Tag: Sonya Deville

WWE SmackDown results 07/28/23: Roman Reigns proves his point to Jey Uso

Also on WWE SmackDown this week, who will win the battle of LWO teammates and secure a U.S. title shot?

Considering we all were just introduced to the concept of Tribal Combat last week, it’s understandable that Roman Reigns and Jey Uso may need some time to prepare for such a monumental matchup. WWE says some of that prep time may take place tonight on SmackDown in New Orleans.

On the surface, Tribal Combat is simply another name among many for WWE to describe a match where weapons are allowed and anything goes. Certainly, Jey hinted as much a week ago when he described things he may use or at least would consider using to beat his cousin down.

But there also appears to be a deeper, almost spiritual aspect to Tribal Combat. Maybe that’s where one of the men could gain an advantage tonight at the Smoothie King Center, where WWE assures us both will be on hand.

Another centerpiece of tonight’s show will be the United States Championship Invitational Finals between LWO teammates Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar. Will a legend and surefire future WWE Hall of Famer get one more shot at glory? Or will Escobar put himself more firmly on the map and earn a U.S. title opportunity? More importantly, will they still be friends when it’s over?

Plus we’ll see Karrion Kross take on Karl Anderson as Kross continues his ongoing issues with The O.C. He already defeated AJ Styles, but we suppose there’s value in proving your superiority over the entire group.

In any case, we’ll be making our own mental preparations for Tribal Combat while watching WWE SmackDown tonight. Let’s get into it.

WWE SmackDown results from New Orleans:

Main Event Jey Uso is now in your city … but so are Roman Reigns, Solo Sikoa and Paul Heyman, who quickly make their way out. Reigns says the only reason people like The Usos is because of him, and that if the Tribal Chief is scheduled to appear, he gets to open up the show.

“Because I made you that,” is what Reigns says about most of what Jey is or has been, and he questions whether Uso believes he is now the Tribal Chief. However, Jey says he didn’t want any of that, and only supported Roman with no questions asked.

Jey accuses Roman of breaking everything, forcing him to do what he has to do. Reigns fires back that once Jey loses, he’s done, as he’ll be erased from everything.

And what if Jey wins? That means he takes everything from Roman … except he’ll always be Roman Reigns, and can do anything he wants to do. Mostly, he’s incredulous that Jey thinks he can win.

Before he leaves the ring, Jey simply says he beat Roman once — and he’s going to do it again.

Jey Uso seems to be feeling good after that segment, but his smile disappears when he runs into Grayson Waller. He doesn’t laugh but smacks Waller instead.

Santos Escobar def. Rey Mysterio by referee stoppage in the United States Championship Invitational Finals

The LWO teammates shake hands before they start locking up, so there’s every reason to think they’ll keep this respectful. United States Champion Austin Theory is shown watching from a skybox high above the action.

Wade Barrett thinks it behooves Santos to slow the pace, utilizing his size and power advantages. Escobar also knows Mysterio very well, which makes for fun framing for this bout. He hits a nice tope suicida right before a commercial break, but Theory continues to look unimpressed.

When the broadcast returns, however, a replay of that dive and the hard hit that Rey took is shown, and the ringside physician is checking on Rey. The ref is informed that Mysterio can’t continue, and Escobar gets a big but bittersweet victory.

Bianca Belair wants to talk about the Triple Threat match at SummerSlam, but Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville crash the interview to complain about their lack of a championship celebration. They also talk smack about Charlotte Flair, who offers to join forces with Belair to take on the tag champs. Bianca isn’t with it, but Charlotte says that makes her want to do it even more, and heads off to find Adam Pearce.

LA Knight def. Ashante Thee Adonis by pinfall

If you guessed Knight’s mic time might be about as long as the actual match, you got it. Blunt Force Trauma seals it up.

Pearce tells Jey Uso that Waller has been bugging him for a match against Jey tonight. Uso says since Waller was running his mouth, it’ll be over nice and quick.

Bobby Lashley is still wining and dining the Street Profits, who he says should be treated like and dress like stars. Angelo Dawkins is in sweats, but he seems cool with wearing dressier clothes after Lashley says he’ll pick up the bill.

Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair def. Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville by pinfall

Barrett questions how well Belair and Flair will work as a team, but they actually function fairly well as a unit. Charlotte may smirk seeing Bianca take a thrust kick to the face, but she’s right there when Belair needs a hot tag out.

