By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Raw (Episode 1,635)
Ontario, California at Toyota Arena
Aired live September 23, 2024 on USA Network
[Hour One] A shot aired of fans waiting in line at a merch stand while Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett checked in on commentary. Separate shots aired of Bron Breakker, Jey Uso, and Drew McIntyre arriving at the building or walking backstage. Footage aired of Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan arriving in a lowrider.
As Dom and Liv were walking through an open garage door, Braun Strowman tackled Bronson Reed and they crashed into a merchandise stand that was set up in the backstage area for reasons that only make sense to WWE officials.
Dom and Liv walked past the carnage while producers and others tried to get between Strowman and Reed. Dom and Liv headed to the ring for a promo segment. Morgan heeled on the fans and said her revenge tour is going according to plan. She set up a video package that showed Judgment Day attacking Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley on last week’s Raw.
Morgan recalled promising to take everything from Ripley and said that’s exactly what she did. Morgan boasted that the Women’s World Championship, The Judgment Day, and “the most gorgeous man in the whole entire world” are now hers.
Rhea Ripley’s entrance music played and she walked out to a big ovation with a mic in her hand. Ripley said she wouldn’t hit Morgan. A “Mami” chant broke out as Ripley entered the ring. “Shut up,” Morgan shrieked.
Dom stepped in front of Morgan. Ripley laughed and said look who found his cajones. Ripley barked at Dom to get out of her face. Morgan said Dom may have stayed with Ripley if she cared half as much about him as she does Damian Priest.
Morgan brought up Ripley’s knee injury. Morgan said she would beat Ripley at Bad Blood because she’s smarter than her. Morgan asked Ripley to let them know what was so important.
Ripley announced that she is fully cleared medically. She also announced that Dominik Mysterio will be “behind bars” at Bad Blood. Ripley announced that Dom will be hanging in a shark cage when she challenges Morgan for the Women’s World Championship at Bad Blood.
Ripley got in Morgan’s face and said she would win back the title she never lost. Ripley added that she took back what she said before. Morgan wondered what she was talking about and then Ripley dropped her with a headbutt…
Tessitore and Barrett spoke about Dom being in a shark cage at Bad Blood, then turned the focus to Sami Zayn’s issues with Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser while highlights aired from last week. Zayn made his entrance for his match against Kaiser heading into the first commercial break… [C]
Powell’s POV: Ripley continues to be mega over while both heels had good heat. The announcement of Dom being in a shark cage left me suspecting that Morgan will retain her title since heels often win when the shark cage gimmick is used. That said, the current creative team has shown that they are aware of fan perceptions about things like this and often book the opposite of what fans are expecting.
Tessitore plugged a WWE “lucha lowrider” toy. Yes, really… Ludwig Kaiser made his entrance and was introduced by ring announcer Samantha Irvin…
1. Sami Zayn vs. Ludwig Kaiser. The match spilled over to ringside. Kaiser ran Zayn into the ring post and then ran him into the ring steps before rolling him back inside the ring. Zayn battled back and sent Kaiser to ringside.
Zayn tried to whip Kaiser toward the barricade, but Kaiser reversed the whip. Sami hopped onto the barricade and then Kaiser shoved him onto an office chair inside the timekeepers area. [C]
Kaiser ran Zayn into the ring steps and then spat at him. Kaiser got a running star and then dropkicked Zayn against the steps. Zayn beat the referee’s count at the last moment. Zayn went for a Blue Thunder Bomb, but Kaiser gouged his eyes and then rolled him up and used the ropes for leverage, but the referee caught him.
Zayn took advantage of the distraction and performed an exploder suplex. Zayn went for his finisher, but Kaiser caught him with a leaping enzuigiri and got a good near fall. Kaiser showed frustration and disbelief over not getting the pin. Kaiser set up Zayn for a move, but Zayn countered into a suplex and then hit the Helluva Kick and got the three count.
Sami Zayn defeated Ludwig Kaiser in 12:20.
