Monday Night Raw
Date: December 16, 2024
Location: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

We’re done with Saturday Night’s Main Event and there wasn’t much of a change on the Raw side. Gunther is still the World Heavyweight Champion and we are officially on the road to the first Raw on Netflix. This week will see a pair of title matches as both the Intercontinental and Tag Team Titles are on the line. Let’s get to it.

Here is Saturday Night’s Main Event if you need a recap.

We open with a quick Saturday Night’s Main Event recap and a preview for tonight.

Here is CM Punk to get things going. Punk: “Careful. Some people might get mad if you chant my name.” A few weeks ago, he told Seth Rollins that he doesn’t think about him while Rollins always thinks about Punk. While Punk is out here talking to his people, he knows that the stupid music is going to play and he’s going to come tiptoeing out here like Liberace (who Punk loves) but wearing Elton John sunglasses doesn’t make him Elton John. Just like growing up wanting to be CM Punk doesn’t make you CM Punk.

If Rollins wants Punk to be the bad guy, that’s fine. There are no such thing as bad students but just bad teachers, because 16 year old Rollins is Punk’s failure. If Punk still wants that lesson he can come and get it, but the last person who did that was Drew McIntyre. Punk has the fans chant his name, which has driven Rollins nuts for years.

Cue Rollins in the crowd, saying he’s taking a good hard look at Punk. Rollins: “Nah, even from out here, you’re still an a******.” Punk: “You still belong out there with all of the other CM Punk fans.” Rollins talks about carrying the company while Punk was gone and this “fan” has more Wrestlemania main events than Punk ever will. The fight is on with referees and security barely being able to break them up. They get into the crowd and brawl some more. Good segment here, which should set up a big match between them down the line.

The Judgment Day gives Finn Balor a pep talk but Balor wants to know where they were at Saturday Night’s Main Event. They praise him instead and things seem cool….but Balor sneers as some of the team leaves.

Seth Rollins yells at Adam Pearce to make the match with CM Punk as soon as possible. That sends Pearce away, with Drew McIntyre popping in to say that Rollins told him to get over it. Well Roman Reigns seems to be on the way back up to the top and they need to stop this. Rollins says he already stopped Reigns and did it with Jey Uso and Sami Zayn by his side. They’re his friends but the jury is still out on McIntyre. For now though, Rollins is off to do what McIntyre never could: beat Punk.

Intercontinental Title: Bron Breakker vs. Ludwig Kaiser

Breakker is defending and drives him into the corner to start for a quick overhead belly to belly. For some reason Kaiser slaps him in the face and the beating continues, with Kaiser being sent outside as we take a break. Back with Breakker hammering away in the corner, with the fans being rather behind him. Kaiser starts to go after the arm to limited avail but a ram into the corner works a bit better.

Breakker sends him outside though and the apron clothesline over the announcers’ table rocks Kaiser again. They get back in and Kaiser goes after the arm again, allowing him to stomp away on the mat. The arm is wrapped around the rope for a running dropkick in the corner and we take another break.

Back again with Kaiser going after the arm again to cut off a comeback bid. The armbar goes on again but Breakker is up with a jumping knee for a breather. The top rope Frankensteiner gives Breakker two but the spear is countered into the Kaiser Roll for two more. Kaiser sends him outside to try Breakker’s running dropkick, only for Breakker to cut him off with a running shoulder. Back in and a gutbuster into the super spear retains the title at 18:15.

Rating: B-. Nice match here, with Kaiser working on the arm to slow Breakker down but Breakker was just too much to overcome. The idea of Breakker just muscling through everyone is a good way to go, but he is starting to put a bit more together to make himself more well rounded. It helps when the fans are getting into him, as that could be the sign of Breakker moving up the card in a hurry, likely on the good side.

Rey Mysterio doesn’t want New Day in the locker room, saying they crossed the line. It would be better for them if they found another place to change, but they don’t want to be in that locker room anyway.

We look at Cody Rhodes retaining over Kevin Owens at Saturday Night’s Main Event but Owens laid him out with a package piledriver after the show. Rhodes has a cervical injury but it’s not clear how long he’ll be out.

The War Raiders talk about how they’re back after their injuries and they’re ready to get the titles.

Adam Pearce announces CM Punk vs. Seth Rollins for the Raw debut on Netflix.

Here are Dominik Mysterio, Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez for a chat. The fans boo a lot but Rodriguez has brought a bullhorn so Morgan can brag about how great she has been as champion. Morgan is ready to lead WWE into the future but here is Rhea Ripley to interrupt. This has gone on lone enough and it’s time to finish it for good. Ripley is officially the #1 contender and she is ready to get the title back. Then Morgan will only have her little “chicken tender sl*t.” That’s a great insult.

Seth Rollins is being asked about his match with CM Punk when Drew McIntyre comes storming up from behind. Before McIntyre can get to him though, Sami Zayn jumps McIntyre and the fight has to be broken up.

Miz tries to get away from the Final Testament but Karrion Kross does not accept that. This whole thing with the Wyatt Sicks isn’t over because it is time to take the first step against them. That’s why Miz is going to fight Dexter Lumis one on one next week. Paul Ellering says Miz has saved him twice so Miz owes the team. Kross reminds Miz that he is a 22 time champion so he can do this. With Miz gone, Kross says Miz is going to have to learn what happens if you make a deal with the devil.

Women’s Intercontinental Title Tournament First Round: Zoey Stark vs. Kayden Carter vs. Raquel Rodriguez

Rodriguez throws them around to start and gets an early two on Carter. Stark breaks it up and sends Carter outside, followed by a DDT to Rodriguez. Back in and Carter sends Rodriguez outside, leaving Stark to hit a basement superkick for two. With the other two outside, Carter hits a quick corkscrew dive through the ropes and we take a break.

Back with Carter tying up Rodriguez’s legs and hitting a fisherman’s neckbreaker on Stark at the same time. That’s broken up and Stark hits a dive out to the floor, only to get powered over the top by Rodriguez. Carter’s springboard basement dropkick gets two on Rodriguez, who is back up with a fall away slam to Stark. The twisting Vader Bomb hits Carter but Stark is back in to break up the Tejana Bomb. A not exactly smooth Z360 finishes Carter to advance Stark at 9:20.

Rating: C+. They were trying here, with Stark being a bit of a surprise winner, but there were a few not so great spots in there. Rodriguez felt like the more logical choice for the winner here but going with Stark shakes things up a bit. Carter doesn’t get to do this on her own very much and she worked fairly well here.

R-Truth is talking to the Alpha Academy and refers to Pete Dunne as Butch again. Cue Dunne to yell at R-Truth but American Made comes in to mock what the Alpha Academy has become. Chad Gable is sick of the entire team and it’s time to finish them off, starting with Akira Tozawa.

We see a weird red symbol with a slash going through it. The circle was round. Like a zero. Like Penta El Zero Miedo perhaps?

New Day has their bags ready to go but the Pure Fusion Collective has crushed Kairi Sane’s arm in an anvil case. Damage CTRL runs in for the save.

Tag Team Titles: War Raiders vs. Judgment Day

Judgment Day is defending. McDonagh kicks away at Ivar to start and gets knocked outside without much effort. Erik comes in to slam Ivar onto McDonagh and we take an early break. Back with McDonagh still in trouble but Ivar gets taken into the corner. That’s broken up in short order and Erik comes in to start cleaning house.

Erik drops McDonagh with a forearm and sends him outside but Balor cuts off a dive. The champs send Erik into the steps and then do it again as we take another break. Back again with Erik still in trouble but he’s able to get over for the tag to Ivar without much trouble. Ivar takes too long to go up though and gets crotched by Balor. McDonagh tries to pull Ivar down but gets caught with a super World’s Strongest Slam for two.

Balor breaks up the War Machine and McDonagh gives Erik the headbutt. There’s the Sling Blade to Erik as well with the moonsault into the Coup de Grace connecting. Ivar makes the save so McDonagh brings in a chair. That’s a distraction so Balor can grab one of his own….but Damian Priest grabs it as well. The War Machine gives us new champions at 16:10.

Rating: B. This was the feel good moment that the show needed and I was wanting to see the Raiders pull it off. Commentary was making a big point out of the idea that the Judgment Day were rather horrible champions who never defended the belts. Ivar getting the win as the hometown star was a good choice and the match worked rather well. Nice job here, with the title change that needed to happen.

Overall Rating: B. This was a show without a ton of matches but the two title matches combined for almost thirty five minutes and the title change felt like a big moment. The other important part was adding the Punk vs. Rollins match to the Netflix premiere, as the show is instantly feeling bigger. The two hour run time worked well here, as the show never felt like it was dragging in the slightest. That’s nice to see for any show and it made for a nice week here, with the title change feeling rather nice. Good show here, with the big one coming in just a few weeks.

Results
Bron Breakker b. Ludwig Kaiser – Super Spear
Zoey Stark b. Kayden Carter and Raquel Rodriguez – Z360 to Carter
War Raiders b. Judgment Day – War Machine to Balor

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Monday Night Raw
Date: December 9, 2024
Location: Intrust Bank Arena, Wichita, Kansas
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

We are closing in on the end of the year and that means we should be in for some interesting things. This is also the last Raw before Saturday Night’s Main Event and the show could use a bit more build. The big story coming out of last week was the New Day’s split, with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods turning their backs on Big E., meaning fallout will ensue. Let’s get to it.

