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

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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

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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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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NXT
Date: October 22, 2024
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Booker T.

It’s the last show before Halloween Havoc and the card…well it somewhat exists. There have been a few matches set, including those with Spin The Wheel Make The Deal attached, but very little is standing out. The main event will see Ethan Page getting another shot at Trick Williams and the NXT Title, with the two of them going face to face this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Damage CTRL vs. Meta Four

Jackson backs Sane up against the ropes to start but Sane is back up with a running dropkick. It’s off to Sky for some stereo basement dropkicks but a missed charge lets Jackson send her into the corner. The much bigger Legend comes in to choke Sane, with Legend holding both Sane and Sky up at the same time to bounce them on the ropes. A sleeper slows Legend down though and Sane sends her outside, setting up Sky’s Asai moonsault as we take a break.

Back with Sane coming back in for a running Blockbuster to Jackson with Legend being knocked to the floor. A top rope forearm gets two on Jackson and an assisted elbow drop gets the same. Jackson gets over to Legend though and a pump kick knocks Sane silly. Cue Piper Niven to pull Jackson outside for the DQ at 11:16.

Rating: C+. The match was just good enough, but the interesting thing here is that WWE seems to actually be pushing the women’s tag division. You can only get so far with the same two or three teams fighting each other over and over so mixing it up a bit is great to see. What matters the most is building up some actual teams for a division with some depth. It will take time but the start is there, which I’ll take more than what they’ve been doing lately.

Post match Chelsea Green is here to help assist Niven with the beatdown.

Cole Custer, a NASCAR driver, arrives and is greeted by Hank Walker and Tank Ledger. OTM interrupts and a match seems likely.

Ashante Thee Adonis hits on Karmen Petrovic again but Brinley Reece and Sol Ruca pop in to say she’s not interested. Petrovic doesn’t approve.

Tatum Paxley vs. Jaida Parker

OTM is here with Parker. Paxley starts fast with a rollup for two but Parker sits her on the middle rope for the sitdown splash. Parker sends her flying and cranks on both arms as Lola Vice is watching backstage. Back up and a facebuster gets Paxley out of trouble and something like a modified Angle Slam gets two. Parker flips out of a rollup though and hits a pair of running hip attacks for the pin at 4:17.

Rating: C. Short match here but Parker’s rise continues. She is probably in for a showdown with Lola Vice sooner rather than later and that could be a big step up the ladder. Parker is someone who feels like she could be a player at a higher level in the future and another win like this one is just one more move in the right direction. They kept this quick and to the point, with Parker doing well enough.

Post match Lola Vice has to be held back from Parker. Cue Wendy Choo to kidnap Paxley.

Lexis King asks the No Quarter Catch Crew how he can get some better respect around here. Maybe winning the Heritage Cup can make it happen, so the match is made. Just find a corner man.

Axiom and Nathan Frazier congratulate Je’Von Evans, with Cedric Alexander, on coming close and say he’ll get there someday. Evans slaps Frazier in the face and they have to be held apart. Wes Lee pops in to say he knew someone would get under Evans’ skin eventually.

Stephanie Vaquer and Giulia talk about their friendship on the way to WWE and now they are here to dominate.

Riz has been attacked, with the D’Angelo Family wanting revenge.

Luca Crusifino vs. Oba Femi

Crusifino hits a dropkick and goes after the knee to start but a shoulderbreaker cuts him off. Some knees to the back set up a quickly broken chinlock so Femi knocks him down again. The chokeslam is countered into a Codebreaker but Femi sends him flying. The toss powerbomb finishes for Femi at 3:04.

Rating: C. That’s all it needed to be as Femi gets to smash one of the Family before his rematch with Tony D’Angelo. It’s as logical of a result as you can have and the title match is already looking like it could go either way. He looks like one heck of a monster, though the stipulation gives him enough of an out to lose without being downgraded. That’s smart booking, or he just gets the title back.

Post match Femi lays out the Family, with Tony D’Angelo running down for the save but getting zip tied to the post. With D’Angelo stuck, Femi slams Crusifino onto a ladder.

The woman in red, named Zaria, will be at Halloween Havoc.

Andre Chase talks about how Chase U is about giving people a chance, just like they gave to Ridge Holland. Then Holland turned on them because there are some people who can’t be saved. At Halloween Havoc, they’re having an ambulance match. Makes sense.

