Tag: The Miz

WWE Payback 2023 predictions: Who will prevail in Pittsburgh?

What will WWE Payback give the fans on hand in Pittsburgh? We take our best guess with predictions for every match.

Considering that the name of WWE’s upcoming premium live event in Pittsburgh is Payback, there’s a shocking lack of overall revenge on this year’s card. Oh sure, there are superstars on the card looking to get back at their opponents for attacks or slights over the last few weeks, but it’s not like this is a show bursting at the seems with big rematches.

There’s also notably no Roman Reigns or Bloodline matches scheduled, but there are championships at stake. The men’s tag team titles, Women’s World Championship and United States Championship will all be defended at PPG Paints Arena.

We’d also be remiss if we didn’t mention that Seth Rollins and Shinsuke Nakamura will get a chance to shine in what presumably will be the night’s main event. It’s not a spot they’re always in (particularly Shinsuke), so it’ll be interesting to see if they step up to the challenge.

So what do we think will happen in each bout? Scroll down to see our predictions for Pittsburgh.

WWE SmackDown results 09/01/23: John Cena is back, Jimmy Uso’s loyalties still in question

WWE SmackDown in Hershey ended without solid answers on where Jimmy Uso fits into the Bloodline going forward.

Are you a little bummed out because WWE is between big premium live events right now and Payback isn’t really floating your boat? Maybe you’re feeling a bit blah since the Bloodline hasn’t been appearing as often? If that’s the case, maybe a WWE SmackDown from the wrestler the company now seems to be officially pushing as the Greatest of All Time will help.

You’ve probably heard before now since WWE has been making a big deal of it, but John Cena will be on hand tonight from the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa. He hasn’t wrestled since SummerSlam, and probably won’t tonight, but the buzz is that he will be sticking around for a bit this time (and definitely will be taking part in the India show later this month).

Could Cena find himself in the middle of something that leads to a match — maybe even one this weekend at Payback? That’s one reason this show is worth watching.

Another is that the Bloodline saga seems like it might be roaring back to life after taking a brief break the last two weeks. Specifically, Jimmy Uso will be in the house to give his two cents on what’s been going through his head since Jey Uso gave his famous “Deuces, Uces!” line. It’s hard to see that not being interesting.

And the night wouldn’t be complete without a Megastar, so we’re getting one of those too. LA Knight is set to go one-on-one with The Miz tomorrow night at Payback, but both men will be in Hershey to get the final word before their match. Also they might throw hands, you never know.

Hit the trumpets, here we go.

WWE SmackDown results from Hershey:

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

  • John Cena’s return is interrupted by Jimmy Uso, and after they say what they think about each other, Cena ends up hitting Jimmy with an Attitude Adjustment
  • Grayson Waller and Austin Theory laugh about Cena and brag about how they’re about to beat Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar
  • Jimmy Uso threatens a poor staffer or intern or someone bckstage
  • Austin Theory and Grayson Waller def. Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar by pinfall
  • Adam Pearce dresses down Jimmy Uso for his behavior and apologizes to Michin as they were having a conversation first
  • AJ Styles agrees that the way Jimmy Uso disrespected Michin was not OK, even if the Good Brothers are less receptive
  • Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits are coming for everything
  • Perhaps foreshadowing something, Lashley and the Profits are still on their way out and give Kevin Owns and Sami Zayn some mock applause on their way in
  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn def. Cruz Del Toro and Joaquin Wilde by pinfall
  • Styles steps to Jimmy Uso backstage, but then Solo Sikoa arrives to throw his muscle into the situation and floors AJ; Solo tells Jimmy he is only out of the Bloodline when he’s told he’s out, but Jimmy responds that no one can tell him what to do, and it looks like he’s out of there for the night
  •  A fired up Styles wants Sikoa tonight, and while the Good Brothers try to talk him out of it, he’s got his mind made up
  • The Miz and LA Knight go at each other pretty hard verbally, then end things with a bit of violence
  • Shotzi def. Bayley by pinfall, with an assist going to Charlotte Flair
  • A hype video is shown for the Seth Rollins-Shinsuke Nakamura title match at Payback
  • Solo Sikoa def. AJ Styles by pinfall, though Solo is in no mood to celebrate Jimmy Uso’s help, and Jimmy beats up on AJ to end the show

Updated WWE Payback 2023 card: KO, Sami take on The Judgment Day in a Steel City Street Fight

Check out the latest WWE Payback 2023 card, with all the matches confirmed so far for Pittsburgh.