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

Here is Gunther (looking almost weird in a sweater and jeans instead of a suit) to say he isn’t happy with Finn Balor for attacking him last week. Now Balor has his undivided attention so here are Balor and the Judgment Day to interrupt. Balor again takes credit for Gunther being the World heavyweight Champion and promises to win the title on Saturday. Gunther says Balor’s audacity got him a title shot and yes, when Balor won the Universal Title eight years ago, Gunther looked up to him.

Now things are different though, as Balor is now hanging out with weirdos in the clubhouse and taking shortcuts. Eight years ago, Balor was the best in the world for one night. Gunther is the best in the world for a long time to come and the reality is Balor is not on his level. The team is ready to fight but Damian Priest interrupts for the save…but Gunther beats him up as well. Gunther loads up the powerbomb through the announcers’ table, only to get Sling Bladed by Balor.

The Coup de Grace connects off the apron and Judgment Day beats Priest down. A trio of Coup de Graces leave Priest laying and Judgment Day stands tall. I’m glad Gunther jumped Priest as having them be some kind of weird friends so quickly would have been a stretch. Gunther is leaning towards the good side but he’s not ready to go full blast yet.

Post break Adam Pearce isn’t happy with Judgment Day and adds Priest to the title match on Saturday. Balor isn’t happy but says it’ll be more satisfying when he wins the title. That’s fine with Pearce, who makes Balor/McDonagh vs. the War Raiders next week with the Judgment Day barred from ringside. Balor needs a minute. That makes sense as it would have been weird to do that big brawl with Priest and then just not have him on Saturday’s show.

Wyatt Sicks vs. Final Testament/The Miz

The Wyatts clear the ring to start and Miz has to save Kross from an early Sister Abigail. We take a break and come back with Rezar beating on Gacy, who hits his handspring clothesline for a breather. Miz comes in to get beaten down by Rowan, with a suplex into a cutter getting two.

Everything breaks down and Gacy and Lumis both hit dives to the floor. Howdy gets the tag and gets to clean house but Scarlett trips him up. Cue Nikki Cross to jump on her, leaving Howdy to get the Mandible Claw. Paul Ellering returns though and throws powder in his face, meaning it’s the Final Prayer to give Kross the pin on Howdy at 9:01.

Rating: B-. It was a nice brawl but it’s a bit of a surprise to see the Wyatts lose. They couldn’t stay undefeated forever but I’m surprised to see them lose so soon. This feud seems likely to continue though, with Howdy probably getting a singles match with Kross next. That’s not a bad idea either, as Kross has been doing some of the best work of his career in recent weeks.

We get a sitdown interview with CM Punk from earlier today. Punk is immediately asked about the favor with Paul Heyman but he’s going to keep that to himself. As for Seth Rollins, he is willing to fight but more confused by the hatred the two have. Rollins asked Punk to train him as a wrestler for free.

At one point, Rollins was on the list to be fired from this company but Punk shielded (nice choice of word) him from that. If he had to live in his own shadow, he would hate himself too. Punk is better than him in every way and now that the starter is back, the second string has to sit on the bench. That’s a nice insult to get us closer to the match, which should be good.

We recap Raquel Rodriguez and Liv Morgan attacking Rhea Ripley.

Dakota Kai vs. Liv Morgan

Non-title. Kai takes her down to start for an early Hennig necksnap but Morgan gets in a toss over the top for a nasty crash as we take a break. Back with Pure Fusion Collective coming to the ring as Kai sends her into the corner for a running knee. A scorpion kick staggers Morgan but the Collective’s distraction gives her a breather. Morgan gets powerbombed out of the corner but avoids the big running boot. Oblivion finishes Kai at 7:22.

Rating: C+. They didn’t have much time to do anything here with the break in the middle of a match which wasn’t that long in the first place. You can only get so much out of that short of a match but Kai was showing more energy than usual. She’s had a nice comeback since her injury and if she can keep that up, it could be the start of a nice run. Morgan is already on the run of a lifetime for her and that very well may continue on Saturday.

Post match the Collective comes in but Damage CTRL makes the save. Morgan gets in an Oblivion to drop Iyo Sky before leaving.

Drew McIntyre talks about being gone due to injuries and having to be with his family in Scotland. Then he saw CM Punk, Sami Zayn and the Usos standing tall with Roman Reigns. At least Punk took a bribe, but the other three just did what Reigns told them. That’s why he took out Jey and Sami last week and now he’s coming for more revenge. Jey is not medically cleared to be in the ring just yet.

We look back at last week’s heartbreaking New Day’s split, with Big E. looking crushed.

Cody Rhodes leaves Adam Pearce’s office (remember the transfer window) and runs into New Day, who should be ashamed of themselves.

Here is Seth Rollins for a chat (with a nice graphic showing the titles he’s won in WWE). Rollins talks about how CM Punk loves to play the victim because he is a con man. Yes he did go to Punk for his initial training and Punk helped him get a foot in the door around here. If that was the end of the story, Rollins’ actions wouldn’t make any sense. Ten years ago, Punk walked out of WWE and he cut Rollins off.

If you weren’t on team Punk, he didn’t have time for you. For ten years, Punk took shots at WWE and then failed at everything else. Now though, he’s back because the money was right. At one point, Rollins wanted to be just like Punk, but now he wants to be better. Rollins brings up getting to main event Wrestlemania, which Punk never did, but here is Sami Zayn, in a YEET shirt, to interrupt.

Rollins says if Zayn is here to defend Punk again, they’re going to be fighting again. Zayn apologizes for assuming that Rollins jumped Jey Uso last week but Rollins wants to know why Zayn thought it was him. Zayn talks about how Rollins was going nuts last week, even sounding like Drew McIntyre.

This thing with Punk brings out the worst with Rollins and Zayn is going to stay out of it. That’s what Rollins wanted and yes, they’re good, but Rollins thinks Zayn needs to deal with McIntyre. Rollins leaves and Zayn says he’s going to face McIntyre at Saturday Night’s Main Event, with the match already being made. As Zayn goes to leave, McIntyre jumps him with referees having to break it up. Good stuff here, with people having (mostly) normal emotions about situations going on around them.

Women’s Intercontinental Title Tournament First Round: Zelina Vega vs. Ivy Nile vs. Lyra Valkyria

Nile wastes no time in planting Valkyria for an early two and we take a break. Back with Valkyria hitting a tornado DDT for two with Nile having to make the save. Nile’s cross armbreaker is broken up but Vega flip dives onto both of them for two each. Vega’s Meteora gets two and Valkyria has to make the save this time. Everyone is down until Nile rolls some German suplexes on Valkyria before German suplexing both of them at the same time (because she can do that). Vega is back up with a Code Red for to on Nile but Valkyria breaks it up and hits Nightwing to pin Nile at 7:44.

Rating: B-. I can go for having Valkyria getting a better run around here as she is talented enough to do some good things around here. I’m not sure if she is going to win the title but at least she did something here for a change. Other than that, Vega was her usual energetic self and Nile was showing off the power, making for a nice showing from all three.

Damian Priest tells Rhea Ripley to eradicate Raquel Rodriguez.

New Day doesn’t like being asked about turning on Big E. because it’s a biased interview. They’re going to go talk to the people…and Xavier Woods steals the camera as Kofi Kingston walks into the arena. They get in the ring and Woods gives the camera back and Kingston can barely get in a word out. Kingston is annoyed that after ten years, the people have turned on them after what they did for one day. The fans want Big E. and won’t let the two of them say much of anything. That’s enough for New Day and they leave after some of the best heat anything has drawn in WWE in a LONG time.

Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Rodriguez

Anything goes. It’s a brawl to start with Ripley running up the ramp to start fast. They fight around ringside and then go inside (which Ripley filled with weapons while waiting on Rodriguez) for a missile dropkick to Rodriguez. A dropkick through the ropes staggers Rodriguez again but she sends Ripley over the announcers’ table as we take a break.

Back with stereo big boots putting both of them down. Ripley gets back up with a chair shot for two but here is Liv Morgan before Riptide can connect. The distraction lets Rodriguez plant Ripley onto a chair for two but the Tejana Bomb is escaped. Morgan breaks up another Riptide attempt and Oblivion connects. Cue Iyo Sky to take Morgan out and Rodriguez gets two. The table is set up but Ripley slips out of the Tejana Bomb again. Rodriguez goes into the chair in the corner and Riptide through the table gives Ripley the pin at 8:09.

Rating: B. I love a match where the interference is timed well and makes perfect sense. That was the case here, as it tied into both this match as well as the Women’s Title match on Saturday. This was a match where two women got to beat the fire out of each other for a bit and Ripley gets some momentum back after a hit and miss series of singles matches lately. She’ll get back to the title picture sooner than later, but I’m not sure how much there is left in her feud with Morgan.

Ripley and Sky both pick up the title to end the show. That’s interesting.

Overall Rating: B. Raw has a lot of good things going on right now, with New Day’s rather incredible heat leading the way. You also have Gunther/Balor/Priest for the title, which has potential, and everything with Punk/Rollins and McIntyre/Zayn. Raw is rolling right now and I want to see where they go, which is the best thing that can be said about a wrestling show. If their half of Saturday Night’s Main Event can live up to the hype, we could be in for a heck of a start to the Road To Wrestlemania and that is great to see.

