Tag: The Creed Brothers

WWE Raw results 04/15/24: Rhea vacates, Sami retains, Gable snaps

Sami Zayn won in front of his hometown fans on WWE Raw in Montreal, but Chad Gable wasn’t willing to let his defeat go.

Nothing makes an otherwise ordinary start to a week in pro wrestling turn sober faster than unexpected injury news, and that unfortunately is the case for tonight’s episode of WWE Raw in Montreal.

Earlier today, a report from PWInsider emerged that Rhea Ripley had been injured during her backstage brawl segment with Liv Morgan last week. Other outlets like Fightful have since confirmed that Ripley is indeed injured, but what isn’t clear is whether she will have to vacate her Women’s World Championship.

If she does, that heavily suggests she’ll be out of action for an extended period of time. If not, she might be back sooner than feared. But either way, since Ripley was promoted to be on tonight’s show to address Morgan’s attack, the expectation is that Liv will be blamed (or credited, if you’re on her side) with putting Ripley on the shelf for storyline purposes.

It’s an unfortunate situation, to be sure, and yet it could work out for the best in the long run. Morgan seems like more of a badass for being able to step to Mami like that — while in real life, her heart surely goes out to Ripley given her own bad luck with injuries — and Rhea will be just as over when she returns.

The other big thing to watch tonight is the Intercontinental Championship match between new champ Sami Zayn and the man who trained him to help win it, Chad Gable. The thought is that Gable will play it straight and fall short tonight, leading to him snapping and turning heel for an extended program with Zayn that probably leads to a title rematch at Backlash.

Finding out is why we watch. We’ll be doing that, so follow along with us if you will.

WWE Raw results from Montreal:

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

  • Various stars are shown entering the arena, including Sami Zayn, Damian Priest, Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso
  • Rhea Ripley has her arm in a sling and gives the fans the news they’ve dreaded: She’ll have to say goodbye to her Women’s World Championship as she spends months recuperating from injury
  • Ripley gets a group hug from The Judgment Day and some words of encouragement from Damian Priest, then tells them to keep the group on top and look after Dominik Mysterio
  • Sheamus def. Ivar by pinfall
  • A lengthy hype video plays up Sami Zayn’s Intercontinental Championship victory at WrestleMania and his title defense tonight
  • Triple H is in the house to present Awesome Truth with their new World Tag Team Championship belts
  • #DIY def. The Creed Brothers and The New Day to become No. 1 contenders for the World Tag Team Championship
  • Jackie Redmond is surprised that Drew McIntyre is laughing after watching what CM Punk did to him last week, but that smile goes away fast and the Scottish Warrior takes his wrath out on a TV monitor
  • Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell def. Ivy Nile and Maxxine Dupri by pinfall, with Hartwell showing the first signs of following the rule-breaking path LeRae has been trying to get her to take
  • A lengthy hype video plays to promote Priest; afterward, he psyches up the team and trues to motivate both Dominik and Finn Balor, who is questioning his match with Jey Uso tonight but ends up smiling
  • Redmond talks to Chad Gable, who runs down his experience with hostile crowds and says he won’t be intimidated by Zayn’s hometown advantage tonight
  • Andrade def. Dominik Mysterio by pinfall; after the match. JD McDonagh helps Dom with a two-on-one beating until Ricochet comes to even the odds and chase off the heels
  • Cathy Kelley asks Jey Uso about Tama Tonga and his attack on Jimmy Uso, and he questions adding “members we don’t even know” while also saying he needs to concentrate on Balor tonight
  • Chelsea Green and Piper Niven def. Katana Chance and Kayden Carter by pinfall
  • Kelley speaks with Morgan, who says she’s confused that people are mad at her, as no one had that reaction to Ripley when she injured Liv’s shoulder: “This is karma at it’s very finest, so Rhea got exactly what she deserved”; this also isn’t the end of the Liv Morgan Revenge Tour as she still needs to become champion again
  • And now, a word from our champion, Cody Rhodes, who reflects on WrestleMania and offers to watch Jey Uso’s back, though Jey says he needs to do things himself tonight
  • Kelley talks to Nia Jax about the Rhea situation, and as you might expect, she’s not too sympathetic and says that the title is hers
  • Jey Uso def. Finn Balor by pinfall; after the bell, Uso is assaulted by The Judgment Day but manages to escape into the stands and up the stairs toward the concourse, where he high-fives a bunch of people (and shoves one aside) …
  • … then he runs into Sami Zayn on his way to the ring, encouraging him to get it tonight as he defends his title
  • While Gable is on his way out, Bronson Reed stops him and says no matter who wins, that person will have to answer to “Big” Bronson Reed
  • Sami Zayn def. Chad Gable by pinfall to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship
  • Zayn lays his title belt down in the middle of the ring and asks Gable to meet him there, then heads to the corner instead; Zayn offers a hand to lift Gable, who initially seems to accept the show of respect, but then waits until Zayn is in front of his wife to attack the champ, battering him around ringside and the apron and wrapping an ankle lock on Sami around the top turnbuckle as Raw goes off the air

Rhea Ripley does, indeed, have to vacate her title

Though she is greeted warmly by the fans in Montreal, Ripley looks unhappy and says everyone knows what’s going on right now, yeah? She says she’s been told she’s “stuck on the bench” for months, and that she must vacate the Women’s World Championship, which gets a “bulls–t” chant going.

Rhea says the title is what means the most to her, which makes this even more painful. Ripley also delivers a warning: When she comes back, she’s coming back for blood, and when she finds Liv Morgan, they’re going to have to lock her up in a Montreal jail.

She won’t have to wait long, as a cackling Morgan comes out and a swarm of security guards emerges at the direction of Adam Pearce to keep them separated. One security guard takes some of Mami’s wrath, but that’s that.

No longer Raw champions, Awesome Truth are now World Tag Team Champions

“You guys are on fire tonight, I gotta tell you that,” the WWE CCO says to the crowd in Montreal. He says it was only a few days ago we were in the midst of the biggest WrestleMania of all time, one that gave us two sets of tag team champions.

To that end, he and Adam Pearce summon the Awesome Truth. Triple H congratulates them R-Truth and The Miz for making history, then tells Truth it was awesome to see him have his WrestleMania moment.

But to represent this brand and a new era, they need to do it in a new way. They will now be known as the World Tag Team Champions and are shown their spiffy new title belts. R-Truth thinks Triple H is a magician and suggests Little Jimmy used to be visible until a magic accident.

Much confusion on Truth’s part follows, especially about who Triple H is, but the CCO finally hits his limit and hands Awesome Truth their new title belts. Pearce then reveals there’s going to be a Triple Threat match to find them No. 1 contenders.

Cody Rhodes reflects, offers to watch Jey Uso’s back

Rhodes kicks things off by thanking Adam Pearce for letting him hang around Raw when he’s technically a SmackDown superstar. He reminds us all that at Backlash, he’ll defend his title against either LA Knight or AJ Styles, but before that, he wants to reflect a little bit.

There’s one man in particular he wants to shout out, and it’s the man who said he would be Cody’s shield, Seth “Freakin'” Rollins. Rhodes also talks about The Rock and says it was news to him that he did a 12-week training camp, stating that the Final Boss has a lot more than one more match left in him. Cody adds that The Rock is probably right about making him bleed again, but no amount of training can stop the fact that if he bleeds, The Rock will bleed with him.

One thing he’s confused about is the introduction of Tama Tonga to The Bloodline with Roman Reigns nowhere to be found. His last bit of reflection is to bring someone out to the ring, Main Event Jey Uso.

Rhodes offers to have Jey’s back for his match with Finn Balor, knowing that The Judgment Day usually rolls as a group. Jey appreciates that but says he has to do it on his own.

Cody says he totally understands and wishes Jey good luck, “until we yeet again.” Cody’s words, not mine.

Sami Zayn digs down deep to defeat Chad Gable

Sami takes some time to drink in the reaction from his hometown fans once he gets his in-ring intro from Samantha Irvin. Michael Cole says there are “many ghosts in this building” for Zayn, the biggest of which was being defeated by Roman Reigns while competing for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship.

