Xplosion has been a waste of time since the new regime took over completely, and I can’t really see anything special about this episode. Still only promoting 1 match, prolly have an old match, an ICYMI and Gia’s interview.

It looks like the Around the Ring interview will be with Rosemary. So maybe that will be interesting, and I was recently talking about what’s been up with Kevin Knight since the Referendum match; so its nice to see him around. Knight shouldn’t win, but as long as he looks good, we might finally get a match worth sitting through old footage and a useless Top 5.

Ratings:

Steve Maclin vs Kevin Knight: Maclin wins via KIA – ** 1/2

Results:

TNA+Throwback Moment: Team 3D vs Motor City Machine Guns, Genesis 2007

Now I’ve said many times that I’m tired of all the clips and vault matches, but I’m also a MCMG fanboy…and this was prime TNA, so I’m at least amused. Plus to validate the match, we’ve got MCMG versus The System coming up on iMPACT!, so its just a nice old match to get the blood pumping.

Don West, You’ve Got to be Kidding Me! Trending Topics of the week:

5. New Full Blooded Italians.

4. Hammerstone vs Alexander, Last Man Standing

3. Myron Reed returns to The Rascalz

2. Nic Nemeth beating Alex Shelley

1. Jonathan Gresham officially signs with TNA

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times, this Top 5 is legitimately a waste of air. Its just dumb dirt sheet highlights mostly from 2 weeks ago because their filming schedule makes the topics old and uninteresting.

Gia’s Around the Ring interview is with Rosemary. She stays in gimmick, not quite as over the top as the one Alicia Atout interview from a few years ago, but Gia is leading “the demon” on why they picked Courtney. They talk about Gia visiting the Undead Realm and that they still don’t know where Taya is. She also reveals a Bunny top of her cane, and very obviously hints to Allie. So I wonder if this is her trying to speak it into existence or if it’s actually a hint. Did something finally make a point for foreshadowing in storylines?

TNA+Throwback Moment: MCMG vs Beer Money, 2 out 3 Falls, 8.12.2010 iMPACT!

Steve Maclin vs Kevin Knight

So basic opening, but when Maclin tries a Hip Toss, Knight also attempts to counter it and it looks really ugly and car crashy. Nothing dangerous, just a fall down “didn’t get all of it” kind of spot. If that’s the only misstep, at least it was at the beginning.

Maclin tries to slow things down, but a huge Twisting Crossbody off the rope keeps things going for Knight. Another miscue where Knight tries to dodge a Chop in the corner, but is hella slow and eats the chop to the eyes. I mean in a way the ugly execution makes the match feel more like a dirty brawl from the 80s, but with how choreographed everything is nowadays, its just odd. Maclin whips Knight to the ropes, Knight jumps over the rope to the outside, revels in his landing, turns around and eats a SCUD Missile from Maclin!

Fully in control, Maclin is working over Knight until Knight catches him with a desperation strike and then rides the momentum into a few nice High spots. There is a locomotion Cradle spot which is also a little wonky to put it nicely, Knight tries to jump on Maclin for a Jumping DDT, but Maclin shrugs it off and heads to the corner. Knight charges, Maclin throws him over his shoulder but Knight catches himself and lands on the ropes, Maclin just shoves him forward to crotch him on the top buckle, Tree of Woe, Caught in the Crosshairs into KIA, and Maclin wins.

Overall Score: 4/10

Given this the old Bret Hart special. The main event was tolerable if not sloppy, the throwbacks having the Machine Guns made the fanboy side of me giddy, but I still hate all the old footage stuff. The main reason for the higher score than the last few weeks is as I already said, decent main event and my hope the convenient Bunny on the cane is foreshadowing and not just acknowledging. Depending on availability, Su Yung could always return to TNA with an “Undead Bunny”. Hell the possibility of a Suzie and Allie tag team is comedic gold.

But we’ll see if that goes anywhere. Its also sad when a 4 is a pretty big upgrade to the last month or so of these shows. Xplosion really is a waste of damn time when I have to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find crumbs of entertainment.

Will it be a victorious homecoming for Sami Zayn?

Tonight on Raw, Sami Zayn returns home to Montreal as NEW Intercontinental Champion, but will he lose that title already to Chad Gable?

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Sheamus VS Ivar; Sheamus wins.
• WWE World Tag Team Championships #1 Contenders Match: #DIY VS The New Day VS The Creed Brothers; DIY wins and will challenge The Awesome Truth for the titles.
• Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell VS Ivy Nile & Maxxine Dupri; Candice & Indi win.
• Dominik Mysterio w/ JD McDonagh VS Andrade El Idolo; Andrade wins.
• Chelsea Green & Piper Niven VS Kayden Carter & Katana Chance; Chelsea & Piper win.
• Jey Uso VS Finn Balor; Jey wins.
• WWE Intercontinental Championship: Sami Zayn VS Chad Gable; Sami wins and retains the title.

PLAY BY PLAY

Rhea Ripley is here!

Montreal fires up for Mami as she makes her way out to the ring, but her arm’s in a sling! She holds up the Women’s World Championship with her good arm before going to the ring, clearly not in a good mood. Adam Pearce is waiting in the ring, and Rhea gets a mic. The fans cheer “MAMI! MAMI!” but Rhea says, “So… Obviously, you guys know what’s going on right now, yeah? After the attack last week from Liv Morgan… I’ve now been told that I’m stuck on the bench for quite a few months.” Fans are upset but Rhea says she’s also been informed, told, whatever, she’s pissed! Y’know why? Because she has to vacate the one thing that means the most to her, her world title!

The fans chant “NO! NO! NO!” but there’s no getting around this. Rhea takes a long look at the belt and the fans call BS. Rhea says it sure is BS. This title right here, this means the most to her in her entire life! And that’s why this is so painful. Rhea sets the belt down on the mat, and gives it one last look. Rhea pulls at her hair in frustration, but the fans chant, “Thank You, Mami!” Rhea says, “Revenge tour? This is all because your stupid little revenge tour, Liv! Are you kidding me?” Rhea could’ve actually had respect for Liv, if she’d done this face to face! Instead, she blindsides Rhea like the coward Rhea knows Liv is!

