This week’s WWE Raw saw Damian Priest & Jey Uso team up against The Judgment Day, two big triple threat matches, and Drew McIntyre ruined CM Punk’s good mood.
It’s WWE Raw from the Ball Arena with Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett on commentary. It is Tessitore’s first time calling WWE action. Tessitore & Barrett are expected to be the Raw commentary team for the rest of the year.
The Raw commentary team of Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett were in the ring to welcome us to the show. Wade introduced Joe to the crowd and Joe spoke about how excited he was to join the WWE broadcast team while mentioning Pat McAfee, Corey Graves and Michael Cole.
A video package aired showing WWE Bash In Berlin highlights.
Rhea Ripley did an in-ring promo bragging about beating her and Damian Priest beating Dominik Mysterio & Liv Morgan at Bash In Berlin. Ripley mentioned that she beat Morgan in the match, so she wanted a title shot. Dominik interrupted and was booed loudly. Dominik said that Liv would face Rhea any time and any place. Morgan tried an attack, but Ripley knocked her down. Ripley went after Dom, Morgan hit Ripley from behind and Ripley’s left leg was caught in the ropes. Priest made the save, so Dom & Liv ran away.
Match #1: American Made – Julius Creed, Brutus Creed & Ivy Nile Ivy Nile (w/Chad Gable) defeated Alpha Academy – Otis, Akira Tozawa & Maxxine Dupri by submission. Gable was on the apron, so Dupri knocked him down and Nile capitalized with a Dragon Sleeper for the submission win.
Post match, Chad Gable said that they want an 8-man Tag Team Match with the Wyatt Sicks group. It should be 8-person, not 8-man, so he said it wrong. Gable wanted it to be a Street Fight. The Wyatt Sicks group interrupted. Uncle Howdy said 375 days his sanity crumbled. Howdy said his path is in the void now. Howdy said that the silence was deafening, but he could still hear it. Howdy said you gambled your very being and they will collect the debt. The rest of The Wyatt Sicks group appeared. Some Wyatt Sicks graphics were shown to end it.
Match #2: Shayna Baszler (w/Sonya Deville & Zoey Stark) defeated Zelina Vega by pinfall. Vega kicked Stark and jumped on Deville on the floor. When Vega got on the apron, Baszler did a knee strike for the pinfall win.
After the match, the Pure Fusion Collective stomped on Vega, but Lyra Valkyria showed up for the save attempt. That didn’t work after Stark hit a superkick and Deville hit a reverse DDT with an elbow drop. Baszler nailed Vega with a rising knee to the jaw. Sonya Deville did a promo about how great it felt to see those women on the mat like that. Deville dared anybody to step up and shoot your shot.
Following a break, Zelina Vega was backstage with Lyra Valkyria about how frustrated they are with the Pure Fusion Collective. Lyra said she had an idea while remarking they are in Calgary next week. That’s likely a reference for Natalya’s return.
CM Punk was in a great mood as he did a promo in the ring celebrating his win over Drew McIntyre at Bash In Berlin in a Strap Match. Punk spoke about how it was time to move on, so he mentioned the World Heavyweight Champion Gunther and said he was coming for him. Punk celebrated on the commentary table, which was a bad move because Drew McIntyre showed up for a cheap attack. Drew hit Punk with a Claymore Kick. In the ring, Drew hit Punk with the Claymore Kick again. Drew took off Punk’s bracelet that had his wife AJ Lee and dog Larry’s name on it. Drew ripped apart the bracelet and put the beads in Punk’s mouth. The WWE Producers trio of Jason Jordan, Ken Doane & Shawn Daivari tried to hold Drew back again. Drew hit Punk with another Claymore Kick. Referees and producers managed to keep Drew back.
After the break, CM Punk was on a stretcher and he was getting wheeled to the backstage area. They replayed what happened before the break. Punk was getting wheeled to the ambulance, but Drew McIntyre showed up to attack again. Punk was bleeding around the mouth. Referees got Drew out of there as they tried to get Punk into the stretcher.
Match #3: Intercontinental Championship #1 Contender’s Tournament Semifinals: Ilja Dragunov defeated Dragon Lee and Dominik Mysterio by pinfall. Carlito attacked Lee, so Damian Priest went out there to beat up Carlito. Priest chased Dominik out of the back part of the arena. Ilja beat Lee with a Torpedo Moscow uppercut. Joe called Ilja’s final move a “big shoulder” since he doesn’t know the name most likely. Wade said the name after the match.
A video package aired about last week’s chaotic Bronson Reed-Braun Strowman fight. It ended with Reed doing a Tsunami Splash onto Strowman on the top of a car.
