Tag: Raquel Rodriguez

WWE Crown Jewel 2023 predictions: What will go down in Saudi Arabia?

Will LA Knight dethrone the Tribal Chief? Can John Cena actually … win one? We pick all the WWE Crown Jewel winners.

Paul “Triple H” Levesque being at the head of WWE’s creative process has created a lot of positive ripple effects for the company.

But one I did not expect to see was an increase in anticipation for WWE’s Saudi Arabia events. 

We have come a long way from the early days of WWE’s arrangement with Saudi Arabia in 2018, when the shows felt shoehorned into the promotion’s already packed premium live event schedule and Vince McMahon relied too heavily on acts of yesteryear to generate interest.

Remember when Shawn Michaels came out of retirement just to participate in arguably the worst match of his illustrious career? I’m willing to bet Michaels prefers everyone forgot it ever happened.

But I have to give credit where credit is due, because the latest WWE event in Saudi Arabia, Crown Jewel, actually has a card that I am looking forward to watching and one that actually feels connected to the product viewers consume on a regular basis, which was not the case back in 2018.

Who will walk away a winner on Saturday? Let’s get to the predictions …

WWE Raw results 10/30/23: No treats for The Judgment Day, especially JD McDonagh

Also on WWE Raw tonight, the Trick or Street Fight was … something.

There have probably been factions that have been outright scarier in terms of their presentation than The Judgment Day if you look back over WWE history, but not that many can claim to have the same combination of power and persistence. And now it’s possible they may use tonight’s episode of WWE Raw to grow that even more, so what could be more frightening than that for a Halloween week episode from Greenville?

JD McDonagh is kind of the quintessential wanna-be in that he’s been on a “How can I be down?” kick for weeks, always trying to assist — though sometimes his help has backfired, and there are certainly questions about his motivations.

He’ll try to prove he’s worth a full-fledged spot tonight when he takes on Seth Rollins. Rhea Ripley will no doubt be watching closely, but she may also have hedged her bet since it sure seemed like she was extending an invitation to the World Heavyweight Champion to join the group last week.

And because you should always have a gimmick match for Halloween, Raw has that covered as well. Natalya will take on Chelsea Green in a Trick or Street Fight, a match that only took on more potential entertainment value on social media today.

To wit:

Ahem. Plus we’ll see the latest between DIY and Imperium, and there’s buzz about an NXT call-up that should be very popular among fans who watch that brand regularly.

Sounds like a splendid way to spend the night before Halloween. Let’s see if it turns out that way.

WWE Raw results from Greenville:

