By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Raw (Episode 1,540)
Live from Norfolk, Virginia at Norfolk Scope Arena
Aired November 28, 2022 on USA Network
[Hour One] Raw opened with a recap of The Bloodline winning the WarGames match and the aftermath… Bloodline members Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, Sami Zayn, and Solo Sikoa were shown walking backstage and being chummy with one another… Kevin Patrick and Corey Graves were on commentary, and Mike Rome was the ring announcer…
Becky Lynch made her entrance to a strong reaction. Once she was in the ring, a “Becky” chant broke out. “The Man has come around to Norfolk, Virginia,” Lynch started. She said it felt good to be back and then welcomed viewers to Raw. Lynch said she missed the fans. A “welcome back” chant started.
Lynch said something didn’t feel right. She said The Man of the people should be with the people. Lynch left the ring and entered the crowd where she high-fived a number of fans while they chanted her name. Lynch spotted a man in a yellow X-Men sweatshirt. She said yellow is her color and found out the man’s name was Bobby. A “Bobby” chant broke out.
Lynch spoke with another fan named Zachary and told him she’s ready to go through hell and put her body on the line. Lynch said that during the time she’s been gone, the industry has changed and a lot of new faces have come in and a lot of familiar faces have come back. Lynch said she can’t wait to slap the hell out of all of them.
Bayley’s entrance music interrupted Lynch, who groaned. Bayley headed to the ring and said it seemed Lynch was humbled based on how she was mingling with the peasants, but then she went on and on. A “Becky” chant interrupted Bayley, who complained that she’s received no respect for everything she’s done for the last four months.
“Don’t you dare call Bob a peasant,” Lynch said. Bayley told Bob that he sucks. Lynch said Bob doesn’t suck. Lynch said Bayley has been losing and then called her a loser. Lynch said she could go to the ring and they could fight.
Lynch headed down the steps to go to the ring, but Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky showed up and fought with her. Bayley joined in on the attack and they fought into the concourse area where the heels threw Lynch over a merchandise stand table.
Lynch stood up and turned the table over, then threw a bunch of merch items at the Damage CTRL trio. Lynch threw Bayley onto the main merch table and the display fell on top of her. Lynch was getting the better of the three heels when a group of security guards and referees showed up to pull the wrestlers apart…
Powell’s POV: A fun promo segment. The fans were hot for Lynch even before she went into the crowd. Bob was laid back and played along, but Zachary yelled into the mic a couple of times, which probably had the suits feeling nervous in the back. It was odd to see Lynch get the better of Damage CTRL in a three-on-one situation. I get that Lynch is the star of the division, but they just made it tougher to see Bayley as a threat to Lynch.
The broadcast team spoke at ringside and set up a sponsored video package on the Judgment Day and The OC’s feud… Entrances for the opening match took place…
1. Rhea Ripley (w/Dominik Mysterio) vs. “Michin” Mia Yim. Yim’s video wall said “Michin” and she was introduced as “Michin” Mia Yim. Ripley took offensive control and did a lot of smack talking. Yim battled back with an offensive flurry and received a solid ovation when she looked to the crowd.
Ripley stuffed Eat Defeat and set up for her own finisher, but Yim countered into a DDT. Ripley rolled to ringside. Dom stood on the ropes and spoke to Yim, who ended up pulling him inside the ring. Yim backed Dom into a corner. Ripley attacked Yim from behind. AJ Styles ran out and attacked Dom for the apparent no-contest finish.
Rhea Ripley fought Mia Yim to an apparent no-contest in 7:05.
Damian Priest, Finn Balor, Luke Gallows, and Karl Anderson ran out and joined the fight. The OC members cleared the heels from the ring. Judgment Day started to head to the back, but Styles got a mic and asked where they were going. Styles said he thought it was over at Survivor Series, but he was wrong. Styles said it would end tonight.
