By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Raw (Episode 1,622)
Indianapolis, Indiana at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Aired live June 24, 2024 on USA Network
[Hour One] A shot aired of Lucas Oil Stadium while Michael Cole checked in on commentary and mentioned WWE’s deal with the city. Cole said there were 12,269 in attendance. Cole was joined on commentary by The Miz. Cole said Pat McAfee was not present. Cole started to address the Wyatt Sicks attack before he was distracted.
Drew McIntyre walked past the broadcast table and entered the ring. Once in the ring, McIntyre said everyone was talking about how he quit last week, but they’re not talking about that now. He said what he did on Smackdown was so good that he wanted to see it again. Footage aired of McIntyre attacking CM Punk on Smackdown.
McIntyre said he prayed for this and the big man made it happen. McIntyre said he’s done with the fans who have been chanting Punk’s name for months. McIntyre said the fans listened to him say what kind of person Punk is for months and saw Punk screw him over at WrestleMania and then again in front of his friends and family in his home country. McIntyre said anyone who chants Punk’s name is dead to him.
McIntyre looked into the camera and addressed Punk. McIntyre said he hopes Punk is uncomfortable, in pain, and is being fed through a straw. McIntyre said he did that to Punk. McIntyre pulled out the bracelet that he stole from Punk. The camera zoomed in to show “AJ” and “Larry” written on it.
McIntyre said the bracelet is worth about 50 cents and a fan made it for Punk. He said it had the name of Punk’s wife and “stupid looking dog Larry” on it. A “Larry” chant broke out. Nice. McIntyre said he would enter the Money in the Bank ladder match. McIntyre said he would win the match while Punk was alone, in pain, and miserable.
McIntyre put the bracelet around his wrist and said he’s no longer on his own. He said he has Punk’s wife and dog in his corner now. McIntyre said he would win Money in the Bank and then cash in the same night and become the World Heavyweight Champion in spite of Punk. McIntyre tossed the mic and exited the ring. McIntyre kissed the bracelet…
The Miz said McIntyre sees himself as the hero because Punk has cost him the World Heavyweight Championship twice. Cole shifted the focus to the Wyatt Sicks and then a video package recapped their debut on last week’s show…
Chad Gable was shown arriving in the parking area. Gable told the cameraman that he wouldn’t do this now. Four security guards surrounded shades wearing Gable, who covered his face as they walked through the parking garage area…
Bron Breakker made his entrance and was introduced by ring announcer Samantha Irvin for his match against Ludwig Kaiser heading into the first commercial break… [C]
Powell’s POV: Breakker’s entrance theme is still generic and awful. McIntyre’s promo was strong and I like the explanation for stealing Punk’s bracelet. McIntyre winning MITB would be an interesting move because it would play into Cole labeling him a hypocrite given how much McIntyre has complained about the MITB contract costing him championships. Meanwhile, the show is in Pat McAfee’s hometown and he had Paul Levesque and Michael Cole on his show earlier today, so I’m guessing that he’ll be show up unless he has other commitments.
Cathy Kelley stood outside of Chad Gable’s dressing room where a couple of security guards were stationed. She spoke about how other wrestlers told her that they were shocked that he showed up. Kelley said she had yet to confirm the extent of his injuries and hoped to find out more about him and the other victims…
Ludwig Kaiser was interviewed by Jackie Redmond on the Gorilla Position set. Kaiser accused Breakker of viciously attacking him last week. Kaiser said he would prove to everyone that he is destined for greatness and that Breakker is not him. Kaiser made his entrance…
Powell’s POV: Poor Jackie. She does a great job with her NHL television work, but she’s missing tonight’s game seven of the Stanley Cup Final due to Raw. I feel her pain.
1. Bron Breakker vs. Ludwig Kaiser. Breakker got Kaiser in the corner. Referee Eddie Orengo cut in between them and couldn’t see Kaiser gouging Breakker’s eyes. Breakker came back and jumped from the apron before clotheslining Kaiser, who had been seated on top of the broadcast table. [C]
Breakker caught Kaiser on the ropes and performed what Cole labeled a Frankensteiner (more like a standard huracanrana). Breakker dumped Kaiser to ringside. Breakker rolled to the floor and charged Kaiser, who sidestepped him, causing Breakker to crash into the steps. Kaiser got a running start for a move, but Sheamus showed up in street clothes and hit Kaiser with a knee strike.