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

  • Rhea Ripley lays down the law for tonight but gets a rebuttal from Sami Zayn, who is willing to fight The Judgment Day but discovers Ricochet has his back
  • Dominik Mysterio def. Ricochet by pinfall with the help of Rhea Ripley, JD McDonagh and some rule-breaking
  • A short video package promotes the return of #DIY as a tag team
  • Raquel Rodriguez cuts a promo ahead of her participation in the Fatal 5-Way Women’s World Championship match at Crown Jewel
  • We also get a highlight package of The Creed Brothers, introducing the masses to Julius and Brutus
  • The Creed Brothers def. Alpha Academy by pinfall in their first ever WWE match
  • The Judgment Day seems unamused by The New Day trick-or-treating dressed (sort of) like them, and Damian Priest seems a little ticked about Ripley making a match for him until she’s able to convince him that it’s for the good of the group
  • Nia Jax talks about squashing everyone since her return and looks forward to doing it again at Crown Jewel
  • Miz TV welcomes another big guest, Gunther, but the Ring General and Imperium make this particular episode miserable for the host
  • An angry Miz demands an Intercontinental Championship with Gunther, but Adam Pearce says he can earn one, and it appears that may mean defeating Bronson Reed
  • #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) def. Imperium (Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser) by pinfall
  • Shinsuke Nakamura says he’s waiting to be provoked by someone who fancies themself the hero
  • Xia Li def. Candice LeRae by referee stoppage
  • Jey Uso wishes Zayn good luck before suggesting he might team with Cody Rhodes about pursuing the tag team titles and then … um, running up on Rhea?
  • Shayna Baszler makes her vow to win the Fatal 5-Way at Crown Jewel; in the back, LeRae is checked out by doctors as Gargano and her friends look on
  • A lengthy but very good pre-taped video has Drew McIntyre explain why his title shot at Crown Jewel is so meaningful to him, and while he’s willing to break Seth Rollins’ back to win
  • Zoey Stark speaks her piece before the Fatal 5-Way, so we’ve heard from all of the challengers now
  • Seth Rollins scoffs at the idea that McIntyre is feeling sorry for himself and then blaming The Bloodline for all his other failures, but he gets jumped by McDonagh before he can finish his thoughts; the ref checks on him but Rollins says he’s good to go for his match
  • Seth Rollins def. JD McDonagh by pinfall despite the looming threat of a Money in the Bank cash-in by Damian Priest
  • Pearce thanks Ricochet for his efforts tonight and offers him a chance to win an IC title shot, but also has to deal with Chelsea Green and Ivar before saying he needs a drink
  • Becky Lynch reflects on her NXT Championship run and tells Li she’s willing to fight her
  • Chelsea Green def. Natalya by pinfall in a Trick or Street Fight
  • Damian Priest def. Sami Zayn by DQ after Jey Uso ends up superkicking Priest, but …
  • … the show ends with Zayn, Uso and Cody Rhodes teaming to battle The Judgment Day, McDonagh taking two Cross Rhodes on the announce table and Cody delivering a passionate warning to Damian for Saturday

How to watch WWE Crown Jewel 2023: Live stream US, international

Here’s what you need to know to tune in for WWE Crown Jewel this weekend.

For the second time in 2023, WWE will make a trip to Saudi Arabia for a premium live event. This one, Crown Jewel, features a stacked match card, including a championship that has not been defended in three months, a Fatal 5-Way tile match, and rivalries that will culminate in the ring.

Roman Reigns will put his modern-day title reign record on the line when he defends against LA Knight, whose meteoric rise has resulted in a championship match in the main event of a premium live event. Despite his momentum, Knight defeating Reigns would mark a historic upset — the end of an era of WWE. Don’t expect it to happen, but crazier things have occurred.

Elsewhere in The Bloodline, Solo Sikoa will face John Cena as tensions have been brewing between the two throughout the fall. Jimmy Uso has been making his presence known in Bloodline-related matches, however, so perhaps he will show up here to spoil the night for Cena.

Drew McIntyre poses a formidable challenge to Seth Rollins as he looks to take the World Heavyweight Championship at Crown Jewel. This could prove to be Rollins’ toughest competitor yet and potentially signal a turning point in his reign, or possibly bring it to an end.

Raquel Rodriguez, Nia Jax, Zoey Stark and Shayna Baszler are the four challengers that stand in the way of Rhea Ripley retaining the Women’s World Championship. The incumbent has defended the title relatively few times, but given that WrestleMania season is approaching, it would be surprising if she were to lose the title before 2024.

These matches, and more, will grace Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the action this weekend.

WWE Crown Jewel 2023

  • Date: Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023
  • Location: Mohammed Abdu Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Start time: 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT
  • How to watch: On Peacock in the U.S., and on WWE Network in the rest of the world

[lawrence-related id=38103]

WWE Crown Jewel 2023 card: John Cena to take on Solo Sikoa

See what WWE is promoting for Crown Jewel, its penultimate premium live event for 2023.

WWE Fastlane ended on Saturday night, and within 48 hours, the road to Crown Jewel began. This premium live event will take place in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia on Saturday, Nov. 4. It’s the second-to-last premium live event of 2023 before Survivor Series closes out the year.