Belair tags herself in when things start going south for Flair, and now Green is in trouble. And then the faces start squabbling: Belair has Green up for a KOD, but Flair tags herself in, kicks Green and gets the pin.

Bayley tries to explain leaving IYO SKY behind last week, but she gets freaked out finding another note from Shotzi. As they try to depart in a hurry again, Asuka stops by to warn SKY not to cash in at SummerSlam, but she seems to be suggesting that’s exactly what she’s planning to do.

After hearing about the SummerSlam Battle Royal, both Knight and Sheamus exchange pleasantries in front of Pearce. Adam ends up putting both of them in the match and sounds like he wants them to go head to head next week to see who might go into the Battle Royal with some momentum.

Waller says Uso is so consumed with Reigns that he should be easy pickings tonight for the Grayson Waller Effect.

Even though Karl Anderson is appreciative of the fact that The O.C. has his back, he tells his teammates that he needs to do things alone tonight, and they reluctantly agree.

Karrion Kross def. Karl Anderson by pinfall

Anderson gets off to a quick start, but unlike him, Kross made no vows to do this alone, and that means Scarlett is there to provide assistance and encouragement from the outside.

A Kross Hammer knocks Anderson for a loop, then the Final Prayer closes the show as Kross gets the dub.

After the bell, the Kross Jacket has Anderson in agony until The O.C. rushes down and Karrion retreats.

Jey Uso def. Grayson Waller by pinfall

Interesting to hear the announcers mention Waller going back and forth a little on social media with The Rock, but no real reason not to mention it, really. Just as Jey has things rolling, Roman’s music hits and the Bloodline wanders down the ramp.

Waller capitalizes and lays out Uso heading into a commercial break. He tries his own twist on The People’s Elbow when he has Uso down, but his theatrics take too long and give Jey a foothold to get back into the match.

After hitting a spear on Waller, Jey stares down Roman and takes flight with an Uso Splash and the pinfall.

Right after the bell, Sikoa attacks Uso, and when that doesn’t work, Reigns invades the ring himself. Uso ends up spearing Reigns, but when he goes up top, Solo pushes Jey off the turnbuckles.

Now the Bloodline is in control, and Uso ends up taking a spear/Samoan spike combo. As the fans give it to Reigns, he gets upset and they hit the combo move on Jey again. Roman poses in the corner with both the title belt and the necklace as the show comes to a close.

WWE Raw results 07/17/23: New champs, big tag team main event

Several SummerSlam matches were also finalized during this week’s WWE Raw from Atlanta.

The first time Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez were WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, no one ever beat them for the titles. That’s something they will once again be trying to avoid tonight on WWE Raw from the State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

The once and current champs only saw the straps slip away because of an injury to Morgan. Raquel tried to regroup with a new partner, but instead saw Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler win the gold.

All became right in their world, however, when Morgan returned and the MMA besties had their friendship disintegrate in a very public way during a title match. Morgan and Rodriguez reclaimed what was rightfully theirs, but they’ve yet to defend their championship.

Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville may not have seemed like a legitimate threat a few weeks ago, but WWE has done a nice job building them up and making them earn this shot. It still feels too early for another title change, but you never know.

One thing that’s a bit more certain is the other thing that WWE has been heavily promoting for Raw this week. Cody Rhodes hasn’t gotten Brock Lesnar out of his system just yet, and he made that clear by challenging the Beast Incarnate to a third bout at SummerSlam in just a few weeks. Lesnar is supposed to be in Atlanta tonight to give his response, but does anyone really think he’s going to say no? Or that the two men won’t end up fighting again if they’re under the same roof at the same time?

As the Magic 8-Ball might say, signs point to no. But signs very much point to yes for us watching everything that goes down in Atlanta tonight.

WWE Raw results from Atlanta:

Cody Rhodes, come on down. The American Nightmare appears dressed for a fight even though he’s ostensibly out here to talk. Or maybe not, because Rhodes says Brock Lesnar usually accepts challenges and should do so again, no chatting necessary.

The fans boo as no music hits and no Brock appears. Cody instead tears up as he points out his mom, Michelle, and mentions how his relationship with Lesnar is “hard times.” Welp, enjoy Raw everyone, as Rhodes hugs family and friends.