WWE will host is next premium live event, Payback, at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Saturday, Sept. 2. It’s the first marquee show since SummerSlam and will feature feuds that developed in the fallout.

One of the first matches announced for Payback was Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus in a Steel Cage match. This feud, which has been going on since shortly after WrestleMania, is one of WWE’s longest running and will culminate at Payback after a summer-long program that has lost steam.

WWE confirmed that Rhea Ripley will defend her WWE Women’s Championship against Raquel Rodriguez at Payback, following weeks of tension pitting the champion against Rodriguez and her tag team partner, Liv Morgan — which culminated in Ripley sidelining both of them with injuries. On the Aug. 21 show, Rodriguez returned healthy to get her retribution and set up the title match.

Shinsuke Nakamura teased an edgier side to his persona, culminating in a surprise Kinshasa on Seth Rollins to close an episode of Raw earlier this month. This led to simmering tension between the two, and now the match has been confirmed for Payback, where Rollins will defend the World Heavyweight Championship.

As expected, The Miz and LA Knight will face off after their recent exchanges, and the winner of the Slim Jim Battle Royal will have the chance to have one of the biggest WWE matches of his career if it is confirmed. Gunther vs. Chad Gable in a rematch for the WWE Intercontinental Championship is also plausible.

We’ll update this post as WWE announces more matches for Payback. For now, here’s what has been set for the PPG Paints Arena.

Last update: Aug. 28, 2023, 11:15 p.m. ET

WWE Payback 2023 card:

  • Seth Rollins (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – World Heavyweight Championship match
  • Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Raquel Rodriguez – WWE Women’s Championship match
  • Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Austin Theory – WWE United States Championship match
  • Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn (c) vs. The Judgment Day (Damian Priest and Finn Balor) – Steel City Street Fight for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship
  • Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus – Steel Cage match
  • LA Knight vs. The Miz

WWE Raw results 08/28/23: Becky Lynch beats Zoey Stark despite Trish’s best efforts

See how Becky Lynch beat the odds, Gunther delivered a message and Seth Rollins got fooled again on WWE Raw in Memphis.

The Man is coming around to Memphis tonight on WWE Raw, and she’s gearing up for quite the battle.

Becky Lynch is very much looking forward to stepping inside a steel cage with Trish Stratus this weekend at Payback, but before she gets there, she needs to deal with Trish’s mentee Zoey Stark first. And let’s face it, a Falls Count Anywhere match is a pretty great way of doing that.

The idea for Becky is to beat Zoey badly enough that she can’t run in and assist Trish in Pittsburgh on Saturday. But of course, Stratus can interfere herself tonight, so … we’ll see.

Where Lynch’s big victory is hopefully still ahead of her, Chad Gable arguably had his biggest win as a singles competitor when he beat Gunther last week. Alas, while the Intercontinental Championship was on the line, winning by count-out meant that Gable didn’t get to claim the gold.

Despite that, the fact that no one had beaten Gunther by any means in a long time meant the Ring General was humiliated in defeat, and he’s not going to stand for that for long. To that end, he’s assigned Ludwig Kaiser the task of restoring some honor to Imperium tonight on Raw, and we wouldn’t want to be him if he fails in his assignment.

Also tonight, The New Day is back together (though we’re still missing Big E) and has made it clear they want to make another run at the tag team gold they know so well. The problem for now is that they seem to have made enemies of the physically larger Viking Raiders, and now the Vikings want to get some revenge for a defeat at their hands a few weeks ago. So … yeah.

Michael Cole lets us know we’re going to be seeing some Terry Funk and Bray Wyatt tributes again tonight, which will be nice to see.

