Tag: Shayna Baszler

WWE Raw results 01/22/24: Punk, Rhodes have a classic showdown, Priest upended

Seth Rollins also vowed to fight on to WrestleMania on WWE Raw from New Orleans.

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There’s a big time moment of truth that will lead off tonight’s episode of WWE Raw from New Orleans.

(From the Smoothie King Center, one of our favorite venue names anywhere.)

Seth Rollins is advertised to open the show, which isn’t unusual for Raw. As World Heavyweight Champion, the Visionary is pretty much The Man on this brand.

That would normally suggest he’s in line for a big time match at WrestleMania, perhaps even one that fans have been clamoring for ever since a certain Chicago native made his return to WWE.

But there’s been a complication: Rollins is hurt, and we don’t know at the moment how it might affect his availability over the next few months.

Might another segment on tonight’s show offer a clue? CM Punk and Cody Rhodes are going to be face to face in NOLA, which should be an entertaining exchange. While no one knows exactly what will happen next, the most popular theory is that Punk will win the Royal Rumble (he’s the betting favorite at the moment), positioning him to challenge Rollins, while Rhodes has to jump through one more hoop to try to finish his story against Roman Reigns.

But what if Rollins says he’s too injured and relinquishes his title? That isn’t what we expect to happen, but if it does, that would potentially change everything less than a week out from Royal Rumble.

These are the kind of intriguing nights wrestling fans live for, and we’re anxiously awaiting it as well. Off we go!

WWE Raw results from New Orleans:

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

  • CM Punk and Cody Rhodes are shown walking into the arena earlier today, hyping up their “confrontation” later in the show
  • Seth Rollins is determined to stay the course for WrestleMania, but Gunther’s sights are set on Seth’s world championship
  • The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) vs. Imperium (Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser) goes to a no contest after they end up in a wild brawl that ends up with all four men going through tables together out in the crowd
  • A trailer is shown for WWE 2K24, which was officially revealed today
  • The Judgment Day has a little tension going on, with Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley especially heated, and Finn Balor says he’ll do Rhea a favor and display his vicious side tonight
  • Maxxine Dupri says Ivy Nile is ready for her match tonight … which happens to be next
  • Ivy Nile def. Valhalla by pinfall
  • Jey Uso daps up The New Day, who tell Jackie Redmond that if people think they can’t stand on business just because they’re entertaining a lot of the time, they’re sadly mistaken; to that end, Kofi Kingston challenges Gunther to a title match next week on Raw
  • Nia Jax, Becky Lynch and Bayley all explain why they will win the Royal Rumble
  • A Royal Rumble “By the Numbers” package is shown
  • Lynch gets briefly taunted by Ripley backstage

  • Dominik Mysterio def. The Miz by pinfall; not only does Balor assist in the victory, he attacks Miz after the bell, but #DIY comes to the rescue
  • Priest is about to talk about his match with Drew McIntyre when he has to stop and tell R-Truth that this isn’t the right time; Priest then turns back to McIntyre and says he will receive his punishment tonight
  • Bronson Reed warns Jey Uso that their paths are eventually going to cross, so they might as well get it out of the way, and he challenges Jey to a match next week
  • Ivar def. Chad Gable by pinfall, thanks in part to some assistance from Valhalla
  • Cody Rhodes and CM Punk discuss the past … and the uncertain future that starts this Saturday
  • A video package features Hulk Hogan talking about the birth of Hulkamania and how he sees some of it in current stars, and he also discusses the Royal Rumble matches and his favorites in each one
  • Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark def. Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell by pinfall; after the bell, the Kabuki Warriors attack tag team champs Katana Chance and Kayden Carter, who were watching from ringside
  • Drew McIntyre has nothing to say about the Rhodes-Punk confrontation, but he does have some tough talk for Priest, who he says isn’t ready to be world champion
  • Damage CTRL is feeling good, but Adam Pearce stops by and has to intervene when Natalya and Tegan Nox take exception to them, and Dakota Kai says if he has a problem with them, Pearce needs to take it up with Nick Aldis; Pearce turns and sees Indus Sher behind him, and he agrees to have a chat with Jinder Mahal
  • A second Royal Rumble By the Numbers package is shown with more fun tidbits and stats
  • Drew McIntyre def. Damian Priest by pinfall, aided largely by some very unfortunate timing on the part of R-Truth

Seth Rollins isn’t missing WrestleMania, but that might mean dealing with Gunther

The World Heavyweight Champion is serenaded by fans as usual as he heads to the ring, though there’s something unmistakably different about him: the brace on his left knee. It’s over his dress pants, though, which seems like a bit of a show, and the fans deliver a loud “thank you Seth” chant.

Rollins shows his appreciation for the love he’s receiving before going into an explanation of when he hurt himself a week ago facing Jinder Mahal. Seth says while doing a moonsault, he felt his knee “go in” in a way it’s not supposed to, but it took until he got to the back to sink in that he might be seriously hurt.

