wrestling / TV Reports
Acero’s WWE RAW Review 7.24.23
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...Just got home from the Grauman’s Chinese Theater where I saw Oppenheimer on an Imax screen, and aside from it being my first time IN the theater, the movie was pretty solid. I’ll admit, the first 45 minutes was haphazard as hell, with it taking a while to get used to the frenzy, but once it settled in as a film, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Up next…Barbie, but first…
WELCOME TO MONDAY NIGHT RAW!!!
As a reminder, the GoFundMe for Larry’s daughters is still active and if you can make a donation, that would be awesome. Thank you so much to everyone who’s done so thus far.
RAW starts with The Judgment Day minus Dom in the ring already. Damien Priest welcomes us to rise for JD, while Rhea smiles. Finn Balor introduces Rhea, Priest, and the next World Heavyweight Champion, him. Before they get to the man of the moment, though, let’s see what said man achieved last week.
A video package of Dominik’s win last Tuesday.
Dominik Mysterio comes out as your NEW NXT North American Champion.
The shower of boos is wonderful as he attempts to talk about his win. He has a video package for us celebrating his greatness. It’s short and full of frog splashes.
Kevin Owens has heard enough. He comes out with Sami Zayn to a tremendous pop.
KO is almost sure they did this last week. Judgment Day came out, stood in the ring and tried to look all menacing, talked for a while, then Dom tried to talk and no one wanted to listen. That happened, right?
What really upsets Kevin, though, is when someone doesn’t learn. Dom did not learn, so he’ll say it again – no one cares what Dom has to say, EVER. He is so desperate for respect, showing video packages, wanna help the business? Shut your mouth forever.
Dom says he is a champion now and will not be disrespected. Sami says he has a point. Dom is being disrespected, but it’s only because no one here respects him. Here’s the thing; he has an idea, what if Dom went one-on-one with one-half of the tag champs tonight. Dominik vs Sami in Tampa, tonight.
Dom: “You want some of dirty Dom?”
Lol. Dom tells Sami to come get some. Sami reminds them how last week, their titles were not on the line, so it’s only fair that Dom’s title is on the line…
Rhea accepts for Dom.
Becky Lynch vs Zoey Stark
Becky corners Zoey immediately wit rights over and over. A kick and a knee. Zoey shoves her, misses a right, battering ram from Becky and a cover for 1..NO! Becky works the arm, Zoey escapes. Zoey hops off the apron. Becky tries for a right, Zoey side steps. Becky with a right, another, Zoey hits the ropes, tries for a kick, misses, chest first into the corner, Becky hits a clothesline on the floor and covers for 1.2..NO!!! Zoey rolls to the apron, Becky gRAbs her hair, but Zoey hangs her arm up on the top rope. She flies over the top rope onto Becky and covers for 1..2.NO!!
We are BACK and Becky is on the top rope. She flies off with a leg drop! Cover for 1..2..NO!!! Whip to the ropes, kick from Becky. She shoots Zoey over to the apron, flies off the top rope, misses wildly, kicks through the ropes sending Zoey outside. Becky flies with a right hand. She sends Zoey in the ring, ref is distracted so Trish hits Becky with a headbutt! Kick from Zoey. Cover! 1..2….NO!!! Z360 attempt but it’s blocked! Becky sends Zoey to the corner, misses a splash. Big kick from Zoey. Zoey to the top rope. Becky up. Hard right. Becky climbs. Superplex! ARM BAR! Zoey turns into the hold and powerbombs Becky down. Cover for 1..2..NO!!! Becky tries for Manhandle Slam, but Zoey reverses into a pin. 1..2.NO!!! Zoey rolls through for 1..2.NO!!! Becky trries for the arm bar, Trish hops on the apron and distracts, so Zoey rolls her up for 1..2..NO!!!
Zoey to the apron, hangs Becky up. Springboard…right into a Manhandle Slam! Cover! 1..2…3!!!
Winner: Becky Lynch
Becky’s frenetic attacks in the first half othis match really came off as clunky. I understand that she is driven by passion and not attepting to have a ‘good match’ if she’s pissed off, but there’s a way to do that well, and there were just quite a few missteps here.
Total Rating: **
Match Time: 9:50
Recap of Cody last week really stretching the connection to his daddy’s Hard Times promo thin.
Cody Rhodes is out and we’ve all seen the clip; Brock beating him with a chair in front of his mother. He is not surprised, but he is impressed. This is Brock Lesnar. Brock, having never played football, made it to an NFL team. Brock, who is synonymous with Summerslam. So surprised, no. Impressed, yes. Who wasn’t, though? His mother. She was not impressed. This is the same lady who watched Terry Funk throw fireballs at her dad’s face. Brock made a mistake. You left him breathing.
