By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Raw (Episode 1,565)
Live from Hershey, Pennsylvania at Giant Center
Aired May 22, 2023 on USA Network
[Hour One] The show opened with footage from “moments ago” of a smiling Cody Rhodes arriving at the building. Brock Lesnar jumped Rhodes and yelled at him while working him over. Lesnar tossed Cody onto a pile of empty kegs and then ran him into a garage door. “Let’s fight, come on,” Lesnar said. Lesnar picked up one of the kegs and slammed it on Rhodes’s left arm. Rhodes cried out in agony while selling the injury…
The broadcast team of Kevin Patrick and Corey Graves spoke briefly at ringside before they were interrupted…
Paul Heyman stood in the ring and introduced himself before adding that he had nothing to do with Lesnar attacking Rhodes. Heyman said his special appearance on Raw last week was so well received that he was invited back this week. He labeled the host city a hell hole.
Heyman delivered a promo for the Night of Champions event and touted it as having three main events. He said it would be capped off by Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn losing the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles to The Bloodline’s Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa. Heyman welcomed viewers to Raw and tossed the mic.
Kevin Owens’ entrance music played and he walked onto the stage. Sami Zayn’s music played and he joined Owens on the stage before they were introduced as the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions by ring announcer Samatha Irvin.
Heyman made his exit before Owens and Zayn made it to the ring. Highlights aired of Owens and Zayn’s involvement in Smackdown, including the main event that had Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar defeating Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso.
Back live, Zayn questioned where Heyman went and said he’d never seen him scurry off so fast. Zayn said he and Owens were feeling pretty good heading into the “the biggest title defense they could possibly have” against Reigns and Sikoa. Zayn said this one is really personal for him.
Zayn said he has nothing left to say because he already said it straight to Reigns’ face. Owens recalled Reigns dedicating the Night of Champions match to Afa and Sika. Owens said he was dedicating his and Zayn’s win to “the true pillars of The Bloodline” Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso. Zayn spoke about their six-men tag match.
“Imperium” Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser, and Giovanni Vinci made their entrance. The Imperium trio climbed onto the apron to surround Owens and Zayn. Matt Riddle ran out with no entrance music and joined Owens and Zayn inside the ring, causing the Imperium trio to walk toward the back.
Imperium turned around and charged the ring. Kaiser and Vinci were quickly cleared from the ring. Riddle blasted Gunther with a knee to the face. Owens and Zayn clotheslined Gunther over the top rope…
The broadcast team officially hyped Owens, Zayn, and Riddle vs. Imperium for later in the show and added Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Finn Balor to the list of previously advertised matches…
Ricochet made his entrance for a match against Bronson Reed… [C]
Powell’s POV: Riddle? Seriously, why bother playing up a partner of Owens and Zayn’s choosing just to make it they guy they’ve already been teaming with? Aside from that, I liked the opening of the show with the chaotic backstage attack by Lesnar on Rhodes followed by the KO and Sami promo.
The broadcast team recapped Lesnar attacking Cody. Backstage, Byron Saxton stood outside of the trainer’s room. Adam Pearce emerged and offered no updates. Saxton said there were rumors that Rhodes suffered a broken arm. Pearce reiterated that he had no updates…
Powell’s POV: I guess the question now is whether they are giving Cody for losing to Lesnar or setting him up with another heroic win similar to when he worked after his legitimately torn pectoral muscle and defeated Seth Rollins in a Hell in a Cell match. Given that Cody beat Lesnar at Backlash, my guess is that Cody is losing this time around.
Bronson Reed made his entrance. A pre-taped Reed promo aired. He said he should be facing Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship and blamed Ricochet for that. Reed said Ricochet would learn that actions have consequences, as well anyone else on Raw who gets in his way…
1. Bronson Reed vs. Ricochet. Reed took offensive control and steamrolled Ricochet, who rolled to ringside. Reed jumped from the apron and hit Ricochet with a shoulder block on the floor heading into a break. [C]
Ricochet battled back. He was essentially sent back to the floor by Reed, who once again leapt from the apron, but this time Ricochet caught him with a knee to the head. Back in the ring, Ricochet went for a springboard move. Reed hit the ropes to break it up and then splashed Ricochet in the corner before performing a nice power slam. Reed went up top and performed his Tsunami Splash for the win…
Bronson Reed defeated Ricochet in 8:35.
