Monday Night Raw
Date: November 18, 2024
Location: Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

We’re taped from the same venue as last week and the big story continues to be the build towards Survivor Series. The Raw side seems to be heading towards a women’s WarGames match and the lineup should be firmed up a bit more this week. Other than that, the men’s side is likely approaching its final form as well, with only one star left to be added. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Here are Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez to get things going. Morgan knows Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill are gunning for her, so she has backup in the form of Nia Jax, Candice LeRae and Tiffany Stratton. Jax gets right to the point: she doesn’t think anything of Morgan and Rodriguez, but she thinks about Belair, Cargill and Naomi a lot.

Cue the trio, with Iyo Sky joining them. They need a fifth member…and here is the returning Rhea Ripley (in a protective mask), to shout WARGAMES and deck Morgan. Sky’s moonsault clears out some villains and the villains are dispatched. That got to the point and if Ripley is available, she was the only possible choice for the fifth spot.

We look back at the big Bloodline vs. Roman Reigns and company brawl on Smackdown, with Bronson Reed seemingly joining the Bloodline’s WarGames team.

LWO vs. American Made

That would be Zelina Vega/Rey Mysterio vs. Ivy Nile/Chad Gable with the women brawling out to the floor to start. That leaves Gable to whip Mysterio chest first into the buckle for two but Mysterio headscissors him out to the floor. Vega comes back in to kick Nile down into the corner but Three Amigos are broken up and we take a break.

Back with Vega still in trouble but fighting out of a chinlock. The comeback allows the tag off to Mysterio to pick up the pace on Gable. That’s broken up as well though and Gable plants Mysterio with a DDT. Vega comes in for a pop up hurricanrana to Gable though, leaving Mysterio to hit the 619. The springboard splash finishes for Mysterio at 9:59.

Rating: C+. The LWO actually gets a win for a change and American Made takes a loss, as some things never change. It seems that Gable and company are not exactly doing well at the moment and I’m not sure how much longer they’ll be around. At the same time, it might be a good idea for Gable to get away from teams for a bit, as he’s kind of done the same thing for a long time now.

Post match Gable yells at American Made, who pose with him.

Finn Balor calms Liv Morgan down and sends Carlito and Dominik Mysterio after the War Raiders. JD McDonagh needs to talk to Balor.

Miz brags about fooling the Wyatt Sicks last week, leading to the Final Testament’s beatdown. It could relaunch the Marine franchise!

We recap Damian Priest getting in Gunther’s head and taking out Ludwig Kaiser.

Gunther tells Kaiser to go make a name for himself. Then Gunther goes after Priest with a pipe but Priest lays him out, saying Gunther may be the Ring General, but Priest is king in the streets.

Intercontinental Title: Sheamus vs. Bron Breakker

Breakker is defending. They stare each other down to start and slug it out to the floor, with Breakker taking over. Back in and a quick Irish Curse gets Sheamus out of trouble but Breakker knocks him outside again. The jumping clothesline from the apron onto the announcers’ table connects and we take a break.

Back with Breakker knocking him to the floor and hitting a top rope shoulder to drop him again. Breakker tells him to quit while he has a chance but Sheamus tells him to bring it on and gets in a knockdown of his own. A backdrop sends Sheamus to the apron, where he gets in the ten forearms to the chest.

Breakker knocks him down again and goes up, only to get pulled down with a super White Noise or two more. This time it’s Sheamus going up, with Breakker Frankensteinering him back down. Sheamus’ knee cuts the spear off for two but another spear attempt connects, with Sheamus rolling outside. Breakker tries another one…but here is Ludwig Kaiser to deck him for the DQ at 13:33.

Rating: B. This was right in Sheamus’ wheelhouse as he is at his best when it’s about beating the fire out of each other. Breakker is more than capable of holding his own in that kind of a power match and it worked well here. The Kaiser interference does tie into Sheamus telling him to do his own thing and three way match could be interesting.

Post match Kaiser lays both of them out again.

Sami Zayn and the Usos again try to get Seth Rollins to join WarGames, but it’s a no from Rollins due to the Roman Reigns problem. Tonight, he’s going to take out Bronson Reed.

Video on Dakota Kai, who returned from her latest injury last week.

The women’s WarGames match is official.

Judgment Day vs. War Raiders

Ivar slams Carlito to start and Erik slams Ivar onto him for two. Ivar has to fight out of the wrong corner and hands it back to Erik, who is knocked outside. Mysterio hits a dive to drop Erik and we take an early break. Back with Mysterio hitting the slingshot hilo but Erik fights up and hands it back to Ivar. House is quickly cleaned, including the Bronco Buster to crush Mysterio. Ivar tosses Mysterio at Carlito (that’s effective) and the War Machine finishes Carlito at 9:38.

Rating: C+. That’s a classic way to set up the already established title match and it worked well here. The Raiders get to run through the lower level Judgment Day team and look like a threat to the champs. It wouldn’t surprise me to see the Raiders get the belts back when they get the chance and this was a good way to help set it up.

Post match Finn Balor and JD McDonagh jump the Raiders and leave them laying.

The Wyatt Sicks hack the feed and promise revenge on Miz for not accepting their offer of help out of the pit.

Video on Lyra Valkyria.

Kofi Kingston isn’t sure what is going on with Xavier Woods, who comes up and talks about what Karrion Kross said (that the team is dead and New Day is the only ones who don’t know it). Otis (who had been talking to Kingston) tries to calm him down but Woods snaps at him and a tag match is set for next week.

Seth Rollins vs. Bronson Reed

The bell rings so here is the Bloodline, with Sami Zayn and the Usos popping up to brawl them into the crowd. Reed is knocked to the floor and Rollins hits a dive as we take an early break. Back with Reed knocking him around ringside and getting in a whip over the barricade. They get back inside where Reed knocks him right back to the floor, setting up the flip dive off the apron.

This time Rollins is able to ram him head first into the steps a few times, setting up a springboard knee to the head. Reed grabs a quick powerbomb for two and we take another break. Back again with Rollins powerbombing him out of the corner to leave them both down.

A Lionsault and springboard Swanton get one on Reed so Rollins gets in a low superkick. The frog splash gets two but Reed is back with a brainbuster for two of his own. Rollins is ok enough to roll away from a Tsunami attempt and now a superkick into the Pedigree gets two. The Stomp connects and Rollins goes up but cue Solo Sikoa for a distraction. Reed hits a Death Valley Driver and the Tsunami for the pin at 17:38.

Rating: B. Reed needed this win and continues his rather strong push, even after losing to Rollins at Crown Jewel. Rollins threw a lot at Reed here but couldn’t put him away, which is a simple way to make a monster look strong. At the same time, this could set up Rollins as the last member of WarGames, even if he isn’t thrilled with being on the team. I’m no sure who else it could be, so for now at least it’s going well.

Overall Rating: B. This was the show that got a focus on what is either already locked in for Survivor Series or is all but set. The WarGames matches are all but set and Priest vs. Gunther should be good for a featured match. They’re doing a nice job of making me want to see what they have at Survivor Series and this made for solid stepping stone there. The show could use another match or two and that can be set up in the next few days, but the big stuff is ready.

Results
LWO b. American Made – Springboard splash to Gable
Bron Breakker b. Sheamus via DQ when Ludwig Kaiser interfered
War Raiders b. Judgment Day – War Machine to Carlito
Bronson Reed b. Seth Rollins – Tsunami

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Monday Night Raw
Date: November 11, 2024
Location: Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

We’re back stateside and there are less than three weeks to go before Survivor Series. After last week’s main event, Damian Priest is the new #1 contender to Gunther’s World Heavyweight Championship. There is a good chance that match is announced sooner than later, maybe even tonight. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Here is Gunther for a chat, with commentary confirming that he will defend against Damian Priest at Survivor Series. After reminding us that he is still the champion, Gunther wants and receives Priest in the ring. Priest wants him to say these things to his face, guessing that it’s not going to be so nice.

Gunther doesn’t think much of this but Priest says he knows he can beat Gunther, because Finn Balor won’t be there to help him again. Priest reminds Gunther of the loss to Cody Rhodes and Gunther is not looking happy. Cue Ludwig Kaiser to remind us that Gunther has beaten Priest before. Priest drops Kaiser but Gunther bails. The match was ready to go and having it at Survivor Series is a fine way to go.

Damage CTRL is ready to fight…and it helps that Dakota Kai is back.

Veterans Day video.

Kofi Kingston apologizes to R-Truth for not having his back last week and kind of blames Xavier Woods. Cue Woods, but R-Truth mentions Pete Dunne by his old name, which brings Dunne in. The result is Dunne vs. Kingston later tonight.

Damage CTRL vs. Pure Fusion Collective

Sane flips over Deville to start but gets caught in a suplex. Sky comes in to trip Deville down and Sane kicks her out to the floor, only to get caught with a cheap shot. We take a break and come back with Kai coming in to take over on Baszler. A half crab on the bad leg slows her down but Sane comes in off the top for the save. Everything breaks down and Kai kicks Baszler, setting up Over The Moonsault for the pin at 9:27.

Rating: C+. This match did a nice job with a few things, ranging from bringing Kai back with a nice showing and also letting Sky get a win on the way to her title shot. That’s a nice way to get through a match with about ten minutes and a break in the middle. If nothing else, having Damage CTRL being more than a tag team is a good idea too, as they work better as a trio.

Long recap of the Original Bloodline reunion on Smackdown, with Sami Zayn being back in the fold.

Sami Zayn and the Usos are back but need a fifth member for WarGames. Zayn might know someone, with Jey being a bit unsure.

Kofi Kingston vs. Pete Dunne

Xavier Woods is here with Kingston. Dunne gets sent into the corner to start but Kofi flips over him and hits a dropkick to the floor. The flipping dive to the floor takes Dunne out and we take a break. Back with Dunne slowly hammering away until a kick to the face cuts him off. A top rope splash to the back hits Dunne but he knocks Kingston out of the air. Woods gets in a cheap shot though and Kingston isn’t happy, with the distraction letting Dunne hit the Bitter End for the pin at 8:55.

Rating: B-. As you might have guessed, two talented wrestlers who had the chance to showcase themselves worked well. Kingston and Dunne are the kind of stars who are able to work well with anyone and sometimes you just need a nice wrestling match. In this case there was the Woods aspect as well so it even had some longer term consequences. Much like the opener, that’s a nice use of television time.

Post match Kingston shoves Woods away.

We look at Iyo Sky becoming #1 contender last week.

Finn Balor yells at Dominik Mysterio for letting Damian Priest becoming the new #1 contender. They have to be held back, with more of the team saying they’re ready to teach the War Raiders a lesson.

Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill are ready for their title defense tonight.

Here is Bronson Reed, who acknowledges that Seth Rollins is great but brings up taking Rollins out last week. Cue Rollins and the fight is on, with the start in the ring and the latter heading outside. Reed hits a big dive to take out Rollins and security but it’s not quite broken up as we take a break.