Drew McIntyre opened the aftermath episode of Raw by challenging Seth Rollins to a World Heavyweight Championship match at Crown Jewel. However, the Scottish Warrior quickly thwarted Damian Priest’s attempt to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase on Rollins, nearly calling off the potential main event.

Rollins has held the World Heavyweight Championship since winning the tournament for the revived belt in May. After defeating Shinsuke Nakamura at back-to-back premium live events to retain the title, the Visionary will try to extend his reign into the holiday season.

McIntyre’s recent success could spell the end of Rollins’ lengthy championship reign in Saudia Arabia. Will it happen?

On Oct. 13, Roman Reigns returned to SmackDown, making his first appearance on WWE programming since the aftermath of SummerSlam in early August. He confronted John Cena in his return, but instead of asking for a match, Cena introduced LA Knight as the next challenger to Reigns’ Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

At the end of the night, Reigns attacked Knight in the ring after his match with Solo Sikoa, leaving him lying. This made it clear that Reigns and Knight would be having a match, but it wasn’t officially confirmed until the morning of the Oct. 20 episode of SmackDown that these two will square off at Crown Jewel.

And Cena and Sikoa will be involved in the show as well, with WWE announcing this week that they will battle each other as Cena looks for his first televised singles win in several years.

Crown Jewel goes down on Saturday, Nov. 4. As WWE announces more matches, they will be updated below.

Latest update: Oct. 31, 2023, 9:52 a.m. ET.

WWE Crown Jewel 2023 card:

  • Seth Rollins (c) vs. Drew McIntyre – World Heavyweight Championship match
  • Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Nia Jax vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Zoey Stark – Women’s World Championship Fatal 5-Way match
  • Roman Reigns (c) vs. LA Knight – Undisputed WWE Universal Championship match
  • Rey Mysterio vs. Logan Paul – WWE United States Championship match
  • IYO SKY (c) vs. Bianca Belair – WWE Women’s Championship match
  • John Cena vs. Solo Sikoa
  • Cody Rhodes vs. Damian Priest
  • Sami Zayn vs. JD McDonagh (pre-show)

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 10/9/23: Good efforts from Nox, Sami and KO but champs retain

WWE Raw from Omaha saw several championship matches, including the first defense by Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso.

Athletes of all kinds have to play through pain sometimes, but pro wrestlers are a different breed. To wit, Becky Lynch suffered a gash so nasty the last time she defended her NXT Women’s Championship that we don’t want to show it again here, yet she still might defend her title less than two weeks later on tonight’s episode of WWE Raw from Omaha.

Lynch is supposed to take on Tegan Nox, who has waited patiently for her opportunity and has had veterans like Natalya and Lynch herself vouching for her. The question is whether Becky will be cleared to compete tonight, but Fightful Select (subscription required) says that as of a few hours before showtime, it was looking good. If the match proceeds, the thing to watch for is whether Nox might be setting Lynch up for a turn as she seems a little “too” good right now.

One thing that hasn’t been good is the way The New Day has been getting roughed up by the one healthy member of the Viking Raiders, Ivar. Kofi Kingston will try to switch things up for your boys, but it’s fair to wonder if agreeing to a Viking Rules match that falls right into Ivar’s wheelhouse is the best way to do it.

Plus, Fastlane gave us new Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions, and since Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso are both members of the Raw roster, it would be silly for them not to be featured on tonight’s show. Michael Cole will get some interview time with the new champs, but will an angry Judgment Day come looking for them too?

We’re looking forward to finding out.