Results
Final Testament/Miz b. Wyatt Sicks – Final Prayer to Howdy
Liv Morgan b. Dakota Kai – Oblivion
Lyra Valkyria b. Zelina Vega and Ivy Nile – Nightwing to Nile
Rhea Ripley b. Raquel Rodriguez – Riptide through a table

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

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Monday Night Raw
Date: November 25, 2024
Location: Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale, Arizona
Commentators: Wade Barrett, Joe Tessitore

We are less than a week away from Survivor Series and as of now, we have three matches officially set for the show. That means we are probably going to need some new matches announced, but World Heavyweight Champion Gunther defending against Damian Priest will likely get some attention of its own. Let’s get to it.

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

We get a quick preview of the night.

Here is Gunther for an in-ring chat. After a look back at Damian Priest taking him out backstage last week, Gunther is asked about Priest’s claims that Gunther’s confidence is slipping lately. Before Gunther can reply, cue Priest to interrupt, saying it’s time for Gunther to brag about how he can do anything. Priest says that he is Gunther’s problem and now the problem is taking the title. What happens to the Ring General when he loses to a street guy?

Gunther hits him with the microphone and the fight is on, but they go outside where Priest takes over. The Razor’s Edge sends Gunther through the announcers’ table as Gunther is taken out again. They’re making Priest look like a threat to Gunther and that’s how the buildup needs to go.

Jade Cargill is officially out of WarGames due to her injuries.

Bianca Belair and Naomi aren’t sure who can replace Cargill. Iyo Sky suggests Kairi Sane but the two of them want Bayley. Rhea Ripley comes in to say she doesn’t care, as long as they stay away from Liv Morgan. Belair isn’t impressed with the “leadership” on Team Ripley.

LWO vs. American Made

Tornado tag. Mysterio gets knocked down to start so the Creeds can take over on Lee in the corner. Back up and Mysterio helps take Julius out so a springboard moonsault can get two on Brutus. Lee and Brutus go to the corner, with Julius running the corner to superplex Lee back down. Mysterio’s attempt at a 619 is cut off with a clothesline and we take an early break.

Back with Julius running Mysterio over again and hitting a 450 for two with Lee making the save. Operation Dragon gets two with Brutus making a save of his own. A double superplex is loaded up but Mysterio cuts it off with a 619 to the legs, setting up a double top rope double stomp from Lee. The referee almost gets crushed in the corner but here is Chad Gable to twist Mysterio’s mask around. Julius grabs a rollup for the pin at 10:46.

Rating: C+. They were smart to have the match be all action as it plays to the LWO’s strengths, though this feud hasn’t played to many strengths at all. It’s just kind of been there over the last few weeks and that isn’t making me want to see them stay at it. The ending at least gives the Creeds a win for a change, but it’s only going to get them so far.

We look at the social media impact of CM Punk and Paul Heyman returning on Smackdown.

R-Truth comes in to the Judgment Day’s clubhouse and says they’re not a family anymore. Finn Balor throws him out, but R-Truth says Thanksgiving is off (that was funny). With R-Truth gone, Balor rants about the team’s recent issues but they can turn it around. They don’t have any leaders, but if they listen to him, it will be ok.

Bron Breakker vs. Ludwig Kaiser

Non-title. Breakker powers him into the corner and then runs Kaiser over with the clothesline. The big run around the ring to set up the spear only hitting the announcers’ table though and we take a break. Back with Kaiser working on the banged up ribs with a seated abdominal stretch. Breakker fights out and hits a powerslam into the super Frankensteiner. The spear is cut off with a kick to the face though…and here is Sheamus to jump Kaiser for the DQ at 8:52.

Rating: C+. Yeah that was the most logical way to go here and you can probably pencil in a triple threat for the Intercontinental Title sooner than later. While I would rather have the title match be one on one, there is at least a story here and all three have a reason to want the match. As for this one, Kaiser continues to look good when he is given the chance, as he is better than the average lackey. Breakker on the other hand is an athletic freak, with the explosiveness on that spear looking great.

Post match Breakker and Sheamus have to be held apart.

Post break, all three have to be held apart. The triple threat for the title is confirmed for Survivor Series.

Long recap of Paul Heyman bringing back CM Punk to be the final member of Team Reigns at Survivor Series.

Sami Zayn and the Usos are in the back and they think they can trust Punk, who will sit down with Roman Reigns on Smackdown.

Tag Team Titles: War Raiders vs. Judgment Day

The Raiders are challenging and Erik runs the Judgment Day early without much trouble. The champs get knocked down again and we take an early break. Back with Balor working on Ivar’s neck with a front facelock as Ivar is rather energetic on the apron. McDonagh comes in with a slingshot moonsault and it’s back to Balor for the stomping.

A missed charge allows the tag off to Ivar though and house is quickly cleaned. The spinning kick drops McDonagh but here is the rest o Judgment Day for a distraction. The War Machine connects but Dominik Mysterio puts the foot on the rope. Balor grabs a rollup to retain the titles at 9:52.

Rating: C+. Pretty standard tag match here though it was nice to see the champions actually defending the belts for a change. They almost never do that, which commentary pointed out. At the same time, the Raiders already lose their big shot, but at least they had some nice wins on the way here. They should be fine with that kind of power offense.

We look at New Day’s ten years together.

New Day is ready to get back to where they need to be.

New Day vs. Alpha Academy

New Day can’t even agree on who should start and it’s Woods being knocked into the corner for the Caterpillar. The top rope backsplash gives Tozawa the pin on Woods at 1:46. The team is hitting rock bottom and that’s what needs to happen.

Post match, arguing ensues and Kofi talks about how he’s done everything for Woods. That’s why Woods didn’t get to call the shots: he’s too reckless. Woods takes credit for Kofi becoming World Champion but Kofi says the reason Woods has never won the World Title is he isn’t good enough. They’re about to fight but agree to see each other at the reunion next week. Dang it’s weird to see these guys doing this and dang I’m not sure what’s going to happen at that reunion.

Miz sends the Final Testament off to find the Wyatt Sicks. They all leave, and Nikki Cross pops up to scare Scarlett.

Post break the Final Testament and Miz are back, with Scarlett freaking out. Karrion Kross will deal with it.

Before the show started, General Manager Adam Pearce announced the Women’s Intercontinental Title, with a tournament starting up next week.

Survivor Series rundown, with LA Knight defending the US Title against Shinsuke Nakamura also added.

Nia Jax is ready to squash Bianca Belair.

The Bloodline is impressed by Roman Reigns scoring CM Punk, but that’s the last one they’re getting. On Smackdown, Jacob Fatu will smash Jey Uso to get the WarGames advantage.

Nia Jax vs. Bianca Belair

Non-title WarGames advantage match. Jax starts fast and hits a running splash in the corner to take over. Belair fights up and flips over her though, setting up a dropkick out to the floor. Jax sends her into the barricade though and we take a break. Back with Jax missing a sitdown splash in the corner and missing a charge into the past. A legdrop works a good bit better though and a middle rope version gets two.

The Annihilator is broken up so Jax heads to the top, where Belair gorilla presses her own (geez). A Samoan drop sets up another failed Annihilator attempt (with a turnbuckle pad being exposed somewhere in there) so they head outside. Jax drops her onto the announcers’ table and opts for the countout but cue Bayley to send Jax into the exposed buckle. Belair adds a 450 for the win at 11:08.

Rating: B-. Jax’s dominance was on display here and it made for a solid enough main event. The Bayley part at the end is interesting, as it makes me wonder if she might have had something to do with Cargill being attacked in the first place. The assist also protects Jax from taking a clean fall so this was well put together all around.

Overall Rating: B-. None of the matches were worth going out of your way to see here, but what mattered the most was having Survivor Series get a big push. The women’s WarGames has its advantage, Gunther vs. Priest got a nice boost and two more title matches were set. That’s an efficient two hours and the show is looking better as a result, Solid work here and Survivor Series has some potential.

Results
American Made b. LWO – Rollup to Mysterio
Ludwig Kaiser b. Bron Breakker via DQ when Sheamus interfered
Judgment Day b. War Raiders – Rollup to Ivar
Alpha Academy b. New Day – Top rope backsplash to Woods
Bianca Belair b. Nia Jax – 450

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

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

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

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

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

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

LWO vs. American Made

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Intercontinental Title: Sheamus vs. Bron Breakker

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

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

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

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

Post match Kaiser lays both of them out again.

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

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

The women’s WarGames match is official.

Judgment Day vs. War Raiders

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

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

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

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

Video on Lyra Valkyria.

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

Seth Rollins vs. Bronson Reed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 28, 2024
Location: Giant Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sheamus vs. Ludwig Kaiser

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

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

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

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

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

Zelina Vega vs. Ivy Nile

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

Jimmy Uso is ok with Sami Zayn not being family.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Seth Rollins is off getting medical treatment at a facility.

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

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

Damian Priest vs. Dominik Mysterio

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

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

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

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

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

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

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: 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: August 19, 2024
Location: FLA Live Arena, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Commentators: Pat McAfee, Michael Cole

We’re on the way to Bash In Berlin and that should make for a big show this week. There is a good chance that we will be getting more from Gunther vs. Randy Orton, which is set for the pay per view World Title match. Other than that, Bron Breakker is going to need a new challenger for the Intercontinental Title. Let’s get to it.

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

Here is Randy Orton to get things going. He hasn’t opened the show in awhile but the next time he does, he will be a fifteen time World Champion. That’s after he drops Gunther with an RKO in Berlin, so here is Gunther to interrupt, telling these Florida rednecks to shut up. He isn’t sure what Orton is celebrating but gets annoyed at the USA chants.