Here are Ethan Page and Trick Williams for a face to face chat. Williams is willing to wait for Halloween Havoc to fight, but he thinks Page is desperate. Page talks about how he’s been at this for seventeen years and didn’t have the resources Williams had at his disposal. Williams says he gets it, which is all the proof Page needs to know Williams doesn’t get it. Has Williams ever tasted his own blood and sweat?

Williams is ready to make Page tastes his blood again on Sunday, which Page sees as fake confidence. The match is the Devil’s Playground, which benefits page, because Williams isn’t ready to go through that. Page is ready to take this further than anyone else Williams has faced, but Williams says Page has never pinned him. Page is desperate, but Williams is looking forward to it. This was as good as it could have gotten, but this story still isn’t interesting.

Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade are ready for Giulia and Stephanie Vaquer. Fatal Influence comes in to say they’re ready, with Kelani Jordan coming in to say she’s not so sure. The wheel will be spun tonight.

Sol Ruca vs. Karmen Petrovic

Ruca takes her down to start but Petrovic is back up with some strikes. That’s fine with Ruca, who drops her again and gets in some surfing on the back. A superkick gives Petrovic two but Ruca hits a Codebreaker as we see Ashante Thee Adonis in the crowd with some woman. Petrovic catches her on top with an Iconoclasm but Adonis and said woman distracts Petrovic. The Sol Snatcher gives Ruca the pin at 4:04.

Rating: C. Another short match in a series of them tonight as the Adonis story actually goes somewhere for a change. Having Petrovic fall for him a bit without realizing what he really is could be a nice path to follow, though I’m not sure where it could lead. Any excuse to see the Sol Snatcher is a plus though and that was certainly true here.

Nikkita Lyons gives Tyriek Igwe and Tyson DuPont a pep talk. Oba Femi comes in to give Ruca her jacket, saying she dropped it. Oh dear.

OTM vs. Hank Walker/Tank Ledger

Jaida Parker and Cole Custer are here too and the fight starts on the floor with Walker and Ledger taking over. Meet In The Middle gets two on Nima but it’s off to Price to plant Ledger. That’s broken up and the rolling tag brings in Walker to clean house in short order. A swinging Boss Man Slam gets two on Price as Lola Vice comes out to deck Parker. Custer’s distraction sets up the Collision Course to finish Price a 3:09.

Rating: C. There’s your guest star match of the night and Custer added as much as most guest stars over the years. OTM is still around but hasn’t done anything in a good while, with this match not helping things. At least Vice and Parker got to do something, which should move us closer to their big showdown.

Post match, dancing ensues.

Axiom and Nathan Frazier argue but get a Tag Team Title match with Je’Von Evans and Cedric Alexander. The champs leave but Lexis King comes in to say he needs a corner man for the Heritage Cup shot. Ava seems to have an idea.

Ridge Holland is ready to hurt Andre Chase.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Tony D’Angelo is ready to hurt Oba Femi.

Giulia/Stephanie Vaquer vs. Fatal Influence

Giulia knocks Henley into the corner to start and takes her down without much effort. Vaquer comes in to drive Henley’s face into the mat but it’s off to Jayne to take over in the corner. Back up and a dropkick gets Vaquer out of trouble and it’s off to Giulia as everything breaks down. Jazmyn Nyx gets in a cheap shot on the floor and the villains take over as we take a break.

Back with Giulia hitting a basement dropkick to get out of trouble and the big tag bringing in Vaquer to clean house. Everything breaks down and Jayne has to make a save, leaving Giulia and Henley to slug it out. Jayne hits a spinebuster with Vaquer making a save of her own so Nyx gets involved. Cue Kelani Jordan fr the save so Giulia can knee Jayne into a package backbreaker for the pin at 12:13.

Rating: C+. Fatal Influence was little more than cannon fodder for the new monster dream team here and that’s perfectly fine. Giulia and Vaquer are designed to be some great team and I could go for the two of them on some path of destruction for the time being. Perez and Jade are bigger challengers, but I wouldn’t be getting my hopes up about them for Sunday.