Cody breathes.
He no longer wants to win at Summerslam, he wants to embarrass Brock. He knows people are freaking out. He is not poking the bear, he is slapping it across the face and saying come and get it. He wants to beat Brock because it’s what Brock deserves. At Summerslam, he ends this .
Recap of the Logan Paul/Ricochet will they/wont they saga.
Jackie Redmond is backstage with a pacing Ricochet. Ricochet is happy Logan accepted his invitation, but he’s late and doesn’t get it. When he shows up, there is some business to take care of. Everything he wants to say to Logan, he’ll say to his face.
NXT North American Championship Match
Sami Zayn vs Dominik Mysterio
Side headlock from Dom gets Sami to a knee. He hits the ropes and shoots Dom off. Rope work results in a deep arm drag from Sami. Dom pulls the hair, whip, Dom holds on so Sami hits him with a clothesline, sending him outside. Sami hits the ropes, dives over the top rope ONTO dom! Nice.
Back from a break and Sami has Dom in the corner. He gets an eight count punch then a body slam. Sami to the top rope. Rhea hops on the apron. Ref is distracted, so Priest shoots Sami off the corner. Kevin Owens is there to knock Priest off the apron. Ref sees KO and tells him he’s gotta go to the back. Priest and Rhea laugh it off until the ref noitces them and tells them both to head to the back, also.
MICHINOKU DRIVER FROM SAMI! COVER! 1..2…NO!!!! Sami rushes the corner, but Dom slips under the ropes. He hangs Sami up, drop toe hold, goes for a 619, but Sami hits a clothesline and a cover for 1…2…NO!!! Sami sits on the corner, and Dom follows up. He locks the head, looking to superplex, but Sami hits some uppercuts to the mid section then a headbutt, sending Dom flying to the mat. Sami stands tall, flies, but Dom hits a dropkick! Cover! 1..2….NO!!!! Dom Stomps Sami one time then flies over th top rope from the apron onto Sami. Dropkick to the shoulder. Dom locks the head. He tries for the Three Amigos, but Sami floats behind. Tries for Blue Thunder Bomb, but Dom elbows away. Sami hits the ropes, Dom with a rana!!! 619 attmept, misses, BLUE THUNDER BOMB! Cover! 1.2…….NO!!!! Sami goes for the legs, Dom escapes, drop toe hold, 619 to Sami! COVER! 1..2…NO!!!!! Dom lays in with some rights, hits a suplex, holds on for another, gets it, He hits all three! Dom to the top rope! Tries for a Frog Splash, but knees were up! Sami pulls himself up. Exploder in the corner. Sami is ready to end it!
At the top of the ramp, Damien Priest and Rhea are shown tossing Kevin Owens out. Sami is distracted and Dom rolls him up for 1..2…3!!!
Winner: Dominik Mysterio
Shitty ending aside, this was a pretty good match that gave Dom more offense than we’ve seen him get, possibly ever.
Total Rating: **1/2
Match Time: 11:57
Recap of Jey Uso and Roman’s contract signing.
Shinsuke Nakamura is backstage contemplating life and how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop. Ricochet walks up to ask if he’s seen Logan Paul. Shin tells him he hasn’t. In comes Tommaso Ciampa to tell Shin that last week, the loss was on him, so he gets why shit went down the way it did. Everyone gets one. Tonight, he’s in action against Reed and expects Shin to stay out the way.
Dom, Priest, and Rhea walk backstage and try to bully Akira and Apollo. Akira aint with the shits, so he leaves while Apollo Crews says he wants some action. Priest offers up a match tonight.
Akira comes back when they leave to tell Apollo that he’s got this. Lol.
Bronson Reed vs Tommaso Ciampa
Ciampa tosses his jacket onto the big man then demands the bell. It rings and Reed tries for a suplex. Ciampa hits him with some knees to the top of the head so Reed drops him. Back elbow then he tosses Ciampa outside. When hehops back in, Reed grabs him and pumps then powerslams him. Damn bro, Reed scrong. Cover for 1..2..NO!!! Reed steps on the ribs. He lifts Ciampa, Ciampa hops on the back, tries for a sleeper. Reed to a knee. Ciampa slips the arm under the neck for more of a bulldog choke, but Reed falls back on Ciampa, squashing him like a bug. Big elbow drop to the chest. Ciampa rolls to the outside. Reed to the outsid. CIAMPA WITH A BIG KNEE!!!