The announcers discuss how Gable claims he knows all of Zayn’s weaknesses while he’s taking it to Sami on the outside. The champ’s rally includes a springboard moonsault to the floor, which gets the fans to reach another level as commercials arrive.

We return to see Zayn going for a ride courtesy of a Gable Olympic slam off the top rope, and Sami’s wife is shown with her hands over her mouth after that. Zayn takes two German suplexes before firing back with two of his own.

They trade one more German each before Zayn wins a battle of standing switches for one last suplex, this time with a release that sees Gable land a bit awkwardly on his neck.

Sami has just a tad of blood on his face as he hits an Exploder, but his Helluva Kick attempt is countered with an ankle lock. Gable tries to fly off the top but is caught and powerbombed by Zayn, who is thinking Sharpshooter but seeds his ankle give out.

Gable hits a release German suplex into the buckles, then wins a series of counters to drag Zayn back into the center of the ring for another ankle lock. Sami rolls through and nearly wins it.

Another Exploder sets up the Helluva Kick, and Zayn crawls over Gable to score the very popular pinfall.

WWE Raw results 03/18/24: The Man takes flight to be Last Woman Standing

This week on WWE Raw, Becky Lynch outlasted Nia Jax, Cody Rhodes spit fire at The Rock, and Sami Zayn questioned himself.

Becky Lynch doesn’t do tune-up matches. She only does big time bouts even while on the Road to WrestleMania, and she’s got another one tonight on WWE Raw in Raleigh.

See, there’s something that just doesn’t sit right with The Man about Nia Jax. It’s not just that Jax beat Lynch clean earlier this year, though that’s definitely a big part of it.

The rest has to do with Lynch trying to prove she’s the best at what she does when she faces Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 40. How can she claim to be the top dog if she can’t first say definitively she’s better than Jax?

Becky would tell you she can’t. That’s why we’ve ended up with a Last Woman Standing match less than three weeks out from Philadelphia. It should be really fun, and there’s definitely a chance that Liv Morgan gets involved as well. What would that mean for the Showcase of the Immortals? We’ll find out soon enough.

The other big thing on tonight’s Raw is getting more teams into the Six-Pack Ladder Match for the men’s tag team titles at WrestleMania. There are three qualifying matches on the card this evening, and the one we’ve really got our eye on is #DIY vs. The Creed Brothers. Honestly seems like both teams would be great to have in the title match, so we’re not sure which way this one will go.

Oh, and there’s going to be a contract signing between Gunther and Sami Zayn, so if you’re one of the people still holding out hope that Chad Gable works his way into a Triple Threat situation, this would be the time.

We’re pumped for this Raw, one of only three left before WrestleMania. Let’s get into it.

WWE Raw results from Raleigh:

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

  • Jey Uso has a discussion with Jimmy Uso, then gets assistance from Cody Rhodes to fight off an attack from Jimmy and Solo Sikoa
  • A hype video is shown for the Last Woman Standing match, along with a shot of Becky on her way into the arena
  • Paul Heyman apologizes to Adam Pearce for Jimmy and Solo “going into business for themselves” and insists they did what they did on their own and Pearce has Roman Reigns’ word that they are gone; Heyman adds that he has official business to do and that “everyone is going to be caught off guard”

  • #DIY def. The Creed Brothers by pinfall in a WrestleMania Tag Team Qualifying Match
  • The Judgment Day talks to Andrade, who will get a chance to impress them next week; Damian Priest chastises JD McDonagh for not winning the Gauntlet match, but somehow it now falls on Dominik Mysterio to get some shine back by defeating Ricochet tonight
  • Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell def. Katana Chance and Kayden Carter by submission, with LeRae taking advantage of a knee “injury” to Chance and exploiting it to get the victory
  • The Rock Concert segment from SmackDown is shown
  • Cody Rhodes has some venom for The Rock tonight, and does some negotiating of sorts with Heyman
  • Nia Jax says Becky Lynch has never beaten her, and when that proves true again, Nia plans on taking her spot at WrestleMania
  • Jey Uso offers to watch Cody’s back if needed on SmackDown, though Rhodes also says he gave his word he’d show up alone
  • Ricochet def. Dominik Mysterio by pinfall, with McDonagh unable to help Dom win or successfully ambush Ricochet after the final bell
  • Sami Zayn finds Chad Gable and expresses his respect for Gable, but they end up having a disagreement over Chad’s “it just means more” mantra before Gable suggests that Zayn “can’t beat Gunther”
  • The Sami Zayn-Gunther contract signing turns into a referendum on self-belief
  • Awesome Truth gets a pep talk from #DIY before heading out to face Indus Sher
  • The Awesome Truth def. Indus Sher by pinfall in a WrestleMania Tag Team Qualifying Match
  • Zayn demands to know why Gable said he can’t beat Gunther, and Chad tells him it’s because Sami waits for a window of opportunity to strike and will need to change his mentality to have any chance to win
  • Drew McIntyre is interrupted immediately by Seth Rollins, who poses an interesting question: Is Drew more like Seth than he’d care to admit?
  • Becky Lynch cuts a short promo ahead of her main event with Jax
  • The New Day def. Alpha Academy (Akira Tozawa and Otis) by pinfall in a WrestleMania Tag Team Qualifying Match
  • Liv Morgan stops by and tells Becky that Nia is all hers tonight — just make sure you kick her ass
  • Rollins checks in with Rhodes, who again insists he’s going to face Reigns solo on SmackDown
  • Becky Lynch def. Nia Jax in a Last Woman Standing Match
  • As Lynch takes a moment to compose herself after a hard-fought victory, she’s joined in the ring by Rhea Ripley, and the two stand eye to eye exchanging pleasantries as Raw goes off the air

Jey, Jimmy Uso talk WrestleMania, and Cody Rhodes ensures there’s no Bloodline ambush

Pat McAfee is already tired from participating in the Yeetdown. Michael Cole mentions that it will be only the third time that it’s brother vs. brother at WrestleMania. Jey says he knows The Bloodline is in the building and asks big brother Jimmy where he’s at.

Jimmy comes through the crowd, side by side with Solo Sikoa. But Solo stands outside the ring, allowing Jey and Jimmy to come face to face. Jey says regardless of what’s happened and the bad blood, he misses his twin.

Jey asks Jimmy to come back, but Jimmy insists he never left. After running down all the things Jey’s done since going to Raw, he claims the biggest moment of his career is because of … Jimmy.

Jey says nah, that his biggest career moment will be at WrestleMania 40 when he knocks the yeet out of his ass. Jey gets in the first shot, but Jimmy is able to land a superkick thanks to a distraction from Solo. it could be a two-on-one beatdown, but here comes Cody Rhodes, who chucks Jimmy aside and hits a Cody Cutter on Sikoa.

Cody Rhodes has some pointed insults for The Rock and negotiates a bit with Paul Heyman

Rhodes is dressed in all black tonight, perhaps a sign of what kind of headspace he’s in. Cody starts off by reminding us that in less than three weeks, he’s going to face the greatest champion in all of sports once again.

He’ll have a conversation with Roman Reigns on SmackDown about that, but there are complications, the biggest one being The Rock. Rhodes brings up The Rock referring to himself as our favorite heel and runs down some of the great heels he’s known.

“Rock, I don’t think you’re a heel … I think you’re an a–hole.”

Cody goes on to suggest that while The Rock made fun of him for crying, wasn’t The People’s Champ the one actually crying behind the scene? Accusing the people around him of being yes-men, Cody says that he’s lots of wonderful thing — but also a whiny bitch.

Saying it was fair game for The Rock to mention his mom, Cody also says he knows Rock’s mom. Rhodes says she’s wonderful, deserving of respect just like his own mom should be since she wouldn’t be scared of The Rock.

Addressing WrestleMania, Cody admits he doesn’t know if Sunday will be Bloodline Rules or if he’ll finish the story. But how can The Rock be so sure of himself? After all, he hasn’t been in the ring for years. Final Boss? Rhodes says maybe he’ll only be “Roman’s side chick.”

That brings out an angry Paul Heyman, who apologizes for his previous apology because it was dumb. Rhodes invites Heyman into the ring, but he says he’s cool on the apron and has a message from Reigns: When Reigns and Rhodes are face to face on SmackDown, no other members of The Bloodline will be present except for Paul.

