Hall’s WWE Raw Review 9.5.22

Monday Night Raw
Date: September 5, 2022
Location: T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, Missouri
Commentators: Jimmy Smith, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton

We’re done with Clash At The Castle and that means we have about a month to go before Extreme Rules. Odds are we’ll be seeing a bunch of Clash rematches at the show, some of which might be set up tonight. In addition to that, the extreme starts tonight as we have a steel cage match with US Champion Bobby Lashley defending against the Miz. Let’s get to it.

Here is Edge to get things going. Edge wants to talk about Dominik Mysterio, who he has watched grow up. He sees Dominik like family and is here to help the Mysterios against Judgment Day. Is it because of that one accidental spear? If so Edge is sorry, but what is going on with Dom? Rey raised him better than that but Edge is a different beast entirely. If Dom thinks he’s a man, then he needs to come out here and pay a man’s price.

Cue Rey, but Edge says that isn’t the Mysterio he wanted. He calls out Dominik again, only to get Rhea Ripley instead. She talks about Edge and Rey thinking Dominik as just a little boy, but she saw the potential in him and turned him into a man. Cue Dominik with his hair slicked back and in all black, so Rey says snap out of it and make things right. Rhea says Dominik isn’t listening to Rey anymore and Edge can’t stop his judgment day. Rey says he can’t be part of this and walks away, but stops to talk to Dominik in the aisle.

Dominik won’t even look at him, though he might be listening to the EDDIE SUCKS chants. Rey walks off and looks back (great shot) as Edge tells Dominik to get in the ring. Cue Finn Balor and Damian Priest from behind to jump Edge and the beatdown is on. Rey comes back and gets taken out as well. A Coup de Grace onto a chair onto Edge’s knee likely writes him off TV for the time being, with Rey coming in to clear things out. Priest puts his arm around Dominik, who seems to have joined the team.

Earlier today, Miz and Ciampa arrived, with the former not wanting to talk about Dexter Lumis being in the back of his car as he left last week. Then eh asks why he is never asked how he is doing. Interviewer: “How are you?” Miz: “None of your business.” They walk over and see a car turned upside down. Uh oh.

New Day vs. Alpha Academy vs. Los Lotharios vs. Street Profits

The winners get a Tag Team Title shot and whoever gets pinned gets to explain why the Viking Raiders aren’t included. Woods and Garza start things off but we pause so Garza can TAKE OFF HIS PANTS. Then Garza tags in Kofi so New Day has to face off. They get smart by going New Age Outlaws with Woods laying down so Kofi can steal the pin, which draws in everyone for the save.

New Day is left alone in the ring and for some reason they don’t do the same thing again, instead hitting stereo running flip dives onto everyone else as we take a break. Back with Ford kicking his way out of trouble and handing it off to Dawkins to clean house. Dawkins hits his own running flip dive, leaving the once again legal Ford to have to flip out of the American Automatic.

Back in and everyone but Alpha Academy go up top, with Ford and Woods being slammed out of different corners. Humberto’s moonsault hits raised boots and Otis plants Ford for two with Kofi making the save as we take a break. Back with Ford throwing Otis down but getting caught on top by Los Lotharios. With the two of them taken out, Ford dives onto Otis but gets ankle locked by Gable….and never mind as Braun Strowman is back. Strowman wrecks everyone and we’ll call it a no contest at about 14:30.

Rating: C+. The match was fun while it lasted but this was all about the big surprise in the end. The other good thing is that none of the teams are actually getting a title shot at the moment, because there is no reason to have any of them get a chance. New Day and Profits vs. Usos have both been run into the ground so let’s move on and do something fresh, hopefully with the Vikings, who should be the #1 contenders anyway.

Post match Strowman wrecks everyone, including powerslamming Dawkins through the announcers’ table.

Aliyah/Raquel Rodriguez vs. Nikki Ash/Doudrop

Non-title. Aliyah tries to take Doudrop down to start and gets hit in the face for her efforts. A running hurricanrana goes badly as well and Doudrop swings her into the buckles a few times. We see Bayley, Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky watching in the back and they are officially dubbed Damage Control.

