By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Raw (Episode 1,640)
Hershey, Pennsylvania at Giant Center
Aired live October 28, 2024 on USA Network
[Hour One] A shot aired of the host venue and then of the handlers arriving with the Crown Jewel Championship belt. The Judgment Day’s arrival was shown, and then Seth Rollins was shown exiting an elevator.
Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett checked in from the broadcast table and spoke about Trick Williams retaining the NXT Championship at NXT Halloween Havoc. They set up a video package from last week’s Raw that recapped Bron Breakker beating Jey Uso to win the Intercontinental Championship after interference from The Bloodline…
Footage aired from Smackdown of The Motor City Machine Guns beating Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa to win the WWE Tag Team Titles after Jimmy Uso, Roman Reigns, and Jey Uso showed up to counter the other Bloodline members…
Jey Uso was shown with fans in the concourse and then he made his entrance through the crowd. Jey said he lost his title and had family drama. He said he had to retaliate and cost The Bloodline the tag team titles. Jey said there’s only one person he wanted to speak with and that person knows who he is.
Jimmy Uso made his entrance. Once in the ring, Jimmy thanked Jey for what he did on Smackdown. Jimmy said they need to be together to take down Solo Sikoa’s Bloodline. Jimmy said they’re not the ones. Jey said they’re not the ones either.
Jey said the last time he saw Jimmy was at WrestleMania and they were fighting each other. He said a lot has happened since then. Jey noted that he became Intercontinental Champion on his own. Jey said no titles top being Jimmy’s twin brother.
Jimmy held out his hand, but Jey said they still had to fix things. Jey said they do, they’re nobody’s do-boys, side pieces, or yes-men. Jey said they are grown men and if they do this, they do it together as the Usos. An “Uso” chant broke out.
Jimmy told Jey that Roman Reigns will be at Friday’s Smackdown and invited Jey to talk with him. Jey said he would be there. Jimmy held out his hand again, but then he noticed wrestlers rushing the ring.
Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa attacked the Usos. Solo Sikoa stood at ringside and motioned for Jacob Fatu to get involved, which Fatu did. Tonga and Loa tied up Jimmy in the ropes. Solo slid a chair to Fatu, who put it around the neck of Jey, who was down in a corner of the ring.
Fatu set up for a move, but Jey threw the chair at him. Jimmy got free and then the Usos superkicked their adversaries and cleared them from the ring. Fatu wanted to return, but Sikoa put his arm out to stop him.
Raw general manager Adam Pearce and a group of referees and security guards came out and stood between The Bloodline and the ring heading into a commercial break… [C]
Powell’s POV: It’s hard to go wrong with Jey Uso opening a show because he’s so energetic and the fans are passionately behind him. The big question remains what will lead to Sami Zayn agreeing to join the OG Bloodline in time for WarGames if that’s the direction they are going in.
Additional footage from The Rock and Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins from WrestleMania will be released Friday on YouTube…
Powell’s POV: Just when you think they can’t possibly get anything else out of the WrestleMania night one main event…
Backstage, Adam Pearce yelled at Nick Aldis on the phone. Pearce said he agreed to let Jimmy Uso appear on Raw, but he didn’t agree to The Bloodline appearing. Pearce told Aldis that he needs to control his damn roster and said he would call him back.
The Judgment Day approached Pearce. Dominik Mysterio said he was curious to know which former world champion he will face. Pearce said he didn’t have time for this and told Dom that he will face Damian Priest in the show’s main event. Carlito said that’s not cool. Pearce told them “Happy Monday” and walked away.
Dom said he knows all of Priest’s tricks and will take care of him. Finn Balor said Dom needs to be careful. Dom said he would go out there by himself and would have the rest of the crew remain backstage…
Powell’s POV: Priest was the predictable “former world champion” opponent for Dom.
Ludwig Kaiser was already inside the ring. Sheamus made his entrance and was introduced by ring announcer Lilian Garcia…
1. Sheamus vs. Ludwig Kaiser. Kaiser got Sheamus down and dropkicked him off the apron to the floor. Kaiser ran Sheamus into the ring post casing and then grabbed his arm and pulled him into it twice. Kaiser broke the count and tried to do it a third time, but Sheamus stuffed it and then pulled Kaiser into the casing several times.
Sheamus chopped Kaiser, who tried to return to the ring. Sheamus pulled Kaiser back to the floor and went for a powerbomb, but Kaiser countered into a guillotine. Sheamus drove Kaiser into the ring steps to break the hold. Both men returned to the ring to beat the referee’s count. [C]
Sheamus hit Ten Beats and then went to the ropes and hit a clothesline from the top rope for a two count. Sheamus went to the ropes for White Noise, but Kaiser slipped away and powerbombed him. Kaiser threw a kick at Sheamus and covered him for a two count of his own. In the end, Sheamus caught Kaiser with a knee strike and a Brogue Kick and then pinned him.
Sheamus defeated Ludwig Kaiser in 9:50.