World Heavyweight Champion Gunther made his entrance and ended up on the apron. Gunther said Zayn has been asking for a title shot. Gunther teased doing the match or at least announcing it, and then told Zayn no. Gunther laughed at dropped off the apron.
Powell’s POV: A strong opening match with Zayn showing great heart for surviving. Barrett did a nice job on commentary of putting over Kaiser by saying that he would have beaten 90 percent of the roster with that performance. For whatever it’s worth, Gunther was dressed in his ring gear.
The broadcast team and recapped highlights last week’s drama involving Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods…
Backstage, Kingston approached Woods and they quickly made peace. Kingston brought up New Day’s ten-year anniversary and showed off a trombone and boxes of Booty O’s. Woods said those things were great when they were on top, but they need to be more serious. Kingston agreed enthusiastically said Woods should call the shots for the next two weeks.
“American Made” Chad Gable, Julius Creed, Brutus Creed, and Ivy Nile showed up. The two sides set up a match for later in the show. After American Made left, a man showed up with a plate of pancakes, but Kingston gave him the cut sign before Woods spotted him… [C]
The broadcast team spoke at ringside and set up a lengthy video package on the Bron Breakker vs. Jey Uso match for the Intercontinental Title…
Powell’s POV: Good video package. That’s how you make a match feel important.
Backstage, Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio complained to Adam Pearce about the shark cage stipulation. Pearce said Dom has interfered in every Women’s World Championship match and his decision is final. Carlito and JD McDonagh showed up after Pearce walked away. Morgan told them they need to send The LWO a message.
Dom, Carlito, and McDonagh walked away and encountered Ilja Dragunov. McDonagh threatened Dragunov, who said Finn Balor wasn’t there, which meant McDonagh would do nothing. McDonagh said Carlito had a match, but he would see him around…
Dragon Lee made his entrance with Zelina Vega, Joaquin Wilde, and Cruz Del Toro. Tessitore hyped Lee vs. Carlito for after the break… [C] Carlito made his entrance with Dom and McDonagh…
2. Dragon Lee (w/Zelina Vega, Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro) vs. Carlito (w/Dominik Mysterio, JD McDonagh). The bell rang and Lee immediately dropkicked Carlito to ringside and then hit him with a suicide dive. Back in the ring, Dom caught Lee with a clothesline.
Lee regained offensive control and went to the ropes, but he stopped down due to a distraction by McDonagh. Wilde and Del Toro approached McDonagh. Dom hit Wilde from behind and then McDonagh ran Del Toro into the ring post.
Rey Mysterio showed up and dove from the barricade onto Dom. Lee rolled up a distracted Carlito for a two count. Moments later, Lee hit his finisher on Carlito and pinned him clean…
Dragon Lee defeated Carlito in roughly 2:30.
The Miz was warming up backstage when he was approached by Karrion Kross. Miz said he didn’t have time because he was preparing for Bronson Reed. Kross told Miz that he wants him to be the guy who doesn’t care what anyone thinks and will do whatever it takes to win. Kross told Miz that monsters come in all different shapes and sizes. “Yes, they do,” Miz said before walking away. Kross smirked and repeated the same line… [C]
[Hour Two] Tessitore hyped WrestleMania tickets going on sale on Friday and also plugged pre-sale info… A group of Netflix workers were shown applauding in the front row…
Sheamus was interviewed by Cathy Kelley in the backstage area. Sheamus got the crowd to chant “call him Butch” regarding Pete Dunne. Sheamus said he has a score to settle with Dunne. He said he didn’t want to make it an English/Irish thing, then he said they should make it an English/Irish thing and referred to Dunne as Butch…
The Miz made his entrance followed by Bronson Reed. Once Reed arrived at ringside, Braun Strowman jumped off the ringside barricade and attacked him. Strowman slammed Reed on the apron. Miz confronted Strowman and then Reed dove onto both men.