Oh, or maybe not, as now Lesnar’s music hits. As it hits again, Rhodes goes looking for Lsnar, who was apparently waiting right off-stage with a steel chair. This … probably won’t end well for Rhodes. He takes an F5 right in front of his mom, and Lesnar follows by locking in a kimura.

Another kimura is applied in the ring before Lesnar yells that the challenge is accepted, so he’ll see Rhodes at SummerSlam.

Gunther def. Matt Riddle by pinfall

The big deal for this one is that Gunther’s Imperium goons, Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser, have to watch backstage as they’ve been banned from ringside. Also, Riddle’s ankle is feeling better.

Alas, neither of those things end up mattering, with Gunther pinning Riddle clean in a moderately short encounter.

Reveling in some boos from the crowd, Gunther stands atop the announce desk and calls this the greatest night in the fans’ lives. It feels like a good time for Drew McIntyre to come out, but nope.

Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez say that being champs means they need to be ready for anything tonight, but are they ready for Rhea Ripley? The Judgment Day’s badass attacks Liv and starts brawling with Raquel, who looks like she needs attention for her left knee.

The Judgment Day comes out for what appears to be its weekly brag session. Ripley is already a champ, says Finn Balor and Damian Priest will be as well, and Dominik Mysterio will become NXT North American Champion Tuesday night.

Priest reiterates that Balor gets first crack at Seth Rollins, and Finn says the issues between them will never be over until his arm is raised as World Heavyweight Champion. As Dom tries in vain to speak over the boos again, though, he’s interrupted by the arrival of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. Sami asks rhetorically if the fans paid to hear Dom talk or someone shut him up, then says they’re in luck because the tag team champs will get to do that tonight.

In response, Priest wonders if KO and Zayn are confident enough to put their titles on the line tonight. Sami defers to Kevin for a response, and he emphatically accepts.

Rodriguez is “technically” cleared to compete, and Adam Pearce somewhat reluctantly agrees the tag team title match is still on.

Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville def. Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez by pinfall to become the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions

It seems pretty smart to give the champs a handicap, as it were, to make this matchup even more compelling. The heels are smart about being aggressive early, going right after Raquel’s bad wheel.

Green is able to hit her finisher on Morgan, but Liv kicks out at two to keep the match going. But with Rodriguez out of commission on the outside, she’s fighting alone, and after a second Unpretty Her and a running knee strike from Deville, we’ve got new champs.

Green thanks some hilarious people. including the person at the tanning salon, for her victory, while Deville says they plan on running the division and everyone better respect them.

The weekly Bloodline update from SmackDown arrives in video highlight form.

Seth Rollins sits down with “Sax-man” Byron Saxton to talk about his “big plans” for the World Heavyweight Championship. He says it’s a very short list of potential challengers for SummerSlam, at which point Balor crashes the convo and says he wants his rematch.

But Rollins says the title is bigger than Balor’s personal vendetta, and even bigger than him. He tells Balor he can take his shot right there if they just want to settle things, and after teasing like he’s leaving, Finn takes him up on it, laying out the champ and telling him to make the match.

Viking Raiders def. Alpha Academy by pinfall in a Viking Rules match

Titus O’Neil joins the announcers for commentary and immediately raises the humor level of the broadcast. The idea is that there are no rules and falls count anywhere, but there are plenty of Viking props to go around as well.

The crowd comes alive as Ivar does a top rope moonsault, then again as Chad Gable pulls off a German suplex on one of his much larger foes. Titus loves it even more when Maxxine Dupri takes out Valhalla, receiving her varsity jacket … but then getting speared through a table.

Otis looks like he’s destined to be involved in the finish, and indeed he is, getting victimized by the Ragnarok from the Raiders and pinned as a result.

Shayna Baszler def. Nikki Cross by submission

Baszler wins in about 30 seconds, then gets a mock congratulations from Ronda Rousey from one of the luxury boxes. Ronda is not impressed with Shayna’s assertion that she slid into the back door of the industry, but Baszler says she’s a “better Ronda Rousey than you.”

Shayna challenges her former friend to come to the ring to settle things between them right now, but Ronda says she will see her in the Motor City instead.

Ricochet says he showed Logan Paul he could bring it in a real fight last week, and challenges him to show up next week on Raw so he can hurt Paul where it really hurts him most: his ego.

The Miz kicks off Miz TV by bragging about how he’s “back” after beating Tommaso Ciampa last week and playing in the American Century Championship golf tournament. His guest, however, hasn’t been winning as much as of late: Becky Lynch.