WWE Raw results from Memphis:

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

  • Damian Priest def. Sami Zayn by pinfall thanks to a distraction from JD McDonagh, though Priest isn’t happy about that and JD gets beaten up by Sami and Kevin Owens
  • Drew McIntyre is examining a picture of himself in shorts designed by Matt Riddle, and though Akira Tozawa unconvincingly says he looks great, it’s clear the Scottish Warrior isn’t sold, and he only grudgingly agrees to watch the upcoming New Day-Viking Radiers tag team match with Riddle from ringside
  • A hype video promotes the Rhea Ripley-Raquel Rodriguez title match at Payback, and has Raquel promising to cut Rhea down to size this Saturday
  • The Miz is out to do his (not that shabby) LA Knight impression, and he insists that his Payback foe is nothing more than pandering, and that he’d prove it this weekend
  • Viking Raiders def. The New Day by pinfall, in part due to
  • Balor tells Priest they need to get it together, but Damian isn’t happy that JD keeps getting in Judgment Day business, and Rhea Ripley ends up yelling at both of them, promising “changes” if they don’t win tag team gold at Payback
  • The Bray Wyatt tribute video first shown last week on SmackDown is replayed for the Monday night audience
  • Riddle and McIntyre go to check on Woods, and though Kingston lets them know they understand it wasn’t on purpose and it’s all good, McIntyre vows to take care of the Viking problem next week and won’t even need to tag Riddle in to do it
  • Gunther stands on the announce table and talks about how Chad Gable was the first person to beat the Ring General in more than 500 days, but says that Gable technically won nothing since he is still the IC champ; Gable has however pissed Gunther off, and now has his attention and focus, and also a title rematch next week, though Chad himself says he will win that one
  • Chad Gable def. Ludwig Kaiser by DQ following interference by Giovanni Vinci, though Gable ends up getting powerbombed by Gunther after an attack by all of Imperium
  • A short tribute video to Bob Barker is shown, calling him the best guest host of WWE shows ever
  • Seth Rollins addresses Shinsuke Nakamura, but his anger doesn’t keep him from being attacked from behind again
  • Zayn tells Kevin Owens how upset he is that they keep losing in crappy ways to The Judgment Day, and KO says that he got Adam Pearce to make their match at Payback into a Steel City Street Fight
  • Tommaso Ciampa def. Bronson Reed by pinfall
  • Becky Lynch says it’s not the easy way out to take on Zoey Stark in a Falls Count Anywhere match this close to Payback, but the easy way isn’t what she wants anyway
  • Ripley cuts a promo on Rodriguez, admitting that Raquel is big and strong, but when it comes to Payback, she’s walking out champion; Rodriguez heads to the ring and they immediately start throwing hands before Raquel hits a fallaway slam; even with a distraction from Dirty Dom, Rodriguez is able to outfight Ripley
  • Trish Stratus mocks Lynch and Stark promises to leave plenty left of The Man for Trish this Saturday, which is actually … what she doesn’t want to do?
  • The Terry Funk tribute video from SmackDown is played again in honor of his passing last week
  • Becky Lynch def. Zoey Stark by pinfall in a Falls Count Anywhere match despite copious amounts of assistance for Stark by Trish Stratus

WWE Raw results 08/21/23: KO returns, Gable wins (but not the title) in Quebec City

Also on WWE Raw, Matt Riddle and Drew McIntyre took on The New Day, and Shinsuke Nakamura revealed what he said to Seth Rollins.

Shooooooooosh! Shoosh, please! We’re going to need quiet for Chad Gable tonight in Quebec City as he attempts to win a singles championship on WWE Raw.

Not just any title, either, but the Intercontinental Championship that’s been in the iron grasp of Gunther since last summer. The Ring General has used power to beat many opponents, skill to best others, and underhanded tactics when necessary — though that has rarely been the case.

Gable, of course, is a technical wizard who is also exceptionally strong for his size. Plus he has the rest of Alpha Academy to keep an eye on the other members of Imperium, so theoretically, it should be a wash on the outside.

In other words, maybe this won’t be quite a simple as the IC champ thinks it could be.

Another interesting match on tonight’s card in Quebec City will see Matt Riddle and Drew McIntyre team to face The New Day. While McIntyre has been somewhat reluctant to make his recent partnership with Riddle an ongoing thing, a victory over one of the most decorated tag teams in WWE history might persuade him to change his stance. Or not, but it can’t hurt Riddle’s efforts.

Last but not least, WWE says Shinsuke Nakamura is going to tell the world exactly what he whispered to Seth Rollins last week that turned the World Heavyweight Champion white as a sheet. It’s got to be pretty good considering the reaction he got.

It would also be strange indeed if Quebec’s favorite son, Sami Zayn, wasn’t involved in tonight’s proceedings in some way, so watch for that as well.