Nikki takes Aliyah down out of the corner for two, with Rodriguez having to make a save. The tag brings in Rodriguez a few seconds later and house is cleaned. Rodriguez can’t powerbomb Doudrop though and a backsplash gives Doudrop two. Everything breaks down and Aliyah pulls Ash off the apron, leaving Rodriguez to manage a Tejana Bomb out of the corner to pin Doudrop at 3:31.

Rating: C-. This didn’t have time to go anywhere but it was a good enough way to get the new champs on the show. I don’t know how long they are going to hold the titles but at least they got to win a match and hold up the titles for a week. Odds are those titles are Damage Control’s to win, though the question is when they get there.

Rey Mysterio says he needs to talk to Dominik but he will never put his hands on his son, no matter what Judgment Day does to him. For tonight though, he wants any member of the team one on one.

We look at Sheamus getting a standing ovation at Clash At The Castle.

Here is Austin Theory for a chat. Things went well on Saturday and Crown Jewel (Theory: “Just kidding, Clash At The Castle!”) was a success. He’s still the youngest Mr. Money In The Bank ever, but unlike everyone else, he keeps getting up after being knocked down by a World Champion boxer. Theory is glad that Roman Reigns is still champion because they have history together. His jaw still hurts and here is Kevin Owens to interrupt.

Owens wonders what’s wrong with Theory’s jaw and then remembered that he got KO’D! Oh and he found his first name again! Owens can’t stand delusional people and no one is more delusional than Theory. What Tyson Fury did to him on Saturday was a good thing, because if Theory had cashed in, Drew McIntyre or Roman Reigns would have put him down.

Theory brings up how long it has been since Owens won a title. Owens talks about how he had McIntyre and Reigns beaten and the only reason Theory has the briefcase is because Owens wasn’t in the ladder match. As Owens gets into a frenzy, he thinks a referee is about to come down here and one of them is going to say let’s fight (Owens: “That’s me!”) so let’s go.

Kevin Owens vs. Austin Theory

Theory bails to the floor to start and gets run over, setting up a corner clothesline back inside. There’s the Cannonball to send Theory back outside, where the apron frog splash crushes him to take us to a break. Back with Owens fighting out of a chinlock and sending Theory face first into the announcers’ table. A backsplash hits Theory for two back inside but he manages the rolling dropkick for two. The chinlock goes on and we go to a split screen to see Fury knocking Theory out again on Saturday.

Owens fights up and forearms away, setting up a series of clotheslines to the floor. A Swanton to the floor only hits raised knees though and we take another break. Back again with Owens hitting the middle rope Swanton but getting knocked down again. A Town Down is blocked and Owens nails a superkick, only to be sent outside. Theory sends him HARD into the steps for a close nine count and takes Owens back up top. That earns Theory the swinging superplex and the Pop Up Powerbomb sets up the Stunner to give Owens the pin at 16:52.

Rating: B-. They got some time here, minus the pair of commercials, so this was a rather nice showcase for Owens. I’m still not big on seeing Theory lose over and over again, but at least he is back on TV and has his first name back. The problem with Money In The Bank right now is having to deal with such a dominant champion, so we could be waiting around for a good while. That isn’t likely to go well for Theory either, as things have already been going badly for him and could get even worse.

Miz still doesn’t want to talk about Dexter Lumis, but he is cool with the United States Title match tonight, because he is better than Bobby Lashley one on one.

Long recap of Clash At The Castle.

Video on a soldier who earned the Medal Of Honor.

Here is Damage Control for a chat. Bayley brags about their win at Clash At The Castle and says imagine what they can do to the rest of the women’s division. Sky promises to take the Tag Team Titles next week because Kai wasn’t legal last week. Bayley wants Bianca Belair too, so here is Belair to say let’s do it right now. That’s a no from Bayley because she isn’t working on Labor Day, but for now all we’re doing is celebrating that she beat Belair, YEAH.

Belair remembers it took three women to beat her and she still has the title, so Bayley is in control of nothing. The trio heads to the floor, with Bayley saying she has nothing to prove to Belair. She’ll take the title when she wants it and promises to get it one way or another, which seems to be a threat from Sky and Kai.

We take a long look at Drew McIntyre’s entrance at Clash At The Castle.

Johnny Gargano is glad to be back here but Austin Theory comes in to say Gargano has been Johnny Talking since he got back. Gargano says that’s true, but he’s back in the ring next week.

