Coverage
Mitchell’s WWE Raw Results & Report! (9/12/22)
DING DONG! Damage Control!

The Bougie & Badass VS DMG CTRL, round two!
Raw holds a rematch from the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Tournament Finals to clear the controversy! Will Kai & Sky take control this time?
OFFICIAL RESULTS
- Matt Riddle VS Finn Balor w/ Damian Priest; Finn wins.
- WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships: Aliyah & Raquel Rodriguez VS Dakota Kai & Iyo Sky w/ Bayley; Kai & Sky win and become the new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions.
- Johnny Gargano VS Chad Gable w/ Otis Dozovic; Gargano wins.
- Raw Women’s Championship Open Challenge: Bianca Belair VS Sonya Deville; Bianca wins and retains the title.
- 2v1 Handicap Match: Omos w/ MVP VS Cash Marazi & Ryan Tombs; Omos wins.
- Edge VS Dominik Mysterio w/ The Judgement Day; Edge wins, by disqualification.
PLAY BY PLAY
Seth Rollins is here!
The Visionary is on Portland, Oregon and the fans sing his song, “OH~ OHH~ OHHHH~!” as he heads to the ring. Rollins conducts the fans as he gets the mic and says, “PORTLAAAAND! HAHAHAHA! Welcome to Monday Night Rollins, baybay! And let me introduce your host for this evening. e is none other than the Face of Monday Night Raw. He is a Visionary. He is a revolutionary. He is…” “SETH! FREAKIN’! ROLLINS!” Rollins enjoys that, and even enjoys the fans singing again, “OH~ OHH~ OHHHH~!” Rip City is too kind! But he has a question. “Do you believe in karma?” Good things to good people, bad things to bad people!
Rollins was skeptical, but nine days ago, at Clash at he Castle, the Universe was in perfect harmony because he beat Matt Riddle! Rollins stomped Riddle’s head not once but twice, and he had 60 THOUSAND PLUS singing his song. “OH~ OHH~ OHHHH~!” Now, it has come to Rollins’ attention that he is living rent free in that little pea brain of Riddle’s, because Riddle wants a rematch against Rollins. Fans like the sound of that, but Rollins says the problem is, Rollins is not interested. Aww… But you may be asking, “What’s next for Seth Freakin’ Rollins?” And while Rollins pondered that exact question the past week…
Fans are chanting “REMATCH! REMATCH!” But Rollins says he’s NOT interested in a rematch with Riddle, so zip it! Fans boo now but Rollins says what he is interested in is the fact that it has been far too long since Rollins has held championship gold. “Bro…” Riddle shows up anyway! Rollins is already saying now, but Riddle just says, “Bro.” Then rushes the ring! They brawl, Riddle fires off KICK after KICK bug Rollins RAMS him into a corner. Riddle carries Rollins out to TOSS him over the ropes! They brawl outside, Rollins SMACKS Riddle off the desk and runs away! But Riddle pursues! They brawl in the crowd!
Rollins rakes Riddle’s eyes then runs away again! Rollins hurries up the ramp but Riddle pursues! Only for The Judgement Day to make their entrance! Damian Priest & Finn Balor specifically are here with mics. Riddle gets back in the ring, ready to fight, but Finn says to chill, bro! They’re not here to fight! They’re Riddle’s friends. They all go way back, man! That’s why they’re here: to offer Riddle a spot. If Riddle recalls, not too long ago, they were all in the same situation: superstars on the rise that somehow, someway, got held back. But no more. Priest & Finn are going to change that for Riddle.
Finn says we’ve seen how much Dom’s grown these last few weeks. And Dom finally stepped out of his dad’s shadow. The Judgement Day has taken care of Dom, and Dom is gonna take care of Edge! Riddle has problem, these guys can be his problem solvers. “Matthew, it’s me. Listen, the Judgement Day is simple.” Fans chant for “BRO! BRO!” and Finn says this is what the fans want! Rise with the Judgement Day, or fall against them. Riddle says, “Bro… We do go back, dude. But right now, my focus is on Seth. So the answer is no, bro.”
Fans cheer that but Finn says he knows things are more relaxed here in Portland, so maybe Riddle’s a bit cloudy. Finn will make this very clear. Riddle either stands with them, or he stands in their way. Riddle BOOTS Finn! Riddle clotheslines Priest out! The Bro sends Judgement Day reeling, will they make him regret rejecting them?
Matt Riddle VS Finn Balor w/ Damian Priest!
Raw returns as Finn CHOPS Riddle in the corner, this match already underway! Finn whips corner to corner then CHOPS Riddle again. Finn tells Riddle this is what he gets, then whips Riddle back the other way. Riddle goes up and over to KICK Finn down! Riddle then deadlift gut wrench suplexes Finn, and then drags him up for another! BROTON! Cover, TWO! Riddle stalks Finn to a corner but Finn kicks a leg out! And then sweeps the leg! And again! Finn puts the leg on ropes to HIP DROP on it! Riddle writhes and clutches the leg, but he gets to a corner. Finn puts the leg in the ropes to pull on it!
The ref counts, Finn lets off, and Riddle ROCKS Finn with a forearm. Riddle goes up but Finn YANKS him down! Finn stands on Riddle’s neck but lets off as the ref counts. Finn sits Riddle up to throw down an elbow and wrap on a chinlock. Riddle endures, fans rally up, and Riddle fights to his feet. Riddle throws body shots then shifts to SAYANAGI! Riddle runs, BROTON FLOPS as Finn moves! Finn CLUBS away on Riddle’s head, then covers, TWO! Finn drags Riddle up, ELBOWS him on the neck, and Riddle gest to ropes. Finn brings Riddle up to snap suplex! Cover, TWO! Finn clamps onto Riddle with a chinlock and pulls back, #JUSTFACELOCK!
Riddle endures, fights up and fans fire up! Riddle fireman’s carries but Finn slips off to a NECKBREAKER! Cover, TWO! Priest nods as Finn still has control. Finn KICKS Riddle in the side, then springboard stomps Riddle. Finn stands on Riddle’s neck, the ref counts and Finn lets off to stomp away on Riddle! The ref counts more, Finn lets off, and the Judgement Day soaks up the heat. Finn goes back for Riddle, throws haymakers, but Riddle catches him and throws him out with a body scissors! Riddle then aims from the apron, but Priest stands in the way! The ref reprimands, Priest moves, and Finn trips Riddle up!
Finns pins Riddle around, throws down fists, then climbs up to stand on Riddle. The ref counts, Finn lets off to stomp, but Riddle moves! Riddle KICKS away on Finn, then fireman’s carries! Finn fights free and claws Riddle into a dragon sleeper! APRON ELBOW DROP DDT! Riddle cries in pain about his neck as Raw goes to break!
Raw returns again and Riddle throws body shots to fight off the facelock. Riddle ROCKS Finn with haymakers but Finn kicks Riddle’s leg out! Finn brings Riddle up, but Riddle FISHERMAN BUSTERS! Both men are down and fans fire up! Finn drags himself up the ropes and snarls. He runs at Riddle but into a flurry of palm strikes! Riddle BOOTS Finn then spins him on the rebound for the PELE! Finn goes to a corner, Riddle kips up and runs in, forearm smash! Riddle goes side to side to forearm smash again! BROSPLODER! Finn bails out but Riddle goes up and out to PENALTY KICK! Finn goes down, Priest hurries over, but Riddle SPRINGBROAD FLOATING BROS!
Direct hit at the ramp and fans fire up again! Riddle puts Finn in, Finn wants mercy! But then Finn trips Riddle to throw hands! Riddle monkey flips Finn away, turns Slingblade into wristlock ripcord, FINAL FLASH! Both men are down and fans fire up! Riddle drags Finn to a drop zone, goes up top, but Priest distracts from the apron! Riddle swipes at Priest, but Finn rolls Riddle up! TWO, Finn ducks the roundhouse! ELBOW DROP DDT! Both men are down again, but then REY MYSTERIO Jumps in Priest! They bump off the post, then Rey clotheslines Priest into the crowd! Fans fire up as Rey runs Priest off to the back!
Finn freaks out but he hurries to get Riddle! Riddle gets Finn up, BRO TO SLEEP, to a GERMAN SUPLEX! Bridging cover, TWO!! Riddle drags Finn to a drop zone and goes up top! FLOATING BRO, onto knees!!Finn turns things around, and he SHOTGUNS Riddle into the corner! Finn grins as he climbs up top! COUP DE- NO, Riddle dodges! Riddle puts Finn through the ropes, for the DRAPING DDT! That one’s for Randy! And speaking of The Viper, Portland fires up as Riddle hears the voices! Finn staggers up but Rollins returns! Riddle DECKS Rollins, brings him through the ropes, but Finn gets Riddle for 1916!!
Finn goes up top again, for the COUP DE GRACE!! Cover, Finn wins!
Winner: Finn Balor, by pinfall
Between Priest and Rollins, Riddle couldn’t stay focused on Finn and- OH NO! CURB STOMP!! Rollins gets Riddle again and he shouts, “It’s over between you and me! You hearing me? It’s OVER, Riddle. Move on!” Will The Stallion have no choice but to leave this grudge behind?
Backstage interview with Damage Control.
Sarah asks Bayley, Dakota Kai & Iyo Sky what this WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship rematch mean to them. Uh, there shouldn’t even need to be a rematch because Kai & Sky should’ve won in the first place. The only reason they didn’t is because Aliyah acts like she’s never been in a tag match before and she pinned the wrong competitor! If you don’t believe Bayley, go back and watch the footage. Everyone’s talking about it! Dakota says that’s the past. Tonight, they make it right. Tonight, they’re in control. Iyo adds in Japanese and English, “This is OUR division.”
Then can Bayley elaborate on how it feels to be the first woman to pin Bianca Belair in almost a year? Bayley has Sarah stop there, because DMG CTRL is done talking. They head out, will #CobraKai and the Evil Genius be able to take those titles from Aliyah & Raquel this time around?
Dominik Mysterio speaks.
“I’ve only ever been known as ‘The Son of the Legendary Rey Mysterio.’ But that all changed at Clash at the Castle. Because for the first time in my life, I felt alive. I became my own person. I was done taking the disrespect and just bottling it up inside. And Edge… Edge got exactly what he deserved. And tonight, I’m going to finish what I started. Jefe. Dad. I know you’re disappointed. But that’s too bad. Because this is MY life, not yours. Instead of being upset with me, you should look in the mirror and ask yourself, ‘Why?’ Why you never bothered just to get to know me. Why, instead of trying to teach me, you didn’t just ask me what I wanted for me career.
“But you know, for such a tiny, tiny man, you cast a large shadow. And I’m done living under it.” Rhea puts a hand on Dom’s shoulder, then whispers something to him. Dom says he’s not Rey’s baby boy anymore. He is a man! Dom heads out, and Rhea smiles. What has the Eradicator taught Dominik in order to destroy the legends in his life?
Austin Theory speaks.
“There’s a lot of surprises going around here lately. A lot of hits rolling in, a lot of exciting news, and if only I had the connect. Oh wait, I do! I know things! And I know who Johnny Gargano’s first opponent’s going to be in his long-awaited return to the ring is going to be. It’s not me, cuz I got my hands full. I’m a busy man. But you know who his opponent is? I’d call him a close friend. A man who created The Gable Method of Success. Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, let me introduce you to Chad Gable!
The Alpha Academy walk in and Gable says, “Johnny Wrestling? After tonight, the only thing anyone’s gonna know you as is Johnny SHOOOOSH~! A THANK YEW~!” But will Master Gable be the one learning something in the ring tonight?
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships: Aliyah & Raquel Rodriguez VS Dakota Kai & Iyo Sky w/ Bayley!
The Bougie & The Badass may have gotten a bit lucky that the ref wasn’t paying attention to who was legal, but it was only because the Role Model kept distracting everyone! Her team paid the price that night, but will Damage Control take control with this second chance? Or will Aliyah & Raquel make sure they get it right when they win again?
The introductions are made, the belts are raised, and we’ll see which team is really the better tonight!
The teams sort out and Raquel starts with Dakota. They rush in, but Dakota gets around to CLUB Raquel on the back. But Raquel laughs that off, then KNEES Dakota low. Raquel suplexes Dakota, holds her up, walks over to the corner and Aliyah tags in. Raquel TOSSES Dakota, then Aliyah CLOBBERS her! Cover, TWO! Aliyah whips Dakota to the corner then SPLASHES! Raquel tags in, she runs and SPLASHES, too! Dakota flops over, Raquel covers, TWO! Raquel drags Dakota away from her corner to wrench the arm and knuckle lock. Straight Arm Lever! Dakota screams, Raquel lets her down to run her over! Cover, TWO!