WWE Raw results from Quebec City:

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

  • Sami Zayn is in the house, and he’s not alone: Kevin Owens is back
  • The New Day def. Drew McIntyre and Matt Riddle by pinfall, but only thanks to some unexpected aid from the Viking Raiders, who attack the winning team after the bell until McIntyre chases them off
  • Finn Balor and JD McDonagh are being interviewed when Rhea Ripley comes to summon Finn to decide who is competing in the main event; JD tries to come with them but Rhea says no
  • Shayna Baszler says she’s out to set the whole world on fire and leave everyone in the women’s division with no chance but to let it burn
  • Gunther says despite what Chad Gable believes, time is on his side, with each passing day building his legacy; Gable is interviewed backstage, and gets a pep talk from Otis and Maxxine Dupri
  • Chad Gable def. Gunther by countout, so Gunther retains the WWE Intercontinental Championship
  • Ripley can’t believe that Balor and Damian Priest can’t decide who is going to be in the main event and says they better figure it out shortly or she’ll make the decision for them
  • An angry Gunther takes out his frustration on the rest of Imperium, and things seem to flow downhill toward poor Giovanni Vinci
  • Cody Rhodes doesn’t want to be interviewed backstage and takes Byron Saxton with him out to the stage and gets the fans pumped up to be in the corner of Owens and Zayn in the main event later tonight
  • In a pre-recorded segment, Shinsuke Nakamura claims he told Rollins “I know about your back,” explaining that Seth’s back has been his weakness for years and that Rollins lives in constant pain because of it; he ominously ends his bit with “watch your back”
  • Rhea Ripley def. Candice LeRae by submission but soon finds herself retreating from Raquel Rodriguez, who says they will meet at Payback
  • Tommaso Ciampa says he needs to be the change he wants to see since he’s tired of being close to big opportunities, and he says his mantra needs to be “do it yourself,” hmm …
  • The Miz continues to insist that LA Knight will be remembered as a flash in the pan or “the Hoobastank of WWE” before introducing his opponent, Akira Tozawa, who tries getting over by saying “yeah” like Knight
  • Akira Tozawa def. The Miz by pinfall as Miz is distracted by LA Knight
  • McIntyre is about to tell Riddle that he thinks they should go their separate ways, but The New Day convinces them to hold on for one more day like Wilson Phillips, or at least Drew will consider it
  • Ripley is ticked that the guys haven’t worked out who will compete in the tag team match, so she stomps away and says they’ll do it her way now
  • Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus exchange verbal jabs again
  • Chelsea Green says she handled having WWE authorize making her and Piper Niven the official tag team champions, but Niven makes it appear she’s the one calling the shots
  • Chelsea Green and Piper Niven def. Kayden Carter and Katana Chance by pinfall
  • Rollins lets the fans sing for a second before responding to questions about his back, admitting that he has been living with a lumbar injury for four years that could shorten his career, but he says it’s part of the gig and says Shinsuke isn’t man enough to face him man to man; Seth gives Shinsuke one more chance to prove he’s an honorable warrior next week
  • Damian Priest and Finn Balor def. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn by DQ when KO is caught using the MITB briefcase as a weapon, but …
  • … Rhodes comes down and chases away The Judgment Day before suggesting a six-man tag to end the show; Adam Pearce agrees, so let’s try this main event again
  • Cody Rhodes, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn def. The Judgment Day (Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio and Finn Balor) by pinfall
  • Zayn has a bilingual last word for The Judgment Day

WWE SmackDown results 08/18/23: Thank you, Edge

Plus Edge takes on Sheamus in what could be the Rated-R Superstar’s final WWE match.

Say this for Grayson Waller: He knows how to push people’s buttons. And that’s almost certainly what he’s going to do tonight on WWE SmackDown in Toronto.

Rey Mysterio was initially announced as the guest tonight on The Grayson Waller Effect, but WWE has since revealed that Santos Escobar will be joining him. Normally, that would be no problem, as the two have been staunch friends and allies in the LWO.

But when Mysterio won the United States Championship last Friday, he only did so because Austin Theory attacked Escobar, preventing him from getting the title shot. It was only after doctors said Escobar couldn’t go (in storyline terms, that is), that Rey stepped up to the plate.

Escobar seemed legitimately happy to see his mentor win, but if there’s any part of him that’s resentful, you can be sure that Waller will locate it and bring it to the forefront tonight. That’s what a good heel talk show host does, after all.

