Our WWE Raw results for tonight include AJ Styles battling El Grande Americano, Lyra Valkyria taking on Raquel Rodriguez, the Usos responding to The Vision’s heinous attack last week, and AJ Lee returning to Monday Night Raw. Here’s our review and grades for tonight’s show, live from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois.
WWE Raw Card:
- AJ Lee Returns
- AJ Styles vs. El Grande Americano
- Lyra Valkyria vs. Raquel Rodriguez
- The Usos Respond to The Vision’s Henious Attack
WWE Raw Results:
Highlights from SmackDown are shown, depicting AJ Lee‘s return to WWE.
Day One Ish
Jimmy and Jey Uso enter through the crowd to a rousing reception from the Milwaukee crowd. The crowd demands the Usos’ run is back, so Jimmy and Jey Yeet with the crowd once again. Jey yells that the Usos are now in their city. Jey says the Vision screwed up. Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker interrupt. Breakker asks Jimmy if he’s lost. This isn’t SmackDown. Breakker goes on a rant about what the Usos’ family did to Paul Heyman. Reed pulls Breakker back. Reed tells Breakker not tonight and demands that Jey and Jimmy acknowledge their Tribal Thief. Since Jimmy decided to come to Raw, he doesn’t get a pass. Jimmy calls Breakker and Reed, J&J Security.
Jey and Jimmy call Heyman a dumbass, and Breakker needs to be held back again. Jimmy announces that at Wrestlepalooza, The Uso will reunite to face Breakker and Reed. Jey says they don’t have to wait. Reed says, No, no, they can wait till the PLE. Before Reed can walk off, LA Knight attacks him from behind. Reed and Breakker eventually subdue Knight. Jey and Jimmy land dives. Knight, Jey, and Jimmy team up and beat down Reed and Breakker. Reed almost sends Knight into Jey, but Knight puts on the brakes. Reed crushes Jey in the corner. Jimmy superkicks Reed. Knight and Jey argue while Jimmy tries to calm them down. Reed and Breakker slink off.
Grade: B-
Good opening segment. In a welcome change, instead of setting up a tag team main event for Raw (one of the most tired tropes in pro wrestling at this point), they set up a tag match at the next PLE. It’s nice seeing the Usos back together. Jimmy needed something to do, and if WWE isn’t going to give him a serious singles push, pairing him with his brother solves two problems at once; it gets Jey out of the title picture for a bit. Can’t miss him if he doesn’t go away. Also, shoutout to the goats J&J Security.
AJ Styles vs. El Grande Americano
Styles attacks Americano before he makes it to the ring. Styles is all over Americano, beating him down inside and out of the ring. Americano eats and elbow from Styles. Styles sets up the Phoenominal Forearm. Another El Grande Americano appears and trips Styles on the apron. The original Americano tosses Styles into the steel ring steps. After the break, Americano works over Styles. Styles surprises Americano with an exploder into the corner. After a series of strikes, Styles sets up a Ushigoroshi.
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Americano fights out of it, but gets dropped with a rack bomb. Kick out by Americano. Rope walk blockbuster by Americano. Americano sets up a powerbomb, but Styles almost rips off Americano’s mask. The second Americano appears again. Dragon Lee runs down to ringside and takes out the second Americano with a diving rana off the apron. Back in the ring, Americano sets up a powerbomb, but Styles reverses it into a Styles Clash for the win.
Winner- AJ Styles
Grade: B-
This one was way too short and had way too much outside interference. Americano and Styles were buzzing here, but it’s too hard to ignore how distracting all the fluff was in this case.
Lyra Valkyria vs. Raquel Rodriguez
Rodriguez tosses Valkyria around. Valkyria manages to trap Rodriguez in a guillotine. Rodriguez almost counters with a suplex, but Valkyria escapes. Valkyria tries a few shoulder blocks that fail hilariously. Rodriguez catches Valkyria during a crossbody. Valkyria manages to send Rodriguez out of the ring. Diving rope dropkick by Valkyria. Valkyria tries a crossbody off the top. Rodriguez catches Valkyria again and lands a slam. Valkyria is out on the mat. Rodriguez bow and arrows Valkyria on the ring post. Rodriguez lands two twisting corkscrew splashes for a near fall.
