By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Raw (Episode 1,485)
Louisville, Kentucky at KFC Yum Center
Aired November 8, 2021 on USA Network
[Hour One] Raw opened with a recap of last week’s Big E vs. Kevin Owens main event… Big E and Owens sat on production crates in the backstage area. Owens told Big E that he’s been trying to show that he’s a better man. He claimed he was groggy and couldn’t see when Seth Rollins hit Big E last week. Big E said he had a match and didn’t care. “Well, I do,” Owens said after Big E walked away…
Seth Rollins made his entrance while the broadcast team of Jimmy Smith, Corey Graves, and Byron Saxton checked in. Rollins wore a blue trench coat and brought his WWE title shot contract to the ring with him. Rollins said he would lead Team Raw to victory over Team Smackdown at Survivor Series.
A “you look stupid” chant broke out. “Like you morons in Louisville know anything about fashion,” Rollins replied. He asked who exactly is Kevin Owens. Rollins asked the crowd if they thought Owens was a liar. Rollins said he and Owens came up in the industry together.
Rollins said the one thing you could always count on with Owens was that he would stab you in the back any chance he got. Rollins said Owens is as low as it gets. He called Owens a snake and a coward and said he is a gutless, soulless, liar.
Kevin Owens made his entrance and chased Rollins in and around the ring. Owens tried to powerbomb Rollins on the apron, but Rollins slipped away and then ran to the stage. Rollins laughed. Owens tossed Rollins’ contract on the ground…
Footage aired from last week of Omos costing The Street Profits their match against Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode…
Backstage, Riddle spoke with Randy Orton about forming a super team with The Street Profits. Orton said there’s no reason for them as champions to be picking fights with giants. He recalled telling Riddle not to get involved only to have Riddle try to save The Profits.
“The Street Profits” Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins showed up. Orton told them that if they have a vendetta with Omos then they are on their own. Orton’s music played and then he and Riddle made their entrance…. [C]
Powell’s POV: Wasn’t Orton the guy who was dropping AJ Styles with RKO’s for no good reason, which would surely upset his tag partner Omos? Meanwhile, I like the way they are creating some mystery regarding Orton. I have a feeling we’re getting a Triple Threat, but I’d love to see him turn heel again and even align with Rollins.
1. Randy Orton, Riddle, Montez Ford, Angelo Dawkins vs. AJ Styles, Omos, Dolph Ziggler, and Robert Roode. A graphic listed a five-way match between Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, Queen Zelina, and Carmella for a shot at the Raw Women’s Championship as coming up later in the show. Riddle caught Styles in an armbar. Styles powered him up and they both tumbled over the ropes to the floor. [C]
After some back and forth action, Orton tossed Styles over the top rope and then Omos caught Styles at ringside. Omos set Styles down and climbed onto the apron and jawed at Orton heading into another break. [C]
Omos took a late tag and took out Dawkins and then dumped Ford to the floor. Riddle tagged in despite Orton tried to talk him out of it. Riddle threw a knee to Omos’s head, but then Omos put him down with his tree slam. Orton tried to enter the ring, but Roode and Ziggler pulled him to ringside.
Styles wanted the tag and Omos was going to give it to him, but Ziggler tagged himself into the match. Roode pulled Styles off the apron and shoved him. Omos ran Roode into the ringside barricade. Ziggler finally entered the ring and covered Riddle for the three count.
AJ Styles, Omos, Dolph Ziggler, and Robert Roode defeated Randy Orton, Riddle, Montez Ford, Angelo Dawkins in 22:05.
After the match, Orton hit Ziggler with an RKO. Orton lectured Riddle about going against his advice and spoke about how their goal should be keeping the Raw Tag Titles…
Powell’s POV: I wondered about the decision to put so much talent in an eight-man tag match when Raw is missing some crew members who are on the European tour. But then the match filled a lot of television time by going over twenty minutes.
Backstage, Kevin Owens approached Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio. Owens said he’s looked up to Rey throughout his career and needs to know that he believes that he wasn’t lying to Big E. Rey’s entrance music played and he told Owens that he believes him. Rey and Dom made their entrance. WWE authority figure Adam Pearce was waiting in the ring for them. The broadcast team said they didn’t know what this was all about… [C]
Powell’s POV: Pearce waiting in the ring for Rey and Dom was a good hook to keep viewers heading into a commercial break.
A Veer Mahaan video package aired and listed him as coming soon to Raw…
Ring announcer Mike Rome introduced Pearce, who was inside the ring with Rey and Dom. Pearce spoke about Survivor Series and mentioned that Undertaker, The Shield, and The Rock all debuted at the event. He spoke about the Raw vs. Smackdown element and recalled Team Raw sweeping Team Smackdown last year.