Reed went up top for his finisher, but a bunch of security guards ran out. Reed tossed one security guard to the mat and then threw another on top of the first security guard. Reed hit the Tsunami on both men.
Strowman fought off security guards. Reed and Strowman looked at one another, and then another wave of security ran out and were cleared. Reed and Strowman charged and hit each other with simultaneous clotheslines.
Security mobbed Strowman, who fought them off and then caught Reed on the ropes. Strowman set up for a superplex, but security pulled him down. Strowman broke free and dropkicked Reed out of the ring. Strowman roughed up more security guards.
Strowman went up top with the idea of diving on Reed, who was being held by security. Reed backed up and then he and Strowman jawed at one another… [C]
Powell’s POV: Dammit, this was going to be Miz’s night, I just know it. Okay, fine, good angle. The live crowds are really into the big men battling. This angle led to a lot of independent wrestlers getting paid for playing security guards.
An ad aired for Saturday Night’s Main Event returning to NBC on December 14 and plugged tickets for the Long Island event…
Former NFL player Mark “Butt Fumble” Sanchez and the great Tool guitarist Adam Jones were shown seated separately in the crowd…
Drew McIntyre made his entrance and delivered an in-ring promo. McIntyre recalled CM Punk vowing to make him bleed and saying that McIntyre would have to kill him. McIntyre said he’s been thinking about what Punk said and the look in his eyes. McIntyre said Punk meant every word.
McIntyre said Punk is ready to sacrifice it all and so is he. Dimwit fans yelled “what?” McIntyre said he’s been in Hell in a Cell matches and it broke things in him that have not been fixed to this day.
McIntyre recalled Punk saying that his sister and wife begged him not to do the match. McIntyre said his own family did the same because they know it’s gone too far. McIntyre said his wife begged him for months to get away from Punk because she can see what it’s done to him mentally. A “CM Punk” chant broke out.
McIntyre said it doesn’t matter what the fans, the families, or even he and Punk think. McIntyre said the match will happen at Bad Blood and he has some promises of his own. McIntyre promised that he will make Punk bleed a lot. He said he will make him suffer and feel more pain than he’s ever felt.
McIntyre said it’s appropriate that Punk compared himself to the devil because it’s always been good versus evil. McIntyre said Punk compares himself to a God-like figure, but he’s just a man that he will break permanently inside Hell in a Cell…
Powell’s POV: McIntyre matched the dark and serious tone that Punk used last week while echoing his points.
Backstage, Jackie Redmond asked Adam Pearce how he planned to handle things between Bronson Reed and Braun Strowman. Pearce said a regular match won’t settle things. Pearce booked Reed vs. Strowman in a “Last Monster Standing” match.
Pearce ran away once he heard some commotion and he found Pete Dunne slamming a cricket bat over the back of Sheamus. Dunne was pulled way while Pearce checked on Sheamus… [C]
An ad for Friday’s Smackdown questioned whether Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes can remain united as Solo Sikoa returns…
Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn made their entrance…
Backstage, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill confronted Iyo Sky and Kairi Sane. Sky said they were coming for the tag titles. Cargill said they won’t even touch the titles. Belair said Sky and Sane should focus on Fyre and Dawn because they’ve had their number…
3. Iyo Sky and Kairi Sane vs. Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn. Tessitore hyped the Intercontinental Title match for later in the show. Sane got the better of Sane until Fyre distracted her. Fyre hit Sane with a suicide dive. [C]
Sane was isolated by the heels until she made a hot tag to Sky, who worked over both opponents. Sky played to the crowd and was cheered before she hit a springboard dropkick on both opponents. Sky hit double knees on Fyre and got a two count.
Dawn hit Sky with a punch from the floor that led to a near fall. Sane went up top and hit an Insane Elbow on Fyre on the floor, and then Sky hit the Over The Moonsault on Dawn and pinned her…
Iyo Sky and Kairi Sane beat Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn in 9:45.