The champ goes on to say that it made him feel like a bit of a liar that he says he is always better and stronger, and he also says it crossed his mind that it was a real possibility that he might miss WrestleMania. Rollins says his MRI results were not great: grade 2 MCL tear and partially torn meniscus. It will mean four months off if he gets surgery, so he’s taking it day by day for now.

While that’s sinking in, Gunther’s music hits and Imperium makes its way to the ring, with the Ring General joining Rollins. Seth says he doesn’t have time for this and Imperium should just get an attack out of the way if that’s the plan.

Gunther says no, and that he’s really just out there to tell Rollins what he thinks of the world champ. As Gunther puts it, Seth has been in a tough position right from the start, expected to be a workhorse and living up to the ideal of a champion everyone can be proud of — just like Gunther.

It kind of pulls on Gunther’s heart strings seeing Rollins like this, he claims, and even saddens him to think Seth might not make it to WrestleMania. Rollins says Imperium should have let him finish, as he insists he will take the title to Mania and do everything in his power to leave that way too.

Gunther says he admires that, saying that as one great champion to another, he plans to win the Royal Rumble and choose Seth as his WrestleMania opponent. After he does that, the Ring General will target Seth’s knee and his back on his way to becoming World Heavyweight Champion.

Rollins replies that he appreciates the honesty, and both men say they better remember who is coming for them. Also Gunther said the Rumble is Sunday, so a graphic and Michael Cole quickly remind us it’s really Saturday.

Nia Jax, Becky Lynch, Bayley make their Royal Rumble cases

Jax asks for a mic so she can point out that the first time she went one on one with Rhea Ripley and Becky Lynch, she squashed both of them. Nia says she understands why the two of them want to fight at WrestleMania since neither of them can beat Jax.

So this Saturday, Nia plans on killing both of their dreams. That boast brings out Lynch, who tells Jax to shut up. Becky says she knows she has a target on her back in the Royal Rumble match … but not as big as the target on Nia. After all, the locker room never agrees on anything, but they do agree that no one likes Jax.

Lynch says she’s not sure what she will enjoy more, winning the Rumble match again or watching Jax lose. That brings out Bayley, who says “both of you idiots are going to lose.” The Role Model was looking for Ripley but says this is almost better.

Bayley wants to make it clear: She’s winning the Rumble and will be the one to point at the WrestleMania sign. Both Lynch and Jax start beating on her, then throwing hands with each other. Lynch hits a Manhandle Slam on Bayley but gets thrown out by Jax, who drops a leg on Bayley.

Will Cody Rhodes and CM Punk still be friends after the Royal Rumble … or even after tonight?

Punk suggests they take a second to enjoy the moment, as even though they’ve taken very different paths to get here, they’ve done it. He hopes they will still be friends come Sunday morning.

Rhodes asks both the crowd and Punk what they want to talk about, and the latter says he wants to talk about Cody’s dad. He says this is a story he’s never told, one about Dusty asking Punk to keep an eye on his son. Punk says he didn’t know Cody or think he needed a guardian angel, but when the American Dream asks for a favor, you say yes.

The job was easy, as Cody didn’t fall into any vices or get into much trouble, and Punk says he was proud of Cody. Alas, that means Saturday he’s going to feel like he’s breaking a promise, as in the Royal Rumble he’ll be looking for Cody and do whatever he needs to do to win.

Cody responds that Punk is hardly alone among people who are talking to him but thinking of Dusty. It’s a very large shadow, but Cody says he’s done everything in his power to be the light in that shadow and subvert expectations. He remembers his OVW days and appreciates Punk treating him like a peer, and later a friend.

That makes it bittersweet that in the Rumble, there are no friends. What about Sunday morning, Punk asks, wondering if Cody can separate business from personal. And he goes a step further suggesting that with his electrician dad, he’s more of the American dream than Punk.

Cody responds by bringing up the famous Pipe Bomb interview, saying that when Punk left after that, he picked up the ball and lived what CM talked … so he’s more CM Punk than the man himself.

Punk hints at a much bigger superstar coming to take Cody’s story away, but sadly he means himself and not The Rock. The American Nightmare says the only way he can go from here is forward, meaning through Punk. When Cody goes to leave, CM grabs him and spins him around, and the two men are literally nose to nose for a few tense moments.

Fans chant loudly for both men until they finally separate, with Cody leaving the ring and Punk on the other side of it.

Damian Priest gets some Truth at the wrong time against Drew McIntyre

Considering they are snarling at each other before the bell even rings, it’s no surprise that it doesn’t take long for them to lock up. An evenly fought opening few minutes finally leads them to battle on the floor, where Priest is able to run McIntyre into the post. A Broken Arrow onto the announce table is next, leaving the Judgment Day stalwart in good shape going into a commercial break.

Priest is still knocking McIntyre around after the break, scoring a near fall after a running lariat. A chinlock keeps the Scottish Warrior grounded for just a sec, but simultaneous big boots leave both men on the canvas.

McIntyre kips up and hears some cheers as he looks for a Claymore, but Priest sidesteps it only to be caught by a spinebuster for a two count. Priest responds with a flatliner of sorts that gets him two right back.

