Tag: Sonya Deville

WWE Raw results 05/29/23: New women’s tag champs, Rollins and Styles join forces

See who emerged as the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions after a Fatal 4-Way on WWE Raw in Albany.

It’s been a tough few weeks for Raquel Rodriguez, but maybe that will change tonight on WWE Raw from Albany.

Not that Raquel has been losing too many races recently, mind you. As one half of the Women’s Tag Team Champions, Rodriguez hadn’t lost a tag team match since WrestleMania 39. Alas, when partner Liv Morgan was injured (during one of those victories), WWE stripped them of the titles.

Rodriguez got to be part of one of the four teams that competed for the championship tonight, but she needed a partner. Enter Shotzi, who has history with Raquel and figures to be someone who can capably fill in for Morgan even if not quite replace her.

Can they win (back) the titles? Perhaps, but a Fatal 4-Way is always a crap shoot, and the other three teams — Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler, Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville, and Bayley and IYO SKY — all figure to be serious contenders.

WWE hasn’t promoted anything else specifically for this show from Albany, but we know Money in the Bank qualifying matches are due to start. We’re expecting at least one apiece on the men’s and women’s sides.

And there will be fallout from Saturday’s Night of Champions show in Saudi Arabia, to be sure. Seth Rollins promised he’d be on hand, World Heavyweight Championship around his waist, for tonight’s Raw. It’s possible we might learn who will be first up to challenge him for the new big gold belt.

If Cody Rhodes is up for it after battling Brock Lesnar with an injured arm, he could be in the house as well. Can he pick himself back up again after experiencing another dose of adversity? And are things done between him and the Beast Incarnate?

WWE Raw results from Albany:

  • New World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins makes a memorable entrance through the crowd, and after repeating his intention to be a fighting champion, he’s joined by a congratulatory AJ Styles; their mutual show of respect is interrupted by The Judgment Day, and after exchanging insults, Rollins and Styles agree to take on any two of them tonight

  • Adam Pearce is on the phone trying to make the match approved, and both Rollins and Styles want it to happen
  • Ricochet def. The Miz by pinfall in a Money in the Bank qualifying match
  • Trish Stratus brags about doing exactly what she said she’d do in beating Becky Lynch, and she’s proud to introduce a superstar who reminds Trish of a young her, Zoey Stark; Lynch of course comes looking for both of them, which proves foolhardy as she is beaten down with a Z-360 from Stark and a big right hand from Stratus, then left crumpled in the corner with a “thank you Trish” shirt over her

  • Indus Sher def. local talent by pinfall
  • A video segment shows the Bloodline drama from Night of Champions once again, though apparently Roman Reigns’ 1000-day title reign celebration is still on for SmackDown
  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are feeling pretty good tonight after the “worst night of Roman Reign’s life,” but Imperium comes out to take exception to them representing Raw, and the “new and improved” Alpha Academy (with Maxxine Dupri now part of the team) makes the champs laugh by dissing Imperium

  • Imperium (Giovanni Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser) def. Alpha Academy by pinfall with Owens and Zayn on guest commentary; also, Valhalla chases Dupri to the back
  • Raquel Rodriguez and Shotzi are asked if they’ve built up enough chemistry, a question that gets mocked by Bayley and IYO SKY before Raquel fires right back at Bayley
  • Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler def. Raquel Rodriguez and Shotzi, Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville and Damage CTRL (Bayley and IYO SKY) in a Fatal 4-Way match when Rousey made Shotzi tap out to an armbar to become the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions
  • Dolph Ziggler vs. JD McDonagh goes to a double countout, to the mild displeasure of the fans, with McDonagh continuing to assault Ziggler after the bell and stomping his head on top of the steel steps
  • Left arm still in a sling, Cody Rhodes takes the ring to say he hopes Brock Lesnar isn’t satisfied with their two matches being tied 1-1 and issues an open challenge for a third fight, any time, any place, finishing by saying Lesnar wasn’t “man enough to make me tap out”

  • Gunther tells Matt Riddle he wants him to win the Money in the Bank Ladder match and cash it in on the IC title just so he can have fun beating Riddle
  • Shinsuke Nakamura def. Bronson Reed by pinfall in a Money in the Bank qualifying match
  • Rhea Ripley tells Byron Saxton she destroyed Natalya at Night of Champions, and the Judgment Day won’t tell him which two members will face Rollins and Styles
  • A video package pays tribute to the men and women who have given their lives in defense of the U.S. to commemorate Memorial Day
  • AJ Styles and Seth Rollins def. Damian Priest and Finn Balor by pinfall

WWE Raw preview 05/29/23: Let’s qualify for Money in the Bank!

