Our WWE Raw Results for tonight include Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer appearing, Lyra Valkyria battling The Judgement Day’s Roxanne Perez, the winner of the Last Time is Now tournament, Gunther returns, and The War Raiders challenging AJ Styles and Dragon Lee for the WWE World Tag Team Championships. Here’s our review and grades for tonight’s show, live from the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
WWE Raw Card:
- WWE World Tag Team Championship Match: AJ Styles and Dragon Lee (c) vs. The War Raiders (Erik & Ivar)
- What’s next for Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer
- Lyra Valkyria vs. Roxanne Perez
- Gunther returns after winning the Last Time is Now Tournament
WWE Raw Results:
A video package highlighting the Last Time is Now Tournament is shown.
Gunther!
The crowd drowns Gunther out with “we want Cena!” chants. Gunther tells the crowd not to get their hopes up because he’s not coming tonight. Right now, it’s Gunther’s time. After submitting LA Knight, Gunther realized the honor that he won; Gunther will be the last opponent for John Cena. The crowd cheers as Gunther shockingly puts over Cena as the greatest sports entertainer of all time.
But Cena needs to realize that he’ll be in the ring with the greatest professional wrestler of all time. The crowd boos some more. Gunther points to the ‘Tron, and a countdown clock appears. Gunther says he’s going to do something no one has ever done; Gunther is going to choke the hustle, loyalty, and respect out of Cena. Cena is going to give up.
Grade: B+
Excellent promo by Gunther. Gunther may be the best wrestler on the planet right now. That’s in the ring and maybe even on the mic. Gunther is going to make Cena tap out at Saturday Night’s Main Event, and the world is going to lose its mind.
IYO SKY w/Rhea Ripley vs. Kairi Sane w/Asuka
After some back and forth, Sane tries a rana, but SKY lands on her feet. SKY and Sane trade pin attempts. Neither woman can get the advantage. Sane mocks SKY and sends her flying with a head scissors. SKY sends Sane flying with a dropkick. Sane rolls out. Asuka hops on the apron to stop SKY from landing a dive. Asuka low bridges SKY, sending her to the floor. Ripley walks down Asuka. Sane surprises SKY with a diving elbow smash off the apron.
After the break, SKY goes up top for her finish. Sane crotches SKY on the top turnbuckle in a tree of woe. Double stomp by Sane! SKY kicks out. After a series of counters, SKY German suplexes Sane on the apron. Asai Moonsault by SKY. Sane distracts the referee while Asuka knocks SKY into another tree of woe. Ripley sends Asuka into the barricade. Sane tries another double stomp. SKY suplexes Sane off the top and hits the Over the Moonsault for the win.
Winner- IYO SKY
Grade: B
Fun TV match. Sane and SKY, not shockingly, have a ton of chemistry. Friends generally have the best matches, as they are more apt to beat the crap out of each other. This was no different. Tons of stiff strikes, high flying attacks, and big moves… This match was highly enjoyable.
Finn Bálor vs. Rey Mysterio
Logan Paul attacks Mysterio during his entrance. Paul puts on the pair of knucks Paul Heyman handed him. Mysterio blocks the shot and lands a few strikes. Mysterio trips Paul into the ropes to set up a 619. Before Mysterio can hit the move, the hooded man appears in the ring and drops Mysterio with a superkick. Stomp by the hooded man. The hooded man runs away. Paul lays Mysterio out with a shot to the face with the knucks. LA Knight‘s music hits, and Knight runs down to the ring. Paul runs away. Knight grabs a mic and says he’s pissed off and Paul needs to pay… tonight. Knight is going to take out his frustrations on Paul, Yeah!
Grade: C+
Stinks that we didn’t get the banger of a match that Mysterio vs. Bálor would have been, but we did get an idea of what’s next for LA Knight. Not what this writer thought he’d get out of a Bálor/Mysterio match, but here we are. Side note: Knight sure took his sweet time saving Mysterio. This wasn’t as bad as Jeff Hardy doing his whole entrance before saving his brother from getting murdered in the ring.