When the host asks The Man if she’s lost a step, Becky takes out some anger on the show’s furniture and threatens Miz to bring Trish Stratus out “before you lose your tiny testicles.” Stratus obliges, along with Zoey Stark, but Trish sees no reason to fight Becky since she’s already beaten her.

“I’m done with you. Zoey and I are moving on, baby.” But Lynch says she has spent more time in WWE and accomplished more, so if Stratus is as good as she claims, she should fight her one on one.

Trish agrees, but under a few conditions. Lynch has to go through Stark first, and if she loses, Becky will have to get on her knees and thank Trish. Lynch even agrees to get “thank you Trish” tattooed across her chest if she loses, before she proceeds to dismantle both heels in a brief scuffle.

Bronson Reed def. Shinsuke Nakamura by DQ

The announcers remind us that Reed has been messing with Nak for a while and question why Shinsuke would want to mess with him. Reed also really deserves a better nickname than “Big,” but hey.

A “big” Death Valley Driver looks like it could be lights out for Shinsuke, but he survives it and hits a diving knee shot for a near fall. Just when Reed looks like he might move in for the kill, Ciampa invades the ring to attack Reed … who does at least get the DQ win.

Nakamura expresses his displeasure with Ciampa afterward in very violent and direct fashion.

Shinsuke tells Saxton he’s tired of everyone getting involved in his business, then repeats it, louder for the people in the back.

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn def. Damian Priest and Dominik Mysterio by pinfall to retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship

Chaos ensues almost immediately, as Rollins flies down and takes out Balor, who accompanied the challengers to the ring. Mysterio ends up getting smashed into the announce table right in front of Ripley, who distracts the champs long enough for her teammates to seize control of the action.

KO changes that almost singlehandedly, running off a hyperactive series of moves after getting the hot tag. Only Priest getting his knees up on a frog splash stops that, and Mysterio covers to force Zayn into a save.

Mysterio and Owens go back and forth until a Popup Powerbomb has Dom in trouble, but it’s Priest to make the save this time. Both teams make tags, and a big tornado DDT gets a near fall for Zayn.

Priest fires back with a top rope hurricanrana that nearly wins it. Dom hits Sami with a dropkick to the back but can’t get the 619. Both of the champs take flight to the floor, and they’re feeling it now.

But Ripley throws Owens into the steel steps, giving Mysterio a chance to roll up Zayn for another close two. Rhea is in the face of the ref but gets pulled off the apron and assaulted by Morgan.

With the coast clear, KO stuns Priest and Zayn nails Dom with the Helluva Kick to get the pin.

WWE Raw preview 07/17/23: Cody & Brock, once more, with feeling

Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez will also defend their tag team titles against Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville as WWE Raw hits Atlanta.

For anyone getting tired of Cody Rhodes and Brock Lesnar doing their dance, tonight’s episode of WWE Raw from Atlanta probably won’t be your favorite. For everyone else, in the words of Donald Glover playing a young Lando Calrissian, you might want to … buckle up, baby.

Rhodes and Lesnar have met twice in the ring this year, with each man emerging the victor once. Not only do they have the classic setup for a rubber match, but they obviously can’t stand each other, with fists being thrown very time they end up in the same arena on the same night.

With that in mind, Rhodes has challenged Lesnar to one more fight at SummerSlam, but we’ve yet to hear the Beast Incarnate give his answer. That should change tonight, and if what’s happened so far is any indication, it very well may come with a side order of violence.

Speaking of violence, that’s gone down more than once between Intercontinental Champion Gunther and Matt Riddle. Though Riddle has fought bravely against Imperium, he’s often fallen victim to the numbers game. That won’t be a problem tonight, with Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci barred from ringside. In fact, given the way Drew McIntyre has been stalking Gunther himself, the odds just might favor the Original Bro.

There’s also gold on the line in Atlanta. Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez have seen multiple teams vie to become the top contenders for their WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, and Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville have proven they’ve had what it takes. They’ll collide tonight to see if Morgan and Rodriguez can hold onto their titles longer this time than they did during their first run (which ended quickly due to injury, but hey).

All this and more is set for State Farm Arena beginning at 8 p.m. ET tonight. Tune in then or join us back here at Wrestling Junkie to get live updates on all that goes down.

