wrestling / TV Reports
Acero’s WWE RAW Review 8.14.23
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...I somehow got trapped into a Julie Andrews TikTok algorithm, and honestly…I’m not mad.
It’s Monday…you know what that means
Cole welomes to Raw and says we’ve got some massive matchups tonight.
To start the show proper, we get The Judgment Day sans Finn Balor. Rhea Ripley welcomes to RAW and says things have not been going their way. Damien Priest says at Summerslam, Balor should have walked out champion. Last week, they should have won their match. Clearly, communication has been an issue, but so long as he has the briefcase, they will always dictate what goes on around here. Tonight, Finn Balor will handle Cody Rhodes. He should be out here telling us this himself, but Finn is not here. They are not breaking up, they’re smarter than that, but Finn should be here.
Rhea says this isn’t the time or place, but Priest keeps going. They should be a crew, right? A family…where’s Finn?
JD McDonagh interrupts Priest. Priest tells him to watch his words. Jd doesn’t mean to interrupt or disrespect, but he has sa message from Finn. Finn wants them to worry about the real targets, Cody Rhodes and Sami Zayn. JD took out Zayn, but he is somehow medically cleared/
Rhea tells him that they do not take orders from anyone, especially people who are not a part of Judgment Day.
Dominik Mysterio tries to talk, but the crowd shits all over him. He says he just found out Canada is a part of North America, so he guesses he is a champion of this dump. Lol.
JD says no disrespect, he was just delivering a message. Rhea tells him to give a message to Finn…We need to talk.
Sami Zayn cuts Rhea off with his music. He rushes down the ramp and meets JD at the bottom with a bunch of fists. Sami beats him down with rights to the head over and over. JD tries to slide in the ring, Sami pulls him out and punches him in the face then hops on the apron to stare down Judgment Day.
Priest backs up, telling Sami go ahead and handle his scandal. JD pulls the arm of Sami into the ring post. JD sends Sami into the ringpost elbow first.
Sami Zayn vs JD McDonagh
Sami starts with an elbow drop to the dome off te top rope. Whip to JD into a back body drop out of the corner. JD runs out of the ring, around it, and back in. Sami is able to follow, hit a monkey flip, and send JD flying. JD is up, stomps the elbow, JD locks the fingers and flies over the top rope, hanging Sami on the top rope by the arm. JD pulls on the arm and steps on Sami’s face then falls back while ripping the arm! JD slams the arm on the mat. Whip to Sami, Sami sends JD over the top rope to the outside. Sami rolls out, hits a clothesline. JD hangs Sami’s arm over the barricade similar to the top rope. Sami continues to favor the arm, leaning on the announce table for a break. JD flies off the barricade with a stomp to the arm.
We are BACK and Sami is flying off the top rope only to get met with a dropkick. Cover for 1..2.NO!!! JD with some short kicks to the arm. Whip to the ropes, Sami hops over the head and hits a clothesline! Sami with rights to the head, JD up and hits a right then a short kick. Hits the ropes. Michinoku Driver from Sami!!! Cover for 1..2..NO!!! Sami with a cravat from behind. Elbows from JD, Sami misses a right, and we get a Spanish Fly off the ropes! Cover for 1..2.NO!!! Crossface frm JD! Sami is able to roll to the bottom rope, breaking the hold. Exploder from Sami into the corner!
Finn Balor comes out slowly, distracting Sami. Finn runs towards the ring, stops just at the ropes. Rollup from JD! 1…2…NO!!!! Sami turns, JD with a right hand to the face!
JD to the top rope! Tries for a moonsault! Sami has the boots up! Right hand to Finn! Helluva Kick! Cover! 1..2….3!!!
Winner: Sami Zayn
A nice focus on the elbow that was made more interesting by Sami selling, not so much JD’s moveset towards it. Beautiful moonsault tho.
Total Rating: **1/2
Match Time: 11:43
Finna Balor runs into the ring, tries to attack, but Sami makes his escape quickly, holding onto his elbow the entire time.
Backstage, Chelsea Green is backstage with her titles. Pearce is here to remind her that Sonya is gone, and as much as it pains him, he has no choice.
Chelsea cuts him off, says she worked way too hard for this. If she was the manager, she’d do a better job. She is going to call her lawyer. She is going to call Pearce’s manager. No, she’ll call HR! Pearce wants to know what she would do. Green says she would hold auditions for her next tag team partner, and then she’ll defend the titles.
