Our WWE Raw results for tonight include the fallout from WWE Wrestlepalooza, the return of Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, Bayley clashing with The Judgement Day’s Roxanne Perez, Penta and The New Day & Grayson Waller battling The War Raiders in a No Disqualification match, and the new Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer addressing the WWE Universe. Here’s our review and grades for tonight’s show, live from the Ford Center in Evansville, Indianapolis.
WWE Raw Card:
- Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes Returns
- Bayley vs. Roxanne Perez
- Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer Set to Appear
- No Disqualification Match: Penta and The War Raiders vs. The New Day & Grayson Waller
WWE Raw Result:
A highlight package for WWE Wrestlepalooza is shown. It’s officially announced that the Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes will face the World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins at WWE Crown Jewel: Perth for the Crown Jewel Championship.
Cody Rhodes Returns!
Rhodes holds up his hand and points out that he was the inaugural Crown Jewel Champion. Rhdoes has nine other fingers he hopes to fill with more Crown Jewel Championships. Seth Rollins and The Vision interrupt. Rollins tells his team to stay back while he joins the Undisputed WWE champion in the ring. A sullen Rollins says from the moment they both walked out of SummerSlam as champions, he had Crown Jewel circled on the calendar, but here they are. Two of the best in their prime, one-on-one, may the best man win. It should be that simple, but since it’s Rollins and Rhodes, it’s deeper than that.
Rollins notes he knows what everyone thinks about him, and he doesn’t give a damn. A loud CM Punk chant breaks out. Rollins runs down the crowd and their inability to understand anything. Rollins quips that it’s good that it’s not about Punk since he doesn’t have a championship. After a chorus of boos, Rollins asks Rhodes what Rhodes thinks of Rollins. Rhodes says Rollins changed his life. Rhodes notes all the ways Rollins helped him on his journey. This shouldn’t be complicated. It would be wrestling 101 for Rhodes to sit here and run Rollins down, but he’s not going to do that. The real question is, what does Rollins think of himself?
Rhodes proclaims Rollins could be the best ever, but he should be hiding behind the three goons on the ramp. Rollins points out that he’s wearing the watch Rhodes gave him after Rollins helped Rhodes at WrestleMania. Rollins is upset that Rhodes has been going around saying he’s the right person to lead this company into the future. If Rhodes believes that, what does that say about Rollins? Ether Rhodes doesn’t think he’s good enough, or Rhodes doesn’t think Rollins is as good as Rhodes?
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If Rhodes is the quarterback, he’s Rollins’ quarterback. If Rhodes doesn’t agree with that, at WWE Crown Jewel, the truth will come out. Rollins is the alpha. The crowd boos as Rhodes says he has two questions for Rollins. Rhodes asks if their match will be one-on-one. Also, with the three matches they have had, how many has Rollins won? Rhodes slams the mic into Rollins’ chest and walks away.
Grade: C+
Goodness, this promo was long. Oh, so long. Rollins and Rhodes are good enough on the mic that they could have gotten the point across without taking 4567 hours to do it.
No Disqualification Match: Penta and The War Raiders vs. The New Day & Grayson Waller
A six-way brawl breaks out as soon as the bell rings. Penta and the War Raiders clear the ring. Ivar, Erik, and Penta set up dives, but the New Day quickly gets out of the way. Ivar crushes Woods with a seated senton in the corner. Waller teleports into the ring and wacks Erik with a kendo stick. Penta takes the stick away from Waller and lands a kendo stick strike as well. Woods and Kingston beat down Erik. Ivar runs over Woods, and Kingston Penta leaps off Erik’s back and lands a dive that takes out Woods and Kingston while Ivar simultaneously crushes Waller with a low crossbody against the ring’s LED board.