Rey Mysterio vs. Damian Priest

Rey goes right at him to start but has to escape the South of Heaven chokeslam. A big boot drops Rey fast and a running shoulder to the ribs makes it even worse. Another charge only hits post though and Rey hammers away as hard as he can. A springboard spinning crossbody lets Rey fire off more right hands to the face but Priest gets in a few shots to take over again. Rey dropkicks him to the floor but gets dropped again as the rest of Judgment Day comes out.

We take a break and come back with Rey fighting out of a chinlock and sending Priest outside for more kicks. Back in and Rey hits a Lionsault, followed by a spinning DDT for a breather. The 619 is countered though and Priest kicks him in the face again. Back up and Rey tries another 619, only to get cut off by Dominik. That’s enough for the South of Heaven to finish Rey at 13:28.

Rating: C+. Rey knows how to deal with a monster like this and Priest looked good in victory. Dominik costing Rey the match makes it even better and odds are we’re coming up on the Mysterio showdown, whenever they actually get there. Rey isn’t going to be hurt by the loss and now the question becomes how well Dominik can be presented on his way to the match with his dad. Priest was just the heavy here but he knows how to make it work so this went well.

Post match Rhea Ripley says that Dominik is ready to get rid of Edge next week.

We look back at Braun Strowman attacking everyone again.

Strowman says he’s back and no one is safe. See you on Smackdown.

We look back at Seth Rollins vs. Matt Riddle on Saturday.

Riddle says he let his emotions get the better of him.

Rollins is proud of his win and moving on to bigger and better things.

United States Title: The Miz vs. Bobby Lashley

Miz, with Tommaso (yes Tommaso) Ciampa is challenging inside a cage. We get the Big Match Intros and Miz jumps him with the title before the bell. They go to the floor (not an escape as the match hasn’t started yet) with Lashley being double teamed for some double applause. Lashley’s arm is crushed with the steps and we take a break before the match actually starts.

We take a break and come back with the match joined in progress as Miz covers him for two. Miz stomps away and the YES Kicks get two more. Lashley gets fired up and hits a swinging neckbreaker before sending Miz into the cage a few times. The threat of a spear sends Miz bailing for the door but even Ciampa’s assist can’t get him outside. Lashley sends Miz into the cage a few more times but Miz goes for the bad arm to block the Hurt Lock. That’s enough to send Lashley up the cage, only to have Ciampa swat him down with a chair. Miz is back up with a running knee for two and we take another break.

Back with Lashley fighting out of a Crossface and taking Miz up for a top rope superplex and two. Miz avoids a spear to send Lashley into the cage, setting up the Skull Crushing Finale for two. Back up and Lashley goes for the door but has to knock Ciampa down, allowing Miz to slam the door on Lashley’s head over and over. Miz goes to escape…and Dexter Lumis has crawled out from underneath the ring. That makes Miz climb back in and the spear retains the title at 13:58.

Rating: C+. See how easy it is to make a title feel important again? Over the last few weeks, Lashley has been defending the title because people have been trying to take it from him. That puts Lashley on a winning streak, which is what you need to make a champion feel that much more important. It is such a simple idea and it worked well here. Miz did his thing and the Lumis deal at the end was the logical way to go, making this a good main event on both fronts.

Post match Lumis climbs into the cage and Lashley shuts the door. Lumis chokes Miz out and…strokes his head to end the show.

 

Results
New Day vs. Alpha Academy vs. Los Lotharios vs. Street Profits went to a no contest when Braun Strowman interfered
Raquel Rodriguez/Aliyah b. Nikki Ash/Doudrop – Tejana Bomb to Doudrop
Kevin Owens b. Austin Theory – Stunner
Damian Priest b. Rey Mysterio – South of Heaven
Bobby Lashley b. The Miz – Spear

 

 

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7.5

The final score: review Good

The 411

The positive about this show is really simple: they had stories going on throughout the match and added in wrestling to fill things out. They didn’t waste much time (fair enough on the video packages as a lot of the roster was in Wales two days ago) and the feuds were advanced. Throw in a big return from Strowman and this was an efficient and even well done Raw. Good show here as the show is starting to get into more of a much needed rhythm.