Our WWE Raw results for tonight include Becky Lynch defending the Women’s Intercontinental Championship against Maxxine Dupri, The Judgement Day’s Finn Balor and JD McDonagh putting the WWE World Tag Team Championship on the line against AJ Styles and Dragon Lee, Rusev challenging Dominik Mystero for the Intercontinental Championship, and Raw GM Adam Pearce addressing Seth Rollins and the World Heavyweight Championship. Here’s our review and grades for tonight’s show, live from the SAP Center in San Jose, California.
WWE Raw Card:
- Women’s Intercontinental Championship Match: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Maxxine Dupri
- Intercontinental Championship Match: Dominik Mystero (c) vs. Rusev
- WWE World Tag Team Championship Match: Finn Balor & JD McDonagh (c) vs. AJ Styles and Dragon Lee
- GM Adam Pearce addresses Seth Rollins and the World Heavyweight Championship
WWE Raw Results:
Raw GM Adam Pearce is in the ring to open the show. Pearce welcomes the crowd to the show and says he is going to provide an update on… before Pearce can finish his statement, the ‘Tron cuts to the parking lot. A truck pulls up, and the Vision gets out. Bron Breakker is still carrying Seth Rollins‘ World Heavyweight Championship.
The Vision
Breakker, Paul Heyman, and Bronson Reed join Pearce in the ring. Pearce says it’s good that they are here, so they can hear this from him. Rollins was injured after his match with Cody Rhodes, but we don’t know how bad since Breakker and Reed’s attack officially put Rollins on the shelf. Because of Breakker and Reed, Pearce officially strips Rollins of the World Championship. At Saturday Night’s Main Event, a new champion will be decided. CM Punk already earned his shot, so the winner of a battle royal tonight will face Punk to crown a new champion.
Pearce tells Breakker that since Rollins isn’t the champion and Breakker sure as hell isn’t, Breakker needs to hand over the championship. Breakker says, “What if he doesn’t?” Heyman pulls Breakker back and says something to him that we can’t hear. Breakker tells Pearce he needs to respect him. Pearce asks for the championship, respectfully. Breakker gets in Pearce’s face and tells him to say please. Pearce begrudgingly obliges. Breakker hands the championship to Heyman, who hands it to Pearce.
The Oracle Speaks
After Pearce leaves, Heyman asks the crowd to explain to him why they are mad at the Vision. What did they do? The Vision was never about Rollins. Heyman says he didn’t turn on his best friend and the Tribal Chief for Rollins. Heyman did it because he knew Breakker is the future. He did it because he knew Reed was better than Roman Reigns. Rollins can’t lead the Vision with a bum arm. Rollins is nothing but a bum shoulder b*tch. Heyman caps his rant off by welcoming the WWE Universe to Raw.
Grade: B
This was a solid opener. We have clarity on the world title situation now, which is excellent. If Pearce really wanted to flex, he should have barred Reed and Breakker from competing in the battle royal tonight. Give Breakker a reason to lose it and cause untold amounts of chaos.
WWE World Tag Team Championship Match: Finn Bálor & JD McDonagh (c) vs. AJ Styles and Dragon Lee
Styles and Lee are in control early. McDonagh trips Lee and lands a slingshot double stomp. Bálor and McDonagh take turns working over Lee. Styles rushes the ring and attacks McDonagh. Styles drags Lee to their corner and makes the tag. McDonagh low bridges Styles, sending him to the floor. After the break, Styles manages to tag in Lee, who clears the ring. McDonagh ends up in the tree of woe. Lee lands a double stomp. Lee sets up the Destino. Bálor pulls McDonagh out of the ring. Lee lands a dive. McDonagh counters Lee’s powerbomb into a powerbomb of his own.
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Both men are down. A double tag leads to McDonagh eating a Ushigorishi. Styles lands the Phoenominal Forearm. McDonagh breaks up the pin at 2.99999! After a strike exchange, Styles runs into a standing Spanish fly by McDonagh. McDonagh lands his moonsault. Bálor follows that with double stomp off the top. McDonagh tries to stop Lee from breaking up the pin, but Lee leaps over McDonagh and lands on Bálor to break up the pin. Lee lands a dive that takes out McDonagh. Bálor attempts to Styles Clash Styles. Styles reverses it into a Styles Clash of his own for the win!
Winners and NEW World Tag Team Champions, AJ Styles and Dragon Lee!
Grade: B
This match was a lot of fun. Why isn’t Dragon Lee featured more on WWE TV? Styles and Lee are a pair that is reminiscent of some of the random tag team partners Styles had back in his TNA days. Weird pairing aside, this was a tag team match, tag team match. So many tight near falls and amazing moments. Go out of your way to watch this one if you can.
Intercontinental Championship Match: Dominik Mysterio (c) vs. Rusev
As Rusev makes his way to the ring, Dominik surprises Rusev with a dive. Dominik sends Rusev into the steps and then into the ring. Rusev runs over Dominik. The referee rings the bell to start the match. Rusev beats down Dominik, tossing him all over the ring. Dominik fires up and tries the three amigos. Rusev blocks it and tries a suplex of his own. Dominik turns that into a DDT. Rusev. kicks at two. Dominik goes up top. Rusev gets his knees up during Dominik’s splash.
