Cook’s WWE Raw Review 10.5.26

Hey kids! Steve Cook here with you for the latest edition of WWE Raw on Netflix! Money in the Bank takes place this Saturday night, so expect a lot of people talking about things leading up to that show. Becky Lynch & Liv Morgan will fight over who gets to face Stephanie Vaquer at the event. It should be a fun night in St. Louis!

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Cook’s WWE Raw Review 10.5.26

Then. Now. Forever. Together!

We’re in St. Louis! There’s the Gateway Arch to prove it! We look back at last week when 946 fought with the Usos & Jacob Fatu. Jaida Parker ran that man over! Joe Tessitore & Wade Barrett are our hosts.

A car pulls up and Roman Reigns gets out! The Usos greet him. Jey says they have some family business to discuss, but LA Knight’s music hits and Roman walks off. We then see LA Knight make his way to the ring. LA wants to talk to us. We’re five days from Money in the Bank. Bloodline members are getting taken out, 946 members are running amok, but the only thing that matters is him going after the World Championship. LA looks at Roman as the establishment, he wants the whole damn thing to come down. When Roman’s walking that aisle on Saturday he’ll be looking over his shoulder. The 946 might do something to both of them. Roman’s used to living in a protective bubble, LA is used to the chaos. On Saturday it’ll be down with the establishment and the same old trash that is Roman Reigns.

Roman Reigns’ music hits! The OTC makes his way to the ring with belt raising & pyro & such. They stare at each other in the ring while the fans switch between OTC & LA Knight chants. Roman says that LA hears the OTC chants. Does he look like someone who ever loses his poise? He was born in the fire, it doesn’t matter if 946 is doing this or that or if LA is running his mouth. LA thinks Roman is distracted and he’s got a shot now. He doesn’t. LA’s been running his mouth about how he can’t do anything on his own. LA is a hypocrite. In Mexico City Roman busted his ass and defended the title against Penta, LA took the bitch route, the low road and dropped Roman where he stood. LA’s always had his attention. He’s got people thinking they’re on the same level and it couldn’t be any further from the truth. He’s a does & LA is a complainer. LA is another egg in the omelet, and Roman will break his bitch ass. Roman is the only Superstar, only true champion, head of the table. He asks St. Louis to acknowledge him and drops the microphone.

LA keeps Roman from leaving and they stare each other down again. LA’s problem with Roman is he’s the most manufactured corporate puppet he’s ever seen. They shoved the rocket so far up his ass he’s surprised he’s not spitting out rocket fuel. On Saturday he’ll be spitting his white teeth as LA drops him on his head, Roman can’t do anything about it, it’s just a fact of life. LA exits the ring and his music plays while Roman stews in the ring.

Joe & Wade talk about Roman & LA. Ethan Page is POSING for pictures! Rey Fenix is WALKING! Becky Lynch is WALKING with something green in her mouth!

Je’Von Evans & Penta vs. Bron Breakker & Austin Theory (w/Logan Paul & Maxxine Dupri): Penta & Evans jump outside and attack Breakker & Theory, but get the worse end of things at first. Bron bangs Penta’s head off the apron, Penta fights back and sends Bron into the post & kicks his legs. Petna sends Bron into the barricade and continues kicking the knee. Penta finally misses and kicks the ringpost. Bron runs him over, then Je’Von jumps into him! Theory & Evans get in the ring and the bell finally rings in time for Evans to get bouncy with a dropkick. Theory takes Evans down and punches away. Tag to Bron, Theory sets up a backbreaker into a Breakkerline. Gutwrench suplex by Bron. Knees in the corner by Bron, he beals Evans across the ring. Penta taunts Bron on the apron, Bron says he’s already beat him. Evans tosses a running Theory out of the ring, that backfires when Theory yanks Penta off the apron for a tag. Bron launches Evans overhead to the floor. We go to commercial!