Powell’s POV: A fun television match. Reed’s offense terrific with the smaller Ricochet taking his power moves.
Apollo Crews was interviewed by Cathy Kelley on the backstage ring set. Crews wished Cody the best and then started to talk about his own excitement regarding his main roster return until he was interrupted.
Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley showed up. Dom acted like he didn’t know who Crews was and claimed it was Ripley’s interview time. Kelley said Ripley was actually scheduled to be up next. Crews let them speak briefly and then stood up for himself, which led to him and Dom agreeing to have a match later in the show…
Patrick hyped the next installment of the Seth Rollins sit-down interview for after a break… [C]
The continuation of Corey Graves’ sit-down interview with Seth Rollins picked up where it left off last week with Graves asking Rollins for his thoughts on Roman Reigns as the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. Rollins said he loves Reigns, but he also doesn’t like Reigns.
Rollins said he has no respect for the person or the champion that Reigns has become. Rollins said Roman has been poisoned by his own ego. He said Reigns has taken opportunities away from everyone else and that’s as selfish as he can be. Rollins said he wants to become WWE World Heavyweight Champion so that everyone can forget about Reigns.
Graves asked Rollins what it would be like if he wins the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Rollins said Raw can be the land of opportunity, the catalyst for change, and can push the industry forward. Rollins said he’ll be around and he’ll want challengers who want to take his spot. Rollins said someone has to carry the torch when he and Reigns are gone and he wants to know who that person will be.
Graves asked about Rollins facing AJ Styles for the championship. Rollins said Styles is truly special. Rollins said he and Styles have done the dance before. Footage aired of the two meeting at an NWA No Limits Wrestling independent show in 2006. An 2016 interview aired with Styles recalling that he said after the match that Rollins would be a superstar one day and he was right.
Graves asked why the WWE World Heavyweight Championship is so special to him. Rollins said this is it and then a graphic teased the continuation of the sit-down interview for later in the show…
Powell’s POV: I’ve enjoyed the sit-down interview, but the tease that Rollins would say something shocking regarding Reigns didn’t really live up to the hype.
Patrick and Graves hyped the Rollins vs. Styles match for WWE Night of Champions. They shifted their focus to setting up footage from Raw Talk of Damian Priest accusing Shinsuke Nakamura of costing him a shot at the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Nakamura asked if he was going to cry about it. Finn Balor stepped in and talked Priest down…
Backstage, Saxton interrupted a conversation that Priest and Balor were having. Priest took offense to Saxton interrupting them when Balor has an upcoming match. Balor said Nakamura cost Priest a shot the championship and then rubbed salt in the wound by disrespecting Priest. Balor said that if you disrespect one member of Judgment Day, you disrespect all of them. Balor said he would leave a little bit of Nakamura so that Priest would be able to pick the bones…
Candice LeRae made her entrance… [C]
A Zoey Stark video aired. She spoke about how greatness comes from humble beginnings. She spoke about becoming indisputable. She said people are not going to like her because she will take all of their favorites and tear them apart and expose all of their weaknesses. Stark said the time of heroes is over and her era is beginning…
Stark made her entrance while Patrick hyped the Night of Champions press conference for Friday at noon ET…
2. Zoey Stark vs. Candice LeRae. Stark went right at LeRae with shoulder blocks in the corner. Stark followed up with a nice suplex and followed up with a dropkick. Nikki Cross ran to ringside and pounded on the mat in support of LeRae.