A series of kicks from Priest is answered by a Glasgow Kiss. McIntyre heads up top but gets caught by a kick to the back of the head, and Priest turns some counters into a Broken Arrow and another near fall.

Priest hits his feet on the top rope but still pulls off a somersault plancha, but R-Truth shows up and distracts him at a critical moment. That allows McIntyre to hit the Future Shock, and he lines up again for a Claymore attempt.

Truth is on the apron now, and takes a right hand from McIntyre. Priest hits the South of Heaven, but the ref is occupied with Truth and the money scattered all over the ring.

You know what’s coming next: a Claymore from McIntyre, giving Scottish Warrior the win.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WWE Raw results from Little Rock:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image credit: WWE.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image credit: WWE.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image credit: WWE.com

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

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

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

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

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

Image credit: WWE.com

Seth Rollins overcomes chaos, retains against Jinder Mahal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WWE Raw Day 1 results 01/01/24: Seth (barely) retains, The Rock returns

A former WWE Champion rumored for Raw Day 1 surely did make an appearance in San Diego.

With all due credit to The New Day, it’s a new year, yes it is. And what better way to kick it off than with a WWE Raw Day 1 show from San Diego, chock full of championship matches and other goodies? Nothing, that’s what.

WWE has every reason to put on the best possible show since it took a rare break from all live programming between Christmas and New Year’s. Both Raw and SmackDown were year in review episodes last week while the wrestlers and crew got a well deserved holiday break.

Now it’s time to come out with the pedal down, which is exactly what Day 1 is looking to do. Both the World Heavyweight Championship held by Seth Rollins and the Women’s World Championship held by Rhea Ripley will be on the line, in addition to a first time ever meeting between Becky Lynch and Nia Jax.

If that isn’t enough for you, Triple H has hinted that rumors of a former WWE champion appearing on Raw Day 1 may indeed be true. There’s been all kinds of speculation about everyone from Batista to The Rock, so that’s another big reason to be locked in to what goes down.

Alright 2024, what have you got for us?

WWE Raw Day 1 results from San Diego:

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

  • Michael Cole and Wade Barrett start the show in the ring hyping up the card, including a “former WWE champion” appearing on the show
  • A video package takes us through the buildup of the Becky Lynch-Nia Jax feud
  • Nia Jax def. Becky Lynch by pinfall
  • A replay is shown of Shinsuke Nakamura’s “An American Nightmare Before Christmas” and their ensuing brawl
  • Cody Rhodes wants to end things with Shinsuke Nakamura, but Nakamura wants him to squirm for one more week
  • Kofi Kingston and Jey Uso def. Imperium (Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser) by referee stoppage after Vinci appears to suffer a mid-match injury after taking a particularly stiff dropkick
  • A hype video is shown for the Rhea Ripley-Ivy Nile title match later tonight
  • Miz TV welcomes The Judgment Day, which turns into an argument between R-Truth on one side and JD McDonagh and Dominik Mysterio on the other, which in turn leads to a tag team match
  • The Miz and R-Truth def. Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh by pinfall
  • Chelsea Green and Piper Niven invade the club to threaten Kayden Carter and Katana Chance that they’re going to Adam Pearce to get a rematch, but not only do the champs not mind, they throw some beverages in the faces of the former champs
  • Rhea Ripley def. Ivy Nile by pinfall to retain the Women’s World Championship
  • After teasing fans by bringing out Jinder Mahal first, The Rock makes a triumphant return while also teasing a Roman Reigns showdown
  • Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark def. Natalya and Tegan Nox by pinfall
  • A video recap takes us back through the issues between Drew McIntyre and Seth Rollins ahead of the main event
  • Seth Rollins def. Drew McIntyre by pinfall to retain the World Heavyweight Championship despite Damian Priest’s ultimately thwarted plan to cash in his MITB briefcase during the match

Nia Jax beats, bloodies Becky Lynch in first ever meeting

After reminding us that this is the first time these two have ever wrestled one on one, the announcers frame this as a bout in which Lynch will have to keep her temper in check if she wants to win.

Jax is hitting all the early offense, talking to her prey while she does so. Lynch fights back with a jawbreaker and keeps moving between forearm shots. An uppercut and a kick to the midsection land too, and Lynch manages to evade a legdrop and score a cover that’s only good for a one count.

A dropkick drives Jax back into the corner, and a missile dropkick is also on target to earn a near fall. Jax scores with a Samoan Drop during picture-in-picture action and generally stays in control until the full broadcast returns, but it’s Lynch scoring a two count right after that.

Nia gets things going her way on the outside but misses both a right hand near the post and a cannonball into the apron. Lynch saved herself big time there, and she nearly wins by countout before Jax slides back into the ring. A top rope leg drop allows Becky to cover for another two.

The Disarm-Her is locked in, but Jax powers into a pinning combination for two. Lynch pivots back into an armbar but is lifted into a sitout powerbomb and just barely manages to kick out in time.