Evans is still getting worked over in the ring as we return. Theory tags Bron and they hit the Steiner Brothers bulldog! Bron then sets up for the spear, but misses and hits the post. I love the callback, but you gotta use that as a finisher, not a transition move. Tag to Penta! He goes crazy on Penta, kicking him down and hitting the handstand corner stomp. Theory blocks the Penta Driver but gets hit with a sling blade. Bron is sent on the floor and Penta dives onto him. Evans dives onto Theory in the ring with a clothesline. Theory avoids a move and drops Evans on his head. Maxxine distracts the referee, Logan slides the brass knucks into the ring and they slide past Theory and into Evans’ hands! Evans decks Theory with the knucks and covers for three!

Winner: Je’Von Evans & Penta (5:22 shown via pinfall)
Match Rating: **1/2
Pretty decent action to give people a little taste of what they’ll see on Saturday. I know I’m an old fool, but damn it man that Steiner bulldog has to be the finish! If it’s not it’s gotta be reversed or something.

Bronson Reed cuts off the celebration! Jagged Edge to Evans, and one for Penta! Reed goes up top…TSUNAMI! Bron pulls Evans over for one, but Oba Femi’s music hits! Oba runs down and attacks Bron & Bronson! Logan hits him from behind, doesn’t do much damage but causes a distraction for Bron & Bronson to take advantage of. Bron tries the speedy spear, Oba gets out of the way and clotheslines them down. Running uppercuts in opposite corners to both men. Bron is sent outside, but Bronson attacks Oba! He sets up for a Tsunami, but Oba knocks him off the top turnbuckle! Oba tells Bronson that he has a mountain to climb. A Fall from Grace is waiting for him, and he can’t swim in the deepest waters. The Vision can have his spirit, Heyman can have his mind, but Oba will have Bronson’s ass at Money in the Bank.

Liv Morgan addresses her two biggest haters: Becky & Stephanie. She’s the hottest, most iconic and talented woman in the history of WWE. She’d hate her too. Becky inserted herself into something she didn’t belong in. Revenge is what she does best. Liv will proves she’s better than Becky, and on Saturday she’ll end things with Stephanie. She is and always will be the greatest women’s champion of all time.

We see clips from World Collide where CM Punk, El Grande Americano & Rey Mysterio beat the Judgment Day & Omos.

JACKIE REDMOND is with Dragon Lee & Rey Mysterio. Dragon puts Rey over as the god of lucha, he still moves around like he’s a twenty year old. Rey says Big Cass’s crying reminded him of Dom. Dominik & JD walk up from behind and Dom tells him to keep his name out of his mouth. Dom calls Rey a deadbeat, and Dragon Lee issues the challenge for a tag team match tonight.

Joe & Wade throw us to a 946 promo. They ask how the Bloodline can be the ones, when they’re the ones getting their blood spilled. There’s two left, and once they take them out it’ll be the grand prize. Nobody’s safe!

Jimmy & Jey Uso are chatting it up on the couch when Roman comes in and asks why he hasn’t heard about all this. Jacob was supposed to take care of this! Why is Jacob ordering them around? They’re captains, he’s the soldier! Roman decides he’ll take care of it.

Sol Ruca & Lola Vice vs. Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez: Roxy really is a team player to come out to Raquel’s entrance like she isn’t the one that qualified for the MITB ladder match. The referee rings the bell right away as Sol & Lola attack! Roxanne tries a sleeper on Sol, Sol throws her off, some reversals, more reversals, Sol with an airplane faceplant, then she uses Roxanne as a surfboard before kicking her in the face. Tag to Lola, double elbows and hip attacks on Roxanne get a two count. Raquel tags in, Lola hits her but then gets thrown down. Lola goes for a triangle choke, Raquel swings her into the ropes and gets two. Raquel hits one elbowdrop, misses the second. Lola takes her over, tag to Sol, Lola with a kick, Sol with a clothesline, double kicks and they clothesline Raquel over the top rope. Roxanne is tossed over the top rope, Raquel tried to catch her but lost her in the lights. Lola dives onto Raquel, then Sol does a corkscrew crossbody onto Raquel & Roxanne! Sol is shown spinning through the air as we go to commercial.