Bayley is frustrated already but Raquel drags Dakota back up. Raquel wrenches and knuckle locks again, for another Straight Arm Lever! Dakota squirrels around to a sunset flip, but Raquel stays up! Raquel throws down a punch but Dakota avoids it with a bridge! Raquel steps through to elbow drop! Dakota scrambles away to avoid the cover, and Iyo runs in! Raquel puts Iyo out and she falls over onto Dakota! Raquel then picks Aliyah up to TOSS her onto Kai & Sky! The champions are in control over Damage Control as Raw goes to break!
Raw returns and Iyo wrenches, but Raquel reverses the whip to run Iyo over! Raquel drags Iyo over, tags Aliyah, and Aliyah goes up to AX HANDLE! Aliyah wrenches Iyo to a wristlock but Iyo throws her by her hair! Aliyah handsprings back up to ROCK Iyo! Aliyah whips, Iyo reverses but Aliyah goes up and over and comes back with a THESZ PRESS! And fast hands! Fans fire up with Aliyah and she runs in, into a kick! Iyo brings Aliyah around, suplexes, but Aliyah fights free! Aliyah goes Matrix to dodge, then SIT-OUT HIP TOSS! Aliyah blows Bayley a kiss but Iyo ROCKS her! Tag to Dakota, Aliya dodges Iyo but Dakota trips Aliyah up!
Aliyah ends up on the ropes and Iyo runs in, DOUBLE KNEES into the back! Dakota covers, TWO! Dakota drags Aliyah up while Bayley is annoyed. Dakota CLUBS Aliyah, whips her to a corner and Aliyah sits down. BOOT WASH! Cover, TWO! Aliyah survives but Dakota drags her up. Fans rally but the ref checks on Aliyah. Aliyah says she’s okay to continue, so Dakota drags her over and tags Iyo in. Iyo stomps Aliyah, sits her down, then taunts her. The ref checks again, but Aliyah insists she’s okay. So Iyo DOUBLE KNEES her again! Tag back to Dakota, but Bayley says this is how DMG CTRL does it!
Dakota clamps onto a chinlock and she grinds Aliyah down. Aliyah endures and Raquel coaches her up. Aliyah fights up slowly, Dakota CLUBS her, and she tags in Iyo. Iyo pulls on the arms with a motorcycle stretch and even digs a boot in. Aliyah endures, fans rally up but Bayley says Iyo should stick to the plan. Aliyah fights, knees Iyo back, and reaches for Raquel! Aliyah ROCKS Iyo but Iyo holds her back! Aliyah keeps fighting, but Iyo reels her into a waistlock! Iyo shoves Aliyah away, catches her again, and FLAPJACKS her down! Tag to Dakota and DMG CTRL drags Aliyah up. Aliyah lands out of the suplex to DOUBLE NECKBREAKER!
Aliyah crawls and Portland is thunderous! Hot tag to Big Mami Cool! Raquel rallies, sending Sky into Kai just like before! Raquel rallies on Dakota with lariats, then a FALL AWAY SLAM! Dakota is in a drop zone, Raquel runs in and goes up, TWISTING VADER! Then a scoop! Aliyah tags back in, but Dakota slips free! Raquel BOOTS Dakota down, she gives Aliyah that boost, ALLEY-OOP SPLASH! Cover, Iyo breaks it! Raquel runs in but into a SHOTEI! Iyo hops up, but Raquel spins it! She blocks the Rana to hit a POWERBOMB out of the ring! Iyo brings Raquel with her and Aliyah rolls Dakota up! TWO!!
Aliyah is shocked! That worked last time, and Dakota was even legal this time! Aliyah hurries, but Dakota clinches! Aliyah JAWBREAKERS Dakota away, runs in at the ropes, springboard, FACEBUSTER! Cover, Bayley helps with the ROPEBREAK!! Aliyah is furious! Bayley says this is what Aliyah gets for last time! But then Raquel storms up on Bayley! Bayley backs off, but Aliyah WRECKS her with a dropkick! But Iyo is up top and she ARIHARA MOONSAULTS Raquel! Dakota throws Aliyah down, hops on, KAI-ROPRACTOR!! Cover, DMG CTRL WINS!
Winners: Dakota Kai & Iyo Sky, by pinfall (NEW WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions)
With now Bianca, Asuka or Alexa, Bayley gets her way this time! Her girls have the gold, will Bayley grab a belt for herself now?
Rey finds Dominik backstage.
Rey heard what Dom what he said, and he had no idea Dom was holding all of that inside. Rey admits it is his fault. If he could change everything, he would. Dom doesn’t have to go through with this match tonight. They can fix all of this! Just give Rey a chance to make it right so they can be a family again. Wow, not even going to look at him> Rey is begging Dom to not fight Edge. Edge is a brother to Rey and an uncle to Dom! But Dom’s never seen this side of Edge before. When Edge is backed up into a corner, he doesn’t hold back. Fine. Dom, if you do fight Edge tonight, things will never go back to how they were. Edge is that dangerous!
Rhea laughs as she walks in. Edge isn’t the only dangerous one around here. And like she said before, Dom isn’t Rey’s little boy anymore. Papi knows best, and Papi knows Rhea is all man now. Dom leaves with Rhea, but did nothing Rey said get through to him? Or will Edge have to teach Dom the hard way?
Johnny Gargano VS Chad Gable w/ Otis Dozovic!
The one and only NXT Triple Crown Winner finally has his return to action now that he’s on Raw. Will he be the one who SHOOOOSHES Chad Gable tonight?
Raw returns and Gargano makes his entrance. Fans fire up for Rebel Heart already, and the bell rings. Gable circles with Gargano and the two tie up. Gable headlocks for a takeover but Gargano headscissors. Gable kips free, roles reverse as “JOHNNY WRESTLING!” gets the headlock takeover. Gable headscissors, Gargano kips free and fans keep chanting. Gable says he’s the better wrestler, but he and Gargano tie up. Gargano rolls to pick leg, Gable moves around but Gargano keeps up to shift and facelock. Gargano gator rolls but Gable kicks free. Fans rally up as Gargano and Gable circle again.
Gargano and Gable tie up, Gable headlocks, then shifts through to hammerlock and drop toehold! Gable says “A THANK YEW!” as he has the armlock. Gargano endures, fights up, and he clinches to bring Gable down to a knee. La Magistrol leads to a headlock but Gable fights up. Gable powers out, Gargano goes up and over and rolls, then slips around to shove and follow Gable, to RANA! Fans fire up as Gable gets up to get thrown around with arm-drags! And then a DROPKICK! Gable is dizzy, and Gargano runs at him to wheelbarrow. Gable fights that but Gargano drags him down, moves him around, lateral press to a ghost pin! TWO!!
Gargano has Gable with a facelock, and Gable is frustrated. Gargano rolls with Gable, fans rally behind “JOHNNY WRESTLING!” but Gable slips out to ROCK Gargano with a right! “A THANK YEW!” Fans boo but Gable puts Gargano in a corner. Gable CHOPS Gargano, and Gargano is stinging! Gable stands Gargano up and CHOPS again! “I am the master!” Gable waistlocks but Gargano endures the bearhug to switch. Gable switches, Gargano switches, repeat! They go around and around, Gargano school boy KICKS Gable down! Gable gets out and Gargano DROPKICKS him down! Gargano then hurries to the apron to CANNONBALL!
Fans fire up as Gargano gets back in the ring with Gable on the floor, and Raw goes to break.
Raw returns and Gable has Gargano with a standing toehold. Gargano kicks with his free leg, but Gable YANKS the other. Gargano gets to ropes but Gable drags him to center for a SPINNING TOE HOLD! And another! And then another YANK! Gargano writhes while Gable soaks up the heat, “A THANK YEW~!” Gable drags Gargano up, has the leg, and hits a SHIN BREAKER! Then a BIG back suplex! Otis says that’s an athlete! Cover, ONE!! Gable is frustrated but he drags Gargano around for another SPINNING TOE HOLD! Gable keeps on the leg this time, but fans rally up. Gable drags Gargano while in the toehold, but fans taunt him with “SHORTY G!”
Gargano fights with his free leg again and fans cheer. Gable loses the toehold, steps through but Gargano BOOTS him up and out! Gable skins the cat, but into Gargano’s forearm! And another! And another! Gargano whips, Gable reverses but Gargano CROSSBODIES! Gargano rallies, ENZIGURIS, and then fires up! Fans cheer Gargano on as he runs through the pain, but Gable puts him on the apron! Gable runs, into the SLINGSHOT SPEAR! Cover, TWO! Gargano grimaces but he paces around Gable. Gargano drags Gable up, scoops him but Gable slips off. Gargano elbows Gable away, goes up and over, but Gable ducks the kick to get the ANKLE LOCK!
Gargano crawls up the ropes, kicks at Gable again, but Gable uses both legs to get Gargano into a Canadian Rack! CLIFFHANGER DDT! Cover, TWO!! Gable is frustrated but this is the toughness of the NXT Triple Crown Winner! Gable goes up a corner, climbs to the very top, and MOONSAULTS, but has to land out as Gargano moves! Gable blocks the superkick to ROCK Gargano! Gargano ROCKS Gable, wheelbarrows, but into a GERMAN SUPLEX! Bridging cover, TWO!! Gargano escapes after the “Ocean Cyclone,” but Gable is furious! Gable goes up the corner again, for the DIVING HEADBUTT into a crossface!! GargaNO Escape!!
Gable rolls it to an ANKLE LOCK! Gargano endures, moves around, rolls and sends Gable into buckles! Gargano runs, dodges, tilt-o-whirls, and he wrangles Gable. Gable turns that around to CHAOS- NO, Gargano turns that to a victory roll! TWO ad Gable has it, TWO!! BUZZSSAW from Gargano! Gargano runs, into the ROLLING ELBOW! DISCUS LARIAT on the return!! Fans declare “This is Awesome!” while both men are down! Gargano and Gable get to opposite ends and drag themselves up the ropes. Gable runs in but is TOSSED onto Otis! Then Gargano DIVES and sends the Academy into the desk!
Gargano puts Gable in, he avoids Otis’ sweep to SUPERKICK! Then GAMANGIRI for Gable, and the SLINGSHOT DDT!! Cover, Gargano wins!
Winner: Johnny Gargano, by pinfall
The #OneFinalBeat finishes it off! But Otis runs in! Gargano dodges to SUPERKICK! And SUPERKICK! Otis stays up so Gargano dodges again to say “SUCK IT!” Gargano leaves it at this, but Theory CLOBBERS Gargano with his briefcase! Theory gets a selfie with Gargano while fans boo and chant “YOU SUCK!” Will Gargano make sure to wipe the smile off the Youngest Mr. Money in the Bank’s face?
Raw returns with Austin Theory still in the ring.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Did Johnny Gargano disappoint all of you? Did Johnny Wrestling not walk off into the unrealistic, depressing Portland sunset? You know what happened? Somebody had to show him how it works around here. Because to me, all Johnny Wrestling is, is an overrated bottom-feeding fish at the bottom of the food chain!” Fans “What?” and Theory is already upset. Did Theory ruin Gargano’s big moment? “WHAT?” Say that again! “WHAT?” And here comes KEVIN OWENS! Theory is upset even more now but the fans are happy to see KO! And Kevin has a mic to say, “Y’know, Austin-”
“SHUT UP!” Theory is sick and tired of his moments being ruined by idiots like Kevin, Tyson Fury, Johnny Gargano and more! Theory is the future! He is the YOUNGEST Mr. MITB in all of history, and he will take over this entire damn industry! Kevin says we heard all of that last week. Or rather, Theory did his best to say all that last week, he was having issues with his jaw. Clearly, Theory fixed that so good for him. But we have heard all this for months now! Theory talks about being the future because of how young he is and his good looks. That’s good and all, but Kevin looked Theory in the eyes last week and said Theory was the handpicked future.