Powell’s POV: Sky really played to the crowd and was doing a lot of flashy handsprings and other moves. The fans were receptive and got behind the Damage CTRL duo.
Intercontinental Champion Bron Breakker was interviewed by Cathy Kelley, who asked him what would it take to stop Jey Uso’s relentless pursuit of the title. Breakker did his dog call and the fans were receptive.
Breakker said there would be a winner and a loser. Breakker said someone would get his ass kicked and it would not be him. Breakker said he might give Jey another shot at the belt a couple months down the road after he works his way back up the ladder because he intends to be champion for a long time…
Tessitore hyped a replay of the Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes video from Smackdown… A burning symbol appeared on the screen… [C]
Tessitore touted that it was the 59th sellout of the year for WWE. They focused on fan signs briefly…. The Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes video from Smackdown was replayed and then the broadcast team hyped their match against Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu for Bad Blood…
Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods made their entrance for a match against the Creed Brothers… [C] An ad aired for NXT’s premiere on The CW a week from Tuesday… Tessitore hyped CM Punk appearing on the NXT premiere in Chicago…
Jey Uso was warming up backstage when Sami Zayn approached him. Zayn said the Intercontinental Title meant the world to him. Zayn told Jey to make the title his. Jey thanked him… American Made made their entrance…
4. Julius Creed and Brutus Creed (w/Chad Gable, Ivy Nile) vs. “New Day” Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods. Woods and Kingston got the better of Julius during the first two minutes.
[Hour Three] Kingston getting a two count. The Creeds battled back and isolated Kingston. Both teams were down heading into a break. [C] A weary Woods tagged out, but Gable distracted the referee from seeing it. The Creeds continued to isolate Woods until he headbutted Brutus off the ropes and then hit him with a missile dropkick.
Kingston took a hot tag and got both Creeds down at ringside. Woods went up top and performed the Trust fall dive onto both opponents. Kingston rolled Julius back inside the ring and hit him with a crossbody block for a near fall.
Kingston hit Trouble In Paradise on Julius, tagged out, and then dove onto Brutus on the floor. Woods went up top. Gable climbed on the apron and distracted him. Woods pulled Gable inside the ring and attacked him.
Julius hit Woods with a knee strike and then avoided a diving Kingston. Julius hit Kingston with a shoulder block. Brutus tagged in and hit the Brutus Ball and then pinned Woods…
Julius Creed and Brutus Creed defeated “New Day” Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods in 15:15.
Powell’s POV: The crowd got behind New Day, which led to Gable getting good heat when he distracted them. Woods taking the loss was logical as they continue to tell the story of his frustrations.
A Damian Priest video promo aired. He recalled using the saying “Am I my brother’s keeper?” when he was younger. He spoke about how life brought him to The Judgment Day and said it was a crew that became a family.
Priest said that family gave him a brother in Finn Balor. He recalled how they spoke about running WWE and did so. Priest said Balor always wanted it to be about himself. Priest said Balor had a face of envy when Rhea Ripley became a world champion.
Priest said no one acted happier on-camera when he won the world championship, but he was the first person out the door with a face of envy when the cameras were off. Priest asked if he is his brother’s keeper. Priest said he is and always will be, but Balor is not his brother. Priest closed by speaking briefly in Spanish…
Tessitore hyped the Intercontinental Title match and told fans to get ready to Yeet once they return… A Wyatt Sicks video aired and had another QR code… [C] Tessitore hyped Saturday Night’s Main Event tickets…
A Pure Fusion Collective video promo aired. Sonya Deville spoke about how other teams put on spicy outfits and do stupid dances. Shayna Baszler said they fight for dominance. Zoey Stark said they are the foundation and the future of the women’s division. Deville closed by saying if you want to step up, shoot your shot…
Powell’s POV: A first-time viewer might think PFC are a force, but as someone who watches the show weekly it’s tough to take them seriously when they just trade wins and losses with the other mid-card women.