Jax drags her foe to the corner, but Lynch springs up and looks for a Manhandle Slam off the middle rope; Jax counters into an Avalanche Samoan Drop and can’t believe it when The Man kicks out again.

Becky is fired up now, but that’s not going to help when she gets caught flush with a right hand. Jax follows with the Annihilator and gets perhaps her biggest win ever.

Cody Rhodes is stuck on Shinsuke Nakamura whether he likes it or not

So, San Diego, what do you wanna talk about? Rhodes says he has the privilege of being the first superstar to officially welcome everyone to a Day 1 edition of Monday Night Raw.

While people like to talk about their goals for the year, he’s a little stuck, and what he’s stuck on is Shinsuke Nakamura. Rhodes says he was expecting something more sophisticated from Shinsuke and thinks their issue should be over.

To that end, he gives Nakamura the chance to end this right now, which brings Shinsuke to the big screen. He says he never dreamed it would be so easy to get in Cody’s head, and while he plans to author the final chapter of Rhodes’ story, he wants to give the American Nightmare one more week to dream.

Shinsuke says he’ll “close your book” next Monday before spraying red mist all over the camera.

Miz TV welcomes The Judgment Day … sort of

The Miz is excited to welcome The Judgment Day to his show, but all he gets right away is R-Truth. He says he’s trying to make the group likeable to everybody, but JD McDonagh and Dominik Mysterio come out to play party pooper.

McDonagh says this all has to end tonight, while Dom gets shouted down and Truth has to point out his own hometown is booing him. Miz comes to Truth’s defense when he asserts that JD should be gone from the group after losing the Miracle on 34th Street Fight, and Dominik is unable to get in a rebuttal due to the crowd booing him mercilessly.

The Miz responds to what was apparently Dom ripping on him by admitting that 2023 wasn’t great for him. But he’s bounced back to be as relevant as he’s been for a long time, and he adds that his only memory of Dom last year was “getting spanked by your daddy.”

You see where this is headed: JD and Dom vs. The Miz and R-Truth.

Ivy Nile impressive even in defeat against Rhea Ripley

What a big spot for Nile, though it should be a good one for her. She tries to show off her power early on but gets dropkicked in the head for her trouble.

Nile is whipped into the corner but stays a step ahead of the champ to hit a cross body, though it only keeps Rhea down for one. Ripley starts smacking her challenger around while verbally berating her at the same time. A spinning headscissors and a followup slam halt Rhea’s momentum, and she takes a short breather on the outside during side-by-side commercials.

It’s pretty much all Ripley during the break, but Nile definitely isn’t backing off. She hits a beautiful suplex on the floor and a nice tilt-a-whirl DDT back in the ring and forces Rhea to kick out at two.

Ripley’s missile dropkick is an effective response and also good for a two count. A Riptide is countered by a head kick, and a gutwrench slam leads to another near fall for the challenger.

Nile’s face is driven into the champ’s knee, then the mat. Ripley covers but can only get two again.

With both women looking to go up top, it’s Nile who prevails, German suplexing the champ off the ropes but finding Ripley still has enough left to kick out. Ivy ascends to the top rope but her cross body is met with a stiff headbutt. A knee shot sets up the Eradicator, and Ripley is still Women’s World Champion.

Smell that former WWE champion returning? Yes, The Rock is back, teasing a showdown with Roman Reigns

To say the fans are disappointed when Jinder Mahal comes out to the ring would be a mild understatement. But the way Michael Cole is lampshading it and Mahal is referencing it makes it feel like they’re trying too hard to get us to buy into it.

Mahal starts in on a bilingual attack on America and how its people are divided. Is someone coming out to beat him up?

Yes … and it’s The Rock!

He and Jinder argue about whether he should be embarrassed to be The People’s Champ (spoiler: he’s not), and while channeling the spirit of the late Iron Sheik due to Mahal dropping his name earlier, The Rock calls him the “biggest a–hole watching God’s green Earth.”

After some self-deprecating “Baywatch” jokes, The Rock stands up for the U.S. as well and dubs Mahal the “Day 1 Douchebag,” a moniker the crowd enjoys. The Rock encourages it even more with a chant using both sides of the arena.

A new version of the national anthem that also disses Mahal makes Jinder snap, but his attack is quickly repulsed and ends with him receiving a spinebuster. The People’s Elbow is next, getting a huge pop.

And damn, does it look like The Rock is having a great time. After dispensing of Mahal, he says he’s going to grab something to eat later and wonders if he should sit … at the head of the table.

Well now.

Seth Rollins prevails over Drew McIntyre despite Damian Priest’s designs to cash in his MITB contract

The announcers tell us that this is a different McIntyre than the one Rollins defeated at Crown Jewel, but we’ll see if that is indeed the case. He’s taking it to the champ early, bouncing him off the announce table, though Rollins manages to grab the ropes to prevent an Alabama Slam on the floor … only to launch himself right into a belly-to-belly throw on the floor anyway. Welp.

After McIntyre stays in charge through most of a side-by-side commercial sequence, Rollins is able to smash McIntyre into the post, then deliver a tope con hilo. A counter tilt-a-whirl DDT also connects, as does a frog splash for a near fall.