LeRae rebounded with a flurry of offense. LeRae sent Stark to ringside and then performed a springboard dive onto her. Cross grabbed a reluctant LeRae and celebrated with her until Stark took advantage by running into both women, which sent LeRae crashing into the ring steps. Stark threw LeRae back inside the ring and hit her Z-360 finisher before scoring the pin…
Zoey Stark defeated Candice LeRae in 2:30.
Graves hyped the six-man tag team match for later in the show… An ad for the NXT TV show focused on the NXT Women’s Championship tournament semifinal matches… [C]
Powell’s POV: The video package and the match made for a good showcase for Stark. LeRae was given an out in the form of Cross being overzealous as that storyline continues to drag on.
The broadcast team congratulated John Cena for being in the No. 1 movie in the world in Fast X, and Batista for having the No. 2 movie worldwide via Guardians in the Galaxy 3. Graves said WWE was taking over Hollywood…
Mustafa Ali was interviewed by Byron Saxton on a backstage set. Saxton played up Ali’s match with Gunther at Night of Champions as the biggest in his career and asked him where his head is at. Ali said Saxton was probably expecting a quote about positivity, but this is way too real for him. Ali said he’s dreamt of this moment since he was a kid and yet he’s never actually come close to that.
Brock Lesnar walked into the picture and said, “Get a life, kid.” Lesnar walked through the curtain while Ali left the interview.
[Hour Two] Lesnar’s music played as he stood on the stage and then headed to the ring. Lesnar skipped his usual lap around the ring and instead entered it. Lesnar mimicked Cody by asking the fans what they wanted to talk about. Lesnar told the booing crowd that he’d boo Cody too.
Lesnar claimed that he wouldn’t face Cody at Night of Champions and told the fans that he wouldn’t let them down. Lesnar issued an open challenge to anyone who wanted to step up and face him.
Cody Rhodes walked out with his arm in a sling and a towel around his neck. Adam Pearce and a few referees tried to talk Cody out of heading to the ring. Once in the ring, Rhodes removed the sling and an ice pack. Lesnar charged Cody, who threw some punches.
Lesnar put Cody in a Kimura and yelled at Cody to fight him. Lesnar eventually released the hold, which Cody sold by writing on the mat while selling pain. Lesnar used one foot to stand on Cody’s arm and then stomped it with his other foot. Cody held his arm while Lesnar exited the ring, put his cowboy hat on, and headed to the back. Pearce could be heard calling for medical help… [C]
Powell’s POV: A good angle that doubled down on Lesnar’s attack from earlier. Cody’s character showed heart while Lesnar looked as ruthless as ever.
The broadcast team recapped Lesnar’s latest attack on Cody and said they would share any updates they get on Cody’s condition…
Chad Gable, Otis, and Maxxine Dupri made their entrance. The Viking Raiders followed…
3. “The Viking Raiders” Erik and Ivar (w/Valhalla) vs. “Alpha Academy” Chad Gable and Otis (w/Maxxine Dupri). Gable was isolated, which led to a brief “We want Otis” chant. Gable eventually made a hot tag to Otis, who worked over both opponents.
Otis bodyslammed Ivar and splashed Erik in the corner. Otis looked to the crowd. Gable and Dupri both cheered him on and then hit performed the Caterpillar on Erik. Ivar avoided a corner splash. Gable tagged himself in and went for a suplex on Ivar, but Erik tagged himself in and blasted Gable with a knee to the face.
Ivar went to the ropes. Dupri jawed at Valhalla at ringside, which led to Valhalla chasing her. Erik picked up Gable to pass him off, but Gable kicked Ivar off the ropes and then rolled up Erik and pinned him…
“Alpha Academy” Chad Gable and Otis defeated “The Viking Raiders” Erik and Ivar in 4:50.
Powell’s POV: Maxxine was all for the Caterpillar and showed no signs of bickering with Gable this time around.