We are back and they are having a chop fest. Ciampa hits an elbow/chop combo, but Reed wont go down. He hits the ropes, ducks under a right, and hits Reed with a right, another off the ropes. Reed to the corner. Clothesline from Ciampa, a running hit, another. He hits the ropes, slips under Reed’s stomp, kick, high elbow, Fameasser! Cover for 1..2..NOO!!!! Ciampa tries for a Sunset Flip but Reed just sits on his chest for a 1..2..NO!!! Reed pulls Ciampa to the corner, but Ciampa kicks upwards a few times. Stomp from Reed, then a senton for fun. Ciampa is up! He fights back, kick. CIAMPA LIFTS REEED!!! AIR RAID ON BRONSON REED!!!! Cover for 1..2..NO!!!
We see Shinsuke walking down the ramp slowly. Ciampa grabs Reed on the apron and notices Shin. Ciampa gives his attention to Shin, telling him to go to the back. Shin tells him to get back to his business and don’t worry about him.
Ciampa turns and here comes Reed with a huge shoulder off the apron. TSUNAMI!!! COVER!! 1..2….3!!!
Winner: Bronson Reed
Yo that big man can go. This was great, and another in a long line of really good matches from Reed.
Total Rating: ***1/2
Match Time: 12:48
Backstage, Liv Morgan cuts a promo about Rhea, saying Rhea thinks no one can stop her, but Liv reminds us that she is the last person to defeat Rhea. Maybe she’ll get beat up, but maybe she wont.
Here come the champs to insult Rhea before she show up and they kiss her ass. Rhea warned Liv and Raquel then took Raquel out. Now she’ll take Liv out.
We come back to Liv coming out for her match but getting stopped at the bottom of the ramp by Rhea. She attacks the arm, sends Liv into the ring post arm first, then hangs Liv’s arm over the barricade and pulls down hard while falling. Rhea grabs a chair and watches Liv as she rolls into the ring. Rhea follows, slides the chair into the ring. Big headbutt to Liv’s chest. Rhea grabs the chair, places Liv’s arm in it, then stomps it. Rhea tells Liv she is dead to her. Liv screams in agony. Rhea yells for Liv to get out of her business. Refs come down to help Liv. Rhea screams that she warned Liv.
Rhea: “Have fun in rehab.”
Rhea grabs the chair and look to attack again. She frightens the doctor away, sets Liv’s arm up again and stomps it one more time.
RHEA DOES THE CROTCH CHOP! Lol.
Backstage, The Alpha Academy are upset. He congratulates The Viking Raiders win. Gable wants an Academy match. Maxxine says she has been embarrassing Valhalla week after week. No one puts The Alpha Queen through a table, so one on one, her first Singles Match ever, next week.
Cool little old school promo.
Ricochet is here. He stands in the middle of the ring, grabs a mic, asks where Logan is. Time for him to come out and show his stupid face, says Ricochet.
There’s a locker room full of guys that know Logan doesn’t belong, so he cant be backstage hanging out. They’re here in Tampa in an arena full of people that know Logan doesn’t belong here. There is one man in this ring that knows Logan doesn’t belong here. He knows Logan might be special, but Ricochet IS special, and he shows it every single week. Logan doesn’t belong here because he is an arrogant little prick who doesn’t respect what they do. Ricohet has given his life to this. Wherever Logan is, Ricochet is here to say one thing – he wants a match at Summerslam.
Here comes Logan Paul from behind! He knocks Ricochet down with an attack then hops on his phone to record his acceptance of the match at Summerslam. He is going to show all of us why he is the best in the WWE. He then calls someone in the crowd a stupid virgin. He turns and Ricochet is standing. SUPERKICK TO LOGAN! Then a Shooting Star Press for fun.
Ricochet grabs Logan’s phone, tells Logan he’ll see him at Summerslam.
Shayna Baszler is backstage to talk about how tired she is with being attached to Ronda. At Summerslam, she will settle this in a language that Ronda knows best. At Summerslam, she is going to fight Ronda Rousey.
Backstage, Logan Paul asks Byron if he saw that. It was unprofessional as hell. Next week, he’s coming to RAW to fight Ricochet.
Damien Priest vs Apollo Crews
Priest starts the match with a kick to the face. Priest with a right hand in the corner. They run the ropes. Apollo with a dropkick to Priest. Priest gets sent outside, Apollo kicks off the apron. Moonsault from Apollo. He sends Preist into the ring then heads to the top rope. Priest stands and turns around. Big crossbody from Apollo. Cover for 1.2….NO!!!!
Priest is able to keep Apollo down, he drops the straps. GOOZLE! SOUTH OF HEAVEN@ Cover 1…2….3!!!