And Rhea knows why Liv did it! It’s because Rhea would’ve dropped Liv right where she stood! So this is a warning to whoever wins her Women’s World Championship. When Rhea comes back, she’s coming back for BLOOD! And not just because of injury, but because when she finds Liv back there, they’ll have to lock her up in Montreal jail! But speaking of, here comes Liv! Pearce already goes to the ropes and security is there to keep Liv back. Liv is laughing, Rhea storms out after her! Security stays between them both, Liv dares Rhea to try something with one arm! The fans want to “LET THEM FIGHT!” but Pearce says nope!

Pearce ushers Liv away, Liv laughing all the way. Rhea is frustrated, so she HEADBUTTS a guard! The fans cheer, but when and where will Rhea’s revenge tour come looking for Liv?

Rhea returns backstage.

Judgment Day is there to see her off with a group hug. Damian Priest says they know when she comes back, she’ll make Liv regret ever messing with her, and even more badass than she is right now! Cuz she is Rhea Bloody Ripley, and they love her. She thanks them, and tells them to keep Judgment Day on top. Rhea heads out, will the boys be able to keep things together without Mami?

Sheamus VS Ivar!

After months away with his own injury, the Celtic Warrior is back! And that means Monday Night Raw is now Fight Night, fellas! He’s never felt better, but will the Viking Raider make him feel awful already?

The bell rings and the two circle. The fans rally and welcome Sheamus back. Sheamus smiles and ties up with Ivar. They go around, break, then tie up again. Sheamus headlocks, Ivar powers up and out, but Sheamus RAMS him! Ivar rebounds, RAMS Sheamus, but Sheamus steadies himself. The fans chant “Let’s Go, Sheamus!” and the forearms start flying! Sheamus gets the edge, whips, but Ivar reverses. Sheamus ducks ‘n’ dodges and CLOBBERS Ivar! The fans fire up while Ivar goes to the apron! Sheamus storms up and grabs the arms, but Ivar HOTSHOTS Sheamus away! Ivar goes up, but Sheamus ROCKS him first!

Sheamus fires haymakers, then climbs up after Ivar to fire more! The fans fire up as Sheamus fireman’s carries Ivar, into the SUPER WHITE NOISE! Sheamus fires up and the fans are with him as Raw goes to break!

Raw returns and Ivar has Sheamus in a chinlock. The fans rally, Sheamus fights up, and Sheamus throws body shots. But Ivar UPPERCUTS back! Ivar runs, but Sheamus scoops to POWERSLAM! The fans fire up and Ivar goes back to the apron. Sheamus storms up, brings Ivar up, and hooks him in the ropes! The fans fire up as we get BEATS OF THE BODHRAIN! And Sheamus goes all the way to TEN! Ivar slumps down, flops into the ring, and Sheamus hauls him up. Fireman’s carry, but Ivar elbows free! Ivar BOOTS Sheamus, then HEEL KICKS! Sheamus falls, Ivar goes up! VIKING SPLASH!! Cover, TWO!!

The fans fire up as Sheamus survives and Ivar pulls at his hair in frustration! Sheamus goes to a corner, but he eggs Ivar on! Ivar storms up on Sheamus to rain down fists! The fans boo, the ref counts, and Ivar lets off. Sheamus still eggs Ivar on! Ivar and Sheamus throw hands and Sheamus gets the edge! Ivar shoves, cartwheels, and knees low! Ivar runs, springboards, but into a KNEE! Ivar staggers around, Sheamus brings the kneepad down, for the KNEE CAP! Ivar falls, the fans are thunderous as Sheamus beats his chest. Ivar stands up, into the BROGUE!! Cover, Sheamus wins!

Winner: Sheamus, by pinfall

The Celtic Warrior is back, as is his classic theme song! He feels better than ever, looks better than ever, is he going to make one more run at the top of the mountain?

Triple H is here!

Montreal fires up as The Game walks out to the ring! He joins Adam Pearce in the ring, and there’s a podium with a cover on it. HHH gets a mic to say, “You guys are on fire tonight, I gotta tell you that.” The fans cheer again, and HHH continues by saying it is hard to believe that only eight days ago, we were in the midst of the biggest WrestleMania of ALL time. “WrestleMania 40, kingdoms fell, nightmares began, and a whole knew era started.” The fans cheer that, too! Pearce says the new era certainly started for the Tag Division. It has never been bigger, better, or deeper. WWE walked in with one set of champs, and walked out with two.

That is why Raw and SmackDown deserve titles they can be proud of going into the new era. So what does the boss say? Should we bring the champs out? Then please welcome The Awesome Truth! Fans fire up as Miz & R-Truth make their way, carrying the red tag team titles. Miz & Truth get mics, and the fans chant “You Deserve It!” Miz pats Truth on the shoulder cuz he really does. The fans cheer as Miz raises Truth’s hand, and Truth lets Miz hold on to the belt so he can do the splits! He’s still got it, too! HHH then says he wants to be the first to say, what’s up? Also, congratulations. HHH shakes their hands as he says they won probably the biggest tag match in history.

And Truth, HHH has to say from a certain perspective, seeing Truth have that Mania moment, to quote The Miz, it was awesome. But the thing is, this is a new era. So if they are going to represent this brand and those titles, then they need to do it in a way that represents an all new era. So going forward, they will now be the WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS! And as such, they will be carrying THESE! Brand new belts that look like miniature World Heavyweight Championships! Truth is losing his mind! Now, now, he has seen a rabbit come out of a hat, and birds come out of a hat. Even a lady got cut in half and walked away from it. But he’s never seen a trick like that!

What? Truth says he knows good magicians, and HHH just made titles appear outta thin oxygen! That boy good! Right? The fans cheer, but only Truth is the one confused here. HHH asks Miz to explain. HHH is not a magician. That’s what a magician wants you to think. But Truth doesn’t really trust magicians. Not after Lil’ Jimmy. Everyone used to be able to see Lil’ Jimmy. So what else is HHH hiding? Miz says this is what they wanted. This is one of the most important times in WWE history! This is their chance to elevate the Tag Division! Their chance to take these new belts to new heights! That is why Pearce and HHH-

HHH!? WHERE?! Truth, that’s this guy! Man, Houdini’s got Miz fooled, too? He’s one crafty little genie. But Truth sees right through you, Tommaso Ciampa! Miz sighs and says he’ll try one more thing. Because we are in Montreal! Fans sing “OLE~ OLE OLE OLE~!” and Miz is pretty sure they’re ready for Sami Zayn. But Miz tells Truth in French, that they’re getting new belts. OMG really!? “OUI! OUI! OUI!” So they can take ’em? Oui! OUI! As in yes, but anyway, HHH speaks up. Can he just go? He takes the old belts, then hands over the new belts. HHH wishes Pearce luck on handling it from here.