Spinning Uranage by Rusev. Rusev calls for the Accolade. Dominik slips out of the ring. Dominik tries to leave, but Penta cuts him off. Rusev tosses Dominik into Penta. Dominik tries to use the timekeeper’s hammer for a load 619, but Rusev blocks it and tries to hit Dominik with the hammer. The referee pulls the hammer out of Rusev’s hand. In the confusion, Dominik kicks Rusev in the balls and hits a frog splash for the win.
Winner and STILL Intercontinental Champion, Dominik Mysterio!
After the match, Penta floors Rusev with a springboard DDT. Penta points at Dominik as he clutches his championships on the ramp.
Grade: B-
Another fun match tonight. Dominik’s face turn is going to feed families.
Women’s Intercontinental Championship Match: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Maxxine Dupri
Lynch is all over Dupri. Dupri manages a roll up. Lynch kicks out. Lynch unloads on Dupri and tosses her out of the ring. Dupri fires up and lands a flurry. Fisherman’s suplex by Dupri. Dupri pulls down the straps and lands a devastating knee strike. Lynch and Dupri trade strikes. A head kick from Dupri sends Lynch to the mat. Lynch kicks out. Ankle lock by Dupri. Lynch turns the Ankle Lock into an armbar.
Dupri reverses Lynch’s armbar into the Ankle Lock. Lynch gets ot the rope. Dupri gets another near fall after a crossbody off the top. Lynch takes a page out of Dominik’s book and tries to leave with her title. Dupri gives chase and drags Lynch back to the ring. Dupri tries a sunset flip. Lynch grabs hold of the referee’s shirt. After a struggle, Dupri pulls Lynch into the pin. Lynch kicks out and hits Dupri in the back with the IC Championship to cause a disqualification.
Winner- Maxxine Dupri
After the match, Lynch beats down Dupri.
Grade: B-
Another solid outing by Dupri. This writer has no idea if it’s being in the ring with Lynch or if Durpi is actually Chad Gable in a wig.
Women’s World and Crown Jewel Champion Stephanie Vaquer vs. Roxanne Perez w/Raquel Rodriguez
Perez and Vaquer trade takedowns and submission holds. Perez ducks out of the ring. Vaquer gives chase. Vaquer spins Perez into a pin with a head scissors. Perez slaps Vaquer. Vaquer suplexes Perez. Vaquer sets up the Devil’s Kiss. Perez rolls to the ropes to avoid it. Perez yanks the ring skirt into the ring. As the referee tries to fix it, Rodriguez decks Vaquer. After the break, Perez is working over Vaquer.
Vaquer fires up and lands a bullet train in the corner. Corner dragon screw by Vaquer. Vaquer obiterates Perez with the Devil’s Kiss. Kick out by Perez. Perez surprises Vaquer with an arm breakker. Perez focuses her attack on Vaquer’s arm. La Mistica by Perez. Perez works an arm bar. Vaquer escapes and hits a 619. Perez tries a moonsault, Vaquer pushes Perez off the top. Perez lands on Rodriguez. Vaquer hits the Devil’s Wings for the win.
Winner- Stephanie Vaquer
After the match, Perez and Rodriguez attack Vaquer. Nikki Bella makes the… um save? This turned into a bit of a mess. After Rodriguez boots Bella in the face, Vaquer tries a springboard and slips. She recovers and hits a DDT, but comes up limping, which is scary.
Grade: C+
This one started off solid but finished a bit blah. Hopefully, Vaquer isn’t hurt, and at one point, the screen went dark, so there may have been a wardrobe malfunction as well. Too many moving parts here; they could have kept it to just a 1:1 match without all of the outside interference.
Number One Contender’s Battle Royal
CM Punk is out for the match to do commentary and get a closer look at his Saturday Night’s Main Event opponent. Styles tosses Dominik over the top, but the referee doesn’t see it. Dominik rolls back in. Jimmy saves Jey by superkicking LA Knight. Styles dives off the top into stereo superkicks from the Usos. As the field thins, we are down to our final four: Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, and Dominik. Jimmy and Knight get tied up in the ropes. Jey pushes both men out at the same time. Jimmy goes off on Jey outside the ring. Dominik dropkicks Jey into the ropes for a 619. As Dominik charges in, Jey tosses him over the top for the win.
Winner- Jey Uso
After the match, Jimmy storms off. Punk and Jey go nose-to-nose.
Grade: C+
The battle royal had a few fun spots, but the entire idea of this was just lazy. Having a tournament to crown the second contender would have given them way more content and the opportunity.
WWE Raw Review:
Tonight’s show was solidly ok. We have clarity on the world title picture, and we got a super fun tag title match, complete with a title change. The tag title match was the match of the night, and this writer can’t stress how enjoyable that match was. The Vaquer/Perez match fell apart towards the end, but hopefully, we will get to see those two match up again in the future without all of the outside interference. What did you think of the show? Let us know in the comments!
Rating” B-
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