WWE World Tag Team Championship Match: AJ Styles and Dragon Lee (c) vs. The War Raiders
The New Day and Grayson Waller hop the barricade and hover around ringside. The crowd chants that the New Day sucks while Lee and Styles double-team Erik. Styles and Lee clear the ring. Lee tries a dive but gets caught by Erik and Ivar. Styles attempts a dive, but Erik and Ivar toss Lee into Styles. Erik destroys Lee with a running knee. Ivar flattens Styles against the LED board with a low crossbody. After the break, Erik and Ivar work on Styles. Styles manages to tag in Lee. Lee lands a flurry of strikes and a double stomp out of the corner to Ivar.
Lee tries several times to lift Ivar on his shoulders. Lee lands an awkward Samoan drop. Ivar sits down on Lee in the corner. Lee counters a double team move with a double rana on Ivar and Erik. Erik rolls out on the apron. Lee tries a running rana, but Erik puts on the brakes and catches Lee. Erik tosses Lee off the apron into the Viking Experience on the floor by Ivar! Ivar lands the Doomsault. Styles breaks up the pin. Styles sends Ivar off the top with a rana that sends Ivar carrening into Erik. Phenomenal Forearm by Styles to Ivar. Styles pins Ivar.
Winners and STILL World Tag Team Champions, AJ Styles and Dragon Lee!
After the match, The New Day has a staredown with Styles and Lee. Jey Uso‘s music hits, and The Usos walk to the ring. The crowd asks Jey to run it back, and he does. Jimmy announces the Usos are back in the tag team division. Jimmy notes that they have been taking L after L. The crowd cheers as Jimmy asks Jey what they gonna do? Jey says they’re gonna get back to “us.” The best tag team is now in their city. They need gold. The New Day attacks the Usos. Jimmy and Jey lay out Woods and Kingston. Waller takes a walk. Styles and Lee have a staredown with Jimmy and Jey.
Grade: B
This was one of the best tag team matches we’ve had on Raw in recent memory. The War Raiders are an underrated beast in the ring, so it’s always good to see them in the ring wth two dogs like Styles and Lee. Erik and Ivar were allowed to show out in this one with big moves and some signature high-flying. The crowd hasn’t seen the War Raiders in ages, so letting them shine in a loss is best. The Usos’ interjection was unexpected, but not unwelcome. This writer wasn’t out on the Jimmy and Jey singles experiment, but having a detour back in the tag division (until Jey inevitably turns on Jimmy) makes sense. The Raw Tag team division needed an injection of life, so all of this is a win-win.
A Devil’s Kiss
Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer gives Nikkia Bella her flowers, while noting that this isn’t the same place as it was when Bella was here 15 years ago. Vaquer starts to put over the rest of the locker room. The crowd groans as Bella demands a rematch. As soon as Bella gets on the apron, Raquel Rodriguez appears and pulls Bella off the apron. Rodriguez lawn darts Bella into the ring post. Rodriguez wants a shot at Vaquer.
Grade: C+
WWE is doing a great job of killing Vaquer’s momentum with odd choices for opponents. As much as we have enjoyed Rodriguez as of late, not sure this is what Vaquer needs right now. A feud/win over a recent highly regarded former champion would do way more for Vaquer than whatever this is. Also, isn’t this going to cause a conflict with Rodriguez’s buddy Liv Morgan?
Backstage, Liv Morgan questions Rodriguez about what she did. Rodriguez says Bella ruined her shot to become Women’s Champion. Rodriguez wants her shot and didn’t know she needed to run everything past Morgan now. Morgan says that’s not it at all; she just wanted to be able to support Rodriguez. If Rodriguez is going for the Women’s title, Morgan is going to win the tag titles with Roxanne Perez. Perez looks surprised. Morgan says she is going to be in Perez’s corner tonight.