That might’ve been the truth, but it is no longer the case. That’s not how it works anymore! See, guys like Kevin and Gargano, they don’t look like Theory. Yeah, exactly! They will never look like Theory! The fans will never look like Theory! Fans boo but Theory says it’s funny. He knows why Kevin’s jealous. Let’s be real here. Theory has done more in the past five months than Kevin and Gargano have combined in the last five years! Kevin says statements like that really go to show just how big of a delusional jackass Theory is.
Because look at what Theory accomplished and how. He had all those opportunities handed to him! From the US Championship in a match he didn’t earn, to the MITB briefcase in a ladder match he wasn’t supposed to be in. It was all handed to Theory. Don’t get Kevin wrong, because he can’t blame Theory. When Kevin first became Universal Champion, that title was literally handed to him. But that is where the similarities end. Except for that moment, Kevin and Theory are complete opposites, and Kevin couldn’t be prouder of that fact.
Let Kevin ask Theory this: “How many guys in the last two decades have come by the WWE that are just like you? Young, chiseled out of stone, full of potential. And how many of those guys fizzled out and went nowhere? Hundreds of them! HUNDREDS!” But how many people like Kevin and Gargano have come around the WWE? How many of them have made it to this level? You can count those people on one hand! Because people like Theory are a dime a dozen, but Kevin and Gargano are one in a million! That is why this place, the fans, they NEED people like Kevin and Gargano! They are the heart and soul of this business!!
And people like Theory are the appendix of this business: completely disposable! And look. Kevin can see he’s upsetting Theory. That may not be the case for Theory. Kevin does hope Theory is everything he says he is. Kevin hopes Theory is the future of the WWE. But, Kevin’s been watching and listening and knows how Theory carries himself. And Kevin is telling Theory now, Theory doesn’t have what it takes to be that future. Theory wants to talk but Kevin tells him to shut up and listen! Theory needs to prove Kevin wrong! Prove the people wrong! Does Theory know how? You stop thinking about the moments that were handed to you and start making moments yourself!
Kevin tells Theory to check the ego at the door, look in the mirror and realize you’re not as good as you think you are, but show your passion and get better. And you leave everything in this ring every time you step foot in front of the fans! THAT is how you prove Kevin wrong and become the future and the Face of the WWE! Kevin gives Theory a push and Theory scowls. The fans cheer for “KO! KO!” and Theory raises his hand… just to flex. “You’ll never be like me, Kevin!” Kevin sighs and says, “Well, talking sense into you didn’t work so maybe this will.” SLAP!! Theory is furious, and the brawl is on!
Kevin tackles Theory down and rains down fists! Theory gets up, Kevin gets at him in the corner, and refs rush out to stop this! Theory hits Kevin back now and he has Kevin in a corner! Fans want to “Let Them Fight!” but refs pull Theory back. Kevin BOOTS Theory, and the hands fly again! Producers drag Theory out of the ring to keep him from Kevin but Kevin comes in and CLOBBERS Theory! Fans are loving this as the brawling goes around ringside! Kevin ROCKS Theory towards the ramp then puts him back in the ring. Theory gets the briefcase! Kevin dodges, kicks, but no Stunner for this Austin!
Theory bails out of the ring and is furious! Theory has a bloody nose, and Kevin wants Theory to prove something to him! Kevin says that nose is just the beginning, but how will this end for the Prizefighter and the former golden boy?
Raw announces the NXT 2.0 Anniversary poll results!
The fans were allowed to choose the fate of two title matches in tomorrow night’s episode of NXT, and the results are in! For the NXT Tag Team Championships, Pretty Deadly will defend the titles against The Creed Brothers, in a STEEL CAGE MATCH! That kicks off the show, which team will escape the other with the gold?
Raw Women’s Championship Open Challenge: Bianca Belair VS ???
The RawEST Women’s Champion wants to prove she’s the readiEST by opening the door to anyone who wants this shot! Who will answer the call? Fans cheer her on as she gets the mic to say, “If there’s anything that these past few weeks has taught me is that I need to stay ready. Because as champion, I’m always gonna have a target on my back. So that’s exactly why I’ve decided to issue an Open Challenge tonight for the Raw Women’s Championship. And I’ve done that to remind everybody that I ain’t nothing to play with. I am the E S T of the WWE, and you can’t whoop me! So, if there’s anybody back there that wants a piece of the EST, who will it be?”
Fans cheer for any number of names, but the music that plays is… Sonya Deville? SmackDown’s Cruella is here and she asks, “What’s the matter, Bianca? Why do you look so confused? Oh, did you think I’d forgotten what you did to me? Oh, honey, if only things were that simple.” Bianca not only made a mockery of Sonya’s position in WWE Management, but she cost Sonya her job as an official. And if not for people getting involved, Sonya is convinced she’d be the champion now. Bianca says, “Girl, uh-uh. Sonya, girl, shut up. This is an Open Challenge, not an Open Mic. So ref, let’s get this thing started!”
The fans are fired up and the mics are put away. Will Bianca finally settle things with Sonya and send her scurrying back to SmackDown?
Raw returns as the introductions are made. The belt is raised and one way or another, this will put an end to things between Bianca and Sonya!
Bianca and Sonya circle, and Bianca avoids the sweep. Sonya shoots in, Bianca gets around to waistlock and SLAM Sonya, but Sonya shifts around to switch. Bianca switches back, Sonya throws elbows, but Bianca whips Sonya towards a corner. Sonya reverses but Bianca goes up and over to then scoop Sonya for a GUTBUSTER! Fans fire up and Bianca drags Sonya to a cover, TWO! Bianca drags Sonya up, scoops her but Sonya fights free to throw Bianca down! Sonya runs to BOOT Bianca down then covers, TWO! Sonya drags Bianca up and KICKS away in the corner! The ref counts, Sonya lets off, and she puts Bianca through ropes to CHOKE!
The ref counts, Sonya lets off again, and then Sonya brings Bianca around to wrap on a chinlock. Bianca endures, snapmares free, and gets to a corner. Sonya run sin, Bianca elbows her away, then BOOTS her down! Bianca goes out, ROCKS Sonya, then slingshots to LARIAT! Fans fire up as Bianca rallies with more clotheslines, and a DROPKICK! Sonya get sup but Bianca spins her and suplexes up and over! HANDSPRING MOONSAULT! Cover, TWO! Sonya bails out but Bianca pursues, only for Sonya to grab at her. Bianca kicks Sonya away, then MOONSAULTS off the apron! Sonya dodges, Bianca lands on her feet, and Sonya CLOBBERS Bianca!
Fans boo while Bianca is down and Sonya grits her teeth. The Raw Women’s Champion is in trouble as Raw goes to break.
Raw returns again and Sonya has Bianca in a cobra twist. Bianca fights up and hip tosses free! Fans fire up and Bianca runs in, but Sonya WRINGS her into the buckles! Sonya KICKS away on Bianca’s back but lets off as the ref counts. Sonya drags Bianca onto ropes and CHOKES her! The ref counts, Sonya lets off again, and she drags Bianca up to bump off buckles. Sonya KICKS Bianca, taunts her, then snapmares her to a chinlock. Bianca endures and fans rally up. Bianca fights up to her feet, and she snapmares free again! But Sonya YANKS her out to the floor! Bianca staggers up, she gets Sonya’s arm, but Sonya YANKS Bianca into the POST!
Sonya soaks up the heat and brings Bianca up. Sonya SMACKS Bianca off the desk, then talks trash as she smothers Bianca. Sonya puts Bianca in the ring and covers, TWO! Sonya keeps on Bianca with another chinlock and she grinds Bianca down. Fans rally as Bianca fights up again! Bianca shoots around, rolls Sonya up, TWO! Sonya kicks but Bianca blocks to kick back! Bianca brings Sonya around, scoops her, and hits a FALL AWAY SLAM! Fans fire up while Sonya flounders and Bianca stands up. Bianca runs, handsprings and FLOPS as Sonya moves! SLIDING KNEE! Cover, TWO!! Sonya is beside herself as Bianca survives!
Sonya KICKS Bianca, and KICKS, and KICKS! Bianca ducks the next one, shoves her to ropes and hits a SPINEBUSTER! Cover, TWO!! Bianca is annoyed but shakes her head. Bianca stalks Sonya to ropes, grabs at her, but Sonya kicks her away. Sonya gets up, Bianca catches the haymaker into chicken wings, and brings Sonya up, but Sonya victory rolls! TWO and Sonya hits buckles! Bianca gets up, she hoists Sonya up to the top rope, and then climbs up after her. Sonya throws body shots, she shoves Bianca away and FLYING KNEES! Cover, TWO!! Bianca survives again and Sonya can’t believe it!
Sonya hurries to get Bianca up, turns her, but Bianca pushes her away. Bianca spins Sonya, suplexes and then rolls right through! Another suplex but Sonya slips out! HEAD ‘N’ ARM! But Bianca RAMS Sonya into buckles! Bianca gets free, runs in, but into a spin from Sonya! Sonya has a dragon sleeper but Bianca throws knees! Bianca goes up the corner, uses that to get up and over, and she torture racks for the KISS OF DEATH!! Cover, Bianca wins!
Winner: Bianca Belair, by pinfall (still Raw Women’s Champion)
Bianca feels better now with that win! But wait, Bayley returns! “Ding dong~! Hey, champ. Great victory, good job, good job. Where you inspired by Dakota’s and Iyo’s championship victory earlier? Because I know I was!” Portland could learn a thing or two! Kai & Sky did what they said they were going to do? And Bayley said they’d take control of the entire division. Tonight was just the beginning! But since Bayley’s here, let’s talk Bianca’s victory. How does Bianca feel? Did her beating the #PrideFighter make her feel good? Because Bayley is pretty sure it did. That match fed just a bit of Bianca’s big fat ego! “What?” Big fat ego. “What?”
Bayley wants Bianca to be truthful to all the fans here. Bayley knows Bianca can’t sleep at night until she gets a match with Bayley. Is that what Bianca really wants? Because if Bayley was Bianca, she’d be embarrassed. Bayley hadn’t wrestled in over a year, and yet she pinned Bianca when no one else has for that same 365 days! Is that what Bianca wants? YES! Bianca dares Bayley to get in the ring but Bayley tells everyone to just relax. The match will happen, when the time is right! Bianca sets down the belt and dares Bayley, but Kai & Sky have slipped into the ringside area! Bianca sees she’s surrounded, and she sighs because she should’ve known better.
DMG CTRL creeps in, Bianca ROCKS Iyo then DECKS Bayley! But she gets mugged by the others! It becomes 3v1 but then here come Asuka and Alexa! Bliss KICKS Iyo, and hits a DDT! Asuka ducks Dakota’s kick to POP-UP KNEE! Bayley realizes that she’s the one outnumbered now! Bayley can’t get past Bliss or Asuka, and she puts up her dukes. But Bianca gets up behind her! Bayley swings, misses, and runs into a SPINEBUSTER! Bianca picks up the Raw Women’s Championship while she, Asuka and Alexa celebrate turning the tides. Will they make sure DMG CTRL doesn’t stay in control for long?
2v1 Handicap Match: Omos w/ MVP VS Cash Marazi & Ryan Tombs!
The Nigerian Giant is back in action, ready to destroy anyone and anything put in his path again. Will Portland’s own even walk out of the arena tonight?
The bell rings and Omos CLOBBERS both opponents! Omos drags Marazi up while Tombs tumbles out, and Omos TOSSES Marazi away! Omos sees Tombs on the apron, and he TOSSES Tombs into the ring! Omos runs to then CLOBBER both men again! MVP says “Just like that!” Omos drags Marazi up into a THRASHING Cobra Clutch!! Tombs CLUBS Omos but Omos grabs him by the neck! Omos scoops Tombs and gives him SNAKE EYES off the corner! BOOT!! Omos then scoops Marazi to SNAKE EYES him, for another BOOT!! Omos then grabs Tombs and MOUNTAINTOP SLAMS him down! And then a MOUNTAINTOP SLAM for Marazi!!
MVP says stack ’em and pin ’em! Omos does as told, double covers, and wins!
Winner: Omos, by pinfall
Marazi & Tombs never stood a chance! Will Omos find his way back up towards a title as we enter the Fall?
Rey talks with Edge backstage.
Rey pleads with him, really. Edge said it himself, he’s known Dom since he was in kindergarten, so please, from one father to another, don’t do this. Rey wants one more chance. Edge says he gets it, but we all heard Dom tonight. Dom is a man, he has to pay for what he did. Rey knows deep down, this needs to happen. And Edge also understands that Rey can’t bring himself to do it. So isn’t it better that it is Edge? Sometimes someone just needs sense knocked into them. This match is happening whether Rey likes it or not. Edge apologizes now for what’s coming. Will the Rated R Superstar go hard on Dom to bring him back to his senses?