Sol kicks Roxanne away and escapes Raquel’s grasp to tag Lola. Quick kicks to Roxanne! Sol superkicks Raquel and sends her into the opposite corner! Time for some hip attacks! Lola back suplexes Roxanne for two. Roxanne tries a bridging pin, Lola reverses into a choke, Raquel breaks that up. Sol takes Raquel out temporarily. Roxanne rolls out of the double suplex and tags Raquel in. Sol dropkicks her down. Sol gets tripped up on the ropes by Roxanne. Twisting sideslam by Raquel gets two thanks to Lola. Roxanne pulls Lola out of the ring. Tejana Bomb by Raquel…no Sol ranas out of it. Lola tags in. They double team Roxanne and Lola’s spin kick gets two. A miscommunication leads to Sol getting backfisted! Roxanne rolls Lola up for the three count! WHAT A DISASTER screams Joe Tess!

Winners: Raquel Rodriguez & Roxanne Perez (7:16 shown via pinfall)
Match Rating: **1/2
I thought Sol & Lola had pretty good chemistry early on in the match. Things got a bit quicker towards the end, but I liked seeing something to cause friction between two of the MITB participants heading into Saturday. It meant even more since Je’Von & Penta didn’t have any of those moments in their tag team match. A lot of times these shows repeat things and I don’t like it, so I gotta give credit when it’s due.

Adam Pearce tells Roman & the Usos that the Bloodline will take on the 946 next week. Jey asks if they’re teaming with the OTC next week. Roman directs their attention to Solo Sikoa. Unexpected!

Rey Fenix vs. “All Ego” Ethan Page: Page throws Fenix down immediately. Fenix’s shoulderblock doesn’t work, Ego shoves Fenix, Fenix with a slap. Fenix gets headlocked. Page shoudlerblocks Fenix down. Page goes off the ropes repeatedly, Fenix evades him, but then gets his head sent into the turnbuckle. Fenix then springboards & dropkciks him. Fenix hits the running PK on the ropes! Corkscrew tornillo to the floor by Fenix! Fenix rolls Ego in the ring, but gets crotched up top. Page goes for a suplex, gets knocked off, Fenix hits a moonsault for two. Page grabs Fenix by the mask and sends him into the turnbuckle. We go to commercial!

Fenix fights out of a chinlock and punches away on Ego. Fenix handsprings off the ropes, but Ego catches him and hits a capture back suplex for two. Fenix superkicks a running Ego and hits some more kicks. Fenix springboards over Page, then hits a Lethal injection for two. Fenix goes for the double underhook. Ego shrugs him off, but gets superkicked and Fenix hits a Moneymaker for two. Fenix tunes up the band, superkicks Page for two. Another superkick after some bemoaning his fate. Fenix goes up top, Page hits a running powerslam, then another slam gets two. Fenix avoids a slam off the top, kicks Ego and superkicks him again before getting him in position for the Mexican Muscle Buster…Ego gets out of that and goes for his finisher, but Fenix reverses and rolls him up for three!

Winner: Rey Fenix (8:24 shown via pinfall)
Match Rating: **3/4
Things got a little too superkicky, but other than that it was a good match. More Fenix on all of these shows should be good for morale.

Joe & Wade talk to us about Money in the Bank this Saturday night, then we see a video package about the history & rules of the Money in the Bank match. Old hat to some of us older viewers, but you need things like this for the newbies and there’s nothing wrong with it.

Liv congratulates Roxanne & Raquel on their win, she expects Roxanne to win the briefcase. Dom says Liv will beat Becky, and then Stephanie. She accidentally makes fun of JD’s head, then JD gets a package from Joe Hendry with a Funko Pop of him! He takes offense to it, it looks nothing like him! There was also a card from Joe reminding him of his new album. I guess Joe’s not giving it to people as gifts. I’m not sure who the target audience for a JD McDonagh Funko Pop is, but absolutely everything has somebody that’s into it in a weird way we don’t talk about here.

Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee vs. “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio & JD McDonagh: Rey & Dom start things. Well, no they don’t, Dom tags out after some stalling. JD with a hammerlock. Rey takes Dom over and hits a dropkick. Tag to Dragon, double elbow block, then an assisted legdrop gets two. They trade forearms before Dragon ranas JD down. Wrecking ball dropkick in the corner, then a running one. Dragon clotheslines JD over the top rope, he delivers a tope con hilo to JD! Rey dives onto a distracted Dom! We go to commercial.

During the break, Rey got trapped in the apron and stomped on. Now he’s fighting out of a JD chinlock. Rey goes for the tag, people keep cutting him off. Dom tags in and taunts Dragon before a cover on Rey. Dom locks in a Gory Special and sends Rey into the turnbuckle with it for two. JD tags in and continues the offense. Rey avoids a charging JD, but runs into a clothesline. Rey again tries to fight back, but gets placed in the Tree of Woe. Rey manages to avoid a charging JD, who hits the ringpost instead. Dom knocks Dragon off the apron. Dom tags in and punches Rey down. Rey gets tossed into a rana on JD accidentally, then he hits Dom with a tornado DDT. Rey almost gets the tag, but Big Cass attacks Dragon Lee and sends him to the crowd! Rey manages to send Cass into the ringpost, then sets Dom up for the 619, but JD’s the legal man and he hits Rey with the massive headbutt for three!

Winner: Dominik Mysterio & JD McDonagh (8:04 shown via pinfall)
Match Rating: ***
I think Rey would be well served doing less to piss these giants off. First Omos in AAA, now Big Cass on this show? Not smart, Rey. Pretty good match here as you’d expect from the people involved.

Big Cass enters the ring and is about to kill Rey when Dragon intervenes. Cass hits a big side slam on Dragon and teases vacating before having second thoughts. He big boots Rey & Dragon at the same time, then he leaves.

Joe & Wade run down the Money in the Bank card. Reigns vs. Knight! Femi vs. Reed! (Mug Root Beer is sponsoring this match, I hope and pray that mascot gets a Tsunami from Bronson Reed.) Women’s Ladder Match! Men’s Ladder Match! Vaquer vs. Morgan or Lynch!

Becky Lynch talks about how it’s classic Liv Morgan to complain about things. She always plays the victim when somebody fights back. Becky will hold her feet to the flames and make sure that title matters. The title holds no space for mediocrity. When she beats Liv, she’ll face Stephanie at MITB. It’s not even so much about her winning the title from Stephanie as it’s making sure that Liv doesn’t.

We see a replay of Penta & Je’Von Evans winning earlier, voiced over by the Japanese announce team! Good for Funaki still having a job there. For years I thought that Shun Yamaguchi was Yamaguchi-San from the “choppy choppy” days, turns out he’s a younger brother.

Byron Saxton is with Lyra Valkyria. Lyra wonders why she’s not at the top. She does everything it takes. She’s the full package. She’s beat Bayley twice, but Bayley is why she’s not in MITB and why she lost last week. What does she have to do to make it end? Bayley thinks it’s funny Lyra thinks she has any control over this. Bayley was going to be a chapter in Lyra’s story, but now she’ll be the end. And the end will come when Bayley says it does.

Joe & Wade throw us to a 946 response. Jaida talks about how they’ll take the Bloodline out one by one. Royce Keys says they’ll line everyone up for one shot.

Next Week: Solo, Jimmy & Jey vs. 946! Gable vs. Fenix!

Bronson Reed lets Paul Heyman know that he won’t just beat him. Heyman hopes that he does. Oba is the ruler, bringer of war. Reed will have to hit Tsunami after Tsunami. Paul goes a little crazy with the Tsunami yelling, it’s fun. Paul has been humbled by Oba Femi. For forty years he’s taken shots and come back and become more powerful. Not this time. Oba Femi showed him that Brock Lesnar was just another opponent to be beat. If Bronson doesn’t deliver Tsunami after Tsunami, he will lose. Paul walks off and we see that Paul was watching Oba repeatedly give the Fall from Grace to Brock.