They battle to the top rope, where Rollins hits a superplex only to have McIntyre roll through it for a Falcon Arrow and his own near fall. Michael Cole is really getting into this now.

After more ads, McIntyre has Rollins up top, and he doesn’t miss with White Noise off the middle rope. Rollins kicks out at two and both men are slow to rise.

An enzuigiri and some additional kicks have Rollins feeling like ending it. He misses a Stomp, however, and is planted by the Future Shock. McIntyre kips up and counts down … but Rollins counters a Claymore attempt with a sitout powerbomb for two.

Rollins’ corkscrew plancha misses, as does another Claymore, but the champ’s Pedigree does not. He covers but can only keep Drew down for two again.

Suddenly Damian Priest’s music hits, and he’s on his way down with his MITB briefcase. Dominik Mysterio is with him too, and Priest smashes Rollins with the case. However, McIntyre takes out Priest and Mysterio and hits the Claymore … only to see Rollins get his foot on the bottom rope.

With the match continuing, Rollins delivers a Pedigree on the announce table, somehow not breaking it. He follows with a Stomp in the ring and hears the three counted to keep him the champion against all odds.

[lawrence-related id=43384]

WWE Raw results 12/4/23: Jey Uso can’t quite dethrone Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre’s truth hurts (others)

Seth Rollins still has his title, but an angry Drew McIntyre is trouble for him and everyone on WWE Raw.

Will Seth Rollins regret giving Jey Uso a chance to defeat him for the World Heavyweight Championship? That’s what we’re about to find out in what should be the main event tonight on WWE Raw from Albany, N.Y.

Not that Jey doesn’t deserve the opportunity, mind you. He’s been pulling his weight and fighting the good fight against heels like The Judgment Day ever since he joined the Raw roster.

But not only could he potentially defeat Rollins, there’s also every chance certain interested outside parties could disrupt things. Drew McIntyre, for one, who would be livid if Jey won the world championship. The Judgment Day certainly hasn’t forgiven Uso or Rollins for the loss they helped hand the group in WarGames.

The other members of that team (minus Randy Orton, who decided to sign with SmackDown) also have their hands full tonight. Sami Zayn will battle McIntyre after trying to help his mental state last week. The thanks we get sometimes.

Cody Rhodes has a new problem after it was revealed that the person Shinsuke Nakamura has been stalking was him. Originally it looked like they were going one-on-one tonight, but now apparently we’re just getting a Cody appearance of some sort.

Plus there’s a potentially important women’s division matchup between Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler, and The Creed Brothers taking on two-fifths of The Judgment Day. Plenty of good reasons to watch, so let’s see what this night brings.

WWE Raw results from Albany:

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

  • Drew McIntyre says what he thinks to Sami Zayn, who touches a nerve with his response
  • Drew McIntyre def. Sami Zayn by pinfall
  • Shayna Baszler says it was her that put Nia Jax on the shelf a while back, and she’ll remind the world of that tonight
  • Jey Uso explains in his own words why it hurt so much for his twin brother to sabotage his last world title opportunity against Roman Reigns and how Cody Rhodes convinced him to make his own legacy
  • Not content with beating him in the ring, McIntyre finds Zayn backstage and beats him down some more, yelling Sami he brought it on himself
  • Medical personnel check on Zayn as Uso tries to tell him it’s going to be alright
  • Becky Lynch is asked by Nia Jax if she’s on The Man’s list, and when Becky confirms she is, Jax promises “I’m all yours” after she’s done with Baszler
  • Nia Jax def. Shayna Baszler by pinfall, then takes a powder when Lynch comes down to the ring
  • A package of reactions to CM Punk’s return is shown
  • Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell wish #DIY good luck and manage to turn around Imperium’s efforts to mock them; Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci tell each other they better not mess this up
  • #DIY def. Imperium (Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser) 2-1 in a 2 out of 3 Falls match
  • Chelsea Green and Piper Niven taunt Natalya and Tegan Nox just for fun, then bounce
  • The New Day congratulates The Creed Brothers for being the No. 1 contenders for the tag team titles, and Alpha Academy offers to help train them; Ivy Nile gets props for her strength, but Maxxine Dupri proves she’s no slouch by squatting Akira Tozawa
  • R-Truth befuddles The Judgment Day until they kick him out of their clubhouse, and Damian Priest gives Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh a pep talk
  • Katana Chance and Kayden Carter def. Natalya and Tegan Nox by pinfall, angering Green for some reason, who gets blasted off the apron by Chance
  • Cody Rhodes gets an explanation for Shinsuke Nakamura’s behavior from Shinsuke himself
  • Uso asks Adam Pearce for an update on Zayn, saying he’s going to have to handle McIntyre too if needed and talking about how fired up he is; Gunther also stops by to discuss his next challenger
  • The Creed Brothers def. Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh by pinfall
  • Pearce tells Seth Rollins he invited CM Punk to Raw next week and intends to sign Punk to a contract; Rollins says that’s fine, but when it all blows up, everyone needs to stay out of his way; Jey drops by too, and it quickly becomes clear they’re going to be respectful but very competitive
  • Priest wants an explanation, and his teammates tell him that the Creeds are legit
  • Seth Rollins def. Jey Uso by pinfall to retain the World Heavyweight Championship
  • After the match, McIntyre attacks Uso and puts him through the announce table as the show goes off the air

Sami Zayn touches a nerve with Drew McIntyre

The Scottish Warrior says it feels like everyone’s lost their minds recently, because you can leave the company, do whatever and come back and you’re instantly forgiven. The crowd starts a “CM Punk” chant but McIntyre insists he could be talking about anybody.