Bron Breakker fought Ludwig Kaiser to an apparent no-contest in 10:10.
Sheamus celebrated with fans and then taunted Kaiser. Sheamus cleared the broadcast table and then hoisted up Kaiser for a powerbomb, but Breakker speared Sheamus. Cole said Breakker was pissed off because everyone keeps getting involved in his matches…
Powell’s POV: An interesting match in that Breakker worked as the babyface and even played to the fans. It felt like he was back in heel mode when took out Sheamus afterward. Breakker showed good versatility in NXT and is capable of playing either role.
Dominik Mysterio was eating chicken nuggets (or something) while Finn Balor, JD McDonagh, and Carlito played the WWE 2K24 video game on a television. Damian Priest arrived. Dom told him that they were gifts from Liv Morgan. Carlito said Morgan helped him win his match last week and she can’t be all that bad.
Priest asked Dom when the distractions from Morgan would end. Dom showed Priest a photo on his phone that was not shown on television. The others stopped what they were doing and looked at the photo. “That’s cool,” said a bug-eyed Carlito. Priest said Dom would need to explain to Rhea Ripley how Morgan got his number.
Dom said he didn’t know how she got it. Priest said he would end things with Morgan tonight. After Dom left the room, Priest gave the others a guilt trip for playing games when they should be focused on taking out Braun Strowman. Once Priest left, Balor told the others that they need to take care of Strowman…
Powell’s POV: Horny Carlito is the best Carlito.
Lyra Valkyria made her entrance for the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match qualifier… [C]
Bron Breakker pounded on Adam Pearce’s locker room door. Once Pearce came out, Breakker told him that he’s sick of people getting involved in his matches. Breakker asked for an Intercontinental Title match. Sami Zayn showed up and said he would defend the title against him whenever. Breakker challenged him to a title match at Money in the Bank. Zayn, who was glaring at Breakker, told Pearce to tell Breakker that he got his match. Pearce said the match is official. Breakker said he’s going to destroy Zayn…
Powell’s POV: A good segment with an intense staredown between the champion and his next challenger. One minor quibble. Given what happened with the Wyatt Sicks, Pearce should have looked less annoyed and more apprehensive after Breakker pounded on his door. Unless, Adam Pearce is behind The Wyatt Sicks!!! Okay, not really.
Cole noted that it was Adam Pearce’s birthday… Kairi Sane and Shayna Baszler made their entrances…
2. Lyra Valkyria vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Kairi Sane in a Triple Threat qualifier for the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match. A couple minutes into the match, Sane hit a top rope crossbody block onto both opponents, who were at ringside. [C]
Sane went for her Insane Elbow, which Miz called the greatest elbow (dude, Randy Savage), but Baszler avoided it. Valkyria put Sane down and had her pinned, but Baszler broke it up with a knee strike. Baszler covered Valkyria, but Sane broke up the pin. A “this is awesome” chant broke out.
Baszler caught Valkyria in the Kirifuda Clutch. Valkyria rolled onto her in a pin to break the hold. Sane hit Baszler with an Insane Elbow. Valkyria performed her Night Wing finisher on Sane and then pinned her…
Lyra Valkyria defeated Kairi Sane and Shayna Baszler in a Triple Threat in 8:30 to qualify for the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match.
Powell’s POV: A nice match. It’s good to see the creative forces consistently push Valkyria as opposed to taking a start and stop approach.
Backstage, Drew McIntyre argued with Adam Pearce about deserving a spot in the MITB match. Pearce said everyone has to qualify, especially since he quit last week. Pearce told him he didn’t deserve it after disrupting both shows. McIntyre asked if he deserved what Punk has done to him. McIntyre said he believes that Pearce will do the right thing. McIntyre said Pearce would find out the meaning of disruption if he did not.
Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan walked past McIntyre. Morgan wore a “Daddy’s Girl” t-shirt and the camera followed her as she strolled through the backstage area and then made her entrance… [C]
A video package aired with Triple H and Pat McAfee touting WWE’s deal to bring the 2025 Royal Rumble event and future WrestleMania and SummerSlam events to Indianapolis…
The Miz stood up and introduced Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers, who was seated behind the broadcast table. Haliburton held up his phone to show that he was talking with Logan Paul…
[Hour Two] Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan stood in the ring and asked Dominik Mysterio to come to the ring. Zelina Vega came out instead. Vega said she doesn’t know why Morgan is obsessed with Rhea Ripley’s “sloppy seconds in Dominik Mysterio.” Vega said that while Morgan is chasing Dirty D, she is chasing the championship.
Once Vega entered the ring, Morgan said nothing means more to her than her championship. Vega said Morgan acts like she’s all about having fun. Morgan asked her what’s wrong with having fun. Vega said Morgan schemed for her opportunities while she starved for hers.
Vega said Morgan putting her title on the line sounds like fun to her. Vega played to the fans about Morgan defending her title against her during the show. Morgan said she’d love to, but she was in the middle of something and said they could do it next week. Morgan tried to turn her attention back to Dom. Vega called for the match to happen tonight.
Dominik Mysterio walked out with a microphone in hand and was booed when he tried to speak. Morgan asked Dom if he liked the gifts that she got him. Dom said he got the gifts, but he did not like them. Morgan said she knew Dom loved the text she sent him. Morgan held open the ropes for Dom, who entered the ring while the crowd chanted “sloppy seconds” at him.
Vega said that if Morgan was too afraid to fight, she didn’t need to bring her man out to get in the way. Dom said he’s not Morgan’s man, but he wanted to help if they were going to fight for the championship. The crowd continued to boo Dom, who spoke about how Rhea Ripley and Vega have had their differences, but he wants anyone other than Morgan to have the title.
Morgan attacked Vega from behind and they fought until Rey Mysterio came out and pulled Morgan off of Vega. Dom shoved his father to the mat, which drew loud boos. Morgan smiled while looking adoringly at Dom, who then exited the ring and headed to the back with Morgan following him…
Powell’s POV: A fun segment. Dom’s massive heat has not subsided. He is still the man the fans love to hate, and the Dom and Liv saga is a riot.
Cathy Kelley stood outside Chad Gable’s dressing room and said that medical personnel checked on him and Adam Pearce was in the room. Pearce came out and said Gable was cleared to compete. Kelley asked about Gable’s mental state. Pearce said that’s not his story to tell…
Cole asked Miz if he felt that Pearce should allow Gable to compete tonight after what happened last week. Miz said that if Gable wants to fight, then Pearce should let him…
A Seth Rollins video package aired… Braun Strowman made his entrance for the men’s MITB qualifier…
An ad aired for Friday’s Smackdown at Madison Square Garden, which will now include a Bloodline Acknowledgement Ceremony. The narrator questioned whether anyone can stop Solo Sikoa’s rise to power… [C]
Cole hyped Sami Zayn’s comedy show for Money in the Bank weekend in Toronto…
Dominik Mysterio was walking backstage while telling Liv Morgan to leave him alone. Morgan thanked Dom for being her hero. She said Dom saved her from his deadbeat dad. Dom said he just doesn’t like him. Morgan said now she knows that Dom wants this just as badly as she does. Morgan hugged Dom, who held his arms up in the air and then walked away.