Backstage interview with Seth Rollins.
Kevin Patrick surprises Rollins, and brings up that Rollins seems to have an “awful lot on his mind.” What was Rollins going to say before Riddle interrupted? No, no, NO! The moment has passed, Riddle ruined it! Rollins doesn’t wanna talk to anyone. How many times will he have to stomp Riddle’s head into the mat before he gets it? If you test the “face of this industry,” the Face of Raw, you cannot miss! Riddle misses every time! But then Bobby Lashley walks over to ask Rollins if he thinks he’s really the face of Raw. He is! Lashley has a problem with that? Yeah, because Rollins is NOT the face of Raw.
Rollins comes in, looking all bright and colorful, except he doesn’t have one color: gold. “He who has the gold is the face of Monday Night Raw.” Alright, alright. Rollins sees what this is. All these MMA guys seem to think the same way. They just fight, fight, fight, but do they ever stop to think? No, they don’t! Lashley must’ve gotten punched around so much, he’s got no more brain cells in that bald head of his! Lashley glares at Rollins but Rollins backs off. And while the US title wasn’t the one Rollins was talking about, he’ll gladly take it of Lashley’s shoulder. So Rollins VS Lashley, next week for the US Championship. And then we’ll find out who the face of Raw really is. HAHAHA!
Lashley says okay. They’ll fight about it. Rollins’ smile goes away quickly, and Lashley takes his leave. Will the All Mighty leave the Visionary staring up at the lights next week?
Raw shares an exclusive at-home interview with The Miz.
The Hollywood A-Lister finishes on his phone and asks if everyone else is ready. Like the harp? The piano? Was that Lumis in the window?! The reporter thanks Miz for this exclusive interview and Miz says that’s right they should be thanking him. This is the interview of a lifetime! After the weeks Miz has been having, he’s not going to Raw right now. This is his place where he feels the safest. Monroe and Madison scamper in to say goodnight, and Madison plays on the piano. Okay, okay, go on and head upstairs. Oh, Maryse looks great! Is he done? What? No, they haven’t even started yet. But they have to go. It’s fine, it’ll only take a few minutes.
Maryse says they have to go to the premiere. Miz says he isn’t sure. Is Maryse comfortable in them leaving the house? Is he kidding? Well, after everything that’s happened… Is it about “the freak?” C’mon, Mike, that guy will never come here. They have guards, an alarm system, and dogs. There is no way Lumis gets here. Miz says she’s right, she’s always right, and he loves Maryse so much. They both look so good. Miz will finish this up, but then Maryse points out the cameraman wearing shoes. Miz knows, but it’s what it is. LUMIS IS IN THE WINDOW AGAIN. Maryse says five minutes. Okay, let’s begin.
Well, as we saw, Lumis- Don’t say his name, thank you. But- But nothing. Miz will conduct this interview now. Do you realize what happened to Miz last week? He had to have a police escort to the arena. WWE ordered double security, and yet that lunatic- Dexter Lumis? DON’T say his name! But yes, him. He was still able to get in and do what he did. What did he do? Miz isn’t sure how to explain this any clearer: he does NOT want to talk about that! This interview is done! Miz is busy, he has a premiere to go to. Everyone, get your stuff and get out.
Miz and Maryse head out, Miz gets the car door for Maryse, and the guards will let WWE production out. They better not be here when Miz returns. Morons. Miz grumbles, gets in the car with Maryse, and drives off. With Lumis IN THE HOUSE NOW!! And he’s done a wonderful ink drawing of the It Family. But what is Lumis’ obsession with The Miz?
Edge VS Dominik Mysterio w/ The Judgement Day!
The Rated R Superstar just wanted to help the younger stars, but The Judgement Day mutinied and kicked him out. Then Edge tried to help The Mysterios against the monsters he created, and Dominik kicked him low! Will the gritty old Hall of Famer have to knock some sense into the younger generation at full speed? Or will Dominik prove that he is no longer in the shadows of legends and is finally a grown ass man?
The bell rings and Edge runs right at Dom! Edge BLASTS Dom into the corner, then says Dom wanted this! Edge HEADBUTTS Dom, ROCKS him with haymakers, and then he lets off as the ref counts. Dom staggers around but Edge ROCKS him again. Edge whips Dom corner to corner and CLOBBERS him in the corner! Dom flounders, Edge is after him with more haymakers! Edge HEADBUTTS Dom again, then whips him corner to corner. Dom goes up and over, rolls and turns around, into a BOOT! Dom sits up but Edge CLUBS him down! And CLUBS him again! Dom goes to a corner, Edge drags him up, to scoop and SLAM him!
Dom bails out and hurries over to Rhea. Rhea coaches Dom, and tells him to remember what Edge did to the relationship between Dom and Rey. Get angry and kick some ass! Dom slides in, runs at Edge, but Edge scoops him. Dom slips free, waistlocks, but Edge bucks him away. Dom handsprings back up but into a LARIAT! Fans fire up as Edge WRECKS Dom out of the ring! Edge glares at Rhea then stalks Dom. Edge brings Dom up, brings him around and RAMS him into barriers! Edge refreshes the ring count, drags Dom up again and bumps him off barriers! Fans fire up and Edge says if Dom’s a man, then take this! SMACK off the desk!
Dom flounders, Edge clears off the desk! Fans fire up more but Dom ROCKS Edge! And again! Dom whips but Edge reverses and Dom hits steel steps! Dom flops down, Rhea shouts to him but now Dom asks for mercy. Edge BOOTS Dom down instead! Edge drags Dom up and into the ring, fans rally behind Edge, but Dom distracts the ref so Rhea can CHOP BLOCK Edge! Rhea laughs as Edge hobbles, and Dom SHOVES Edge into the steel steps! Edge clutches his bad leg while Rhea applauds Dom and Raw goes to break.
Raw returns once more and Edge CLUBS Dom to fight the heel hook. Dom lets go to stomp away on the leg! Dom drags Edge up, ROCKS him with a forearm, then pushes him down to drop knees on the knee! And again! And again! Dom pulls on the leg with a toehold and Edge endures. Edge grabs at Dom but Dom slaps that hand away. Edge KICKS free with the free leg, but Dom drags Edge up first. Dom gives us some Latino Heat, and he suplex! Uno Amigo! Not the cleanest, but fans still boo as Dom hits the DOS AMIGOS! Dom gets Edge up again, really pours on the Latino Heat, and he hits THREE AMIGOS!
Dom goes to the corner, he climbs up top, and gives us even more Latino Heat, only for Edge to hit the ropes! Dom falls onto his amigo and fans fire up! Edge CHOPS Dom, ROCKS him, and manages to climb up with one good leg. Edge throws HEABUTTS but Dom throws body shots! HEADBUTT AFTER HEADBUTT! Edge drags Dom up and fans fire up again! But Rhea anchors Dom and Edge falls out of the superplex! Fans boo as the ref missed all that, and now Dom adjusts. FROG SPLASH!! Cover, TWO!! Edge survives and Dom is frustrated. Rhea is also upset, she argues the count on Dom’s behalf.
But now Dom goes for something else Eddie used to do. Dom steps through, but Edge BOOTS him into the POST! Dom is dazed now and Rhea coaches him up. Fans fire up as Edge gets up, and Dom drags himself out of the corner. Dom runs in, but into a FLAPJACK! Dom staggers up, Edge rallies with clotheslines! EDGE-O-MATIC! Cover, TWO! Dom HAMMERS the bad leg! And then he drags Edge around, but Edge BOOTS him again! Edge hobbles up, reels Dom in, IMPALER!! But the leg won’t let Edge make the cover! So Edge decides to get to a corner instead! Fans fire up and Edge takes aim. Dom stands, Edge runs in, but Dom rolls under! BOSTON CRAB!!
Dom has the bad leg in the HALF CRAB, and Rhea taunts Edge! Edge endures, Dom drags him from the ropes! Dom has the leg twisting across Edge’s body but Edge grits his teeth! Dom sits deep, but Edge pushes up! Fans fire up, Edge rolls through to cradle Dom, TWO!!Dom runs in but gets a HOTSHOT! Edge ties Dom up in the ropes! Edge says Dom wanted this! Edge throws haymaker after haymaker and fans count along! The ref counts, too, but Edge stops at five punches and the count of 4. Fans boo but Edge comes back to SLAP Dom! And then continue! Fans count again, we get ten total!
Edge backs off again and fans fire up again. Edge aims, runs in, but REY gets in the ring?! Rey is pleading with Edge not to do this! But Edge shoves Rey aside! Rey keeps trying, only for Priest to drag Rey out! Finn gets in, he CHOP BLOCKS Edge while Priest TOSSES Rey over the desk!! The ref calls it and the bell rings!
Winner: Edge, by disqualification
Rhea frees Dom and Finn stomps Edge! Rey is down as Finn drags Edge up, but Edge fires off haymakers! Rhea SMACKS the bad leg with a chair! Rhea tells Dom to make Edge pay! Dom has the chair now, and Priest encourages him even more. Dom SMACKS the bad leg! And again! And again! He BENDS that chair on Edge’s knee!! Dom then sits the chair up to put Edge’s leg on it! Finn goes up top, for a COUP DE GRACEÂ to the leg!!! Edge clutches what could be a shattered knee and torn up ligaments! The fans boo but the Judgement Day soak it all up.
Finn tells Edge he is dealing with THE Judgement Day! Finn, Priest, Rhea & Dom are in charge now! Will anyone ever stop their path of destruction?
My Thoughts:
This was a great episode for Raw, and it really turned up the heat for quite a few stories. One it didn’t is Omos, sadly. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: Vince booked Omos into a corner. How can Omos do anything meaningful after building his power level so high yet still losing in the US Championship scene? It might take a draft/trade to put Omos on SmackDown where he can more or less start clean in the Intercontinental Championship scene, except I see him hitting the same wall. Omos didn’t get past Lashley, so I don’t see him getting past Gunther. Also, just to note, I do like that they let us know some of the stuff for NXT tomorrow night to help hook interest in the 2.0 Anniversary.
We got great build for Rollins. He had a good promo, a good brawl with Riddle, and after a great match in Finn VS Riddle, Rollins got the last word with that sneaky Curb Stomp. And I do appreciate that while Rollins was implying he wants a rematch with Roman Reigns, he’s taking on Bobby Lashley for the title. I can sense it right now that should Rollins take that title off Lashley, he could totally hold onto it all the way to when Cody Rhodes returns from injury, and they can pick up where they left off over the US title. Cody having the US title in its current form just makes sense, it would complete his Homelander cosplay.
As for Riddle and Judgement Day, I did like that Judgement Day was branching out for more members, even after finally converting Dom. Not sure Riddle would be a good fit for the group, but obviously now he can have a part in the feud with Judgement Day alongside Rey and Edge. We got great stuff out of that story, such as Dom finally speaking for the first time since joining Judgement Day, with Rhea of course still coaching him in character. Rey also had good promos pleading with both Dom and Edge, but of course Dom didn’t listen while Edge spun it that as a friend, he’d be best for the job.
The match was good, though Dom still needs some polish to pull off Three Amigos cleaner. But of course Rey would try and stop Edge from going too far, and of course Judgement Day would attack them both. It wasn’t about winning for them, it was about taking out two legends. That Coup De Grace to the extended leg spot was unique and looked devastating, which was the point. Riddle joining the story means this can turn into a Six Man Tag while we wait on the possibility of Dom & Rhea VS Edge & Beth. Even if we never get the Mixed Tag, we can get a lot out of Riddle siding with Rey and Edge on this, and we’ll see where it goes from there.
There was a lot of good stuff from Gargano and Theory tonight. Gargano has a great match with Gable, that was definitely a great choice for Gargano’s first match back. And it also makes sense as The Alpha Academy have been Theory’s pals lately. Theory attacking Gargano after was a good touch, as was Kevin Owens’ fired up promo. Kevin VS Theory is clearly happening again, maybe Theory wins that clean to follow through on proving himself to Kevin and the fans. Then after that, Theory also goes by Kevin’s advice and “makes a moment” on his own going after Gargano and they both give us an awesome match.