Raw General Manager Adam Pearce was interviewed by Cathy Kelley about the replacement for Bronson Reed, who is out due to illness. Braun Strowman walked in favoring the left side of his body. Braun said that medical told him if feels he can go then he can be in a match. Braun said he can go and he wants this match tonight. Pearce said Braun is in.
The new Women’s Tag Team Champions Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill were at ringside to watch the next match.
Match #4: Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn defeated Damage CTRL – Iyo Sky & Kairi Sane by pinfall. Sane jumped off the top with an elbow smash, but Dawn pulled Belair in front of her, so Sane hit Belair instead. Sane also went hard into the commentary table. Dawn did a cheap shot that the referee didn’t see, so Fyre & Dawn finished off Sky with the Gory Bomb Facebuster combo. That win will give Fyre & Dawn a Women’s Tag Team Title match.
Gunther did an in-ring promo bragging about beating Randy Orton to retain the World Heavyweight Title at Bash In Berlin. Gunther said that big weekend was just another chapter in the legacy of the greatest World Champion in history. Sami Zayn interrupted and talked about how many great wrestlers went from Intercontinental Champion to World Champion like Gunther has. Zayn said that he’s coming after the one championship that has eluded him his entire career because he wants the World Heavyweight Title. Gunther shut down Zayn’s challenge and said that the answer is no and Gunther left. Zayn was still in the ring and said he’s never seen Gunther back down from a fight. Zayn wondered why Gunther was backing down from his fight. Zayn said that he thinks for as great as Gunther has been, Zayn pointed out that he’s the only guy who has beaten Gunther in the middle of this ring since Gunther has been in the ring (on the main roster). Zayn told Gunther he was coming for him and Zayn claimed he will be a World Heavyweight Champion. Gunther smiled and left.
Jey Uso was interviewed by Jackie Redmond backstage. The Intercontinental Champion Bron Breakker told Jey to walk away and drop out of the IC Title contender’s tournament. Bron mocked Jey for chasing after Dominik Mysterio’s sloppy seconds. Bron told Jey if he comes after the IC Title, he’s going to lose. Jey thanked the “rookie” for the advice. Jey said he’s going to get Mami. Jey said that he’s going to win this IC Title tournament, win the IC Title, and beat Bron’s ass while he does it….yeet.
Match #5: Intercontinental Championship #1 Contender’s Tournament Semifinals: Braun Strowman defeated Sheamus and Ludwig Kaiser by pinfall. Strowman was doing his best, but he also was hurting with sore ribs. Sheamus hit a Brogue Kick on Kaiser for two because Pete Dunne broke it up and Dunne hit Sheamus with a shillelagh. Strowman beat Kaiser with a powerslam for the win.
That match means the Intercontinental Championship #1 Contender’s Fatal 4-Way Match next week on Raw is Jey Uso vs. Pete Dunne vs. Ilja Dragunov vs. Braun Strowman.
Damian Priest approached Jey Uso in the locker room. Jey said he used to be him since he lost friends and lost his family, but Jey still respects Priest. Plus, Jey isn’t going to say no to Rhea. Priest said that this beating they are going to give The Judgment Day is for real and Priest said “yeet” to end it.
Pete Dunne was interviewed by Jackie Redmond backstage, who asked Dunne why he did what he did. Dunne said it was a message from an old friend and now he’s off to NXT to beat Trick Williams. Jackie asked if she should tell Sheamus it was a message from Butch? Dunne told her don’t call him Butch.
Match #6: Jey Uso & Damian Priest defeated The Judgment Day – Finn Balor & JD McDonagh by pinfall. This was not for the World Tag Team Titles held by Balor & McDonagh. At one point, Jey went up top for a move, but Liv Morgan tripped him up. That led to Rhea Ripley attacking Liv with her crutch and chasing Liv away. Priest hit Razor’s Edge on JD and Jey went up top to hit an Uso Splash on JD for the win.
After the match, the babyface trio of Jey Uso, Damian Priest & Rhea Ripley celebrated in the ring with the fans cheering them. That was the end of Raw.
WWE Raw Next Week
Next Monday on Raw in Calgary is the “Season Premiere” episode. Here’s what WWE is advertising so far:
* Jey Uso vs. Pete Dunne vs. Ilja Dragunov vs. Braun Strowman – The winner will receive an Intercontinental Title match.
* WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships: Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill vs. Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn
* 8-Person Mixed Tag Team Street Fight: Wyatt Sicks vs. American Made
That was all for this week’s show.