HHH leaves, Awesome Truth hold up the awesome new belts, and Pearce asks why Truth made the boss leave. Who? HHH. He just left. That wasn’t HHH! Pearce says while we still have brain cells that function, the only thing left is to figure out some new challengers! Time for a Triple Threat #1 Contenders Tag Match! And that’s right now!

WWE World Tag Team Championships #1 Contenders Match: #DIY VS The New Day VS The Creed Brothers!

Speaking of Ciampa, the REAL Ciampa and Johnny Gargano are still in that title hunt, but so are Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods, and so are Julius & Brutus! Which team defies the odds to head for an awesome showdown with Miz & Truth?

Raw returns and the Creeds make their entrance, followed by The New Day. There’s a QR code that flashes on screen… Then the teams sort out and one man starts for each. Brutus steps to Woods and Gargano, and Montreal rallies with “NEW! DAY ROCKS!” Woods says “O~ CANADA~!” The three approach, feel out, then Brutus DECKS Gargano! Woods CLUBS Brutus, has him in a corner and rains down fists! Brutus shoves Woods away before five but Gargano runs up to add on! Gargano gets five, Brutus shoves him away then ROCKS Woods! Brutus ROCKS Gargano, scoops Woods, but Woods rolls him up!

Gargano rolls Woods! Brutus rolls Gargano! Then deadlifts to BOMB him into Woods! Brutus breaks through their double clothesline to DOUBLE LARIAT back! Tag to Julius, the Creeds get one each, and they suplex! Kofi and Ciampa save their tag partners, then they all DROPKICK the Creeds! The fans fire up as DIY and New Day brawl! DIY get the edge, they whip, but New Day dodge to BLAST the Creeds! DIY then TOSS New Day out, and they BLAST the Creeds! DOUBLE PLANCHAS, but the Creeds catch DIY! But then New Day both FLY out! Down goes everyone, Awesome Truth applaud New Day, and Raw goes to break.

Raw returns again and there’s a collision in the ring! The fans fire up as Ciampa, Julius and Kofi all slowly sit up. Kofi CHOPS Ciampa, Julius ROCKS Kofi! Ciampa ROCKS Julius, Kofi ROCKS Ciampa! Ciampa CHOPS Julius, Kofi mule kicks Ciampa, Julius ROCKS Kofi! Ciampa ROCKS Julius, BOOTS Kofi, then brawls with Julius! The fans rally up as the forearms go faster and faster! Ciampa CHOPS and CHOPS and CHOPS! But theN Julius JUMP KNEES! Kofi returns, TROUBLE IN- NO, Julius blocks the kick to an ANKLE LOCK! Ciampa KNEES Julius down! Brutus CLOBBERS Ciampa, Woods MISSILE DROPKICKS Brutus!

Woods turns around, SLINGSHOT SPEAR from Gargano! Kofi JUMP KNEES Gargano! Julius clinches Kofi for an EXPLODER! Julius kips up to STANDING MOONSAULT, onto knees! Gargano SUPERKICKS Julius, Kofi rolls Gargano! Gargano slips out to BUZZSAW! Gargano goes up and out to the apron, he and Ciampa meet to ENZIGIRI KNEE COMBO in the corner! Then Gargano CANNONBALLS onto everyone else! Ciampa hauls Kofi up for PROJECT CIAMPA!! Cover, TWO!!! Kofi survives and even Miz & Truth are surprised. The fans cheer for “TRIPLE H!” to keep Truth’s illusion going. Ciampa tells Kofi “SUCK IT!”

Ciampa gets Kofi up, Kofi wrenches out to dodge and hot tag Woods! Woods GAMANGIRS then TORNADO DDTS! Gargano shoves Woods to a corner, but Woods BOOTS! HONOR ROLL! Brutus gets in but Woods BELL CLAPS! Woods ducks ‘n’ dodges, slides under, ROLLING ELBOW! Woods calls to Kofi, tags him in, but Ciampa BOOTS Woods! Kofi uses Woods to POMMEL HORSE KICK! New Day POSTS Ciampa, then WHEELBARROW FAMOUSER!! Cover, Julius drags Kofi right up! OVERHEAD SUPLEX! But Woods is back up top! Woods leaps, into an OVERHEAD SUPLEX! Gargano runs up, Julius blocks a kick! OVERHEAD SUPLEX!

Julius kips up but into Ciampa’s waistlock! Julius switches, to GERMAN SUPLEX! The straps come down, Brutus tags in, and the Creeds get a team each! Brutus SPLASHES DIY to then O’Conner Roll! Gargano runs up, NORTHERN LIGHTS! Julius DOUBLE NORTHERN LIGHTS New Day!! Quadruple cover, TWO!!! All four other men kick out, Julius tags back in! Brutus goes up, Julius Electric Chair Lifts Ciampa! “This is Awesome!” and then Kofi SHOVES Brutus off the corner, into Woods’ SUPERKICK! Kofi goes up, Julius fights Ciampa off. Julius goes up but Woods sneaks a tag! SUPERPLEX for Julius, but LIMIT BREAKER from Woods!

MEET IN THE MIDDLE by DIY!! Cover, DIY WINS!!

Winners: DIY, by pinfall (NEW #1 Contenders to the World Tag Team Champions)

Awesome Truth loved every minute of that match, but now they’ve got to face their friends in #RegenerationX. Will Miz & Truth be able to hold on to their newly minted titles? Or will Ciampa & Gargano prove when it comes to becoming World Tag Team Champions, you gotta do it yourself?

Drew McIntyre watches the highlight reel of last week’s main event.