R-Truth showed up and spoke about Dom being a reluctant hero and said those are the best kind. Truth said he loves it when love is in the air. Truth said Dom seemed to be playing hard to get. Morgan said she wanted to do something nice for Dom and his friends. She said she thought she would get Dom a match against his father next week and and asked Truth if she could get a tag team title match for Finn Balor and JD McDonagh. Truth agreed to the match. Morgan told Truth to make sure he got the match approved by Adam Pearce…
Cole was laughing at the broadcast table. Miz got upset and then left the broadcast table to head backstage…
Bronson Reed made his entrance. Chad Gable made his entrance with a microphone in his hand and a small bandage on his forehead. Gable asked the fans if they believe in miracles. He said the rumors of his demise were greatly exaggerated. Gable said he can’t be killed and then declared that he will win MITB and call himself “Master in the Bank”…
3. Chad Gable vs. Braun Strowman vs. Bronson Reed in a Triple Threat qualifier for the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match. There were glitches on the LED boards. Gable showed concern and then the match started. Strowman and Reed took turns clubbing Gable and then squared off briefly. Strowman was cleared from the ring. Reed pressed Gable over his head and threw him at Strowman, who caught Gable. Reed hit both men with a suicide dive. [C]
Strowman picked up Gable and threw him at Reed, which sent Gable and Reed to ringside. Strowman did his running shoulder blocks on the floor. Back in the ring, Reed avoided a charging Strowman, who crashed into the ring post. Gable executed a German suplex on Reed for a near fall. Gable went up top, but Strowman tripped him up from ringside. Strowman pulled Reed to the floor. Strowman ran Reed into the ring post and then slammed him. Stromwan tore off his t-shirt.
Dominik Mysterio, Finn Balor, JD McDonagh and Carlito ran out and attacked Strowman. He fought them off for a moment, but the numbers advantage did him in. Cole said the official couldn’t do anything about it due to Triple Threats having no disqualifications. Gable executed a top rope moonsault on Reed and then pinned him…
Chad Gable defeated Bronson Reed and Braun Strowman in a Triple Threat in 8:25 to qualify for the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match.
As Gable was celebrating, the Wyatt Sicks lights wind down occurred. The single piano key music played as the ring was covered in fog. Gable looked around and then a masked Nikki Cross entered the ring behind him and then crawled toward him. Gable exited the ring.
Cross left the ring and picked up a package that she placed in front of Michael Cole. Cross exited slowly through a section on the floor. The black and white image flashed on the screen heading into a break… [C]
Powell’s POV: These attacks occurring during Triple Threat matches because of the no disqualification stipulation continues to feel absurd. That said, I love the end result of Gable advancing to the MITB ladder match. The post match scene was cool. It looked like damn near everyone in the building had their phone out and there was definitely a buzz amongst the fans. For those wondering, the package that Cross gave Cole was not big enough to contain Pat McAfee’s head. What’s in the box?!?
Cole noted that the box was addressed to McAfee. The crowd chanted “open it.” Cole opened the box and found a VHS tape that had “Play Me” written on the side. Cole said he hasn’t seen a VHS tape in 25 years, but he hoped that someone in the production truck would be able to play it…
Backstage, Chad Gable knocked on a locker room door. Otis, Maxxine Dupri, and Akira Tozawa came out. Gable claimed that his life flashed before his eyes last week and he saw all of them. Gable called them family. He said it takes a big man to admit when he’s wrong. He said he may have stepped over the line once or twice and then apologized. Gable said families fight but they stick together.
Otis said that anybody who hurts Dupri and Tozawa is not family. Otis said he meant what he said, they’re done. Otis and Tozawa returned to their dressing room. Dupri told Gable that he hurt Otis, who saw him as a big brother. Dupri said that what happened to Gable must have been terrifying. She said she thinks Otis just needs some time and she would talk to him. Dupri said she was sorry about what happened to Gable.
Julius Creed, Brutus Creed, and Ivy Nile approached Gable and asked if he okay. Gable said he was not, he needs help…
Powell’s POV: I think most of us assumed that Otis, Dupri, and Tozawa would feel guilty about ditching Gable last week, but they went with Otis standing his ground. I continue to assume that the Creeds and Nile end up replacing Otis, Dupri, and Tozawa in Alpha Academy.
Entrances for the women’s tag team match took place to flat reactions…
4. WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn vs. Kayden Carter and Katana Chance in a non-title match. Carter launched Chance onto Fyre and Dawn at ringside heading into an early break. [C] Cole noted that he was still working solo because Pat McAfee couldn’t be there and his replacement The Miz ran backstage earlier.