Another big draw on tonight’s card will be Edge competing in front of his hometown fans. He’ll be battling Sheamus, who he somehow has never faced during his 25-year WWE career. Hanging over the bout is the specter of retirement for Edge, who has bee up front about saying it’s possible this will be his final WWE match.

Will the Rated-R Superstar ride off into the sunset on SmackDown? Possibly, but that’s why we watch.

WWE SmackDown results from Toronto:

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

  • The Grayson Waller Effect welcomes both Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar … and LA Knight
  • Austin Theory def. LA Knight by pinfall, thanks in no small part to timely assistance from The Miz
  • Edge gets videotaped salutes from John Cena, Sheamus, The Miz, Charlotte Flair and Sami Zayn
  • Another great tribute video shows Edge as a young man asking Bret Hart a question from the audience of a talk show, plus tons of awesome highlights from his career
  • Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair def. Damage CTRL (IYO SKY and Bayley) by pinfall
  • More tributes to Edge come in from Cody Rhodes, AJ Styles, Ricochet, Kevin Owens, Becky Lynch, Rey Mysterio and Kurt Angle
  • Belair is about to be interviewed backstage but gets jumped by Damage CTRL, who smash her left leg between two steel chairs
  • Street Profits def. The O.C. by pinfall, showing off a new tandem finisher while doing so; Bobby Lashley comes out to congratulate them afterward
  • A replay of last week’s Bloodline segment plays, which ends with the memorable “Deuces, Uces!” farewell line by Jey Uso
  • Kayla Braxton asks Paul Heyman for an update on the current state of The Bloodline and the head space of Roman Reigns, but he refuses to answer and mocks Braxton for inquiring about Bloodline-related rumors; he then gets a phone call which he will share, saying Jimmy Uso will be live on SmackDown next week
  • Edge def. Sheamus by pinfall

WWE Raw results 08/14/23: The Judgment Day has the last laugh

The long awaited rematch between Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus is also slated for this week’s edition of WWE Raw.

Shinsuke Nakamura is done playing around. Tonight on WWE Raw from Winnipeg, we’re apparently going to find out just why he had his recent change of heart.

Nakamura seemed pretty entrenched as a fan favorite during his current run, even helpfully volunteering to team with Seth Rollins and Cody Rhodes to take on The Judgment day last week after the villainous stable had taken out Sami Zayn.

There was just one problem: After the match, Nakamura laid out Rollins with a vicious Kinshasa, leaving the World Heavyweight Champion staring up at the lights.

The assumption is that Shinsuke wants Seth’s gold for himself. That’s how these things usually work, after all. But perhaps there’s a little more to it than that, and WWE is hinting that we’ll find out tonight.

The other big to-do for this Monday is Becky Lynch battling Trish Stratus. You may recall that they were supposed to have a match two weeks ago, except Stratus had Zoey Stark aid her as soon as the bell rang, content to lose by DQ.

Adam Pearce said “uh-uh!” (hopefully in his best Stone Cold Steve Austin voice) and that Becky and Trish would have a proper rematch, this time with Zoey banned from the ringside area. We thought it might be at SummerSlam, but it will instead take place on this episode of Raw.

We think. Hopefully.

There’s also the not so small matter of Payback coming up in just a few weeks, so time’s a wasting on getting the gears in motion for that event. That could happen tonight as well.

Let’s dive in.

WWE Raw results from Winnipeg:

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

  • The Judgment Day is out here without Finn Balor, and they aren’t happy about it; also JD McDonagh and Sami Zayn get into a scrap
  • Sami Zayn def. JD McDonagh by pinfall
  • Chelsea Green apologizes to Chelsea Green and looks like he’s going to strip her of the tag team titles, but she threatens to call Human Resources on him, then suggests they hold auditions for a new partner; Piper Niven tries to declare herself Green’s new partner and doesn’t appear she’ll take no for an answer
  • Cody Rhodes notes that Balor has always been a leader, but one of the problems with The Judgment Day is that both Priest and Ripley are too; Cody says he’ll be ready for Finn and The Judgment Day tonight
  • The Ring General has arrived in Winnipeg, but while Alpha Academy has to accept that Gunther is very good, they don’t take any crap from Ludwig Kaiser
  • Chad Gable def. Giovanni Vinci by pinfall
  • Gunther def. Otis by pinfall
  • Ripley has to step between Balor and Priest to stop their bickering, and Finn comes around and says the group will show they are still a united force against Cody later tonight
  • The weekly SmackDown Bloodline recap video plays
  • Drew McIntyre is asked what’s next for him, but he doesn’t get to answer before Matt Riddle asks him if he’ll tag up to face the Viking Raiders tonight; McIntyre says he’ll consider it, and Riddle does the “so you’re telling me there’s a chance!” thing
  • A short video hypes up Indi Hartwell
  • Matt Riddle and Drew McIntyre def. Viking Raiders by pinfall
  • Raquel Rodriguez tells Candice LeRae and Hartwell how frustrated she is that she can’t get cleared since she can’t wait to rip Ripley apart, but everyone agrees this is Indi’s night to show what she can do
  • Riddle thinks he and McIntyre can win the tag team champions, but The New Day is offended by the thought that one win can make them title contenders and they challenge Matt and Drew to a match next week
  • Rhea Ripley def. Indi Hartwell by pinfall, though LeRae may have made a tactical error by attacking Ripley after the match
  • A quick replay shows Nakamura’s attack on Rollins again from the end of last week’s Raw
  • Shinsuke Nakamura gets a title shot from Seth Rollins … and lays him out again
  • The Miz denies shaking LA Knight’s hand, says he’ll beat someone better than Knight ever has, and may show up on SmackDown too
  • Trish Stratus vs. Becky Lynch ends in a double countout, with Zoey Stark joining in when they brawl up to the concourse
  • Gunther is angry at Vinci for losing and ticked at Kaiser at getting distracted with Dupri, then says he’ll go to Pearce and sort it out by giving Gable his title shot next week
  • Speaking of Pearce, he’s furious with Stratus and tells her Trish will have to face Becky in a steel cage
  • Cody Rhodes def. Finn Balor by pinfall, but after the match, he and Sami Zayn take a horrific beating from The Judgment Day after the arrival of McDonagh turns the tide

WWE Raw results 08/07/23: Shinsuke snookers Seth, New Day returns

WWE didn’t announce much for Raw from Minneapolis, but we know Becky Lynch will be there.

There’s playing it close to the vest, and then there’s what WWE is doing with tonight’s episode of Raw from the Target Center in Minneapolis.

Generally, WWE has a preview of Raw on any given Monday posted by late morning, sometimes sliding into the afternoon when it’s the show following a premium live event. Considering we just had a big one Saturday night in SummerSlam, a bit of a delay was no surprise.

Yet as of an hour before the show, we still have very little idea of what to expect. At the moment, the only segment WWE has confirmed will be Becky Lynch addressing all of us. The Man did what was needed to score her desired rematch with Trish Stratus, then Adam Pearce did the right thing when Stratus and Zoey Stark conspired to try to wriggle out of it.

Many believed the rematch would take place at SummerSlam, but it was instead revealed to be happening on Raw on Aug. 14. What will Lynch say, and will Stratus and Stark respond?

Everything else is pure speculation based on what went down at Ford Field. You’d expect that Cody Rhodes may address his next step as he appears to have put Brock Lesnar behind him for good (and even got the Beast Incarnate to co-sign for him, apparently). And we’ll see what kind of mood The Judgment Day is in after Finn Balor failed to lift the World Heavyweight Championship from Seth Rollins, even with some help from his teammates.

As well, WWE is expected to address the fate of the Women’s Tag Team Championship after news broke today that Sonya Deville is out indefinitely with a torn ACL.

But hey, we could be completely wrong since WWE hasn’t announced any of this. Let’s find out.

WWE Raw results from Minneapolis:

A lengthy video package replays highlights from every match from SummerSlam, and we get a welcome from the new Raw announce team of Michael Cole and Wade Barrett.

Dressed in a suit again instead of his ring gear, Cody Rhodes heads to the ring. Does everyone want to talk about one of Minnesota’s own? Cody shows some still images of his post-match handshake with Brock Lesnar and says his mom pointed out that Brock acknowledged him. Now he feels like he can beat anyone in the world. Does that include Seth Rollins, who comes out rocking the MSCHF x Crocs yellow boots? Rollins says they should put that feeling to the test, but in response, The Judgment Day (sans Finn Balor) come out on stage. They run Monday Night Raw, etc. Damian Priest says he’s the one who should dictate what happens with titles, and that Dominik Mysterio isn’t done with Cody (lol). While the posturing is going on, Balor attacks Rollins from behind. To the rescue comes Sami Zayn, and the faces quickly clear the ring. Cody quickly proposes a six-man tag, but Seth looks a little upset that Cody spoke for him, and Sami has to play peacemaker.