And he’s smiling? Maybe even chuckling? Jackie Redmond says that after watching it back, she was not expecting this reaction. McIntyre laughs, as he BOOTS the TV screen in! Jackie understands now as McIntyre storms off. CM Punk got the better of McIntyre last time, but will it be no laughing matter when the Scottish Terminator gets his hands on him?

Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell VS Ivy Nile & Maxxine Dupri!

The first time around, the Poison Pixie bullied Maxxine the Alpha Queen into such a state that winning was easy. But then The Diamond Pitbull helped Maxxine get even with Candice, though it was Indi Wrestling that took the hit. Who finds the way to win this tense tiebreaker?

The teams sort out and Indi starts against Ivy. They tie up, Ivy waistlocks then headlocks, but Indi rolls to a cover. ONE, Ivy holds on, and they go around. Ivy facelocks, floats around to then flip Indi to a cover, ONE! Ivy’s right back on the headlock, but Indi fights up. Indi powers out, Ivy sunset flips, TWO! Indi scrambles up but Ivy DROPKICKS her! Ivy kicks, Indi blocks but the DRAGON WHIP hits! Tag to Maxxine and she climbs up, to CROSSBODY! Maxxine eggs Indi on, kicks low and facelocks, then talks trash on Candice. FISHERMAN SUPLEX! Bridging cover, TWO! Not quite perfect, but Maxxine dares Candice to make a move.

The ref reprimands, Candice stands down, but Indi short arm LARIATS! Indi then tags Candice, Candice CLOBBERS Maxxine and hammers away! The fans boo but Candice SMACKS Maxxine off the mat. Candice soaks up the heat, then digs her boots into Maxxine. The ref counts, Candice lets off, and then Candice smiles as she drags Maxxine up. Candice whips Maxxine into the corner, taunts Ivy, then runs up to SLAP Maxxine! Candice fires off hands, the ref counts, and Candice lets off. Tag to Indi, she keeps Maxxine from Ivy, but Maxxine BOOTS her away! Candice tags back in, runs up and drags Maxxine back again.

Maxxine hops up, ENZIGIRI misses as Candice ducks! Candice swipes at Ivy, but Ivy dodges! Maxxine knees low and DDTS! The fans fire up while both women are down! Maxxine and Candice crawl, their partners reach out, but then Indi rushes in! The ref stops Indi, but that means he misses seeing the hot tag! The fans boo as Indi gets sneaky like Candice as she BOOTS Maxxine down! Indi puts Candice on top for the cover! The ref sees that, counts, Candice & Indi win!

Winners: Candice LeRae & Indi Hartwell, by pinfall

What in the world is going on here? Is Candice’s toxicity poisoning Indi’s mind? Or are these Indi’s true colors? Either way, are Candice & Indi going to find the way to the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships?

WWE takes a look at Damian Priest’s rise to the top.

2019, Orlando, Florida, the Performance Center. What did Priest want out of life? One thing: his name to live forever. From Punisher to homeless to NXT to main roster, Priest has proven if you bust your ass and never give up, anything is possible, even your dreams. The first Puerto Rican world champion in literal decades, he desired championships, and he knew championships would come. Legacy and infamy wait for no man, you have go grab them for yourself. He became Senor Money in the Bank, bided his time, suffered losses, and struck when the moment was right! HE had the biggest moment at the biggest WrestleMania ever, ALL RISE for the NEW World Heavyweight Champion!

Judgment Day is in the clubhouse.

The others sulk, but Priest tells them to snap out of it. They’re The Judgment Day, right? Right. And they still run Raw, right? Dom is gonna teach Andrade a lesson about messing with their group! And JD McDonagh, you have his back so they can get this done! The Irish Ace is fired up, he heads out with Dirty Dom, but Finn stays behind to talk with Priest. Finn feels their focus should be getting the tag titles back, but now Finn’s in this match with Jey? What’s up with that? Priest says Finn’s focus needs to be on what’s happening tonight. Priest needs The Prince to teach Jey Uso the meaning of the word “loss.” And then at Backlash, Priest teaches Jey the meaning of the word “pain!”

Is Finn good with that? Finn smiles and nods. Of course he’s good with that! They fist bump and Finn goes to warm up. So far, the group looks solid, will Mami have nothing to worry about?

Raw shares an interview from before the show.

Jackie Redmond was ringside as Chad Gable got some training in with the Creed Brothers to prepare for his title match with Sami Zayn. Jackie says it looks like Gable is ready. A huge opportunity tonight, the biggest match perhaps of his entire career. How much would winning the title mean to him? Gable says it is everything. Validation, vindication for all the training, his 10+ years here in the WWE, and proving it to himself. His mood is high, it’ll be a good night. But then Jackie would be remised if she didn’t ask about the crowd factoring in. They’ll be in support of Sami, how has Gable prepared for that?

Gable says when he was on the Olympic team in 2012, he was a Minnesotan in Iowa. That means not one person in Iowa wanted him to win, but he did. So he’ll do the same time. Sami’s one of the best WWE has, but Gable training Sami helped Gable find the weakness. Tonight, Gable exposes those weaknesses. Gable goes back to grappling with the Creeds, will Gable be razor sharp for his golden opportunity?

Dominik Mysterio w/ JD McDonagh VS Andrade El Idolo!

The Prodigal Son thought he was getting The Idol of Lucha to join Judgment Day, or at least was united with him against Rey Mysterio. Neither of those things turned out to be true, and now Andrade has found himself in Judgment Day’s crosshairs. Will El Idolo make Raw tranquilo? Or will he pay for pulling one over on Dirty Dom?

Raw returns as Dom makes his entrance and Montreal boos. The bell rings, Dom and Andrade circle, and Dom wants a handshake? Andrade refuses so Dom CHOPS! Andrade rushes Dom but Dom runs away to the corner. Dom then gets a cheap shot, a headlock, but Andrade powers up and out. Dom pulls on Andrade’s hair to get him back in the headlock. Andrade powers out more thoroughly this time, and he runs Dom over! The fans cheer, Andrade storms up and he CHOPS Dom to a corner. Andrade whips corner to corner, Dom reverses, but Andrade goes up and out then ROCKS Dom! Andrade goes up the corner, to CROSSBODY! Cover, TWO!