The Miz and the Mizanin family had a fun promo segment, and of course Lumis was lurking around. Lumis “outside, in the window” were such corny edits, but the twist of him showing up in the house at the last moment was good stuff. This only furthers things so that we need Miz & Maryse VS #InDex more than we need Dom & Rhea VS Edge & Beth. If we don’t get #InDex on Raw, I’m not sure what they’re thinking. Then we got great stuff from the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match, and of course Bayley helps Kai & Sky win this time around. I thought Bayley was going to answer Bianca’s Open Challenge, but it does make sense that she as the Heel is doing things on her time, not Bianca’s.
Sonya Deville answering the challenge even though she’s on SmackDown felt a bit like a throwaway move, but it does round things out for Sonya and Bianca. Bayley is going to get her match at Extreme Rules, I can feel that. But we might even get Asuka & Alexa VS Kai & Sky in another rematch from the tag title tournament for the titles at Extreme Rules alongside it. Which, if they’re all given the time of a PPV, those matches can/will steal the show. Honestly, we just need to see Asuka VS Iyo go down, that’ll get fans excited.
My Score: 8.5/10
About Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
 MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)
WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)Â
THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)
FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)
SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports PodcastÂ
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)
TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends
Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5
Classic POD is WAR
Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!
Powered by RedCircle
Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Say his name and he appears…?
Joe Hendry showed up Trick Williams last week, so Trick Williams showed up in TNA! Will Joe Hendry return to NXT and Whoop Dat Trick?
OFFICIAL RESULTS
- NXT Tag Team Championships: Hank ‘n’ Tank VS Josh Briggs & Yoshiki Inamura; win and
- NXT North American Championship: Ricky Saints VS Lexis King; wins and
PLAY BY PLAY
[Due to the scheduling choices of KVIA2 CW (El Paso & Las Cruces), coverage of NXT will not begin until 9PM Eastern]
About Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
 MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)
WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)Â
THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)
FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)
SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports PodcastÂ
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)
TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends
Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5
Classic POD is WAR
Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!
Powered by RedCircle
Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

The Visionary, the Wise Man, and the Badass…
After a wild Raw After Mania, Seth Rollins, Paul Heyman & Bron Breakker will be here to establish themselves as the new force of nature on Monday nights!
OFFICIAL RESULTS
- Rhea Ripley VS Roxanne Perez; Rhea wins, by disqualification.
- Finn Balor & JD McDonagh w/ Carlito VS The War Raiders; The War Raiders win.
- Stephanie Vaquer VS Ivy Nile w/ Chad Gable; Vaquer wins.
- Sami Zayn VS Bron Breakker w/ Paul Heyman & Seth Rollins; Bron wins, by referee stoppage.
PLAY BY PLAY
Nick Aldis is filling in for Adam Pearce.
The Raw General Manager is taking some administrative leave given last week’s particularly chaotic and violent Raw, so the SmackDown GM will gladly step in. Surely no ulterior motives like showing he’s a superior GM…
Seth Rollins is here!
Kansas City fires up for the Visionary as he leads The Wise Man and the Badass to the ring. And while Rollins wears stylish sunglasses and long-tailed coat, Paul Heyman got Bron Breakker to wear a suit! The fans sing, “WHOA~ OH~ OHH~!” as the three step into the ring, and Rollins pats both Heyman and Bron on the shoulder. The fans bark for Bron, and they again sing for Rollins as Rollins has the mic already. Rollins revels in this moment as usual, then he tells Kansas City, “Welcome to Monday Night Rollins~!” He is the Visionary, he is the Revolutionary, he is Seth FREAKIN’ Rollins!
“And in case you didn’t know, you’ve been living under a rock, you’re looking at the winner of the main event of WrestleMania! And I know it’s a little difficult for some of you out there that still wanna chant for CM Punk…” Some fans do indeed still chant for CM Punk. Rollins nods and says, “I knew there were still a few out there. And I know it might be painful for you who still wanna put your fingers in the air for Roman Reigns…” And fans do indeed raise the ones and chant “O T C! O T C!” Rollins says what you are looking at in this ring right now is the future of this industry! The fans do cheer that.
Rollins says the future runs through one man. That man is NOT CM Punk. That man is NOT Roman Reigns. Hell, it’s not even John Cena, Jey Uso or Cody Rhodes! The future of this industry, with Paul Heyman to his left, and Bron Breakker to his right, the future of this industry runs through SETH FREAKIN’ ROLLINS! But wait! Sami Zayn makes his way out here! Sami goes to the ring and grabs himself a mic, but Rollins gives Sami the introductions. The fans do cheer, and Rollins has Bron stand down. Rollins says it is good to see Sami back on Monday Night Raw! Rollins assumes Sami caught WrestleMania.
Sami says yes, he did. He saw the main event of night one. How long have they been friends? A long time, right? Well, then Sami feels the need to come out here as a friend, as someone who has known Rollins a long time, to say that this… “This is a load of crap, man.” What/ What does he mean? Uh, how much time did Rollins talk about Punk, Roman, and how one the one thing those two had in common is standing by Rollins now. How is Rollins any different? Whoa, wait, is Sami comparing Rollins to Punk and Roman? How can this NOT be different? Sami says for the longest time, he started to believe Rollins just had this hatred for Punk and Roman.
But now, maybe Rollins was just jealous of them. Maybe Rollins just wanted to be in the position that they were in. Rollins says Sami, look, Rollins is not Punk, he is not Roman, this is the vision for the future! They go back many, many years, talking about what the vision of the future would look like. Oh, yes, isn’t that a coincidence? The “vision” for the future of the WWE and of the entire industry for years to come, it all revolves around Rollins being front and center. That’s not a coincidence! Rollins is the best man for the job! That’s Sami’s point, Rollins. It isn’t coincidence, it is hypocrisy.
Sami says all this time talking about The Bloodline this, the Bloodline that, and- Rollins stops Sami there. This is NOT The Bloodline, stop making that comparison! Well how is it different? The Wise Man over on that side, and a lapdog over on the other. And if Bron keeps looking at Sami like that, Sami will kick Bron’s face in! The fans fire up hearing that! Rollins shouts for everyone to calm down. Sami, what is this? You came out here to be honest with Rollins, so Rollins will be honest with you. This IS the vision for the future. And Sami is either with them, or they are against them. And that’s not a threat.
Rollins doesn’t want Sami to be an enemy. This whole thing is bigger than Rollins. It doesn’t matter if Rollins hates you like he does Roman and Punk, or if he loves you like a brother. You stand in his way, you become a target, and Rollins doesn’t want that for Sami. So they can find a solution to this. It doesn’t have to come to blows. Wise Man, please, pull some strings. Sami can be moved off Raw. The fans boo and Rollins says no, that’s not a threat! It’s just that Sami clearly won’t buy in, so maybe they can cash him out. That is not a threat. But it is an offer. A favor, even. So look, Sami, just think about it. But they will need an answer by the end of the night.
Rollins turns to go, Heyman has Bron stand down, and the clock is ticking. Will the Underdog from the Underground side with Rollins’ vision? Or will he be the first to stand against it?
Rhea Ripley VS Roxanne Perez!
Mami came to the rescue last week when The Prodigy and Giulia went after Iyo Sky and Stephanie Vaquer. Rhea still wants to be on top, will her brutality go a long way towards that? Or will the former NXT Women’s Champion pop off against the former Women’s World Champion?
Raw returns and Roxie makes her entrance. The bell rings and the fans rally up. Rhea and Roxie circle, the fans behind “MAMI! MAMI!” The two tie up, Roxie dodges and then bails out. The fans boo but Roxie tells the ref to back Rhea off. Rhea does back up, and Roxie takes her time stepping inside. Roxie and Rhea feel things out, but then Roxie bails out again! The fans boo but Roxie is clearly trolling. Roxie then throws her jacket at Rhea! Roxie storms in and CHOP BLOCKS! Rhea writhes, the fans boo but Roxie talks trash. Roxie CLUBS and kicks and stomps, but then Rhea grabs Roxie by the hair!
Roxie SLAPS Rhea, then laughs. Rhea is furious so now Roxie apologizes. But then Roxie dropkicks the legs out and Rhea hits buckles! Roxie runs in, UPPERCUTS, then comes back, but into a BOOT! Rhea reels Roxie in, Canadian Racks, but Roxie hooks the ropes! Roxie slips free, ducks ‘n’ dodges to wheelbarrow, but no bulldog! Roxie shifts to roll Rhea, and she stomps away on the bad leg! Rhea BOOTS Roxie away with the good leg! But then Roxie SWEEPS the legs! The fans rally but Roxie DROPKICKS Rhea out! Roxie builds speed to DIVE! But Rhea catches her! The fans fire up as Rhea THROWS Roxie into barriers!
Roxie is down, Rhea shakes out the bad leg, then she drags Roxie up. SNAKE EYES off the barriers! The ring count climbs, Rhea stalks Roxie, and Rhea puts Roxie in the ring. Roxie backs up but Rhea puts her on the apron! Rhea DECKS Roxie, then drags her back up, only for Roxie to trip Rhea! Roxie SLAMS Rhea’s bad leg into the post! Rhea resists as Roxie tries again, but Roxie CLUBS away, then she SLAMS the leg back into post! The fans boo but Roxie runs, tilt-o-whirl RUSSIAN- NO, Rhea blocks with power! Roxie slips free of the scoop but Rhea LARIATS her down! The fans fire up while Rhea gets her leg moving.
Rhea hauls Roxie up, whips her to a corner, then runs in. Roxie BOOTS Rhea away, then goes up and leaps! But Rhea catches her again! Rhea powers through to suplex high and hard! Roxie staggers up, but Rhea DROPKICKS Roxie down! Roxie bails out, Rhea shakes the bad leg out, and Raw goes to break.
Raw returns and Roxie double jumps and MOONSAULTS! Cover, TWO! Rhea survives and Roxie grows frustrated. The fans rally but Roxie goes for the bad legs. Spinning toehold, then a DEATHLOCK! Rhea endures as Roxie puts on the pressure! Rhea CLUBS Roxie, Roxie pushes on the bad leg, repeat! Roxie fires a forearm, Rhea fires a haymaker, but Roxie fires a flurry! Roxie lets Rhea go to then have a standing toehold! Roxie pushes on the knee and ankle, but Rhea kicks with the free leg! Roxie still holds on so Rhea kicks at her again and again! Rhea finally BOOTS free, then ENZIGIRIS! Roxie comes back, but Rhea wrenches to a short arm LARIAT!
Rhea short arm LARIATS, then ducks a shot to wrench and HOOK KICK! Rhea reels Roxie in and lifts her up, Canadian Rack for the RAZOR’S EDGE! Roxie flounders, Rhea SLIDING KICKS! Cover, TWO!! The bad leg holds Rhea back and Roxie survives for it! Rhea hobbles and goes back for Roxie. Rhea drags Roxie up, then fires off in the corner! The ref counts but the fans fire up! Wait, is that Giulia!? The Beautiful Madness is back again, taunting Rhea. Rhea eggs Giulia on, but Roxie snatches Rhea to a cradle! TWO!! Roxie runs and tilt-o-whirls to SPIKE-RANA! Roxie gets moving and she HANDSPRING KNEE DROPS! Cover, TWO!!
Rhea survives and Roxie is freaking out! Giulia is just as frustrated over that count, but Roxie drags Rhea up. Roxie SLAPS Rhea, Rhea SLAPS Roxie! Roxie SOBATS, hops on, POP- NO, Rhea flips that over and KNEES Roxie down! Rhea then glares at Giulia. Giulia eggs Rhea on, Rhea grabs Giulia’s hair! Roxie rolls Rhea, but Rhea rolls through and HEADBUTTS! Rhea pump handles, but Giulia CHOP BLOCKS Rhea!
Winner: Rhea Ripley, by disqualificationÂ
The fans boo but Giulia HAMMERS away on Rhea! Roxie joins in, but here comes Iyo Sky! The fans fire up as the Evil Genius rushes in, dodges Roxie and SHOTEIS Giulia! SHOTEI for Roxie! Iyo blocks Giulia’s kick to send it into Roxie! Then victory roll, STOMP 182! The fans fire up with Iyo, and then she runs at Roxie! Roxie puts Iyo on the apron, but Iyo GAMANGIRIS! Giulia is up, and she trips Iyo up on the springboard! Now the champ is getting mugged! Rhea returns, and that sends Roxie & Giulia running! Roxie & Giulia never used to be friends, but they have common targets in Iyo & Rhea. Will they come to regret it?