Ricochet gets Adam Pearce to admit he saw Logan Paul cheat at SummerSlam, but as for tonight, he invites Ricochet, Matt Riddle, Chad Gable and Tommaso Ciampa to participate in a Fatal Four-Way to determine who will be No. 1 contender for Gunther’s Intercontinental Championship.

Chad Gable def. Ricochet, Matt Riddle and Tommaso Ciampa by pinning Ciampa, becoming No. 1 contender for the Intercontinental Championship

Ricochet gets a chance to show off his power instead of his agility, but all I can concentrate on right now is Riddle’s thin mustache. A four-man superplex snaps me out of it, and Gunther is watching closely backstage since the winner gets a shot at his title.

Gable snares Ciampa in an ankle lock until Riddle recovers and crushes Gable. All four men start exchanging trademark moves until Riddle can superplex Ciampa. Two pinfalls are counted at the same time after Gable and Ricochet both hit knees coming off opposite corners, but kickouts happen at two.

All four men exchange strikes, Riddle hits a Floating Bro on Gable on the floor. Ricochet flies out there too, but he gets bent in half coming back in and has to kick out after a Storybook Ending from Ciampa.

Amidst a ton of chaos, Gable appropriately hits a bridging suplex on Ciampa, and he holds on for a big win. He celebrates with his son afterward.

A video package shows highlights from Rhodes-Lesnar III at SummerSlam.

Zayn is still trying to keep the peace between Rhodes and Rollins. He reminds them that they don’t have to work out their issues tonight but should be properly motivated to take on The Judgment Day, and Seth grudgingly agrees.

Want a Tribal Combat highlight package? You got it.

The Miz wants to shoot his commercial segment and get out of town, but he’s told he needs to wait for LA Knight … and he’s not happy about it.

Shinsuke Nakamura def. Bronson Reed by pinfall

This battle of ex-New Japan talent is the latest in an ongoing series of issues that also included Ciampa. Cole and Barrett talk up Reed while the crowd chants for Shinsuke.

Nakamura takes a lot of abuse early but is able to fight back during a side-by-side commercial sequence, even getting a two count before he gets caught coming off the top rope and dropped hard into a powerslam.

Reed wants a Tsunami, of course, but Shinsuke isn’t about that life. He does eat a Death Valley Driver but is able to kick out at two. That pays off nicely for him, as he connects on a Kinshasa, make that two, after avoiding a Tsunami, and seals up a victory.

Raquel Rodriguez is comforted backstage after being told she still isn’t medically cleared to face Rhea Ripley.

Ludwig Kaiser stops by the Alpha Academy locker room and hits on Maxxine Dupri, which brings out a more serious side of Otis as he challenges Kaiser to a match tonight.

Becky Lynch is hopeful that she will finally get her one-on-one rematch with Trish Stratus for a matchup of the greatest of two generations and no possibility of interference. It’s not Trish but Zoey Stark who comes out to answer … and claims Becky is scared of her.

When Lynch accuses Stark of playing second fiddle to Stratus, Stark fires back that Becky is just jealous. Stark’s continued boasts about how good she already is are answered by a slightly the worse for wear Shayna Baszler, who says Ronda Rousey looks even worse after she drove Ronda out of WWE.

Lynch loves the fact that those two are in each other’s faces and asks for Pearce to come out and make it official between them.

After a video package of Finn Balor-Seth Rollins SummerSlam highlights, Balor and Priest have a heated difference of opinion about what happened Saturday (in front of JD McDonagh). Rhea Ripley has to step in and calm them both down, which works, but McDonagh says he thinks the MITB briefcase is coming between them, so maybe Priest should get rid of it. Interesting.

Shayna Baszler def. Zoey Stark by pinfall

Though Baszler told us at SummerSlam that she loves the fact that she isn’t being spoonfed to fans as a face, the fans are definitely behind her here. Lynch, meanwhile, is enjoying a tall glass of lemonade while watching near the announce table.

