Our WWE Raw results for tonight include former World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk kicking off the show, the Bulgarian Brute Rusev battling Sami Zayn, Maxxine Dupri challenging Becky Lynch for the Women’s Intercontinental title, and Naomi defending the Women’s World title against IYO SKY. Here’s our review and grades for tonight’s show, live from the Centre Videotron Quebec City, QC in Canada.
WWE Raw Card:
- CM Punk kicks off WWE RAW
- Sami Zayn vs. Rusev
- Women’s Intercontinental Title Match: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Maxxine Dupri
- Women’s World Title Match: Naomi (c) vs. IYO SKY
WWE Raw Results:
At the start of the show, Michael Cole announces that Women’s World Champion Naomi isn’t cleared to compete tonight. The Women’s World Championship Match is off.
The Voice of the Voiceless
Punk notes he’s a bit angry that he isn’t standing in the ring as the World Champion. The crowd boos as Punk notes that he has a Seth Rollins problem. Rollins is doing his best to be CM Punk, but Rollins is failing miserably. At SummerSlam, Punk climbed the mountain once again after 12 years. The crowd cheers. Punk says part of him feels he let the WWE Universe down. If we thought he was relentless before, after holding the championship in his hands, he will be even more relentless to hold it again. They say Don’t hate the player, hate the game, and since he’s cashed in on a few folks in the past, he can’t be mad at that part of this. But man, oh man, does he hate the player in this case. Rollins is pretending to be CM Punk just like he pretended to be injured. After Punk is done, Rollins won’t have to pretend. Punk promises to break Rollins’ legs. LA Knight‘s music hits, and Knight power walks to the ring. Punk looks perturbed.
Knight extends his hand to Punk. Punk and Knight share a testosterone-filled handshake. Punk asks Knight if he has something to say. Knight notes that Punk got screwed at SummerSlam and deserves a rematch for the championship. Punk says, Yeah. Knight says Yeah. With that, when Knight had his match against Rollins, Punk couldn’t help himself. If Punk wants to get his hands on Rollins, do it after the bell. Knight proclaims that Punk can get his rematch after Knight gets his. Punk says the words Knight is looking for are, “thank you, Mr. Punk, for saving my life last week.”
Punk yells that Knight is crazy if he thought he was going to win the championship from Rollins after getting his head Stomped into the concrete last week. Punk is a former champion, which is something Knight can’t claim to be, so Knight goes to the back of the line. Knight says they don’t have a problem, and he’d like to keep it that way. Knight says he’s going to forget about last week, but he’s going to beat Rollins and Punk can be Knight’s first successful challenger. Punk says he doesn’t want a problem with Knight, but he’s the best in the world. Paul Heyman, Bronson Reed, and Bron Breakker interrupt.
Heyman tells Knight not to trade favors with Punk. Heyman goes on a rant about how much Punk has ruined his life. Punk cuts Heyman off and calls him a crybaby, and exclaims someone is getting punched in the face tonight. It can be one of Heyman’s chins that gets hit, or either of the Bron-Brons. Heyman challenges Knight and Punk to face Breakker and Reed tonight. Knight starts to say he doesn’t want the Brons, he wants Rollins, but Punk interrupts and accepts the challenge. Knight says Punk doesn’t speak for him, but he accepts. Breakker marches to the ring, but Reed pulls Breakker back.
Grade: B
This was a good opening segment, but it was a bit on the long side. Punk is always good, but Punk seemed a bit off tonight, as some of Punk’s lines didn’t land well. Breakker somehow managed to make the most of his screentime by looking like an unhinged monster as he needed to be pulled back from mauling “the combines 100 years old” CM Punk and LA Knight.
AJ Styles and Dragon Lee vs. El Grande Americano and Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio
Dominik comes to the ring in a lucha mask. While Dominik makes his entrance, Styles and Lee attack. As things settle down, Americano and Dominik take over after Lee is sent into the steel ring steps. After the break, Americano and Dominik work over Lee. Lee almost tags in Styles, but Dominik pulls Styles off the apron. Styles chases Dominik around the ring. Styles clotheslines Dominik over the barricade. Lee finally manages to tag in Styles. Styles lands a flurry of offense. Styles slingshots Lee into Dominik, who monkeyflips Dominik into a Styles Clash from Styles.
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Lee goes up top to finish off Dominik. Americano pushes Lee off the top to the floor. Americano stuns Styles on the top rope. Americano tries to place a steel plate in his mask, but Styles dropkicks it into Americano’s face. The steel plate falls near Dominik, who puts his lucha mask back on and loads the steel plate into it. Back in the ring, Styles rolls up Americano. Americano kicks out, sending Styles into the ropes. Dominik blasts Styles with a loaded headbutt. Americano schoolboys Styles and gets the three count.
Winners- Dominik Mysterio and El Grande Americano
Grade: C+
Solid TV match with a predictable yet still enjoyable finish.
Sami Zayn vs. Rusev
Rusev plays to the crowd. The crowd boos. Zayn plays to the crowd. The crowd cheers. Zayn lands a few strikes. Rusev floors Zayn with a back elbow. Two count for Rusev. Zayn sends Rusev out of the ring. Arabian Press by Zayn. After the break, Zayn set up a Helluva Kick. Rusev counters with a Machka Kick. Zayn narrowly escapes The Accolade. Zayn rolls out to the apron. Rusev mocks Sheamus with the ten beats of the Bohdren. Zayn fires up and sets up another Helluva Kick. United States Champion Solo Sikoa and his MFTs hop the barricade and attack Zayn, causing a disqualification.