Judgment Day talks in the clubhouse.
They’re all excited, and then Finn joins in! Finn formally welcomes JD McDonagh back from injury, and mentions they need to talk later. They go off to the side and Finn thought JD was going to tell him when he was back. JD says he told Dom first, he meant to tell Finn, and he’s sorry. Finn is fine with that, he just wishes JD had told him. JD knows, but with the Intercontinental Championship match, JD was cleared quicker than he thought and- Liv checks in. Is everything okay? Sure, of course! Just catching up. Okay, but why aren’t they getting ready for their match? Wait, what match?
JD says he was also going to tell Finn but it got away from him. Liv said it’d be great if JD & Finn made another run at the World Tag Team Championships, and JD agreed, so he went to Nick Aldis and they’ve got a match with the War Raiders tonight. JD thought Liv was going to tell Finn. Liv says it’s just been so busy, it slipped her mind. But she just figured, since Finn isn’t a champion right now, that he’d be interested. Well of course he’d be interested. But in the future, please keep Finn in the loop. Yes, absolutely. Finn says he’ll go get ready, JD and Liv grumble at each other, but Carlito says it’ll be great once everyone is champion. Oh wait, maybe Carlito should be, too…
Liv & JD go back to the game with Dom and Raquel, and Carlito seems to have an idea. But what title could Caribbean Cool possibly capture?
Logan Paul is here!
Raw returns as The Maverick is already in the ring. Kansas City boos, but Logan says, “Hey, yo! That’s crazy, cuz I dunno if y’all remember, but I beat the Phenomenal AJ Styles last weekend at WrestleMania. And I hear you. You people still aren’t satisfied. Hey, hey, hey, I get it. You’re from Kansas City, you’re a victim of circumstance. You don’t know greatness when it’s standing right in front of you. You people are so, so stupid! You don’t know what a true legend looks like. And hey, hey, I’m gonna say something, and it might offend some of you, you’re not gonna like it. But a true legend certainly does not look like your current World Heavyweight Champion, Jey Uso.”
The fans boo but Logan says he has had seven days to think. He realized he’s done just about everything there is in this industry, except win the world title. “So Jey Uso! Consider your days numbered, because you have something that I want!” But then YEET! Here comes Main Event Jey! The fans fire up and sing along with that Day One Ish, and the bounce is on! Jey even bestows his YEET sunglasses to a young fan who beat cancer and is at his first WWE show. The fans fire up for that, and they YEET again! Jey steps in the ring, grabs a mic, and the fans “YEET! YEET! YEET!” Logan looks right at the belt, and Jey tells him hold up.
Let’s silence this noise! Cuz Logan thinks that after 15 YEARS of Jey making a name for himself, finally becoming World Heavyweight Champion, that Jey’s just gonna hand this over to some punk YouTuber like Logan Paul! STOP! “YEET!” Jey tells Pat, “Can you believe this?” Jey says let’s get real for a minute. Jey watched Gunther beat his twin brother to a bloody pulp. That did something to Jey. It lit a fire inside of him that ain’t ever going out. So look, Logan, this title is not given, it is earned. And it’s Jey’s! So if you want it, come take it! Four letters, one word. Uh, uh, YEET!! The fans fire up, but Logan rolls his eyes.
“YEET? You sound so stupid, Uce. I’ve done more in four years than you have in 15! All of you know that’s true!” So Logan has something for Jey! This is how it’s gonna go: That title? Logan will take it from Jey. And Jey will do what he does best, what he always does, and that is crash out, screw up, and lose in less time than he held the Intercontinental Championship. So enjoy it while you- SUPERKICK!! The fans fire up as Jey just knocks this punk ass YouTuber on his punk ass! Will this be the story of Logan trying to take the main event from Main Event Jey?
Finn Balor & JD McDonagh w/ Carlito VS The War Raiders!
The Prince was as surprised as the fans to see The Irish Ace return, but while JD helped Dirty Dom become Intercontinental Champion, now the lads can be WWE World Tag Team Champions again. Well, that’s if they can get past Erik & Ivar to go after the New Day. Will this be a bright new chapter for Judgment Day? Or will they simply run into Ragnarök?
Speaking of The New Day, they’re ringside to be part of commentary, and they’re just running down everyone, even claiming that by supporting the War Raiders, you’re supporting literal war. The teams sort out and Ivar starts against JD. The bell rings and they tie up. JD waistlocks, headlocks, but Ivar powers out. JD RAMS Ivar but he’s the one that falls back! Finn swipes at Ivar, Ivar storms up on Finn, but JD headlocks Ivar. Ivar powers up and out again, but JD slips through the backdrop! JD waistlocks, Ivar bucks the O’Conner, then Ivar DECKS Finn! JD CLUBS Ivar, kicks away, and Finn tags in. The Judgment Day mugs Ivar, then soaks up the cheers and jeers.
Finn tags JD back in, JD wrenches Ivar’s beard! Ivar whips JD away, then he BACKDROPS JD! Tag to Erik and he DECKS JD! Finn runs up, but Erik wrenches and lifts Finn for an EXPLODER! JD runs, Erik dodges and SHOTGUN KNEES! The fans fire up and Erik tags Ivar in. Erik sends Ivar in and he LARIATS Finn! Then he feeds Finn to Erik’s ELBOW! Ivar KNEES JD, whips and Erik KNEES JD down! Erik drags JD up, TOSSES him out to join Finn, and the fans cheer on the Raiders. The New Day taunts the raiders with the titles, and Judgment Day returns! But the Raiders scoop and SLAM both JD & Finn!
Finn tumbles away, Ivar scoops JD to SLAM him again! Erik scoops Ivar to SLAM him onto JD! Erik steps outside so Ivar can tag him back in. Ivar then lines up a shot, and the fans fire up as he runs in. But Carlito drags Finn who drags JD to get him out of the way! Ivar crashes into the LED apron! Erik checks on Ivar, Woods mockingly says, “It’s impressive cuz he’s fat, wow~.” The New Day verbally runs down the Raiders while Raw goes to break.
Raw returns and JD RAMS Erik into the Judgment Day corner. The ref counts as JD throws hands, but fans count along. Erik stops JD at 5, BLASTS Finn, but JD kicks Erik. Erik DECKS JD! Both men are down, the fans fire up, and New Day makes bald jokes on Erik. JD and Erik crawl, hot tags to Ivar and Finn! The fans fire up as Ivar rallies on Finn! Scoop and SIDEWALK SLAM! Ivar runs to SPLASH! The fans fire up with Ivar and he runs, but Finn dodges. Ivar SEATED SENTONS! Then he cartwheels past JD to HEEL KICK! The fans fire up and Ivar gets them to chant, “WAR! WAR! WAR!” Ivar runs to BRONCO BUSTER!
Finn sputters into the drop zone, Ivar goes up, and the fans fire up again. DOOMSAULTÂ FLOPS as Finn moves! Carlito is relieved while Finn and Ivar are both down. Finn crawls, Ivar stirs, and New Day just puts themselves over. Hot tag to JD, and he uses Ivar as a step to BLAST Erik! Then JD DUMPS Ivar out, and he ASAI MOONSAULTS! Direct hit and no desk to worry about on that side! JD puts Ivar in the ring, climbs up again, and he MOONSAULTS! Cover, Erik breaks it! Finn returns to fire hands on Erik! Finn TOSSES Erik out, then he and JD double whip Ivar. Erik sneaks a tag, Ivar breaks the double lariat!
Ivar handsprings and DOUBLE BACK ELBOWS! Kofi say she can do that, too. Erik goes out to fetch JD, Ivar has Finn, and the fans fire up as the Raiders DOUBLE LAWN DART Finn & JDÂ into each other! New Day says get those two in the ring then! Dummies! Erik puts JD in, then glares at Kofi & Woods. Ivar throws Finn at the New Day! The fans fire up, and then Ivar SPLASHES them all!! The fans fire up, Carlito gets up, Erik DECKS him! JD rolls Erik up, TWO! Erik has JD but JD JAWBREAKERS! JD goes up, Carlito distracts more, but PENTA is here! He SHOVES JD to screw JD! Payback for WrestleMania!
Erik tags Ivar, the fans fire up as JD is popped up for the WAR MACHINE!! Cover, War Raiders win!
Winners: The War Raiders, by pinfall
The man with Cero Miedo made sure JD & Finn get nothing! Will Dirty Dom and the Intercontinental Championship be next? Will New Day have to face the raid once more?
Sami Zayn contemplates backstage.
Otis asks him what he’s thinking, and Sami says he isn’t sure. But then in steps Paul Heyman. The Wise Man sits with Sami and asks Otis give them the room. Otis obliges, and Heyman says he was thinking about what Sami said about The Bloodline. Heyman & Sami are OG Bloodline, y’know? Sami says that is true. But Heyman blew up whatever was left. Well, Heyman respected when Sami broke away. Maybe one day, Sami will respect what Heyman did. But Heyman isn’t here to talk about that. “Seth Rollins views himself as the vanguard of the future of this entire industry. And whether he is or he isn’t, that’s how he views himself.
“And Bron Breakker? Well, that’s his dog at the gate. And whether he is or he isn’t, that’s how Bron Breakker views himself. And Bron Breakker right now is demanding a match with you. Seth and I, we can’t say no to that because Bron Breakker is the key to our plans. But Seth Rollins, he holds you in such reverence, he is offering you a pass. If you accept being traded to SmackDown starting this Friday, everybody wins!” Sami is about to get up but Heyman has him hold on. Heyman has spoken with Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis. Seth Rollins is going to do Sami a favor. Oh, is he? Yes.
If Sami accepts the offer, the moment Sami arrives on SmackDown, he is set to face the winner of John Cena VS Randy Orton after Backlash! Just like that! Instant #1 contender. That’s how much Rollins thinks of Sami. Think of your future, Sami. And of your family’s future. “Sami, you can live in the future… Or you can die with the past. Think about it.” Heyman pats Sami on the back, leaves, and Bron is there around the corner. Will the dog still get to take a bite out of the underdog? Or will Sami make his dreams come true?
Becky Lynch is here!
Kansas City isn’t quite as excited to see The Man as usual given what she did to The Morrigan the moment they lost the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships. Becky grabs a mic and says, “The Man has come around to Kansas City! And The Man is back in business, so let’s get down to business, shall we? Bayley was tragically taken out of her WrestleMania match, but there won’t be any murder mystery, any weeks long whodunnit. I have examined the evidence, I have reviewed the footage, and we have found the culprit. It was me! I did it!” The fans boo, but Becky says no no no no no no! Don’t make her the bad guy here!
They can’t act like Becky is the villain! You can’t fake outrage! Bayley has attacked Becky nonstop since 2019! And not one time did Bayley apologize! But are we supposed to just forget about it? Just like how Bayley’s forgotten just what this business is! While Bayley’s out here going, “Everyone, please like me!” and wearing everybody else’s merch, and dancing to everyone else’s music, and asking, “Why aren’t I a bigger star?” Well, she just saw what a bigger star looks like when Becky walked down the ramp at WrestleMania! The fans boo, but Becky says that brings her to Lyra Valkyria. As the saying goes, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
But then the reverse works, too. The friend of an enemy is an enemy! Lyra wouldn’t be in this business if not for Becky! Becky had high hopes for Lyra. But while Becky was out, Lyra cozied up to the woman Becky’s been fighting for the last six YEARS!? Even then, Becky still tried to save Lyra and get her to “ditch that b*tch!” Lyra never would’ve won those tag titles with Bayley! But it was too late, she was already compromised as a loser. Becky showed Bayley what she thought of her before- Wait! Lyra is here! Lyra has a mic already and she says, “You had high hopes for me? Do you know how many women in that locker room warned me about you?”
Becky says, “I bet they did.” Lyra says Bayley was one of the first! Well, of course she was. Bayley said Becky would step on anyone just to get ahead. Lyra didn’t buy any of it, because she was so caught up in some stupid fairytale dream of two Irish women as tag team champions at WrestleMania! Because of the hopes she had for Becky! And Lyra isn’t sure how it took her all those Manhandle Slams, but Lyra finally sees it now. She knows exactly what Becky is: The Illusion of Becky Lynch is dead. And Lyra will make her pay for what she did! Becky bails as Lyra storms in, and Lyra says c’mon, she’s really gonna run away?