Stark seems to be one step ahead of Baszler but also gets distracted by Lynch. Shayna hits the World’s Baddest Slam, a.k.a. Ronda’s Piper’s Pit, and sends Stark to defeat.

Nakamura tells Byron Saxton he is carving his own path. But their discussion is interrupted by a commotion backstage: McDonagh beating the heck out of Zayn.

Ludwig Kaiser def. Otis by pinfall

Dupri looks concerned early on as Kaiser is able to outmaneuver Otis, and she gets on the apron to distract the Imperium right-hand man. Otis gladly capitalizes, but he has to stop to deal with Giovanni Vinci, and that allows Gunther to attack Otis and gift wrap the win for Kaiser.

Gable rushes down after the bell to stop more post-match beatings, and the fans chant for him as Gunther smiles and walks off with his crew.

Rhodes and Rollins are asked about Zayn, and Seth handles the interview while Cody walks off. Shinsuke walks up, hearing Rollins’ comments about how he’s not sure if he’s going to end up fighting The Judgment Day one-on-three, and offers his assistance. Rollins says let’s ride.

An angry Miz says industry leaders like himself aren’t being shown the proper respect. That quickly brings out the man who he was doing the verbal equivalent of subtweeting, Knight, who soaks in a typically huge crowd reaction.

Knight offers a handshake and introduction only to have Miz refuse and accuse him of trying to ride his coattails. He also calls LA an “Attitude Era fanboy playing cosplay,” to which Knight says Miz shouldn’t make it personal.

But he does, of course. Knight explains that he’s been making himself a dangerous man for the past 20 years, clawing his way to an opportunity while WWE bet on the wrong horses — including The Miz.

A furious Miz screams that Knight isn’t on his level, but when he gets called on it, he tries for a cheap shot. Knight avoids a Skull Crushing Finale and hits the Blunt Force Trauma, which makes for a definitive last word.

The New Day def. Viking Raiders by pinfall

It’s so, so good to see Kofi Kingston back in the ring. The Raiders initially look like they will make his return a short one, but Xavier Woods hits a tornado DDT to get the New Day an opening, and Kofi runs through much of his trademark offense.

Kingston’s SOS gets a near fall on Ivar. Erik responds with a knee shot to the face and a two for his side. Trouble in Paradise wipes out Erik, however, and Woods flies a long way for a springboard elbow to win it.

Baszler tells Lynch that she didn’t need her help and will be coming for The Man sooner or later. Becky says she isn’t hard to find and is looking forward to it.

The New Day says it’s ready to pursue the tag team championship again. What about the women’s titles with Sonya Deville hurt? We’ll have to wait and see.

As The Judgment Day is coming out for the main event, Rodriguez appears out of nowhere and assaults Ripley, leading to a wild brawl that needs Pearce, referees, officials and other wrestlers to restore some semblance of order.

Cody Rhodes, Shinsuke Nakamura and Seth Rollins def. The Judgment Day (Damian Priest, Dominik Mysterio and Finn Balor) by pinfall

Mysterio has to step in-between Balor and Priest as soon as the bell rings, so the vibes are still off in The Judgment Day. Balor takes some early abuse but his group is slowly able to get a foothold in the match.

The crowd tries to will Nakamura back into things as he’s caught in the wrong corner, and his tag to Rollins helps ignite his team. Seth’s Falcon Arrow on Damian gets a near fall.

Balor, though, ends that run and works over the World Heavyweight Champion during side-by-side action. Ripley sneaks in a cheap shot when the full broadcast returns, and now it’s Rollins who really needs a tag.

Rhodes gets that tag, but Balor is able to hang with him … until a Cody Cutter that forces Dom to make the save. Balor stops Rollins from flying to the floor, and the briefcase comes into play, but here comes Zayn.

Rollins kicks the briefcase into Balor’s face and gets rid of the evidence, and Rhodes hits the Cross Rhodes to get the three count.

As the show ends, Rhodes and Rollins are still bickering, forcing Zayn to play peacekeeper again. Cody and Seth finally shake hands and all four faces celebrate in the corners.

But wait … Nakamura rushes over and smashes Rollins with a Kinshasa, leaving the champ flat on his back as the fadeout arrives.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WWE Raw results from Atlanta:

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

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

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

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

Gunther def. Matt Riddle by pinfall

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shayna Baszler def. Nikki Cross by submission

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bronson Reed def. Shinsuke Nakamura by DQ

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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