Styles challenged Judgment Day to a four-on-four match and called for a referee. A ref immediately ran to the ring and then the Judgment Day wrestlers returned to the ring and fought The OC. The brawl spilled over to ringside and the stage. Once Styles rolled Balor inside the ring, the referee called for the bell to start the match…
2. “Judgment Day” Rhea Ripley, Dominik Mysterio, Finn Balor, and Damian Priest vs. “The OC” Mia Yim, AJ Styles, Luke Gallows, and Karl Anderson in an eight-person tag team match. The wrestlers at ringside stopped brawling and took their spots on the apron. A graphic listed new U.S. Champion Austin Theory as appearing later in the show.
At one point, Dom performed the Three Amigos on Anderson, which drew boos. Balor tagged in while a graphic listed the Street Profits vs. Alpha Academy for later in the show. Balor had Anderson pinned, but Styles ran in and broke it up. Balor teased a Styles Clash, but Anderson fought out of it and made a hot tag.
Styles performed a series of strikes on Balor and then hit him with a sliding forearm. Priest got involved, but Gallows ran over him and tackled him onto the broadcast table. Styles performed a backflip off the second rope into an inverted DDT. Styles had Balor pinned, but Ripley entered the ring and broke it up.
Ripley tried to throw a kick at Styles, who caught her leg. Balor rolled up Styles for a two count. When they stood up, Balor put Styles down with a sling blade clothesline. Both men tagged in the women. Yim worked over Ripley and had the crowd with her. Yim performed a cannonball on Ripley, who rolled to the floor. Yim dover onto Ripley at ringside.
Gallows, Anderson, Priest, and Dom entered the ring and fought. Styles put Priest down with a Phenomenal Forearm. Balor cleared Styles from the ring, but then Yim bodyslammed Balor. Yim went after Dom, but Ripley returned and hit Riptide on Yim before pinning her…
“Judgment Day” Rhea Ripley, Dominik Mysterio, Finn Balor, and Damian Priest defeated “The OC” Mia Yim, AJ Styles, Luke Gallows, and Karl Anderson in 14:20 in an eight-person tag team match.
Powell’s POV: I didn’t believe that Styles vs. Balor at Survivor Series would end this feud and I’m also having a hard time believing that this match will be the end of it. It’s a new creative regime and I don’t expect them to run feuds into the ground like the old guard did. I’m just not sure what they would do with The OC if they wrap up this feud now.
Footage aired from earlier in the day of “The Street Profits” Montez Ford and Angelo Parker being welcomed back by Byron Saxton. They were about to say they want the smoke when Chad Gable and Otis interrupted them. The Profits still managed to let everyone know that they still want the smoke. Some things never change…
“The Bloodline” members Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, Sami Zayn, and Solo Sikoa made their entrance and headed to the ring. Graves said the group received a “well deserved ravenous ovation” from the crowd. Patrick said Zayn sold his soul by attacking his best friend Kevin Owens in the WarGames match.
Jimmy started by saying, “The Bloodline is now in your city.” Jey, who had his fingers taped, spoke about how it was one of the toughest matches they’ve been through. Jimmy boasted that there are no cracks in The Bloodline. Jimmy said Kevin Owens is mad because Zayn isn’t his dog. Zayn said Jimmy has been on his side all along and has been “down since day one.”
Zayn told Jey that the last six months haven’t been easy and Jey didn’t trust him or like him. Zayn said the way Jey accepted him after the WarGames match “was Ucey.” Zayn said he hopes that he and Jey will be on the same page going forward. Zayn stuck his hand out. Jey looked at him, then slapped his hand, and hugged him. Jimmy joined in on the group hug. Sikoa stood with his arms crossed. The fans wanted him to join the hug and so did Zayn and the Usos, but they were interrupted.
Kevin Owens made his entrance with a mic in hand. Zayn told Owens to stop before he did something stupid. Owens said that wasn’t why he was out there. Owens said he was there to tell Zayn that he gets it. Owens mentioned that he did the same to Zayn many times over the years and can’t blame him one bit.
Owens said he wasn’t there to fight Zayn. He said that their careers have been linked for twenty years. Owens said that he doesn’t want to fight or team with Zayn or ride to shows with him. “I’m just done, I don’t want anything to do with you,” Owens said. Zayn told Owens that he feels the same way and said he’s okay if he’s never in the same room with Owens ever again.