Kansas City wants to see a fight, right? The fans cheer that yes they do! Lyra asks what’s the matter. Is Becky thinking back to the last time they went 1v1? When Lyra beat Becky and took the NXT Women’s Championship? Becky says no, no, no, from now on, The Man only fights when it matters. And it doesn’t matter here in Kansas City! Lyra says she should’ve seen this coming, too. Sorry, Kansas City, but The Man is too good for you. But fine, they’ll do it at Backlash. And The Man will only want it if the Women’s Intercontinental Championship is on the line. Then Becky’s got it! Well, okay. Becky will make that title matter like she did Lyra matter!
So welcome to the- OH SHUT THE HELL UP, BECKY! Becky didn’t make Lura matter, Lyra made herself matter. Lyra doesn’t want to be the next Becky Lynch. She is Lyra Valkyria, and she will be both a better person than Becky, and she already knows she’s a better wrestler! Becky tells Lyra, “You listen to me, you little punk!” Becky rants about how Lyra wouldn’t even be in WWE if not for Becky paving the way! But then Lyra WERCKS Becks with a dropkick! The fans fire up as Lyra then goes after Becky on the outside, shoves her into the ring, and then hurries to throw down hands! The fans fire up more but Becky bails out again!
Becky runs away into the crowd and then into the night, but Lyra eggs her on. Will Becky face all the backlash for what she’s done since her return? Wait, speaking of return, Becky CLOBBERS Lyra on the ramp! The Man uses a cheap shot, but will Lyra make sure she sees the next one?
Nick Aldis talks with Penta backstage.
The substitute GM wants Penta to tranquilo. He knows what Judgment Day did, he knows Penta wants payback, so he’ll let Penta off without a fine. But we can’t have this happening, okay? Penta thanks Aldis. Aldis does have good news. He has put it on the books for next week: Penta VS JD McDonagh! Good! Penta will be ready! Penta thanks Aldis again, and then Penta turns around, to see Chad Gable & Ivy Nile. Chad, in his new “El Grande Americano es Numero Uno” shirt, tells Penta that he was just walking Ivy to gorilla and couldn’t resist to talk to another luchador on his descent.
Penta thought he was pretty slick pulling out a cheap victory on Gable for the Netflix debut, huh? But look at him now. Dropping the big one at WrestleMania. Oh, nothing to say? Isn’t it Cero Miedo? More like cero comebacks, clown! And also, Penta losing wasn’t the favorite part of WrestleMania for Gable. It was Penta’s loser brother, Fenix, dropping the ball in his WrestleMania debut to El Grande Americano! Penta BOOTS Gable down! Penta tells him not to talk bad on his brother! Don’t mess with the Lucha Brothers! And yes, he IS Penta, and he does have Cero Miedo, pendejo! Penta storms off, will Gable still be able to coach Ivy for her match?
Rusev speaks.
“Once upon a time I had it all. The gold, the fame, the tank at WrestleMania, then I lost myself. I left the WWE, and on my way home to Bulgaria, I fell into the abyss. In that abyss is where I found myself, healed myself, redeemed myself, and fixed myself. In that Hell, I realized I will no longer fight for a woman that isn’t mine, nor a flag that never was. An epiphany. I was finally free to crush people not because I was told to, but because I wanted to. So now, I will use my hands and jacked body for good. I will hunt the frauds, the arrogant, those who waste their talents like I did. And through pain, I will perfect them all for good.
“So my brothers, your lack of suffering ends now. I am the tempest rolling in. I will hunt you, forgive and fix you, like I fixed myself. But choose your next steps wisely, because for a righteous man, savagery will be no hardship. Ending you will be no loss.” Rusev is ready to fix the Raw roster, who will he choose to work on first?
Stephanie Vaquer VS Ivy Nile w/ Chad Gable!
La Primera made quite the impression on the Raw After Mania, then she thwarted Roxanne Perez on the NXT After Stand & Deliver. She has returned once again, will she continue to show why she is THE NXT Women’s Champion? Or will the Diamond Pitbull show her American Made strength?
The bell rings and the two circle. The fans rally as the two feel things out. Ivy refuses the knuckle lock but Vaquer avoids the leg pick. Ivy comes back to lift and SPINEBUSTER! Cover, TWO! Ivy facelocks, gator rolls, and she keeps hold of Vaquer to then float around, flip her over and cover, TWO! Vaquer waistlocks now, pops Ivy down to a O’Conner BRIDGE, TWO! Ivy gets up, runs up, and she kicks low. Ivy headlocks, Vaquer endures, and Vaquer powers up and out. Ivy runs Vaquer over, kisses the biceps, and things speed up. Vaquer bypasses Ivy then runs her over! The fans cheer, Vaquer storms up on Ivy, and whips her to ropes.
Ivy tilt-o-whirls to RANA! Vaquer comes back, Ivy ducks and whips, and Vaquer tilt-o-whirls to roll-up deep! TWO, and Ivy stands back up. The fans cheer the standoff, and then the two step up. Ivy swings, but into a wrench and snap suplex! Vaquer sits Ivy up and smiles. The fans like where this is going! Headscissors for the- NO, Ivy pops free to tie up the legs! QUEEN ANGELITO STRETCH, into a SURFBOARD! Vaquer endures, pushes back to roll, andshe has the headscissors! DEVIL’S KISS! TEN kisses, yeeeeeeeah~! Gable is frustrated, the fans are fired up, and Raw goes to break.
Raw returns, and we get more DEVIL’S KISSES! Another TEN, yeeeeeeeah~! The fans fire up more while Gable is protesting. Ivy goes to a corner, Vaquer runs in, METEORA! Vaquer drags Ivy out, pushes her down to a cover, but Gable gives Ivy the ropebreak! The fans boo and Vaquer knows what happened. Gable plays innocent, but she storms out after him! Gable asks what’s her problem. But Ivy runs up to GERMAN SUPLEX Vaquer to the floor! Ivy puts Vaquer in the ring, hurries to go Around the World, CALF KICK! And then GERMAN SUPLEX! Bridging cover, TWO! The fans fire up as Vaquer survives but Ivy is right on her.
Ivy pushes Vaquer to the drop zone, climbs up the corner, but Vaquer rises to UPPERCUT! The fans cheer and Vaquer goes up! Vaquer brings Ivy to the top, but Ivy fights with body shots! Vaquer fires a flurry of HEADBUTTS! Vaquer shakes that off, then hoists Ivy up, SUPERPLEX! Cover, TWO! Ivy survives and Gable can breathe again. The fans rally up, “This is Awesome!” as Ivy and Vaquer rise. Vaquer HEADBUTTS, but Ivy fires a forearm! Vaquer CHOPS, so Ivy CHOPS! The fans rally as the shots keep going, and they turn to forearms! Ivy gets the edge, but Vaquer ducks a kick to mule kick!
Vaquer tucks Ivy, but Ivy powers out and scoops! SWINGING SIDE SLAM! Cover, TWO! Vaquer survives and the fans fire up! Vaquer goes to a corner, Ivy runs in, but Vaquer dodges the kick! Vaquer grabs the other leg, sticks it in the ropes, and then SUPERKICK! Then the DRAPING DRAGON SCREW! Vaquer tucks Ivy in, S V B!! Cover, Vaquer wins!
Winner: Stephanie Vaquer, by pinfall
The NXT Women’s Champion has been busy, but it isn’t slowing her down! Will the Dark Angel continue to fly high no matter where she goes?
Aldis talks with AJ Styles.
Aldis knows The Phenomenal One is upset with how things went for him at WrestleMania. Logan Paul, Karrion Kross, trickery, all that. But Aldis knows Styles is still phenomenal. They’ve got a long list of opponents to help Styles get back on the horse. Styles says he’s got some ideas himself. But in step Judgment Day first… Liv has Dom & Raquel with her as she “apologizes” for interrupting, but she’ll need time off for Liv’s big Hollywood movie role! Yes, Aldis is aware. Congrats on that, that’s very exciting. And as far as he knows, the paperwork is all good. Liv thanks Aldis, but now Dom asks that he gets time off, too.
Um, why? Because Dom is a champion and he gets what he wants. Oh, is that so? No, Dom should’ve listened to his dad more. When you’re champion, you have to do more work. So request denied. And if they don’t mind, Aldis was in the middle of a conversation. Dom asks what Styles has to talk about, a retirement home? HAHAH! Didn’t Styles break a hip like Dom’s deadbeat dad? No, actually. Styles is thinking about breaking something else, if you catch his drift. Liv has this stop here. Judgment Day leaves, and Styles says if we’re talking opportunities, he just got an idea. Aldis says he knows exactly what Styles means. Is Dom’s name about to move way up the list?
Sami Zayn paces.
But Karrion Kross finds him. Kross says Sami’s got a really big decision to make tonight! And hopefully, Sami makes the right choice. Kross smiles and leaves, are his mind games only going to make things harder for Sami?
Pat McAfee addresses Gunther’s actions last week.
After reviewing footage of Der Ring General taking umbrage with Michael Cole’s mere opinion, and then the brutal physical assault on Pat McAfee for him simply sticking up for Cole, it is announced that Gunther has been fined an undisclosed yet large amount of money, and has been suspended indefinitely. Pat then stands up on the desk with a mic in hand, and the fans cheer as he says, “It is my honor to get a chance to chat in the city of the Home~ of the~ Chiefs! This place is glorious, and it’s the right place for me to deliver this message. There are a lot of people that have forgotten who the hell I am.
“I’ve had such a successful career on a microphone, I think even I have forgotten who the hell I am! This past week has made me look in the mirror and realize some things. That I’m still that dog that was born in the east hills of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to a truck driver that was just trying to go paycheck to paycheck to paycheck. I am a man that was not handed a lot in this life. I am a man that is lucky to be blessed with great friends. I am a man that went from being a irrelevant bum to a human that is known in basically every city in this country. I don’t have more talent than anybody, I’m definitely not better looking than most folks.
“But I happen to have a few things that I hope people will remember me by whenever my time has come to pass. When I die and I’m six feet in the dirt, I hope they say, ‘That guy was an incredibly hard worker. He worked his ass off. Not only for himself but for his friends, for his family, and for his community.'” The fans cheer that! Pat continues to say that he hopes they say he was empathetic. Whenever he received a lot, he gave back a lot. He gave millions, “AND MILLIONS~!” of dollars to his community and to children’s hospitals across this country. To military foundations, to homeless shelters, to LGBTQ reach out.
To public schools, to underprivileged communities and societies! Pat hopes that the people know he gave back and made the world better than when he came into it. And last but not least, when Pat is dead and gone, he hopes they will say that he was a loyal mother effer! The fans definitely cheer that! Pat says, “You must ride for those that ride for you. If one go, all go. You’re either with me or against me. And there’s one man that has been with me since the day I met him, and he just so happens to be the greatest of all time, MICHAEL COLE!” The fans cheer for Maggle, and Pat says to Cole, he will be loyal until he’s in the soil.
And if someone has something with Cole, then they have something with Pat. So last week, when that Austrian a-hole put his hands on Cole, Pat had no other option than to protect his guy! IT was deep in Pat’s soul, his blood. Afterward, Pat got attacked. Pat sees himself choked out all over the internet and TV. Friends and family told him not to do this with Gunther. Gunther is in his prime, a former World Heavyweight Champion. Pat said, “F THAT!! If I die, I die. If you’ve got a problem with Cole, you’ve got a problem with me, Gunther! SmackDown’s version of Adam Pearce, please come out here!”
Nick Aldis does make his way on stage, and Aldis wants Mr. McAfee to calm down. Pearce’s style tends to be, “let chaos reign,” but Aldis is in charge tonight and he does things a little different. And we all know that this is not the time nor the place for this. But Pat called Aldis out, so here he is. Please, keep it professional. Pat says he knows Aldis is just some middle manager, just like Pearce. Pearce, we miss you. But Pat knows Aldis has the power on this particular evening to make some things happen. Pat doesn’t like that Pearce suspended Gunther, that Gunther isn’t here. Aldis, lift the suspension so Pat can fight Gunther ASAP!
The fans like the sound of that, and Aldis says he figured it’d be something like that. That is why Aldis discussed this ahead of time with Pearce. As far as the suspension goes for Pat to go after Gunther, the answer is… No. The fans boo, but Aldis says both Gunther and Pat are far too valuable of assets to the WWE to take such a risk. But speaking of value, Aldis does have an alternative. They can lift he suspension on Gunther, and Pat can get his hands on Gunther, in a sanctioned contest inside the ring. Pat, what Aldis is proposing is Pat McAfee VS Gunther 1v1 at Backlash! The fans like the sound of that, too!