Saxton stood outside the locker room of Cody Rhodes. Adam Pearce entered the picture and told Saxton “not now” when he tried to talk to him. Pearce entered the Cody’s dressing room and was quickly chased out. Cody said there was nothing to talk about and told them all to “get out of here.” Graves stated on commentary that he hoped Cody accept medical attention while adding that it could be a career threatening…
Shinsuke Nakamura made his entrance… An ad for Smackdown hyped The KO Show with guests Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa, and Austin Theory vs. Sheamus for the U.S. Championship… [C]
Veer Mahaan and Sanga were shown standing in a smokey room while Jinder Mahal spoke. Mahal called them forces of nature and said the storm is here. Mahal entered the picture and asked what happens next…
Finn Balor and Damian Priest made their entrance…
4. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Finn Balor (w/Damian Priest). The broadcast team played up Nakamura as being a lone wolf with no friends on Raw. A few minutes into the match, Balor distracted the referee while Priest pulled Nakamura from the apron and then clotheslined him on the floor. [C]
Nakamura performed his sliding German suplex on Balor. Nakamura ended up on the floor and did his “come on” routine to Priest and then ducked his clothesline attempt. Back in the ring, Nakamura put Balor down and got a near fall.
Balor rallied with a sling blade clothesline. Balor followed up with a shotgun dropkick attempt, but Nakamura beat him to the punch with a kick. Nakamura set up for his Kinshasa finisher, but Balor cut him off with a standing double stomp.
Balor went for the Coup De Grace, but Nakamura avoided it and then blasted Balor with a knee to the back of his neck. Both men stayed down. Priest eventually tended to Balor. Nakamura went after Priest and clotheslined him into the timekeepers area. Balor dropkicked Nakamura from behind and then rolled him back inside the ring. Balor hit the Coup De Grace and scored the pin…
Finn Balor defeated Shinsuke Nakamura in 13:20.
Powell’s POV: I enjoyed this match a lot more than when Balor works with the main event players. He’s a hell of a wrestler, but I just don’t buy Balor as a threat to win those matches, whereas the combination of working with a fellow upper mid-carder and having Priest at ringside made for a more intriguing match.
Footage aired of Liv Morgan suffering a shoulder injury while taking a kick from Dakota Kai. The broadcast team hyped next week’s match with Raquel Rodriguez and a partner vs. Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler vs. Bayley and Iyo Sky vs. Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green in four-way for the vacant WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles…
Raquel Rodriguez made her entrance for a match against Sonya Deville… [C] The broadcast team narrated highlights of Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler attacking Rodriguez on last week’s Raw… Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green made their entrance…
5. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Sonya Deville (w/Chelsea Green). Green threw her shades inside the ring once the bell rang to start the match. Rodriguez stomped the shades, but Deville used the distraction to attack her from behind. Deville performed a flying knee from the middle rope. Deville eventually came back with her usual corkscrew elbow and Tejana Bomb sequence and got the win…
Raquel Rodriguez beat Sonya Deville in 1:55.
After the match, Green attacked Rodriguez. Shotzi ran out and helped Rodriguez clear the ring. Rodriguez stood on the middle rope and pulled the top rope up while Shotzi performed a dive through the ropes onto both heels at ringside…
Powell’s POV: Forced smiles along with back and shoulder flexing. Gee, I can’t imagine why Rodriguez isn’t more over as a babyface. Shotzi replacing Morgan is fine. I actually find Green and Deville to be a lot of fun. Green playing the Karen role is a blast. Why isn’t she getting more mic time?
Backstage, a referee told Adam Pearce that Cody Rhodes wouldn’t talk to him nor allow anyone in his dressing room. The referee said Cody was hurting very bad. The referee left the picture and then Trish Stratus showed up. Trish said Becky Lynch was a little feisty and felt that it would be best if there was a “no touch” policy during their contract signing segment. Pearce said there was a lot going on and he didn’t know if there was a need for such a policy. Patrick said the contract signing was up next… [C]
A Matt Riddle video package aired. He said that doubting him is a mistake that you can’t afford to make… Patrick hyped the six-man tag match…
Becky Lynch made her entrance and then a video recap of her return from two weeks ago was shown. Corey Graves served as the host of the contract signing segment. Lynch wore wild shades and other attire that seemed like it was from her heel days. She quickly signed the contact.