Late in the match, Dawn dropped Chance with a kick and then tagged in Fyre. The champions hit their Gory Bomb and Russian Leg Sweep combo finisher on Chance, who was then pinned by Fyre.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn defeated Kayden Carter and Katana Chance in 5:50 in a non-title match.
Damage CTRL members Iyo Sky, Kairi Sane, and Dakota Kai ran out and attacked the champions. Sky hit her Over The Moonsault on Dawn and Fyre…
Powell’s POV: The crowd was quiet throughout the match and the post match angle. Fyre and Dawn have been kooky witches during their infrequent appearances on main roster television, so I don’t think the fans knew how to react when the duo was attacked by Damage CTRL. Shot in the dark time. Is McAfee not on commentary because there will be an angle with the Wyatt Sicks attacking him at his home or show studio in Indianapolis?
Damian Priest was shown entering the Judgment Day clubhouse just as Liv Morgan was leaving. Priest said he hoped that Dom had just ended things. Priest entered the room and Balor was seated on the couch. Priest spoke about how it looked sketchy. Balor said Morgan got Dom a match against Rey next week, and also got him and McDonagh a tag team title shot later in the show. They agreed that it seemed too good to be true. Priest wished Balor good luck with his title match. Balor’s expression changed once Priest left and then he rolled his eyes and shook his head… [C]
An ad aired for the WrestleMania XL “Behind The Curtain” documentary that will stream Wednesday, July 3 on YouTube at 6CT/7ET…
Powell’s POV: Finally. I don’t know how long the documentary runs, but WWE could have really messed with AEW by premiering it head-to-head with Dynamite rather than starting it an hour earlier.
Backstage, The Miz caught up with R-Truth and hoped he had yet to speak to Adam Pearce. Truth said he had and then spoke about how he did it for love. Truth called it a classic romcom. Miz said it’s not about Liv and Dom, it’s about them. Truth said he loves Miz but only as a friend…
[Hour Three] World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest made his entrance to a mediocre reaction. Priest said he seems someone in Seth Rollins that he does not want to become. Priest asked the fans to let him break it down. He said he doesn’t want to stand in the ring and see his successor, who is bigger, stronger, and better. Priest said Rollins is great, but he won’t see the mountaintop again as long as he is champion.
Seth Rollins made his entrance to a big reaction from the crowd. Once in the ring, Rollins hyped up the crowd about the Royal Rumble coming to Indianapolis in 2025. Rollins asked the fans if they believe the “bull crap” coming out of Priest’s mouth. The fans indicated no.
Rollins said he and the fans don’t buy Priest because his words and actions don’t match up. Rollins said Priest claims he doesn’t want help, but he needed help in his title defenses or he would not be champion. Priest said he understands that opinion, but he didn’t ask for anyone’s help and people just got involved.
Rollins said he wasn’t there to run Priest down and said that he has a lot of respect for him. Rollins said he doesn’t appreciate being one-upped. He said Priest did that last week by offering him a title match. Rollins said he respects it and it was a bold move, but now he wanted to one-up Priest by sweetening the pot.
Rollins said they didn’t have to get Adam Pearce again. Rollins said that if Priest wins, he’d get his wish in that Rollins wouldn’t challenge for the title again as long as Priest was champion. Rollins said that if he wins, Priest must leave Judgment Day. Rollins said they could find out if Priest really could walk a mile in his shoes.
Priest laughed and spoke in Spanish briefly, then said he likes it. Priest said he is the champion and that means Judgment Day needs him a whole lot more than he needs them. Priest accepted the challenge and then he and Rollins shook on it.
Gunther made his entrance and joined Priest and Rollins inside the ring. Gunther said he respected their gentlemen’s agreement. Gunther wished both men good luck and said he couldn’t wait to see their match. Gunther said may the better man win. He then said that the better man out of Priest and Rollins would be the lesser man when that person steps in the ring with him at SummerSlam…
Powell’s POV: The stipulation is very creative. My guess is that Priest is retaining and therefore Rollins won’t have to wait long for a title match, because I’ll be surprised if Gunther doesn’t leave SummerSlam as champion.