Cody likes what he hears and says “Deal.” But Heyman says he forgot one crucial point. Namely, that Rhodes has to show up alone to SmackDown too. “Deal.”

Sami Zayn and Gunther make it official for WrestleMania, but does Sami believe in himself?

Adam Pearce is in the ring with the usual contract signing setup, summoning Zayn first and then Gunther. The Ring General mocks Sami for dressing like any slob from the crowd, to which Zayn takes offense at the feeling that Gunther doesn’t think he can win their match.

Sami angrily signs on the dotted line, but Gunther just wants to make fun of hic challenger a little more, questioning whether he even believes he can win. He smiles as he signs too and prepares to leave. But Zayn tells him to wait and tells Gunther to look into his eyes before storming off.

Is Drew McIntyre more like Seth Rollins than he cares to admit to himself?

McIntyre can’t be pleased that he’s immediately interrupted by the arrival of Rollins before he even makes it down the ramp. Mind games are fair play on the Road to WrestleMania, though.

They both end up in the ring, where Seth claims he has something to get off his chest. He admits he’s a spotlight junkie in the manner of people introducing themselves at AA meetings. “Spotlight junkie” chants break out in response.

An exasperated McIntyre says Rollins has become a parody of himself, but the only punchline is going to be when Drew beats him for the title at WrestleMania. McIntyre also mocks the “CM Punk” chant, at which point Rollins interjects and says none of this is a joke to him.

The World Heavyweight Champion says he’s been doing this for a while and it gets better every time. He wants the spotlight as bright as it can possibly be, which surprisingly gets McIntyre’s approval … except for the finish.

“You had me until you mentioned the big spotlight,” Drew says, yelling that it should only be the work they’ve done that matters. Rollins’ priorities are all screwed up, he insists, and that means McIntyre won’t get the moment he deserves — he’ll get the moment he earned.

Seth retorts that Drew is a spotlight junkie just as much as he is, motivated by the fact that his previous title run was in front of no fans. The problem is that when the lights got bright again, McIntyre fumbled the ball. At WrestleMania 40, Seth suggests, Drew will discover he’s not as good as he thinks he is.

Becky Lynch takes to the air to defeat Nia Jax in a Last Woman Standing Match

Lynch looks like she wants to try to end it early, taking it to Jax in and out of the ring. Pat McAfee says he thought the strategy would be opposite, and perhaps he has a point as Jax starts taking over on the outside. They slug it out as the match goes to its first commercial break.

Michael Cole reminds us the only way to win is to keep your opponent down for a count of 10. Jax is busy getting out a table and a ton of chairs, but Lynch is recovering and uses a chair on Nia as she climbs back in the ring.

Jax hits a Samoan Drop back onto a pile of chairs, and McAfee thinks that’s it. Narrator: It was not it.

The crowd wants tables but Lynch is busy applying a sleeper, then pivoting into a bulldog onto a chair. The ref counts to about six, then Lynch tries coming off the top rope and takes a chair to the gut.

Jax is feeling good as Lynch struggles to get back up, eating more chair shots when she does. Jax sits right on top of her on a chair, but a kendo stick is within reach for The Man, and she goes to town with that, sending Jax to the floor.

Nia recovers quickly and picks up the steps to use as a weapon. But she misses when trying a legdrop on the apron, then gets dropped on the steps. The ref gets to six, so Lynch smashes her face into the steps again. The fans roar their approval as Becky gets out a table right as more ads arrive.

There’s now a ladder set up when the broadcast returns, but Lynch is able to blind Jax with a blast from a fire extinguisher. Somehow she’s still able to stagger back into the ring and hit Lynch with a Samoan Drop that drives The Man through a table.

Jax hits an Annihilator too, and the ref starts to count. Lynch rolls out of the ring at eight, landing on her feet to break the count. Jax eyes the table on the floor, but Lynch wriggles free of a Samoan Drop and hits a Manhandle Slam through the table instead.

The ref counts but both women make it up; Jax just barely. Seeing she needs to do something spectacular to win it, Lynch scales the ladder and drives Jax through the announce table with a legdrop. The ref counts, and this time not even Jax is getting up.

WWE Raw results 02/05/24: Cody wins, but is Drew in the ‘Mania mix now too?

Gunther has a new challenger, and nothing was really resolved with Cody Rhodes and WrestleMania on WWE Raw this week.

It’s not easy to get more popular when you’re already the top face in the top wrestling promotion. Yet that very well might apply to Cody Rhodes, who will be front and center during tonight’s episode of WWE Raw in St. Louis.

All it took was WWE putting The Rock, possibly because of a clause in his new deal to join the TKO board, in position to face Roman Reigns at WrestleMania. You know, the spot that was going to allow Rhodes to finish his story, the one that he earned by beating 29 other competitors in the Royal Rumble.

That one.

So now the American Nightmare, already very over with the fans, has the sympathy factor going for him too. To be fair, there are also a lot of people who really do want to see The Rock vs. Roman at WrestleMania. Some of those people are also Rhodes supporters, though, and they didn’t want to see it come about this way.

But hey, there are still two months to WrestleMania, so who knows what could happen until then? What we do know is that tonight, building off something that happened at a house show over the weekend, Rhodes will face Shinsuke Nakamura in a Bull Rope match. What’s better for getting out some frustration than being tied together with one of your enemies by a rope and then using it to beat them with it?

Well don’t look at us, we’ve never been in a match like this. We’d expect the answer is “probably nothing.”

Whether you’re part of the “WHOA movement” or just want to see what happens next in the ongoing drama that is WWE, come along on this ride that is Raw tonight.

WWE Raw results from St. Louis:

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

  • That ending from SmackDown is shown again, with The Rock making his appearance after Cody Rhodes told Roman Reigns he wasn’t coming for him at WrestleMania
  • Seth Rollins calls out Cody Rhodes for a WrestleMania answer, but Drew McIntyre spoils their conversation
  • #DIY def. The Creed Brothers, The New Day and Imperium, and will go to SmackDown to face Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate with the winner of that match earning a tag team title shot
  • Shayna Baszler says the last Elimination Chamber match she was in didn’t go the way she wanted, but she gets Becky Lynch tonight without having to jump through any hoops; Lynch is shown as well, saying her future is on the line in this match
  • Becky Lynch def. Shayna Baszler by pinfall in an Elimination Chamber qualifier
  • Liv Morgan talks about the long time she spent out with injury and how badly she needs to earn her place in Elimination Chamber to start on the path to revenge against Rhea Ripley
  • Adam Pearce warns McIntyre that he’s close to being fined for his behavior, and both men look surprised that Ripley is on her way out to the ring
  • Rhea Ripley wants Nia Jax, and gets her in two ways: a title match at Elimination Chamber and a scrap right now, which Nia wins definitively
  • A video package is shown of Bayley getting betrayed by Damage CTRL and challenging IYO SKY at WrestleMania
  • Ivar and Valhalla def. Akira Tozawa and Maxxine Dupri by pinfall
  • The Judgment Day says Ripley will be alright but gets joined by R-Truth, and eventually Damian Priest just gives up and tells him to make himself at home
  • Jackie Redmond talks to The Miz about Truth’s situation
  • The Miz def. JD McDonagh by pinfall, in large part because JD gets distracted by Truth giving him a cut of t-shirt sales during the match, and yes that is really what happened
  • A hype video promotes Katana Chance and Kayden Carter and their attempt to reclaim the tag team titles tonight
  • Imperium insists to Pearce that everything must be perfect for Gunther tonight, and as they leave, the GM makes his offer to Bron Breakker
  • A video package checks in on CM Punk as he deals with surgery and his recovery
  • Gunther celebrates 600 days as Intercontinental Champion by getting a new potential challenger: Jey Uso
  • Shinsuke Nakamura scoffs at the idea that a Bull Rope match gives Rhodes an advantage tonight, promising to beat Cody in the match his own family made famous
  • The Kabuki Warriors def. Katana Chance and Kayden Carter by pinfall to retain the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship
  • Sami Zayn sat down with Redmond earlier today to discuss thinking back to this same time a year ago, when he was preparing to face Roman Reigns at Elimination Chamber; Zayn says Triple H pulled him aside after losing to Reigns and told him not to be down, comparing Sami to Rocky, and he says he’s gone beyond underdog to contender
  • Cody Rhodes def. Shinsuke Nakamura by pinfall in a Bull Rope match
  • Right after the bell, McIntyre attacks Rhodes, leaving him looking at the lights with the WrestleMania XL sign in the background as Raw goes off the air
Image credit: WWE.com

Seth Rollins wants an answer from Cody Rhodes, but Drew McIntyre wants to get in his two cents

Michael Cole makes sure to point out that the World Heavyweight Champion is wearing a brace on his left leg. It doesn’t affect the pop he gets, as he points out.