Winner- Sami Zayn
After the match, security leads the MFTs away. Sheamus hops the barricade and knees Rusev in the face. Sheamus and Rusev brawl into the crowd.
Grade: B
This was a fun match. It was obvious this would end in a DQ, but this writer didn’t have Sikoa and the MFTs on his bingo card. The brawl with Sheamus and Rusev wasn’t as good as last week, but almost as brutal. If this ends with Sheamus and Rusev in a best-of-seven series, this writer is here for it.
As IYO SKY makes her way to the stage for he match, she runs into Asuka and Kairi Sane. Asuka offers to be in SKY’s corner for her match against Roxanne Perez, but for the second week in a row, SKY says she’s all set.
IYO SKY vs. Roxanne Perez w/Raquel Rodriguez
SKY and Perez trade takedowns and submission holds. Neither woman can get an advantage. Perez does a cartwheel to avoid a strike, then slaps SKY in the face. SKY flips to avoid Perez. A dropkick by SKY sends Perez out of the ring. Suicide dive by SKY. After the break, Perez is working over SKY, slamming SKY’s face into the middle turnbuckle. Perez dives off the top into a dropkick from SKY! Top rope missile dropkick from SKY. Bullet train attack by SKY. Perez kicks out. Perez cuts off SKY as she sets up her finish. Perez lands a rana off the top, followed by a cartwheel knee strike to the back of the head. SKY kicks out.
While the referee is distracted by Rodriguez, Perez rakes SKY’s eyes. Head scissors into a crossface by Perez. SKY turns it into a pin. Perez kicks out. Perez rolls out. SKY takes out Perez and Rodriguez with an Asai moonsault. SKY tries the Over the Moonsault, Perez gets a boot up and SKY lands awkwardly (SKY’s knee crushes Perez’s face). Asuka and Sane run down to the ringside and hold Perez in place of SKY. SKY almost accidentally hits the Kabuki Warriors. Perez knocks SKY into Asuka and Sane. Perez rolls up SKY with a handful of tights for the win.
Winner- Roxanne Perez
Grade: B+
This was one of the best matches on Raw in recent memory. SKY and Perez started slow and built to a hell of a finish. This match could have taken up the entire second hour of the show, and we would all be better for it. Hopefully, we get to see these two match up again soon.
Backstage, SKY yells at Asuka and Sane. Asuka pushes SKY and storms off. A conflicted Sane follows Asuka.
Women’s Intercontinental Title Match: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Maxxine Dupri
Lynch pushes Dupri around and mocks her as the match starts off. With every attack, Lynch berates Dupri for not deserving to be in Lynch’s ring. Dupri surprises Lynch with an arm drag. Lynch drives Dupri into the corner and stomps a mudhole in her. Lynch tosses Dupri around the ring with several exploder suplexes. Dupri counters the Manhandle Slam with a stunner. Lynch tries a leaping kick, but Dupri reverses it into the ankle lock. Lynch gets to the ropes. Dupri lands a flurry of offense and gets a number of near falls. Lynch counters a roll up and grabs the bottom rope. The referee sees it. Dupri rolls up Lynch. Lynch reverses the pin into the DisArmHer. Dupri taps out.
Winner and STILL Women’s Intercontinental Champion, Becky Lynch!
After the match, Natalya checks on Dupri. Lynch boots Natalya in the face just for fun.
Grade: C+
Dupri looks better in the ring, but this one overstayed its welcome a bit. This match would have worked better as either a quick squash or a quick shocking win. This was neither of those things.
CM Punk and LA Knight vs. Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker w/Paul Heyman
Before the bell rings, Reed and Breakker attack Knight and Punk. After the bell rings, Knight catches Breakker with an elbow. Knight and Punk take turns working over Breakker. Reed makes the tag and gets sent over the top by a double clothesline from Knight and Punk. After the break, Reed and Breakker are working over Punk. Punk manages to tag in Knight. Knight clears the ring. The fight spills out of the ring.
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Knight gets clotheslined off the commentary desk by Breakker. After the break, Breakker and Reed destroy Knight with the Steiner Bulldog. Punk breaks up the pin. Knight manages to tag in Punk. Punk sends Breakker flying with a suplex. Breakker stumbles into the corner. Punk lands two running knee strikes. Diving elbow by Punk. Punk calls for the GTS. World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins appears and attacks Punk, causing a disqualification.
Winners- CM Punk and LA Knight
After the match, Rollins and Co. beat down Knight and Punk. Jey Uso runs down the ramp with a chair, which he uses to take out Breakker and Reed. Raw GM Adam Pearce walks out on the stage. Pearce announces Rollins will defend the World Heavyweight Championship at Clash in Paris in a fatal four-way against Knight, Punk, and Jey.
Punk and Knight argue and get into a brawl. Jey tries to break it up, but Knight elbows Jey in the face. Punk picks up Knight for a GTS, but Breakker Spears Punk out of his boots. Breakker rolls out and levels Knight with a Super Spear. Reed crushes Jey with a Tsunami. Rollins delivers Stomps to all three of his challengers.
WWE Raw Review:
Tonight’s show featured high-quality in-ring action, particularly in the IYO SKY and Roxanne Perez match. The night was marred by excessive outside interference and disqualifications. No matter how good the action was, almost every interaction tonight ended with a screwy finish. It felt like the worst of the Attitude Era on full display. If WWE can maintain high-quality matches and avoid the urge to Russo-up the finishes, we would have a show worth spending 2.5 hours on.
Rating: B-
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