Tag: Viking Raiders

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WWE Raw results from Baltimore:

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

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

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

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

Damian Priest def. Shinsuke Nakamura by pinfall

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Matt Riddle def. Giovanni Vinci by pinfall

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

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

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

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

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

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

WWE Raw results 06/26/23: Dom gets in one last shot on Cody

WWE Raw will also feature Cody Rhodes addressing Dominik Mysterio and a Seth Rollins update.

Let’s say, just for the sake of argument, that there are six of the top women’s wrestlers on Raw all competing for the Money in the Bank briefcase this weekend. Then let’s imagine what might happen if all of them are in the ring together just five days away from their big opportunity.

Well imagine no more, because that’s exactly what’s going to happen on WWE Raw tonight from Savannah. All six women’s MITB competitors will have a summit, which we can only assume is a pun on the fact that they must climb a ladder to emerge victorious in London.

There are two teams of two within the group of six. Trish Stratus has new protégé Zoey Stark with her. Damage CTRL, when they aren’t bickering, has both Bayley and IYO SKY.

That leaves Becky Lynch and Zelina Vega as lone wolves. But seeing as both are fan favorites at the moment, might they find that an alliance, even if it’s temporary, might be just the ticket to survive this impending lion’s den?

Another star who could also use some people to watch his back from time to time is Cody Rhodes. The American Nightmare has stumbled into an unexpected feud with Dominik Mysterio, who of course, he should be able to handle with little trouble. The problem is that Dom is part of The Judgment Day, a group who has no problem turning the numbers game to its advantage. Will Rhodes find himself outnumbered when he addresses the younger Mysterio tonight?

There’s also an intriguing match between Ronda Rousey and Raquel Rodriguez, as well as a check on the well being of World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins. Sounds like a pretty decent three hours in store, and we’ll be chronicling everything that happens.

WWE Raw results from Savannah:

Dominik Mysterio tries to welcome the fans to Raw, which is hard when they are booing you out of the arena, and even Rhea Ripley has trouble getting her insults on Cody Rhodes in.

Speaking of the American Nightmare, he shows up dressed to impress as always and shows Dom how it’s done. Rhodes also quotes The Cat in the Hat to make a point that Dominik is a “scared little boy. Cody tries to goad Dom into a physical confrontation, and says he’ll find out Saturday if he’s just “mami’s little boy.”

Ricochet def. Shinsuke Nakamura by pinfall

Bronson Reed watches this on from ringside, talking to himself and clapping sarcastically when they battle to the floor nearby. Nakamura and Ricochet end up teaming for a moment to kick Reed a few times, and Bronson eventually gets ejected by the ref for trying to climb in the ring.

Without having to have their heads on swivels to look for Reed, the two men settle things among themselves, with Ricochet sealing the deal with a Shooting Star Press.

Earlier today, Matt Riddle challenged Gunther to an Intercontinental Championship match at Money in the Bank. While being asked about it by Byron Saxton, Riddle is insulted by Ludwig Kaiser, who ends up helping Gunther stomp on Matt’s ankle again. Oh, and Gunther accepts the challenge.

Dom and Rhea stop by Adam Pearce and demand a match for Dominik, but they tell AP they’ll get back to him on who they want as an opponent.

A video package runs through some cool Money in the Bank stats.

Ronda Rousey def. Raquel Rodriguez by pinfall

Liv Morgan was in the corner of Rodriguez but it ended up not mattering. Momentum for Rousey ahead of the tag team title match this weekend, one supposes.

A pre-recorded promo has Finn Balor saying he’s not the man who beat Seth Rollins seven years ago — he’s much more dangerous. He’s also motivated by Rollins laughing at him when he had to relinquish his title due to injury back then. “You made me bitter.”

Seth Rollins leads his usual singalong as he heads to the ring. He quickly points out NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes in the crowd and thanks Hayes for having his back. “Please, whoop up on that bum ass Corbin.”

Rollins says that despite Balor’s attempts to “turn my ribs to dust,” he’s still standing, and invites Finn to come out and try to finish the job right now. He eventually tries another sneak attack with a steel chair, but Rollins is ready for him this time.

As they battle to the outside, Balor tries again to use a chair but gets it snatched by Hayes, and Finn ends up fleeing into the crowd.

Tommaso Ciampa asserts again that he hasn’t heard “one peep from Mr. Tiny Balls” while he was out for months rehabbing. Ciampa says his time on the shelf gave him clarity and made him question why he was following The Miz. “This time around, I create my own opportunities.”

Tommaso Ciampa vs. The Miz doesn’t happen.

Miz comes sprinting down the ramp and attacks Ciampa, focusing on the left leg. Ciampa also gets suplexed into the barricade before the referee pulls The Miz off of him … for a second. Skull-Crushing finale on the floor and that’s it. No match tonight.

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn interrupt Imperium backstage, and after Sami assures KO they are indeed there to support Riddle, Zayn ends up challenging Gunther to a match. He’s cool with that.

Dominik Mysterio def. Akira Tozawa by pinfall

Ripley looks nervous as Tozawa gets in a ton of early offense. But she manages to distract Akira when it matters most, and Mysterio wins this short match with a frog splash.

Valhalla and the Viking Raiders say that to hear the gods again, they need to do terrible things to Alpha Academy. As one does.

Corey Graves hosts the Money in the Bank women’s summit, but is quickly interrupted by Bayley, who reminds everyone she’s the only one to already win one of these matches. Zelina Vega is tired of Damage CTRL being so dismissive and is ready to prove everyone who is overlooking her wrong.

Trish Stratus thinks they’re all little girls and understands why WWE needed her to save the women’s division. Everyone can say thank you to her when she wins. After Stratus starts in on Becky Lynch, things erupt into fisticuffs, with IYO SKY taking out everyone but Becky with a moonsault.