Post match, Roxanne Perez and Cora Jade show up for the staredown. Fatal Influence spins the wheel for their match with Jordan and it’s…Spinner’s Choice. Never mind though as Zaria shows up for the debut to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. NXT is getting more and more divided, as the men’s stuff is becoming downright uninteresting while the women’s division is rather entertaining. The latter is keeping the show afloat and thankfully NXT seems to understand what they have there. At the same time, Halloween Havoc is looking more like the big finale to the summer feuds, which were only so good in the first place. Not much of a show here, with the limited positives coming from the women’s side of things.

Results
Meta Four b. Damage CTRL via DQ when Piper Niven interfered
Jaida Parker b. Tatum Paxley – Hip attack
Oba Femi b. Luca Crusifino – Toss powerbomb
Sol Ruca b. Karmen Petrovic – Sol Snatcher
Hank Walker/Tank Ledger b. OTM – Collision Course to Price
Giulia/Stephanie Vaquer b. Fatal Influence – Package backbreaker to Jayne

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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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

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 9, 2024
Location: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Albert, Canada
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

It’s the season premiere of the show and since we’re in Calgary, Bret Hart is here for a special appearance. We’ve also got the Women’s Tag Team Titles on the line and a four way for the #1 contendership to the Intercontinental Title. Throw in the start of the build to Bad Blood in less than a month and we should be in for a big one. Let’s get to it.

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

The announcers welcome us to the show and throw us to a video recapping American Made vs. the Wyatt Sicks.

American Made vs. Wyatt Sicks

Street fight. It’s a big brawl to start (as it should be) with Nikki Cross bringing out the weapons. The Creeds try some double teaming but Rowan suplexes both of them down on the floor and runs Gable over. Uncle Howdy (not in the match) sits in the rocking chair as Rowan brings out the first table.

Cross sprays Rowan with the fire extinguisher and the Creeds put him through a table before burying him with a bunch of stuff. Lumis gets chaired down but pops up and hits a belly to back suplex into a jumping legdrop on Gable. Gacy hits the Upside Down to drop the Creeds but Julius kendo sticks him in the back. The women fight over the announcers’ table as the Creeds load up another table.

Rowan comes back from the burial and wrecks the Creeds with a piece of the barricade but Gable takes him down with a shot to the back. Gable German suplexes Rowan into the barricade and the Brutus Ball into a steps shot puts him down again. Gacy dives onto Gable and Lumis flip dives onto the Creeds, followed by a clothesline to drop Gable inside.

Gable is back up with a super Angle Slam to put Gacy through the table for two. Gable grabs the ankle lock and Nile is in with kendo stick shots to Gacy but Cross makes the save. Rowan claw slams Gable onto the steps, with Howdy coming in with a Sister Abigail to Julius. Lumis’ frog splash pins Gable at 16:53.

Rating: B. This was a heck of a fight and a good bit better than I was expecting. I’m still not sure what the Wyatts do next as this should wrap up the feud, but at least they got a big win. That being said, can we please stop seeing Gable lose? It wouldn’t have been the same for one of the Creeds to take the fall, but dang seeing Gable get pinned again was sad.

Tessitore lets us know that from October 7 – the end of the year, the show will only be two hours. Oh that’s a big change.

We look back at Liv Morgan injuring Rhea Ripley’s leg last week and the Terror Twins going after the Judgment Day. Morgan defending the Women’s Title against Ripley is set for Bad Blood.

Here is Finn Balor for a chat. He wants to talk about Damian Priest holding him down while Balor was trying to hold him up. Balor should have been the World Heavyweight Champion a long time ago but Priest was always there with that briefcase. He calls Priest out here right now so here is Priest to say he’s dropping Balor right now. Balor says he wants a match at Bad Blood, one on one, which works for Priest.

Cue Judgment Day to swarm Priest, with Rhea Ripley, on a crutch, limping down the aisle, but cutting Liv Morgan off with a crutch shot. Dominik Mysterio comes after Ripley and gets crutched down instead. Morgan takes out the bad knee and they get inside. Priest covers Ripley and takes the crutch shots from Morgan, only for Dominik to pull him off and unload with crutch shots to the ribs, setting up Balor’s Coup de Grace. Cue Jey Uso for the save with a chair though and the fans approve. The Judgment Day had to get some heat on the Terror Twins and this worked well.