What’s on tap for WWE Raw from Albany? Money in the Bank qualifiers and a four-way women’s tag team title match, for starters.

If there’s a surefire sign of the neverending conveyer belt that is the WWE schedule, it’s the show after a premium live event where big things are already happening for the next PLE. That’s certainly the case for tonight’s episode of WWE Raw from Albany, New York, where along with fallout from Night of Champions, things will already be in motion for Money in the Bank.

Yes, that’s despite the fact that MITB is more than a month away, taking place on the next holiday weekend in the U.S. but also overseas in London. As has been the case in previous years, there will be qualifying matches to participate in both the men’s and women’s Money in the Bank Ladder matches, the first of which are taking place tonight.

There’s also a women’s tag team title match going down, and it’s big since four teams will be battling for the gold. Raquel Rodriguez is arguably the most motivated person in the bout, considering she and Liv Morgan held the titles until Liv’s injury forced them to be relinquished. Rodriguez has taken on Shotzi as her new partner, but they’ll have an uphill battle against Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler, Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville, and the Damage CTRL duo of Bayley and IYO SKY.

Plus, while the most interesting fallout from Night of Champions won’t hit until SmackDown (that’d be the Bloodline implosion), there’s going to be plenty to watch for on Raw as well. Seth Rollins will undoubtedly bring his big new shiny belt to the show, as he promised he would after defeating AJ Styles in Saudi Arabia — and maybe get his first challenger as well. And Cody Rhodes will attempt to scrape himself back up after a valiant but losing effort against Brock Lesnar in Jeddah.

It all plays out beginning at 8 p.m. ET on USA. Tune in then or join us back here on Wrestling Junkie for WWE Raw results and more as they happen.

WWE Raw results 05/22/23: Cody Rhodes is determined to fight Brock Lesnar

Other big happenings on Raw included Raquel Rodriguez finding a new tag team partner and Matt Riddle aiding Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.

HERSHEY, Pa. — As a fan in Section D of the Giant Center said in realization at the end of WWE Raw on Monday night, “We never got to do the whoa.”

He was talking about a certain part of Cody Rhodes‘ entrance theme, “Kingdom,” and if you’ve been watching WWE programming any time over the past year, you know the cue. It comes right after the line “Out the curtain, lights go up I’m home.”

The fans in attendance did get to see Rhodes, who was shown on screen to both open and close the show. He also made it to the ring once in-between, but his music didn’t play because WWE was trying to make it look like he shouldn’t have been out there.

That’s what happens when you get jumped by Brock Lesnar while entering the arena, which is exactly what happened Monday night. Lesnar gave Rhodes a hellacious backstage beating, concentrating on Cody’s left arm and mocking him for wanting to fight at Night of Champions.

Lesnar came to the ring about halfway through Raw, claiming that Rhodes wouldn’t be able to make this weekend’s premium live event and laying out an open challenge to anyone who would step up. Instead, Rhodes came out, arm in a sling, and attempted to thrown down with Lesnar right there.

Let’s call that a tactical error for the American Nightmare, who ended up taking even more damage to his left arm after being locked in a kimura by Lesnar. The idea was that Rhodes’ arm was broken.

But that wasn’t the last word, because the night’s main event, which saw Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Matt Riddle defeat Imperium, ended about four minutes prior to 11 p.m. ET. It felt like something would happen, and that something was Triple H visiting Rhodes in the locker room and trying to convince him that Night of Champions was out.

Rhodes refused and said he’d fight Lesnar anyway. So there’s a built-in excuse for WWE to have Cody lose and continue the feud (to SummerSlam, perhaps). It was an unconventional but not illogical way to end the final live show before a premium live event, but we’ll have to wait until Saturday to see if it all plays out in satisfactory fashion.