Powell’s POV: Another strong match from Sheamus and Kaiser. Sheamus went over, but it feels like Kaiser is gaining credibility by going toe-to-toe with him in these physical battles.
A Rhea Ripley video promo aired. Ripley said Raquel Rodriguez tried to paint a pretty picture of herself last week. Ripley said Rodriguez betrayed her with malice and ego whereas what she’s done to her and Liv Morgan has been deserved. Ripley conceded she’s make mistakes in the past. She said only cares about regaining the Women’s World Championship and added that Rodriguez and Morgan would have to kill her to stop her…
Backstage, the Usos crossed paths with Sami Zayn, who looked at Jimmy while asking Jey if they could speak alone. Jimmy and Zayn glared at one another, and then Jey asked Jimmy to let him speak with Zayn, and then Jimmy made his exit.
Zayn asked Jey if everything was really cool now after everything Jimmy did to him. He wondered if Jey was really going to speak with Reigns. Jey said he thinks Solo is worse than Roman. Jey told Sami that it sounded like he was on Sikoa’s side.
Zayn said he’s not on anyone’s side. He told Jey that he didn’t have to choose sides and go back. Jey told Zayn that he wouldn’t understand because he’s not family… [C]
Powell’s POV: And so it begins.
An ad for Tuesday’s NXT television show included footage of Bubba Ray Dudley helping Trick Williams, and then focused on the two advertised title matches and Zaria’s in-ring debut… [C] Tessitore hyped Undertaker’s one-man shows in Texas…
World Heavyweight Champion Gunther was featured in a video promo. He spoke about Cody Rhodes and said he’s the golden boy for everyone else, then labeled him a gutless champion. Gunther said Cody drags everyone else into his business, including Randy Orton. Gunther hyped the Smackdown tag team match and then told Cody to ask Orton what it’s like to be choked out by him. Gunther said the same thing would happen to Cody and then called him a secondary champion…
Zelina Vega made her entrance wearing a Puerto Rican flag robe that she showed off on the stage before heading to the ring with Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro. Ivy Nile made her entrance with Julius Creed and Brutus Creed…
2. Zelina Vega (Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro) vs. Ivy Nile (w/Julius Creed, Brutus Creed). Vega slapped Nile to start the match. Nile drove her into the corner and threw a running kick at her. Moments later, Vega hit Nile with a meteora from the apron to the floor. [C]
Nile suplexed Vega and bridged while getting a two count. Vega came back by clipping Nile’s knee from behind and then hit her with a running knee strike. Vega set up for Code Red, but Julius held Nile in place. The Creeds roughed up Wilde and Del Toro at ringside. In the ring, Nile performed a swinging uranage and scored the pin…
Ivy Nile defeated Zelina Vega.
Powell’s POV: I’m surprised they didn’t opt to give Vega a feel good win tonight. Perhaps I shouldn’t be.
Backstage, Jimmy Uso asked Jey Uso how his talk with Sami Zayn went. Jey recalled telling Zayn that he wasn’t family. “Well, he’s not,” Jimmy said. Jey said that Sami stepped up when Jimmy left. Jimmy asked Jey to let him talk to Sami. Jey was worried that something bad would happen, but Jimmy assured him that he would just talk…
Seth Rollins was shown walking backstage while Tessitore hyped his appearance for after the break… [C]
The Crown Jewel schedule listed a countdown event for Friday afternoon, a two-hour countdown show on Saturday morning (um, no), and a post show press conference…
[Hour Two] Seth Rollins made his entrance. Once in the ring, Rollins said Bronson Reed is reminding him of what he is capable of and he kinda likes it.
Bronson Reed interrupted Rollins via the big screen. Reed said he promised Adam Pearce that he wouldn’t cause chaos. Reed said if Rollins wants to hunt a monster, then he was waiting in the parking lot. Barrett said he smelled a trap. Rollins told Reed not to move and then left the ring.
A camera followed Rollins as he headed through the back. Adam Pearce tried to stop Rollins by saying he already had his match, but Rollins blew him off. Reed tossed a security guard aside in the parking lot and then Rollins arrived and fought him.
Reed put Rollins on a production crate set up in front of a semi truck. Rollins swung the truck’s rear door into the head of Reed and then Stomped him on a car. Rollins started delivering a promo into the camera until he noticed Reed had gotten up.
The brawl resumed. Reed threw a trashcan at Rollins, who was standing in the back of the truck. Reed joined him and performed a Death Valley Driver through some tables that were very conveniently placed behind the truck. Pearce and producers checked on both wrestlers. Reed stood up and walked away while Rollins was still down… [C]
Footage aired from after last week’s Raw of The Miz telling Karrion Kross that it wasn’t working out and then wishing him good luck against the Wyatt Sicks. AOP blocked Miz’s path. Kross yelled about Paul Ellering taking a bullet for Miz. Kross said the only ways out were through them or the Wyatts, so he thought they should have a conversation…
R-Truth was shown with Otis, Akira Tozawa, and Maxxine Dupri. Truth said they looked better with the short, ugly guy. Otis assumed he was referring to “Master Gable.” Truth told him he couldn’t say that on TV.