“I don’t need you anymore,” Zayn told Owens. “I have family now.” Owens said he’s genuinely happy for Zayn because everyone can finally see just how great he is. Owens said he loves that Zayn is finally getting the recognition that he deserves. Owens said the only thing is that Zayn isn’t their real blood and never will be.
Jey told Zayn not to worry about Owens. Jey said Owens was just mad because he didn’t have a family around him. Jey said that if Owens has a problem with Zayn, then he has a problem with him. Owens said he had good news. Owens recalled saying he was done with Zayn, but he said he never said he was done with Jey. Owens challenged Jey to face him later in the show. Jey said he pinned Owens in WarGames and would pin him on Raw…
Powell’s POV: Good logic from the Owens character in terms of not being angry with Zayn due to the number of times that he turned on Sami in the past. It’s the right creative approach to take if the plan is for Owens and Zayn to eventually reunite and then challenge the Usos for the tag team titles.
Damage CTRL’s backstage attack on Candice LeRae from weeks ago was recapped…
Candice LeRae was walking backstage when Cathy Kelley approached her and asked her about facing Dakota Kai. LeRae was flustered, but then took the mic and said she wanted to reintroduce herself to Damage CTRL. A confident LeRae said she’s the woman who would take out Kai later tonight…
The Street Profits made their entrance. They entered the crowd before heading to the ring.
[Hour Two] Chad Gable and Otis made their entrance. Gable teased slapping hands with fans before shoooshing them instead… An ad for Tuesday’s NXT television show listed Shawn Michaels, X-Pac, Molly Holly, Alundra Blayze, and Road Dogg as announcing the participants for the Iron Survivor Challenge matches at NXT Deadline… [C]
Byron Saxton interviewed Matt Riddle and Elias on the backstage ring set. Riddle asked Elias if he remembered when they won a tag team match. Elias said yes because it was just last week. Riddle asked Elias about going after the tag team titles. Elias said he’s never held tag team gold.
The Usos, Zayn, and Sikoa showed up and said Elias never will because they are the ones. Elias told them to put their money where their mouths are. The Usos said anytime, any place. Sikoa stared down Elias before he joined the other Bloodline members in walking away…
3. “The Street Profits” Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins vs. “Alpha Academy” Chad Gable and Otis. Graves played up the possibility of Ford having ring rust and said that Gable and Otis would expose it. The Profits cleared Gable and Otis to ringside and then performed stereo flip dives onto them heading into a picture-in-picture break. [C]
Ford was isolated throughout the break. Ford leapt over Gable coming out of the break and rolled him up, but Otis distracted the referee. Ford launched himself over the ropes, but Gable caught him with a nice northern lights suplex. Ford dropped Gable with a DDT. Otis tagged in and charged Ford, who moved, causing Otis to crash in the corner.
Dawkins took a hot tag and worked over Gable. Dawkins had Gable pinned, but Otis broke it up. Dawkins caught Otis with a kick. Gable performed a dragon screw leg whip on Dawkins and then suplexed into a bridge, but Ford broke up the pin. Ford bodyslammed Otis, which got a nice pop. Graves said Ford is the real deal. Dawkins performed a spinebuster on Gable, and then Ford hit a top rope frog splash and scored the pin…
“The Street Profits” Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins defeated “Alpha Academy” Chad Gable and Otis in 12:00.
Powell’s POV: These teams wrestled one another far too many times on television, but they work well together and this was a good return match for Ford. No Alpha Academy match feels complete without my usual plea for the creative forces to do more with Gable. I’d love to see Gable eventually challenge Austin Theory for the U.S. Title.
A video package recapped Austin Theory defeating Seth Rollins and Bobby Lashley in a Triple Threat to win the U.S. Championship at Survivor Series… Theory was shown walking backstage with the title belt draped over his shoulder. Patrick said Theory would speak after the break… [C]
U.S. Champion Austin Theory made his entrance for an in-ring promo. “Who’s a kid now?” Theory asked. He claimed the fans said he had the worst Money in the Bank cash-in attempt of all-time. He said he never wanted to be called a kid again after beating Seth Rollins and Bobby Lashley at the same time and becoming a two-time U.S. Champion.