In comes Kayden Cross and Kitana Chance. They say as soon as Chelsea finds a new partner, BAM! In comes Piper Niven to punch Chance in the jaw.
She walks up to Green, tells her she is her new partner. Green says she plans on holding auditions, but Piper grabs the title and repeats herself,
I’m your new partner.”
Saxton is backstage with Cody Rhodes to talk about his match with Balor, and how he may be a loose cannon. Cody says to a degree, he admires Finn Balor. He’s been a leader in Ireland, Japan, and now here with Judgment Day. He isn’t the only leader in his group, though. Priest is an alpha, a leader. Rhea, bonafide star. Then there is submissive Dom, but a champ nonetheless. Tonight, he’ll be ready for Balor. He plans to make this count, he will be ready for Balor and Judgment Day.
Gunther is standing atop the announce table with a mic.
On the journey of building the legacy of the best IC champ of all time, The Ring General has arrived in Winnipeg. As a European, he has always looked forward to coming to Canada, but now he understands why they call this place the armpit of Canada.
He is here to address Gable. He was really impressed with Gable’s victory last week. He might be the best athlete this company has to offer. But, Gunther has achieved more in a year than Gable has done in his entire career. Gable is not a threat.
SHHHHHUUUUUSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
The Alpha Academy is here in a vibrant pink. Chad Gable brings up two weeks ago when he lasted longer than five minutes. Now Gunther is the one on the clock. He’s just weeks away from setting the all time record, with only one thing standing in his way. Gable has been waiting for ten years and coming to take the title. He has a match with Gio tonight, so get ya bald head into the ring.
Ludwig Kaiser says Vinci belongs to the best WWE has to offer. He also says Vinci will prove this tonight when he embarrasses Gable just like Kaiser did last week to Otis. He then tells Maxxine tht she should surround herself with European elegance. Them together is A+ aesthetics. The Alpha Academy is a sinking ship. Don’t worry, though, because here he is reaching out his hand to her. She can take it, and let him save her, or she is going to let that 360 lb anchor drag her down until she becomes what they already are – an absolute embarrassment.
SLAP!
Chad Gable vs Giovanni Vinci
I miss the first minute due to an unfortunate broccoli incident and come to the screen just as Vinci covers Gable for the second time to get himself a2 count. Vinci with a backbreaker to Gable. Cover for 1…NO! Slapout of the corner from Gable. Vinci kicks. Chop from Gable. Gable with uppercuts and a throat thrust. Back kick, and a rolling neckbreaker from Gable. Galbe with a moonsault, land on his feet, fireman’s, Vinci rolls onto the floor with Gable, then a moonsault of his own for 1..2.NO!!!
Vinci tries for a powerbomb, Gable to his feet, locks the waist, roll through, GERMAN! 1..2….3!!!
Winner: Chad Gable
A nice little sprint, and just enough Vinci to let people know he can wrestle. Not bad, wouldn’t have minded a minute or two more.
Total Rating: **
Match Time: 5:01
Gunther on the stick ,says this is not how this ends tonight. If this is the armpit of Canada, then Otis is the armpit of humanity. He wants to fight Otis, and he wants it now.
Otis is all for it.
Gunther vs Otis
Otis does a little leg fat shake to taunt Gunther. LOCKUP! Otis backs him in the corner, Gunther turns it and the ref breaks them up. Otis shoves Gunther out of the corner. Right chop from Gunther. Side headlock. Shoulder tackle from Gunther, Otis rolls through, big boot to Otis. Stomps against Otis on the bottom rope. Chop from Otis. Another. Gunther gives him one, dropping Otis to his knees. Gunther clubs the back. Gunther puts a boot to the side of the face. Otis is up. He drops Gunther with a body tackle. Gunther up, hits a right, a clothesline. Otis hits one, Gunther back with another. Otis hits the ropes, clothesline. Both men hit clothelsines, Gunther hits the ropes, Otis catches him! Fallaway Slam! Cater—NO!! DROPKICK FROM GUNTHER! He int playin no games! Boot to the shoulder! He lifts Otis up, locks the head, POWERBOMB TO OTIS!!!! Cover for 1…2….3!!!!
Winner: Gunther
Similar to Gable, this was a nice little sprint with an impressive powerbomb and Otis also getting enough offense in to matter.
Total Rating: **
Match Time: 5:02
Gable into the ring! He hits a German on Gunther!
Imperium makes their way up the ramp.
Drew McIntyre got some interview time earlier today. He is welcomed back to RAW. What’s next?