Post break Rollins demands another match and Adam Pearce grants it for next week. Sami Zayn comes in and wants Rollins in WarGames. Zayn brings up Rollins’ history with Roman Reigns, but Rollins thinks Zayn is out of his mind. He knows what Reigns is all about and Rollins isn’t going to help him in any way. The answer is no.

Damian Priest vs. Ludwig Kaiser

Priest hammers away to start but misses a charge, allowing Kaiser to tie him in the corner. The running dropkick rocks Priest again and we take a break. Back with Kaiser forearming away but getting dropped with a quick Broken Arrow. Priest strikes away and hits the lifting Downward Spiral for two but has to fight out of a windup DDT. The ear clap sets up South Of Heaven for the clean pin at 7:33.

Rating: C+. This was about giving Priest a nice win on the way to his match with Gunther and it worked well enough. Beating Kaiser has become a tradition for Gunther’s opponents and that isn’t a bad way to go. Priest doesn’t need much of a build, but this went about as well as it was going to all things considered.

Post match Gunther comes out for a nervous looking staredown.

We look at Sheamus and Bron Breakker going to a draw on Speed.

Breakker doesn’t like Sheamus, who interrupts and wants an Intercontinental Title shot next week. Breakker didn’t understand a word of that but Sheamus can have a title shot next week. With Sheamus gone, Jey Uso comes in to talk to Breakker.

The Miz is back but has no information for the Final Testament. That doesn’t work for Karrion Kross, but Miz says he has seen the error of his way. Kross grabs Miz and the AOP drags him to the ring, where Kross says this doesn’t add up. He wants the Wyatt Sicks so here they are, with Miz chairing Erick Rowan down. The Final Testament cleans house and the Wyatts are left laying. Uncle Howdy laughs.

Seth Rollins is leaving….but Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu are here. Sikoa wants Rollins on his team, with Rollins saying he wants to stomp Roman Reigns’ head down. That being said, he also doesn’t want to team with a wannabe Reigns.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Liv Morgan/Raquel Rodriguez vs. Bianca Belair/Jade Cargill

Belair and Cargill are defending and Morgan goes to the mat with Belair to start. The fight goes to Belair and she hammers away in the corner, only to get pulled down by the hair. Morgan hits a dropkick off the steps and we take an early break. Back with Cargill getting a tag to clean house and spinning Morgan down with a faceplant for two with Rodriguez making the save. Rodriguez and Cargill kick each other in the face but here are Nia Jax and Tiffany Stratton to go after Cargill. That’s enough for Rodriguez to get two as Naomi (Why are these people here?) comes in to go after Jax. The KOD to Morgan retains the titles at 7:28.

Rating: B-. There was a lot going on here with a lot of people getting involved. It’s nice to see some of these stories starting to intertwine, though Morgan losing a fall was a bit annoying. Granted a lot of this is due to Rhea Ripley being gone, but her feud with Morgan needed a break.

Post match Jax jumps the champs but Iyo Sky comes in to help fight the villains off. The heroes stand tall to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. They covered a good amount of stuff on here, with the Gunther vs. Priest match being set up as the big deal. Other than that you had all of the insanity with the Women’s Titles and the teases of who could be the fifth members in WarGames. I’m wanting to see where some of these things are going and that’s a good sign on the way towards the pay per view.

Results
Damage CTRL b. Pure Fusion Collective – Over The Moonsault to Baszler
Pete Dunne b. Kofi Kingston – Bitter End
Damian Priest b. Ludwig Kaiser – South Of Heaven
Bianca Belair/Jade Cargill b. Liv Morgan/Raquel Rodriguez – KOD to Morgan

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Monday Night Raw
Date: November 4, 2024
Location: Mohammed Abdo Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

We’re in Saudi Arabia for the first time ever with a taped show as we are fresh off of Crown Jewel. There wasn’t much in the way of development there as neither of the top titles were on the line. We’re also less than a month away from Survivor Series and that means the card is going to need to start coming together. Let’s get to it.

Here is Crown Jewel if you need a recap.

Long Crown Jewel recap.

Here is Judgment Day to get things going, with commentary already pointing out that Liv Morgan won the Crown Jewel Title on Saturday but only gets to keep the ring. The Revenge Tour is over and it’s time to start the World Tour. Morgan lists off her recent accomplishments but here are Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair to cut off Dominik Mysterio. Belair brags about their success “last night” but Morgan isn’t impressed.

Morgan points out that Belair and Cargill both think they’re the best, unlike herself and Raquel Rodriguez, who are real friends. Belair issues the challenge for the tag match but Adam Pearce interrupts and says not so fast. Morgan keeps talking and the fight is on, only for Pearce to say there’s a battle royal to crown a new #1 contender. Belair and Cargill are included and it starts right now.

Battle Royal

Iyo Sky, Kairi Sane, Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill, Natalya, Lyra Valkyria, Sonya Deville, Kayden Carter, Katana Chance, Shayna Baszler, Isla Dawn, Alba Fyre, Maxxine Dupri, Ivy Nile, Zoey Stark, Zelina Vega

For a shot at Liv Morgan’s Title. Carter and Chance waste no time in diving off the top onto a bunch of people, setting up some catapult cannonballs in the corner. Dawn is knocked out and Deville gets rid of Carter shortly thereafter. Dupri busts out an inverted Worm but gets knocked out without too much trouble. Vega 619s Nile out and we take a break.

Back with Damage CTRL hitting a double dropkick on Natalya as we apparently missed Chance walking on her hands to avoid an elimination. Then she was eliminated shortly thereafter. Sane and Natalya are knocked out, as are Deville and Baszler. We’re down to Valkyria, Belair, Cargill and Sky, with the fans rather impressed.

Belair and Cargill send the other two to the apron before staring each other down. Valkyria and Sky come back in but get planted with some finishers. Morgan and Rodriguez get involved though, with Belair being pulled out BY THE HAIR (GEEZ), with Cargill falling out with her. That leaves Sky and Valkyria to fight to the apron with Sky stomping her down. Sky snaps off a German suplex to eliminate Valkyria for the win at 12:48.

Rating: C+. With Ripley hurt, this is as logical of a move as you can have. Sky is someone with the experience and success to be a threat to anyone and she’s been treated as a major star. It’s a fast way to set up a title match and that’s a good thing to see. Throw in Belair and Cargill having issues with Morgan and Rodriguez and things are even more interesting.

New Day isn’t happy with losing last week, with Xavier Woods blaming Kofi Kingston for the loss. The Wyatt Sicks hack the feed and show a kidnapped Miz, who says he isn’t part of the Final Testament. Bo Dallas says there is no mistake because they want him, not the Final Testament.

We look at Goldberg announcing his retirement match for 2025, though no details are set.

New Day vs. War Raiders

Erik wastes no time in sending Woods outside, where Ivar gets in some shots of his own. A half nelson backbreaker plants Kingston and we take a break. Back with Woods fighting out of trouble but getting knocked down again for a quick two. A jumping enziguri and superkick get Woods out of trouble and it’s back to Kingston to pick up the pace. The big running flip dive to the floor hits Ivar and Trouble In Paradise connects. Woods tags himself in to hit the Limit Break, only to get caught with the War Machine for the pin at 9:09.

Rating: C. The issues continue and the #1 contenders get a win over a still rather efficient team. It feels like they’re dragging this out for the big tenth anniversary of the New Day though and that almost has to mean Big E. showing up. If he’s the thing that brings them back together and gives them the titles back, I could think of far worse ideas.

We look at the European tour coming next spring, including Raw and Smackdown. Cool.

Here is Sami Zayn for a chat. Zayn speaks (I believe) Arabic and is very happy to be here but cue Jey Uso to interrupt. Jey gets right to the point: did Zayn kick Roman Reigns in the face on purpose at Crown Jewel? Cue Jimmy Uso to interrupt before Jey can respond, asking what Jey is thinking. Of course Zayn kicked Reigns in the face on purpose!

Zayn says Jimmy isn’t exactly trustworthy but he’s not a bad guy. He’s just someone who has made bad choices. Zayn liked the minute that felt like old times, but he’s not going to do this again. Jey asks a departing Zayn to come to Smackdown and deal with this like family. Jimmy says Zayn isn’t family, but Jey disagrees, dubbing him Sami Uso. Zayn doesn’t give an answer but appears to be thinking about it. The saga continues, but you can see the WarGames teams coming from here and with 26 days to go, that’s a good place to be.

Seth Rollins is ready to get back to the World Title picture. He and Bronson Reed can pick that up again later.

Dragon Lee vs. Chad Gable

Zelina Vega and Ivy Nile are here too. Gable throws him down to start and the referee has to check on Lee, who landed on his head. Back up and Gable does it again but Lee fights out of a headlock and snaps Gable’s singlet against his chest. A high crossbody gives Lee two and they go to the apron, where Lee hits a nasty knee. Gable is fine enough to hit a backdrop to the floor, which has commentary panicking as we take an early break.

Back with Lee hitting his top rope double stomp but Gable suplexes him into the corner. Lee fights up and they trade forearms until Lee snaps off a scary German suplex. Gable hits one of his own as commentary isn’t sure what they’re seeing with this kind of intensity. Gable’s rolling German suplexes have Lee in trouble but he’s fine enough to hit a running powerbomb. Gable is back with a Dominator into a DDT but Vega shoves his feet off the ropes to break up the pin. Nile chokes Vega out so here is Rey Mysterio, which is enough of a distraction for Operation Dragon to give Lee the pin at 12:30.

Rating: B. Well they weren’t taking it easy here. This was a surprisingly hard hitting match with both of them trying rather hard. It’s still disappointing to see Gable lose AGAIN though as that has happened far too often. We’re reaching the point where it just isn’t going to happen with him and that was on full display here. As for Lee, I’m not sure I can see it with him either, but he’s in a better place than Gable at the moment.

Gunther, with Ludwig Kaiser, is ready for any opponent after tonight’s four way #1 contenders match. They both have to do better though.

Damian Priest vs. Dominik Mysterio vs. Sheamus vs. Seth Rollins

For a future shot at Gunther. As you might expect, Dominik gets beaten up to start but Rollins breaks it up. Rollins knocks Sheamus and Priest outside for the big dive and we take an early break. Back with Dominik hammering on Priest, who fights back up with a lifting Downward Spiral.

Sheamus is back in with the Irish Curse to Priest and another to Rollins and Mysterio. Sheamus goes up top and drops a knee on Dominik but Rollins makes the save. Priest and Rollins kick each other down and we take another break. Back again with Dominik’s 619 being broken up by a Sheamus powerslam.

Rollins scores with a Pedigree but cue Bronson Reed to wreck Sheamus and Rollins as well. Reed hits a Death Valley Driver into the Tsunami on Priest and then another to Sheamus. A third Tsunami sends Rollins through the announcers’ table and Reed is gone. Dominik tries to steal the pin on Sheamus but gets caught with South Of Heaven to give Priest the pin and the title shot at 17:40.