The fans rally as Andrade brings Dom up and snap suplexes! Uno Amigo and the fans cheer! Dos Amigos and the fans cheer more! Andrade gives Latino Heat, but Dom suplexes! Dom has Uno Amigo, then Dos Amigos! Fans boo this time, but then Andrade hits his THIRD AMIGO! The fans cheer as Andrade puts Dom in the drop zone. Andrade climbs again, but JD gets on the apron! The ref stops JD but that lets Dom trip Andrade! The fans boo but Dom drags Andrade off the corner to stomp him! Dom then soaks up the heat and flexes, Raw goes to break.

Raw returns again and Andrade fights up while in a chinlock. Andrade throws body shots, then ROCKS Dom! And ROCKS him, and ROCKS him! Dom shoves, kicks, but Andrade blocks to DRAGON SCREW! And DRAGON SCREW again! Dom swings a lariat but Andrade dodges to CLOBBER Dom! Andrade kips up, the fans fire up and Dom is in the corner. Fans chant “SI! SI! SI!” as Andrade goes corner to corner, CIEN SHADOWS! Cover, TWO! Dom survives but Andrade puts him in the drop zone. Andrade climbs, SPLIT LEG MOONSAULT FLOPS as Dom moves! Dom goes to the apron, drags Andrade up, but Andrade fights the suplex!

Andrade throws body shots, CHOPS, and Dom flops back! Andrade goes out to the apron but Dom KICKS the ropes! That jams Andrade up, Dom reels him in! APRON DESTROYER!! Andrade flops to the floor, JD coaches Dom to hurry! Dom gets Andrade back in, covers, TWO!! Andrade survives and the fans fire up! Dom is frustrated, as is JD, but Dom wants Andrade to rise. Andrade stands, Dom DROPKICKS him onto ropes! Fans boo but Dom talks trash before he dials it up. But Andrade gets up, boot feint to ELBOW! JD gets up but Andrade DECKS him! Then the underooks, for THE MESSAGE! Cover, Andrade wins!

Winner: Andrade El Idolo, by pinfall

But JD attacks now! No celebrating for El Idolo, the fans boo as JD and Dom get Andrade to his feet. The mugging continues, but here comes Ricochet! Ricochet also has beef with Judgment Day and he sends Dom & JD running! Will the King of Flight help The Idol put Judgment Day in their place once and for all?

Backstage interview with Jey Uso.

Cathy Kelley is with Main Event Jey and knows that he’s preparing for Finn Balor, but she was hoping for any comments on Tama Tonga joining The Bloodline to attack Jimmy Uso last Friday. Yeah, messing with The Bloodline, you go down a deep, dark and dangerous road. They adding members Jey didn’t even know about. As far as Jimmy goes… Well, Jey told him to come with Jey. But hey, Jey’s gotta focus on Finn. Finn about to catch a YEETDOWN here on Monday Night Raw. YEET! Jey is ready for The Prince, but will he make it through to face The Punisher?

Chelsea Green & Piper Niven VS Kayden Carter & Katana Chance!

The Hot Mess and “Lil Miss P” wanted a match and got a match on Friday, but it didn’t go their way when it turned out they were facing Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill. Management is getting an earful over and over, but will the complaints stop if Chelsea & Piper win? Or will KC Squared only add to Chelsea’s bad mood?

The teams sort out and Piper starts against Kayden. They tie up, Piper shoves Kayden down, then dares Katana to try. Katana tags in, runs up and dodges, then KC Squared pinball Piper around. They both run, but into DOUBLE LARIATS! Piper fires up, then she drags Katana up. Piper clamps on a COBRA CLUTCH and she thrashes Katana around! Chelsea tags in, RIPCORD FOREARM, then short arm LARIAT! Chelsea covers, TWO! Chelsea says this is easy work, but she runs into a BOOT! Katana then drop toeholds Chelsea into buckles! Tag to Kayden, and they meet at the corner, MULE KICK METEORA COMBO! Kayden covers, TWO!

Kayden drags Chelsea up, but Chelsea SLAPS her! Then she panics and reaches for Piper! Kayden reels her in, hammerlock and clinch, to CHOP! CHOP! And CHOP! The fans “WOO~” with every CHOP, then Kayden FLATLINERS! Kayden fireman’s carries Chelsea, Katana goes up and leaps over to go after Piper! But Piper catches her! FALL AWAY SLAM! Kayden hits a SWINGING LEG DROP SLAM! Cover, but Piper SPLASHES Kayden! Chelsea covers Kayden, she and Piper win!

Winners: Chelsea Green & Piper Niven, by pinfall

Chelsea celebrates like she did something, btu we know it was all Piper. But a win is a win, will this team find their way back to the tag titles? Will Chelsea never stop bugging management until they do?

Backstage interview with Liv Morgan.

Cathy Kelley is with Liv to ask about Rhea Ripley vacating her title. Is this the conclusion of the revenge tour? Liv can’t even lie, she is confused by the reactions. They’re all mad at her, but for what? She isn’t the villain here. Where was the sympathy for Liv when Rhea literally ripped Liv’s shoulder out of its socket? Oh, there wasn’t any. So eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, arm for an arm. This is karma at its finest, Rhea got what she deserved. But the best part is that this isn’t the end of the revenge tour. This is just the beginning, because the end will be Liv crowned as the NEW Women’s World Champion. #WatchMe. Then when and where will this revenge tour go on the road to a new champion?

Cody Rhodes is here!

Montreal fires up for the American Nightmare, aka the NEW Undisputed WWE Champion! They sing along, “WHOA~ OH~!” and Cody gets his pyro. Cody high-fives the front row as he makes his way down the ramp, then he steps into the ring for “WHOA~ OH~!” and more pyro. Cody gets the mic while the fans chant his name, and he revels in the cheers a moment. They sing “CODY~ CODY CODY CODY~!” and he smiles. Cody then asks, “De quoi voulez-vous parler?” The fans cheer his French, and Cody says he has to thank Adam Pearce allowing Cody to still hang out on Raw even though now he’s a SmackDown superstar.