Pearce said he felt like he made a huge mistake after the Team Raw vs. Team Smackdown elimination match was announced over the weekend. He said Dom is the only person on Team Raw who isn’t a former champion. Pearce said Dom was on Team Raw unless he loses his match “against this man.” Pearce walked to the back and then Bobby Lashley made his entrance along with the returning MVP. Smith said the winner of the match would be on Team Raw… [C]
2. Bobby Lashley (w/MVP) vs. Dominik Mysterio (w/Rey Mysterio). Dom went for an early cross body block. Lashley caught Dom, but he slipped away. When Lashley charged, Dom held the ropes down, causing Lashley to tumble to ringside. Dom leapt onto Lashley, who caught him and then swung him into the ring post.
Adam Pearce was shown watching the match on a backstage monitor. Graves said this match stipulation may not be a popular decision, but he understands it wholeheartedly. Back inside the ring, Lashley put Dom in the Hurt Lock, but he released it rather than let Dom tap out. Lashley tossed Dom under the bottom rope to ringside.
[Hour Two] Lashley went to the floor and picked up Dom. Rey pulled Dom off of Lashley’s shoulders. Lashley responded by booting Rey, then picked up Dom and swung him into the ring post again. Lashley tossed Dom back inside the ring and speared him. Lashley applied the Hurt Lock and got the submission win…
Bobby Lashley defeated Dominik Mysterio in 5:10 to take his spot in the Survivor Series elimination match.
Powell’s POV: An entertaining match with Lashley destroying Dom. Graves was good on color commentary. He said Lashley was just “playing with his food” and called for the referee to stop the match because he feared that Lashley wasn’t going to stop mauling Dom. Obviously, this was a strong return for Lashley.
The new graphic listed “Team Raw” Bobby Lashley, Rey Mysterio, Kevin Owens, Finn Balor, and Seth Rollins vs. “Team Smackdown” Drew McIntyre, King Woods, Happy Corbin, Sami Zayn, and Jeff Hardy as the men’s Survivor Series elimination match…
Highlights aired from last week of Big E blowing off Chad Gable’s offer to train him…. Gable and Otis were shown backstage. Seth Rollins joined them. Gable boasted to Rollins about his Full Sail University accomplishments, then said he can confirm that Kevin Owens is a liar like Green Bay Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers (nice). Rollins said he hates that guy. Gable said he was handing out free lessons courtesy of the Alpha Academy…
WWE Champion Big E made his entrance… [C] Chad Gable and Otis made their entrance coming out of the break…
3. WWE Champion Big E vs. Chad Gable (w/Otis) in a non-title match. Big E pulled Gable under the bottom rope and then stood on the floor and threw shots at his chest. Big E followed up with a splash on the apron, then returned to the ring and covered Gable for a two count.
Gable rallied and performed his rolling suplex for a near fall. Gable yelled that it was for the Academy and then put Big E in electric chair position. Big E slipped away and ended up performing a uranage slam. Big E lowered the straps on his singlet and then hit the Big Ending and scored the pin…
WWE Champion Big E defeated Chad Gable in 4:55 in a non-title match.
Powell’s POV: This was fun while it lasted, but you know these two are capable of so much more. While Gable is much better place creatively than he was during his Shorty G days, they still aren’t positioning him as a threat to beat main event players. On a side note, I was mistaken earlier when I mentioned that some Raw wrestlers are on the European tour. I believe it’s just the Smackdown crew at this point. My apologies. I’m still trying to keep these new rosters straight.
Backstage, Kevin Owens asked someone if they believed him. The camera pulled back and showed it was R-Truth, who said he believed him. R-Truth rattled off a list of silly things that he believes in… The broadcast team hyped Owens vs. Rollins for later in the show… An ad for Smackdown hyped Roman Reigns vs. King Woods… [C]
Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville spoke to the female wrestlers in the backstage area. They introduced the Team Raw members and noted that they would compete in the five-way for a shot at the Raw Women’s Championship. Doudrop and Dana Brooke both complained that they weren’t included on Team Raw. Nikki ASH stepped up and expressed her disappointment. Carmella and Queen Zelina mocked ASH, which led to Rhea Ripley defending her partner…
The broadcast team hyped the five-way match and then hyped WrestleMania tickets going on sale. They set up a video package on the last WrestleMania event that was held in the Dallas area and then hyped tickets going on sale on Friday… The broadcast tam also recapped Lashley beating Dom Mysterio to take his place on Team Raw…
Backstage, Kevin Patrick spoke with Rey while Dom was icing his neck. Rey said Dom suffered a neck strain and will be okay. He said everyone is questioning the integrity of Kevin Owens when they should be questioning the integrity of Adam Pearce. He said Pearce could have just put Lashley in the match if he wanted him there. Austin Theory showed up and took a selfie while Rey tended to Dom…
WWE 24/7 Champion Reggie made his entrance… [C]
Powell’s POV: If anyone should be questioning the integrity of the Pearce character, it’s the Smackdown crew. After all, Pearce said he booked the Lashley vs. Dom match because he wants Raw to win the match. I’m not really sure why his character would want that since he oversees both brands. I guess we’ll see if this is part of a bigger storyline or just Survivor Series brand supremacy nonsense.