Rating: B-. The good thing about this match is you could have had it go multiple ways. Rollins is always an option, there was a slim chance of Mysterio stealing it to set up his pure destruction, and Sheamus has enough of a history with Gunther to be at least a slim hope. That being said, Priest was the right call here due to how Gunther got the title, as a rematch is not an unreasonable thing. Reed interfering helped as well and made sense, as he and Rollins aren’t done.

Overall Rating: B-. The important aspect of this show is they actually got some stuff done. I’m not sure why Sky vs. Morgan and Gunther vs. Priest are going to happen, but they are officially ready to go at some point and that’s more interesting than the Crown Jewel Titles. Survivor Series can start getting set up in the near future and there is a good chance that we started setting that come together here. Not a great show, but more engaging than what they’ve been doing in recent weeks.

Results
Iyo Sky won a battle royal last eliminating Lyra Valkyria
War Raiders b. New Day – War Machine to Woods
Dragon Lee b. Chad Gable – Operation Dragon
Damian Priest b. Dominik Mysterio, Sheamus and Seth Rollins – South Of Heaven to Mysterio

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Crown Jewel 2024
Date: November 2, 2024
Location: Mohammed Abdo Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

We’re back in Saudi Arabia and the focus this time is on champion vs. champion. The Raw and Smackdown World Champions, both men’s and women’s, will face off in a match or a belt that they don’t get to take with them, but they do get a ring. That’s not the strongest buildup but the Bloodline is at it again. Let’s get to it.

A bunch of people came to work today.

The opening video is a look at how prestigious everything is, with the focus on the champion vs. champion matches.

Bloodline vs. Roman Reigns/Usos

Roman and Jimmy come out together, with Jey getting his own full on entrance (Jimmy approves, Roman not so much). Jey and Tama start things off with Tama pounding him down without much effort. It’s off to Jimmy to take over, with a double elbow hitting Tama. Fatu comes in and gets kicked out tot he floor so things can reset a bit. Back in Jey armbars Tama as Reigns wants the tag. Jey tags in Jimmy instead, with Jimmy trying to calm him down, even during a double headbutt.

More bickering allows Tama to go after the knee to bring Jimmy down. Jimmy gets beaten own in the corner but manages to get over to Jey to pick up the pace. That doesn’t last long either, as Jey gets sent into the corner, where Sikoa gets in a headbutt from the apron. The nerve hold goes on before it’s back to Tama for a slingshot hilo. Jey fights up again and brings in Roman, who slugs it out with Sikoa.

The clotheslines have Sikoa down and a Superman Punch makes him do it again. The spear is cut off though and the Samoan Spike gets…two, as it seemed to be three with Jimmy making a slightly late save. Jey comes back in to superkick Fatu to the floor and there’s another Superman Punch to Sikoa. Tama offers a distraction though and the referee gets taken out. Fatu headbutts Reigns and runs him over, setting up the moonsault. A pair of Samoan Spikes finishes Reigns at 16:37.

Rating: B-. I’m a bit surprised by Sikoa getting the pin and getting it fairly easily, but this was more about setting up the next chapter at WarGames. The Usos and Reigns were outnumbered here and that is going to have to be remedied sooner than later. Good match or the most part though, even with Jey’s issues costing the team a bit.

Post match the Bloodline does their pose but Reigns fights up, only to get beaten down again. The TripleBomb through the announcers’ table is broken up so the chair is loaded around Jey’s neck in the corner. Cue Sami Zayn (who slowly walks to the ring, which for some reason paralyzes the Bloodline, who was ready to destroy Jey and then just don’t). Sami teases hugging Sikoa but suplexes him instead. Sikoa is surrounded on all sides but Zayn and Reigns accidentally hit each other, allowing Sikoa to escape. Jimmy yells at Zayn as Reigns is still down. Again, this is just a big pit stop on the way to WarGames.

We get some sitdown interviews with Gunther (who promises to choke Cody Rhodes out) and Cody Rhodes (who promises to win) about their match later.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Piper Niven/Chelsea Green vs. Damage CTRL vs. Meta Four vs. Bianca Belair/Jade Cargill

Belair and Cargill are defending. Sky and Belair start fast and Belair grabs a delayed vertical suplex but misses a handspring moonsault. They trade some flips until Green comes in and takes a beating in the corner. Now Belair’s handspring moonsault connects for two and it’s off to Cargill. Legend comes in and slams Green before glaring Cargill back to the corner.

Jackson steps up onto Legend’s shoulders for a flipping backsplash and hits a running hip attack in the corner. Sane tags herself in and hits a middle rope forearm before handing it back to Sky. Sane’s catapult to send Sky into the corner doesn’t quite work so Sky slams Jackson down instead. It’s off to Niven to run Sky over before Legend and Cargill have the big slugout.

Everyone winds up on the floor so Green teases a dive, which has to be caught by Niven. Sky hits a dive and Jackson hits one of her own, followed by Belair hitting a Cactus Clothesline on Legend. Back in and Jaded hits Green but Damage CTRL makes the save. Meta Four is back up to clean house, including a toss sitout powerbomb. We hit the parade of secondary finishers but Cargill escapes the Unprettier. Niven Vader Bombs Green by mistake and a Doomsday Device (geez) finishes Niven to retain at 12:00.

Rating: C+. They got a bit of time here and the match was boosted up a bit as a result. I was expecting a title change here but Belair and Cargill retaining is hardly a bad thing. They’re becoming more dominant champions and that is something you need rather than having the titles bounce around all the time.

We recap Bronson Reed vs. Seth Rollins. Reed injured Rollins a few months back and put him action. Rollins is back and wants revenge so they’ve been fighting a bunch.

Seth Rollins vs. Bronson Reed

The brawl starts on the ramp and Rollins can’t get very far. They go to ringside and Rollins is driven into the timekeeper’s area. The fight heads inside for the opening bell and Reed hits an early Tsunami but goes up again instead of covering. Rollins rolls away and hits a quick Stomp for two as they’re starting fast. Rollins’ sunset flip is countered with a sitdown splash for two and things slow down a lot.

Back up and Rollins’ attempt at a slam doesn’t work but he counters a powerbomb into a DDT (that looked great) to leave the both down. A middle rope clothesline staggers Reed but he catches Rollins on top. That’s broken up with a headbutt and Rollins drops a frog splash for two. Reed is back up with a Death Valley Driver for two but Rollins slaps him in the face, saying Reed should have finished him when he can. They had outside where Rollins gets in a shot of his own, setting up the Stomp on the steps. Back in and another Stomp finishes Reed at 12:20.

Rating: B-. Gah I’m not sure about that, as Reed needed the win a lot more than Rollins. I’m not saying Reed is done, but that’s not going to do him any favors as a monster taking a loss can be rather damaging. Rollins is hardly a low level star, but I would have stretched Reed’s dominance out just a bit longer.

We recap Liv Morgan vs. Nia Jax for the Women’s Crown Jewel Title. Basically the idea is Tiffany Stratton is going to cash in on someone but we’re not sure whom.

Women’s Crown Jewel Title: Liv Morgan vs. Nia Jax

We get the Big Match Intros and Morgan plays keep away to start. That only lasts so long as Morgan gets in a few shots, which just seem to annoy Jax. The running shoulder in the corner misses for Jax but she hits a quick super Samoan drop. Jax goes up for the Annihilator but gets countered into a sunset bomb.

Cue Tiffany Stratton, only to have Jax shout her down before the cash in. Morgan gets two off a crucifix so Stratton tries it again, only for Raquel Rodriguez to break it up. A middle rope Codebreaker gives Morgan two and they’re both down for a bit. Jax yells at Stratton on the floor and the big fight is on, with Jax running Morgan over. Dominik Mysterio slides the briefcase in for a distraction though, allowing a quick Oblivion to give Morgan the pin at 8:14.

Rating: C+. This was a good bit better than I was expecting as they played to their strengths rather than trying to have it be a straight match. That being said, I’m once again completely done with the Money In The Bank stuff, as the “THIS IS IT! SHE’S CASHING OH NEVER MIND!” for months on end lost its charm years ago. That was on full display here and I was sick of seeing

HHH comes in for the title presentation.

We recap Kevin Owens vs. Randy Orton. Owens feels like Orton (and Cody Rhodes) betrayed him by siding with Roman Reigns, causing Owens to turn of both of them. Owens doesn’t want to hurt someone he claims to be his friends but he’s willing to do what he has to. Orton just wants revenge.

Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens

Owens hits him with a chair before the bell and they fight on the floor. Owens drops him onto the announcers’ table and takes the chair inside to keep up the beating. The referee tries to break it up and gets a Stunner as referees and agents come down. Orton gets the chair and hits Owens with it, followed by the hanging DDT. Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis come in so Orton RKOs Pearce. Owens gets up and they fight into the crowd, where Owens uses something metal to knock him onto a table. An elbow off the stage crushes Orton again. They’re both left laying and no match.

US Title: LA Knight vs. Carmelo Hayes vs. Andrade

Knight is defending and lets the challengers beat each other up to start. That doesn’t last long as Hayes knocks them outside. Knight sends Hayes into the announcers’ table a few times and adds the slingshot shoulder to Andrade. Back in and Andrade fights up, including the running knees to Hayes in the corner.

One heck of a moonsault to the floor drops Knight, only for Knight to cut him off with a dive. Back in and Knight can’t BFT Hayes only to get caught with the First 48. Hayes knocks Andrade down for two as well an everyone needs a breather. Andrade drops Knight for two and takes Hayes up top for a super fall away slam. Knight goes up and hits the double top rope elbow for two more. It’s Hayes up this time with Nothing But Net to Andrade but Knight is right back with the BFT to retain at 8:57.

Rating: B-. This was a good TV match and that’s all it needed to be. Knight gets another win and it’s no like either of the other two are really hurt by the loss. It’s time to end Andrade and Hayes’ series though, as it’s gone on long enough. They need to do something new and Knight needs a fresh challenger as well.

We recap Gunther vs. Cody Rhodes. They both want to be the best and prove that they’re better and have gotten physical a few times. Time for a match.

Men’s Crown Jewel Title: Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther

Feeling out process to start with Gunther getting the better of some grappling. Rhodes reverses into an armbar to take Gunther down. That’s reversed into a headlock as they’re taking their time to start here. Rhodes fights up to escape and the fans approve as we’re somehow five minutes in. The chops are blocked and Cody goes for the Flip Flop And Fly, only for a big chop to cut him off.

A drop down uppercut works a bit better for Cody but he has to break up a sleeper attempt. Gunther takes him outside for a big chop and slams him on the floor for a breather. Back in and Gunther gets the better of a slugout before slowly chopping Cody down to the floor again. Cody shrugs off a slam and catches Gunther on top as the fans deem this awesome. A top rope superplex brings Gunther down and they’re both down.

Cody gets fired up and hits the Bionic Elbow (the fans chant Dusty), setting up a Cody Cutter for two. The Disaster Kick is countered into the Boston crab before Gunther switches to the sleeper. That’s escaped so Cody hits a quick Cross Rhodes and they’re both down. Back up and Gunther hits the powerbomb for two but he makes the mistake of slapping Cody in the corner. That fires Cody up and he grabs a quick Cross Rhodes for another near fall. Another Cross Rhodes is blocked so Cody goes up for the Cody Cutter, only to get pulled into the sleeper. That’s reversed into a rollup to give Cody the pin at 23:00.