Braun Strowman talks about how he’s ready to win the four way tonight and become #1 contender to get the Intercontinental Title back. Bron Breakker comes in and says he’s ready to prove that you don’t have to be that big to be a monster. Breakker’s confidence is great and it feels earned.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Unholy Union vs. Bianca Belair/Jade Cargill

Belair and Cargill are defending. Fyre gets taken down by Belair to start and it’s off to Cargill for the double shoulder. Dawn comes in and manages to take Cargill into the corner, where Fyre gets in a shot to the knee. Cargill kicks her away though and it’s back to Belair to clean house.

A double high crossbody takes the challengers out and there’s the handspring moonsault for two on Dawn. Belair’s superplex is blocked and a double powerbomb brings her back down for two. Cargill comes in for the save but Jaded is broken up with a superkick. The Gory Bomb/Downward Spiral hits Belair but Cargill dives in for a save. Belair gets over for the tag and the assisted German suplex to Fyre retains the titles at 6:35.

Rating: C+. That should pretty much do it for this feud as there is no reason for them to fight again. Belair and Cargill beat them cleanly here and that makes it two in a row. I’m not sure what is next for the Union, as there are only so many teams for them to face. That’s been a problem for the division since it started and it’s still the case now.

Dragon Lee and the LWO is ready for Dominik Mysterio. Judgment Day comes in to sneer and the Mysterios get into the usual argument. Rey challenges Finn Balor for tonight and the match is on.

Barrett and Tessitore are here to introduce Bret Hart to a hero’s welcome. After the announcement that Survivor Series is returning to Canada this November, Bret talks about what it meant to be a Canadian champion. It meant that he would fight anyone anywhere anytime for twenty years….and here is Gunther to interrupt (complete with what looked like a bit of a Bret pose on the way in).

Gunther is rather pleased to be here with one of his childhood heroes, but this is kind of a passing the torch moment. While Bret is the best there ever was, Gunther is the best there is and the best there ever will be. With that out of the way, Gunther talks about how everyone here watched Bret growing up and he will always be a close second to his all time favorite: Bill Goldberg. Oh that was HILARIOUS.

Cue Sami Zayn (in a Johnny Gaudreau jersey, paying tribute to an NHL player who was killed last month in an accident) to say that he can’t believe Gunther would make fun o a Canadian hero whose matches are still being studied to this day. Zayn issues the challenge to Gunther again but gets turned down again. As Gunther leaves, Hart calls him a coward so Gunther starts coming back, with Zayn brawling with him before posing with Hart. This was a nice moment and a great use of someone like Hart, but nothing was topping that Goldberg line.

Bron Breakker runs into Pete Dunne and, after teasing the Butch name, he mocks Dunne’s weird look and promises to beat him up if he wins. Breakker leaves and Sheamus runs in to jump Dunne with a knee to the face.

Dominik Mysterio vs. Dragon Lee

The rest of the Judgment Day and the LWO are both here too. Lee takes him down to start and goes up, only to get dropkicked out of the air in a nice spot. We take a break and come back with Dominik stomping away but Lee scores with a slingshot dropkick. A Michinoku Driver gives Dominik two but Lee muscles him up with a powerbomb for the same. Lee plants him for two again but Judgment Day interferes, meaning it’s a big brawl to the back. Liv Morgan uses the distraction to get in a chop block on Lee, setting up the 619. The frog splash finishes Lee at 8:15.

Rating: C+. What in the world happened to Dragon Lee? It felt like he was ready to be the next big thing and now he couldn’t be much more of an afterthought. Maybe it was too much too fast, but dang he has fallen through the floor. For now though, Morgan continues to help Dominik win as they are still a success, but Ripley is on the way and it’s going to be painful.

Damage CTRL come up to Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair, saying not to get used to holding the titles. That’s as good of a set of challenges as they have.

Commentary pays tribute to Johnny Gaudreau, with Jackie Redmond (who works in the NHL so she already has ties to this) looking at the memorial to him outside of the arena. You rarely see this kind of thing from WWE and it was very nice.

Pure Fusion Collective vs. Lyra Valkyria/Zelina Vega/???

It’s a mystery partner and…hang on as Sonya Deville cuts off Valkyria’s music to call out whomever the partner is going to be. It’s Calgary so here is the returning Natalya to even things up. Vega gets sent outside to start and the villains get to pose as we take an early break. Back with Natalya coming in to clean house before trading rollups with Stark for some near falls. Everything breaks down and a triple Sharpshooter ends the Collective at 6:57.