WWE Raw results 07/10/23: The Judgment Day prove all is well, for now

After teasing their implosion, The Judgment Day tried to stay on the same page on WWE Raw.

As WWE Raw takes over Western New York, SummerSlam comes into focus.

[autotag]Cody Rhodes[/autotag] has [autotag]Brock Lesnar[/autotag] on his mind tonight, just weeks before WWE’s biggest party of the summer, with a planned “special message.” It’s clear that a match between the two is imminent, and it’s only a matter of time before confirmation for their bout is made. Whether or not the match will have a stipulation remains to be seen, but one can add flare to a one-on-one already seen twice.

[autotag]Drew McIntyre[/autotag] will compete for the first time since his return at Money in the Bank, teaming with [autotag]Matt Riddle[/autotag] to face [autotag]Ludwig Kaiser[/autotag] and [autotag]Giovanni Vinci[/autotag]. This tag-team match bridges the gap to the inevitable showdown between McIntyre and [autotag]Gunther[/autotag] for the WWE Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam, so look for a confrontation between the two in Buffalo as well.

Chad Gable and Otis will throw a “Graduation Ceremony” for Maxxine Dupri, who has been training under their guidance. The Viking Raiders are sure to cause chaos at the ceremony, and given how these teams have constantly fought, this will likely lead to another match.

How would the July 10 episode of Raw deliver? Let’s break it down.

WWE Raw results 07/03/23: The Judgment Day looks like it’s following the Bloodline to implosion

Expect there to be plenty of repercussions from the events of Money in the Bank as WWE Raw hits Baltimore.

There’s an air of mystery tonight as WWE Raw heads to CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore.

It might be due to the fact that Money in the Bank was Saturday evening in London, meaning talent had to fly all the way back to the U.S. and be ready for Raw in short order. Don’t want to promote what you can’t deliver in case there are travel delays.

That might be why WWE has officially announced just one match ahead of time for this show. Rhea Ripley, who was at Money in the Bank to support Dominik Mysterio but didn’t have a match of her own, will defend the Women’s World Championship against Natalya. Considering Nattie’s storyline is that she’s having an identity/confidence crisis, anything other than Rhea dominating her would rank as a surprise.

Perhaps there’s more intrigue to be had throughout the rest of The Judgment Day. Both Mysterio and Finn Balor came up short in their matches, and will definitely not be in good moods as a result. In contrast, Damian Priest had one of the best nights of his career in London, and is now “Señor Money in the Bank.” Will that increase the growing tension between him and Balor?

Seth Rollins and Gunther both held onto their respective titles and will need new challenges, though the Ring General looks like he already has one in Drew McIntyre. And perhaps the tag team champions will be on hand to offer their services in some storyline or another as well.

In any case, we’re curious as to what the rest of the night will hold, so let’s check it out together.

WWE Raw results from Baltimore:

World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins hits the ring to his usual singalong and runs everyone through a recap of Money in the Bank. He’s already looking ahead to SummerSlam, however, but he doesn’t get to tell us what’s on his mind for Detroit as Cody Rhodes makes his way down the ramp.

But before Rhodes can even ask everyone what they want to talk about, Brock Lesnar comes out and brawls to the ring with Cody as Rollins hits the old dusty trail. A Cody Cutter has Rhodes standing tall and Lesnar licking his wounds, for now.

Rollins returns to the ring, this time interrupted by The Judgment Day (sans Finn Balor). Rhea Ripley tells Rollins not to worry about what Balor is doing, while Damian Priest warns him about the prospect of cashing in the briefcase on him.

When Rollins reminds Priest that the cash-in only works when the champ is beaten down or tired, the heels suggest he take on Dominik Mysterio tonight. Rollins thinks it’s probably a trap but wants to smack Dom anyway, so he lets the fans choose his own adventure. The cheers say it’s on.

Damian Priest def. Shinsuke Nakamura by pinfall

While the announcers discuss how much momentum Priest has at the moment, Shinsuke is doing well and being urged on by the crowd until he is sent into the barricade and a rare picture-in-picture stretch commences.

The crowd enjoys Shinsuke shaking his hips at Ripley, which … hey, why not? Shoot your shot, Nak. Alas, Priest eventually gets things going his way, and the South of Heaven is more than Shinsuke can take.