[Hour Three] Trish Stratus made her entrance and spoke about how eager Lynch seemed to be to sign the contract. Stratus said that Lynch wasn’t so eager to return to Raw until she kicked her head off. Trish said it was a big deal because this was her first contract signing.
Trish referred to herself as The GOAT and had Graves remind her of the city the show was being held in. Trish took credit for Lynch having so many big moments because she did all of the work that made it possible.
The crowd gave Trish the “What?” treatment while Lynch had her feet up on the desk and showed no interest in what Trish was saying. Trish boasted that she was number one in WWE “and it didn’t take a broken nose for me to get there.”
Trish said Lynch thinks she’s it, then questioned what will happen once she beats Lynch at Night of Champions. Trish assumed that would make her it. She questioned whether Lynch would go back into a dark place and have to “go through stuff again.”
Trish said she would sign the contract. She once again stated that it was her first contract signing and said it would be Lynch’s last contract signing. Lynch removed her glasses and smirked as she glared at Trish.
Lynch said Trish was scared. She said she saw the backstage segment with Trish and Pearce. Lynch told Trish she didn’t need to be scared. Lynch said time passed and Stratus has stayed the same. Lynch said the fans remember Trish as being better than she is.
Lynch said it’s all about Trish wanting her flowers. Lynch thanked Stratus and then said she was thanking her for being everything she hopes she never becomes. Lynch said she’s hot and it, but Stratus is not. Lynch said she can look at herself in the mirror even though she’s not as perfect as Stratus thinks she is.
Lynch said Stratus has done things that would give her nightmares. “If you think barking like a dog is embarrassing, just wait until I whip your ass at Night of Champions,” Lynch said. “Welcome to the big time, bitch. Woof woof.” Stratus tipped the contract signing table over and then exited the ring while Lynch jawed at her…
Powell’s POV: Trish’s side of the promo was poorly received and not in a good heat way. Lynch saved the otherwise rough segment with her strong closing words. If they intend to stretch out this feud, perhaps they should find a lackey character for Stratus to play off of.
Footage aired of Lesnar’s attacks on Cody from earlier in the show…
Adam Pearce was shown talking on the phone backstage and told someone that they had all the same information that he did. Pearce explained that Cody wouldn’t let anyone evaluate him and said he’s calling because he’s at a loss for words…
Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley made their entrance… [C]
Saxton interviewed Raquel Rodriguez and Shotzi in the backstage area. Shotzi spoke about how much respect she has for Rodriguez and said she’d always have her back. Rodriguez said it looked like she just found her new partner for next week’s four-way for the vacant WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles… Apollo Crews made his entrance…
6. Dominik Mysterio (w/Rhea Ripley) vs. Apollo Crews. Crews held up Dom for a vertical suplex and then pressed him over his head and slammed him to the mat. Dom offered a handshake while holding one arm behind his back. Dom kicked Crews, who quickly battled back and went up top. Dom cut off Crews and then put the boots to him while Ripley laughed at ringside.
Dom performed one of the Three Amigos and then opted to cover Crews for a two count. Crews rallied with a nice fallaway slam. Crews followed up with a clunky Blockbuster. Crews went right back to the ropes and performed a crossbody block for a two count. Crews went for another move, but Dom flipped over and landed on his feet. Dom dropkicked Crews and then went for a 619, but Crews avoided it and took Dom to the floor where he clotheslined him.
Ripley got in Crews’s face. Crews went around Ripley, but Dom grabbed Crews and pulled him face first into the ring steps. Ripley ran Crews into the ring post. Dom went to the ropes and counted along with the referee. Crews slid back in the ring to beat the count, but Dom hit him with a frog splash and pinned him…
Dominik Mysterio beat Apollo Crews in 5:05.