4. WWE 24/7 Champion Reggie vs. Drake Maverick. Maverick was already in the ring while his whistling entrance music played coming out of the break. Maverick wrestled in jeans and boots, while Reggie wore his usual attire. Reggie ducked some of Maverick’s strikes and then dropkicked him. Reggie removed his jacket and performed another move. R-Truth ran out and was attacked from behind by Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin. Maverick rolled up a distracted Reggie and pinned him.
Drake Maverick beat Reggie in 1:20 to win the WWE 24/7 Champion (it didn’t last).
Akira Tozawa showed up in the ring, rolled up Maverick, and pinned him. Tozawa went to ringside. Corey Graves rolled up Maverick and pinned him to win the title. Byron Saxton rolled up Graves and pinned him to win the title. Maverick rolled up Saxton and pinned him. Maverick returned to the ring where he was pinned by Reggie, who then headed to the back with his title belt while his challengers chased after him. Saxton boasted that it’s Saxton 1, Graves 0…
Powell’s POV: Well, at least they shook up the formula and it wasn’t just the usual Reggie match.
Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch made her entrance and joined the broadcast team on commentary. Footage aired of the women who would compete in the five-way for a title shot… [C] The broadcast team delivered additional hype for WrestleMania tickets going on sale…
Bianca Belair was shown warming up backstage when Doudrop approached her. Belair said she didn’t have time for whatever problem she had with her. Doudrop took issue with Belair losing and getting yet another title opportunity. Doudrop said she was speaking for all the other women. Belair cut her off and said that Doupdrop wasn’t speaking for them, she was speaking for herself. Belair made her entrance…
The remainder of the entrances took place. Carmella and Queen Zelina both had brief pre-taped promos (Carmella touted her own beauty, Zelina did her royalty bit). Once everyone was in the ring, Belair leaned through the ropes and jawed at Lynch. Carmella and Vega shoved her to ringside. All five entrants brawled on the floor before the bell. [C]
5. Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair vs. Liv Morgan vs. Carmella vs. Queen Zelina in a five-way match for a shot at the Raw Women’s Championship. Lynch was on commentary. Carmella wore her weird face mask. Belair and Ripley immediately cleared the ring and teased going at one another, but Carmella and Zelina returned and stopped it.
Belair and Ripley fought them off and then locked up. Neither woman gained an advantage before Carmella and Zelina pulled Belair to the floor and ran her into the barricade. Ripley fought off Carmella and Zelina briefly, then Zelina chop blocked her leg. Carmella and Zelina worked together briefly, but Zelina broke up Carmella’s pin attempt.
[Hour Three] Belair worked over Carmella and Zelina. Morgan returned and put Belair down with a Codebreaker. Carmella performed a clunky facebuster (not sure who was to blame) on Morgan and went for the pin, but Ripley broke it up. Ripley dropkicked Carmella out of the ring. Zelina put Ripley down with a nice tornado DDT that led to a near fall. Lynch said she was very impressed by Zelina. Belair rallied and pressed Zelina over her head and then dropped her onto the other three at ringside. [C]
Belair, Morgan, and Vega set up or what seemed to be a tower of doom spot. Instead, Belair held up Morgan and Vega and walked across the ring before slamming them the mat. Ripley put Belair down with a missile dropkick. Carmella superkicked Ripley and covered her for a two count, then covered each of the other entrants for two counts.
Belair and Ripley squared off again. Ripley escaped a KOD attempt and ended up hitting the Riptide and had the pin, but Morgan broke it up. Ripley headbutted Morgan, who came right back with a huracanrana. Ripley tossed Morgan acorss the ring and went for her finisher, but Morgan escaped and hit her own finisher, but Zelina broke up the pin.
Belair hit the KOD on Zelina and had her beat, but Doudrop showed up and pulled Belair from the ring and then ran her into the ring post. Carmella tried to steal the pin on Zelina, but Morgan rolled Carmella up and pinned her.
Liv Morgan defeated Carmella, Queen Zelina, Bianca Belair, and Rhea Ripley in a five-way in 16:25 to earn a shot at the Raw Women’s Championship.