Fresh off her betrayal at Money in the Bank, Ronda Rousey hits the ring, though Shayna Baszler quickly joins her and mocks her mic skills. Baszler also says she owes people an apology for bringing Rousey into WWE, then accuses Ronda of ruining her love of pro wrestling.

In response, Rousey kicks her former BFF off the apron, then tries to put her to sleep. Baszler escapes and applies an ankle lock, and though Rousey finally frees herself, one big knee shot ends it … despite Rousey yelling for Baszler to come back and keep fighting.

Alpha Academy asks Maxxine Dupri if she’s ready for her first match tonight, and she certainly is. Chad Gable is ready to smack the Viking Raiders with a huge dose of patriotism too.

Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville win a Women’s Tag Team Championship No. 1 Contenders Tag Team Turmoil match

Freshly re-crowned champions Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez grab a ringside seat for this. The teams involved here are Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville, Emma and Nikki Cross, Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell, Katana Chance and Kayden Carter and Dana Brooke and Tegan Nox. Similar to a gauntlet match, two teams start out, with another randomly joining in at every elimination.

Green and Deville send LeRae and Hartwell packing first, then pin Emma and Cross as well. Brooke and Nox are defeated during picture-in-picture action, so Carter and Chance have an opportunity now. Or so it seems, as Green is able to finish them off as well. Nice way to build Green and Deville as real threats as they beat every team.

A video package reminds us all that Bronson Reed is inescapable.

Becky Lynch says she can move on from failing to win Money in the Bank, but she can’t get past the thorn in her side that is Trish Stratus. The Man erupts in laughter when Stratus comes out in a mask of the type that protects broken noses. She says she’s not medically cleared because “you broke my face,” so Lynch asks to fight Zoey Stark instead.

After some more verbal jousting, Stratus says Stark can fight Lynch next week.

Now back in his suit, Rhodes joins new member of the broadcast team Jackie Redmond to say he promised he would be waiting for Lesnar. He wants another shot at Brock, anywhere, any time.

Alpha Academy and Maxxine Dupri def. Viking Raiders and Valhalla by pinfall

There’s a lot of Chad Gable in this one, which isn’t a bad thing at all. Dupri has to wait her turn for the spotlight, but she finally gets a hot tag from Gable and gets to show off some of what she’s learned.

Her attempt at the Caterpillar goes awry, but after a moonault to the floor by Gable takes out both Raiders, Dupri is able to pull off a nifty rollup and pin Valhalla.

Ricochet says he respects Logan Paul for his ability but isn’t crazy about Paul getting in his face afterward. With that in mind, he challenges Logan to a meting in the ring next week on Raw.

Rhea Ripley def. Natalya by pinfall to retain the Women’s World Championship

Is this really a new Nattie? She’s trying to show that she is, attacking Rhea on the ramp before the match even begins. The ref asks if Ripley still wants to fight; she naturally says yes but immediately finds herself on the back foot again and seeks refuge on the floor.

As expected, Ripley’s power helps her gradually tilt things in her favor, but Natalya continues to hang tough even after a massive headbutt. Forced to dig deeper than usual into her arsenal, Rhea tries a frog splash and catches nothing but knees.

Nattie applies the Sharpshooter, and the fans are behind her now. Rhea manages to make it to the ropes to break the hold, barely. Ripley manages to powerbomb Natalya and stacks her up to finally get the three count.

After the bell, Ripley assaults Natalya even more, but Morgan and Rodriguez hustle down to put a stop to that.

Tommaso Ciampa says the difference between him and The Miz is that he’ll say things straight to your face instead of attacking someone from behind. He also claims he lit the spark that Miz used to have with their brawl, but that Miz has no idea the hand he’s holding.

The Miz continues the card analogy by saying he’s the full house, and that anyone he’s taken under his wing and betrayed him is gone. He tells Ciampa to bring the chip on his shoulder to their No DQ match next week as Tommaso will be facing the best version of Miz.

A highlight package shows the best moments from the Bloodline Civil War at Money in the Bank.

Ripley runs into IYO SKY and says if she cashes in the briefcase on her, it’ll be the biggest mistake of her life. When Mysterio and Priest arrive, Rhea says the tag team champs will regret it if they mess with her business again.

Also Dom says he’ll make Seth regret getting in the ring with him tonight, but, you know, it’s harder to take him seriously.