Theory said he’s no longer “the next big that.” Theory said he’s arrived and is the “now and forever of WWE.” Theory claimed to be the face of Raw. Theory said people have had a problem with him since the day he arrived and chalked it up to jealousy. Theory said everybody wants to be him. Theory said he’s younger, stronger, better, and unescapable. “The Austin Theory Era begins now,” proclaimed Theory.
Seth Rollins made his entrance wearing a see-through outfit that might have made the late Prince blush. Rollins entered the ring and went face to face with Theory. “Shut your mouth and let them sing,” Rollins said. The fans chanted Rollins’ entrance song. Theory asked what happens when someone so young, talented, and so far ahead of everyone in the industry makes the so-called undisputed future look like the past.
Rollins said Theory may have lucked his way into the U.S. Championship, but it doesn’t change anything. “You know deep down in your soul that Monday nights belong to me,” Rollins said. “Before I go, I only have one thing to say to you – congratulations, kid.” Rollins asked if Theory wanted to hit him or fight him. Rollins said they could do it on the spot.
“Give me your best shot, kid,” Rollins said. Theory said he would fight Rollins “on the champ’s time.” Theory put the mic at his side and then told Rollins, “And I’m not your damn kid.” Rollins laughed and then Theory left the ring to loud boos. Once Theory got to the stage, he turned and looked back at Rollins…
Powell’s POV: A good, tense verbal exchange. Rollins taunting Theory by referring to him as “kid” is perfect. I don’t want to read too much into one segment, but if Bobby Lashley isn’t involved in the U.S. Title program, then it will be interesting to see what’s next for him.
A video package recapped the Miz and Dexter Lumis saga… An ad for Smackdown on FS1 spotlighted Sami Zayn and The Bloodline, and Ricochet vs. Santos Escobar in the finals of the Smackdown World Cup tournament… [C]
Backstage, The Miz was interviewed by Saxton. Miz had a bag filled with money. He had his hand taped and said the match wouldn’t happen because he injured his hand again. Adam Pearce showed up and said he wasn’t buying Miz’s injury claim and his match with Lumis would take place later in the show. Miz told Pearce that he would be hearing from his lawyer…
Dexter Lumis made his entrance. The Miz came out and teased going backstage, but Adam Pearce came out and ordered him to go to the ring. When Miz turned toward the ring, Pearce took his bag of money and walked to ringside. Lumis clotheslined Miz at ringside and then threw him inside the ring. When Lumis tried to enter the ring, Miz put him down with a DDT and then had the referee ring the bell to start the match…
4. Dexter Lumis vs. The Miz. Lumis gets a WWE contract and the money that Miz owes him if he wins. Lumis came to life once the bell rang and went on the offensive. Lumis took Miz to ringside and continued to work him over. Lumis tossed Miz onto the broadcast table and then climbed onto it and set up for a move. Miz countered into a Skull Crushing Finale attempt, but Lumis threw him off the table and into the barricade. [C]
Miz put an actual vice on the head of Lumis, who stood up and no-sold it. Miz backed off and asked how. Lumis punched Miz and then removed the vice from his head. Lumis put Miz down with a spinebuster. The match spilled over to ringside where Lumis ran Miz into a television set that was on a table. Lumis placed Miz on the table, then climbed onto the barricade and drove Miz through the table with an elbow drop.
Lumis placed Miz over his shoulder and carried him back to the ringside area. Lumis threw Miz inside the ring. Miz grabbed a turnbuckle and pulled it off when Lumis pulled him from behind. Lumis avoided a Skull Crushing Finale. Lumis charged at Miz, who moved, causing Lumis to run into the exposed turnbuckle. Miz rolled up Lumis and used his feet for leverage, but Lumis still kicked out. Miz motioned for his finisher, but Lumis shot up and put him in his finishing hold, causing Miz to tap out.
Dexter Lumis defeated the Miz in 9:30 to earn a WWE contract.
[Hour Three] Lumis went to ringside where Adam Pearce was waiting with a contract. Lumis signed the contract. Pearce handed Lumis the bag of cash. Lumis handed out individual bills to kids as he walked toward the back. The camera did a close-up to show he gave one kid a hundred dollar bill. The Miz hit Lumis from behind. Miz grabbed the bag and then took back the hundred dollar bill.