Kingston puts Penta through a table with a diving leg drop off the top. Erik powerbombs Woods and Kingston off the top at the same time. Ivar misses the Doomsault. Penta sends Kingston through a table with an overhead belly-to-belly. Penta goes up top. Waller hits Penta with a kendo stick. Waller sets up a Spanish fly off the top. Penta counters and hits a top rope Mexican Destroyer (yes, you read that correctly) for the win.
Winners- Penta and The War Raiders
Grade: B
This match was chaos personified. The only thing this match didn’t feature was ladders. Penta may have actually murdered Waller with that top rope Mexican Destroyer. Have we ever seen anything like that on Monday Night Raw? Insanity.
The New…
Raw GM Adam Pearce is in the ring. Pearce introduces the new Women’s World Champion, Stephanie Vaquer. Pearce congratulates Vaquer on her victory. Vaquer says her dream seemed impossible, but she sacrificed and she made it. Vaquer notes that she defeated one of the best in IYO SKY and that she had the best example, her dad. The crowd cheers as Vaquer’s father stands up and cheers for his daughter.
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Vaquer thanks the crowd for celebrating with her and crying with her at Wrestlepalooza. Nobody can stop her; she is the WWE Women’s World Champion. Pearce notes that Vaquer will face the winner of the WWE Women’s World Championship match on SmackDown at Crown Jewel for the Women’s Crown Jewel Championship. Vaquer says she will be there.
Grade: C+
It’s evident that Vaquer is working hard on her English. Her promos are improving. The odd thing here is that Vaquer is going straight into a champion vs. champion match for a ring that no one cares about. Vaquer needs a feud out of the gate. Otherwise, she will just be treading water like her pal Giulia on SmackDown.
Bayley w/Lyra Valkyria vs. Roxanne Perez w/Raquel Rodriguez
Bayley takes control early. Perez blocks a superplex. Perez escapes. After a distraction from Rodriguez, Bayley ends up in a tree of woe. Perez stomps on Bayley’s surgically repaired knee. Perez focuses her assault on Bayley’s injured appendage. After the break, Perez lands Pop Rock out on the floor. Bayley is almost counted out. Perez distracts the referee while Rodriguez pulls Bayley out of the ring. Big boot by Rodriguez. Valikyria sends Rodriguez into the post. Perez catches Valkyria with a dive. Perez unloads on Valkyria. Bayley goes nuts and pulls Perez back into the ring. An wildeyed Bayley drops Perez with a Bayley-to-Belly, a running knee, and a Roseplant for the win.
Winner- Bayley
After the match, Valkyria hugs Bayley. Bayley pushes Valkyria to the mat and berates Valkyria for touching her. Bayley storms off.
Grade: B-
Fun match with a good finish. Bayley went Super Saiyan on Perez with a flurry of classic Bayley moves. Not sure where this split personality Bayley gimmick is going, but so far, it’s been fun.
JD McDonagh w/Dominik Mysterio vs. Rusev
Rusev lands a few strikes. McDonagh tries to fire back but gets tossed clear across the ring. Rusev yells at Dominik that when he’s down with McDonagh, he’s coming for Dominik. McDonagh clocks Rusev. Rusev shrugs it off and chases McDonagh around the ring. McDonagh is tossed high in the air by a back body drop. McDonagh dropkicks the ring steps into Rusev. After a series of reversals, McDonagh flattens Rusev with an Asai moonsault.
After the break, McDonagh lands a flurry, capped with a moonsault. McDonagh runs into a Machka Kick. Accolade by Rusev. McDonagh taps out.
Winner- Rusev
Rusev refuses to release the hold. Dominik hops on the apron but hesitates before getting in the ring. Rusev is cranking the hold on McDonagh while screaming for Dominik to do something. Finn Bálor hits the ring and saves McDonagh. Bálor and Dominik argue.
Grade: B-
This was a fun extended squash match. Rusev should talk to his opponents more often. It adds a ton to his character. McDonagh may be the most underrated in-ring competitor on the Raw roster. Every opportunity McDonagh gets to shine, he makes the most of it. Having two bad guys feuding over the IC Championship is a choice, but so far, this isn’t terrible.