Matt Riddle def. Giovanni Vinci by pinfall

After a very quick match, Imperium tries to attack Riddle and make him pat for his victory. That brings Drew McIntyre to the rescue, and he easily walks through Ludwig Kaiser and sends Gunther a message with a Claymore for Vinci.

Riddle thanks McIntyre for the save, and Byron Saxton stops by to ask him about it. Riddle says they should team up against Imperium next week, but McIntyre thinks they should party it up in Baltimore tonight.

Seth Rollins def. Dominik Mysterio by DQ, which turns into an internal Judgment Day squabble

The game plan for Mysterio seems to be attacking Rollins’ already injured ribs. But the goal was never to win a match, it seems, as Priest attacks Rollins and ends the match by DQ.

Priest continues his assault after the bell, aided by his teammates when things go awry by the announce table. Dominik encourages Priest to cash in now while Rollins is hurt, and he makes his way toward the ring … only to be cut off by the arrival of Finn Balor, who has been absent all night.

As Priest and Balor bicker, Mysterio tries to calm them down, but gets a Pedigree from Rollins on his way to the safety of the stage.

WWE Raw results 06/19/23: Logan Paul is Money (in the Bank)

Logan Paul revealed his next match, and Finn Balor took our Seth Rollins early during WWE Raw in Cleveland.

With all due respect to Grayson Waller for borrowing his catchphrase, Logan Paul is someone who has quite the effect on the WWE Universe. Some fans can’t stand him. Others grudgingly admire the way he has shown unusual aptitude inside the ropes for someone so relatively inexperienced.

And, yes, we’re sure there are fans who genuinely like him as well. No matter which group you fall into, you have to admit some curiosity as to what’s next for Paul after he turned in another stellar performance at WrestleMania 39. WWE is promoting the idea that we’ll find out during tonight’s show in Cleveland.

Maybe we shouldn’t, but we’re assuming that Paul is not showing up to accept Seth Rollins‘ open challenge to defend his title on Raw. If that assumption is correct, that means a big spotlight on someone else on the roster, and it will be fun to see who might shine under it.

There’s a few things to be settled in the women’s division as well. Fighting Rhea Ripley is a tough task for any competitor who’s at 100%, but Natalya hardly would say that even about herself lately. She’ll have to make one heck of a rally not to get flattened by the Women’s World Heavyweight Champion.

And there’s still one spot up for grabs in the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder match in London. Raquel Rodriguez will take on Trish Stratus to fill it, and you have to figure one Becky Lynch will have a very vested interest in the outcome.

Let’s see what we’ve got, shall we?

WWE Raw results from Cleveland:

  • The usual singalong greets Seth Rollins as he hits the ring, but he’s quickly attacked from behind by Finn Balor, who gets the best of the champ and even hits the Coup de Grace off the steps and the announce table just as referees and officials look like they have everything settled down; Balor hits a third for good measure just before the show breaks for commercial

  • Rollins rants about Balor backstage as officials try to get him some help, but all that gets is Finn attacking him again
  • The Miz is in the ring, upset because he was going to accept Rollins’ open challenge, so he issues his own open challenge instead … and it’s answered by a returning Tommaso Ciampa

  • Tommaso Ciampa def. The Miz by pinfall
  • The Judgment Day brags about all the winning they’re planning on doing at Money in the Bank, warns Cody Rhodes to keep Dominik Mysterio’s name out of his mouth, and taunts Cody to find “two other guys” to fight a united Judgment Day

  • A video package shows the final segment from SmackDown with the events that set up the Bloodline Civil War
  • Kevin Owens chafes at Sami Zayn being asked about The Bloodline, to which Sami tells Kevin he has an anger problem; Zayn says if Owens can go the whole night without another outburst, he’ll leave the Bloodline situation alone, then apologizes to Byron Saxton for having to see it
  • A selection of TikToks is shown that feature Chelsea Green raging out in a number of different ways
  • Katana Chance and Kayden Carter def. Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville by pinfall
  • Cathy Kelley brings out Cody Rhodes, who accepts the challenge from Dom and says “two guys” shouldn’t be hard to find
  • Indus Sher def. Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin by pinfall
  • Someone bumps into KO backstage and spills cold water on him, and KO manages not to blow up; Matt Riddle almost gets him to explode with some movie suggestions
  • Logan Paul sits atop a ladder in the ring, and says the best people in the world come from Cleveland, but of course he turns it around and runs down its citizens for a bit before announcing that he’s in the Money in the Bank Ladder match; Paul is joined by Ricochet, Shinsuke Nakamura, LA Knight and Santos Escobar, all of whom say they’re going to win MITB, whereas Butch just goes right after Paul, who ends up doing a somersault plancha before climbing the ladder and showing how he plans on grabbing the briefcase in London