Sarcastically, Drew goes in on a few people, including Jey Uso, before arriving on Sami Zayn, whose music hits and brings him to the ring. Zayn asks for McIntyre to say what he wants right to this face. Drew says Sami is the one person in the world who deserved to be screwed over by The Bloodline.

After all, Sami joined The Bloodline, then screwed them over. Zayn admits McIntyre was right about one thing: They’re nothing alike. Sami says he’s not delusional and not one to blame others for his own shortcomings. When he failed to grab the brass ring in front of friends and family, he stayed hungry and driven, eventually finding redemption in the main event of WrestleMania.

Zayn says he made his family proud, but did McIntyre? An angry Scottish Warrior says get a referee now because one of them isn’t walking out of there …

Drew McIntyre doesn’t let compassion stop him against Sami Zayn

The announcers remind us that McIntyre told the world that he let his empathy take over for a second when he took on Seth Rollins for the world championship and it cost him, so he won’t do it again. Wade Barrett also says Drew is upset about being left off the Royal Rumble poster.

He’s all over Sami after an early commercial break, and even though Sami halts Drew’s momentum with an elbow shot off the top, he lands hard on his ankle. Zayn persists with a tilt-a-whirl DDT to earn a near fall.

The fans get behind Sami, chanting his name as he tries another top rope elbow, which is caught and countered by a belly-to-belly, then another, then a neckbreaker. McIntyre kips up and shakes the ropes, drawing a mixed reaction from the fans and allowing Zayn to get in a shot with his back turned.

Alas, when Sami takes flight to the floor, Drew catches him and effortlessly slings him over the announce table. McIntyre is still in control after a second set of commercials, with Zayn taking a series of power moves and needing to dig down and keep kicking out.

McIntyre heads up to the middle rope with Zayn on his shoulders, but Sami counters with a sunset flip powerbomb for a two count. Sami also counters a Claymore with a kick and hits a Blue Thunder Bomb, only to see Drew kick out again.

An exchange of chops and kicks goes surprisingly well for Zayn until his injured leg flares up on him. Drew takes full advantage with a chop block, leading to a Claymore that ends things for Sami.

“The truth will set you free,” McIntyre says into the camera.

Nia Jax outlasts Shayna Baszler but has Becky Lynch’s full attention

Baszler tries to attack Jax’s legs with kicks, which isn’t a bad idea. Nia is able to mostly shrug those off, but Shayna keeps up her efforts to stick and move.

An attempt at an armbar up over the top rope goes for naught as Jax powerbombs Baszler and presses her advantage on the outside. Shayna tries going after Nia’s left arm but gets her legs swept out from under her and nailed with a legdrop.

Jax is still dominating her foe after a commercial break, and it seems like there might not be another rally coming for Baszler. She’s finally able to roll out of the way of a move in the corner, and Shayna connects on a running knee for a two count of her own.

Will some kicks keep Jax at bay? Nope, as she smashes Baszler along the ropes and hits a running senton … yet Shayna kicks out again.

That only means it’s time for the Annihilator, but Baszler suplexes Jax off the second rope instead. Shayna lands hard too, so she can’t cover right away. She tries for the Kirifuda Clutch instead, but Jax powers up and falls backward to crush her opponent against the mat.

Up goes Nia for the Annihilator, and that’s that. Good game, good effort from Baszler.

After the bell, Becky Lynch comes to the ring, but Jax decides this isn’t the time for a confrontation.

Imperium stays united, still falls to #DIY

You know by now that the imperium peeps have been having issues staying on the same page, but Wade Barrett reminds us of that again just in case. Kaiser looks like he’s confident starting things out, and Vinci takes over to keep the pressure on Tommaso Ciampa.

Vinci hits a nasty cross body and Ciampa is still in trouble in the enemy corner. Ciampa gets inches away from Johnny Gargano before finally making the tag. He picks up the pace against Kaiser, smashing a head kick from the apron and a slingshot spear.

The faces want Meet in the Middle, but Vinci drags Gargano out to the floor and Kaiser pulls the tights while rolling up Ciampa for three.

As you might expect, #DIY evens the score at 1-1 when there’s some confusion between Vinci and Kaiser. They have all the momentum now as Ciampa is taking it to both members of Imperium at once.