Rating: C. This was nothing more than a way to pop the live crowd and it went well enough. Natalya is only going to be so interesting no matter what she does but she’s been gone long enough that it was nice to see her again. The ending was a great thing to see in Calgary as well so this was a perfectly pleasant match.

Bret Hart congratulates Natalya, Zelina Vega and Lyra Valkyria on the win, saying it was a Nattie moment instead of a Bret moment.

Here is Drew McIntyre to mock the fans’ CM PUNK chants. Last week Punk was bragging about beating him by slapping some corners and saying that was it. McIntyre isn’t done with Punk though because he made Punk a bigger star. Things are going well for McIntyre right now, as he has his first movie coming out later this week, but he has some bad news. It has to do with Wade Barrett, who seems confused.

McIntyre talks about their history together, which involves living together, training together and being arrested together. Barrett has been one of only people to plead his case while Michael Cole lied, but last week Barrett tried to stop McIntyre from hurting Punk. McIntyre isn’t happy but if Barrett does it again, it won’t go well.

Barrett stands up and stares at McIntyre but Adam Pearce interrupts, saying he has something McIntyre will want to hear. Pearce has talked to Punk and he’s going to face McIntyre one more time. At Bad Blood. Inside Hell In A Cell. And this works because it’s a feud that has earned the spot in that kind of match.

Karrion Kross is talking to Miz when Xavier Woods (in Bret Hart cosplay) Comes in to ask what Kross is doing. Kross leaves and Woods asks Miz what’s going on. Miz says he invented that move but Woods wouldn’t understand. With Miz gone, Kofi Kingston comes in and says he’s got them a Tag Team Title shot next week. Woods is pleased and Bret posing ensues.

Finn Balor vs. Rey Mysterio

Balor kicks him down and stomps away to start but Rey is back up rather quickly. Rey manages to send him outside and hits a dive as we take a break. Back with Rey hitting a springboard crossbody and a 619 to the ribs. The regular 619 is cut off and Balor grabs a half crab in the ropes…which he doesn’t break and that’s a DQ at 8:00.

Rating: C+. This picked up a bit after the break but it’s much more of an angle than a match. With Balor getting ready for his big showdown with Priest, he needs to be reheated a bit and this was a fine way to do it. At the same time, Rey continues to be able to look good in the ring, which should not be happening for someone with a mixture of his age and knees.

Post match Balor stays on him and wrecks the knee even more.

Ilja Dragunov is ready to prove himself for another shot at Bron Breakker. Cue Breakker to say he’s beaten Dragunov before but if Dragunov wants, he can do it again. Jey Uso comes in and goes to the ring for his entrance.

Judgment Day says tonight was a message and it’ll be even worse at Bad Blood.

Braun Strowman vs. Jey Uso vs. Ilja Dragunov vs. Pete Dunne

For the next shot against Bron Breakker. Strowman cleans house to start but gets knocked to the floor so Dragunov can hit some running knees on Dunne. Uso is back up to take out Dragunov, leaving Dunne to go after Strowman’s finger. Strowman throws him onto the other two and we take a break.

Back with Strowman shoving all of them away but getting knocked outside again. Strowman grabs for Dunne but Dragunov takes him down down a dive. Everyone gets together and shoves Strowman into the steps, leaving Dunne to X Plex Dragunov. They trade kicks to the head until Dragunov goes up, only to be superkicked out of the air by Uso for two.

We take another break and come back again with Dunne snapping more fingers and going up but Strowman cuts him off. Strowman does the freight train and loads up the announcers’ table but Bronson Reed returns and splashes Strowman through the table instead. Uso and Dragunov stare each other down with Uso hitting a spear but Dunne comes in to steal the near fall. Dragunov kicks Dunne in the face and gives him a powerbomb, setting up the H Bomb for two with Uso making the save with a superkick. The Superfly Splash gives Uso the pin at 13:39.

Rating: B. This was set up well as Uso felt like the most likely winner but Strowman was just enough of a threat to add some drama. Dunne and Dragunov would have felt like a big stretch no matter what they were doing but they both added enough. Reed’s interference made for a great moment and odds are they’ll have another match at Bad Blood. Good stuff here, with the right person winning.