Matt Riddle is here to stop him before he starts. He says he has an idea, a new tag team. The Viking Raiders have an open challenge, and he accepted the challenge for a match. Would Drew be willing to tag with him? He gives him some name ideas.
Drew stops him with a finger, says if Riddle cant find a partner, he’ll consider it.
Indi Hartwell gets a little video package to hype up her match tonight against Rhea.
Matt Riddle and Drew McIntyre vs The Viking Raiders
Riddle and Ivar to start. Riddle is cornered, Erik gets a tag. He corners Riddle, Riddle fights out, hits a pele kick, gets a thumbs up from Drew. Running forearm Bi kick to Ivar, hits the apron, tris to kick Erik, but Erik catches his foot and swings him onto the apron, then whips him into a sitout slam from Ivar.
We come back to Riddle being just a finger away from a tag before Erik slams him down and covers for 1..2.NO! Tag to ivar, who corners Riddle and hits a few back elbows. Damn, like eight of em. Cover for 1..2.NO!!!! Ivar grabs Riddle’s hair, drags him to the corner, tags in Erik, and they double team Riddle down. Erik with a knee. Cover. 1..2..NO! Erik locks the head, but Riddle reverses with a suplex! TAG TO DREW! Tag to Ivar! Drew in with. Big tackle, a clothesline, another. Belly to belly to Erik, a neckbreaker to Ivar. One for Erik! Kick to Ivar, double underhook, Ivar backs him into the corner, back elbow from Drew. Knee from Ivar, hits the ropes, Drew catches him with a Michinoku Driver! Cover for 1..2..NO!!! Drew kicks Ivar outside, brings Erik in the hard way. He is about to hit a Claymore, but Ivar hops on the apron. Erik wit a big kick, and it looks like he’s the legal man, but he tags in Ivar who bounces with a springboard and hits a sloppy clothesline to Riddle. Stacked up for 1..2…NO!!! Tag to Erik. He whisp Riddle, and Riddle hits a knee to Erik, flips backwards, Drew gets a tag, Glasgow Kiss to Ivar. Erik with an Exploder! Riddle launches him outside the ring with a head scissors. Kick to Ivar from the apron.
Riddle with a Floating Bro off the rope! Erik attacks from behind, enters the ring, hits the ropes! CLAYMORE! Cover for 1..2..3!!!!
Winners: Matt Riddle and Drew McIntyre
Total Rating:
Match Time:
Backstage, Raquel Rodriguez, in a knee brace, walks into the locker room to tell Indi Hartwell and Candice LeRae that she is not cleared, but wishes Indi the best of luck.
Matt Riddle tells Drew that he thinks they’ll win the WWE Tag Team Championships.
In come The New Day with folding chairs in hand. Kofi says they are not a team, not friends, and are not eligible for the titles. Has the whole divison gone crazy? Kofi knows how to fix it. Riddle and Drew vs The New Day next week.
Riddle, as The Glasbros, accepts.
Rhea Ripley vs Indi Hartwell
Rhea attacks right at the bell, tossing Indi out of the corner, then right back into it. Rhea pulls Indi out by the leg and attacks from a mounted positon. Kick to Indi. Rhea corners Indi, punches the mid section, whip to the corner, shoulder from Rhea. Chop to Indi. Another chop. Whip to Indi, Rhea tries for another shoulder, missing this time, and hitting the post. Indi with a right, block, another right, kick,, right to the face. Spinebuster! Cover for 1….NO! Rhea shoves, but Indi sends her to the apron, and hits an uppercut then a bi kick to the side of the face of Rhea. Indo rolls outside ,lifts Rhea to her shoulders, Rhea hops off, sends Indi into the post. Rhea lifts Indi, sends her back first into the post, then drops her. Rhea sends Indi into the ring then follows. Rhea sneakily leaves the ring real quick and drops Candice for fun.
Back in the ring, and Indi with a rollup! It’s a little sloppy, and she gets. 1..2…NO!! Headbutt! RIPTIDE! COVER FOR 1..2..3!!
Winner: Rhea Ripley
Squishy squish squish
Total Rating: NR
Match Time: 2:59
Candice into the ring to attack! Indi in to drop Rhea, then Candace with a senton to the back of Rhea. Both girls leave the ring as Dom rolls in to check on Rhea.
Shinsuke Nakamura is out to explain himself. Maybe. Probably.
We come back from a break with Cole in the ring asking Shin why he attacked Seth.