  • Matt Riddle def. Ludwig Kaiser by pinfall. but Gunther helps Kaiser get some payback after the bell, stomping on Riddle’s left ankle several times
  • Riddle walks gingerly backstage with help from some officials; meanwhile, Kaiser and Gunther visit Owens and Zayn, and while KO threatens to come unglued at their threats, Sami gets a text message and says they have to leave

  • If you ever wanted to see what an Alpha Academy training session looks like, there’s a peek
  • Viking Raiders def. Alpha Academy by pinfall
  • Balor and Damian Priest promise Rhea Ripley they’re on the same page, and Rhea heads out for her own match
  • Natalya says this is a second chance to prove to Rhea, and more importantly, to herself, that she still belongs
  • Rhea Ripley vs. Natalya never happens as Ripley beats Nattie down before the bell and hits her with a Riptide before referees and officials pull her away
  • Raquel Rodriguez says what Rhea did is not OK, and she doesn’t back down, even when Ripley shows up in the flesh

  • Akira Tozawa volunteers to be Cody’s partner tonight, but he gets a better offer from Owens and Zayn, and KO is especially excited that he gets to punch people in the face
  • Trish Stratus def. Raquel Rodriguez by disqualification in a Money in the Bank qualifying match after Becky Lynch arrives to attack Zoey Stark at ringside, then inadvertently takes out Stratus when she goes out to the floor to intervene
  • Bron Breakker is told Rollins might not be able to compete on NXT, but Breakker says surely Seth won’t use what happened to him tonight as an excuse … and also he’s going to hurt Rollins really “freakin'” bad

  • Lynch tells Saxton says she screwed herself … or did she, because now she gets a shot at Stratus in a match at ladders, and she’s either going to win MITB or go down in a blaze of glory, taking Trish and Zoey with her
  • Bronson Reed def. Shinsuke Nakamura by pinfall, with Ricochet also getting involved in the match
  • Speaking from the hospital, apparently, Rollins says he’ll be at NXT tomorrow to face Breakker with his title on the line, and he welcomes back “the guy who beat me seven years ago”

  • Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Cody Rhodes def. The Judgment Day by pinfall when Rhodes pins Priest

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WWE Raw results from Wichita:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And it wasn’t going to be Prison Dom.

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

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

WWE Raw results from Hartford:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WWE Raw results 05/29/23: Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler win tag team gold

With the women’s tag team championship vacated, WWE crowned new titleholders on Monday’s episode of Raw.

With the women’s tag team championship vacated, WWE crowned new titleholders on Monday’s episode of Raw.

After Liv Morgan sustained an injury, she and Raquel Rodriguez had to relinquish their tag titles. Rodriguez, however, teamed with Shotzi to compete for the titles against Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler, Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green, and Bayley and Iyo Sky.

Countering a move from the top rope, Rousey made Shotzi tap out with an armbar to win her and Baszler the tag titles.

Rousey and Baszler have more than established themselves to take over the tag titles, despite Rodriguez’s unfortunate end to his title run. With their name value and a women’s tag division waiting for recently called-up teams to establish themselves, these two are a good duo to carry the belts for the time being.

Tag titles are new territory for Rousey, who has only held singles championships since joining WWE in 2018: the SmackDown Women’s Championship twice and the Raw Women’s Championship once. Rousey’s last title run wrapped up in December 2022, when she lost the SmackDown title to Charlotte Flair.

Rousey will remain in a high-profile position as long as she holds the tag team titles, since she has been mostly quiet since the start of 2023 without any belt and due to injury. Moreover, with the championship not assigned to either brand, Rousey can appear on Raw or SmackDown as champion.

Baszler previously held the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship with Nia Jax, but the second of their two reigns last occurred in the first half of 2021. She also does not have a singles title reign on the main roster, so this marks her third overall win of WWE gold.

Who will Rousey and Baszler face next? The WWE Money in the Bank prelude could establish new contenders to determine who they will face at the show or at another event in the next month.

Click here for full WWE Raw results from Monday night in Albany.