Powell’s POV: I really hope they do more with Crews during this main roster babyface run than they did last time, but I’m not going to complain about Dom stealing a win with help from Ripley. Dom-Dom and Mami continue to be one of my favorite acts in pro wrestling.
A video package spotlighted AJ Styles. It touched on his international success and included Styles saying he earned his spot in WWE. The video showed Styles winning a world championship while also showcasing his key moves and then switched to pushing his match against Seth Rollins…
The broadcast team hyped the final portion of the Rollins’ sit-down interview for after the break… [C]
Patrick hyped the Night of Champions press conference for Friday afternoon on WWE social media platforms…
The final portion of Graves’ sit-down interview with Rollins was shown. Graves asked why the World Heavyweight Championship was so important to him. Rollins said it’s time for a change. He said that when he felt like he wasn’t pegged to be the guy, it made him work that much harder.
Rollins said wrestling has been his dream since he was four and it’s been everything he’s ever dreamed of (footage of a young Rollins was shown). Rollins said he wants to see it be the best that it can be. Rollins said this is “our moment to do something special.” Rollins said he was going all in and giving it everything he has…
Patrick and Graves ran through the Night of Champions lineup… Imperium made their entrance for the main event… [C]
Powell’s POV: It looks like Rollins was absent from Raw last week and this week, presumably due to filming the Marvel movie. It’s worth repeating my theory that his absence from Raw explains why the company went with the oddball two Triple Threat matches and one semifinal match in one night tournament format, as it allowed Rollins to earn his spot in the finals before he went off to make the movie.
The broadcast team hyped the following matches for next week’s Raw: Raquel Rodriguez and Shotzi vs. Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler vs. Bayley and Iyo Sky vs. Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green for the vacant WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles, and the first Money in the Bank qualifying matches (no actual MITB qualifiers were announced)…
Matt Riddle, Kevin Owens, and then Sami Zayn made their entrances and met up on the stage before heading to the ring…
7. “Imperium” Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser, and Giovanni Vinci vs. Matt Riddle, Kevin Owens, and then Sami Zayn in a six-man tag match. Graves played up the idea that taking this match was a questionable call for Owens and Zayn heading into their tag title defense at Night of Champions. Gunther dropped Riddle with a chop heading into an early break. [C]
Riddle knocked Gunther off his feet with a leaping knee. Riddle tried to tag out. Kaiser ran in and was thrown over the top rope by Riddle, was was grabbed by Gunther. Riddle escaped and dove to make the tag, but Kaiser pulled Zayn off the apron to stop it. Riddle put Gunther down with a nice suplex and finally tagged in Owens.
Owens had a good sequence of offense on Vinci, which included a cannonball in the corner that led to a two count. Owens went to the ropes, but he stopped when he spotted Kaiser. Vinci dropkicked Owens. Vinci and Kaiser went high and low on Owens, who fell from the apron. [C]
Zayn hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Gunther and went for the pin, but Vinci broke it up. Owens hit a Stunner on Vinci. Kaiser cleared Owens from the ring and then Zayn tossed Kaiser. Zayn set up Vinci for a Helluva Kick, but Gunther caught Zayn in a sleeper. Riddle performed a Floating Bro onto Gunther and Zayn to break the hold. Riddle came up holding his backside.
Zayn put Vinci down with an exploder and set up for his finisher again. Gunther grabbed Zayn’s leg. Owens and Riddle took out Gunther at ringside. Vinci hit Zayn with a running clothesline. Zayn followed Vinci to the opposite corner and hit him with a Helluva Kick. Owens performed a Swanton Bomb on Vinci and pinned him…
Matt Riddle, Kevin Owens, and then Sami Zayn defeated “Imperium” Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser, and Giovanni Vinci in 15:20.
Afterward, Sami held up his tag team titles and looked into the camera while telling Reigns that he could try his best, but he and Owens would keep the tag team titles at Night of Champions…
Backstage, Cody told someone who knocked on his door that he didn’t need any help. Triple H entered the picture and told him that he understands what Cody is trying to do. Triple H told him to get medical attention. Cody insisted that he didn’t need it.