Orton is never going to RKO him again, so Gunther will just have to leave Orton a bloody mess. Gunther will reveal him as a one trick pony, which has Orton saying it’s going to be a long flight after losing the title. Cue Ludwig Kaiser to jump Orton (who comes up holding his arm despite being chop blocked) and the beatdown is on.

We look at Pete Dunne attacking Sheamus last week.

Sheamus is ready to beat Dunne up, despite having a bad hand thanks to Dunne.

Sheamus vs. Pete Dunne

Sheamus has a bad hand/wrist coming in. The Brogue Kick misses early and Sheamus hits a clothesline, only to get hit in the face a few times. An Alabama Slam puts Dunne back down but he comes right back with a DDT. Sheamus is fine enough to knock him off the apron and into the announcers’ table but stops to say something to McAfee, allowing McAfee to stomp the bad hand on the steps.

We take a break and come back with Dunne slapping Sheamus in the face, which has Sheamus calling him a b****. Dunne hammers away, only to get clotheslined in the corner. A powerslam plants Dunne but he’s right back with his own ten forearms. You do not do that to Sheamus, who is right back with the real forearms.

The Brogue Kick is cut off by an enziguri but Sheamus knees a moonsault out of the air (possibly low) for two. A super White Noise is loaded up, only for Dunne to reverse into a sitout powerbomb to leave both of them down. Dunne gets creative and ties the hand in the turnbuckle for a running kick, only to have Sheamus rip the turnbuckle off. The Brogue Kick finishes Dunne at 11:23.

Rating: B-. As usual, you can tell how much Sheamus is doing in a match based on how sweaty his hair gets and he was hitting the higher levels this week. The ending was a bit different but I can go with cool power displays before kicking someone in the face. Maybe not someone in a #1 contenders match for the NXT Title tomorrow night, but that’s a bit beside the point.

Kofi Kingston asks Xavier Woods if everything has been ok for the last few weeks. Woods says he’s ok about the Karrion Kross stuff but does wish that Kingston talked to him more about bringing Odyssey Jones in. Woods says it feels like Kofi is trying to replace Big E. but Kingston apologizes and says he was hoping to bring Jones in just like was done to them back in the day. Woods can go with that and seems a bit better with the whole thing.

Video on Bron Breakker.

We look back at Ivy Nile turning on Maxxine Dupri last week.

Chad Gable welcomes Nile to the team and says they’re still coming for the Wyatt Sicks.

Maxxine Dupri vs. Ivy Nile

Chad Gable, American Made and the Alpha Academy are here too. Dupri jumps her from behind to start and they head outside, where Nile throws Dupri over the announcers’ table. Back in and…we’ve got Wyatts, with Nile looking scared by the smoke. Gable and American Made get in the ring for the brawl as we’ll say the match is thrown out at about 1:30. American Made is laid out and Gable gets hit with Sister Abigail.

Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley still want to destroy the Judgment Day.

Here is CM Punk, with a leather strap around his neck, for a chat. After praising the Florida Panthers for winning the Stanley Cup, Punk talks about being asked about the hot streak WWE has been on for months. Punk credits the fans, a lot of whom he met at Fanatics Fest over the weekend. The first fan he met was a girl who beat cancer and said Punk was an inspiration while she was fighting. Then a fan from Taiwan said she had flown fifteen hours to meet him. He hasn’t stood in this ring in Florida in a very long time and fans like these drive him.

We pause for the CM PUNK chants before he pulls out a handful of bracelets that fans have made for him. Punk says they might be a Taylor Swift thing, but he’s Taylor Swift for men. We’ve covered the love, so now let’s move on to the hatred, like the kind he has with Drew McIntyre. Punk has a bracelet for McIntyre in the form of this strap, and if McIntyre agrees, they’re in for a strap match at Bash In Berlin.

That’s what Punk wants so he can hurt McIntyre, who comes out to respond. McIntyre asks if Punk has started drinking, because Punk should know what McIntyre is like in this kind of a match. The match is on but McIntyre wants to fight right now, if Punk drops the strap. Punk will do it in exchange for the bracelet (which I believe he said he didn’t care about last week). McIntyre says no, but Punk says McIntyre will be attached to him in Berlin. This was missing a certain spark and while the strap match is fine, they lost me around the bracelet for the strap line. Not the best work from either of them here but the match is made.

Dominik Mysterio wants Damian Priest tonight, one on one. He’ll even leave Liv Morgan in the back.

Final Testament vs. New Day/Odyssey Jones

Scarlett and Paul Ellering are here too. Kingston sends Kross into the corner for some running clotheslines to start but Scarlett offers a distraction. Akam comes in for a Death Valley Driver into the corner and we take a break. Back with Kingston still in trouble, only to fight out of the corner. The hot tag brings in Jones and Woods is almost incensed. Jones cleans house but gets taken down by Kross. Kingston hits Trouble In Paradise and Kingston adds the Limit Breaker, leaving Jones to hit the Boss Man Slam to finish Rezar at 7:55.

Rating: C+. The action got better at the end, but this is all about that look of shock from Woods. I won’t believe it until I see it, but they might actually be splitting New Day up. That’s hard to fathom, as they’ve been together or so long that you can’t imagine them arguing. Woods is being a bit unreasonable, but that’s kind of the point of any heel turn. Assuming they actually pull the trigger, which I almost can’t believe is possible.

Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley are ready for more violence.

Afa tribute video.

Miz is ready to fight Bronson Reed to stand up for one of his few friends in R-Truth. He isn’t sure if he wants to do this, but he has to. That’s one of the best Miz promos ever, mainly because he sounded like a normal person for once.

Miz vs. Bronson Reed

No DQ. Miz hammers away to start and manages to drop the monster, meaning it’s time for the weapons. That’s broken up with Reed snapping the kendo stick and stepping on Miz’s head as we take a break. Back with Miz hitting a tornado DDT onto a chair but Reed is right back up. Reed’s Death Valley Driver is escaped but he’s right back with a clothesline to cut Miz off. The Death Valley Driver sends Miz through the able and the Tsunami finishes at 8:11.

Rating: C. It’s weird that a match that didn’t even break ten minutes probably went about as long as it should have. Miz was fighting for a purpose and is a crafty wrestler, but at the end of the day, he’s up against a monster here and there wasn’t much he could do about it. That’s how to make Reed a force and it worked well here.

Post match Reed loads up another Tsunami but Braun Strowman returns for the staredown. See, that’s a logical way to go as Strowman is a perfect choice to be fed to Reed here.

Ludwig Kaiser mocks Sheamus, who is ready to see Kaiser take an RKO.

Bron Breakker, who went to a highly educated university, is ready for a tournament next week to crown a new #1 contender to the Intercontinental Title. It’s not his fault that he’s a genetic freak but he’s going to spear the winner through the floor.

Damian Priest vs. Dominik Mysterio

Hold on though as here is Judgment Day to go after Priest before the bell. Priest clears the ring and it’s Rhea Ripley in behind Dominik. Priest is in as well and it’s a headbutt from Ripley into the right hand from Priest. The announcers’ table is loaded up but Liv Morgan runs in with a chair to break up Riptide. The rest of Judgment Day is up to beat on Priest and Ripley gets posted over and over. The Coup de grace and Oblivion set up Dominik’s frog splash as the villains get to stand tall. No match.

Post break, Judgment Day says that’s just a preview of what happens at Bash In Berlin. Liv Morgan promises to make Rhea Ripley her b****.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Isla Dawn/Alba Fyre vs. Pure Fusion Collective vs. Damage CTRL

Dawn and Fyre are defending. The brawl is on before the bell, with the referee just kind of standing around waiting for the wrestlers to calm down. Damage CTRL clears the ring to start and hit a pair of dives (with Sky being bounced onto the top into a flip, which might not have been a botch but she made it work) as we take an early break.

Back with Sane hitting a DDT, allowing her to awkwardly pause in front of Sky until Baszler can be kicked away, allowing the real tag. Sky gets to clean house, including the running knees in the corner, with Sane tagging herself back in for a double superplex to Fyre. Baszler is back in and strikes away on Sane, who drops Baszler anyway. Dawn tags herself back in though as Sane hits the Insane Elbow. That means a Backstabber into a Swanton from Dawn can retain the titles at 9:23.

Rating: C. They’re trying with Dawn and Fyre but it still feels like they’re afterthoughts despite being champions for a few months now. The titles just do not seem that important and almost nothing that has been done in their history has changed that. I like that there are a few teams going for the belts, but dang nothing is really making them feel big and that’s a long term problem.

Jey Uso says Sami Zayn is taking some time off to clear his head. If Zayn can’t be champion, Jey can be, so he’s in the tournament for the Intercontinental Title shot. Good choice.

Michael Cole announces that Pat McAfee is leaving for college football season and we look at some McAfee highlights from the year. He’ll be back in January.

Randy Orton vs. Ludwig Kaiser

Orton shoulders him down to start and hammers away, setting up a heck of a fall away slam. They head outside to load up the announcers’ table but cue Gunther for a distraction. Kaiser goes after the knee (which he attacked earlier in the night) and drops Orton onto the table as we take a break.

Back with Kaiser staying on the knee until Orton kicks him out to the floor. Now the suplex drop can send Kaiser onto the table…and then does it four more times. Back in and Kaiser blocks the hanging DDT but gets superplexed down. Now the hanging DDT can connect and, after Kaiser gets a rollup for two, the RKO finishes at 14:27.