Lynch climbs a ladder in the ring and takes a briefcase, giving people a potential preview of Saturday.

Hayes says it’s an honor to be on Raw by invitation of Rollins, and he won’t miss when he takes his shot at Balor tonight.

Ripley bumps into Lynch backstage and warns her that if she wins MITB, it will be the last thing she ever does. Becky shoots back that she wants the briefcase just to make Rhea squirm.

Gunther def. Sami Zayn by pinfall

Owens joins Graves and KP on commentary for this one. Zayn is able to get in some good offense, including a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. He also proves resilient, kicking out after a top rope splash right before Owens and Ludwig Kaiser start scrapping.

Just when it appears Zayn has it rolling, Giovanni Vinci (remember him?) hits Sami with his crutch, and Gunther powerbombs Zayn for the pin.

After the bell, both Owens and Riddle join the fight, and Kaiser ends up eating a Stunner.

Natalya says the biggest battle she’s facing is not in the ring but in her own head. She says she’s shaken but still standing, and challenges Ripley to ring her championship next week to face her again.

Finn Balor def. Carmelo Hayes by pinfall

Hayes gets a chance to show off some of his offense, but you know how this is going to go. Eventually, Balor gets in a gutbuster/shotgun dropkick combo, and that sets up the figurative and literal Coup de Grace.

Rhodes says he’s anxious for the day we’re not talking about The Judgment Day all the time, and he looks forward to seeing if Dominik has skills other than getting under people’s skin.

A SmackDown video package replays the most recent Bloodline events, setting up the Bloodline Civil War tag team match at Money in the Bank.

Cody Rhodes def. Damian Priest by pinfall

The problem for Rhodes, as we said before, is that he’s not just fighting Priest. Sure enough, a few minutes in, Mysterio and Ripley come down to ringside. Their arrival shifts the momentum immediately to their teammate.

Dominik is able to provide some hands on assistance with the ref distracted, but Rhodes kicks out even after the South of Heaven. A Cody Cutter sets up Cross Rhodes, and that’s it for Priest.

Alas, Dom gets in one last cheap shot right before the show ends.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let’s see what we’ve got, shall we?

WWE Raw results from Cleveland:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WWE Raw results from Hershey:

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

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

WWE SmackDown results: Bad Bunny unites with the LWO

Bad Bunny and Cody Rhodes are looking to make a final point or two ahead of their respective Backlash matches.

WWE Backlash is almost ready to ignite the fans of San Juan, Puerto Rico, but they’ll get a chance to see some of their favorite wrestlers — and the biggest recording artist in the world — a night ahead of time tonight on WWE SmackDown.

Bad Bunny was announced some time ago as the host of Backlash, which made all the sense in the world. But he’s been embroiled in some drama involving The Judgment Day since WrestleMania, and it all boiled over once Damian Priest put him through an announce table.

As tends to happen in WWE, Bad Bunny came looking for Priest with a kendo stick, and the two men ended up getting booked for a San Juan Street Fight for Saturday night. Before that takes place, we’ll see if Bad Bunny gets the final word on SmackDown.

Another superstar who figures to want to say his piece ahead of a big Backlash match is Cody Rhodes. What will the American Nightmare want to talk about ahead of his showdown with Brock Lesnar?

Matches? Yep, there have been a couple of those promoted for SmackDown as well. Shinsuke Nakamura will take on Karrion Kross in singles action, while the Viking Raiders take on Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows of The O.C. in a tag team match.

Neither of those jumps out as a main event, so figure we’ll get another prominent match added to the card during the show that will fill that spot and whip the crowd into a proper pre-Backlash frenzy.

WWE SmackDown results from San Juan:

  • Rey Mysterio and the LWO hit the ring but are quickly joined by The Judgment Day, and San Juan hates Dominik Mysterio as much as any U.S. audience, and they end up agreeing to a mixed tag match before Dom gets in a cheap shot on his dad
  • The O.C. def. The Viking Raiders by pinfall
  • Michael Cole and Wade Barrett promote the World Heavyweight Championship tournament taking place next week
  • Bianca Belair talks about how important SmackDown is to her before she’s interrupted by Damage CTRL; Bayley calls her conceited, and Belair gets assistance from Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez when it inevitably turns into a fight

  • Karrion Kross delivers one last warning to Shinsuke Nakamura
  • The Usos are getting psyched for their Backlash match, but Solo Sikoa just silently wraps his thumb before finally telling his brothers they better do their part

  • Street Profits def. Imperium (Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci) by pinfall
  • A lengthy hype video for the Cody Rhodes-Brock Lesnar match is shown
  • “I don’t have any time to be scared of Brock Lesnar.” Rhodes hits the ring for his mic time, some of it in Spanish, and makes his case for calling Lesnar a gatekeeper while vowing to get back on track to finishing his story

  • Nakamura has just one thing to say to Kross: Come on!
  • Matt Riddle thinks he, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn have the Bloodline right where they want them for Backlash
  • Shinsuke Nakamura def. Karrion Kross by pinfall
  • A video package provides a closer look at the NXT talent drafted to SmackDown, including Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre, Cameron Grimes, Pretty Deadly and Grayson Waller
  • Adam Pearce welcomes Cameron Grimes to SmackDown but their discussion is interrupted by the non-drafted Baron Corbin, and they end up agreeing to a match next week
  • Zelina Vega and Rey Mysterio def. Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio by pinfall, only to be attacked by The Judgment Day right after the bell, but …
  • … Bad Bunny leads the LWO to the rescue, though his kendo stick shots intended for Damian Priest are intercepted by Dom; Bad Bunny accepts and puts on an LWO shirt to end the show