Shinsuke says he….
*speaks in Japanese*
He wants the World Title.
Cole wonders if he needed to kick Seth in the head.
*Speaks in Japanese*
He will win the World Title.
Here comes Seth Rollins to tell Cole he did a great job, but he’ll take it from here.
Seth wants to hand it to Shin. He played last week to perfection. He set Seth up and knocked him out, but all in the name of the title? Seems too obvious. Seth isn’t hard to find. Every week, he stands in the middle of the ring with the title with the entire world singing his song.
Seth is a fighting champion who had the utmost respect for Shin prior to last week, so all he had to do was ask. But he didn’t ask. He kicked Seth in the face, and now for a week, everyone wants to know why. Seth is less concerned with why he kicked Seth and more concerned with how he can get even.
Seth has a surprise. Shinsuke wins. The best way for him to get what he wants is to give Shinsuke what he wants. If last week was a challenge, then challenge accepted. Shinsuke Nakamura vs Seth Rollins for the title.
Shinuske is all smiles as Seth tells him to name the time and place.
Seth offers his hand, tells Shin to get the hell out of his ring, and let the crowd sing his song.
Shinsuke shakes seth’s hand, pulls Seth in, and whispers something in his ear.
Seth looks at him, flabbergasted, and a bit confused. Seth slowly turns and Shin is in waiting. He hits a Kinshasha.
We go back to last week where Miz and LA Knight had a war of words.
This brings us to The Miz backstage where he says he proved last week he was better than LA Knight on the mic and in the ring. Miz asks Byron if he’s an LA Knight fan. Byron says yeah, this upset Miz. Miz says next week, he will beat somebody bigger than any opponent LA Knight has ever faced in his entire career. He might even show up on Smackdown.
Trish Stratus vs Becky Lynch
Lockup quickly turns into fists until Becky drives Trish into the corner with some shoulders. She shoots Trish face first into the buckle, then drags her to the other corner and does it again. Becky sends her to the third post then kicks a few times. Ref holds her back and Trish hits a right then a headbutt. Chop to Becky. Another chop. A third and yet another in the corner. Trish licks her hand a few times and chops, but Becky blocks, tries for a possible Exploder, Becky ducks, locks the leg, Becksploder. Trish rolls outside. Becky with a baseball slide. Becky on the apron, flies off with a fist to the tit. Becky sends Trish into the ring, and she rolls right back out. Becky follows, chases, and Trish hits a surprise clothesline once Becky hits the corner. Trish sends Becky down to the mat, then backs her into the barricade. Becky sends her into the apron. Becky hops on the apron, high kick to Trish. Her mask falls off. Ref stops Becky, but she keeps climbing. Trish with a right, chop, then tries for a Stratusphere. She doesn’t quite get it, hits a right, backs up and goes for it again. Cover for 1..2.NO!!!
Trish is outside, she removes the mask and we see that there is no longer anything wrong with her face. She tries to attack Becky with it, but Becky stops her. Trish sends her into the post.
Back to the match and Becky is getting a quick pin for 1..2.NO!! Becky tries for a Manhandle Slam, but Trish rolls her up for 1..2NO!!! Whip to Becky. SPEAR!!! Cover! 1..2…NO!!! Trish locks the head, tries for a bulldog, Becky shoves her away, right hand from Trish. Rights in the corner, a kick, she hops to the top rope and locks the head, then spins for a tornado, DDT but Becky counters and sits Trish on the corner. Right hand, Becky splits her legs. Trish with punches. Superplex off the top! Cover for 1..2..NO!!!
They end up outside and Trish sends Becky over the barricade. The ref starts the count as the girls continue to fight into the crowd. The ref hits 10, and the girls keep fighting near the steps!
Winner: Double Countout
It appears there was a lot held back, and considering how it ended, I can see why. There were some minor mistakes that didn’t help, but they were able to keep this going a little bit more.
Total Rating: **
Match Time: 11:38
Ref runs up to try and stop them, but they keep fighting up the steps. They get to the curtain, and make it to the outside area near concessions.
We got a bnunch of refs trying to stop them, but Becky sends Trsih into the wall. Becky grabs Trish and sends her into a bar area. Trish hits an elbow, sends Becky into the top of it then tosses some merch at Becky.
Trish grabs a Seth shirt and holds it up, so Becky grabs her head and slams it down. Becky climbs up the bar area, looks to finish Trish off, but a hooded figure from behind comes in to pull Becky’s legs out. She is exposed to be Zoey Stark. Becky fights her off then turns into a Chick Kick.