Read on for a rundown of everything that happened Monday night.

WWE Raw results from Hershey:

  • As noted above, Lesnar attacked Rhodes in the back, smashing his left arm between a beer keg and a metal rolldown door
  • Paul Heyman took to the microphone to claim no responsibility for what just happened but suggested that was just a taste of what would happen to Rhodes at Night of Champions
  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn said they were feeling pretty good about their upcoming title defense at Night of Champions, but there was also business to attend to tonight … and that business found them, with Imperium surrounding the ring, but Matt Riddle arrived to help run them off and become their partner for the main event
  • Adam Pearce refused to confirm or deny to Byron Saxton that Rhodes suffered a broken arm
  • Bronson Reed def. Ricochet by pinfall
  • Apollo Crews got his interview crashed by Dominik Mysterio, who ended up talking his way into a match, and Rhea Ripley, who warned Natalya she would end her career at Night of Champions
  • Part 3 of Corey Graves’ interview with Seth Rollins aired, including Rollins saying he loves Roman Reigns but doesn’t like Roman Reigns
  • Finn Balor had some fighting words for his opponent tonight, Shinsuke Nakamura
  • Zoey Stark def. Candice LeRae by pinfall, despite some ringside encouragement from Nikki Cross
  • Mustafa Ali was more serious than he has been recently, discussing the opportunity he has coming up this weekend … until Lesnar walked by him on his way to the ring, telling Ali to get a life as he passed
  • Barging by Adam Pearce and other officials, Rhodes made his ill-advised attempt to confront Lesnar in the ring, which ended with him in even more pain
  • A promo vignette was aired to promote Indus Sher
  • Alpha Academy def. Viking Raiders by pinfall
  • Finn Balor def. Shinsuke Nakamura by pinfall thanks to some assistance from Damian Priest
  • Raquel Rodriguez def. Sonya Deville by pinfall, then got saved from a two-on-one post-match beating by Shotzi
  • Trish Stratus proposed a “no touch policy” for her contract signing with Becky Lynch, but Pearce declined …
  • … but Stratus and Lynch mostly just trade insults during their contract signing anyway
  • Pearce gives someone a phone call to update them on the Rhodes situation
  • Rodriguez offers Shotzi a chance to be her tag team partner to try back the women’s tag team titles
  • Dominik Mysterio def. Apollo Crews by pinfall, with the usual assist from Rhea Ripley
  • The final segment of the Graves-Rollins interview aired, focused largely on Seth discussing why he wants to win the World Heavyweight Championship so badly
  • Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Matt Riddle def. Imperium by pinfall
  • Triple H tried to talk Rhodes out of competing at Night of Champions, but to no avail

After the show went off the air, Imperium attempted to come back for some revenge on Owens, Zayn and Riddle, but that backfired as Ludwig Kaiser ended up going through a table.

WWE Raw preview: Cody Rhodes, Becky Lynch have beefs to settle

Tonight’s episode of WWE Raw also features a women’s tag team title match and a Battle Royal to determine Gunther’s No. 1 contender.

Not with each other, mind you. But both Cody Rhodes and Becky Lynch are going to be addressing enemies who have proven particularly persistent on tonight’s episode of WWE from Greensboro, NC.

Rhodes defeated Brock Lesnar at Backlash, thinking he had put the Beast Incarnate behind him as he moved on to the World Heavyweight Championship Tournament. Alas, Lesnar has other plans (as he often does), attacking Rhodes mid-match and leaving no doubt that he wanted to keep their feud going.

What choice does the American Nightmare have but to accept Lesnar’s … um, request for another match at Night of Champions? Probably nonw, but we’ll find out tonight.

As for Lynch, she’s already clapped back at Trish Stratus for mocking her for being absent in recent weeks. The Man especially wasn’t going to let jokes about her young daughter slide, so now Stratus is likely going to have to agree to a match as well — but then again, that may be what she wanted all along. In any case, Lynch will get a chance to address Stratus in Greensboro.