Cole sat alone at his desk and hyped Karrion Kross vs. Kofi Kingston as coming up. Cole recalled “that thing” handing him the VHS tape. Cole said the production truck was able to track down a VHS machine, so they could show what was on the videotape…
The videotape’s footage aired. Uncle Howdy spoke to someone with a distorted voice and asked if you are happy and whether you have been lost since the loss. Howdy asked the person if they feel forgotten or remember who they are.
Bo Dallas sat across from Howdy and said, “I am nobody.” Howdy responded, “There you are” and asked how it felt when his brother died. Dallas said he felt like the most important thing in his life was taken away from him and like nothing would ever matter again.
Howdy asked Dallas if he was exploiting his brother’s legacy. Dallas said all he ever wanted was to be like his brother. Dallas said he looked up to him and wanted to be him. Dallas said he worked his entire life for the opportunity. He said they finally made it and they had it and then it was taken away from him.
Dallas said no one on the earth feels more hurt by his loss, nor feels what he feels. Dallas asked what he was supposed to do. He asked if he should let everyone forget what he fought for and what he believed in. Dallas said they wanted to forget, but “we made them all remember.” Howdy responded, “Yes, we did.” Howdy and Dallas were shown seated across from one another at the conclusion of the tape… [C]
Powell’s POV: Very compelling and no sign of hocus pocus.
A shot aired of downtown Toronto while Cole hyped tickets being available for Money in the Bank weekend events…
Kofi Kingston made his entrance with Xavier Woods, who did not accompany Kingston to the ring. Karrion Kross made his entrance with Scarlett, Paul Ellering, Akam, and Rezar, but he also headed to the ring alone…
5. Karrion Kross vs. Kofi Kingston. Kingston sent Kross to ringside and dove onto him. Back inside the ring, Kross executed a backbreaker and a Death Valley Driver for a near fall heading into break during the opening minute of the match. [C]
Kingston took offensive control when Paul Ellering appeared on the big screen and asked Kingston if it was really worth it. AOP beat up Woods behind Ellering. In the ring, Kross hit a distracted Kingston with The Final Prayer and pinned him…
Karrion Kross defeated Kofi Kingston in 5:50.
Powell’s POV: I think everyone other than the Kingston and Woods characters saw that one coming.
Cole said they would show footage of Jacob Fatu’s debut on Smackdown coming out of the break… [C] Cole plugged Smackdown for MSG and then the footage aired from Jacob Fatu’s arrival at the end of last week’s show…
Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, and Kevin Owens vs. The Bloodline in a six-man tag match was announced for Money in the Bank…
Powell’s POV: The match graphic showed all four Bloodline wrestlers along with Paul Heyman, so it was not made clear which three wrestlers will represent the faction in the six-man tag match. By the way, Cole is doing a great job of calling the show alone. Joey Styles would be proud.
The following matches were announced for next week’s Raw in Boston: Sheamus vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Ilja Dragunov in a Triple Threat qualifier for the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match, Zoey Stark vs. Dakota Kai vs. Ivy Nile in a Triple Threat qualifier for the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match, Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio, and Liv Morgan vs. Zelina Vega for the Women’s World Championship…
Finn Balor and JD McDonagh made their entrance for the tag team title match… [C] Awesome Truth made their rapping entrance. Cole said Miz added more to the song than he did on commentary earlier. Funny…
6. “Awesome Truth” The Miz and R-Truth vs. Finn Balor and JD McDonagh for the World Tag Team Titles. The champions cleared the challengers from the ring. Liv Morgan walked out wearing her title belt and smiled at Balor. [C]
The champions took offensive control, which led to Dominik Mysterio and Carlito walking to ringside. Dom distracted Miz, who was rolled up by McDonagh for a two count. Miz came back with a Skull Crushing Finale and had McDonagh pinned, but Carlito put McDonagh’s foot over the bottom rope. “Now that’s not cool,” Cole said.