Bron Breakker comes out for the staredown with Jey Uso to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. This show covered a lot of ground with good action, matches being set up for both next week and Bad Blood, and an absolutely amazing moment with Gunther cracking me up. They set up three major matches for Bad Blood (with the IC Title likely coming there too) in the span of three hours, which is a rather efficient way to go. I liked this one a good bit and it flew by, but dang that shift to two hours in a few weeks sounds glorious.

Results
Wyatt Sicks b. American Made – Top rope splash to Gable
Bianca Belair/Jade Cargill b. Unholy Union – Assisted German suplex to Fyre
Dominik Mysterio b. Dragon Lee
Natalya/Lyra Valkyria/Zelina Vega b. Pure Fusion Collective – Triple Sharpshooters
Rey Mysterio b. Finn Balor via DQ when Balor would not release a half crab
Jey Uso b. Braun Strowman, Ilja Dragunov and Pete Dunne – Superfly Splash to Dunne

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 2, 2024
Location: Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

We are officially done with Bash In Berlin and that means we have a bit of time before Bad Blood. Gunther retained the Raw World Title over Randy Orton in the show’s main event, but the more interesting match saw the Terror Twins beat Judgment Day, with Rhea Ripley getting her hands on Dominik Mysterio for just a bit. Odds are that gets some fallout this week so let’s get to it.

Here is Bash In Berlin if you need a recap.

Wade Barrett is in the ring and welcomes Joe Tessitore to the broadcast team. Tessitore, who has called a bunch of different sports, is happy to be here.

Bash In Berlin recap.

Here is a rather happy Rhea Ripley (to a ROAR) to get things going. She’s rather happy with her win at Bash In Berlin and since she pinned the Women’s Champion, it’s time she gets her title back. Cue Dominik Mysterio (sporting a heck of a black eye, thanks to Rhea) to interrupt, eventually (after some interruptions from a rather angry crowd) saying Liv isn’t here tonight.

The reality is he and Liv were jet lagged due to the lack of sleep (Dominik: “For a variety of reasons.”) but she’ll accept the challenge. Ripley tells him to callate (Spanish for “shut up”) but here is Liv to get in a cheap shot. Ripley’s leg gets tied up in the ropes so Liv stomps away until Damian Priest makes the save.

Chad Gable fires up American Made.

Rhea Ripley’s leg is messed up but she refuses medical care. Damian Priest tries to calm her down and is going to get a match with someone in Judgment Day for some pain.

Alpha Academy vs. American Made

It’s a brawl to start with Tozawa getting double teamed as we settle down. Tozawa gets over for the tag off to Otis, who goes to the floor where Julius hits a running knee. Nile comes in and gets in Otis’ face but Maxxine is in to take her down. Otis fireman’s carries Tozawa for an airplane spin to send the villains outside, where Maxxine hits a dive as we take a break.

Back with Brutus hitting a Shell Shock on Tozawa, followed by a springboard moonsault for two. Tozawa manages to avoid a charge and brings in Otis to clean house, including the Caterpillar. A few dives have Tozawa rolling until Julius cuts him off with a suplex. Maxxine comes in for her own version of the Caterpillar (it goes backwards) but a Chad Gable distraction lets Nile grab the Diamond Chain Lock (dragon sleeper) for the tap at 11:03.

Rating: C+. These teams have fought a few times now and it’s fine to see the villains win, if nothing else to boost them back up after their losses to the Wyatts. I’m not sure how much steam this feud has though, as it feels like they’ve been going around in circles for a bit. Maxxine looked a bit more comfortable in there, but it’s clear that she’s still just doing spots rather than having a mind for this. Granted given her experience, that’s about all that can be expected.

Post match Chad Gable goes on a rant about the Wyatt Sicks getting involved last week and he wants an eight man street fight next week. The lights go out and cue Uncle Howdy to talk about how the silence is deafening. His life is no longer his and if this is the path that Gable has chosen, the Wyatts will collect a debt.

Zelina Vega vs. Shayna Baszler

The rest of Pure Fusion Collective is here too. Baszler goes after Vega’s recently injured arm to start but a 619 to the legs sends Baszler outside. We take an early break and come back with Vega hitting a moonsault for two but she goes after the Collective. The distraction lets Baszler hit a knee for the pin at 6:38.