Is there any wrestling on this card, you may ask? Yes, yes there is. For starters, Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez will once again defend their WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, this time against Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville. After accidentally talking his way into it last week, The Miz will face Shinsuke Nakamura. And a Battle Royal will determine the No. 1 contender for the Ring General himself, Gunther, now that he’s going to be defending his Intercontinental Championship on Monday nights.

This all sounds like fun, right? We think so too. We’ll be tuned in to USA at 8 p.m. tonight to see how it all goes down, so please join us back here on Wrestling Junkie if you’re unable to do the same.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WWE Raw results from Jacksonville:

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

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

WWE SmackDown results: WWE Draft begins, The Usos come up short

Yes, the WWE Draft begins tonight, but there’s also a huge tag team title rematch in store in Corpus Christi.

It’s time to get those picks in. WWE SmackDown is hitting Corpus Christi tonight, and it’s bringing the 2023 WWE Draft with it.

Triple H has promised that this year’s draft will truly “change the game,” and assuming he wasn’t just trying to get in one more pun involving his nickname from his wrestling days, we’re looking forward to how things will get shaken up.

That’s far from the only big thing happening during this week’s SmackDown, however. There’s also the not so little matter of a rematch for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship, one now held by Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn following their dramatic victory at WrestleMania 39 earlier this month.

The Usos have a chance to get their gold back, but what happens if they fail? Jey and Jimmy dedicated the match to their Tribal Chief, but if they come up short, they’re likely to face his wrath — especially since Paul Heyman has let them know Roman Reigns is already losing patience with them.

(As an aside, The Usos can also be drafted separately from Reigns and Solo Sikoa, which is something to keep an eye on over the next few days.)

The other notable match promoted ahead of tonight’s show will see Zelina Vega take on Sonya Deville. Vega bravely called for a title shot against Rhea Ripley at Backlash and got what she asked for, but now the hard work begins. She’ll be looking to get a dub against Deville to make sure she heads to Puerto Rico with some momentum.

What else do you need to get psyched for this Friday’s show? Probably not much, we’d wager.

WWE SmackDown results from Corpus Christi:

(Click here for WWE Draft picks updated throughout the night and click on any match with a link for more details)

  • Triple H introduces the first segment of the WWE Draft, announcing that the post-draft rosters will go into effect on May 8, the Raw after Backlash; with Roman Reigns as part of the first overall pick, the World Heavyweight Championship becomes exclusive to Raw
  • The Usos double down on dedicating their championship rematch to Reigns, but are joined on stage by Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn and everyone agrees the time for talking is over
  • LA Knight def. Butch by pinfall
  • Heyman says tonight is the night, but Jey Uso doesn’t seem to be digging this pep talk as much as Jimmy
  • Rob Van Dam (Raw) and Michael Hayes (SmackDown) come out to the podiums to read the next two rounds of WWE Draft picks
  • The Street Profits (who are headed to SmackDown) still want the smoke
  • Street Profits def. Braun Strowman and Ricochet and LWO (Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde) by pinning Ricochet
  • Teddy Long (Raw) and JBL (SmackDown) come out to announce the Round 3 draft picks
  • Zelina Vega def. Sonya Deville by pinfall, then gets assaulted by Rhea Ripley (who also smashes Deville), who looks for Riptide but sees it countered into a DDT
  • Zelina gets props from Santos Escobar and Rey Mysterio, with Rey telling her not to worry about what anyone else thinks of her chances at Backlash
  • The O.C. heads to the ring, including the returning AJ Styles, are confronted by the Viking Raiders and Valhalla, and Styles ducks out of the way so there’s an even six-person brawl, and The O.C. quickly wins it … and Styles delivers a Phenomenal Forearm for good measure
  • Road Dogg (Raw) and Shawn Michaels (SmackDown) hit the stage to make the fourth and final round of WWE Draft picks for the night
  • Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre are interviewed after being selected for SmackDown but get challenged for their titles before they leave NXT
  • Shinsuke Nakamura is asked about heading to Raw but gets laid out by Karrion Kross
  • Heyman says he and Solo aren’t going out to the ring because the Tribal Chief wants the spotlight on The Usos, but he’s been acting sus all night
  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn def. The Usos by pinfall to retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship

WWE SmackDown preview: WWE Draft Night One, tag team title rematch

The WWE Draft begins, and a big rematch sees The Usos try to win back the tag team titles.