But don’t worry, Cody ain’t going nowhere. We cannot reflect on WrestleMania 40 forever, especially with a pending challenge. The first Premium Live event of the new “season,” Backlash, is going to Lyon, France, where Cody faces for this title either the fastest rising star, LA Knight, or The Phenomenal AJ Styles. But we can certainly reflect just a little. There’s a man he could talk about for hours but will keep it brief. There was a man who said he’d be Cody’s Shield… The fans sing “WHOA~ OHH~ OHHH~!” for The Visionary, and Cody says that man certainly kept his word. That man is watching at home, so thank you, Seth Freakin’ Rollins.

The fans cheer and chant, “Thank You, Seth!” Cody continues by saying another “friend” that did reflecting was The Rock. The fans boo and chant “ROCKY SUCKS! ROCKY SUCKS!” Cody says it was news to him that Rock did a ten week training program, that he flew in the best talent of different skillsets and the greatest conditioning team money could by. Rock doesn’t have one more match left in him, he’s got many more. And in typical manic Rock fashion, Rock said that he’d make Cody bleed again. Cody says Rock’s probably right. Maybe Cody will bleed. But no amount of training and preparation, nothing Rock does can stop the fact that if Cody’s gonna bleed, Rock bleeds with him.

The fans cheer and Cody says when we talk Rock, we gotta talk Bloodline. The fans boo again, but Cody says he’s confused. The introduction of Tama Tonga “by order of The Tribal Chief,” yet Roman Reigns was nowhere to be found? More questions than answers, so one more bit of reflection. Cody wants to bring out a former member of the Bloodline, a man who is a friend of Cody’s, and a man whose energy you can feel from your head to your yeet. Well, thanks for laughing at the dad joke, but here is Main Event Jey Uso! Jey makes his way out and Montreal bounces with him! Even Pat gets on the desk to join in!

Jey hugs it out with Cody, then the bouncing continues. Cody tells Jey that he is the #1 contender for the World Heavyweight Championship, Monday Night Raw is about to be his, and no one has earned it or deserves it more than Main Event Jey! “YEET!” Cody says Jey helped him #FinishTheStory, and Cody knows when one member of Judgment Day is present, the others aren’t far behind. Cody would love to have Jey’s back like Jey had his. The fans like the sound of that, and the two hug it out. Jey appreciates that, Uce, for sure. YEET! But hey, Jey’s gotta do this on his own, gotta just be him, The YEET Master! Mr. YEETDOWN!

Oh, how about this for a name? The NEW World Heavyweight Champion, Main Event Jey UUUUSO~! So then he doesn’t need Cody out here? Cody gets that. Good luck, friend. They hug it out one more time, the fans cheer, and Cody moves on. But oh, one other thing. Cody looks over and says, “Until we yeet again.” Jey responds with “YEET!” Will Jey be able to handle things when it’s just him? Or will The Prince be bringing backup to stack the deck against him?

Backstage interview with Nia Jax.

Cathy Kelley is now with the Irresistible Force and hopes for her initial reactions to Rhea Ripley giving up the title. Nia says there are two types of people in this world: those who care about Rhea and those who want to see her get her revenge. Nia’s neither. She doesn’t give a damn about Rhea, and last time she saw Rhea, Nia had her. Now, Nia looks at the Women’s World Championship and wonders, who is gonna stop her from taking it? Liv Morgan? Last time they met, Nia had Liv, too. Becky Lynch? Nia had her, too.

In two weeks, there is the Draft. Nia might face someone she’s never seen before, and to them she says there are two types of people in this world: Those who fear Nia Jax, and those who learn to fear Nia Jax. No one on this planet is taking that title from her, because that is hers! Nia storms off, is she going to make everyone fear her then, now and forever?

Jey Uso VS Finn Balor!

Raw returns and The Prince makes his entrance. FROM BEHIND! He CLOBBERS Jey, stomps away, and the fans boo! The ref reprimands, Finn HAMMERs away on Jey, then lets off to throw off the jacket. The bell rings, Finn BOOTS Jey and fires off body shots in the corner! Finn RAMS into Jey, whips him to ropes, then CLOBBERS him again! Finn flexes, the fans boo, but Finn stalks Jey to ropes. Finn CHOKES Jey, the ref counts, but Finn lets off at 4. Finn brings Jey up, but Jey ROCKS him first! And again! And again! “YEET! YEET! YEET!” Jey whips, Finn reverses but Jey sunset flips! Finn rolls through to basement dropkick! Cover, TWO!

Finn drags Jey up to ELBOW him in the head, then he clamps on a chinlock. Priest watches as Finn squeezes the air out of Jey. The fans rally, Jey fights up and he throws body shots. But Finn knees low! Finn ROCKS Jey, RAMS into him, then CHOPS! The fans “WOO~!” while Jey sputters. Finn CHOPS Jey again, taunts the fans, “This your boy? This the guy you all like?” Finn RAMS into Jey again and again, then CHOPS again! Finn whips corner to corner, Jey reveres, then runs up, but Finn puts him on the apron! Jey ROCKS Finn first, goes up, but Finn anchors Jey! Jey throws hands, but Finn YANKS Jey down!

The fans boo as Finn fires off hands in the corner. The ref counts, Finn lets off at 4, but runs up to SHOTGUN Jey outta the ring! Jey flounders on the floor while Finn mocks the bounce, and Raw goes to break.

Raw returns again and Finn RAMS into Jey at the corner again and again, then CHOPS! Finn whips corner to corner, runs up to CHOP, and then he whips the other way. Finn runs in again but into BOOTS! Jey storms up, headlocks, but Finn powers up. Jey switches sides, Finn headlocks, but Jey powers out. Finn ducks ‘n’ dodges, blocks the kick but the DRAGON WHIP hits! The fans fire up while both men are down! The fans “YEET! YEET! YEET!” as jey and Finn rise. Jey counter punches again, and again, and again! “YEET! YEET! YEET!” Jey pops ‘n’ locks and puts some stank on the HAYMAKER! Finn staggers into a mule kick!

Jey fireman’s carries for a SAMOAN DROP! Cover, TWO! Finn flounders to a corner, Priest is upset so he moves on from the clubhouse. Jey says “UCE! OH!” and runs in, but Finn dodges! Hip attack hits buckles, Finn runs up, but into another fireman’s carry! Finn CLAWS eyes, then hits a NECKBREAKER! Cover, TWO! Jey goes to ropes but Finn stomps away! Finn stomps and stomps and stomps, but the ref counts. Finn lets off, but comes back to SLINGBLADE Jey down! Finn aims from the corner while fans boo, but Jey SUPERKICKS first! Jey goes up top and the fans fire up, for the USO- NO, Jey has to roll through as Finn moves!