Gargano is isolated against Vinci and has to kick out of a pinfall attempt. Imperium looks for their double team finisher, and even though Gargano escapes it, Kaiser hits him with a DVD.

Vinci tags in and hits a moonsault, but Ciampa hustles to break up the pin. All four men are in the ring trading shots until they’re all down on the mat.

The fans start the “this is awesome” chant as the two teams slowly get things back on track. Ciampa hits a leaping backbreaker off the top, and they’re set up again for Meet in the Middle. Imperium tries the same tactics from the first time but they backfire, and after Vinci is sent into the steps, Kaiser takes the Meet in the Middle and is pinned by Ciampa. #DIY wins 2-1.

Cody Rhodes finds out why Shinsuke Nakamura has been stalking him

Rhodes says that the first time he saw the poison mist he was just a kid, and he was terrified of the Great Muta as a result. But Cody says it’s his fault, because he should have listened to the clues Shinsuke Nakamura was dropping.

That said, Shinsuke has his attention now as well as the attention of the WWE Universe. So they could do this two ways: Nakamura could emerge for an explanation … or they could fight right here and now.

The lights go out, leaving only a spotlight on Rhodes. Nakamura appears on the big screen to promise he will open Cody’s eyes, saying they’ve walked the same path. Shinsuke notes that he had a title shot at WrestleMania and came up short, just like Cody.

Since their stories are so similar, Nakamura says he will finish Rhodes’. Cody says he appreciates the explanation but says he doesn’t respect Nakamura until he proves they’re the same.

The Creed Brothers keep rolling, take down Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh

It would be a mistake to match the Creeds strength for strength, but Mysterio and McDonagh have another problem as R-Truth is out at ringside and has Dominik’s title belt. The Judgment Day has the momentum, however, going into the commercial break.

When we return, it’s Brutus Creed powering out of the final leg of Dom’s Three Amigos and slamming Mysterio to the mat. Tags are made both ways, with Julius suplexing dudes left and right and kipping up after each one. Michael Cole can’t believe himself at the announce table.

It looks like JD might get the Brutus Ball, but Dom drags Brutus off the top rope. McDonagh takes flight to the floor and Mysterio hits the 619 for a near fall.

Julius suplexes both of his opponents at once, because why not? Mysterio gets hurled over the announce table, meaning McDonagh is the one who takes the Brutus Ball as the Creeds wrap up their win.

Main Event Jey Uso earns the name, but Seth Rollins retains

Both men smile as they anticipate locking up. Uso runs over Rollins with a shoulder tackle and they both go for quick covers before ending up in a staredown.

Jey is in some trouble after the first commercial break, with Seth hitting a running kick from the floor. The champ hits a springboard senton followed by a moonsault to earn a near fall.

Rollins hits a kick to the spine as Uso tries to gather himself. A belly to back suplex gets another two count for Seth.

Uso finally manages to fight back, driving Rollins into the corner and lifting him for a backbreaker. Jey covers and finds only two, with the announcers figuring it was more of a heat check cover.

Rollins stops Uso from going up top, knocking him to the apron before following him there. They battle with counters until Uso finally hits a DDT on the floor, bringing more commercials.

The battle leads to simultaneous cross bodies leading to both men being down. Uso recovers first, but Rollins meets his aggression with a clothesline.

Uso does his Umaga tribute with a hip attack, and Rollins answers with a top rope splash. Seth looks for a Pedigree, but Jey counters with a back body drop for two.

Uso’s kicks leave Rollins in position for an Uso Splash, and he hits it flush but still can’t keep the champ down for three. The fans chant for Jey as he climbs again, only to be met by Rollins who hits a superplex rolled into a Falcon Arrow for a close near fall.

A Pedigree is next, but Uso kicks out of that too. We’ve hit the “What will it take?” portion of this one now. Seth wants the Stomp but is met with a Spear … and Rollins somehow kicks out.

Jey hits another spear and an Uso Splash, and Cole’s voice goes up an octave yet it’s still not enough to finish off Rollins. A superkick lands, but Rollins manages to answer immediately and hit a Spear.

The Stomp is next, and that finishes the match, finally.

WWE Raw preview 12/4/23: Jey Uso tries to dethrone Seth Rollins

Also on WWE Raw from Albany, Drew McIntyre battles Sami Zayn and Shayna Baszler faces Nia Jax.

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Being a member of The Bloodline certainly had its perks, but Jey Uso is about to find out tonight on WWE Raw from Albany if leaving his family behind and turning good might prove even more beneficial to his “Main Event” aspirations.

Is Jey Uso the one to knock Seth Rollins off his perch?

Though World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins has been embroiled in the battle against The Judgment Day for a while, he said last week that he’s now feeling the itch again to be a fighting champion. To that end, he talked to Adam Pearce about giving a title opportunity to someone he thought deserved it, and that turned out to be Jey.

It’s hard to argue against that decision since Jey has been a mainstay for the face side of the Raw roster since his arrival on Monday nights, and has won over almost everyone who doubted the sincerity of his turn. Maybe it’s unlikely that he wins the championship on a Monday night in early December, but with so much time between now and Royal Rumble, it’s not impossible.