Rating: C. The fans were into Vega but she was overcome by the numbers game here. That being said, as usual, I have no idea why a match that doesn’t even run seven minutes included a break. The match wasn’t exactly a big one in the first place and then we don’t even see half of it. Multiple promotions do this and I do not get why.

Post match the beatdown is on but Lyra Valkyria runs in for the save, only to be beaten down as well. Sonya Deville brags about the team, saying there is not a man anywhere who can take them home and not a woman in the locker room that can take them out.

Rhea Ripley is now on a crutch as a precaution. Finn Balor is willing to face Damian Priest in a tag match but since Ripley is hurt, it means no match. Ripley has something in mind and Priest says let him know what he (whoever that may be) says.

Zelina Vega and Lyra Valkyria want the Pure Fusion Collective.

Here is CM Punk for a chat. Punk brags about his win and says how great it is to be in Denver. Now that the personal stuff is done though, it’s time to get down to business. He went through a fight at Bash In Berlin but there is someone else who did it there too: the World Heavyweight Champion Gunther.

Punk wants to be the champion and is coming for the title, because the people are going to take it from him. The music pays and he goes to celebrate but here is Drew McIntyre to jump him. Wade Barrett tries to hold McIntyre back but he slips by and hits a Claymore to drop Punk. McIntyre sends him inside and BREAKS PUNK’S BRACELET before hitting another Claymore. Oh I think you know where this is going at Bad Blood and it should be a big one.

Post break Punk is taken out on a stretcher…where McIntyre attacks him again.

Intercontinental Title #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Dominik Mysterio vs. Ilja Dragunov vs. Dragon Lee

Lee knocks both of them to the floor to start but Dominik breaks up a dive. That leaves Dragunov to glare at Dominik for daring to chop him before Dragunov suplexes both of them and we take a break. Back with Dragunov hitting an H Bomb on Lee but Dominik frog splashes both of them for two. Dragunov Death Valley Drivers Dominik onto the apron so Lee gets in a shot of his own…but cue Carlito to take Lee out.

Damian Priest runs in to go after Carlito and chase Dominik out of the arena, leaving Dragunov to strike away on Lee. The 619 is countered into a sitout powerbomb (they got a bit lost in there but saved it pretty nicely) to give Lee two but Dragunov Death Valley Drivers him into the corner. Lee manages to tie him in the Tree of Woe for a top rope stomp, only for Dragunov to come back with the Torpedo Moscow for the pin at 10:37.

Rating: C+. This was almost split in half as Dominik was chased off part of the way through the match, leaving it as a singles instead. In that case Dragunov is the best option as Lee hasn’t done much in the last few weeks. Dragunov hasn’t done much better, but he’s far closer to a title level than Lee at the moment.

We look at Bronson Reed crushing Braun Strowman last week.

Strowman, with very banged up ribs, wants Reed’s spot in the triple threat match. Adam Pearce says sure, as I try to figure out who in the world thought it was a good idea to have Strowman back a week after that big of a spot. Yes he’s a monster, but he’s not a monster who should b back that soon.

Isla Dawn/Alba Fyre vs. Damage CTRL

For a shot at the Women’s Tag Team Titles, with new champions Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill at ringside. Sane has to fight out of the wrong corner to start and anklescissors Fyre out to the floor. Damage CTRL gets in a glare off with the champs and we take an early break. Back with Sane hitting a DDT, allowing Sky to come in and clean house. Everything breaks down and Belair gets knocked over, with Cargill not being happy. The distraction lets Dawn and Fyre hit the Downward Spiral/Gory Bomb combination to finish Sky at 8:06.

Rating: C. This was another match where it didn’t have much time to go anywhere and it gets us pretty much back to the same place where we were before Saturday but with the titles reversed. I can go with the idea of a feud though, as the titles could use the effort. It’s better than one random team after another getting a shot so I’ll take what I can get.

Kofi Kingston is trying to get a Tag Team Title shot from Adam Pearce when Gunther walks by and glares.

Damian Priest talks to Rhea Ripley, who says Priest’s partner said…..yeet. I was expecting Rey Mysterio.