Rating: B+. I don’t think anyone was expecting this to be anything less than very good and they hit that point. It was a clean match with Cody catching him in the end and that’s perfectly fine. The good thing here is that it was basically a match either could afford to lose, but unfortunately Cody doesn’t really gain much from the win. Still though, best match on the show by a wide margin.

Post match Gunther shakes Cody’s hand and we get the big presentation of the title, with HHH and Liv Morgan coming out to celebrate, with some government officials joining them.

Overall Rating: B-. One of the good things about modern WWE is you won’t get many truly bad matches or shows and that was the case here. I wasn’t overly interested in a lot of what they had going on but nothing on the show was anything close to terrible. The main event was very good and some of the other stuff worked well enough. The biggest issue here was a lack of anything impactful happening, but Survivor Series can handle that later this month. Not exactly a must see show, but there are worse options out there.

Results
Bloodline b. Roman Reigns/Usos – Samoan Spike to Reigns
Jade Cargill/Bianca Belair b. Damage CTRL, Piper Niven/Chelsea Green and Meta Four – Doomsday Device to Niven
Seth Rollins b. Bronson Reed – Stomp
Liv Morgan b. Nia Jax – Oblivion
LA Knight b. Andrade and Carmelo Hayes – BFT to Hayes
Cody Rhodes b. Gunther – Rollup

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I’m not sure how to act like I’m interested in this show as there just very much here that I want to see. The show’s main matches are designed around titles that are going to be kept on display at the WWE Experience in Saudi Arabia while the Bloodline match seems to be more about getting us ready or Survivor Series. That doesn’t leave much to get excited about but maybe I can talk my way there. Let’s get to it.

Seth Rollins vs. Bronson Reed

This is all about Rollins getting revenge on Reed for attacking him a few months ago, resulting in Rollins being left out of action. They’ve been fighting since Rollins got back and this week saw Reed damage Rollins’ ribs. That should make for a big fight, as Rollins is often good at coming back from big odds to win in the end. That is of course assuming it’s the way they go.

I think I’ll take Reed to win here, as he can go a long way with beating Rollins and getting the biggest victory of his career. On the other hand, a Rollins win really diminishes Reed, who is getting over as a monster. There is some potential to this one though and it’s probably the match I’m looking forward to the most. They could do something good here and hopefully it sees Reed getting a heck of an upgrade.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Bianca Belair/Jade Cargill(c) vs. Piper Niven/Chelsea Green vs. Meta Four vs. Damage CTRL

I’m not sure how they managed to make it work but WWE has put together something resembling a women’s tag division. It doesn’t have a bunch of depth, but this feels like something better than what they’ve been doing in recent years. For now, I’ll certainly take that, as we could be getting something going with these belts after trying to make it work forever.

As for a winner….I almost want to say Meta Four but I’ll go with a pick I expect to be wrong and says Green/Niven. Damage CTRL feels like it’s been done and Belair/Cargill can lose the titles without taking much damage as a result. Meta Four winning could give them quite the elevation, but Green has more than earned some kind of a reward after everything she’s done so I’ll take a wild shot with them.

US Title: LA Knight(c) vs. Andrade vs. Carmelo Hayes

This hasn’t been the smoothest build as Knight has felt like a villain throughout most of it, but he’s just kind of a jerk in general so it’s not the biggest switch. Andrade and Hayes have been fighting for months so giving both of them a title shot works as well. That means the title could go in a number of ways, but as you might have guessed, I can’t picture it going in more than one.

I’ll go with Knight to retain here, as there is little reason to think he’s only going to be the champion for about three months. Hayes and Andrade are both capable challengers, but this feels like a way for Knight to beat both of them at once and get to brag about it. That’s the best way to go, as Knight should be holding the title for a lot longer. Just find something else for the other two do from here though, as it’s time to move on.

Randy Orton vs. Kevin Owens

This is a grudge match as Owens is mad about Orton and Cody Rhodes being willing to work with Roman Reigns after all the years of battling against him. It’s kind of an interesting long form look at how some people aren’t going to be forgiving after everything that has taken place. You don’t get that kind of an idea very often but it’s working well here, as it rather suits Owens.

This one shouldn’t be that complicated as Owens is going to have to go after Rhodes at some point, so he’ll nee to beat Orton on the way there. I’m not seeing any reason for Orton to win here, as Owens has a bigger story going on. You can easily reheat for his major match with Orton down the line. For now though, this needs to be Owens wrecking Orton, which he is certainly capable of doing.

Bloodline vs. Roman Reigns/Usos

At least Reigns and the Usos don’t have some kind of special name yet. This is another match where it feels like we’re just having to get through this on the way to the bigger story later on. The Usos and Reigns are back together and trying to fight off the new Bloodline, which is probably not going to go that well for them just yet. The big issue they’re facing is probably the main point of the story coming up.

In case it’s somehow unclear, this is going to be the Bloodline, who will likely win thanks to their numbers advantage. Reigns and the Usos are going to need a fourth and there shouldn’t be much of a secret about who that’s going to be. Until Sami Zayn can join them though, Reigns and the Usos are going to be in trouble and that will result in a loss here, likely thanks to Jacob Fatu (or whoever doesn’t wrestle).

Women’s Crown Jewel Title: Nia Jax vs. Liv Morgan

I can’t believe they’re actually going through this this, as it doesn’t see that even Rhea Ripley being healthy wouldn’t have shaken this up. The only good thing here is the tease of Tiffany Stratton cashing in the Money In The Bank briefcase as it opens up some actual stakes which could matter after this show is over. That isn’t enough to make me want to see the match, but it does help things out a bit.

I’ll take Jax to win here, as Morgan beating her (even as she has before) is more than a stretch. At the same time, I don’t think Stratton will successfully cash in, as WWE likes to tease something like that so much. Ultimately though, Jax continues her path of destruction as we continue to wait for someone to challenger her. Like Jade Cargill in a few months maybe.

Men’s Crown Jewel Title: Gunther vs. Cody Rhodes

Odds are this headlines (it’s this or the six man) and I’m still not able to get into it. This is the kind of match that should be headlining a big pay per view with some real stakes but, instead, it’s the old Battle For Brand Supremacy style match and that’s not something that has worked most o the time. It really isn’t here, as both of them feel like they’re just getting through this to move on to something else.

Give me Gunther to win here I guess, as Rhodes could have some kind of interference to cut him off (Owens springs to mind). The wrestling itself should be good, but it still feels rather dumb to have one of them lose for the sake of a ring (because they don’t even take the belt with them). I really could go with a better reason for them to be fighting, but I’ll go with Gunther collecting another piece of hardware with the win.

Overall Thoughts

The more I think about this show, the more I’m thinking it’s just a show that we have to get through before we get on to Survivor Series. I get that it’s all about making the Saudis happy and all that jazz, but dang could they come up with something a bit more interesting to make us sit through instead? For now, I’m sure the wrestling will be adequate at worst, but I’m looking forward to moving on to anything else.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Monday Night Raw
Date: October 28, 2024
Location: Giant Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

It’s the last Raw before Crown Jewel and that means we get to hear about the entirely and completely important Crown Jewel Titles. Other than that, the Usos are back together with Roman Reigns after the Bloodline went too far last week. There is a good chance that we’ll hear some more about that this week so let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of the Bloodline and Jey Uso costing each other titles last week.

Here is Jey Uso for a chat. After recapping what he’s done over the last week, Jey brings out Jimmy Uso, as the only person he wants to talk to. Jimmy says he’s here to say thank you because they need to be together to take down the Bloodline. Jey cuts him off though, saying they’re not the ones either.

Jey hasn’t seen him since Wrestlemania but now no one gets them confused because Jey is the former Intercontinental Champion. He’s won titles, but none of them top being Jimmy’s twin brother. They still have things to work out but they can be the USOS. Jimmy invites Jey to Smackdown to make things right with Roman Reigns, which Jey accepts. Cue the Bloodline to interrupt but the Usos fights their way out of a beating and clear the ring. Good reunion here, but it’s the next step in a very long story.

Post break, Adam Pearce is on the phone with Nick Aldis and yells about the Bloodline being here. Judgment Day comes in to ask which former World Champion Dominik Mysterio will be facing. Pearce doesn’t have time for this so it can be Damian Priest. Mysterio says he has this.

Sheamus vs. Ludwig Kaiser

They slug it out to start and fight into the corner with Sheamus getting the better of things. That heads out to the floor, with Kaiser grabbing a guillotine but getting driven into the steps. We take an early break and come back with Sheamus hitting the ten forearms on the apron. Sheamus hammers away in the corner but gets powerbombed down, only to say COME ON when Kaiser starts punching him. Some hard shots from Sheamus set up the Brogue Kick to pin Kaiser at 9:46.

Rating: C+. They didn’t have much time here due to the break and it’s a little strange to see this feud picked up again when it was mainly going back in the early summer. That being said, there is absolutely some value in building up Sheamus to challenge Bron Breakker for the Intercontinental Title in a hoss feud. It has some stories built in and that should be good enough if they go in that direction.

Rhea Ripley is sick of Raquel Rodriguez and her betrayal. All Ripley wants is the title back and nothing can stop her.

Sami Zayn talks to Jey Uso and can’t believe what he’s seeing. Solo Sikoa wasn’t the one who was getting in his head for years and Jey could just be his own may. Jey says Sami wouldn’t understand because he isn’t family. Oh that was harsh.

Gunther doesn’t think much of Cody Rhodes and is ready for a tag match on Smackdown.

Zelina Vega vs. Ivy Nile

The LWO and American Made are both here too. They start fast with Vega sending her outside for a Meteora off the apron as we take an early break. Back with Vega getting two off a moonsault (not much contact there). Nile is back with a German suplex for two but Vega is back with a Code Red. The guys get in a brawl on the floor though and the distraction lets Nile hit a swinging Rock Bottom for the pin at 6:28. Not enough shown to rate but it was short and not exactly great.

Jimmy Uso is ok with Sami Zayn not being family.

Here is Seth Rollins for a chat. He’s ready to go to war with a monster at Crown Jewel because a part of him that has been gone for a long time is back. Bronson Reed pops up on screen to say he promised that he wouldn’t wreck anything in the arena, but he’s out in the parking lot. Rollins comes out for the brawl, where Reed shrugs off a Stomp onto the hood of a car. They go into the back of a truck and Reed hits a Death Valley Driver through some tables to leave Rollins laying. That’s either a way to write the match off of the crowded card or to give Reed a way to injure Rollins again.

We recap Miz and R-Truth brawling, which drew out the Wyatt Six to attack Paul Ellering.

Miz tried to get away from the Final Testament but they weren’t letting that happen.