Rollins antagonizes the crowd just a bit, and when it appears they want Cody, he says he does too, inviting the American Nightmare to join him. It’s an enormous reaction for him, as you might expect, and when he asks what everyone wants to talk about, there’s a “Rocky sucks” chant and Cole asks if it’s 1996 again.

Seth says he understands what Cody is going through but needs answers, and he stands by the words he said when he called the World Heavyweight Championship the most prestigious title in the sport. More than that, Rollins says he needs to know if he’s the best, and the only way to do that is to test himself again the best … meaning Cody.

“Are you gonna fight me at WrestleMania?” But Rollins gets no answer, as Drew McIntyre decides to join the party. The Scottish Warrior says he was supposed to be talking to Rollins about their main event match at WrestleMania and implores Rhodes to finish the story.

Rollins is sort of bewildered, wondering why McIntyre thinks he’ll get a shot at the world title if Rhodes refuses. Drew at least compliments Seth for making his championship the workhorse title and contrasts him with Roman Reigns and The Bloodline.

Rhodes wants to say something but is hushed as McIntyre says it’s time for him to take the title form here, smacking the champ after he does. Cody snaps into action and hammers Drew right back, but the Scottish Warrior only grins as he retreats back up the ramp.

Image credit: WWE.com

Rhea Ripley should be careful what she wishes for with Nia Jax

The Women’s World Champion hardly sounds like a heel as she gets cheers while storming to the ring. Ripley makes it clear in no uncertain terms that she wants to rip Nia Jax’s bloody head off, but Adam Pearce heads down the ramp and says we aren’t doing this right now.

Pearce is giving Rhea what she wants … but at Elimination Chamber, where they will battle over the title. Much to Pearce’s dismay, Jax makes a beeline for the ring, getting the best of Ripley in a scrap that security can’t stop, and delivering the Annihilator to boot.

Image credit: WWE.com

Gunther’s celebration is crashed by a new contender … Yeet!

The Ring General says it’s to the surprise of absolutely nobody that he’s standing in the ring commemorating 600 days as champion. He tells Ludwig Kaiser that he appreciates the effort Imperium gave to putting this together but doesn’t want anything like this going forward — because it’s a given that he’s the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time.

Gunther says his problem now is he’s running out of competition. That boast is answered by some familiar entrance music as Jey Uso makes his way to the ring.

The champ admits he’s not surprised to see Jey after he eliminated Uso from the Royal Rumble but is irritated at the apparent disrespect. Jey says there’s no disrespect as he knows the work Gunther put in.

Gunther replies that Uso is one of the most decorated tag team wrestlers of all time and holds the record for longest tag team reign. The best part is he only had to put in 50% of the work for it.

Uso is unfazed as he has the crowd going “Yeet” behind him, though Gunther continues to taunt him for only now stepping out of his family’s shadow. He says he’ll beat Jey worse than his family ever did, and that Jey will wish he’s back in the says where people couldn’t tell him and his brother apart.

That leads to an attack by Jey, and when the 3-on-1 odds quickly turn against him, The New Day runs down to make things even and chase the heels away.

Image credit: WWE.com

The Kabuki Warriors ensure they’re the ones partying by fending off Katana Chance and Kayden Carter

Can the C&C tag team factory win their titles back? Asuka seems like she’s in no mood for it, running over Chance and berating her as she continues her assault. The Empress of Tomorrow also laughs after getting slapped and goes right back to trying to bully Chance.

Katana manages to roll up Asuka for a two count, then tags her partner to take the fight to the floor. Carter boosts Chance into a leaping move on the outside, and the challengers look good as commercials arrive.

The champs are still in control after the break, though the announcers note that both the Kabuki Warriors are taped up after Bayley lit into them with a metal pipe on SmackDown. Chance tags in and uses her speed to keep Kairi Sane flustered, then stomps away in the corner.

Sane eats a knee and a double stomp on the back of the neck but kicks out at two. Carter tags in and helps her teammate deliver the Afterparty, but a save is made to prevent a three count.

The champs want the Keg Stand, but Sane drags Carter out to the floor to stop it, and Kairi follows with the Insane Elbow to ensure the champs retain.

Image credit: WWE.com

Cody Rhodes gets some measure of relief with a Bull Rope match victory over Shinsuke Nakamura

Nakamura looks a bit perplexed by the rope, and instead of getting strapped in, he launches a sneak attack on Rhodes right before the bell rings. Shinsuke does get his hand in his end, and the two men slug it out with right hands before Cody finds and rings the bell in the middle of the rope. They fight to the outside and over the barricade as an early commercial break ensues.

It’s Nakamura pressing the attack in the corner, then choking Rhodes with his boot. Cody rolls out to the floor, then gets dragged hard into the apron, selling damage to his knee. Shinsuke drives a knee into the back of his foe’s neck inside the ring and covers for a near fall.

Rhodes’ rally leads to a Figure Four, much to the delight of the fans, but Nakamura manages to free himself right before the show’s last ad break.

We return to see another burst of offense from Rhodes and a near fall. Shinsuke responds by getting Cody seated in the ropes and kicking him in the back of the head.

It might be Kinshasa time, but Rhodes puts a stop to that thought with a Cody Cutter. Cody fires up with the help of the fans, and the two men trade shots in the middle of the ring. A Bionic Elbow connects, but Nakamura uses a kick to knock Rhodes down too.

Cody sees the Kinshasa coming again and is able to hit a Pedigree for a close two count. Even after being sprayed with the red mist, Cody is able to deliver a Cross Rhodes, but he puts his hands on his face in dismay as Shinsuke kicks out at two.

As Shinsuke tries again for a Kinshasa, Rhodes blocks it, uses the rope to crotch Nakamura, and hits a second Cross Rhodes that ends it.

WWE Raw results 12/18/23: Challengers go 1-for-2 in tag team title matches

See which set of tag team title challengers broke through on WWE Raw from Des Moines.

We’re nearly out of days in 2023, and tonight’s WWE Raw from Des Moines, Iowa very well could be the last live televised show of the year. And with that being the case, why not finish strong?

It looks like we might have exactly that kind of card tonight, with three championships on the line. One is a rematch between Gunther and The Miz for the Ring General’s Intercontinental Championship. Miz has shown the drive and form to work himself back for a second shot, but as many have found out, standing up to Gunther and defeating him are two very different propositions.

Both the men’s and women’s tag team titles are also at stake in Des Moines. In both cases, there are up and coming teams looking to prove they’ve truly arrived — The Creed Brothers and Kayden Carter and Katana Chance. Can one or both duos succeed and claim their first main roster gold?

Warm up your singing muscles, as we’ll see Seth Rollins get some microphone time tonight. The World Heavyweight Champion did some verbal jousting with CM Punk last week, but he’s got a (literally) bigger foe to worry about first in the form of a very focused Drew McIntyre. Rollins might not even make it past Jan. 1 with his title if he doesn’t keep his eye on the Scottish Warrior.

Last but not least, R-Truth has been an unexpectedly delightful monkey wrench thrown into The Judgment Day’s machine as of late. We’ll see if he can avoid taking a big ‘L’ in Iowa as he faces JD McDonagh in a Miracle on 34th Street Fight.

We’re looking forward to taking in all the action and recapping it right here for you, so let’s get to it.