After the break, Rodriguez continues her assault on Valkyria’s injured back. Valkyria lands a struggle powerbomb off the second rope. Valkyria sets up Night Wing. Roxanne Perez appears and distracts Valkryia. Valkirya dropkicks Perez off the apron. Valkyria reverses a powerbomb from Rodriguez into a prawn hold. Rodriguez kick out. Head kicks by Valkyria. Valkyria goes up top. Rodriguez pulls Valkyria off the top into a powerbomb for the win.
Winner- Raquel Rodriguez
Grade: B
This writer can’t lie; Valkyria and Rodriguez killed it out there tonight. Valkyria is quickly becoming one of the most reliable technicians in the ring. Rodriguez has been working like the Undertaker out there. Who saw that coming?
LIGHT IT UP!
AJ Lee skips to the ring wearing Becky Lynch’s Women’s Intercontinental Championship. The crowd drowns AJ out with cheers. The crowd is going nuts. AJ apologizes for keeping us waiting, which brings on a welcome back chant. AJ introduces herself to the fans who may have been confused as to why their millennial parents were very excited last week on SmackDown. The crowd is still going nuts. AJ says she retired 10 years ago because she thought she had accomplished everything she wanted in Wrestling. AJ spent her time away from wrestling accomplishing the other things she wanted, including going to therapy to get right. A therapy chant breaks out.
AJ admits that every day is a fight and it’s worth it, and if you are struggling, you are worth it; get the help you need. More cheering from the WWE Universe. AJ notes that she has been doing so well. It’s one thing to see your husband fighting Drew McIntyre or Seth Rollins, but it’s another to see him in the ring with Becky Lynch. There is a world where AJ could have been friends with Lynch, but then Lynch motorboated her husband. Becky Lynch interrupts and proclaims that this has nothing to do with AJ’s stankass husband. Lynch runs down the crowd and complains about AJ wearing her title. Lynch rants and raves. AJ says she completely forgot she was wearing the title.
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AJ also calls attention to the black eye Lynch is hiding behind a pair of shades. After laying the title down in the ring, AJ quips that if Lynch is the greatest of all time, why doesn’t she come and get her title? The crowd calls Lynch a chicken. Lynch asks where AJ’s husband CM Punk is. Lynch says Punk is hiding behind his wife and calls her husband, Seth Rollins, out to the ring. Rollins joins Lynch on the ramp. Lynch is having a fit. Rollins tells Lynch to let him handle it. Rollins tells AJ to give Lynch her title back. AJ says they have two options if Lynch wants her title back: Lynch can come to the ring and get the title and risk another black eye, or they can agree to a tag match: AJ Lee and CM Punk against Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch.
Rollins says AJ has been gone a bit, so she doesn’t understand how this works. Rollins calls the shots. The crowd boos. Rollins says he’s going to come into the ring and retrieve his wife’s title. Rollins gets in the ring. AJ steps in front of Rollins, blocking him from the title. Rollins starts yelling at AJ. CM Punk storms down the ramp and almost surprises Rollins with a GTS. Rollins narrowly avoids it. Rollins grabs a mic and agrees to a tag match at Wrestlepalooza. Lynch is livid. AJ kisses the IC title and tosses it at Lynch and Rollins.
Grade: A
Great promos by everyone involved. For the first time in human history, a mixed tag match involving Lynch and Rollins is actually interesting. WWE could sell the PLE based on that alone.
Rusev vs. Penta
Rusev eats a few chops. After avoiding a leapfrog, Rusev floors Penta with a clothesline. Penta sends Rusev flying with a head scissors. Backstabber by Penta. Basement superkick by Penta. Penta goes up top. Rusev rolls out. Penta follows but gets smashed into the commentary desk. Rusev tries to crush Penta against the steel ring steps. Penta avoids it, causing Rusev to eat the steps.