WWE Raw results from Omaha:

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

  • Seth Rollins looks OK considering what he went through at Fastlane, and he gets a new challenger, albeit one willing to wait until Crown Jewel
  • Ivar def. Kofi Kingston by pinfall in a Viking Rules match
  • Byron Saxton tries to get some comments from Shinsuke Nakamura, but Riochet comes and finds Nakamura first
  • An angry Priest wants to take his frustration out on JD McDonagh, but Rhea Ripley calms him down by pointing out that he still has the MITB briefcase; The Judgment Day also gives JD the unenviable task of “taking care of” McIntyre
  • Raquel Rodriguez vs. Nia Jax is a no contest as both Ripley and Shayna Baszler both decide to wade into the action
  • Rollins wants an explanation from McIntyre and tells him he doesn’t need to worry about The Judgment Day taking the world title from him
  • Some former tag team champs want a shot at the new ones, as Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn challenge Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso … and the champs say they’re willing to do it tonight
  • Bronson Reed mocks Chad Gable for thinking he’s going to get another crack at the Intercontinental Championship by winning the Triple Threat match tonight …
  • … which Ricochet is also in, but he gets jumped by Nakamura on his way to the ring
  • Bronson Reed def. Chad Gable and Ricochet to earn an Intercontinental Championship shot at Gunther next week on Raw
  • Becky Lynch plugs her book that’s on the way this spring but says she’s ready to give her all against Tegan Nox tonight; she also tells Xia Li she’s not hard to find when Li asks when she may get a title opportunity
  • Drew McIntyre def. JD McDonagh by pinfall
  • Ripley has an idea and tells Priest to trust her
  • Wade Barrett talks to Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa about their DIY reunion, but before they can answer a question about whether they will be a legit tag team on Raw, they get a surprise ambush from Imperium and are left lying on the dressing room floor
  • A video package hypes up Tegan Nox, who also gets a visit from Natalya, who says she meant what she said about her and tells Nox to knock it out of the park
  • Adam Pearce tells Ricochet that next week, he’s got a Falls Count Anywhere match with Shinsuke
  • Becky Lynch def. Tegan Nox by submission to retain the NXT Women’s Championship; afterward, Lynch shows Nox respect for a game effort
  • Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell check with Adam Pearce on the condition of Gargano and Ciampa until Ripley demands they leave so she can demand a match with Baszler next week to “get my division in order”
  • Natalya, Katana Chance and Kayden Carter try to cheer up Nox, and when the tag team champs are less hospitable, Natalya agrees to fight Piper Niven next week on Raw
  • McIntyre tells Jey Uso he knows Jey will show his true colors eventually and he’ll be right there to take him down; Zayn stops by to defuse the situation, and the two men agree even though they are friends, it’s go time tonight
  • A vignette pushes Ludwig Kaiser as European elegance and an A+ specimen … really!
  • Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso def. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn by pinfall to retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship; after the match, Owens finally shows Uso he respects Jey with a handshake and bro hug

WWE Raw preview 10/9/23: Becky Lynch vs. Tegan Nox, plus Fastlane repercussions

There’s also bound to be fallout within The Judgment Day on tonight’s episode of WWE Raw from Omaha.

Becky Lynch wanted to give someone she thought deserved a title shot a championship opportunity. Now The Man has to make sure she doesn’t regret that decision tonight on WWE Raw in Omaha.

When Lynch won the NXT Women’s Championship, she did it to cross a rare remaining line item off her career checklist, sure. But she also wanted to test herself against the best of the upcoming generation of wrestlers.

She did exactly that against Tiffany Stratton, but Lynch told Tegan Nox she is part of that conversation too. Nox got the seal of approval from Natalya after beating her, and now will look to make good on her moment in the spotlight against Lynch. There’s no question that it will be interesting to see where WWE goes with this.

That’s not the only intrigue in the women’s division. Nia Jax has been an absolute wrecking ball since she made her WWE return, with no one really able to stand up to her. That may end tonight, however, when she faces Raquel Rodriguez, whose gig is basically standing up to anyone who tries to bulldoze the division.

We’ll also see Kofi Kingston take on Ivar in a Viking Rules match, which means weapons with a Viking theme will be used based on previous matches in the past. Alpha Academy is now somewhere nodding slowly.