The Miz showed up and apologized to Truth. Dupri told Truth not to listen to Miz, who said Truth shouldn’t listen to Snow White and the Two Dorks. Truth said Miz had a point and then danced with him before dropping him with a slap. “Good luck with the Wyatts,” Truth said. “Y’all gonna die.” Truth called Pete Dunne by the name Butch as he walked past and asked if he’d seen Pete…
Entrances for the Triple Threat tag team match took place…
3. Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee vs. “New Day” Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods vs. “The War Raiders” Erik and Ivar in a Triple Threat for a shot at the World Tag Team Titles. Lee and Kingston worked together briefly when they started the match with Ivar. Things broke down quickly and then Ivar worked them both over. The War Raiders cleared three opponents from the ring and then threw Lee at them. [C]
Mysterio was on the verge of making a hot tag when Woods punched Lee off the apron. There were some boos for Woods, who acted annoyed. Ivar hit Woods with a spin kick. Kingston tagged in and worked over Ivar and Mysterio. Kingston got them down side by side and hit a double Boom Drop. A short time later, Kingston performed a dive onto all four opponents on the floor. [C]
Late in the match, Kingston had Lee set up for a double team move, but Woods dropped from the rope. Woods charged toward Mysterio, who moved, causing Woods to tumble to ringside. Lee got Kingston in position for a 619 and then performed a flip dive onto Woods. Rey set for the 619, but Chad Gable showed up and tripped him. The War Raiders springboard clothesline into a German suplex combo move on Kingston and then Erik pinned him…
“The War Raiders” Erik and Ivar defeated Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee beat “New Day” Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods in 17:50.
Powell’s POV: I could have done without the Gable interference. Why not just put over the badass tag team clean? On the bright side, I did enjoy the latest development between Woods and Kingston.
Tessitore and Barrett spoke at ringside about the Bronson Reed and Seth Rollins brawl. Tessitore said Rollins complained of back pain and was sent to a local emergency room…
Powell’s POV: Are they building up an out for Rollins losing or pulling the match? I lean toward it being an out, but they do have more matches advertised for Crown Jewel than they have on most premium live events these days.
Backstage, The Miz threw a fit to Adam Pearce about not having security. Pearce laughed. Miz asked him what was so funny. Pearce turned him around and The Final Testament (minus Paul Ellering) was waiting. Karrion Kross told Miz to find Bo Dallas and ask why he’s getting involved his business or he would break Miz’s legs…
Damian Priest made his entrance for the main event… [C]
Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks was shown promoting the annual December 26 live event at Madison Square Garden and adding that he will be there…
Backstage, Jimmy Uso looked for Sami Zayn and ended up finding Jey Uso outside the building. Jey asked Jimmy if he spoke with Zayn yet. Jimmy pointed to the parking lot where Zayn was speaking with Solo Sikoa. Jimmy said he told Jey, and added that the two of them and Reigns had to handle things…
Dominik Mysterio walked onto the stage with Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez. Dom headed to the ring alone while the other two went backstage…
4. Damian Priest vs. Dominik Mysterio. Dom attacked Priest from behind and the referee rewarded him for it by calling for the bell (weak). Priest took control quickly. Both men ended up at ringside. Priest scooped up Dom, who slipped away and shoved him into the ring post casing. Dom returned to the ring and then hit Priest with a suicide dive that caused Priest to collide with the broadcast table. [C]
Priest set up for a chokeslam when Dom opted to duck out to ringside. Priest went to the floor and shoved Dom over the broadcast table.
Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez showed up and distracted the referee while JD McDonagh and Carlito attacked Priest and dumped him in the timekeepers area. Priest stood up and threw Carlito in the ring and then worked over McDonagh with a chair.
Priest entered the ring and beat Carlito with the chair until he rolled to ringside. Dom rolled up a distracted Priest and got the three count.
Dominik Mysterio defeated Damian Priest in 13:00.
After the match, Priest grabbed Dom and hit the Razor’s Edge. Priest went to ringside, but then returned to the ring and slammed the chair over Dom’s back repeatedly. Priest left the ring and turned around again.
Priest lowered the straps on his gear before returning to the ring. Priest stood over Dom while the fans chanted “one more time.” Carlito entered the ring to check on Dom. Priest grabbed Carlito and gave him a South of Heaven chokeslam. Priest picked up Dom and gave him the South of Heaven…
Powell’s POV: I honestly didn’t expect to see Dom even steal a pin from Priest. I love it because this means Dom is now in line for a title match. Gunther destroying Dom should be a blast.
Overall, a good episode with interesting developments involving Sami Zayn and The Usos, New Day, and even The Miz and Final Testament. I will be back later tonight with my weekly same night audio review of Raw for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons), who are also listening to my Q&A Show from earlier today. Let me know what you thought of Raw by grading the show below.
Dom is gonna have to deal with a very angry Gunther come Monday, and it will be fantastic