Lyra Valkyria w/Bayley vs. Roxanne Perez w/Liv Morgan
Valkyria and Perez trade pin attempts. The fight spills out of the ring. Perez sends Valkyria into the ring steps. Perez works over Valkyria’s injured arm. After the break, Perez works over Valkyria. Valkyria fires up and lands a flurry. Morgan distracts the referee. Bayley takes out Morgan. Perez rakes Valkyria’s eyes. Perez dropkicks Bayley through the ropes. Valkyria rolls up Perez. Perez kicks out, sending Valkyria into a kick from Morgan. Pop Rocks by Perez. Perez pins Valkyria.
Winner- Roxanne Perez
Grade: C+
Solid TV match. We’ve seen these two have more exciting matches in the past. This was more about selling the new Morgan/Perez relationship. In that regard, this was successful.
LA Knight vs. Logan Paul w/Paul Heyman
Paul attacks as soon as the bell rings. Knight fires back with a suplex. Paul and Knight trade shots. Paul is sent out of the ring. Dropkick through the ropes by Knight. Knight slams Paul’s head into the desk. After the break, Paul lands a modified powerbomb. Knight is rocked, but won’t stay down. Paul continues his assault. Knight fires up and lands a flurry, capped with a leaping neckbreaker for a near fall.
Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker walk down to the ring. Paul catches Knight with a crossbody off the top for another near fall. Knight lands the LA elbow and calls for the BFT. Reed floors Knight with a headbutt while the referee is distracted by Breakker. The referee ejects Reed and Breakker. Knight beats down Paul outside the ring. The hooded man hops the barricade and Stomps Knight on the commentary desk! Paul lands a frog splash for the win.
Winner- Logan Paul
After the match, Breakker Spear Knight. Reed Tsunamis Knight twice. After the break, Heyman is in the ring with a mic. Heyman announces that Bron Breakker will be the next World Heavyweight Champion. Heyman hands Breakker the mic, and Breakker asks where CM Punk is. Not physically, but the real Punk. Not the nice guy Punk who smiles and takes pictures with the kids in the back. Breakker wants the old Punk. The guy from 2011, the one who was feared. Breakker wants to beat the greatest wrestler to ever lace a pair of boots, the guy walking around now, he can beat easily.
If Punk doesn’t step up, Breakker is going to take Punk’s title, and hell, he may even take Punk’s wife. Breakker is going to keep it simple, Spear, 1, 2, 3. On the ‘Tron, Knight is trying to get to his feet. Paul and Reed run to the back and attack Knight. Reed and Paul powerbomb Knight through a table. Knight talks trash and tries to get to his feet. Reed and Paul attack Knight again. Security tries to step in, but Paul and Reed take them out. Paul lays Knight on the roof of a car. Reed leaps off a platform and crushes Knight with a Tsunami!
Grade: B-
Good TV main event. Great angle after with Knight being left laid out by The Vision. The bit with the guy in the hood is giving modern-day Black Scorpion vibes. They need to get this to a conclusion soon before the bit runs its course with the audience. After that beat down, Knight must be going away for a while, which is a good thing. How can they miss you if you never go away? It was a nice touch to end Raw with a promo after the main event beatdown. This seems like a small thing, but mixing up the format makes the show seem fresher.
WWE Raw Review:
Overall, WWE Raw was a fun show. Raw has picked up the action over the past few weeks with several quality in-ring contests. Tonight, the World Tag Team Title match and SKY vs. Sane. With that, the show featured an inordinate amount of video packages, padding out the show that only had four matches. This is Raw, not a PLE. Four matches aren’t acceptable for a 2.5-hour show unless there are two Royal Rumble matches or something like that. The stories drive the in-ring action, but let you performers tell more stories in the ring. What did you all think of tonight’s show? Let us know in the comments!
Rating: B-
This event is ongoing. This information will be updated as the event progresses.
Read More: Stephanie McMahon Reveals Role At John Cena’s Final Match
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