R-Truth was with the Alpha Academy when Miz came up to try to make amends. That earns him a shot to the face, with R-Truth saying good luck with the Wyatts. R-Truth runs into Pete Dunne, who he calls Butch. It’s rather funny when R-Truth gets it.

Tag Team Title #1 Contenders Tournament Finals: LWO vs. War Raiders vs. New Day

Kofi and Lee dropkick Ivar to start but he crushes Lee in the corner for two. Erik comes in to knee Rey to the floor and the ring is cleared early on as we take a break. Back with Erik crushing Woods but Rey fights up and knocks Erik outside. Woods is back in but refuses to tag Kingston, with commentary talking about Woods being the “quarterback” of the team. Now Kingston comes in and his a Boom Drop. Woods hits a dive to the floor and Kingston dives onto them again as we take a break.

Back again with Rey kicking Kingston in the head and bringing Lee in to pick up the pace. The double stomp out of the Tree of Woe hits Kingston before Lee, Kingston and Erik go up at the same time. That’s broken up and Lee powerbombs Kingston for two with Woods making the save. Kingston loads up Daylight but Woods would rather dive onto Lee. Cue Chad Gable to pull Rey to the floor for an ankle lock, leaving the Raiders to hit the German suplex/springboard clothesline to pin Kingston at 17:34.

Rating: B. I would have bet on the LWO getting the win here but good idea of pulling the trigger with the Raiders. They’re an established team and a pair of monsters so why not see if they can get the gold again. If nothing else, Judgment Day isn’t doing a thing with the belts so moving them on to a more traditional team is a good idea.

Seth Rollins is off getting medical treatment at a facility.

Miz’s advice for the Final Testament regarding the Wyatt Sicks: run. That doesn’t work for Karrion Kross, who wants Miz to take Bo Dallas out.

The Usos are going to leave but see Sami Zayn talking to Solo Sikoa. Jimmy says he told Jey all they had was family, with Jey agreeing. Now usually this isn’t something that winds up being what it seems, but Jimmy is often presented as stupid so it kind of fits.

Damian Priest vs. Dominik Mysterio

Mysterio is here on his own. Priest starts fast and knocks him to the floor without much effort. Dominik manages a posting to take over though and we go to an early break. Back with Priest breaking up the Third Amigo and hitting a hard clothesline for two. Priest gets sent outside though and here is Liv Morgan for a distraction so Carlito and JD McDonagh can come in for some cheap shots. Priest beats them up with a chair but Dominik grabs a rollup with tights for the pin at 8:58.

Rating: C. This felt like a way to keep Priest’s issues with Judgment Day going until he can move on to a feud with Gunther and there are worse ideas. Priest lost because there were three people helping Mysterio, who had to cheat as well. If nothing else, the idea of Mysterio getting built up towards a World Title match could have quite the reactions, as the fans still love to boo him out of every arena.

Post match Priest wrecks Dominik and Carlito to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Maybe it’s the lack of any time left or realizing that it’s not working, but the lack of focus on the Crown Jewel Titles made this so much more enjoyable. WWE might have known that the idea was lame from the beginning but it’s nit to get the focus off of them for a night. Other than that, you had some things st up for the post Crown Jewel shows as Survivor Series is on the way. Not a great show, but it got some things done.

Results
Sheamus b. Ludwig Kaiser – Brogue Kick
Ivy Nile b. Zelina Vega – Swinging Rock Bottom
War Raiders b. New Day and LWO – German suplex/springboard clothesline combination to Kingston
Dominik Mysterio b. Damien Priest – Rollup with tights

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

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Monday Night Raw
Date: October 21, 2024
Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

We’re closing in on Crown Jewel and the show is going to need some help. At the moment, the only things announced for the show are the two Crown Jewel Title matches and those aren’t exactly setting things on fire. Maybe we can boost things up this week, with the Intercontinental Title being on the line as well. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Various people came to work, including Bronson Reed, with Seth Rollins attacking him but quickly being separated.

Here is Rollins in the ring and calling out Reed for a fight right now. Reed plows through security so Rollins hits a dive, with Adam Pearce’s security not being able to hold them apart again. Reed knocks him down but it’s too early for the Tsunami. Security is taken out again but the Tsunami off the barricade only hits announcers’ table.

Damage CTRL is ready for Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson but Liv Morgan, with Raquel Rodriguez, interrupts to say she’s taking out Nia Jax at Crown Jewel. Damage CTRL is ready for a fight tonight and one seems to be on. Morgan, who isn’t that big in the first place, towered over Damage CTRL.

Video on Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker.

Apparently Samantha Irvin has left WWE and Lilian Garcia is back. That’s out of nowhere and is kind of a downgrade.

Tag Team Titles #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: New Day vs. Authors Of Pain

The rest of the Final Testament is here too. Kofi headlocks Akam to start and it’s off to Woods for a basement clothesline. It’s off to Rezar to knock Kofi outside for a beating though and here is Miz to watch as we take a break. Back with Kofi coming back in to take over on Akam. The Boom Drop connects but Rezar fights back up, only for R-Truth to come in and take out Miz. The distraction lets Kofi grab a rollup for the pin at 9:37.

Rating: C+. This was one which could have gone either way and it gives New Day a bit of a bridge to the next step in their issues. The team is still good enough to hang in there in a match like this and possibly even get the title shot, but things are not going to go well or them. At the same time, it’s another loss for the Final Testament, who still do not have the best track record.

Post match Miz and the Final Testament beats R-Truth down. Kofi wants to go help but Woods holds him back. The beatdown is on but the Wyatts are back to wreck the villains and brawl with them into the crowd. Miz is left alone in the ring….and it’s Uncle Howdy behind him. Paul Ellering takes the Mandible Claw for him.

Bronson Reed and Seth Rollins brawl in the back again.

We recap Jey Uso’s issues with the Bloodline and Roman Reigns/Jimmy Uso on Smackdown.

Jey says what happened on Smackdown is what it is, but tonight it’s about retaining the Intercontinental Title.

Raquel Rodriguez says Rhea Ripley isn’t getting any kind of revenge on Liv Morgan. Ripley cost them the Women’s Tag Team Titles and now Ripley needs to walk away. Since Ripley won’t end this though, Rodriguez will.

Damage CTRL vs. Liv Morgan/Raquel Rodriguez

Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson are at ringside. Damage CTRL strikes away on Rodriguez to start and some double dropkicks have her in trouble. Back up and Rodriguez backdrops Sane over the corner (for a nasty landing but Sane saved it) before Rodriguez picks both of them up with ease. A double elbow misses though and Sky gets two off a rollup. Rodriguez drops Sky with a hard shot of her own though and we take a break.

Back with Sane escaping an over the shoulder backbreaker. Sky comes back in to clean house, including a dragon screw legwhip to Rodriguez and a springboard dropkick to send Morgan into the corner. Sane’s pop up elbow gets two with Rodriguez having to make a save. Rodriguez misses a charge into the post with Sky following her out to the floor. Sky goes after Jackson and Legend, with the latter decking her for the DQ at 12:13.

Rating: C. The Jackson and Legend run continues as they are likely set up for another big match with Damage CTRL. That isn’t the most appealing match, but I definitely do approve of the idea of having more teams to go after the titles. There hasn’t been much of a division in a long time so this is at least a step in the right direction.

Post match Damage CTRL gets laid out the four villains have a staredown. Cue Rhea Ripley, with Legend and Jackson bailing. Rodriguez goes after Ripley and is quickly taken out, only for Morgan to hit a quick Codebreaker. That earns her a knee to the face and Ripley grabs the Prism Trap. A dropkick cuts Rodriguez off again but Dominik Mysterio runs in to break up the Riptide. That earns Dominik a Prism Trap of his own with Dominik having to bail out to the floor. This was a good way to make Ripley look awesome again, which is overdue.

Bronson Reed and Seth Rollins get into it AGAIN but Adam Pearce yells at them, saying they can fight at Crown Jewel. They could have just asked and saved a bunch of time.

The War Raiders burn their viking armor and are ready to get the gold back.

Judgment Day has a meeting in the clubhouse and Finn Balor is worried about Damian Priest. The idea of Dominik Mysterio getting a World Title shot is floated, with Carlito laughing about the concept. Carlito is asked what he does around here, but he’ll go take care of something.

Tag Team Titles #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: LWO vs. American Made

The rest of the LWO and Chad Gable/Ivy Nile are here too. Lee chops away at Julius and it’s quickly off to Rey for two off a headscissors. Brutus comes in to whip Rey hard into the corner, meaning it’s time to take the straps down. Everything breaks down in a hurry and Lee hits a heck of a suicide dive as we take a break.

Back with Julius suplexing Lex down and grabbing a chinlock. Lee fights up and sends him into the corner, allowing the tag off to Rey for a tornado DDT. It’s back to Brutus to take Rey down setting up back to back moonsaults to give Julius two. Lee ties Julius in the Tree Of Woe for the top rope double stomp. Everything breaks down and the 619 into Lee’s frog splash is good for the pin at 10:59.

Rating: C+. Maybe it’s Dragon Lee not being interesting but I could not get into this one. The match felt long and it’s hard to imagine that either of them are going to win the title match next week. For now though, it’s a perfectly fine match between two teams who aren’t exactly lighting the world on fire.

Adam Pearce promises Damage CTRL that he’ll take care of this. Carlito comes in to suggest that Dominik Mysterio gets to challenge Gunther next. Pearce cracks up and says Dominik has done NOTHING. Carlito begs, so Pearce says if Dominik can beat a former World Champion next week, he’ll think about it.

Bron Breakker is ready to get the Intercontinental Title back.

Gunther doesn’t think Cody Rhodes bringing up his (as in Cody’s daughter) was necessary because the Crown Jewel Title is a big enough prize. Rhodes is a great champion, but his title’s legacy has long since been established. Gunther will be at Smackdown on Friday…but here is Damian Priest to say he has no issues with Gunther. His issues were with Judgment Day but those are done, so next up, he wants his title back. Priest is willing to earn it, and he’ll even wait for Gunther to be done with Crown Jewel. Gunther doesn’t seem impressed.

Intercontinental Title: Bron Breakker vs. Jey Uso

Breakker is challenging. We get the Big Match Intros and Uso wastes no time in knocking Breakker to the floor as we take a break less than a minute in. Back with Breakker ramming him into the post, followed by a backbreaker for two. A standing moonsault gives Breakker two more but Uso fights back with some right hands. Uso goes up top but gets pulled down with a super Frankensteiner as we take another break.

Back again with Uso getting in a knockdown for a needed breather and they both have to pull themselves up. Cue the Bloodline and some front row tickets so Uso goes outside to yell, allowing Breakker to get in some cheap shots. Uso has to superkicks the Tongas down and Breakker spears Solo Sikoa by mistake. That brings Jacob Fatu over the barricade so Breakker takes down the straps and the fans REALLY like this.

Uso cuts that off with a dive onto both of them but the Superfly Splash hits raised knees. The spear is cut off by a pair of superkicks and Uso hits own spear. The Superfly Splash connects for two so the Tongas gets back on the apron. Adam Pearce and company come down to break it up but the distraction lets Fatu get in a superkick to Uso. A Samoan drop onto the announcers’ table leaves Uso laying and another spear gives Breakker the title back at 19:35.