Trish and Zoey walk away smiling.
We head backstage to Gunther admonishing Vinci again. He has been a disappointment, and Ludwig was too focused on that girl. What is important?
Kaiser wants to fix it. He will go to Pearce right now. Gunther says no, he will sort this out himself. If Gable wants Gunther’s title, he’ll have to take it off him next week.
Further backstage, Pearce runs up on Trish Stratus and is upset. We’re doing this again, and we’re doing it in a Steel Cage match.
Cody Rhodes vs Finn Balor
Finn with some quick offense and a pinto get a 1. Finn stands, works the left arm, Cody cartwheels out of the hodl and gets his own hammerlock. Finn tries to escape, hits an elbow, Finn locks the head, Cody lifts him for a delayed suplex. He drops Finn, Finn hops over for a leap frog, but Cody catches him. Rake of the eyes from Finn, Cody turns and hits a Side Russian Leg Sweep. Cover for 1..NO! Chop from Cody, whip to the coner, Cody hops over and locks his legs around Finn, sending him out the corner. Finn with a low dropkick. Uppercut from Finn. Chop, reversed, Finn with some shoulders. Chop to Cody, whip to the corner, elbow, and a cover for 1..2.NO!! Balor with an elbow to the crown of the head. Finn turns Cody, snapmare, big Elbow to the back of the head then a cravat. Cody escapes, whips, big knee. He drapes Finn acoss the top rope and kicks the gut. He calls for a Figure Four, but Finn kicks him out of the ring.
Down comes Dominik and Cody meets him at the ramp with a right. He is about to hit a suplex, but Finn hits a baseball slide as we go to break.
We back, and Cody is escaping a resthoold just in time. Finn sends him into the corner, Cody kicks out, hits a right hand, blocks a right, hits another, a little shake, rattle, and roll follows. BUT FINN Kicks before the elbow drop. Fin hits the ropes, Cody follows, right to the head. Cody leaps over Cody out the corner, powerslam, Disaster Kick from Cody! Cover for 1.2..NO!!!
Here comes Damien Priest and his briefcase. Cody locks up for Cross Rhodes, but Finn tries for a 1916,only for Cody ro drop, kick Finn. Finn with a slingblade. Finn runs, Cody with a kick, hits the ropes, tries for a Cutter. Finn catches him. 1916! Cover for 1…2..NO!!! Finn in the corner. Missile dropkick! Finn to the top rope! He tries it, Cody rolls out the way. Locks up from behind, Finn turns and gets a rollup for 1..2..NO!!! CODY CUTTER! Cody goes for a suicide dive, but Priest is there to hook the leg. Finn in, Cody shoots him out, Priest catches Balor and stands with him. Cody with a suicide dive to both men! He grabs Finn, sends him into the ring, and climbs the corner. Rhea is on the apron, ref is distracted, and Dom pulls the leg out from under Cody.
Finn wit a right hand to Cody, he makes the climb. He hooks the head, SUPERPLEX FROM FINN! Cover for 1..2.NO!!! Ref checks on Cody while Dom slide a chair into the ring. Ref catches the chair, and he’s pissed.
Rhea hops on the apron, Priest slides in the briefcase, it goes through the legs of Finn. Cody catches it. He clocks Finn, then Priest. CROSS RHODES TO FINN! Cover for 1..2…3!!!!
Winner: Cody Rhodes
Total Rating: ***1/2
Match Time: 14:06
The attack is on, and it’s a 4 on 1 until Sami Zayn runs down with a steel chair in hand. He swings wit wildly, hitting Finn in the ring, then Priest across the back until JD McDonagh runs in to stop the attack! Him, Priest, and JD all stand. They look down to Sami, pause for a bit, then stomp him out a few times. Here comes Cody. Priest stops him. South of Heaven to Cody! Finn to the top rope! Coup De Grace! Priest lifts Sami up, sends him outside. Dom is waiting for him and hits a right, then he and Rhea stomp Sami out. Finn runs around the ring, hops on the steps and lands on Sami’s chest with a stomp!
Priest removes the top of the table and tosses it onto Sami. He clears the table. Finn grabs Sam, whips him into the arms of Priest. Priest with a Razor’s Edge onto the table!
Finn climbs the top rope, seeing Cody laying in wait. Another Coup De Grace sends us home as Finn sits on Cody’s chest, flexing.
End Show
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