After the break, Penta takes control. The New Day and Grayson Waller walk down to ringside. Penta takes them out with a dive. Code Red by Penta. Rusev kicks out. Penta goes up top. Woods hops on the apron. Penta kicks Woods off the apron. Penta dives off the top into a Machka Kick from Rusev. Rusev pins Penta.
Winner- Rusev
Grade: C+
Outside interference just seems to be a theme tonight. This one would have benefited from more time and no appearance from New Day. With the main event being what it is, is there any way that the match has a clean finish?
Nikki Bella vs. Asuka w/Kairi Sane
Neither woman can get the early advantage. Bella lands a dropkick. Asuka catches Bella with a pop-up knee. Asuka works over Bella. Bella avoids a hip attack and lands a nasty elbow strike. Spinebuster by Bella. Asuka rolls out and uses Sane as a human shield. Head kick by Asuka.
After the break, Bella fires up. Bella lands a second rope disaster kick for a near fall. Asuka surprises Bella with a head kick. Strike flurry by Asuka. Alabama slam by Bella. Asuka kicks out. Bella sets up the Rack Attack 2.0. Asuka escapes and floors Bella with a spin kick. Asuka Lock by Asuka. Bella taps out.
Winner- Asuka
Grade: C
This one was way too long. If Bella wasn’t winning, there was no reason this needed to go over a commercial break. That said, Bella did look better tonight.
LA Knight vs. Bronson Reed w/Bron Breakker
Knight unloads on Reed with right hands. Reed puts the brakes on a whip attempt and launches Knight into the turnbuckle. Reed tosses Knight out to the floor. Breakker circles Knight. Reed pulls Knight up on the apron. Knight stuns Reed on the top rope. Knight tries a slingshot, but Reed catches him. Reed misses a seated hip attack. Knight runs into a clothesline from Reed. Reed works over Knight. Reed is sent out of the ring. Knight lands a dropkick through the ropes. Knight sends Reed into the ring steps.
After the break, Reed continues his assault. Knight dropkicks a charging Reed’s knee, sending him into the turnbuckle. Knight lands a few strikes. Reed tosses Knight over the top. Reed tries to crush Knight against the barricade, but Knight sends Reed into the timekeeper’s area. Knight lands a dive off the commentary desk. LA Elbow by Knight. Reed kicks out. After a distraction from Breakker, Reed hits the Jagged Edge for the win.
Winner- Bronson Reed
After the match, Breakker and Reed beat down Knight. Jimmy Uso hits the ring and lands a flurry of superkicks. Breakker cuts Jimmy in half with a Spear. Breakker and Reed beat down Jimmy. Jey Uso’s music hits. Jey hits the ring and makes the save, but ends up eating a Spear from Breakker as well. Breakker stacks Jimmy and Jey for Reed to flatten them both with a Tsunami. Knight hits Reed with a chair. Breakker charges in, and Knight tosses the chair into Breakker’s face. Knight asks Jey if they are good before helping Jimmy up. Jey Spears Knight out of his boots. Jimmy is shocked. Jey yells at Knight that they are good now.
Grade: C+
Again with the interference… If there was one match that should have had it, it’s this one, but since we have seen essentially every match tonight feature the same screwiness, it doesn’t mean anything. It’s just tired.
WWE Raw Review:
Tonight’s show was the tale of unrealized potential. Almost every match tonight was solid, but not one had a clean finish. Outside interference has its place in every feud, but having it happen in EVERY match just drags the show down. AJ Lee’s return to Raw was stellar and was the moment of the night. Everyone involved delivered, and the mixed tag match between them at Wrestlepalooza may be the most highly anticipated mixed tag match in WWE History. What did you all think? Let us know in the comments!
Rating: C+
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