On top of all that, Fastlane shook things up for what is (was?) Raw’s most dominant faction, The Judgment Day. Damian Priest and Finn Balor now have to watch Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso parade around with the tag team titles that used to be theirs. Even worse, Rhea Ripley is bound to be enraged, and it was the unsuccessful assistance from wanna-be stable member JD McDonagh that turned the tide.

Will things come to a head in Judgment Day land tonight? Heck, who can they not?

WWE Raw graces our flatscreens tonight as always at 8 p.m. ET. Be sure to join us back here at Wrestling Junkie at that time for results and updates if you can’t watch the show live.

WWE Raw results 10/2/23: Gunther, Tommaso Ciampa tear it down, Johnny Gargano returns

WWE Raw also saw a tag team title match made official for Fastlane.

Sometimes, plans change. For WWE Raw, it’s been happening quite often as of late, and it appears that might be the case for tonight’s episode from San Jose.

The show had been promoted with a match between Jey Uso and Damian Priest as one of its big hooks. Alas, the official WWE.com preview for tonight now has nary a mention of that bout, so it will be interesting to see if it needed to be shelved for some reason or the wrestlers involved will be used in some other way.

Instead, the featured segment is now a contract signing between Gunther and Tommaso Ciampa. The Ring General has tried to keep Ciampa at bay using his Imperium minions, but they proved unfit for the task. Now Gunther has basically no choice but to put his Intercontinental Championship on the line, presumably this weekend at Fastlane.

Becky Lynch already successfully retained her NXT Women’s Championship at No Mercy, and The Man promised Tegan Nox she could have the next shot. That is still being promoted for tonight, but there are reports that Lynch isn’t medically cleared to compete, so we’ll be watching to see if that bout gets rescheduled in a way that grows out of what we’ll see in San Jose.

Also, for some reason Miz TV is welcoming Drew McIntyre back for a second consecutive week. Did The Miz fire his booking person? And what new if anything will the Scottish Warrior have to say this time?

The uncertainty means there could be some cool stuff that isn’t being advertised for tonight’s show, and we’re always down with that. Let’s see what we’ve got.

WWE Raw results from San Jose:

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

  • Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler are supposed to have a match to start the show, but the broadcast begins with them already brawling; they’re soon joined by Raquel Rodriguez and Rhea Ripley, and tons of security and refs have to pull them all apart
  • Rhea says The Judgment Day needs to talk, but after she gives Dominik Mysterio an ultimatum, Jey Uso and Cody Rhodes cause more trouble … and end up with a title match for Fastlane
  • Imperium (Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser) def. Alpha Academy by pinfall
  • Highlights are shown of the Becky Lynch-Tiffany Stratton Extreme Rules match at No Mercy
  • Pearce tells Tegan Nox that he has to postpone her title shot since Lynch isn’t cleared to compete, but Nox suggests she take on a not so helpful Chelsea Green and Pearce makes it official
  • Bronson Reed def. Cedric Alexander by pinfall
  • Pearce ends his phone call to speak to Drew McIntyre, who doesn’t want to do Miz TV a second week in a row and asks Pearce to tell The Miz to leave him alone when he says what he wants to say tonight; he also notes that no one did “the right thing” when The Bloodline was beating him down
  • Tommaso Ciampa and Gunther meet for their contract signing and end up agreeing to have their match tonight
  • Priest is upset about having to defend the titles at Fastlane, but together, Ripley and McDonagh are able to convince him that it could help drive a wedge between Uso and his (few) allies
  • Xavier Woods def. Ivar by pinfall, but he and Kofi Kingston are both beaten silly by the big man after the match
  • A hype video is shown for the Seth Rollins-Shinsuke Nakamura Last Man Standing match at Fastlane
  • Shinsuke Nakamura proves to still be one step ahead of Seth Rollins in a very painful way
  • Lynch tells Nox she better be ready for a fight once she’s cleared; she turns and runs into Natalya, who says she has a different level of respect for Tegan now and believes she’ll make good on her title opportunity then she gets it
  • Tegan Nox def. Chelsea Green by pinfall
  • McIntyre rants on what he sees as weakness and hypocrisy in those forgiving Jey Uso, which brings out an unhappy Miz to get in some taunts at Drew for playing both sides of things; McIntyre wants a fight, and while Miz looks like he’s going to walk away, he runs back to the ring to assault McIntyre from behind, which eventually leads to officials separating them
  • Drew McIntyre def. The Miz by pinfall
  • Trick Williams introduces himself to the world ahead of his rematch for the NXT North American Championship on NXT, but Mysterio, Ripley and McDonagh arrive to taunt him a bit
  • Rhodes wasn’t anticipating getting after the tag team titles with Jey Uso, but he’ll be ready to go this weekend at Fastlane
  • Gunther def. Tommaso Ciampa by submission to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship
  • Imperium hits the ring to beat on Ciampa, but Johnny Gargano returns to make the save