WWE Raw results from Des Moines:

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

  • The Judgment Day is in the building … and so is R-Truth
  • R-Truth def. JD McDonagh by pinfall in a Miracle on 24th Street Fight
  • Kayden Carter and Katana Chance are feeling good ahead of their tag team title shot tonight
  • Becky Lynch can’t quite get Nia Jax to fight tonight but does get a taste of her power
  • Kofi Claus drops off a YEET shirt for #DIY, who give some props to The Miz before he gets a backstage interview to suggest he’s ready to finish what he started the first time he rattled Gunther
  • Gunther def. The Miz by pinfall to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship; according to the stipulation, Miz can’t challenge for this title again as long as Gunther holds it
  • The other members of Imperium congratulate Gunther, but he berates the whole year as a complete write-off for them, and says he expects them to grind and impress him for a few weeks while he takes a much deserved break; Kofi Claus also stops by to give Ludwig Kaiser some coal
  • Shinsuke Nakamura treats everyone to an atmospheric reading of “The American Nightmare Before Christmas,” but Cody Rhodes is unamused by the personal attacks it contains and attacks him, with their battle heading all the way from backstage to the ring before WWE officials can finally separate them
  • Chelsea Green and Piper Niven try to convince Adam Pearce to cancel their title match but fail; Bronson Reed stops by afterward to discuss Gunther’s next challenger
  • Kayden Carter and Katana Chance def. Chelsea Green and Piper Niven by pinfall to become the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions
  • Akira Tozawa surprises his Alpha Academy teammates by informing them he has a match with Ivar, and Chad Gable can only cringe at the thought
  • The new tag team champs get some props backstage before heading out to party, while some other tag teams (Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark, and Natalya and Tegan Nox, specifically) discuss how Carter and Chance
  • Ivar def. Akira Tozawa by pinfall
  • CM Punk’s decision to sign with Raw and subsequent showdown with Seth Rollins is replayed
  • Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre speak their minds, but one person takes it to a physical level
  • The Creed Brothers geek out a bit after Cody Rhodes wishes them good luck and says he hopes they win tonight
  • Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci beat up Kofi Claus, but Jey Uso hands out some “season’s yeetings” as payback, and Uso makes it clear he wants Kaiser in the ring
  • Jey Uso def. Ludwig Kaiser by pinfall
  • The Judgment Day tries to console McDonagh, and he’s not kicked out of the group, and Ripley tells Priest and Balor to take care of business tonight
  • Damian Priest and Finn Balor def. The Creed Brothers by pinfall to retain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship
Image credit: WWE.com

The Judgment Day still can’t quite convince R-Truth he’s not in the group

After Damian Priest tells us to all rise, Finn Balor congratulates The Creed Brothers on getting to the No. 1 contenders spot. But where it’s the biggest night of their life, it’s just another night at the office for the tag team champs.

Rhea Ripley delivers a warning to Ivy Nile and promises The Judgment Day will continue to run things in 2024, but Dominik Mysterio is interrupted by R-Truth. He didn’t know they were opening the show and thinks the beatdown he got last week was his initiation into the group, even though it hurt him physically and emotionally.

Since everyone is looking for a fight, Truth needs someone to beat up on, and the fans suggest JD McDonagh. He suggests a Miracle on 34th Street Fight, to which JD tells him it’s already been booked and it’s happening right now. Truth says there’s an added stipulation: It’s a Loser Leaves Judgment Day match.

Priest likes that idea, and even though Ripley does not, McDonagh seems like he’s fine with it.

Image credit: WWE.com

JD McDonagh has a Blue Christmas at the hands of R-Truth

The announcers debate whether there really is a stipulation in effect saying McDonagh has to leave The Judgment Day if he loses. He has some assistance from Dirty Dom to try to avoid finding out.

Truth delights the crowd by getting out a table, but McDonagh plays Scrooge by dropkicking him in short order. Dom trips Truth but ends up driving Truth’s head into his teammate’s groin, and Christmas trees and a fire extinguisher also come into play.

A flurry of offense by R-Truth has JD down, and a Five Knuckle Shuffle pays homage to John Cena. McDonagh ends up atop a table, and even when he escapes, Truth ends up almost accidentally driving him through it for the pinfall. Michael Cole is excited that JD is out, but we’ll see if he really is.

Image credit: WWE.com

Becky Lynch and Nia Jax are going to fight … but not tonight

Becky Lynch interrupts Nia Jax before she can even say a word, unimpressed that she’s out to announce she’s entering the Royal Rumble.

In response, Jax suggests that the reason they’ve never had a singles match is because everyone is scared Nia would destroy the “moneymaker of the company.” The Man disagrees, saying that Jax is the one who is scared and that she’s the one whose existence is owed to others.

To prove her wrong, why not fight right there? Jax calls for a ref and Michael Cole is excited, as are the fans. But you know what’s coming — Jax backs off, saying this will happen on her terms, and in her hometown of San Diego in two weeks on the Day 1 episode of Raw.

Jax is laughing as she turns to leave, but not for long as Lynch goes firing up the ramp to attack her. That goes poorly for The Man, though, as one right hand sends Becky to the ground.

Image credit: WWE.com

No shame in defeat as The Miz pushes Gunther to the limit

If Miz loses this, he can’t challenge again for this title as long as Gunther holds it. Those are high stakes.

The champ tries to bully Miz early on, smiling after he chops the challenger down. But Miz briefly grabs an ankle lock, suggesting he’s very much up for this, and Gunther has to wiggle over for a couple of rope breaks.

After Miz misses a swinging kick to the floor, Gunther greets him with a chop and powerbombs him on the apron. It’s still the champ in control after a commercial break as the fans try to rally The Miz.

Gunther is playing to the crowd as he continues his methodical attack, and Miz’s chest is showing numerous welts. The challenger finally connects on a running clothesline, but Gunther kicks him out of midair and tortures him on the top turnbuckle.

Finally a potential break as Miz ducks a chop and Gunther’s hand smacks the post before we go for more ads. Miz breaks out of a sleeperhold when we return, trying to continue working Gunther’s hand.

The champ can’t get a Boston Crab applied but switches to a reverse crossface; Miz breaks free and hits a DDT. Miz looks confident now, executing a tilt-a-whirl DDT for a two count.

A missile dropkick leads to a powerbomb, and the champ has his own near fall. Gunther flips Miz right over into a Boston Crab, and the crowd comes alive again as Miz makes it to the ropes for a break.

As Gunther tries to hammer Miz on his knees, the challenger smiles and waves him in. Miz comes close to stealing a win, then switches to a Skull Crushing Finale and getting very close to the three.

Will that be as close as Miz gets? Gunther hits a big punch and heads up top, fighting off the challenger for a second. Miz kicks Gunther in the hand and nails the Skull Crushing Finale off the second rope. But they don’t call him the Ring General for nothing, and Gunther uses Miz’s brief delay to roll out of the ring.

When they return to the ring, it’s powerbomb/clothesline/powerbomb for Gunther, and he stacks up his foe to finally bring it to a close.

Image credit: WWE.com

Let the party commence: Kayden Carter and Katana Chance are tag team champs

Niven has a serious power advantage against both of the challengers, so we’ll see if they can use their speed and teamwork to neutralize that. Piper manages to squash both of them with a corner bomb, but it’s only good for a near fall prior to commercials.

It’s Green taking the brunt of the punishment when the broadcast returns, especially when Niven accidentally lands on her. Carter nearly pins her and looks frazzled when it’s only two.

Carter and Green go to the top rope, but nothing huge ends up connecting and Chelsea ends up hitting a Famouser of sorts for two. Niven tags back in for a running senton on Carter, who is saved by Chance.

The challengers have Niven in some trouble with the Keg Stand, but Green saves her partner at the absolute last moment. Chelsea isn’t out of the woods, though, and she takes the Afterparty and can’t kick out. We’ve got new tag team champs, folks.

Image credit: WWE.com

Drew McIntyre doesn’t want any pity from Seth Rollins

Iowa’s own gets a warm welcome from the fans in Des Moines. Rollins says things are heating up around here, and that the little “confrontation” he had last week (with CM Punk) has him more motivated than ever. Seth says he’s planning for a big 2024, and that stars on Day 1 when he faces Drew McIntyre.

Speak of the devil … er, the Scottish Warrior. McIntyre joins Rollins in the ring but is warned to “tread lightly.” McIntyre says he isn’t there to fight but instead to say he’s proud of Rollins for standing up to Punk and telling him the truth. “And that, my friend, is a real leader.”