Johnny Gargano came out and superkicked The Miz. Gargano picked up the bag and the hundred dollar bill. Gargano gave hundred dollar bill back to the kid, and then handed Lumis the bag. Lumis gave Gargano a thumbs up, and then Gargano returned the favor…
Powell’s POV: A serial killer handing out cash to young children. What could possibly go wrong? Anyway, I have a feeling we’ll be seeing the shot of the vice on Lumis’s head for years to come. The crowd was fairly quiet when Lumis was on the offensive, but Miz was able to get good heat. The crowd was cheering for Lumis afterward.
The broadcast team recapped footage of Becky Lynch brawling with Damage CTRL…
Dakota Kai made her entrance heading into a split-screen break. Candice LeRae came out and attacked Kai and ran her into the barricade multiple times. LeRae brought Kai in the ring and apparently the match started…
5. Dakota Kai vs. Candice LeRae. Bayley and Iyo Sky came out, but Adam Pearce, producers, and referees were there to stop them from entering the ring. LeRae left the ring and taunted the heel pair, who were moved to the stage. When LeRae returned to the ring, the show returned from the break and then Kai kicked her and took offensive control.
Graves explained that Bayley and Sky are not medically cleared and said it would be a hazard to have them at ringside. A short time later, LeRae spike Kai’s head on the apron. LeRae followed up with a missile dropkick in the ring and got a near fall. Kai caught LeRae with a kick heading into a break. [C]
LeRae leapt from the middle rope and ate a superkick from Kai, who covered her for a two count. Kai followed up with a running kick in the corner. She went for another kick that LeRae ducked, and then LeRae rolled her up for a two count. LeRae threw another kick and then went for a Lionsault that Kai avoided.
LeRae and Kai did the “yay/boo” punches and the otherwise lethargic crowd played along. Kai caught LeRae with an overhead kick and then hit a scorpion kick for a near fall. Kai placed LeRae on the ropes and threw a kick at her. Kai went for a superplex, but LeRae fought free and then performed a neckbreaker from the middle rope and got the three count…
Candice LeRae beat Dakota Kai in roughly 14:00.
Jey Uso was shown warming up backstage while the other Bloodline members stood by… [C]
Powell’s POV: Hard work from both wrestlers. It was asking a lot of the live crowd to sit through this lengthy match given that LeRae has yet to click on the main roster. I don’t know what’s inspired WWE and AEW to have all of these PIP breaks, but I assure both companies that what you’re producing isn’t so epic that we can’t afford to miss a second of it. Yes, I feel better getting that out of my system.
A video package recapped the WarGames matches and included footage of the opening video with Ozzy Osbourne lip synching “War Pigs”… Graves said many wrestlers, including Bianca Belair and Alexa Bliss, were not medically cleared in time for Raw…
Backstage, Kelley interviewed Bianca Belair, Asuka, and Alexa Bliss on the ring set. Belair said she’s been a lot better physically and pointed to a small wrap around her elbow. Belair said she held down the division despite Damage CTRL’s attempt to take it over. She said she is happy with the team she chose because they were able to end it at WarGames. Asuka spoke excitedly in Japanese. Bliss was expressionless throughout the segment. Kelley asked if she had anything to add. Bliss faked a smile and said Belair was right, adding Lynch to the team was a good call…
Kevin Owens made his entrance for the main event… [C] Jey Uso made his entrance along with the other Bloodline members. Zayn had a brace on his left hand/wrist. The broadcast team hyped next week’s Raw in Washington D.C., but they did not announce any matches…
6. Kevin Owens vs. Jey Uso (w/Jimmy Uso, Sami Zayn, Solo Sikoa). Graves played up the possibility of Owens having to fight through every member of The Bloodline starting with this match. Owens took offensive control and performed an early senton splash on Jey at ringside. Owens rolled Jey back inside the ring, but Jey caught him with an enzuigiri heading into a PIP break. [C]
Owens went for a Swanton Bomb, but Jey put his knees up. Owens caught Jey with a kick and tried to suplex him before selling back pain. Jey whipped Owens into the opposite corner and then Owens continued to sell back pain. Owens came back with a cannonball in the corner and then clutched his back again. Jay regained offensive control heading into the final PIP break. [C]
Jey executed a popup neckbreaker. Owens eventually rallied with a fisherman’s suplex from the ropes. A small “this is awesome” chant broke out. Patrick announced The Usos vs. Matt Riddle and Elias for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles for next week’s Raw.