WWE Raw results 09/11/23: Stunning return helps Rhea hold off Raquel

Dominik Mysterio couldn’t help Rhea Ripley on WWE Raw, but a returning star provided an unexpected hand.

Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat: Rhea Ripley certainly doesn’t need help from Dominik Mysterio to win her matches. She’s proven that numerous times on her way to becoming Women’s World Championship. That said, it’s fair to wonder if it’ll get in her head looking ringside tonight during WWE Raw in Norfolk and not seeing Dirty Dom there to support her.

Ripley can use any edge she can get because Raquel Rodriguez has been a determined challenger who is a legit threat to dethrone her. Rodriguez is powerful enough to stand her ground against Ripley, and she’s motivated by what the champ did to both her and tag team partner Liv Morgan, so she’s not going to stop.

All we’re saying is that with Dom barred from ringside tonight for the title rematch, Ripley might not have the same comfort level she usually does. And given the way she’s put the rest of The Judgment Day on notice if they didn’t win gold, it would be ironic indeed if she loses hers first.

Cody Rhodes is going to talk about something on Raw this evening as well, and while we fully expect that he’ll ask us what we want to talk about, we feel just as sure that he already has something in mind. We’re just not exactly sure what that might be, and if it still has to do with recently arrived Jey Uso.

Plus, Imperium is going to throw a championship celebration for Gunther, which he deserves as the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion of all time. But has he truly beaten everyone worth beating, or will someone new choose this occasion to declare themselves next in line to try to topple the Ring General?

These are the reasons we watch.

WWE Raw results from Norfolk:

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

  • Jey Uso is caught between Kevin Owens saying do the work and The Judgment Day trying to recruit him, but offers to team with KO tonight
  • The Judgment Day (Damian Priest and Finn Balor) def. Jey Uso and Kevin Owens by pinfall, after an Uso superkick accidentally hits Owens and sets up their opponents’ victory
  • Uso attempts to apologize to Owens, but KO angrily tells him to go join “your new Bloodline” and accept the Judgment Day’s offer to join
  • A highlight package is shown of Gunther’s victory over Chad Gable last week that helped make him a record-holder; afterward, a car pulls up and Imperium gets out, dressed to the nines
  • The Miz def. Akira Tozawa by pinfall
  • Raquel Rodriguez tells Byron Saxton that Rhea Ripley might be the most dominant women’s champ ever, but she’s not like most challengers and Dom won’t be there to help Rhea tonight
  • Chelsea Green makes the mistake of calling Shayna Baszler a peer, and besides, she doesn’t need a partner because Piper Niven is back
  • Gunther is ready to celebrate his historic Intercontinental Championship reign, but Chad Gable isn’t done with him yet
  • Xavier Woods wants to know why Drew McIntyre was trash talking Kofi Kingston and isn’t happy with the answer he gets, then goads the Scottish Warrior into a match
  • Backstage, Ciampa explains why he came to Alpha Academy’s aid, and Otis suggests the three of them challenge Imperium tonight
  • Drew McIntyre vs. Xavier Woods by pinfall
  • Cody Rhodes wants to talk about Jey Uso but has to fight off Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh instead
  • McIntyre tells Jey he doesn’t trust him, saying he doubts Uso can stand on his own two feet; Jey says he’ll prove he can by facing McIntyre next week, and Drew quickly accepts
  • Shayna Baszler def. Chelsea Green by pinfall, then gets some help from Zoey Stark to avoid a post-match beating from Piper Niven
  • Shinsuke Nakamura is still focused on taking Seth Rollins’ title and says he will challenge for it again when he feels like it
  • Rollins comes to the ring and admits that he is all the bad things Nakamura claims he is, but he’s also some good things, and it simply took a long time to realize he just needed to be himself; he also offers the chance for Shinsuke to come get the World Heavyweight Championship right now, but Nak is busy beating up Ricochet backstage instead
  • Balor approaches Jey and says The Judgment Day are his only fans on Raw, and the door is always open for him
  • Alpha Academy and Tommaso Ciampa def. Imperium by submission
  • The Judgment Day says the more Jey feels isolated, the better the chance that he joins them; Rhea tells Dom not to worry, as she always comes out on top
  • Tiffany Stratton is upset that she’s been waiting for Becky Lynch, but The Man arrives to sign a contract for their title match on NXT; Lynch also says her problem with Stratton is that she only wants to be famous, while Tiffany says she doesn’t need Becky to be a big deal since she’s been doing that for herself
  • Rhea Ripley def. Raquel Rodriguez by pinfall to retain the Women’s World Championship, thanks to a dramatic return by Nia Jax, who then assaults Ripley after the bell

WWE Raw preview 09/11/23: Rhea, Raquel run it back, Gunther celebrates

We’ll also hear from Cody Rhodes tonight on WWE Raw from Norfolk in the midst of intrigue over who will join SmackDown.

When you’re a babyface title challenger in pro wrestling, sometimes you just need something to level the playing field for you. Raquel Rodriguez is hoping she has that going for her tonight on WWE Raw from Norfolk as she once again challenges Rhea Ripley for the Women’s World Championship.

Rodriguez has shown that she’s one of few, if not the only member of the women’s roster who can say she’s Ripley’s physical equal in the ring. She proved that again at Payback, but lost in large part due to intervention by “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio on Rhea’s behalf.

With Dom banned from ringside for the rematch tonight, it should be a fair fight. Alas, the word “should” is doing a lot of work there because there are still the other members of The Judgment Day to consider … not to mention that try-hard JD McDonagh who could easily attempt to ensure Ripley remains champion to curry more favor with the group.

In contrast to Ripley, Gunther is a champion who seems to have his toughest challenges behind him for now. The Ring General bested Chad Gable last week on Raw and became the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion of all time, and he’s in a mood to celebrate tonight. The thing is, title parties often become the place where new challengers decide to make their presence known, and one can’t help but wonder who might show up to spoil the bash in Virginia.

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WWE also says we’ll hear from Cody Rhodes tonight. Could it be for the last time on Raw? When the American Nightmare engineered the arrival of Jey Uso on Monday nights, it also came with a trade that would send one superstar to SmackDown. That person has yet to be identified, and it would make a lot of sense if it’s Rhodes himself heading to the blue brand to continue his pursuit of Roman Reigns’ titles. Something to think about when Rhodes asks us what we want to talk about tonight.

On top of all of that, a bunch of people weren’t exactly thrilled to see Jey last Monday since, you know, the last time they saw him was probably when he was trying to bash their heads in as part of The Bloodline. He may have to prove himself a bit more before he finds more allies beyond Sami Zayn.

All of that and more are in store tonight, beginning at 8 p.m. ET. Be sure to tune in to USA, or join us back here at Wrestling Junkie for live WWE Raw results and updates.