Rating: B. They weren’t exactly hiding where this was going from the second that Uso showed up on Smackdown last week. That’s not a bad thing either, as I would rather have a logical but predictable moment rather than something that makes no sense and is there for the sake of shock value. The other benefit here is that it shows there are still short title reigns in WWE. One of the criticisms is that it’s hard to believe a title reign can end shortly but here is something to show that isn’t guaranteed. That’s important.

Overall Rating: C+. The title change was big and they set up a grudge match for Crown Jewel, but this show was lacking something throughout. Maybe it was the focus being on setting up a #1 contenders match for next week, but long stretches of this show did not feel overly interesting. It wasn’t a bad show by any means, though it let me with a bit of a ho-hum feeling.

Results
New Day b. Authors Of Pain – Rollup to Rezar
Damage CTRL b. Liv Morgan/Raquel Rodriguez via DQ when Lash Legend interfered
LWO b. American Made – Frog splash to Julius
Bron Breakker b. Jey Uso – Spear

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Monday Night Raw
Date: October 14, 2024
Location: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Missouri
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

We’re taped this week as the roster is over in Europe. That means it’s time for a show in front of a slightly worn out audience but hopefully they get a good show. Crown Jewel is on the way and needs something more than the champion vs. champion matches which have already been announced. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We follow Rhea Ripley into the ring to get things going. Ripley isn’t done with Raquel Rodriguez or Liv Morgan so get down here for a whipping. Instead it’s Tiffany Stratton interrupting with a message from Nia Jax. She wants Ripley to stay out of her business or it will be a big problem. Ripley has no time for this and threatens to beat up Stratton in Morgan and Rodriguez’s place. Cue Morgan and Rodriguez to beat on Ripley, though Morgan hits Stratton with the Money In The Bank briefcase.

Video on Bianca Belair/Jade Cargill vs. Damage CTRL for the Women’s Tag Team Titles.

Rhea Ripley tells Adam Pearce she wants to face Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. Pearce is fine with that, as long as Ripley has a partner. Tiffany Stratton comes in and wants a match of her own. Pearce to Ripley: “What about her?” The match is on.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Jade Cargill/Bianca Belair vs. Damage CTRL

Damage CTRL is challenging. Cargill shoves Sky down to start and a double slam puts her down even harder. Sane comes in off a blind tag and a double dropkick hits Belair. Everything breaks down and Sane drops Cargill with a dive as we take a break. Back with Sky rolling Belair up and hitting a double stomp for two. Belair fights up and hands it back to Cargill to pick up the pace, including a backbreaker to Sane.

Everything breaks down but Cargill’s Dominator to Belair only hits mat (instead of Sane). An elbow gives Sane two but Over The Moonsault misses. The champs argue with NXT’s Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson (in the front row) and get wiped out by an Asai moonsault as a result. Not that it matters as Belair is back with a KOD to pin Sky and retain at 9:47.

Rating: B-. This is a match that felt like it could have gone longer and been even better but what we got went well enough. That being said, I really do not need to see Legend and Jackson involved in the title picture. They had their title shot and lost in short order. Why do I need to see them get another shot?

Finn Balor wants a rematch with Damian Priest but Adam Pearce says Balor needs to worry about the Tag Team Titles. A #1 contenders tournament is announced. Balor is annoyed and Liv Morgan introducing Raquel Rodriguez doesn’t make it better.

American Made thinks they’re pretty spiffy and are willing to be YOUR heroes.

Bron Breakker says Jey Uso got lucky to win the Intercontinental Title and showed him respect, but Uso never showed him the same respect back. Uso is living off his family’s name but Breakker is doing it on his own. Makes enough sense.

We get a sitdown interview with Adam Pearce and Bronson Reed. Pearce says Reed has made an impact and Reed apologizes, but blames Seth Rollins for the loss against Braun Strowman. Make the match against Rollins and the problems go away. Pearce is intrigued.

#1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Alpha Academy vs. War Raiders

The Raiders (and yes the WAR Raiders, not the Viking Raiders) are back after some long time off due to injuries. Ivar misses a charge at Tozawa to start so Erik plants him down. Everything breaks down and the pop up powerslam hits Tozawa. Otis is dropped and a belly to back suplex/top rope splash (Fallout) finishes Tozawa at 2:24. There is always going to be a place for a team like the Raiders and this worked fine.

Adam Pearce (he’s busy tonight) talks to Seth Rollins about a potential match with Bronson Reed. Pearce is hesitant because he doesn’t want Rollins getting hurt, but Rollins says they both need this match.

Here is Cody Rhodes in a special cameo for a chat. He’s a traditionalist and talks about the history of wrestling in St. Louis leading all the way up to right now. Something happened in this very building though and it changed his life forever. This was the first place to chant WE WANT CODY and he thanks the fans very much. So….what do you want to talk about?

Cue Gunther (I bet he wants to talk about kittens and ducks) to interrupt, saying that he usually dresses down his opponent a bit, but he’s not going to do that here. He sees Cody sucking up to everyone and wants Cody to fix things with Kevin Owens so Gunther gets the best version of him at Crown Jewel. Cody talks about how Gunther can get rattled when things don’t go his way and brings up some of his bigger wins, including slaying a Beast. They shake hands and part in peace.

We look at New Day’s recent issues.

Video on Dragon Lee, who talks about how great a year he had. This includes joining the “legendary” LWO. Dragon Lee does not know what the word “legendary” means.

Kofi Kingston vs. Bron Breakker

Non-title and no Xavier Woods with Kingston, who starts fast with a running dropkick. Breakker runs him over again and fires off a hard whip into the corner. Back up and Breakker knocks him hard to the floor as we take a break. We come back with Kingston fighting out of a chinlock and firing back, including a quick Boom Drop and the SOS for two. Breakker isn’t having that and suplexes him down, setting up the spear for the pin at 8:26.

Rating: C+. Kofi isn’t as good as he used to be but he’s still someone you can put in there to many anyone look good. Breakker gets another win as he is likely on the way to a title rematch at Crown Jewel, which is a logical way to go. Good enough match here, though again, an eight minute match should not have a break in the middle.

Post match Breakker keeps up the beating but Jey Uso and Xavier Woods come in for the save.

Damian Priest asks if Rhea Ripley wants him out there tonight but she’s got this. Ripley says it’s time Priest gets his title back, which Priest thinks is right. If she needs him though, he’s there.

Jey Uso goes to his locker room and finds his brother Jimmy, who asks if Jey has a second.

R-Truth vs. The Miz

R-Truth offers a handshake and Miz can’t believe that he still doesn’t get it. The Wyatt Sicks hack the feed for a bit but here is the Final Testament to interrupt. The distraction lets R-Truth get a rollup pin at 1:02.

Post match the AOP throws R-Truth back inside for a Skull Crushing Finale for R-Truth.

Jimmy Uso is looking for someone and finds Jey, who gives him an emphatic NO. Jey tells him to get out of his face.

Rhea Ripley/Tiffany Stratton vs. Liv Morgan/Raquel Rodriguez

Morgan tries a headbutt to start and has to slip out of Ripley’s arms as a result. Rodriguez comes in for the big staredown but Stratton tags herself in, much to Ripley’s annoyance. Ripley and Stratton argue on the floor, so Rodriguez powerbombs Morgan onto them as we take a break.

Back with Morgan hitting what appears to be a third Amigo (if the ensuing Eddie Dance is any indication) and stomping Stratton down in the corner. Rodriguez’s suplex gets two and she grabs a backbreaker to keep Stratton in trouble. Back up and a missed charge in the corner allows Ripley to come back in and hammer on Morgan. Riptide connects but Rodriguez makes the save. Stratton goes up but here is Nia Jax to jump Ripley for the DQ at 8:40.

Rating: C-. I get the idea of having Ripley taking anyone to get her hands on Rodriguez and Morgan, but that didn’t make the match worth seeing. Instead we were stuck with a pretty lame match as Stratton has no reason to go after Rodriguez or Morgan, save for an out of nowhere cash-in attempt on the latter. Having Jax run in made an already not so interesting match feel lame and I wasn’t into this as a result.

Post match the brawl is on with Morgan getting dropped. Stratton teases the cash-in but Dominik Mysterio makes the save before she can make it official to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This is a show that should be grateful it was only two hours. I’m not sure if it was due to the show being taped or due to the focus being on the nothing champion vs. champion matches, but this was one of the weaker Raw’s they’ve had in a good bit. Morgan vs. Jax and Cody vs. Gunther for bragging rights and a big belt that means nothing 72 hours later isn’t enough for me for Crown Jewel, but thankfully they have time to add in something new.

Results
Bianca Blair/Jade Cargill b. Damage CTRL – KOD to Sky
War Raiders b. Alpha Academy – Fallout to Tozawa
Bron Breakker b. Kofi Kingston – Spear
R-Truth b. The Miz – Rollup
Rhea Ripley/Tiffany Stratton b. Liv Morgan/Raquel Rodriguez via DQ when Nia Jax interfered

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Monday Night Raw
Date: September 30, 2024
Location: Ford Center, Evansville, Indiana
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

It’s the last Raw before Bad Blood and that means we are in for the final push before Saturday’s Cell match between CM Punk and Drew McIntyre. Other than that, Jey Uso is the new Intercontinental Champion and that means he is going to need a new challenger. Finally we have a big showdown this week, with Bronson Reed vs. Braun Strowman, Last Man/Monster Standing. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Commentary is in the ring to welcome us to the show.

We look at Jey Uso beating Bron Breakker last week to become the new Intercontinental Champion.

Uso is in the back and comes to the ring, with his son helping lead the YEET chants for a great moment. After seeming pretty emotional about the title win, Uso talks about how he’ll fight every week to retain the title. He’s always been known as just a twin and part of the team but now he’s here by himself as Intercontinental Champion. Uso has a bunch of fans, but the biggest is his mother, who told him to go out there and show the people who he is. She told him to go get it and that’s what he did, but cue Bron Breakker to interrupt.

Breakker says he respects Uso after last week’s match and how he had said the best man should walk out as champion. On that night, Uso was the better man. Breakker says he isn’t here to attack Uso, and offers a handshake, which Uso accepts. As Breakker goes to leave (in peace), Uso stops him and says there are some dogs around here. That felt like a face turn for Breakker, which could be a rather interesting way to go.

Earlier today, Finn Balor called Dominik Mysterio, with the rest of Judgment Day not being sure where Balor was. Balor told Dominik that “it’s all taken care of” and he’ll see them soon. Dominik tells the rest of the team that Balor is just stuck somewhere but he’s on his way.

Rey Mysterio vs. Xavier Woods

This is fallout from an argument last week. Woods grabs a rollup to start but Rey sends him to the floor for a seated senton (West Coast Pop according to Tessitore) off the apron. We take an early break and come back with Rey sending him outside for a nice looking Asai moonsault. Back in and the 619 misses so Rey tries a reverse suplex, only for Woods to rip the mask off. Woods is upset at himself but grabs the rollup for the pin at 7:34.