It feels like everyone’s talking about the draft: who got picked, Will Levis sitting in the green room all night, and … What’s that? You say that was the NFL Draft? Oh dear.

Well good news, everyone! The WWE Draft is actually getting underway tonight on SmackDown. And just like its football counterpart, the pro wrestling version is set to have its fair share of intrigue thanks to the draft lists released for each night.

There will be other things tonight on SmackDown as well, so let’s look at the top three reasons to watch the show from Corpus Christi, Texas.

Where will Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns go on Night One of the WWE Draft?

This stands out as the biggest question from the first night. Cody Rhodes is slated to face Brock Lesnar in less than two weeks at Backlash, but his real goal is to “finish the story” and defeat Roman Reigns. For the best storytelling possibilities, they need to end up on the same show. Since both are on the draft list for SmackDown, we’ll see if that ends up the case tonight.

The Usos get their rematch against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn

The Usos won’t learn their WWE Draft fate until Raw. But it’s possible they won’t want to go to the same show as their Bloodline brethren if they fail to reclaim the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship from Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn on Friday night. They dedicated their match to the Tribal Chief, and as Zayn reminded them, if they don’t win … oh boy.

With Rhea Ripley looming, Zelina Vega takes on Sonya Deville

Zelina Vega is shooting her shot at Backlash, taking on the toughest possible challenge by trying to dethrone SmackDown Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley. She might want to have the LWO on standby to watch her back tonight, because Sonya Deville is likely to have tag team partner Chelsea Green watching hers.

WWE SmackDown airs at 8 p.m. ET tonight on Fox, and we’ll have live results for both the show and the WWE Draft here on Wrestling Junkie.

WWE SmackDown results: Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez retain Tag Team Championship

Did Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez make it through their first title defense to remain WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions?

Liv Morgan seems more excitable than ever prior to this title defense. Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green want the fans to … uh, be nicer to them, and they mock Liz for looking “thirsty.” You know, because they threw water on her last week.

The champs probably don’t need extra motivation as they fire out of the gate and set to work destroying Deville. Michael Cole and Wade Barrett discuss whether the challengers’ complaining actually led to the opportunity they are taking advantage of tonight. Perhaps.

The challengers celebrate a bit too early after wiping out Rodriguez on the floor and get landed on by Morgan. She tries to cover Green back in the ring but only gets two.

Green hits a nice Russian leg sweep off the middle turnbuckle and gets her own near fall on Morgan. Liv looks to be in big trouble, especially as the heels are doing a great job distracting the ref and taking liberties.

Raquel eventually gets the hot tag and tears through the challengers, nailing a fallaway slam and a corkscrew elbow on Green for another two count. She wants a superplex on Deville and gets it; Morgan nails Green with a missile dropkick and pretty much everyone is down on the mat.

Rodriguez wipes out Deville with a big boot to the face, and Morgan pours water on Green. Raquel helps Liv with her pin, meaning the ref caught the heels cheating and not them, which makes Barrett livid.

Click here for full WWE SmackDown results from Columbus.

WWE SmackDown preview: Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez face first title defense

Two title matches are on the card for this week’s WWE SmackDown in Columbus.

It’s a busy, busy time of year for sports what with the NBA Playoffs and NHL Playoffs underway and MLB in full swing, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find two hours in there for WWE SmackDown, right? Fans in Columbus certainly will, as the show originates from Ohio’s state capital tonight.

Here are the top three things to watch for on this April Friday.

Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez face a title challenge from Chelsea Green, Sonya Deville

We really wish Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville had officially been dubbed The Complaint Department, but alas. The duo has only been together for a few weeks but they mesh well personality wise and are finding their chemistry in the ring too.

Whether that’s enough to dethrone Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez, making their first defense of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, remains to be seen. The guess here is no but stranger things can and do happen on SmackDown.

Xavier Woods goes for gold against Gunther

Is it fair that Xavier Woods is seen as the least serious member of The New Day? Probably not, which is why it’s always fun to see him getting a push in serious mode.

WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther already said he sees Woods as a “goof,” so Xavier will be trying to change that opinion in a hurry by beating him in a title match on SmackDown. And hey, we already know the Back Woods is the most unstoppable finishing move in WWE, so maybe he’s got a chance!

Braun Strowman and Ricochet want payback against the Viking Raiders

No one likes getting jumped backstage. It’s a bad look and it’s painful. So Braun Strowman and Ricochet are none too happy that the Viking Raiders did exactly that to them last week.

Settle it in the ring? Strowman and Ricochet will look to do that tonight in Columbus.

WWE Raw results: Brock laughs, Trish confesses, and a bargain breaks down

Find out what happened as The Judgment Day battled Matt Riddle, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn in the main event.

When you’re a WWE legend, sometimes you just do whatever you want and you don’t have to gives your reasons why until after the fact. That’s an idea that’s relevant to two of the big subplots for tonight’s episode of WWE Raw from North Little Rock.

First, there’s Brock Lesnar. Cody Rhodes actually thought he was going to tag up to face the Bloodline together, and why not? Lesnar certainly has no love for Roman Reigns, and besides, this was Cowboy Brock. The guy with the big hat and the bigger smile. Surely, Cody could trust him.

As it turned out, not so much. Rhodes shifted naturally from disappointment (and pain) to seeking some payback, and challenged Lesnar to a match at Backlash. Tonight should give us an inkling about whether he’s going to accept.

It was ever so slightly less shocking when Trish Stratus assaulted Becky Lynch after they lost the tag team titles together — or rather, Stratus lost the belts that didn’t even belong to her — because, well, Trish has done this before. But whether The Man really thought Stratus was her ride or die or not, what’s done is done, and now Trish is supposedly going to tell the WWE Universe why she did what she did.

Oh, and Becky says she won’t be there, but we shall see.

Also on tap for tonight, Austin Theory takes on Bobby Lashley in a battle of old enemies, and The Miz faces Seth Rollins as he continues to try to wash the memory of losing to Snoop Dogg away. Sorry, Miz, not going to happen as long as video exists.

You can catch all this and more starting at 8 p.m. ET on USA, when we’ll also be watching and updating this post with live WWE Raw results as they happen. See you then.

WWE Raw results in 90 seconds:

  • The Bloodline has a short team deal with The Judgment Day to take care of each others’ problems, very Acts of Vengeance of them
  •  Solo Sikoa def. Rey Mysterio by pinfall
  • Maxxine Dupri and Chad Gable continue to battle for the time and attention of Otis
  • Bianca Belair def. Dakota Kai by pinfall
  • A replay is shown of Brock Lesnar’s sneak attack on Cody Rhodes two weeks ago
  • A Bronson Reed vignette tries to convince us he’s Mr. Nice Guy
  • The Judgment Day gets a visit from Paul Heyman, who says it’s their turn to take care of business, and they insist they handle theirs
  • Cody Rhodes is dressed for a fight, but the only one he gets tonight is with about 20 security guards as Adam Pearce won’t let him get at Brock Lesnar
  • Seth Rollins def. The Miz by pinfall
  • Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens and Matt Riddle try to get on the same page ahead of their main event match, and a more serious Riddle eventually wins them over … or Sami, anyway
  • A video package takes us back through Trish Stratus’ turn on Becky Lynch
  • Bobby Lashley vs. Austin Theory ends abruptly as Reed attacks Lashley, finishing with a Tusnami
  • Stratus says Lynch didn’t give Trish her flowers, so she had to take out Lita and cost The Man everything
  • Backstage and back in his suit, Rhodes says he’s “ecstatic” to be wrestling Lesnar at Backlash, but he’s also confused about what went down tonight
  • Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville def. Candice LeRae and Michin by pinfall
  • The Usos taunt the LWO for stepping up and getting sat back down
  • Matt Riddle, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn def. The Judgment Day (Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio and Finn Balor) by pinfall, and the LWO arrives to neutralize the Bloodline in the show-ending brawl

Please scroll down for full details on every match and major non-match segment.