Triple H said he could tell that Cody’s arm was broken and he would tell by the look on Cody’s face that he also knew it was broken. Triple H mentioned something about being afraid. Cody asked what the hell he had to be afraid of.
Triple H said Cody was afraid that a doctor wouldn’t clear him. Triple H told him he doesn’t have anything to prove and recalled Cody’s performance with a torn pec at Hell in a Cell. Cody asked Triple H what he would do and what he has done. Cody said Triple H fought, just as he will do when he goes to Night of Champions to fight Brock Lesnar.
[Overrun] Triple H sat down beside Cody, who packed his bag with one arm. Triple H patted Cody’s back and leg and then stood up and exited the room while Cody watched him…
Powell’s POV: A strong main event with some really good tag team spots in terms of preventing tags and breaking up pins and submission holds. I just hope that the creative forces have a plan to establish Kaiser and Vinci as a championship caliber tag team. They are just too damn good to merely be Gunther’s henchmen. The final segment with Cody was effective in establishing that he intends to fight despite his injury, which is an interesting hook for his match. Normally, it would scream that Cody is losing clean and he probably will, but his win over Rollins while wrestling with a torn pec makes his fate feel less than certain.
Overall, this was an entertaining show overall and a quality go-home show for Night of Champions. I will be back shortly with my weekly same night audio review of Raw for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons), who will also hear audio reviews of WWE Night of Champions, NXT Battleground, and AEW Double Or Nothing this weekend. Let me know what you thought of Raw by grading the show below.
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That’s how you know Vince McMahon is in effect. And shinsuke and Finn are far to cold and damaged to make anybody care at this point. Priest is even worse after losing to a musician.
Holy cow, I’ve never seen Candace LeRae wrestle before. Was this an “off night” or is she the worst worker on the roster? Zero physicality, nothing she does looks like it hurts, nothing done to her looks like it hurts, facial expression never changes. It’s like really bad Lucha and she forgot she wasn’t wearing a mask.
The pumped in crowd noises are out of control. It’s making RAW unwatchable
LeRae is that bad. She and Gargano are the epitome of the tiny, unimpressive, boring indie “workrate” hacks that the dirt sheets love.
Oh the irony of the troll TheLamestOne bitching and moaning about someone else being a mark.
Ok I have noticed that the piped in crowd noise is the “worst” during the brock/Cody segments. Have the live audiences been cheering Brock?
Was that indie match between Styles and Rollins really in 2016 or was that a typo?
Fixed. The match was from 2006, the Styles comments about the match were from 2016.
@PG13 ICON
That could be. Brock has had a cool factor to him in the last couple of years and he’s getting close to that level where you just can’t make him a heel anymore.
>Seriously, why bother playing up a partner of Owens and Zayn’s choosing just to make it they guy they’ve already been teaming with?<
Because too many people watch WWE and even when nothing makes sense they still say, "OMG THAT WAS GREAT!" or put the majority of the matches in the "hit" section if they write a column about wrestling.
Angry Mike! Glad you made it. You repeatedly accuse me of being biased against AEW. Please meet Greatest One, who repeatedly accused me of being biased against WWE. I’ll let you two sort this out while I get back to work.
Geez there’s all kind of wrestling experts on here tonight. I wish Vince or HHH would come to your jobs and tell you how to flip burgers or work the deep fryer
Vince telling people how to book a wrestling show would have value since he’s one of the greatest to ever do it.
NNN (Nepotism, Narcolepsy, Necrophilia) sucks as a booker and always has. The company is set up to succeed no matter what at this point, but it’s got zero to do with the doofus son-in-law.
Dear LamestOne
Vince is a fantastic promoter. Remember that necrophilia storyline you referenced? Vince ok’ed it. He also wanted to do a incest storyline with himself, Shane and Stephanie. He is a lousy booker, a fantastic promoter, and outstanding as a pervert and creep.