Afterward, Lynch climbed onto the broadcast table and held up her title belt. Morgan joined her on the table and stared at her. Lynch dropped off the table and held up her belt as she walked away…
Powell’s POV: Good for Morgan. There’s no reason to think that she’ll take the Raw Women’s Championship from Lynch, but it’s nice to see her in the title picture after so many stops and starts. I’m all for the Doudrop heel turn. Hopefully it comes with a name change. I just hope they don’t have her complain more about the opportunities that Belair has received, because it’s very similar to one of the mistakes they made with Drew McIntyre on Raw.
Big E was shown walking backstage when Seth Rollins approached him and said he wasn’t looking for trouble. He told Big E that he shouldn’t believe a word that comes out of Kevin Owens’ mouth. Rollins told Big E that it’s better to trust the devil you know than the devil you don’t. Big E said he doesn’t trust either one of them. He added that he would be at ringside during their match to make sure everything goes smoothly…
The broadcast team hyped the Tribute to the Troops special, which airs after NFL football on Sunday (check local listings because there are different start times)…
Big E made his entrance while the broadcast team hyped his champion vs. champion match with Roman Reigns for Survivor Series. Big E spoke to the broadcast team and said he can’t wait to face Reigns at Survivor Series. Graves hyped Owens vs. Rollins as coming up next… [C]
The Smackdown recap video aired and then the broadcast team hyped WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns vs. King Woods in a non-title match…
Austin Theory made his entrance and took a selfie with Graves. Theory attempted to take another with Big E, who swatted the phone out of his hand…
Seth Rollins made his entrance while next week’s Raw in Indianapolis was hyped. Rollins took the mic and said he had something to get off his chest before he faced Kevin Owens. Rollins recalled saying that Kevin Owens was a liar. Rollins said that was true, but he wasn’t the only one who was lying.
Rollins told Big E that what happened last week was a plan between him and Owens. Rollins said he was coming clean about it because he’s a man of integrity. Kevin Owens’ entrance music played and he headed to the ring and immediately punched Rollins, who ended up at ringside. Owens followed, but Rollins ducked over the barricade to avoid him… [C]
A “This Week In WWE History” video aired and focussed on the Survivor Series. The Montreal Screwjob from 1997 was spotlighted…
6. Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins. The bell rang and both wrestlers threw punches at one another. The fight spilled to ringside where Owens performed a cannonball on Rollins, who was seated next to the barricade. Back inside the ring, Owens double stomped Rollins and then went up top, but Rollins rolled under the ropes.
Owens dropped down from the ropes and kicked Rollins. Owens set up for a move on the apron, but Rollins broke free and went for a suplex, which Owens blocked. Owens tossed Rollins from the apron onto the broadcast table. Owens performed a senton splash from the apron, but Rollins put his knees up. Rollins ran Owens into the broadcast table. [C]
Rollins was in control coming out of the break. He jawed at Big E, who was seated next to the broadcast team, yet was not taking part in the match commentary. Owens eventually came back with a kick and a DDT. Owens tried to hoist up Rollins for a move, but he sold a rib injury. Rollins put him down with a sling blade clothesline. Rollins went for a top rope splash that Owens avoided. Owens went up top and frogsplashed Rollins. Owens sold a rib injury before making the cover for a two count. [C]
Late in the match, Rollins charged at Owens, who was on the floor near Big E, who got up and moved. Rollins and Owens crashed on the floor. Rollins got up and returned to the ring. Owens got up and tried to get back in the ring, but he ran into Big E, which led to Rollins winning via count-out.
Seth Rollins defeated Kevin Owens via count-out in 23:45.
After the match, Owens attacked Big E and gave him a Popup Powerbomb on the ring apron. Owens let out a couple of primal screams and then threw punches at Big E. Several referees and producers ran out to talk Owens down. Owens blew them off and went back to roughing up Big E. “Look in the eyes of Kevin Owens, that is a dangerous, dangerous human being,” Graves said. Owens let out a couple more screams to close the show…
Powell’s POV: Big E’s back was turned when Owens bumped into him, so the idea is that it was Big E accidentally got in Owens’ way, which prevented him from winning the match. Owens snapping afterward was well done. There’s no sign of an alliance between Owens and Rollins yet, so they may be building to a Triple Threat.
Overall, they did a better job again this week of filling the three hours than they were able to prior to the draft. Raw is a deeper brand and the show feels fresh with the new faces, Big E as WWE Champion, and Owens and Rollins both coming after him. I will return shortly with my weekly same night audio review for Dot Net Members. Let me know what you thought of the show by grading it below.
Might as well watch Raw because it is more exciting than the Bears horrible offense.
The amount of times I’ve read “rolled up” so and so for the pin is ridiculous.
If you think that’s bad just wait til Survivor Series