Braun Strowman ran out and chased Dom and Carlito away from ringside. Balor and Truth tagged in, which led to Truth hitting John Cena moves. Truth put Balor in the STF until McDonagh broke it up. Miz jumped from the top rope and was dropkicked (it missed) by McDonagh.
Truth got both challengers on the mat and then played to the crowd before doing the “you can’t see me” bit and performing what Cole referred to as a Ten Knuckle Shuffle.
Morgan climbed onto the apron and hugged Truth. Morgan’s facial expression changed and then she clotheslined Truth over the top rope. Balor hit Truth with a shotgun dropkick and the Coup de Grace before pinning him…
Finn Balor and JD McDonagh defeated The Miz and R-Truth in 11:50 to win the World Tag Team Titles.
Cole said it will be hard for Judgment Day to ignore Morgan now. Cole recapped highlights from the match and then the new champions celebrated on the stage. Liv Morgan ran up behind them and joined the celebration. Balor shrugged his shoulders. Cole asked if Morgan was becoming Judgment Day’s version of Yoko Ono…
Powell’s POV: I’ve never heard Liv sing, but I’ll bet she sounds better than Yoko Ono. Anyway, I wanted AOP to take the tag titles from the comedy team when they met on Raw a couple weeks ago, and I’m cool with Balor and McDonagh winning, especially with help from Morgan.
Since it created some confusion in our comment section, I’ll address what I meant when I wrote that there was no hocus pocus in the Uncle Howdy/Bo Dallas video. If we’re supposed to believe that Howdy and Bo are the same person and we’re supposed to believe they had a real conversation, then that would definitely be hocus pocus. But you can also view it as the Dallas character performing a production trick. That type of plausible deniability is the key, as I want the Wyatt Sicks to play by the same rules as everyone else in the WWE storyline universe.
Overall, this was another strong edition of Raw. WWE is really firing on all cylinders creatively right now. I will be back later tonight with my weekly same night audio review for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Let me know what you thought of Raw by grading the show below.
They just showed Alexa Bliss on the truck.
Funny that there was a Larry chant,but no AJ chant.
Kaiser blew it calling Breaker “Strowman” and then he caught himself. Funny
“Durpi said she was sorry about what happened to Gable.”
Durpi is the perfect name for her.
I had to correct it, but I like it.
The attack on McAfee is on the videotape
i liked the person with the sign that siad “WWE Camera Men are the Best!” Well played, Indy
“Very compelling and no sign of hocus pocus.”
Bo Dallas is Uncle Howdy and they were talking to each other. That’s as blatant as hocus pocus gets.
Or you can view it as a a production trick rather than something we’re supposed to believe was actually happening.
Hey Jason, I don’t know about you but *I* talk with my alter-ego all the time…
Hey Leknifrag, I don’t know about you but *I* talk with my alter-ego all the time…
They left a gigantic crime scene last week, with one person looking like they had been shot through the head complete with blood splatter, and now they’ve had a guy talk to himself. They’re also magically controlling the lights, making the ring fog up, etc.
This isn’t a stale era of WWE where they have to try something crazy, it’s a rehash of the worst version of Bray Wyatt’s creativity, just without the one person who was actually compelling enough to be on TV.
It’s been one week. Give it a chance. You talk about the worst version of Bray’s creativity maybe it was hampered by the Vince regime. It’s a whole new ballgame creative wise in WWE Zander maybe Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks are closer to Bray’s vision and what he wanted it to be. Give it time to breathe
So far I can rationalize the lights and the production gimmick of Howdy/Bo in my own mind – they have someone helping them in production. There are holes. Why wasn’t Nikki arrested the moment she appeared on the screen? But the other things I mentioned can still be explained away in a logical manner. Whether they actually take the time to do that remains to be seen. Do I have faith they will? No, but there will be plenty of time to bitch if they don’t. As a viewer, you can hate on it all you want. But this isn’t Vince’s creative nor Bray’s creative. As someone covering the show, I feel like the current creative team has done strong enough work to earn the benefit of the doubt. I’m just taking it week by week, but my guard is definitely up when it comes to the possibility of this being hocus pocus nonsense.