Winner: Damien Priest
I’m all for the continued dominant nature of Priest.
Total Rating: *
Match Time: 3:07
Becky Lynch is backstage, excited from her win. She is stopped by new girl, and she says it’s not over till she wins.
Imperium is here to have a face to face with Drew.
After a break, Drew McIntyre comes out and tells Gunther that they should fight for the title here and now.
Gunther is not down. He says, just like the crowd, Drew gets nothing done in life. He fails. At the Clash, at Mania. If Drew wants to ride on his coattails, he accepts, and he’ll humiliate Drew again at Summerslam.
Drew has a story. When he and Sheamus first met. He was 19, Sheamus was about 42. Their dream was to have a singles match at mania. They had that this past year. Gunther ruined that. At Summerslam, it’ll be one-on-one, and Gunther will find out why they called him The Chosen One. He’s going to beat that ass.
They go face to face, but here is Ludwig Kaiser to stop this, telling Drew how dare him to speak to Gunter like that. Drew tells kaiser he likes him. He’s more charismatic than Gunther. He should be the leader. Kaiser says he is not just going to stand here and let Drew disrespect Imperium. Drew wants to fight him right now. Kaiser doesn’t back down.
Ludwig Kaiser vs Drew McIntyre
I miss the first half due to unforeseen circumstances.
We return to Drew punching Kaiser on the top rope. Drew climbs up and gets Kaiser on his back. He dives backwards hitting some White Noise off the 2nd rope. Drew with a clothesline, another, whip, and a belly to belly over the head. Another one out of the corner. Neckbreaker. Drew trues for Future Shock, Kaiser escapes, Drew hits him with a headbutt. Drew wants a Claymore, counts it down, but Kaiser escapes with a kick! Cover! 1…2..NO!!!!
Kaiser with some rights to the face, running uppercut. Enziguri to the head. Kaiser hits the ropes. CLAYMORE!!!
Winner: Drew McIntyre
Kaiser is seemingly only here to lose, but damnit, he looks good doin it.
Total Rating: NA
Match Time: NA
Gunther runs into the ring as soon as the bell sounds and hits a German! He then attacks Drew while Vinci holds him down. Here comes Matt Riddle to try and even the odds, but Gunther gives him a big boot then a powerbomb.
Gunther clears the table, grabs Drew, looks to piledrive him, but Drew counters, grabs Gunther and hits a powerbomb of his own onto the table!
Drew grabs the IC Title and holds it in the air over Gunther.
Ronda Rousey is pouting backstage. She is asked about Shayna’s challenge. Ronda says she doesn’t get in “a” fight, because any time she’s in a fight, it’s “The” fight.
K.
Finn Balor comes out for the contract signing. He says Pearce was supppoosed to be here, but since Judgment Day caused a bunch of chaos, he wont be. Finn thinks that both he and Seth are adults, though, so he invites Seth out to sign the contract to make the match official.
Seth Rollins is here. He walks down as the crowd sings. Finn grabs the contract and is about to sign. Seth grabs the mic. Looks like Finn finally figured out that he has zero chance of walking out of Summerslam as champion. The most obvious scenario is Seth beats his ass, Finn walks out sad, and the entire world sings Seth’s song. Miracles happen every day, and if Finn does somehow win, his title reign will be shorter than his Universal title reign because Priest is going to cash in on him. Seth knows it, and Finn knows it, too, because he’d do the same thing. Summerslam will not be the coronation of The Judgment Day, it’ll be the end of it.
Finn says Seth thinks he runs the place. Finn says he’s been losing for seven years and its been driving him insane.
We see Judgment Day coming to surround the ring. Priest from the crowd, Dom, too, Rhea from the back. They hop on the apron.
Finn says this insanity is all because of Seth. It’s like an itch you cant scratch. Seth seems nervous. Finn says he’ll make Seth his seven year bitch.
Seth flips the table towards Priest, then attacks Dom. He sends Dom out of the ring. In comes Priest to hit him with a briefcase shot.
HERE COMES SAMI!!! He has a chair. He hits Priest, Finn, Dom. Rhea grabs the chair and Finn attacks from behind .he mounts and drills Sami with some punches. Rhea tosses the chair out of the ring then the table and the other chairs. SOUTH OF HEAVEN TO SAMI! Dom and Priest leave the ring with Sami while Finn stands in the ring with Seth. Seth removes his jacket and in comes the rest of Judgment Day.
They all attack Seth, stomping him out in the center of the ring.
Priest with a Razor’s Edge! Frog Splash from Dom! Coup De Grace from Finn.
End Show