McIntyre says the last time he went home he wondered if the sacrifices he’s made were worth it, and that Rollins might understand it because his wife, Becky Lynch, is on the same journey far from home. Drew says he doesn’t want Seth’s title, he needs it so he can find out if all the sacrifices he’s made were worth it — and he’s willing to hurt Seth to get it.

Rollins says he wants to believe McIntyre but his actions and words haven’t lined up. He does respect Drew, however, because of the way he worked his way back into title contention after Crown Jewel. But what makes McIntyre think the outcome will be any different this time? Is it just the willingness to take shortcuts? Either way, Seth muses, Drew isn’t taking responsibility for his actions.

The champs says he pities McIntyre as a result, and that finally gets the Scottish Warrior to snap. A brief scuffle leads to Drew giving Seth an Alabama Slam on the steps, leaving Rollins grasping his left arm in pain.

Image credit: WWE.com

Damian Priest, Finn Balor squeak by The Creed Brothers to retain

The Creeds look bright to start, with Brutus in command after a quick commercial break. Balor is getting double teamed and not enjoying it, but Priest low bridges Julius and treats him to a clothesline.

Rhea Ripley is doing some distracting as well, but she gets dangerously close to getting taken out. The champs stay in control through another commercial break, so the question now is whether the Creeds have another rally in them.

Brutus makes it look like he does, showing off some impressive strength by suplexing Priest. Both sides make tags, but it’s Julius hurling Balor all over the place and following with a standing Shooting Star Press for two on Finn.

Is it Brutus Ball time? Priest says no as he intercepts. Julius and Balor both clothesline each other at once, and Ripley gets into it with Ivy Nile on the outside, paying for it by getting bounced off the apron.

Balor is in trouble again, taking the Brutus Ball, but Priest hustles to make the save. A dropkick prevents a South of Heaven, but Julius responds by flying to the floor to take out Priest.

All four men might figure into this finish; Priest takes the Brutus Ball, but Balor hits Julius with a Coup de Grace to the back as he covers. Amidst the commotion, Priest is able to hit Julius with a South of Heaven, covering to secure the win.

 

WWE Raw preview 12/18/23: 2 tag team title matches in Des Moines

Can either The Creed Brothers or Kayden Carter and Katana Chance win gold tonight on WWE Raw?

[anyclip-media thumbnail=”https://cdn5.anyclip.com/q_JRfYwBgv6pOedhxUKq/1702909698616_248x140_thumbnail.jpg” playlistId=”undefined” content=”PHNjcmlwdCBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vcGxheWVyLnBvcHRvay5jb20vYW55Y2xpcC13aWRnZXQvbHJlLXdpZGdldC9wcm9kL3YxL3NyYy9scmUuanMiIGRhdGEtYXI9IjE2OjkiIGRhdGEtcGxpZD0ib2ZwdXV1dGdsZjN1ZXozd2d6eWU2emxlbmI0ZmtzM3IiIHB1Ym5hbWU9IjE5OTgiIHdpZGdldG5hbWU9IjAwMTZNMDAwMDJVMEIxa1FBRl9NODMzMCI+Cjwvc2NyaXB0Pg==”][/anyclip-media]

We made it, folks. While WWE hasn’t officially announced it yet, the Christmas Day episode of Raw is expected to be a “Best of 2023” show, meaning tonight’s edition from Des Moines, Iowa will be the last live Raw of the year.

(And more than that, probably the last live televised WWE show of 2023, since the Dec. 22 SmackDown was taped last Friday and the Dec. 29 episode is likely to be pre-taped too.)

Happily, that doesn’t mean that WWE is just going to send 2023 out with nothing interesting happening.

Can The Creed Brothers ride their hot streak all the way to gold?

Calling The Creed Brothers impressive since they received their main roster callup would be a little bit of an understatement. They’ve defeated a number of more established teams, and their combination of power, athleticism and teamwork makes for good entertainment every time out.

The Creeds have even defeated two members of The Judgment Day, but let’s face it: They were the weakest duo you could make out of the four male members. It’s a different story altogether going for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship against Damian Priest and Finn Balor, and we’re not quite sure WWE thinks we fans are ready to believe the brothers can take down those two clean. We’ll find out tonight.

Will it be the ultimate party for Kayden Carter and Katana Chance?

WWE has followed some of the same blueprint it used for the Creeds with Kayden Carter and Katana Chance, albeit not spending quite as much time in doing it, establishing them as legitimate tittle threats with victories over several other teams. It would be fun to see them break through and win the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship if only because the titles have so rarely been held by an actual tag team as opposed to two singles wrestlers thrown together.

That goes for current champs Chelsea Green and Piper Niven too. Yet it’s hard to deny that Niven has come alive since she’s been paired with Green, who is a sparkplug that lights up any segment she’s in. Maybe WWE shouldn’t make a title change here right now, even if Carter and Chance deserve it at some point.

We’re set to recap all the action in this last live Raw of the year tonight at 8 p.m. ET, so join us back here at Wrestling Junkie at that time if you need a way to follow along.

WWE Raw results 12/11/23: CM Punk makes his choice, Seth Rollins isn’t crazy about it

Also tonight on WWE Raw from Cleveland, CM Punk tells the world where he’s signing.

The funny thing about revenge is that it getting it might not make you feel all the way better about what got you upset in the first place. That’s worth keeping in mind for Drew McIntyre as he gets a one-on-one match with Jey Uso tonight on WWE Raw from Cleveland.

If you’ve been watching WWE programming over the past few months, you’re familiar with McIntyre’s grievances. Headed for one of the biggest victories of his career, in front of friends and family at Clash at the Castle in the fall of 2022, the Scottish Warrior instead tasted bitter defeat thanks to The Bloodline.

You may also recall that Jey Uso was a member of said Bloodline.

Jey has made amends with most people since becoming one of the top fan favorites on Raw, but McIntyre — who arguably had the biggest and most understandable gripe of all — couldn’t forgive or forget. That truth has shaped all of his actions as of late.

The question now is whether Drew will feel like that void inside would be filled even if he beats Jey. And the guess here is that no, it probably won’t. But that’s what makes McIntyre so compelling right now.

Oh, and there’s also something big going on with CM Punk tonight: He’s going to tell the world if he’s signing with Raw or SmackDown. Wonder if a certain World Heavyweight Champion might try to influence his decision one way or another …

We’re ready for all of this. We’re even ready to yeet again. Let’s do the thing.

WWE Raw results from Cleveland:

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

  • Jey Uso welcomes everyone to Raw, is excited about having yeet back and says get well to Sami Zayn before he takes on Drew McIntyre; The Scottish Warrior says he doesn’t want CM Punk on Raw and offers a semi-apology to Zayn before explaining again why he’s justified in seeking revenge against Jey
  • Drew McIntyre def. Jey Uso by pinfall after using a thumb to the eye to soften up Uso for a Claymore
  • CM Punk’s promo from SmackDown is replayed ahead of his big decision tonight
  • The Shinsuke Nakamura warning for Cody Rhode is played again too
  • There’s finger pointing in The Judgment Day clubhouse, and plenty of blame to go around, but Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley get into it more than anyone
  • Alpha Academy and The Creed Brothers fire up Maxxine Dupri, and Chad Gable warns R-Truth not to keep messing with The Judgment Day as he prepares to put holiday lights in their clubhouse
  • Rhea Ripley def. Maxxine Dupri by submission
  • A video promotes Kayden Carter and Katana Chance
  • Adam Pearce is shown entering CM Punk’s dressing room
  • CM Punk makes the choice to sign with Raw, setting off a passionate confrontation with Seth Rollins
  • Bronson Reed and Ivar talk some asynchronous trash to each other as they get ready to do battle
  • Bronson Reed def. Ivar by pinfall
  • The Judgment Day says hi to Punk, with Priest saying he hopes Punk is the one to finish a story around here, because if he does, Damian will be the one waiting for him
  • The Judgment Day tries to have some fun at the expense of R-Truth
  • McIntyre tells Punk he doesn’t care about anything but finishing his story and that he has that figured out, and he quickly says hi to Kofi Kingston, Chad Gable and Ricochet, who Pearce wants to talk to
  • Kayden Carter and Katana Chance def. Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell by pinfall as Chelsea Green and Piper Niven watch on guest commentary
  • #DIY discuss their mystery partner, not revealing his identity to Ludwig Kaiser, and Gunther stops by to wish them luck and express his skepticism over anyone teaming with them
  • Becky Lynch wants to “end” the lie that Nia Jax made her career, but Jax is willing to make her wait
  • Cody Rhodes says he’d be a lot more excited about facing Nakamura if he hadn’t been misted in the face, but agrees with Shinsuke’s assertion that he asked for this
  • #DIY and The Miz def. Imperium by pinfall
  • Gunther berates his flunkies as per usual, then turn arounds and finds Miz demanding an Intercontinental Championship rematch; Gunther grants it, but says the condition is that if he wins, Miz can’t challenge for it again as long as he’s champion, and Miz accepts it
  • Cody Rhodes def. Shinsuke Nakamura by DQ after Nakamura uses the mist on Rhodes, and a post-match attack gets in some more punishment on Cody until The Creed Brothers can make the save … but Nakamura runs down for one more shot as Rhodes is being helped to the back
Image credit: WWE.com