Rating: C+. Oh I think you know where this is going and it’s getting more and more interesting every week. Woods is going closer and closer to the dark side but I’m curious if Big E. is going to come back and reunite the team for good. For now though, it was a quite match and that’s all it needed to be.

Sonya Deville and Shayna Baszler interrupts Lyra Valkyria, who doesn’t have Natalya or Zelina Vega with her tonight. Baszler will be with Deville instead, but Baszler will only bite on Deville’s orders.

Kofi Kingston comes up to Xavier Woods and asks if that was on purpose. Woods says of course he didn’t but notices the lack of congratulations. Kingston does congratulate him but says that Jey Uso has given him (as in Kingston) an Intercontinental Title shot. Woods says of course Kingston will climb the mountain again…but Kingston has said Woods should get the shot instead. That certainly works for Woods, who would love to be ringside with Kingston tonight to help cancel out American Mad. Everything seems ok for now, including Karrion Kross looking on in the background.

Lyra Valkyria vs. Zoey Stark

The rest of the Pure Fusion Collective is here with Stark. Feeling out process to start with Valkyria sending her outside for a dropkick through the ropes. We take an early break and come back with Valkyria hitting a crossbody and striking away, including an enziguri for two. The Z360 is blocked s Valkyria German suplexes her down. The rest of the Collective offers a distraction so Valkyria’s rollup gets a delayed two. Deville adds a running knee to the head though and Stark hits Z360 for the pin at 7:14.

Rating: C-. This wasn’t exactly a smooth match and the Collective continues to feel about as low rent of a stable as you can ask for in the division. What we got here was relatively sloppy as well, with the Collective barely being able to beat one person with the 3-1 advantage. Just not a very good match and this is one of the weaker parts of Raw at the moment.

Post match the beatdown is teased but Kayden Carter and Katana Chance run in for the save, with Carter running around the ring while Chance gets choked. Eventually the villains are taken out.

Video on Bronson Reed vs. Braun Strowman, set up like a monster movie.

Adam Pearce tells security to keep the match in the ring as CM Punk walks by.

Kayden Carter and Katana Chance get in an argument with the Unholy Union. The Union absolutely tower over them in a pretty ridiculous visual.

The Cell is lowered, with Adam Pearce and security inside. Pearce talks about how he prides himself on delivering promised matches, so tonight there will be no physicality inside the Cell. There will however be a chance for both men to say their final shot, so here are CM Punk and Drew McIntyre. They both take their time and seem to respect the Cell a bit before getting inside.

Punk appears to say he has nothing to say to McIntyre, who says he’ll go first. McIntyre points out that he’s wearing black, which is out of respect to Punk’s wife. After Saturday, she’s going to have to take care of Punk and will probably just leave him. He’s wearing a tuxedo because it’s going to be a celebration after Punk is gone for good after Saturday. McIntyre has been telling the fans the truth for ten months but they still chant his names.

After all those months, Punk has taught McIntyre how to hate, and the hatred will die at Bad Blood. Punk says people have called him a lot of things over the course of his career, including the Voice Of The Voiceless. Tonight though, he is voiceless because he can’t speak to a piece of garbage like McIntyre. Punk has been living in a hotel for a month because he doesn’t want his wife to see what he has become. McIntyre needs to remember that he prayed for all of this, but on Saturday, he’ll be praying to Punk himself. This was another intense exchange and dang they need to destroy each other.

Braun Strowman is ready for Bronson Reed…but the Miz interrupts. Before he can get anywhere, R-Truth interrupts with Strowman being surprised that he’s back. R-Truth isn’t sure what Strowman is talking about but Strowman is off to get ready. R-Truth isn’t sure why he didn’t tell Miz that he’s back but he’s gotten a match with A-Op. As in the Authors of Pain, though R-Truth isn’t sure what books they have written.

Sami Zayn doesn’t like the disrespect from Gunther and no he isn’t over it despite getting it for his entire career. It doesn’t matter what happens to him because he’s going to keep fighting until he becomes World Heavyweight Champion.

LWO vs. Judgment Day

Del Toro kicks McDonagh in the face to start and hits a high crossbody. Wilde adds a 450 and we take an early break. Back with Wilde hitting a DDT and diving over to Lee for the tag to clean house. Lee’s slingshot dropkick in the corner rocks Carlito and the villains are sent into the corner in a big pile. That means a Coast To Coast dropkick from Del Toro for two on McDonagh and a big dive to the floor makes it worse. Liv Morgan offers a distraction though and here is Finn Balor for a cheap shot to Del Toro. The Devlin Side finishes at 7:10.

Rating: B-. Some of the spots were very entertaining and that shouldn’t be a surprise given who was in there. At the same time, the numbers game being the LWO’s undoing isn’t that shocking. At the same time, it would have been ok if Judgment Day beat this version of the LWO. The good guys aren’t that strong in the first place, especially with Rey Mysterio not involved.

Post break, Balor promises to prove to Damian Priest that Priest needed him rather than the team needing Priest. Liv Morgan promises to prove that she is a home wrecking, man stealing, greatest champion of all time. Cue Rhea Ripley to interrupt and she brings out the shark cage for dramatic effect (her words).

The reality is Dominik Mysterio is scared of confined spaces so he’ll be terrified…and here is Damian Priest to jump Judgment Day. Ripley headbutts Morgan and sends Mysterio into the shark cage. Morgan is back up for the brawl, with Ripley throwing a shoe at her. Priest keeps beating up Judgment Day until Balor hits a Sling Blade. The Coup de Grace leaves Priest laying.

Sheamus talks about how bad it is to get hit in the back of the head by a man who used to be your friend. It’s even worse when that friend used to be named Butch, so now they’re in for a fight. We’ll even make it a Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook.

Commentary pays tribute to Pete Rose, complete with some Wrestlemania footage. Simple and short here but anything is better than nothing, especially when the news broke about an hour before the show went on the air.

Damage CTRL want the Women’s Tag Team Titles.

Chad Gable vs. Kofi Kingston

American Made and Xavier Woods are here too. Gable takes him to the mat to start but is quickly escaped both times. Kingston backflips out of a German suplex and flips out of a monkey flip as well. They go outside where Gable, with a cut forehead, hits a German suplex and we take a break.

Back with Kingston hitting a middle rope dropkick but coming up favoring his knee. An overhead belly to belly drops Kingston again and they trade rollups for two each. Kingston kicks his way out of the corner but misses a top rope shot to the head,. The ankle lock is countered into a rollup for two but Trouble In Paradise is countered into the ankle lock again. That’s broken up and they fall out to the floor, with Kingston hitting a dive onto American Made. Woods helps take out Julius Creed and trips Gable, which causes Kingston to miss Trouble In Paradise. Rolling Chaos Theory finishes Kingston at 9:30.

Rating: B. This is one of those matches where you knew it was going to be good because of who was involved. At the same time you had some interesting storyline advancement with Woods costing Kingston the win by trying to go evil. Solid match and I could go for seeing more from both of them, which is a nice feeling to have.

We look at WWE stars at various football games over the weekend, including Seth Rollins.

Bronson Reed isn’t worried that Rollins is getting ready to return to the ring, because he’ll take even more time off Rollins’ career. As for tonight, he’ll be the Last Monster Standing.

Adam Pearce is talking to security again when Gunther passes by.

We get another weird Wyatt Sicks video, saying “we see your intent” and talking about anger festering into rage, which will end in your demise. Do not force their hand, heed their admonition. Ok then.

Here is Gunther for a chat, though first we see some clips of his match with Ilja Dragunov over the weekend, where Dragunov tore his ACL and will be out 6-9 months. Gunther talks about how fantastic it is to be World Heavyweight Champion, as it comes with a lot of perks. There is one thing that he hates though, which is dealing with Sami Zayn every single week. Cue Zayn to interrupt, saying that all Gunther has to do is give him a title shot.

Gunther says Zayn isn’t on his level, which Zayn says Gunther knows is nonsense and that’s why Gunther is scared. Zayn beat him before and Gunther knows he can do it again. Gunther says Zayn is scared of his reputation, because losing to a better man would have been no problem, but losing to Zayn is an embarrassment. Gunther wasn’t sure he could win at Wrestlemania but he didn’t parade his worries around for sympathy.

After the match, Gunther had to talk to his father, who flew all the way from Vienna to see him lose to a bum. Zayn wouldn’t understand though because Zayn’s family always sees him fail. On the other hand, Gunther is his family’s golden goose. Zayn says it’s true that Gunther lost, and then he left for weeks because he couldn’t handle it. He never asked for a rematch and didn’t even show up, because his dad thought he was a loser. Now Gunther is showing his father that he is a coward, which is enough for Gunther to beat Zayn down and yell a lot. Gunther lays him out with the powerbomb and the match is on.

Awesome Truth vs. Authors Of Pain

Truth shoulders Rezar to start but gets caught in a quick Dominator. Karrion Kross is yelling at Miz from the floor as the double teaming is on. Truth manages to low bridge Akam to the floor and hands it off to Miz…who kicks Truth in the face and walks out. What A Rush finishes Truth (who wasn’t legal) at 2:58.

Bad Blood rundown.

Gunther, with Ludwig Kaiser, isn’t worried about defending against Sami Zayn next week. Bron Breakker, who beat Gunther in NXT, comes in to look at the World Heavyweight Title. He’ll see Gunther soon. New Day could be seen arguing in the back.

Bronson Reed vs. Braun Strowman

Last Monster (Man) Standing. Strowman hits a clothesline to start but Reed knocks him out to the floor. A missed charge sends Reed into the steps but he’s back up in a few seconds. Strowman hits him with the steps a few times and a chokeslam sends Reed through the announcers’ table. Reed is back up and we have another staredown as we take a break.

Back with Reed knocking him own as a bunch of chairs are set up on the floor. Strowman gets in a shot of his own and limps over for a forearm to send Red through the chairs. Reed is back up again and they fight up to the stage, where Strowman gets in a chair to the back. They climb onto some anvil cases with Reed slamming him through some tables but Strowman gets up again.

We come back from another break with Strowman having crashed through the barricade and beating the count. Another spear puts Strowman through another barricade, with some fans being taken out. Security and agents come out to check on the fans as Reed hits the Tsunami but there’s no referee. That means another Tsunami before Reed throws security inside. The referee is thrown down so Adam Pearce gets in Reed’s face.

The Agents go to make the save but Strowman goes up and dives onto the pile or the huge knockdown. They both beat the count so Strowman goes up, with Reed catching him in the superplex to break the ring (that’s always cool). They’re both getting up again but here is Seth Rollins to Stomp Reed onto the steps so Strowman can win at 19:18.

Rating: B+. While this didn’t quite hit the levels of violence and insanity that I was hoping for, it was still a good fight between two monsters with multiple big moments. Reed vs. Rollins can be a major match down the line (two weeks from now would work fine) and it wouldn’t stun me to see it dragged out a bit. Reed has done well in this role and I could go for more of it, but Rollins almost has to be the endgame one way or another.