Backstage, Rey Mysterio was accompanied by the rest of The LWO and he tried to apologize to Xavier Woods, who wasn’t having it. Rey told Woods to take it up with Kingston because he had to worry about facing Finn Balor next week.
Woods said Rey had time for Balor but not for him because he’s not a former world champion. Kingston said Rey didn’t mean it like that. Woods blew up. Rey said Balor can wait, he’ll face Woods next week. After the LWO left, Woods continued to throw a fit to Kingston…
Jey Uso was shown walking through the concourse while fans cheered him on. Jey called for his music to play and then made his entrance through the crowd… [C] An ad aired for WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas…
A Bronson Reed vs. Braun Strowman video package aired that made them look like Godzilla and King Kong walking down a city street…
Powell’s POV: That was a fun and unique way to promote the next week’s battle of the big men. It’s cool to see them do that for a television match.
The broadcast team listed the following matches for next week’s Raw in Evansville, Indiana: Bronson Reed vs. Braun Strowman in a Last Monster Standing match, Kofi Kingston vs. Chad Gable, and Rey Mysterio vs. Xavier Woods…
Bron Breakker made his entrance…
5. Bron Breakker vs. Jey Uso for the Intercontinental Title. Samantha Irvin delivered the in-ring introductions for the championship match. The match started 21 minutes before the top of the hour. Jey caught Breakker with an uppercut that caused the champion to tumble to ringside. Jey hit a suicide dive heading into an early break. [C]
Breakker took offensive control and both men worked at a slow pace. Jey clotheslined Breakker to ringside and went for a suicide dive, but Breakker caught him with a shot from the floor. Breakker slammed Jey’s head on top of the broadcast table a few times. Breakker went to the apron, jumped off, and bulldogged Jey over the broadcast table. [C]
Jey hit a hip attack in the corner. Jey went up top for his finisher, but he had to roll through when Breakker moved. Breakker scooped up Jey and hit a gutbuster for a near fall. Jey came right back with a popup Samoan Drop for a near fall of his own.
Jey went to the ropes and was cut off by Breakker. Jey headbutted Breakker, who then shot up to the top rope and performed a Frankensteiner for a good near fall. A “this is awesome” chant broke out.
Breakker clotheslined Jey and then Gorilla Press Powerslammed him. Breakker counted along with the referee, but Jey kicked out at the last moment. Moments later, Breakker speared Jey at ringside.
Breakker rolled Jey back inside the ring and then lowered the straps of his own singlet. Breakker ran the ropes and was caught with a spear. Jey went up top and hit the Uso Splash and covered Breakker for the 1-2-NO. Great near fall.
Breakker set up and made a mean face while shaking his head no. Breakker kicked Jey to the floor. Breakker went for a running spear, but Jey caught him with a superkick. Jey waited for Breakker to stand up and then speared him into the timekeepers area.
Jey rolled Breakker back inside the ring and speared him again. Jey went up top and hit the Uso Splash and got the 1-2-3…
Jey Uso defeated Bron Breakker in 20:20 to win the Intercontinental Title.
The fans popped big as both men stayed down and the referee handed the belt to Jey. Uso got to his feet and had his arm raised. Breakker rolled out of the ring. Jey exited via the other side of the ring and then hopped the barricade and celebrated in the crowd while pyro shot off on the stage to close the show…
Powell’s POV: A hot main event complete with a somewhat surprising title change. It’s not a shocker, but I did expect Breakker to escape with the title in a way that would set up a rematch. The fans love Jey, so good for him getting his first singles championship. WWE did a good job of making the main event feel important with the backstage shots of both men arriving, a lengthy video package, backstage segments involving both men, and consistent hype from the broadcast team. They also did a really nice job of making next week’s Last Monster Standing match feel like a big deal with that cool video package.
Overall, a solid show that closed on a high note. I will have a lot more to say about Raw during 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.
Gunther in is gear because he claimed he was facing Zayn tonight which of course isn’t the case.