Drew McIntyre continues further into the shadow realm, cheating to defeat Jey Uso

Spinning out of the opening segment, McIntyre doesn’t even get his jacket off before Uso sends him to the floor and the show to commercials. After the break, Jey gets a near fall with a cross body off the top.

McIntyre fires back to pummel Uso near the ropes, dropping right hands repeatedly. A vertical suplex follows, allowing the Scottish Warrior to continue his measured attack.

Jey takes some additional punishment in the corner and while strung through the ropes. Uso finally gets an opening, and he takes full advantage with a suicide dive before ads set in again.

We return to find McIntyre in the Tree of Woe, then quickly out as he sits up and hurls Uso off the top rope. He also used the bottom of the ring as a weapon during the commercials, which made for a pretty cool replay.

Uso fights back with right hands until a Glasgow Kiss halts him in his tracks. Drew goes up top but gets caught with a superkick to the gut when Jey rolls away. A Samoan Drop is next, but McIntyre kicks out at two.

McIntyre reaches back to execute a neckbreaker, then kips up. He heads to the corner opposite Uso but his Claymore attempt is countered with a superkick. An Uso Splash is next, but it catches nothing but knees, and Jey has to dig down to kick out at two following the Future Shock.

With Uso slow to rise, McIntyre removes the turnbuckle cover atop one corner. He rushes in again but no Claymore as a spear catches him first, and Uso earns another near fall.

As the ref looks at the turnbuckle, McIntyre thumbs Uso in the eye, following up with a Claymore to get the three count.

Image credit: WWE.com

Rhea Ripley has little trouble with Maxxine Dupri

This seems like a tough spot for Dupri, though at least she has Ivy Nile out there to support her. She slaps the champ in the face early on, which seems more brave than smart.

Dupri doesn’t really pull off flinging Ripley into the corner with her legs, then gets slammed down afterward. And again. She ends up twisting Dupri like a pretzel with her knee on Maxxine’s neck, and a tapout isn’t long to follow.

Nile confronts Ripley after the bell, which is interesting.

Image credit: WWE.com

CM Punk makes Adam Pearce happy, but Seth Rollins is not so thrilled

Adam Pearce says the man who’s coming out needs no introduction but does need to make a decision. Punk joins him in the ring and says he thought he was a bit sullen until he came out and saw the fans and the signs.

Punk says “we” have a decision to make and notes that Cleveland hasn’t always been kind to him. There are a lot of ghosts in these hallways, as he remembers his debut in this building and his return as world champion. The latter incident involved him getting kicked in the head backstage by Randy Orton and being stripped of his title.

Then 10 years ago, Punk had to make the hardest decision of his life, walking out in Cleveland. If you were disappointed when he did that, Punk apologizes.

He muses about how the deal that Pearce put together was better than the other brands, but he says that when he saw Cleveland was the location of tonight’s show, his mind was pretty much made up. Ten years ago he walked out, and tonight he’s walking right back in. Yep, Punk is home on Raw.

Punk signs for a happy Pearce, but someone is not: Seth Rollins. The World Heavyweight Champion heads straight to the ring to stare Punk down, then grabs a microphone. Rollins is offended by Punk calling WWE his home, though the fans chant for CM right after that.

Rollins accuses Punk of abandoning WWE and slandering the talent over the past 10 years. “This is not your home, this is my home!”

The champ calls the other talent and the fans his family and that he’ll do everything possible to protect it from people like Punk. Rollins says he wants to ensure that Punk understands something: “I hate you.” But if he’s going to be in WWE, Rollins wants him on Raw, because this is CM’s last chance, and either Punk will self destruct, or if he has changed and has any gas left in the tank, Seth can expose him as a fraud in a title match.

“I will wrestle circles around you, and I will make you understand in real time what it means to be the best in the world.”

Punk asks if Rollins is done and says this is Seth’s one pass to speak to him disrespectfully. He also confirms he’s entering the Royal Rumble and when he wins, maybe it’s Seth he’s coming after.

Image credit: WWE.com

Bronson Reed wins battle of big men with Ivar

Big E, this one is for you! Reed gets off to a fast start, punishing his foe until a double clothesline puts them both down. They both take each other down on the outside as well, leading to commercials.

There’s more craziness when we return, with Ivar hitting a cannonball off the apron onto Reed. But the retaliation is even more impressive as it takes the form of a massive superplex, allowing Reed to get the three count.

Image credit: WWE.com

The Judgment Day wants to remind everyone who they are, but The Creed Brothers aren’t listening

Trying to get some of their mojo back, the four men in The Judgment Day say they are putting everyone, old, new and returning alike, on notice. They’re about to specifically address The Creed Brothers when R-Truth joins them.

He’s confused about the locks on the clubhouse, getting him a tongue lashing from JD McDonagh. But Damian Priest invites him into the ring, saying he wants to hear what Truth has to say.

Alas, the first thing he has to say is that he thinks McDonagh should be kicked out. Second, Priest needs to quit calling himself the boss because it makes Mami mad.

Damian says everyone likes R-Truth … except him. Priest lays him out and the others join in, but The Creed Brothers come hustling to the rescue. They’re outnumbered, but that hardly matters as they manage to clear the ring anyway.

Image credit: WWE.com

Becky Lynch wants to fight, but Nia Jax is content to make her wait

Wasting no time, Lynch says she’s here to call out Jax. While they’ve never had a singles match, they’re linked forever by the right hand that smashed Lynch’s face five years ago in a Raw vs. SmackDown battle.

After Becky gets in some barbs on Nia, Jax has heard enough and heads down to the ring. Nia says she’s right there in front of her better than ever, and says the punch was just a lucky swing … and it still almost ended Lynch’s career. Just imagine what her full force would do.

Jax claims Lynch owes her career to Nia, which Becky takes offense to as she should. It wasn’t just about a broken face but getting back up and persevering. The Man says she needs to end the lie or end Jax, which amuses Nia since she figures Becky needs to prove it to herself.

Lynch says she came looking for a fight and offers Jax a free shot, but Nia says Becky needs this a lot more than I do and walks away.

Image credit: WWE.com

Cleveland’s finest: The Miz, #DIY join forces to defeat Imperium

Michael Cole reminds us how truly unlikely the team of Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa and The Miz are given the history between them. That feels like a lifetime ago now.

DIY shows off their usual excellent teamwork early, but a big boot from Gunther to Ciampa changes that in a hurry before a commercial break.

It’s Imperium’s turn to show off some teamwork now, even with the issues they’ve been having. Gargano geta a hot tag, however, and his flurry leads to a slingshot spear to Ludwig Kaiser that forces a save from Giovanni Vinci.

The Miz finally enters the fray, much to the delight of his hometown fans, hitting a cross body and some kicks on Gunther. More kicks force the IC champ back into the corner, but only until Gunther can catch one of them and lock in a Boston Crab.

Things break down as multiple men hit the ring, and Gargano and Miz both hit tornado DDTs at nearly the same time. Miz gets the Figure Four on Gunther while Gargano gets the Gargano Escape on Kaiser.