Jey Uso vs. LA Knight
Knights and Jey trade strikes. Jey floors Knight with a double chop. Jey beats down Knight. Knight avoids a charging Jey and lands a leaping neckbreaker. Knight tries a BFT, but Jey escapes. Jey rolls out. Knight misses a rope dive dropkick. Jey floors Knight with a clothesline. After the break, Jey continues his assault. Knight cuts Jey off up top and executes a superplex.
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After a strike exchange, Knight lands a burning hammer. Jey kicks out. Superkick by Jey. Knight kicks out. Knight avoids a Spear and lands a DDT. LA Elbow by Knight. Knight calls for the BFT. The Vision appears and tries to get involved. Knight fights off Reed and Breakker. Knight turns around and eats a Spear from Jey. Jey crushes Knight with the Uso Splash for the win.
Winner- Jey Uso
After the match, Jimmy meets Jey on the ramp and asks his brother to help him. Jey brushes Jimmy off and heads to the back. In the ring, Breakker and Reed are on the apron, ready to pounce on Knight. Jimmy grabs a chair and runs down to the ring. Heyman pleads with Breakker to stand down. Breakker eventually does.
Grade: B-
Odd that they didn’t use Jey braining himself at Wrestlepalooza at all during this match. Jey is showing an edge, taking advantage of outside interference to win matches and sneak-attacking Knight every chance Jey gets. With the way Jey has been acting and with him staring at the WWE Championship while speaking to Rhodes, we may be halfway into a slow heel turn for Jey. What do you all think? Let us know in the comments!
Asuka w/Kairi Sane vs. Rhea Ripley
Asuka lands a few strikes. Ripley responds with a German suplex. Asuka sends Ripley out of the ring with a hip attack. Ripley lands a drop kick, followed by a Northern Lights suplex for a near fall. Asuka escapes the Razor’s Edge. Chop block by Asuka. Asuka works over Ripley’s knee. The fight spills out of the ring. Senton by Ripley. After the break, Ripley lands a superplex. After a series of reversals, Ripley sends Asuka flying with a Razor’s Edge, followed by a shining wizard. Asuka kicks out.
Ripley calls for the Riptide. Asuka reverses it into an armbar. Ripley escapes, but ends up eating the post. Buzzsaw kick by Asuka. Ripley kicks at two. Asuka sends Ripley out of the ring. Asuka yells at Sane to attack Ripley, but she doesn’t. Ripley rolls back into the ring. Knee bar by Asuka. Ripley breaks the hold. Asuka goes up top. Ripley meets Asuka in the air with a dropkick. Asuka calls for Sane to help again. Sane hops up on the apron, but doesn’t attack. Asuka accidentally knocks Sane off the apron with a hip attack. Ripley rolls up Asuka for the win.
Winner- Rhea Ripley
After the match, Asuka blinds Ripley with the mist. Asuka beats down Ripley. Sane joins in. IYO SKY runs down to the ring and pleads with Asuka. SKY and Asuka hug. Asuka drops SKY with a spinning backfist. Sane eventually joins in, beating down SKY. Sane and SKY destroy SKY with their finish.
Grade: B
This was the match of the night. So many twists and turns and near falls. This one could have gone either way. The hesitation Sane had to get involved added to the overarching angle of Asuka turning her to the dark side. Sane hesitation quickly turned into capitulation. Side note: Ripley was completely covered in green mist. Have we ever seen someone that drenched before? Crazy stuff.
WWE Raw Review:
Despite the 17-hour opening promo, tonight’s episode of Monday Night Raw was an improvement over this past weekend’s so-so Wrestlepalooza PLE. The pop-up main event of Asuka vs. Rhea Ripley was the match of the night, but another contest, JD McDonagh vs. Rusev, was a surprising close second. What did you think of the show? Was it better than WWE Wrestlepalooza? Let us know in the comments!
Rating: B-
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