Overall Rating: B+. This was a heck of a way to close out the three hours Raw’s, as they had a bunch of storyline developments and some strong action to balance it out. In addition to boosting up Bad Blood, they’ve also made me want to see next week’s pretty stacked show. Awesome stuff this week and one of the better Raw’s in a bit, as it did its own thing and set up matches for the future, which is a very efficient week.

Results
Xavier Woods b. Rey Mysterio – Rollup
Zoey Stark b. Lyra Valkyria – Z360
Judgment Day b. LWO – Devlin Side to del Toro
Chad Gable b. Kofi Kingston – Rolling Chaos Theory
Authors Of Pain b. Awesome Truth – What A Rush to R-Truth
Braun Strowman b. Bronson Reed – Stomp onto the steps

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Monday Night Raw
Date: September 23, 2024
Location: Toyota Arena, Ontario, California
Commentators: Wade Barrett, Joe Tessitore

We’re getting closer to Bad Blood and the big Raw match will see CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre inside the Cell. That’s for a few weeks away though and this week has a big match of its own. Bron Breakker will be defending the Intercontinental Title against Jey Uso, who is looking for his first singles title. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan arrive at the arena when the fight between Braun Strowman and Bronson Reed goes through a bunch of merchandise. Mysterio and Morgan come to the ring and, after a look at the end of last week’s show where Judgment Day beat down the Terror Twins, Morgan brags about taking everything from the two of them. This includes the most handsome man in the world.

Cue Rhea Ripley (no longer limping) to mock the idea of Mysterio finally finding some testicular fortitude. Morgan laughs it off and says Ripley might still have Mysterio if she paid as much attention as she did to Damian Priest. We get a rant about how Morgan is going to win because she is smarter than Ripley. That makes Ripley laugh, as she is fully medically cleared for Bad Blood, but this message is for the both of them. At Bad Blood, Mysterio is going to be behind bars in a hanging shark cage. A headbutt knocks Morgan silly. That’s a good way to go for the rematch, as it needed something to make it stand out.

We look at Sami Zayn getting beaten down by Imperium but fighting back against Ludwig Kaiser last week.

Sami Zayn vs. Ludwig Kaiser

Zayn sends him into the corner to start and stomps Kaiser out to the floor. That works a bit better for Kaiser, who tosses Zayn into the steps to take over. The running dropkick in the corner rocks Zayn again but he’s right back with a middle rope ax handle. They fight outside again, with Zayn going for his moonsault off of the barricade but getting sent into the timekeeper’s area instead.

We take a break and come back with Kaiser sitting him on top but Zayn snaps off a sunset bomb for two. An exploder into the corner and they go back to the floor, with Kaiser sending him into the steps. The running dropkick sends Zayn hard into the steps for a nine count, leaving Kaiser stunned. Back in and a rollup with feet on the ropes gives Kaiser two but Zayn suplexes him into the corner again. The Helluva Kick is countered with a kick to the face for two so Kaiser tries the wind-up DDT. That’s reversed into a German suplex and now the Helluva Kick can finish Kaiser at 12:18.

Rating: B-. Zayn’s path towards a likely World Heavyweight Championship shot continues as he beats the champion’s minion in a pretty nice match. Zayn knows how to fight back from adversity and he made it work here. This was a logical step forward for Zayn, as Gunther is not likely to be happy about what happened here.

Post match here is an annoyed Gunther to say that Zayn has wanted a title shot for weeks. Now Gunther has seen enough, so this is the right place and the right time…to say no. Barrett thinks this is hilarious.

We look back at the New Day’s issues last week.

Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston talk and say it’s water under the bridge. Kofi has brought back some classic New Day stuff (Booty O’s, Francesca) but Woods thinks it’s time to look forward and be more serious. Kofi gets that and says Woods can make the decisions for the next few weeks (Kofi doesn’t seem annoyed) but American Made interrupts. After some mockery, Woods is ready to call his first play: New Day vs. the Creeds tonight. With American Made gone, a guy comes up with some pancakes but Kofi sends him away without Woods seeing for a funny bit.

Video on Bron Breakker vs. Jey Uso.

Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio protest the new stipulation to Adam Pearce, who doesn’t care. The rest of the Judgment Day comes in to say they’ll take this out on the LWO. Ilja Dragunov comes in and isn’t intimidated by the team.

Dragon Lee vs. Carlito

Lee wastes no time in knocking him outside for the big suicide dive. Back in and Carlito hammers away as the LWO and Judgment Day brawl on the floor. Rey Mysterio returns to take out Judgment Day and Operation Dragon finishes for Lee at 2:11.

Karrion Kross comes in to see Miz, who doesn’t have time for this. Kross wants Miz to be himself and says monsters come in all shapes and sizes.

Sheamus talks about how Pete Dunne attacked him last week. They’re not done, and he can’t wait to hear the people call Dunne “Butch”.

Bronson Reed vs. The Miz

Hold on though as Braun Strowman jumps Reed on the floor. The big fight is on with security not being able to break it up. Strowman loads up what could be a ring breaking superplex but security finally breaks it up. No match.

Here is Drew McIntyre for a chat. McIntyre recaps what CM Punk said last week an everything he promised to do inside the Cell. He knows Punk believed everything he said and McIntyre is worried about getting in the Cell. Their families don’t want these matches to happen because of what it is doing to them. This match is going to happen and McIntyre promises to make Punk bleed and suffer. Punk has always seen himself as a divine figure, but McIntyre is going to break him permanently. We’re kinds of to the point where there is nothing left to say and they just need to go maul each other again.

Adam Pearce makes Braun Strowman vs. Bronson Reed, Last Monster Standing next week. We hear a noise though and Pete Dunne has jumped Sheamus.

Unholy Union vs. Damage CTRL

Before the match, Damage CTRL is in the back and runs into Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill. Belair praises Iyo Sky for last week’s match and would love to run it back. Sky would love to as well, but next time they’re coming for the Women’s Tag Team Titles. The champs say they’ll keep the titles against anyone. Sky flips over Dawn to start and stomps on her foot before Damage CTRL hits a double dropkick.

Sane’s (with her eye bandaged) top rope leg lariat gets two but Fyre offers a distraction so Sane can be sent into the apron. We take a beak and come back with Fyre ripping off the bandage but Sane gets over for the tag anyway. Sky hits a springboard double dropkick, setting up a Meteora for two on Fyre. Sane hits a dive to take Fyre down on the floor and Over The Moonsault finishes Dawn at 9:42.

Rating: B-. Damage CTRL is all but guaranteed to get the next title shot and that very well may be the title match that we see on the Raw before Bad Blood. Beating the former champions is a good way to help set that match up and Damage CTRL looked good on the way there. Now just make the title match work.

We look at Jey Uso and Bron Breakker trading spears last week.

Breakker says it’s game day and someone is going to take a beating, but it won’t be him.

We look at fan signs.

We look at the Cody Rhodes/Roman Reigns encounter at Georgia Tech from Smackdown.

Sami Zayn gives Jey Uso a pep talk.

New Day vs. American Made

Woods and Julius trade headlocks to start until Julius hammers away. A powerslam is broken up though and Woods hits a spinning forearm to the face. Kofi comes in to work on the arm but Julius suplexes Brutus onto him. That doesn’t last long as Kofi is back with a shot of his own. Woods comes back in to electric chair Kofi into a moonsault for two on Brutus, who is back up for a chop off. Julius and Woods both hit top rope superplexes and we take a break.

Back with Woods hitting a clothesline but the referee doesn’t see the tag to Kofi. Chad Gable gets in a cheap shot on the floor but Woods fights out of another superplex attempt and his a missile dropkick. Kofi comes in and gets to clean house, including the top rope Trust Fall to take out the Creeds on the floor. Trouble In Paradise misses though and the SOS is countered. Kofi drops Julius but Woods wants the tag, only to go after the interfering Gable instead. The distraction lets Julius hit a running knee, setting up the Brutus Ball for the pin at 15:13.

Rating: B. The downfall of the New Day continues and that could lead to some interesting situations. It still wouldn’t surprise me to see Big E. come back and reunite the team. It would make sense for the team’s tenth anniversary, though there is something intriguing about the team FINALLY splitting and doing something else after all this time.

Damian Priest talks about how he is not his brother’s keeper but he had to keep Finn Balor during their time in Judgment Day. Priest and Rhea Ripley won titles but Balor sat in the corner, all upset. Yes he is his brother’s keeper, but Balor is not his brother.

We get another Wyatt Sicks video, seemingly talking about how someone who was dead will live.

The Pure Fusion Collective declares themselves the future.

The LWO talks to New Day and apologizes for the miscommunication last week. Woods talks about how Rey Mysterio should save the advice for Dominik Mysterio. Rey doesn’t have time for this because he has to face Finn Balor next week. Woods says Rey only has time for former World Champion so Rey says they can fight next week instead.

Video on Braun Strowman vs. Bronson Reed, made up like a monster movie.

Intercontinental Title: Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker

Breakker is defending and shoulders him down with no trouble to start. Uso is up with a right hand to the floor though and there’s a suicide dive as we take a break. Back with Breakker hitting a powerslam and firing off the shoulders in the corner. The overhead belly to belly sends Uso flying and Breakker grabs something like a seated abdominal stretch.

A backbreaker into the pushups gives Breakker a big Steiner reference but Jey superkicks him to the floor (must be an Outsiders fan). Breakker cuts off the dive though and hits a bulldog off the apron onto the announcers’ table as we take another break. Back again with Jey punching him down and hitting the running Umaga Attack for two.

Breakker is right back with a fireman’s carry gutbuster for two of his own but Jey gets two more off a Samoan drop. Breakker is back up with a super Frankensteiner for another near fall and the gorilla press powerslam gets two more. Jey rolls outside and gets speared down but Jey hits his own back inside.

The Superfly Splash connects for a near fall with the fans going nuts on the kickout. They go outside again where the running spear is cut off by Jey’s superkick before he spears Breakker into the timekeeper’s area. Back in and another spear into the Superfly Splash gives Jey the pin and the title at 20:19.

Rating: B-. Well that was something of a surprise. This felt like it was going to be Breakker’s big win over a popular star but the pulled the trigger instead. As much as I would have loved for Breakker to have the big, dominant reign (and he still might in the future), Uso had to win something at some point and this was as good as any other idea.

The celebration ens the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This wasn’t the big show (save for the surprise title change) but it did set things up for later, which is what matters. There are some important matches set for next week, including the Last Man Standing and Rey vs. Woods, so they’re already off to a strong start. This was a passable enough show, but more importantly it got things ready for later.

Results
Sami Zayn b. Ludwig Kaiser – Helluva Kick
Dragon Lee b. Carlito – Operation Dragon
Damage CTRL b. Unholy Union – Over The Moonsault to Fyre
American Made b. New Day – Brutus Ball to Woods
Jey Uso b. Bron Breakker – Superfly Splash

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