Alas, Gunther tags Vinci, who drops an elbow on Miz. But Miz gets Vinci in position for a Skull Crushing Finale, and he hits it to secure the victory.

Image credit: WWE.com

Shinsuke Nakamura proves it’s not about defeating Cody Rhodes

Is Nakamura more dangerous than he’s ever been? We’ll see here, but it is kind of crazy they’ve never wrestled a singles match before. Shinsuke is a step ahead of Cody early on, sending Rhodes to the floor with a sliding kick.

Rhodes is experiencing Good Vibrations when the broadcast returns, and his attempt to battle back is halted by another stiff kick. Shinsuke grabs a headlock as Cody shows to the ref he’s not fading.

A Cody Cutter is blocked, and Nakamura tries for an armbar, even countering out of a Cross Rhodes attempt to stay at it. Shinsuke hits his sliding release German suplex, smiling before a jumping knee off the top earns him a near fall.

A Kinshasa attempt is cut off by a low dropkick that chops out Nakamura’s legs. Rhodes hits a dragon screw with his foe trapped in the ropes, then drops him face first after lifting him in from the apron.

Rhodes administers a half crab, and Nakamura has to will himself to the ropes for a break. Both men go crashing to the outside as we break for ads one last time.

They’re back inside and slugging it out now. Nakamura wins that exchange, but Rhodes hits a flying forearm shot and a powerslam to regain the momentum. He has to fall backward, however, when Shinsuke hops on his back for a sleeper.

Both have slowed now, but Rhodes is able to catch his opponent with a Disaster Kick that’s good for a two count. Here come punches and a Bionic Elbow, and the Cody Cutter is on the mark too. Rhodes wants Cross Rhodes but gets the red mist to the face.

The ref calls for the bell, but Nakamura doesn’t care continuing his attack. A blinded Rhodes attempts to fight back, but Shinsuke drops him to his knees and hits the Kinshasa to the back of the head.

With Shinsuke wielding a chair, The Creed Brothers head down to prevent any more damage, and Nakamura decides to retreat since his job is done.

Except when Rhodes is being helped to the back, Nakamura comes running down and gets in one more shot. Thanks for nothing, Creeds.

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.

[anyclip-media thumbnail=”https://cdn5.anyclip.com/KA4pMowB9byqzvwKlNun/1701648681923_248x140_thumbnail.jpg” playlistId=”undefined” content=”PHNjcmlwdCBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vcGxheWVyLnBvcHRvay5jb20vYW55Y2xpcC13aWRnZXQvbHJlLXdpZGdldC9wcm9kL3YxL3NyYy9scmUuanMiIGRhdGEtYXI9IjE2OjkiIGRhdGEtcGxpZD0iam5hdGk0Y25uNTN1ZW9sY3BmeXh1NXR4am53ZTQ1bG8iIHB1Ym5hbWU9IjE5OTgiIHdpZGdldG5hbWU9IjAwMTZNMDAwMDJVMEIxa1FBRl9NODMzMCI+Cjwvc2NyaXB0Pg==”][/anyclip-media]

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 11/27/23: CM Punk says ‘I’m home,’ Randy Orton is victorious

Drew McIntyre also let loose some frustrations on Seth Rollins on WWE Raw from Nashville.

[anyclip-media thumbnail=”https://cdn5.anyclip.com/ivsV7YsBIyWJbpfqiVEF/1700489760075_248x140_thumbnail.jpg” playlistId=”undefined” content=”PHNjcmlwdCBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vcGxheWVyLnBvcHRvay5jb20vYW55Y2xpcC13aWRnZXQvbHJlLXdpZGdldC9wcm9kL3YxL3NyYy9scmUuanMiIGRhdGEtYXI9IjE2OjkiIGRhdGEtcGxpZD0ibmYzaGd2cnhsZnp1ZXNsems1ZmdlNGRnb2Z1dm1ya2ciIHB1Ym5hbWU9IjE5OTgiIHdpZGdldG5hbWU9IjAwMTZNMDAwMDJVMEIxa1FBRl9NODMzMCI+Cjwvc2NyaXB0Pg==”][/anyclip-media]

The origin of Marvel Comics’ Avengers references a “day unlike any other.” We have those on a semi-regular basis in pro wrestling, but CM Punk’s equally electrifying and implausible return to WWE Saturday night at Survivor Series was right up there among the most memorable.

Wisely, WWE isn’t waiting too long to trot him back out in front of fans on live TV. Will CM Punk be on Raw going forward? Will they set up anything with him tonight in Nashville in terms of his first program back with the company he parted ways with on far less than amicable terms in 2014?

More to the point, does it even matter?

People will certainly be tuning in tonight to see what happens next, which is kind of the point. It’s hard to recall an episode of Raw in recent memory with this much anticipation around it, and WWE has already shown signs that it’s very aware, declaring that the full first hour will be commercial-free.

Not to be overlooked, Randy Orton has been promoted for tonight’s show as well — though interestingly, WWE’s official preview has no word on what to expect from the Viper. His comeback has almost been overshadowed by the frenzy over Punk, but make no mistake, many fans are excited to see him back in the fold as well.

On the actual in-ring wrestling side, there are big things going down in tag team land, with a women’s tag team title match and Tag Team Turmoil to decide a No. 1 contender duo for the men’s belts still held by The Judgment Day. Plus big men will collide when Bronson Reed faces Ivar.

Buckle up, here we go.

WWE Raw results from Nashville:

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

  • The broadcast begins with a highlight package of the Men’s WarGames match from Saturday night, which includes the return of Randy Orton … and CM Punk
  • “Daddy’s back!” Randy Orton and Rhea Ripley discuss the changing landscape of Raw since he’s been away, but that could mean bad news for Dominik Mysterio
  • The teams entered in Tag Team Turmoil meet special guest Jelly Roll, whose name confuses R-Truth and inspires a new Akira Tozawa dance
  • The Creed Brother win the Tag Team Turmoil match, earning a shot at the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship
  • Damian Priest is upset about letting The Judgment Day down, but Ripley tells him they all rise and fall together, and Finn Balor says he should relax because they’re still tag team champs … but Rhea cracks a bit of a grin as Damian and Finn go to check on McDonagh
  • Cody Rhodes talks about what’s next, meaning the Royal Rumble, but Shinsuke Nakamura is on his trail right now
  • Bronson Reed vs. Ivar ends in a double countout, and their continuing battle into the crowd includes a ridiculous cannonball by Ivar
  • Earlier today, Nia Jax comes to talk trash to Zoey Stark, who tells Shayna Baszler she’s got it and challenges Nia to a match
  • A highlight package shows reactions to CM Punk’s Survivor Series return and tours its social media impact
  • The Judgment Day discovers R-Truth in the clubhouse and is stunned when he volunteers to join them for WarGames, unaware that the match has already happened
  • Nia Jax def. Zoey Stark by pinfall
  • Highlights are shown of Gunther’s defeat of The Miz at Survivor Series; afterward, Gunther visits the rest of Imperium to sort things out with Adam Pearce, and The Miz arrives to challenge the Ring General again, which draws a respectful but amused reaction from the champ
  • Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre’s mutual admissions of respect turn violent after Rollins informs McIntyre he’s giving Jey Uso the next title shot
  • Sami Zayn catches up with an angry McIntyre and tells him he’s not the only one who’s had disappointment around here, but the difference is that Sami keeps picking himself up and moving forward; Zayn says McIntyre is acting like a spoiled little brat and he’s better than that, which seems like it made an impression … except it ends with Drew saying he’s going to act Pearce for a match next week with Sami
  • Chelsea Green and Piper Niven def. Natalya and Tegan Nox by pinfall to retain the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship
  • Uso finds Orton to apologize and tell him that he’s trying to do right, and Randy says as long as Jey is out of The Bloodline, then they’re good
  • Becky Lynch is asked about the epic battle at WarGames, but she wants to talk about tonight and says there are some fights on the horizon, one more pressing than the others
  • Randy Orton def. Dominik Mysterio by pinfall, with a tiny assist from Jelly Roll
  • Yes, he’s back on Raw: CM Punk is on the mic for his welcome back promo

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