Rating: C+. This is booking 101, as Orton shrugs off trouble and beats the lackey clean to set him up for next weekend’s title match. That’s all it needed to be and they made it work here. Orton isn’t someone who needs to be reheated for very long as the RKO is one of the most over finishers ever. Throw in Kaiser getting a bit of a boost in status in recent weeks and this helped even more.

Gunther and Orton brawl to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show was missing a little something and there is a good chance that it was due to the Democratic National Convention. It felt like they were doing a show where they knew it wouldn’t draw a lot of attention, which isn’t the worst idea. The strap match being announced was the biggest thing and that was all but guaranteed last week. Bash In Berlin is mostly set anyway and this show, while not exactly must see, was far from bad. Not a show you needed to see, but there were worse ways to spend an evening.

Results
Sheamus b. Pete Dunne – Brogue Kick
Maxxine Dupri vs. Ivy Nile went to a no contest when the Wyatt Sicks interfered
New Day/Odyssey Jones b. Final Testament – Boss Man Slam to Rezar
Bronson Reed b. Miz – Tsunami
Isla Dawn/Alba Fyre b. Pure Fusion Collective and Damage CTRL – Swanton to Baszler
Randy Orton b. Ludwig Kaiser – RKO

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: August 12, 2024
Location: Moody Center, Austin, Texas
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee

We are less than three weeks away from Bash In Berlin and the main event seems to have been set as Gunther will be defending the Raw World Title against Randy Orton. Other than that, there is a good chance we are on the way to a mixed tag between Damian Priest/Rhea Ripley vs. Dominik Mysterio/Liv Morgan. Odds are we see more of both of those feuds this -week so let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of the Judgment Day splitting, with Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest seemingly being ready to destroy the new version of the team.

Here is Ripley to get things going. She has gone through every feeling imaginable since Summerslam but now she is just mad. Dominik stabbed her in the back, but in something he’s probably heard before, it just wasn’t deep enough (McAfee: “GEEZ!”). As for Liv, she’s run away with the title but you can’t run far enough. Dominik and Liv pop up in the crowd, with Liv saying Dominik has something to get off his chest.

Dominik talks about how he is a man and deserves to be treated like one. Now he has a woman who calls him daddy and lets him eat tendies and play video games whenever he wants, but she also finally helped him beat his dad. Ripley says she’s proud of Dominik because seeing him grow up is one of her greatest accomplishments. She wanted to see Dominik beat Rey Mysterio on his own but now he’s made the wrong decision. It’s just the last decision he’s ever going to make. Liv says Dominik is all his and she took Rhea’s family away, along with her title. Ripley: “Are you done?”

Ripley says Liv made the mistake of leaving her standing and it’s a good thing Liv loves to talk so much, because now we know where she is. Damian Priest pops up behind them and brawls with Dominik into the concourse. Ripley charges after them and goes after Liv, with the guys going down to ringside. Cue Carlito (with one shoe on) for the save, allowing Dominik to escape. This was laying everything out and odds are the mixed tag is coming.

Damian Priest vs. Carlito

Carlito is still in one shoe and this was scheduled for later tonight. Priest faceplants him to start but it’s too early for the Razor’s Edge. A DDT gives Carlito two and a suplex puts Priest down again as we take a break. Back with Carlito hitting a swinging neckbreaker for two but Priest snaps off a spinwheel kick. The Broken Arrow sends Carlito flying and South Of Heaven finishes him off at 9:19.

Rating: C+. Carlito got in some shots here but Priest gets the win that he should be getting on the way to whatever is waiting on him in Berlin. Priest has become one of the biggest stars on the show and having him march through Judgment Day to get to Finn Balor is a fine way to go. Carlito might not be a huge star but he’s good enough to make Priest look like ore of a star on the way there.

Post match Judgment Day runs in for the beatdown but Rhea Ripley makes the save and takes out JD McDonagh. For some reason Dominik Mysterio comes after Ripley but Liv Morgan has to save him from Riptide.

Ivy Nile tells Maxxine Dupri to be careful tonight and maybe not be at ringside. Dupri is going to be there with her friends.

Bo Dallas talks about how everything came full circle last week when the Wyatt Sicks had their in-ring debut where the Wyatt Family made their debut eleven years ago. Bray Wyatt was there and now something big is going to happen. Dallas keeps saying “my life for you”.

Kofi Kingston is fired up for Odyssey Jones’ debut but Xavier Woods isn’t quite as enthusiastic.

Odyssey Jones vs. Vincent Winey

Jones throws him around to start, shrugs off some forearms, and grabs a swinging Boss Man Slam for the pin at 1:35.

Post match the Final Testament comes out and Karrion Kross says that while the obvious suggestion would be Odyssey Jones is replacing Big E., but the reality is Kofi Kingston is using Jones to replace Xavier Woods. That has Woods issuing the challenge for a tag match but Kofi says we should make it a six man (Woods again doesn’t look sure) and it seems to be on.

Drew McIntyre comes in to see Adam Pearce and asks why Randy Orton is getting the World Title shot. Don’t worry though because McIntyre will take care of things and stay on his best behavior.

Chad Gable is still in Paris and says he’s not done with the Wyatt Sicks.

Alpha Academy vs. Creed Brothers

Texas Tornado rules with Maxxine Dupri here with the Academy. The Creeds start fast and take Tozawa to the floor, leaving Otis to be whipped hard into the corner. Otis shoves his way out of said corner and Tozawa hits a big dive off the top. Tozawa gets launched over the top onto the Creeds and we take a break. Back with Tozawa being powerbombed into the barricade for two as Otis is still down on the floor. Tozawa’s double DDT puts the Creeds down as Otis is back up.

The Caterpillar hits Brutus for two as Cole calls Otis a “heavy machinery” type competitor. Julius knees Otis down and Brutus hits a standing moonsault into Julius’ shooting star for two. A superbomb is countered into a hurricanrana and Tozawa’s suicide dive….gets caught in the ropes and barely makes any contact whatsoever. Julius electric chairs Otis, who superplexes Brutus, allowing Tozawa to hit a top rope backsplash for the big knockdown. Cue Ivy Nile to jump Dupri, with the distraction letting the Creeds roll Tozawa up for the pin at 11:59.

Rating: B. This was a lot better than I was expecting and allowed Tozawa to showcase himself in the ring a lot more than usual. That’s a good thing to see as the team has long since been the Otis/Chad Gable show and Tozawa adds a different side to the whole thing. The ending is good as well, as there was little reason to keep Dupri and Nile on the same page given everything else that was going on.

Earlier today, Pete Dunne was in the mostly empty arena and says Sheamus was under his wing, not the other way around. Sheamus went on a great run with Dunne in his corner, while Dunne just had a stupid name. So what happened to the Brawling Brutes while Sheamus became a bigger star? Dunne never wants to hear the name “Butch” again because he is an eighteen year veteran and the Bruiserweight.

We look at Bronson Reed wrecking Seth Rollins last week, complete with breakdowns of the physics involved.

Reed tells Adam Pearce to give him an opponent tonight or he’ll find a new victim.

Damage CTRL is ready to win the Women’s Tag Team Titles back.

Sonya Deville and company seems to imply that their collection name is the “Pure Fusion Collective” and they want the titles as well. If that’s their name….my goodness just release them already.

Candice Michelle is here.

Damage CTRL vs. Pure Fusion Collective

For a future shot at Alba Fyre/Isla Dawn (at ringside). Sky strikes away at Baszler to start and a double dropkick puts her down again. Sane adds her sliding clothesline in the corner but Baszler is back with a backbreaker for a breather. Stark comes in and the champs aren’t impressed as we take a break. Back with Sky coming in to clean house, including the running knees to Stark in the corner. A butterfly backbreaker looks to set up Over The Moonsault but Sonya Deville offers a distraction. Sky accidentally superkicks Dawn, which is enough to draw Dawn in for the DQ (by hitting Sky) at 9:22.

Rating: C+. The action was good, but there were two things here. First and foremost is the name, which even commentary was mocking because not only is it a really dumb name that no one would give themselves, but it’s hard to remember because NO ONE TALKS LIKE THIS. Second is the ending, which is going to be a no contest to set up a triple threat, even though that’s just not what happened but they’ll do it anyway because having Dawn and Fyre jump one member of each team at the same time was too much to ask.

Post match the champs lay out both teams. Cole makes it clear that we have no #1 contenders, which is nonsense as Dawn only hit Sky, meaning it should be a DQ with Damage CTRL winning, but for some reason that’s not what we’re getting.

Miz is upset when R-Truth comes in. R-Truth asks about various bad things that have been happening to Miz as of late, but he’s gotten Miz an Intercontinental Title match with Bron tonight. Miz: “Doesn’t he have a match with Sami Zayn?” Truth points him to the graphic….and it’s Miz against Bronson Reed. Truth: “Isn’t that the guy who killed Seth Rollins last week?” Randy Orton comes in and asks if Reed is the guy who killed Seth Rollins last week. Orton fires Miz up….but realizes he has no chance.

Randy Orton threw out the first pitch at a St. Louis Cardinals game.

Here is Orton for a chat. He talks about winning the World Title for the first time twenty two years ago and promises to win it for the fifteenth time at Bash In Berlin…and cue Gunther to interrupt. Orton says he’s coming to win the title but Gunther says Orton wastes his potential. There isn’t room for that kind of person in Gunther’s era, but Orton says he has owned up to his mistakes over the years.