Women’s World Championship #1 Contender’s Match: Becky Lynch vs. Liv Morgan: Uh oh, Jessicka Carr’s our official here. This could be trouble. Tieup into the corner. Liv with a forearm to Becky, Becky punches her back and stomps her down. Liv gets kicked off the apron, Becky hits a baseball slide into her. Liv & Becky go back & forth on the floor, Liv sends Becky into the ringpost, then into the barricade. Liv pulls Becky by the hair into the ring, covers her for two and stomps away on her. Elbow & a knee in the corner, then a dropkick gets two for Liv. Liv kicks Becky in the gut, then applies a chinlock. Becky fights back, gets a backslide for two. Liv misses in the corner, they trade punches. Becky with some clotheslines, dropkick. Forearm in the corner, then a t-bone suplex! Reverse DDT gets two for Becky. Becky on the apron, up top, Liv evades her, they trade shots, Becky runs into a chinbuster, then kicks Liv down! We go Side by Side!

Both women are down. They exchange punches & slaps. Double underhook into an armbar by Becky, Liv gets out and takes Becky down for a two count. Liv goes for a leglock but Becky kicks her outside. Becky hits Liv off the apron and sends her into the barricade, then the apron, then Liv reverses and sends Becky over the announce desk!

Becky is crawling towards the ring as we return, she beats the count at 9. Liv with a small package for two. Liv goes for three amigos, hits them all. The fans like her shimmy taunt. A running kick gets two for Liv. Liv pulls Becky into position an goes up top, more shimmying, but Becky crotches Liv and follows her back up. Superplex rolled through into a DDT by Becky gets two. Becky goes for a cross arm breaker, roll up by Liv, then a Disarmer by Becky! Liv bites Becky’s left thigh! Liv locks in a half crab! Liv blocks the rope break, but Becky rolls out and gets a nearfall. Becky eats a missile dropkick by Liv for two. Liv with some boots to Becky, a punch, Becky pushes her off and kicks Liv down. Becky goes for the Manhandle Slam, but she sees Raquel Rodriguez walking to ringside. The distraction leads to Roxanne Perez interfering with Becky on the turnbuckle! Liv hits a big powerbomb out of the corner for two! Becky blocks Oblivion, she knocks the Judgment Day to the floor. Liv goes for Oblivion again, Becky hits the Manhandle Slam and gets two thanks to Judgment Day putting Liv’s foot on the ropes! Becky attacks them outside, then knocks Liv down for a top rope move. Roxanne distracts the referee while Raquel hits a Tejana Bomb on Becky! Stephanie Vaquer comes down and attacks Roxanne! Stephanie points them out to Carr, and Carr ejects them from ringside! Liv yells at Stephanie, Becky accidentally hits Stephanie! Nearfall for Liv out of that. Now Stephanie comes in and attacks both Becky & Liv for the disqualification!

Winner: Nobody (16:04 via no contest)
Match Rating: ***1/2
I really dug most of this match, both women brought their A game and impressed. The Judgement Day stuff interference feels old to me but the fans still pop for most of it. I’ll also say that Stephanie impressed with her beatdown, but I’m not sure about how they set up this Triple Threat match. I thought Stephanie was supposed to be the likeable one, and this didn’t seem like the actions of a likeable person. Maybe my face/heel radar is broken.

Stephanie hits multiple Meteoras on both women. She calls for Adam Pearce. Sephanie tells him she wants both Becky & Liv on Saturday! Well that’s a different way to get to that. Pearce makes it official. Stephanie hits the Spiral Tap on both women! Vaquer celebrates with her belt while Liv & Becky are laid out. Our live event comes to an end, so long for now!

If you’d like to chime in with your own thoughts on tonight’s show, feel free to join your fellow 411 Maniacs down in the comment section! As the legendary Larry Csonka always said: Have fun and don’t be a dick. When I’m not here you can catch me on social media from time to time. To be honest, e-mail is a better option and you can reach me at [email protected]. I’ll be more likely to respond there.

7.7

The final score: review Good

The 411

This was a perfectly good buildup to Money in the Bank, which I'm actually pretty excited for in spite of the Google trends data or my general annoyance with ladder matches over the years. I've managed to avoid most of them lately so it's ok. The wrestling was good and they set up a couple of things after MITB too. See ya tomorrow for NXT!