I know that Jason (and many others) will be pleased that the tag belts are off of a stale Awesome Truth. (And still kudos to Miz for stepping up his slightly more engaging babyface offense.)
I will say that in getting the straps off of them, it’s serving a greater purpose. This is now a part of the Liv Morgan Revenge Tour, as she is about to take Judgment Day away from Rhea completely.
It was a nice gold watch moment for Truth to win the titles and it made Miz feel relevant. But I am happy that it’s over. There’s a place for both of those guys on the roster. I just want a strong tag team division and that wasn’t going to happen with comedy guys as long term champions.
I hope Rocco is the final member of the wyatt faction.
Did any Black performer win tonight, singles or tag?
What a horrible time to be a Black wrestler on either main roster in the WWE. If you’re the only one on a PLE, you’re destined to lose (even a title match). If you have a title, you won’t have it long, and you’ll essentially be erased from storylines involving that title immediately after losing it. Add to this the fact that the last several months of booking suggest that there is apparently no Black competitor on the roster worthy of WWE, World, Intercontinental, or U.S. title consideration, let alone a match or push towards any of the aforementioned (and yes, I know Carmelo Hayes is in the MITB match, but the odds are far more likely that he’s there for spots and teases than a legitimate effort or beginning of a title push). Feel free to attack me for the post, but please do the research before doing so, and tell me why I’m way out of line here.
Bianca and Jade held the tag belts until a week ago, and they are both definitely top-title contenders. Let them cook, they’re building toward a feud that will indeed have titles on the line soon enough.
Are you lashing out now because Truth lost the belt? Because many would say he and Miz held it too long as transitional champs. At least when they pulled it it was in the service of a better story.
Whom exactly would you like to see pushed right now? And for which belt?
I don’t watch though that lens, but since you mentioned it… within the last month the company had Bianca and Jade as strong tag team champions and Truth as a tag team champion. While Truth will slide back into mid-card comedy, I’ll be shocked if Bianca and Jade are not featured as top talent in the women’s division for years to come.
I also think it’s important to look at the big picture and include all groups. They have a Hispanic world champion in Damian Priest, a Muslim man Sami Zayn holds the Intercontinental Title, and their top faction consists of Polynesian men (just as most of the previous version of the group did).
And then there’s NXT where Trick Williams holds the NXT Title, Roxanne Perez holds the NXT Women’s Title, Oba Femi holds the NA Title, and Kelani Jordan holds the NA Women’s Title, and a Hispanic man (Axiom) holds one of the tag team titles.
Well said, Powell-a-mino. Not to mention Jevon Evans getting quite a push for his age.
I heard that mic drop.
Thanks, but it really wasn’t intended to be a mic drop moment. SLW4836 shared their perspective. I was just responding my own.
You’re out of line because you’re only trying to push for a single minority when the company is absolutely stacked with minority talent.
I must say seeing R-Truth and The Miz in the main event in 2024 is flabbergasting.
Loved the Dallas-Howdy stuff. We see that kind of stuff in non-sci fi/fantasy movies all the time. I think being artistic like that with character exploration is great. I just hope it doesn’t get to be like the Bray-Orton match/feud.
This HHH era has been amazing so far. Apparently it’s passed old ass Jay Powell by. Good lord you are out of touch. Your coverage and commentary are embarrassing lol. This business has passed you by. Find a new hobby. It’s getting sad bro.
lol is this Jason’s version of Vic Venom?
Why are you mentioning the head of the US Federal Reserve on a Raw review?
I was surprised the Wyatts weren’t the lead in on Smackdown, just to acknowledge something awful happened on Raw, and we will follow it up tonight…
It was odd to have Raw end in a crime scene and Smackdown open without gravitas. Dropped the storytelling ball.
Piper interviewed himself on Piper’s Pit.
The Wyatts do feel grounded. Charscters out of Rob Zombie movie come to cause havok.
The fog, etc., is suspension of disbelief to be entertaining. Same as when a good guy is getting beat down, and John Cena’s music suddenly plays as he makes the save.