripley receives a special, very elaborate entrance with a bunch of extras. That certainly makes it feel like she’s not losing here, but since she doesn’t have to be pinned, you never know.
Nia Jax realizes quickly that everyone is going to target her and slips out to the floor. Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark go for some early pinfall attempts, but someone is always there to break them up. Jax picks her moment to return, powerslamming Stark, but Raquel Rodriguez is able to kick Jax and give extra momentum to a Baszler suplex to send Nia to the floor.
Raquel shows off her power on several opponents, but Ripley is able to fight her off. Rhea waves in Nia and the two of them stand and slug it out. Ripley tries to lift Jax onto her shoulders but she can’t pull it off and gets hit with a Thesz press and a big legdrop. Jax covers but Stark breaks up the pinfall attempt.
Baszler gets a cool spot by having everyone but Stark in submission holds at once. Stark breaks those holds and tries for a pinfall, then suplexes Rodriguez. A Tower of Doom spot follows, and everyone is down but Jax.
It quickly becomes just Ripley and Rodriguez left to face each other, which turns into strikes and slaps. They both go for big boots at once and end up on the mat, then slide out to the apron. But it’s Stark who hits the next cool move, flying to the floor and landing on both of them.
Can Stark finish Ripley? She hits the Z-360 but Jax breaks up the pin. Jax wants an Annihilator, but Rodriguez hits the Texana Bomb, and Ripley has to break up that cover to assure her championship doesn’t go goodbye.
Ripley gets rescued from a Baszler submission and kicks Rodriguez, but Stark prevents Rhea from pinning Shayna after a Riptide. Ripley and Stark fight atop the top rope, and while Rodriguez tries to crawl over and cover Baszler, Rhea drops Zoey on top of her.
Rhea covers Shayna, who has taken the most damage in all this, and hears the three count to remain champion.