Owens performed a splash from the ropes and got a near fall. Sami shouted encouragement to Jey, who dropped Owens with a nice superkick. Owens got up and ran into another superkick, which resulted in a good near fall. Graves said Owens was “a danger to his own wellbeing” by continuing to fight.
Owens countered into a Stunner attempt, but Jey stuffed it and hit him with another superkick for another near fall. Graves said Owens was operating on pure instinct. Jey waited for Owens to get to his knee and then went for another superkick, but Owens stuffed it and threw a superkick of his own. Owens went for a Popup Powerbomb, but his back gave out. Jey dropped Owens with another superkick and covered him for another good near fall.
Graves questioned how Owens was still in the battle. Owens ended up at ringside and hit Jey with a punch from the floor. Jimmy followed Owens onto the apron. Owens superkicked Jimmy back to ringside. Owens and Jey traded punches. The referee pulled Jey away and missed Sikoa tripping Owens on the apron. Owens rolled back inside the ring. Jey went for a top rope splash and rolled through when Owens avoided it. Owens kicked Jey and then dropped him with a Stunner before pinning him.
Kevin Owens defeated Jey Uso in 21:55.
Owens rolled out of the ring and was near the stage when the show went off the air…
Powell’s POV: Hey, Teddy Hart finally made USA Network on a Monday night. Somehow, I don’t think the airing of his true crime documentary after Raw is what he hand in mind. Anyway, Raw closed with a strong main event that succeeded in making Owens look like a badass for continuing to fight and even going on to win the match. Graves stating that Owens may have to go through the Bloodline members may have been foreshadowing the creative direction if they intend to have Owens challenge Roman Reigns at the Royal Rumble. By the way, the broadcast team consistently spoke about how punishing the WarGames matches were and the after effects, which is a really good way to put over the danger of the match for future years.
Overall, the main event was fun and they filled the three hours, but this was not a hot show coming out of Survivor Series WarGames. There were no major storyline developments and they didn’t turn the page in terms of moving on to new programs. I will have more to say about Raw in my weekly same night audio review for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Let me know what you thought of the show by grading it below.
Becky and Bayley are so damn good.
Becky mentions that Bianca calls her to come back for War Games, but the next night Becky gets jumped and Bianca is nowhere to be found. Seems like the start of an angle if they want to run with it.
Hopefully they don’t do with Becky what the other lot have done with DDS. Namely make the whole division look like chumps.
Okay so I’m a massive Bayley fan, but surely someone else could fill the “verbally castrated” role?
I trust Trips booking though.
Nearly 30 minutes of TV time featured Dexter Lumis, Johnny Gargano, Candace LaRae, and Dakota Kai. HHH is just begging people to turn the show off in hour 3. Maybe he’s doing it on purpose to try and get USA to agree to move Raw back to 2 hours.
I hope that’s the case,but doubtful.
More verbal diarrhea from wrestlings foremost authority the greatestturd. What a loser. Come out of the basement. Go outside. Take a walk. I’d tell you to find a girlfriend but we can’t hope for miracles can we? God you suck
I love Sami. I love Owens. But I never want to see them in any program together again. That horse has been flogged worse than Cena/Orton.
I can’t believe they did the Wrestlemania money gimmick of Andre/Heenan with Lumis/Miz. I don’t even recall why a bag of money factored into this convoluted story.
Regatdless, Lumis is all upside, like a Brodie Lee or Undertaker. Glad he is back.
Lumis is supposedly 6’2″ 230, which makes him significantly smaller than Lee (who had no upside) and Taker. He’s also already 38. There is zero upside in Lumis. He’s a one trick pony that only works for the tiniest portion of the smark crowd.
Sami v Owens needs to not happen again unless it’s a retirement match for one of them. Now, if they team up when Sami is moved out of the Bloodline, and are the team to take the belts off the Usos, there’s potential for that to be fresh enough to work.