Finn SHOTGUNS Jey down! Finn hurries up top, COUP- NO, Jey dodges the double stomps! And SPEARS! Jey hurries back up top, USO SPLASH! Cover, Jey wins!

Winner: Jey Uso, by pinfall

Montreal bounces for Jey as he bounces back to win this one. But then Priest storms out here and stares down his challenger. They get face to face, the fans “YEET! YEET! YEET!” but Priest holds up the world title. Jey looks at the belt, but then JD & Dom ATTACK! Priest is upset, he didn’t want that, but Finn says this is what Judgment Day does, right? They all start mugging Jey, the fans boo and chant for Cody, but Dom kicks Jey out of the ring. Dom then leaps off the apron, but Jey SUPERKICKS him! JD chases Jey down, but Jey sends JD into Finn! Jey goes up into the crowd and the fans cheer. Priest stares Jey down from afar, will Jey YEET that title right off Priest?

The cameras follow Jey backstage tot he pavilion where he high-fives fans and makes his way through to the back exit. The fans all “YEET! YEET!” as he says deuces, uces! Jey goes right outside, and he finds Sami Zayn looking up at the marquee. What’s he doing out here? Sami says over 25 years ago, the first show he ever saw in his life was right here. And now Sami is back here as the champion! Tonight, he walks in the same way he did those 25 years ago: through the front door! The fans cheer and Jey wishes Sami good luck. Sami tells the world if they wanna see the best wrestling city in the world, just follow him.

Sami now walks through the pavilion and he throws stuff around in excitement! The fans are fired up with him, they all high-five and get pictures, and he goes down the same bleachers Jey just came from. Sami is ready to give Montreal the champion they deserve, and even all of Canada by extension! Will Sami create a moment everyone will remember for the rest of their lives? Or will Chad Gable SHOOOOSH them all with a major upset?

WWE Intercontinental Championship: Sami Zayn VS Chad Gable!

Raw returns and Gable is at gorilla. Bronson Reed steps to him and wants to let him know that whoever wins tonight, whether it’s Gable or Sami, they won’t be champion for long. Because then the winner will have to answer to Big Bronson Reed! The theme song says it for Gable, “SHOOOOSH~!” Gable makes his entrance, not sweating what comes after, only what’s happening right now. The introductions are made, the belt is raised, and we see who wins this massive main event in Montreal!

The fans sing “OLE~ OLE OLE OLE~!” Sami and Gable take a moment to soak it all in, then Sami fires up again. The bell rings and the two circle. They feel things out, tie up, and Sami wrenches to wristlock. Gable rolls, spins, wrenches, headlocks, drop toeholds, then headlocks. Sami fights up, powers out, then drops down to hurdle. Sami arm-drags Gable, Gable arm-drags back! Sami slips around, arm-drags again, and Gable bails out. The fans cheer as Sami builds speed, but Gable gets in! Sami dodges, then he dumps Gable out! Gable stumbles from the apron, Sami builds speed, but he fakes Gable out to Arabian Press!

The fans cheer this chess game, but Gable storms in to get in Sami’s face. The fans again sing “OLE~ OLE OLE OLE~” as Raw goes to break.

Raw returns again and Gable fires hands on Sami in a corner, but Sami fires back! Sami headlocks, Gable powers out and he runs Sami over! Cover, TWO! Gable stalks Sami, waistlocks, but Sami fights the lift. Sami throws elbows, then knuckle locks, CHOPS, then goes up and up, but Gable trips him up! Sami gets caught up on the ropes, gets loose and goes to the floor, but Gable goes up! SUPER CROSSBODY! Direct hit and Sami’s wife is worried. Gable puts Sami in the ring, he climbs back up, and DIVING HEADBUTTS! Direct hit again and Gable covers, TWO! Gable is frustrated that Sami survives, and Sami hobbles his way to a corner.

Gable is on Sami and the bad legs! Gable puts one in the ropes, then DRAPING DRAGON SCREWS the other! Gable drags Sami to then step over and drop toehold! And then he YANKS the leg! Gable steps through, leans on the toehold, but the fans rally as Sami endures. Sami keeps his shoulders up, kicks Gable away, and Gable lets go. Gable hurries to whip Sami to ropes and CLOBBER him! But Sami’s right up to LARIAT Gable! The fans fire up as Sami goes to a corner. Gable runs up, but Sami ELBOWS him away! Sami goes up, and FLYING ELBOWS! Sami hobbles again, but he goes to a corner. Gable runs in, into a clinch!

But Gable turns exploder into victory roll, TWO! Gable gets Sami’s leg for an ANKLE LOCK! The fans rally as Sami endures, and he rolls! Gable gets sent out of the ring, and Sami takes aim! But Gable hurries back up to grab the bad leg and drag Sami down! ANKLE LOCK on the apron! Sami kicks free and stands on the apron, to ARABIAN PRESS SAULT! Direct hit and the fans are thunderous! The ref checks Sami given his leg, but Sami says he’s good, and Raw goes back to break.

Raw returns once again and Gable has Sami up top! Sami resists, but Gable throws body shots. Gable brings Sami up for a SUPER OLYMPIC SLAM!! Both men are down and the fans are going nuts! Gable stirs, as does Sami, and Gable finds Sami first. Gable waistlocks, GERMAN SUPLEXES, but holds on! GERMAN SUPLEX again! Montreal is becoming Suplex City, but Sami throws elbows! Sami switches, and he GERMAN SUPLEXES! Sami holds on, GERMAN SUPLEXES again, and still brings Gable up. Gable throws elbows now, switches back, and GERMAN SUPLEX! Sami switches, to GERMAN SUPLEX!