Here is Gunther for a chat. He brags about the success of Bash In Berlin and talks about how he beat the best version of Randy Orton. With that out of the way, cue Sami Zayn, as in the last man to beat Gunther, to interrupt. Zayn talks about wrestlers using the Intercontinental Title as a stepping stone to the World Title. Gunther did just that and now Zayn wants to do it as well because it is the one title he has never won. Gunther liked the list of legends Zayn gave, but Zayn wasn’t on there, so no shot. With Gunther going to leave, Zayn brings up the loss at Wrestlemania and that gets his attention.

Jey Uso is ready for the main event but Bron Breakker comes in to say Jey has one chance to drop out of the #1 contenders tournament. Uso doesn’t seem scared, despite Breakker being rather serious.

Intercontinental Title #1 Contenders Tournament First Round: Braun Strowman vs. Sheamus vs. Ludwig Kaiser

Sheamus and Kaiser brawl on the floor to start but the banged up Strowman runs them both over. Strowman is sent through the barricade and we take an early break. Back with Kaiser kicking Sheamus out to the floor but Strowman throws a chair to drop Kaiser cold. Strowman chokeslams Sheamus for two but Sheamus knocks him out to the floor. The Kaiser Roll gives Kaiser two, only for Sheamus to come back with a Brogue Kick. Cue Pete Dunne to take Sheamus out though, leaving Strowman to powerslam Kaiser for the pin at 7:36.

Rating: C+. I’m still not sure I can get behind the idea of Strowman being able to move here, let alone win, but here we are with Strowman on his way to a possible title shot. He didn’t have to do much here, with the chair throw looking great, but this was a bunch of stuff going on at once. Strowman winning would be fine most of the time, though having him around despite selling such a huge attack just a week later felt off.

Damian Priest and Jey Uso are ready.

Pete Dunne says that was a message to Sheamus from an old friend, but DO NOT CALL HIM BUTCH.

Judgment Day vs. Damian Priest/Jey Uso

Non-title and Balor immediately hands it off to McDonagh to face Priest. It’s quickly off to Uso, who gets stomped down in the corner as the villains take over. That doesn’t last long as Uso sends them outside and hits a big dive as we take a break. Back with Balor driving shoulders into Uso’s ribs in the corner and handing it back to McDonagh for two off a springboard moonsault. McDonagh works on the arm until Uso fights up and kicks him down, allowing the tag off to Priest.

Everything breaks down and Balor rolls Priest up for a fast two. South Of Heaven is broken up so Priest hits a double clothesline, setting up Uso’s double high crossbody. Cue Liv Morgan to break up the Superfly Splash though and Balor hits the shotgun dropkick into the Coup de Grace into McDonagh’s moonsault. Priest makes the save and here is Rhea Ripley to, slowly, chase Morgan off with the crutch. Balor is sent outside and it’s the Razor’s Edge into the Superfly Splash to finish McDonagh at 14:20.

Rating: B-. That should set up a title match either next week or at Bad Blood (hopefully the former) and it’s nice to see Priest getting his hands on the Judgment Day. The match was nothing we haven’t seen done before, but it fits the story that they’re telling. I’m not sure how good it is for Uso to be involved with the Terror Twins, who I still want to take the titles from Judgment Day, but it makes enough sense.

Overall Rating: B-. The wrestling wasn’t great here but it was a show where things were set up, either for Bad Blood or likely beyond. You have Zayn vs. Gunther, more Punk vs. McIntyre, the Tag Team Title stuff and the tournament final next week. That’s a lot to set up (plus more) in three hours and they made it work. That’s certainly an eventful show and we have more than a month before the pay per view so things can breathe a bit for a change.

As for Tessitore, he did pretty well for his first night. You could tell he’s studied what he’s watching and was speaking with confidence. I’m not expecting him to know every move (he referred to Ilja Dragunov’s Torpedo Moscow as a shoulder for instance) as the details will come. You can tell he’s an experienced commentator who is going into a new field, but for a start, he did well.

Results
American Made b. Alpha Academy – Diamond Chain Lock to Dupri
Shayna Baszler b. Zelina Vega – Knee to the face
Ilja Dragunov b. Dragon Lee and Dominik Mysterio – Torpedo Moscow to Lee
Isla Dawn/Alba Fyre b. Damage CTRL – Downward Spiral/Gory Bomb combination to Sky
Braun Strowman b. Ludwig Kaiser and Sheamus – Powerslam to Kaiser
Jey Uso/Damian Priest b. Judgment Day – Superfly Splash to McDonagh

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.