Orton is a legend with five kids and a hot wife at home before he becomes a fifteen time World Champion, so he has done pretty good for himself. Gunther calls Orton predictable and says all three generations of his family have been screwups. Cue Drew McIntyre to interrupt….and the distraction lets Orton hit the RKO. Cue CM Punk to jump McIntyre, even beating him with his own belt, sending McIntyre running. A strap match between those two has potential.

Sheamus is interested in mysteries but the biggest of them all is how Pete Dunne’s failures are his fault. Ludwig Kaiser comes in to say it’s not over between them…and here is Dunne to jump Sheamus with a shillelagh, including a shot to his exposed hand.

CM Punk, who was said to not have been here due to travel issues, says he was lying to lure Drew McIntyre in. Punk can keep the bracelet but keep his wife and dog’s name out of McIntyre’s mouth. Punk mentions being attached to McIntyre and says the belt he’s holding gives him an idea.

Mark Henry and his son are here.

Miz vs. Bronson Reed

R-Truth is here with Miz. Reed charges into a boot to start but runs him over without much trouble. Miz is sent outside and dropped with a running shoulder off the apron as we take a break. Back with Miz fighting back and managing a tornado DDT for one. Reed isn’t having that and hits a Death Valley Driver, setting up the Tsunami for the pin at 6:39.

Rating: C. They didn’t have much time here due to the break that Reed shouldn’t be in long matches right now anyway. The point is to get Reed over as a monster and having him make short work of an established name is going to do just that. At the same time, Miz and R-Truth’s issues intensify as R-Truth got him into this mess in the first place. Not a particularly good match, but rather nice storytelling.

Post match Reed tries another Tsunami but R-Truth gets in his way, earning himself a high crossbody. Reed hits a pair of Tsunamis on R-Truth (Cole: “TRUTH IS A D*** NATIONAL TREASURE!”) and then adds two more until Adam Pearce and security cut Reed off. That just causes Reed to go to another corner to hit a fifth Tsunami, even with Pearce yelling at him. Then Reed goes back to hit a sixth Tsunami.

Jey Uso fires Sami Zayn up before his Intercontinental Title match. Then they’re getting the Tag Team Titles.

Rhea Ripley/Damian Priest vs. Liv Morgan/Dominik Mysterio is set for Bash In Berlin. Makes sense.

Video on the new Judgment Day.

Bron Breakker says he’s going to do bada** things.

Intercontinental Title: Bron Breakker vs. Sami Zayn

Breakker is defending and this is 2/3 falls. Zayn starts fast and knocks him outside, setting up the big running flip dive as we take an early break. Back with Breakker hitting his Rick Steiner style powerslam for two but Zayn walks the corner for a tornado DDT. Breakker hits some running corner clotheslines but Zayn is right back with the Helluva Kick for the first fall at 6:55.

They had outside with Breakker catching a moonsaulting Zayn and powerslamming him over the barricade. We take a break and come back with Breakker running the corner for a super Frankensteiner, setting up the gorilla press powerslam. A pair of spears gives Breakker the second fall at 12:34 total.

Breakker goes with a rather lackadaisical cover and gets rolled up for two, meaning it’s time to send Zayn outside again. Zayn gets sat on the announcers’ table for a huge clothesline from the apron for a nine count. Back in and Zayn manages a sunset bomb for two but has to avoid a spear. Breakker hits a jumping knee but Zayn hits a running boot for two. Zayn goes up again, only to dive into a spear to give Breakker the win at 17:33 overall.

Rating: B+. This was a hard hitting match but it was also a heck of a story with Zayn trying to outsmart Breakker and having to take chances. The big chance at the end is what cost him the match as Breakker was too strong and powerful for the underdog style to overcome. That’s what they’ve been doing for their matches so far and the idea of Breakker getting smarter is a scary proposition. Awesome match here.

Overall Rating: B. The more I watch Raw, and almost any other WWE programming at the moment, the more of a flow they seem to be in. This show had the same vibe as a classic NXT, where not only did they have stuff they needed to do but they made it feel important. It would have been the Creeds vs. the Alpha Academy or the #1 contenders match for the Women’s Tag Team Titles or the main event, but the show made it feel like it mattered. That is such a huge boost for any show and it was on full display here. Rather good show and the three hours flew by.

Sidenote: the graphics that WWE has been putting up during its shows are outstanding features. Stuff like “here’s a recap of what you’ve missed tonight” and “these are your announcers” and “these are the people involved with their names and faces in case you’re not familiar.” It’s so simple and helps catch new fans up really fast while not being a distraction. I love that kind of stuff and it makes the show feel so much more polished and fan friendly.

Results
Damian Priest b. Carlito – South Of Heaven
Odyssey Jones b. Vincent Winey – Swinging Boss Man Slam
Creed Brothers b. Alpha Academy – Rollup to Tozawa
Damage CTRL vs. Pure Fusion Collective went to a no contest when Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn interfered
Bronson Reed b. Miz – Tsunami
Bron Breakker b. Sami Zayn 2-1

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: August 5, 2024
Location: CFG Bank Arena, Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee

We’re done with Summerslam and quite a few things have happened. First and foremost, Gunther is the new World Heavyweight Champion, having defeated Damian Priest to win the title. The match saw Finn Balor turn on Priest, continuing a rather bad night for Judgment Day. Earlier in the night, Dominik Mysterio left Rhea Ripley for Liv Morgan, which means punishment is likely. Let’s get to it.

Here is Summerslam if you need a recap.

We open with a Summerslam recap.

Here is Ludwig Kaiser to introduce Gunther as the new World Heavyweight Champion (and rocking a suit). Gunther lists off his resume and says this title and company have deserved more for a long time. He is above everyone in this ring and nothing can catch him off guard because he is greatness personified. From this day forward, Raw and the greatness of this legacy belong to him….and here is Randy Orton to interrupt. Gunther: “That caught me off guard.”

Orton thinks the title looks good on Gunther’s shoulder but Orton is the reason he has that title. Did Gunther really beat him at King Of The Ring? The referee’s decision is final but there needs to be a part two. Orton is here to call that match in. Gunther considers himself a living legend but Orton has made a career out of killing legends. Gunther talks about how the voices in Orton’s head are wrong, but he accepts. The mic is dropped and Gunther says nothing, including the RKO, catches him off guard. Orton says he wants Gunther to see it coming. That’s a fine way to go for a first title defense for Gunther.

Sheamus is ready to face Ludwig Kaiser, who is the latest young guy coming after him. Bring them all on, including Pete Dunne.

Sheamus vs. Ludwig Kaiser

They go straight to the brawl on the floor before the bell before Kaiser slaps him in the face in the corner. The exchange of chops goes to Sheamus but Kaiser goes to the knee to take him down. The Regal Roll, to Kaiser’s bad ribs, sends Kaiser outside and we pause for a breather, which is a ruse to send Sheamus ribs first into the steps. A running dropkick sends Sheamus into the steps again but he manages to beat the count back in.

Sheamus’ knee is tied up in the ropes so Kaiser can crank away before stopping to pose. For some reason Kaiser thinks it’s a good idea to do the ten forearms, which just makes Sheamus knock him backwards. More chops just wake Sheamus up and they slug it out until Sheamus hits some running ax handles.

The Irish Curse sets up White Noise for two and we hit the cloverleaf, sending Kaiser over to the ropes. The ten forearms are broken up with a clothesline and they’re both down. Sheamus wins a slugout though and NOW the ten forearms can knock Kaiser silly. Cue Pete Dunne for a distraction but Sheamus knees him out of the way. The distraction lets Kaiser hit a jumping enziguri for two, only for Sheamus to come back with a Brogue Kick for the pin at 11:19.

Rating: B-. You can tell how good a Sheamus match is going to be based on how low down his hair is pushed by all of the sweat. They were having a good one here with Kaiser being able to hang in there against a bigger name in Sheamus. I liked them avoiding the cliched distraction into the ending, with Sheamus getting a win to boost him back up a bit.

We look at the original Wyatt Family debuting in this building eleven years ago. The path of distraction ensued and now, in the same building, the Wyatt Sicks are having their in-ring debut.

Another look at Summerslam.

Here is Damian Priest, who wastes no time in calling out Finn Balor for a beating. He has been on his own for most of his life and the Judgment Day was his family. Now these people are his family and losing made him feel like he disappointed them. Balor pops up on screen, saying that Priest betrayed the team. There wasn’t supposed to be a leader but then Priest won the title.

A year ago, Balor lost at Summerslam and Priest told him to man up. Balor did that at Summerslam and now he isn’t going to fight a loser from the streets. He’ll wait until Priest has almost forgotten about him and then Balor will pop up and stab him in the back again and again. The camera pulls back to reveal JD McDonagh, Carlito and Dominik Mysterio/Liv Morgan. Priest storms up the aisle to go stable hunting.

We look at Pat McAfee and Michael Cole failing at the HHH water spit at the Judgment Day press event.

Bronson Reed comes in to see Adam Pearce, saying he should have a match tonight because he beat Sheamus last week. He’ll figure it out himself.

Lyra Valkyria vs. Shayna Baszler

Sonya Deville and Zoey Stark are here with Baszler. Valkyria gets her arm cranked to start as Cole talks about Baszler’s love of…cooking soup? Baszler lifts her up by the arm but Valkyria fights back with a gutwrench powerbomb. Deville gets knocked off the apron and the Nightwing connects, only for Stark to come in for the DQ at 2:38.

Post match the beatdown is on but Damage CTRL runs in to clear the villains out.