The big problem will be the person who was most annoyed that Jey was granted a title shot: Drew McIntyre, who is on a mission to win the championship and still feels slighted by Uso’s actions in his previous life. That combination may make it impossible for the Scottish Warrior to leave well enough alone tonight.

Speaking of McIntyre, he’s got his own match against Sami Zayn in Albany, so he’s already going to be in a fighting mood. This is one situation that could definitely boil over on Raw.

Can The Creed Brothers continue their hot streak against two-fifths of The Judgment Day?

The Creed Brothers have made quite the impression since their call-up from NXT, and now stand as the No. 1 contenders for the tag team championships held by Damian Priest and Finn Balor of The Judgment Day.

Brutus and Julius aren’t getting their title shot tonight, but they will get a litmus test of sorts from the champs’ teammates Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh. Beating them would send a message that the titles could be in jeopardy, but it’s fair to wonder if Priest and Balor might not simply interfere here to ensure it doesn’t happen.

Maybe Shayna Baszler is the one to stand up to Nia Jax?

Several different wrestlers have attempted to put an end to Nia Jax‘s rampage since making her WWE return, all with various levels of futility. Now it’s time for Shayna Baszler to take the baton, and perhaps she has the right formula to defeat Jax.

Baszler is tough enough not to simply get steamrolled, and her submission game could be used as a way to make it seem like Jax wouldn’t have an answer. We’re anxious to see is Shayna gets the push that sort of fizzled out after she sent Ronda Rousey packing, and a victory here would be a big sign that WWE hasn’t forgotten her.

We’ll be ready as usual at 8 p.m. ET tonight to recap all the action on WWE Raw, so join us back here at Wrestling Junkie then if you aren’t planning on watching live.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WWE Raw results from Washington D.C.:

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

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

WWE Crown Jewel 2023 results: Mami still on top as Rhea Ripley retains in Fatal 5-Way

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.

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WWE Crown Jewel 2023 results: Reigns, Paul, Sikoa big winners in Riyadh

Get full results for WWE Crown Jewel 2023, where Roman Reigns and Logan Paul were among the night’s big winners.

Roman Reigns has been champion for a historically long time by 21st century standards, backing up his claim to be the Head of the Table. LA Knight is the brash newcomer who got over mostly on his own and is getting his first shot at gold. Something will have to give today at WWE Crown Jewel.

The annual Saudi Arabian show has perhaps its best card to date, packed with title matches and big on star power without relying on nostalgia as much as the first events WWE held in this country. There’s still a bit of that thanks to John Cena (who takes on Solo Sikoa), but thanks to the Hollywood actors strike, even he has been a regular in recent weeks.

The main event doesn’t appear to have that much intrigue, as Reigns appears likely to head to WrestleMania next year with his record-setting Universal Championship reign fully intact. But WWE also has lightning in a bottle with Knight, so as they say, you never know. It certainly feels like there is more of a chance for a shocking upset this year than in 2022, when Reigns had a title defense against Logan Paul.

Speaking of Paul, he’s widely expected to claim his first WWE championship of any kind when he faces Rey Mysterio. Does that mean he’ll be a more regular presence on WWE programming in the months ahead?

And there could be title changes in the women’s division as well, where both championships are on the line. Time to see how it all unfolds.

WWE Crown Jewel 2023 kickoff show results:

  • Sami Zayn def. JD McDonagh by pinfall

WWE Crown Jewel 2023 results:

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

  • Seth Rollins def. Drew McIntyre by pinfall to retain the World Heavyweight Championship
  • Damian Priest attempts to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase afterward, but is foiled by a figure in black who takes his case … and reveals himself as Sami Zayn
  • Rhea Ripley goes by a distraught McIntyre backstage as if to say “I told you so”
  • Rhea Ripley wins the Fatal 5-Way match to retain the Women’s World Championship, pinning Shayna Baszler
  • Solo Sikoa def. John Cena by pinfall, though Cena receives a standing ovation from the fans when he leaves the ring
  • The Miz welcomes Saudi movie star Ibrahim Al Hajjaj to Miz TV only to see the segment hijacked by Grayson Waller; together they manage to fight off Waller, though, who takes a Skull-Crushing Finale from Miz and a People’s Elbow from the actor
  • Logan Paul is shown cruising around the desert in a dune buggy and then driving right into the arena for his ring entrance
  • Logan Paul def. Rey Mysterio by pinfall to become the new WWE United States Champion thanks to a shot from a pair of brass knuckles
  • Bianca Belair says she’s on to Phase 2 of her revenge plan against Damage CTRL, which involves her getting her title back tonight
  • Bianca Belair def. IYO SKY by pinfall to retain the WWE Women’s Championship, thanks in large part to a returning Kairi Sane
  • Cody Rhodes def. Damian Priest by pinfall after Jey Uso manages to fight off interference from other members of The Judgment Day
  • Roman Reigns def. LA Knight by pinfall to retain the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, with some help along the way from Jimmy Uso

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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 …

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

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