Pat says him and Gunther, 1v1, St. Louis, Backlash… DEAL! The fans cheer Pat on, but Cole is a bit worried. Win, lose, or draw, will Pat put Gunther in his place and show you can’t just bully anyone you want?
Sami is still thinking…
And then he crosses paths with Jey Uso. Jey tells his brother from another mother, Jey just wants to check in. Sami appreciates that. It is a big decision. Jey says whatever Sami decides, it’ll be the best for Sami. Jey loves you, dawg. Sami says he loves Jey, too. They hug it out, and Sami heads out. Will Jey having his back help Sami with that decision? But then LOGAN PAUL SUCKER PUNCHES Jey! Logan says that’s karma, Uce! Logan leaves Jey down and out, but will Logan face some karma of his own?
Seth Rollins is back in the ring.
The fans again sing for the Visionary, and he says, “Well, we are here. It is nearly the end of the night, so… Sami Zayn, I’d love for you to come out here and let’s talk this out, my friend.” Rollins waits, and Sami makes his entrance once again. The moment of truth is here as Sami again joins Rollins in the ring. Rollins says before Sami makes his decision, he just wants Sami to hear him out. Sami is putting Rollins in a very, very difficult position. He really is. They go back a long way, and Rollins does not want to see anything bad happen to Sami. Rollins gets it, Sami doesn’t like Bron or Heyman, but this is Rollins!
Twenty YEARS of friendship, Rollins and Sami. Last week, Sami came back to Raw, celebrated with Jey & Jimmy Uso because they’re friends. When Sami came out here, Rollins thought Sami was giving him the same respect. Rollins knows Sami doesn’t agree with it, but Rollins and Bron and Heyman, that is the way forward. Rollins believes with his whole heart that this IS the vision for the best future of the WWE. Rollins wishes he had someone else to believe in, but there is no one better to lead us into the future than Rollins. And the fact Sami doesn’t believe in Rollins hurts. Because this business tears relationships apart, friendships apart.
They’ve both been on either side of that, and Sami knows that after everything is said and done, how many true friends can Sami count he’s made in this business? It’s all on one hand, right? Less than five. But for Rollins, Sami was one of those true friends. When Rollins’ baby girl was born, Sami was one of the first people he called, as he’d just become a new father himself. Rollins was scared out of his mind, had nowhere to turn, so he turned to Sami. Sami gave him some of the best advice he’d ever gotten in his entire life, and he will forever be grateful. So please, allow Rollins to return the favor and give Sami some advice that could save his life.
Rollins wants Sami to take the pass. Take the way out. Whatever Heyman’s got lined up, go take it. Because if Sami stays on Raw and doesn’t believe in Rollins… Bad things are gonna happen. And Rollins loves Sami, he doesn’t want that to happen, so just take the pass. Take the way out. Rollins is begging Sami to take the out! The fans are torn, Sami is conflicted, and Sami says if he hurts Rollins’ feeling as a friend, he is sorry. Everything Rollins is saying is true, their friendship transcends the business, their children are friends, these two are good friends. Outside of this ring, that is true.
But when it comes to everything that Rollins says inside this ring… Sami says Rollins is playing games. Rollins is good, always has been. Sami’s never been good at that stuff. That’s why Rollins is in this position. And Rollins knows because of how close they are, he knows what cards to play. Sami confided in Rollins over the years, and how the one thing that’s eluded him in his entire career, how much it nags at him, that one thing Sami has yet to get is a world championship. And now, Rollins is dangling that in front of Sami. That is what Rollins is doing. Friend or not, for as long as Rollins has known Sami, has he ever, ever known Sami to run away?
Talk about hurt feelings, Sami will not stand here as his “friend” threatens him. Because that is what Rollins is doing. Rollins is saying if Sami doesn’t submit to Rollins’ future, he is a target. Guess what? Sami’s been a target 1000 times before! Sami can live with bein ga target, but he can’t live with being blackmailed, blackballed, blacklisted, extorted, manipulated! He will NOT be threatened!! The fans fire up as Sami says he WILL win a WWE world championship!! And when Sami does, it will not because of a favor from anyone., It will be from Sami doing it his way, and doing it the right way!
The fans cheer Sami on as Sami says, “As a friend, I respect you, I love you, but this is me telling you to go to Hell.” Rollins sighs, and here comes Bron! Heyman did say the dog would be coming for the underdog, will Sami not back down from this fight, either?
Sami Zayn VS Bron Breakker w/ Paul Heyman & Seth Rollins!
The bell rings and Sami runs up, only for Bron to RAM him into a corner! Bron RAMS Sami again and again and again, then stops as the ref counts. Bron THROWS Sami overhead! Rollins watches on as Bron storms up on Sami to ROCK him! Bron scrapes Sami’s face against the ropes! Bron then whips Sami, but Sami KICKS the backdrop away! Sami goes to a corner, Bron runs up, but Sami ELBOWS him! Sami goes up, and he AX HANDLES Bron down! The fans fire up, Sami runs up on Bron and kicks him! Sami bumps Bron off buckles, then pushes him down. Sami goes back up, and he AX- NO, Bron hits another OVERHEAD SUPLEX!
The fans are torn, but plenty bark it up for Bron. Bron stalks Sami, drags him up and throws haymakers. Bron talks trash, CHOKES Sami on the ropes, then steps off. The ref reprimands and Sami sputters but Bron comes back for more. Bron whips Sami to then ELBOW him down! Bron smirks while fans are torn between boos and barks. Bron drags Sami up, brings him around, but Sami fires forearms and CHOPS! Sami fires more shots, more CHOPS, but Bron knees low! Bron headlocks, Sami powers up and out, drops down then jumps, but into a SPINEBUSTER! Cover, TWO! Sami is tougher than that, but Bron stays focused.
Bron drags Sami up and puts him on the ropes. Bron fires knee after knee, then whips Sami to ropes. Sami springboards to go up and over, then LARIAT! The fans fire up as now Bron scrambles. Bron runs back in but Sami TOSSES him out! Sami goes to the apron but Bron grabs a leg! Bron YANKS Sami down, then SMACKS him off the desk! Rollins doesn’t even look as Sami sputters. Bron goes up, aims, and FLYING LARIATS Sami onto the desk! Sami flops to the floor in a heap, but Rollins is still stoic as Raw goes to break.
Raw returns once more as Bron has Sami up top. Bron brings Sami up, but Sami fights the suplex with body shots! The fans fire up as Sami CLUBS away on Bron’s back! Sami then adjusts and SUPER SUNSET FLIP POWERBOMB! Cover, TWO!! Bron survives, the fans fire up, and while Heyman nods, Rollins almost starts to scowl. Sami rises, the fans bring the fireflies out for Sami, and Sami storms up on Bron. Sami clinches, but Bron fights the exploder with elbows! Bron then wrenches, but Sami CHOPS, goes up, and up and TORNADO DDTS! Cover, TWO!! Bron survives, and now Heyman is a bit worried.
Rollins is still scowling the same as he was a moment ago, but the fans rally up for Sami. Sami goes to a corner, climbs up, and the fans cheer him on. But Bron is right after him! Bron anchors a leg, Sami throws down elbows, and Bron staggers away. But Bron is right back up! SUPER STEINER! The fans fire up as Bron brings down the straps! Bron aims, runs in, but Sami KICKS Bron! Sami clinches to CORNER EXPLODER! Bron sputters and the fans fire up for Sami! Sami is in the corner, he wants Bron to rise up, and he runs in, but into a SPEAR!! Bron turns things back around, and then he looms over Sami.
Bron looks to Rollins, Rollins gives the slightest nod, and Bron builds speed! SPEAR!! The fans bark while Sami flounders away to the apron. Rollins is there to tell Sami, “It doesn’t have to be this way. Take the out! There’s still time!” Sami tells Rollins, “GO TO HELL!” Sami drags himself up, but Bron builds speed! SPEAR!!! Sami is down and writhing again while the fans bark. Rollins frowns as Sami flops out to the floor. The ref checks Sami, and then he calls in the medics! Sami took a lot of damage, especially from those spears. Heyman tells Rollins to not feel bad, this isn’t on Rollins. And then Rollins tells Bron to finish this.
Bron goes outside, takes a lap, and he builds speed for the SUPER SPEAR!!! Bron just devastated Sami all over again! But then Bron tells the producers and refs to back off! Bron isn’t going to stop until Sami either gives up or is unconscious! Bron puts Sami in the ring, but the ref calls this! Bron wins!
Winner: Bron Breakker, by referee stoppage
Bron says no, this doesn’t end like that! Rollins steps inside, even as medics check Sami. Rollins has Bron stand down, he’s done his part. Sami sits up, and Rollins says tonight is the first lesson: There are people who deserve their respect! Who deserve their compassion! Sami made his bed, so now he’ll sleep in it. THEN ROLLINS CURB STOMPS SAMI!!! Heyman grins a sinister grin, fans sing “WHOA~ OH~ OHH~!” Is Rollins’ vision for Monday Night Raw and all of WWE all but inevitable?
My Thoughts:
Great episode tonight, but they snapped back to under 2.5 hours after last week’s big Raw After Mania. Rhea VS Roxie was a great match, even with Giulia getting involved. Iyo helping Rhea was good stuff, and that’s gotta be a tag match at some point. Judgment Day has continued disfunction as Finn is all out of the loop and getting put in a tag match. Great trash talk from The New Day, and great move from Penta to screw Judgment Day over. While Penta is getting a match with McDonagh, his interaction with Gable might invite an appearance from El Grande Americano. I bet Penta VS El Grande Americano could be set for Backlash. And then how hilarious would it be for the secret to be exposed just because the Lucha Brothers want a tag match with Gable and El Grande.
Very good match from Vaquer VS Nile, and that was probably one of Ivy’s best matches in awhile. Nothing else happened so this might’ve just been a good showcase for Vaquer. For all anyone knows, she’ll have a great feud with Giulia and Jordynne Grace, then Vaquer drops the title so she can jump right to Raw. Good promo from AJ Styles and Aldis to also bring in Dom, Liv & Raquel. Liv going off to do some movie stuff is cool, and I like that Dom thinks he can just get time off along with Liv. If Penta’s shifting to Gable/Grande, I bet Styles VS Dom will be the first Intercontinental Championship match for Dom’s reign.
Great promo from Becky, though I should’ve figured they were making her Bayley’s attacker. Lyra had a very good response, and their Women’s Intercontinental Championship will be a great match. I feel like Becky is about to return the favor of that NXT Women’s Championship match and take Lyra’s title. They’ll be 1-1 in their 1v1 series, and the tiebreaker can be some epic stuff for Money in the Bank in June. Very good promo from Rusev to put his return into perspective. I still think he and Otis have a match as Rusev’s in-ring return, and then he will win so he can move on to even bigger names.
Good promo from Logan, though as a Heel, he glosses over how he hasn’t actually done everything. There are a lot of titles and match accomplishments for him to still do, but whatever. Plus, great response from Jey, both verbally and with that superkick. Logan getting payback backstage was fitting of Logan being such an obnoxious Heel, and I am pretty sure this is a sign that they learned from their bad pacing with the Jey VS Gunther build. Speaking of, great promo from Pat to hype things up going into Pat VS Gunther at Backlash. I guess Pat must’ve been getting himself ready this whole time, because we’re talking 12 days until it’s time.
And of course, Seth Rollins’ new faction and how Sami Zayn stood up to him is THE story going now. Good promo to start the show, bringing up how Rollins is being no better than certainly Roman by starting a faction, and then Rollins being diplomatic in a backhanded way. Sami contemplating the choice while hearing from others was good stuff, and I like that Kross is back to copying Sami’s hair the way he also copied Styles. Naturally, Sami as a Face, he chose to stand against Rollins and his attempt to control the WWE, and we get a great main event.
If I had a nickel every time Sami lost by referee stoppage, I’d have (at least) two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, but I like that it’s kinda Sami’s thing. And the framing of Rollins giving Sami that Curb Stomp was a bit obvious, but that’s why it was also perfect. I don’t know if Sami gets any allies in this fight, with so many names out there preoccupied in other stories right now, but I guess we’ll have to see if Sami even returns next week to keep fighting.
My Score: 8.8/10
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