Gable throws more elbows, switches again, but Sami throws elbows to switch! They switch and switch and switch, then Sami GERMAN SUPLEXES!! Gable flops over from his head and shoulders, but both men are down on the mat! The ref checks, Gable is conscious so the match continues. The fans rally up as both men rise, and Sami fires a haymaker! Gable fires one, Sami fires back, they keep going! Gable ROLLING KICKS! Sami flops and ends up in a corner. Gable runs up but Sami clinches! CORNER EXPLODER! The fans fire up with Sami, he runs corner to corner, but Gable rolls to pick the leg! ANKLE LOCK!!

The fans boo Gable and rally for Sami as he endures! Gable leans on the leg, he says this is his moment that Sami took from him! Sami still fights up, rolls and throws Gable away again! But Gable’s right up tot he top rope! MISSILE- POWERBOMB!! Sami’s antiair works, and now he gets Gable’s legs, to step through and tie up! The fans go wild for the SHARPSHOOTER!! But Sami’s own leg gives up! Sami couldn’t hold the hold, but now he clutches his ankle area. Gable’s game plan is working out better than expected! Sami hobbles to a corner, Gable goes to the other. Sami grits his teeth, runs corner to corner, but Gable shoots around! CORNER GERMAN!!

Gable has Sami in the drop zone, goes up top, MOONSAULT into BOOTS! But Gable blocks to have the ANKLE LOCK!! Gable has Sami caught, but Sami endures and reaches out! The fans rally as hard as they can, but Gable drags Sami away!! Gable leans on that Ankle Lock, but Sami rolls to a victory roll, TWO!! Both men stand, Gable runs in, into a CORNER EXPLODER! Sami hurries to the far corner, the fans are thunderous as he powers through the pain, HELLUVA KICK!! Sami crawls to the cover, SAMI WINS!

Winner: Sami Zayn, by pinfall (still WWE Intercontinental Champion)

Montreal rejoices as Sami has une victoire incroyable! Sami sets the belt down so that he can look to Gable. Gable is emotional but Sami wants to tell him he’s got nothing to be ashamed about. Sami offers Gable a hand, and Gable takes it. The two stand, Sami raises Gable’s hand, but then Gable raises Sami’s hand. The fans cheer the sportsmanship, but Gable still has to go back to the drawing board. What will it take for Gable to finally have his first singles title in WWE?

Sami celebrates with his family at ringside, but then GABLE GERMAN SUPLEXES SAMI TO THE FLOOR!! Gable has snapped!! He POSTS Sami, shoves him around, and then TOSSES him over the desk! The fans boo as Gable drags Sami back into the ring, then storms his way up. Gable POSTS Sami again, then has the ANKLE LOCK in the ropes!! The fans boo but Gable wants Sami’s family to watch him suffer!! Sami flails, referees rush out, but Gable lets go when he feels like it! Gable is affreux, méprisable and horriblé, but is he serving Sami up on a silver platter for the Colossal Aussie?

My Thoughts:

A great Raw, but with a real shame about Rhea Ripley. Proof that doing things live, no stunt doubles, adrenaline running high has its moments where things backfire, as many believe the injury happened during last week’s episode with Liv’s attack. It does work towards story, though, so that Rhea can have heat with Liv, and a new world champion to be crowned next week in some big kind of match. Good promos from Liv and Nia, those two are definitely the top choices for new champion. And then after The Draft happens, possibilities are endless for who the new champion faces for Backlash, if they want to have this title on that event so quickly after all this.

Good stuff out of Judgment Day even as they have to say see-ya-later to Mami. Priest is of course stepping up as leader since he’s the World Heavyweight Champion, but nothing really went their way tonight. Andrade beat Dom and then of course Ricochet shows up to back him up against Dom & JD, there’s a tag match there. Jey beats Finn and then escapes the beating, we might even get a Six Man Tag to hype everything up. Great video package to look back at Priest’s career, and then Priest being reluctant in Judgment Day beating Jey down, is something gonna give where Priest retains the world title, but then gets kicked out of the group even after all this time?

Great promo from Cody to hype up a lot of stuff all in one go. He got us fired up about Styles VS Knight this Friday, the Undisputed WWE Championship match at Backlash, he kept the hype going for his far future feud with The Rock, he thanked Rollins and Jey while also plugging this new form of Bloodline that’s happening. Cody also had a great moment with Jey before Jey’s match with Priest. Jey also had a really good promo before that to relate his feelings about new Bloodline, it would be awesome if somehow the Usos reunited for the sake of saving the family from this new age of tyranny, but that probably happens closer to Survivor Series so it can be done in WarGames.

Really good stuff for the tag divisions, men’s and women’s. I figured after splitting the Undisputed titles that the show-branded titles were going away. And while the modern World Tag Team Championships look great, they really are just smaller, rounder World Heavyweight Championship belts. I was hoping for truly original designs here, but you can bet right now that Friday, the new WWE Tag Team Championships are gonna be akin to the Universal title. But great promo bit from Awesome Truth with HHH and Pearce to show off these new belts, and then give us an awesome tag team triple threat. DIY winning makes sense on many levels, such as Truth mistaking them for DX and the friendship with them, to DIY being HHHBK Guys.

Really good story stuff in the Women’s Tag Division, though the matches could’ve each been a bit better. But we got the point of each story: Indi is starting to turn Heel like Candice has, because she’d rather win than look like a dummy; and Piper does all the real work in her team, as always, but she and Chelsea are also getting their way back up. I’m still betting on Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill as the next WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, but they’ll get quite the fight out of all these Heel teams on top of Kabuki Warriors.

Great return match for Sheamus. If we’re talking title feuds for him, I’d really love if Sheamus got back in on the Intercontinental Championship scene. That’s still the missing piece to his ultimate WWE accomplishments list, and if he’s built up strongly through the next couple months, he could get that title at Clash at the Castle in June or some other point over the Summer. That is, unless Gunther comes back for Bash in Berlin. Well again, the Draft is coming, we still have to hope and pray Sheamus is on the brand that ends up with the Intercontinental Championship.

Speaking of, awesome main event from Sami and Gable, and Sami of course retained, but I had a feeling Gable was gonna snap. Gable was shouting during the match that Sami stole his moment, this was secretly personal for Gable the whole time, and this is was the last straw. Bronson Reed also wants next, so the walls are already closing in on Sami. Sami could put on a great series of matches through the Summer to build to a rematch with Gunther at Bash in Berlin and that moment in and of itself would be amazing.

My Score: 8.7/10