The Final Testament is ready to end the New Day tonight and it’s all Xavier Woods’ fault for not taking the team up on their offers.

Ivy Nile talks to the Creed Brothers but Maxxine Dupri interrupts them, saying the Creeds attacked Otis and Akira Tozawa. Nile tries to calm things down, but Chad Gable comes in to make Nile leave.

Here is an upset looking CM Punk for a chat. Punk congratulates his friend on winning the UFC Welterweight Title and yes he lost on Saturday, but he is still happy. He hasn’t been here in ten years but ten thousand people are still cheering for him. Summerslam was not a guarantee and neither was tonight but people don’t like him because he won’t stay down. He was told he would be out of action for nine months and he’s back in five.

His road to Wrestlemania started on Summerslam and it’s still summer, so these people deserve to see him fighting. Punk calls out Drew McIntyre but gets Seth Rollins instead. Rollins says they’re both in a good mood because it is finally time for him to put Punk in the dirt. The fight is almost on but cue McIntyre in the crowd. What is with all of the negativity around here? McIntyre is going to talk about Punk’s favorite topic: CM Punk! McIntyre is the new best in the world and he still has the bracelet, which sends Punk chasing McIntyre through the crowd.

Cue Bronson Reed to jump Rollins and take him out in a twist I didn’t see coming. The Tsunami crushes Rollins and Reed does it again for a bonus. Referees come out to break it up but Reed hits a third, fourth, fifth and even sixth Tsunami as Cole is going ballistic on commentary. Rollins is spitting up blood as Reed goes up AGAIN, only for the personnel to get Rollins out. Reed went so far with that that it got awesome as I wanted to see just how far it would go. Why not see what Reed can do in a spot like this?

Post break Punk asks Adam Pearce about McIntyre but Pearce says he saw McIntyre leave the building.

Authors Of Pain vs. New Day

New Day is dressed as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles due to a newly released line of action figures. Kingston can’t do much with Akam to start so he superkicks Rezar, only to walk into a spinebuster. We take a break and come back with Woods getting the tag to clean house. Everything breaks down and Karrion Kross interferes, but Odyssey Jones of all people comes out to wreck Kross and send him over the barricade. Woods small packages Rezar for the pin at 6:56.

Rating: C+. The match wasn’t exactly the point here as they only had a few minutes around the break (which was completely needed in a match that didn’t break seven minutes) but Jones of all people being back for the save is interesting. He hasn’t wrestled on TV in well over a year due to injuries/creative having nothing for him so I was rather shocked to see him. Nice job, and having a powerhouse around is always a good thing.

Post match the Authors beat on Woods but Jones side slams BOTH OF THEM AT THE SAME TIME before dropping Kross again. Kingston is pleased, though Woods isn’t as sure (he does shake Jones’ hand though).

JD McDonagh swears revenge on Damian Priest.

Kofi Kingston thanks Odyssey Jones again and Jones is grateful to be on the team. Xavier Woods still isn’t sure what is going on but apparently Kingston and Jones became friends at the Performance Center and Kingston said New Day needed some help. Woods doesn’t seem completely pleased (to be fair, Kingston just bringing someone in is VERY un-New Day) but the Alpha Academy comes in for dancing anyway, with Woods participating.

A-Town Down Under vs. Awesome Truth

R-Truth takes both of them down to start and it’s a double dropkick (both moves are Rock N Roll Express moves in a call back to Summerslam) to send the villains outside as we take a break. Back with Waller and Theory missing their own double dropkick, allowing the tag back to Miz. House is cleaned, including the alternating YES Kicks. Miz dives onto Theory and hits the basement DDT for two. Truth tags himself in and tries the AA, only swing Waller into Miz by mistake. A Town Down finishes Truth at 7:28.

Rating: C. The match wasn’t much to see as you could tell but the ending does at least set the stage for Awesome Truth’s split. The team doesn’t have much going for it right now anyway so splitting them up and letting them do their own things again isn’t a bad idea. If nothing else, A-Town Down Under needed a win if they’ll be staying together much longer.

Damian Priest says he never wanted JD McDonagh in Judgment Day, because no one but Finn Balor did. Tonight, pain is coming.

Bron Breakker says his name is on the Intercontinental Title and no one can take it from him.

Damian Priest vs. JD McDonagh

Carlito is here with McDonagh, who strikes away to start but gets kicked in the face for his efforts. A faceplant drops McDonagh again but a distraction lets him stomp Priest down in the corner. Priest kicks McDonagh outside and but gets distracted again, allowing McDonagh to get in a posting. McDonagh’s suicide dive connects and we take a break. We come back with McDonagh headbutting him down, setting up a moonsault for two. Priest fights up and strikes away including dropping Carlito…but Finn Balor runs in for the DQ at 9:19.

Rating: C+. This one could have gone either way, as I could have gone for Priest smashing McDonagh here, but having Balor come in for another cheap shot is a good way to go. It feels like we’re in a long form story here before Priest finally gets his hands on Balor and that could be interesting if done right. Priest needs to be a smashing machine in there, but it’s ok to wait a bit before it happens.

Post match the beatdown is on but Priest fights up and is left alone with Balor. Cue Rhea Ripley to chase Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan, with the latter getting caught and posted hard. Dominik saves Morgan from a Razor’s Edge through the table, leaving Ripley to headbutt McDonagh into South Of Heaven. Hot segment here, with Ripley and Priest looking like the coolest pair in a good while.

We look back at Roman Reigns returning at Summerslam.

Sonya Deville and company jump Damage CTRL and take out Dakota Kai’s knee. Please tell me she’s not hurt again.

Post break Deville and company are here to mock Dakota Kai for not being able to wrestle but we have a replacement.

Iyo Sky vs. Sonya Deville

Both of their associates are on the floor. Deville starts fast and misses a basement clothesline as McAfee confuses Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky. The fight heads to the floor, where Sky is sent into the steps as we take a break. Back with Sky fighting out of trouble and getting two off a rollup. A dragon screw legwhip takes Deville down and a missile dropkick gets two. Deville runs her over for two more but Sane is back up as well. Damage CTRL hit big dives off the same corner, setting up Over The Moonsault to finish Deville at 7:12.

Rating: B-. Sky got to showcase herself here, which isn’t surprising as she is still one of the most talented stars in WWE. It was good for her to get a win to slow down Deville and company’s momentum, but the lack of Kai worries me. She hasn’t been back long after her knee injury and that felt like a way to write her off.

Ilja Dragunov congratulates Sami Zayn on being a great champion. Zayn says Dragunov will be a great champion one day but here is Jey Uso to give Zayn a pep talk. The rematch for the title is next week and then they can win the Tag Team Titles.

We get another Wyatt Sicks video, this time on Joe Gacy, who thinks he is Huskus The Pig Boy. He’s a bit out there.

Chad Gable/Creed Brothers vs. Wyatt Sicks

The lights go out and the rocking chair, with the lantern, is in the ring. The Wyatts come out for the brawl and the fans approve, even as Lumis takes over on Julius to start. It’s oft to Gacy to clean house, including a belly to back neckbreaker on Julius. A pull of the Gacy’s hair brings Rowan in to clean house and we take a break.

Back with Gable hitting a top rope moonsault for two. Julius fights up and hands it off to Rowan to clean house. Rowan’s swinging slam puts Gable down for two as the Creeds make the save. Lumis dives off the post onto them and, the Creeds get sent over the announcers’ table. A claw slam plants Gable and it’s a frog splash to give Lumis the pin at 12:19.

Rating: B-. It was a fun match and the fans were into the Wyatts, but I’m not sure I can see what they’re going to be doing. They’re the kind of team who needs time to set up a match or a feud and that is going to require some explaining most of the time. I like the idea of the team, but I’m not sure how well it is going to work long term.

All of the Wyatts pose to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This was a show that was more about the drama and setting things up for later rather than what was happening here. As a result, we got another good show that has me wanting to see where they’re going for the pay per view a the end of the month. The Judgment Day stuff is hot right now and the women’s team feud has be intrigued. It was a hot show coming out of Summerslam and that’s a really good sign.

Results
Sheamus b. Ludwig Kaiser – Brogue Kick
Lyra Valkyria b. Shayna Baszler via DQ when Zoey Stark interfered
A-Town Down Under b. Awesome Truth – A Town Down to R-Truth
Damian Priest b. JD McDonagh via DQ when Finn Balor interfered
Iyo Sky b. Sonya Deville – Over The Moonsault
Wyatt Sicks b. Chad Gable/Creed Brothers – Frog splash to Gable

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: July 22, 2024
Location: Resch Center, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee

We are less than two weeks away from Summerslam and if the card isn’t set, you can see a lot of the matches coming together. We might get something big this week as CM Punk is back and might get to make an announcement involving his future. Other than that, Rhea Ripley is wanting to get her hands on Liv Morgan so let’s get to it.

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

Commentary runs down what we’ll be seeing.

Here is Gunther to get things going and the fans are NOT happy to see him. He took some time to think about what he said to Damian Priest last week and….he meant that every single person here is a bum! Why is he out here first rather than Priest? It’s because Priest isn’t up to this level. There is a saying in German: show me your friends and I’ll show you who you are.

Gunther judges Judgment Day as street trash so Priest has one more chance to come out here and give Gunther the title. Cue Priest who hits Gunther in the face to start the brawl. Security comes in and as usual, are completely ineffective at their jobs. They’re turning this into a grudge match and that is a smart way to go as I want to see these two fight.

Post break and Priest jumps Gunther again backstage with Priest getting the better of things before it is broken up.

Ilja Dragunov vs. Bron Breakker

For the Intercontinental Title shot at Summerslam. Breakker starts fast and knocks him outside but Dragunov scores with a running knee back inside. They head to the apron to slug it out and fight over a suplex until Dragunov is dropped ribs first onto the top of the post for a nasty crash.

We take a break and come back with Breakker holding a bearhug to stay on the ribs. A gutbuster gives Breakker two but Dragunov reverses a powerbomb into a DDT for a breather. Dragunov hits a running knee to the ribs in the corner and manages a powerbomb. With Dragunov up top, Breakker jumps up and snaps off the super Frankensteiner….a name which Cole thinks McAfee invented on the spot.

Breakker goes up but gets superplexed down, setting up the H Bomb to leave him down. They go to the apron where Breakker hits a Death Valley Driver to really rock Breakker. Not that it matters as Breakker spears him out of the air, sending Dragunov head first into the apron. That’s enough for the referee to call it for Breakker at 13:07.

Rating: B. I liked the ending a lot here as it made Breakker look like a killer without having Dragunov take another pin. It’s hard to imagine that Breakker doesn’t get the title at Summerslam, as there is little to no reason to not change it over at this point. Dragunov very well may be waiting in the rings for Breakker, but for now we have the Summerslam title match set, as we should.

Rhea Ripley gives Judgment Day a pep talk but Dominik Mysterio isn’t sure why she said yeet to Jey Uso. She’s just playing around, but Finn Balor wants Dominik to take care of Uso.

Adam Pearce and Drew McIntyre shake hands.

Damian Priest and Gunther have been ejected.

Lyra Valkyria vs. Sonya Deville

Katana Chance, Kayden Carter, Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark are here too. Deville takes her down to start but Valkyria is back up with some shoulders in the corner. Valkyria is sent outside but seems to have hurt her ribs as we take a break. Back with Valkyria striking away and getting two off a bridging suplex. A gutwrench powerbomb gets two and it’s time for everyone to brawl on the floor. The distraction lets Deville hit the Deville’s Advocate for the pin at 8:06.

Rating: C. I’m starting to get worried about Valkyria as she came in feeling special but is turning into just another member of the pack. She’s far from a lost cause, but putting her with a team who doesn’t have the best success rate isn’t helping. Hopefully she can turn it around because she feels like a rather strong prospect.

This week’s Wyatt Sicks video is about Nikki Cross, with Uncle Howdy telling her to look at herself, earning a loud scream.

Here is CM Punk for a chat. Punk says we’re in Green Bay and his shoes are pink so let’s turn both of them red with the blood of a Scotsman. The reality is he is medically cleared so let’s do this right now. Punk tapes up his fists and here is McIntyre who says he doesn’t want to. Punk: “Well I do.”

Security cuts it off so McIntyre holds up Punk’s bracelet. Cue Adam Pearce to say the match is on for Summerslam but they can’t fight until then, and if they do, the match is off. Pearce says he has a referee problem….so here is Seth Rollins, who shakes Pearce’s hand. Rollins says he’s here to solve the problem because he is going to be the guest referee between these two at Summerslam. That is a great way to go, as Punk vs. McIntyre has been the hottest feud for a good while. I don’t know if they need Rollins there at first, but I’ll absolutely take this over another triple threat.

Judgment Day is off to find Jey Uso when Liv Morgan flags Dominik Mysterio down. She says don’t worry about Rhea Ripley and here is Finn Balor to say he can’t leave Dominik alone for ten seconds.

Sami Zayn is taking Bron Breakker seriously but tells him to not make the same mistake at Money In The Bank. As he’s talking, he sees Judgment Day jumping Jey Uso and runs over for the save.

Otis/Xavier Woods/Akira Tozawa vs. Final Testament

Maxxine Dupri and the rest of the team are here too. Woods chops away at Rezar in the corner to start but gets dropped with the straight power. Akam comes in and gets kicked to the floor by Tozawa, who hits a suicide dive as we take a break. Back with Akam elbowing Tozawa in the face for two and it’s off to Kross, who launches him with a release F5. Tozawa manages to roll away though and it’s off to Otis to clean house, including the Caterpillar to Akam. Everything breaks down and Woods comes in with a missile dropkick, only to get caught in Kross’ Final Prayer for the pin at 8:36.

Rating: C+. The fans went coconuts for Otis but this whole Final Testament vs. Woods thing wasn’t interesting when Kofi Kingston was around and this isn’t making it much better. The Testament just isn’t interesting and giving them wins like this isn’t doing much good. I’m not sure what else there is for them to do, and that’s not a good sign for anyone.

Post match here are Chad Gable and the Creed Brothers for a chat. Post break the three of them are in the ring with the former Alpha Academy, who have already lost their first match back together without Gable. He gives them a chance to join the team for one night only, which could also keep them safe from the Wyatt Sicks. Otis turns them down again so the Creeds lay out Otis and Tozawa. The Creeds post Otis and send him into the apron….and we’ve got Wyatts. They pop up on the stage, save for Uncle Howdy, who hits Sister Abigail on Gable in the ring.

Pete Dunne vs. Bronson Reed

And never mind as Sheamus runs in and beats them both up. No match.

Rhea Ripley yells at Judgment Day for not taking care of Jey Uso. A tag match is on for tonight and next week it’s Gunther vs. Finn Balor. Ripley doesn’t like hearing that Liv Morgan was around Dominik Mysterio though so they’re going to the ring.

Sheamus is happy to have a pint with Pete Dunne and talk out whatever is going on, or they can deal with it in the ring if he’d prefer a banger.

Rhea Ripley drags Dominik Mysterio to the ring and says if Liv Morgan wants him, come get him. Morgan pops up in the crowd to say she can wait for Summerslam. Morgan says she and Dominik have feelings for each other but the reality is men like Dominik don’t wind up with women who look like Ripley. Dominik holds Ripley back and yells at Morgan that he can’t stand her because she ruined his life. Ripley licks his face in approval.

We look at the Damian Priest vs. Gunther brawl again.

Here is Zelina Vega, with her arm taped up, for a chat before her match. She is tired of being underestimated so it’s time to shut people up.

Happy Birthday Shawn Michaels.

Zelina Vega vs. Zoey Stark

Sonya Deville and Shayna Baszler are here too. Vega slugs away to start but Stark goes after the bad arm to cut that off in a hurry. A spinning elbow gets Vega out of trouble for a second but Stark snaps the bad arm over the rope. We take a break and come back with Stark hitting a springboard missile dropkick for two. The armbar is broken up in a hurry though and Vega enziguris her into a DDT. A moonsault gives Vega two but Baszler trips her up. Cue Lyra Valkyria/Katana Chance/Kayden Carter to brawl with the villains, allowing Vega to get in a cast shot. Code Red finishes Stark at 8:48.

Rating: C. Nothing much to this one as the new evil gets knocked back a bit. I can go for more of Vega, as she has an energy to her matches that make you want to see her out there more. That isn’t something you get very often and it worked well enough here, evil with her being banged up.

Xavier Woods demands and receives a match against Karrion Kross next week. Drew McIntyre comes in to complain about CM Punk but Adam Pearce doesn’t have time for it.

Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre are going to be on Smackdown to address their next challengers. Sonya Deville and company come in to say they’ll be the next challengers, but the champs aren’t convinced.

Video on Gunther.

Judgment Day vs. Jey Uso/Sami Zayn

Non-title, Dominik Mysterio and Carlito are here too and Uso/Zayn come in though the crowd. Uso knocks Balor into the corner to start and snaps off a jumping enziguri. Zayn comes in and gets taken into the corner, where McDonagh sends him face first into the buckle. Back up and Zayn sends both of them outside for the Arabian Moonsault but Carlito gets in a posting as we take a break.

We come back with Balor stomping on Zayn in the corner so McDonagh can get two. Balor’s elbow to the head gets two but Zayn manages a Blue Thunder Bomb. Uso comes in and gets to clean house, only to get dropped with a Sling Blade. McDonagh drops a springboard moonsault for two but Balor gets superkicked out of the apron for a needed breather.

The double tag brings in Zayn to suplex McDonagh into the corner. Mysterio’s distraction lets McDonagh grab a Spanish Fly for two as the fans find this awesome. Everything breaks down and Balor is sent outside for a dive. The Helluva Kick into the Superfly Splash finishes McDonagh at 16:20.

Rating: B. They weren’t wrong about the awesome part as this turned into a pretty awesome match. In theory this should set up a rematch for the titles, though if Balor is facing Gunther next week, it might take some time to get there. I’m not sure I get why the champions had to lose at this point, but maybe they can get a title match in somehow before Summerslam so that won’t be a distraction.

Bron Breakker runs in to spear Zayn in half to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. This show had good action and did some solid work on the way to Summerslam. You had two matches officially set up and some important development for things already in place. The Gunther/Priest brawl was a hot opener and Ripley/Morgan/Dominik is still a blast. I had a really good time with this show, which took them a lot closer to a great Summerslam.

Results
Bron Breakker b. Ilja Dragunov via referee stoppage
Sonya Deville b. Lyra Valkyria – Deville’s Advocate
Final Testament b. Xavier Woods/Otis/Akira Tozawa – Final Prayer to Woods
Zelina Vega b. Zoey Stark – Code Red
Jey Uso/Sami Zayn 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.