There was a memorial graphic for “Sycho Sid” Sid Eudy. RIP.
Bron Breakker (and a dog), American Made, Braun Strowman and Bronson Reed were shown arriving at the arena.
Corey Graves and Michael Cole are on commentary.
Judgment Day entered to start the show.
Judgment Day entered to start the show. Liv Morgan welcomed us to Raw and told us to rise for Judgment Day. They aired a replay of their attack on Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley. Carlito called it cool and JD McDonagh said it was a long time coming. Finn Bálor said Judgment Day weren’t the bad guys — Priest and Ripley were, and they got what they deserved. Morgan said she and Daddy Dom would beat them in Berlin and prove they were always on top. The crowd loudly booed as Dom tried to speak. Dom announced he was entering the Intercontinental title tournament with Morgan’s support.
Rey Mysterio and LWO (Dragon Lee, Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro) interrupted. Rey called his son a lost soul. At least when he was with Ripley, one of them had a set. Someone had to put Dom in his place. Dom said he already beat Rey and he disappeared for weeks. Rey called his son a jackass and was even more of a jackass now that he was with Morgan. Morgan tried to stick up for Dom so Rey invited Dom to take a swing at him. Rey wanted to knock the mustache off Dom’s face. McDonagh took a swing at Rey but Rey blocked it and LWO cleared the ring. Dragon Lee wiped out Judgment Day with a dive.
Eight-man tag team match: Dominik Mysterio, Carlito & Tag Team Champions Finn Bálor & JD McDonagh (w/Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan) defeated Rey Mysterio, Dragon Lee, Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro (13:26+)
The match was made official and started during a break.
Dragon Lee, Wilde and Del Toro went for dives but Judgment Day escaped up the aisle. They didn’t retreat far enough and Wilde nailed them with his launching springboard dive. Judgment Day were in control anyway after a break.
Rey made the hot tag and ran wild on Dom. Rey hit a sunset flip powerbomb but Judgment Day broke up the cover. Wilde and Del Toro tried simultaneous springboard dropkicks but Wilde slipped and fell. LWO all hit suicide dives moments later which really got the crowd going. Rey hit his son with a 619 but Bálor distracted the referee as Morgan pulled Dom to safety. Rey missed a frog splash as a result and Dom used a la magistral cradle for the pinfall win. So Dom pinned Rey again thanks to Morgan.
— Judgment Day placed Rey on the announce table as Dom set up for a dive but Ripley and Priest ran out (to Ripley’s music) to make the save. Dom was cornered but Morgan saved him. The rest of Judgment Day jumped in which allowed Dom and Liv and Bálor to escape. Ripley gave McDonagh a Rip-tide and Priest gave Carlito a chokeslam.
Jackie Redmond interviewed The Miz who is in the IC title tournament. Redmond noted he was in a rough stretch lately. Miz wanted to right those wrongs. He could win the tournament and tie the record for most IC title reigns.
Bronson Reed interrupted. Reed said he already took out R-Truth and Seth Rollins and now Miz got Braun Strowman involved. He was losing track of everyone he needed to maim. He would maim Strowman tonight and was coming back for Miz.
Kofi Kingston met with Xavier Woods backstage. They had a few slight disagreements (Woods changed his gear from green to black) but agreed they’d been together as long as they had because they were emotionally secure grown men who could talk things out. Now they each had a chance to bring the IC title to the New Day.
Cathy Kelley interviewed Sonya Deville, Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark. They bragged about the damage they did to Zelina Vega, Kayden Carter and Katana Chance. They were all sitting at home thanks to them. Baszler said Iyo Sky and Kairi Sane would join them after tonight.
IYO SKY & Kairi Sane defeated Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark (w/Sonya Deville) (7:32)
Thumbs In The Middle Pointing Up
They went to break 45 seconds into the match after Deville took a cheap shot at Sane (which the director missed). Sane made a comeback after the break but Baszler caught her with a knee strike. Stark followed with a missile dropkick but Sky broke up the cover.
Zelina Vega ran in from the crowd and knocked down Deville. Sky took out Baszler with a moonsault outside the ring while Sane hit Stark with an Insane Elbow for the pinfall win. They popped for the win but the crowd was real quiet for this.
“I stopped to marvel at all our accomplishments. Nearly stepped on a serpent. We won’t make that mistake again. The false prophet continues to reveal himself to the world, masquerading as a loving shepherd while marching his lambs into the mouth of wolves. A bond forged in the tears of the innocent is not a family. It’s blasphemy. Chad — we have given you chance after chance. Inflicting fear and suffering. And yet you refused to remove the scales from your eyes. Your arrogance is like a beast risen from the sea. We must cut off the head so the blood of the damned rains down, washing away the sins of the wicked.
I accept your challenge. Your… invitation. This is more than a reckoning. This is a purge.”
Drew McIntyre and CM Punk segment
McIntyre entered. He used a Punk line to start his promo: “Boy is it great to be alive on a Monday night in Providence, Rhode Island.”
McIntyre said he could keep going because he knew Punk’s whole predictable routine. Punk would go on to talk about his favourite subject: himself. Punk would talk about how hot the company was despite being gone for eight years and having nothing to do with it while the rest of them did the hard work. Punk would then talk about meeting little Timmy who flew 239,000 miles from the moon to meet his lord and saviour CM Punk.
McIntyre sat cross-legged and asked, “Do I have your attention now?” McIntyre said he wasn’t doing a bit, he was telling the truth. Punk was afraid of him. Punk kept attacking him from behind. The only reason he kept doing it was because the fans kept chanting his name. The fans were enablers. Chanting his name was like handing a drink to an alcoholic. Punk would sober up and realize that McIntyre was going to kill him in the strap match.
Every time he whipped Punk would be on the fans and they would have to live with it. The fans have chosen nostalgia over the warrior who was there for them during the darkest times. The 50-cent piece of trash on his wrist caused Punk so much emotional hurt. It’s ironic that the weapon he chose would cause him so much physical hurt.
Punk’s music hit and he attacked McIntyre with the strap — from behind. McIntyre headbutted Punk and clobbered him. Punk planted McIntyre on the announce table with a back body drop and hammered away at him with the strap around his fist.
Security ran out to separate them and McIntyre bailed through the crowd. Punk attacked three guards with the strap and posed on the ropes as he stared at McIntyre.
(McIntyre’s promo was very good.)
There was a Braun Strowman video promo.
IC title tournament triple threat match: Jey Uso defeated Karrion Kross (w/Scarlett) and Kofi Kingston (8:41)
Thumbs In The Middle Pointing Up
Kingston probably took most of the match but Jey picked up what felt like an inevitable win.
Kingston went right after Kross and Jey joined in. Kingston got the better of an exchange with Jey and wiped out both men with a trust dive ahead of a break. Jey was in control after the break but Kross cut him off with a thrust kick. Kingston hit Kross with a flying crossbody for two. Kingston hit Jey with a Trouble in Paradise after Kross ducked. Kross powerbombed Kingston for two. Kross applied a cloverleaf but Kingston reversed into a rollup for two. Kross knocked Kingston out of the ring with a right hand. Jey followed by spearing Kross and hitting an Uso Splash for the pinfall win.
They aired a quick Gunther promo he cut while overseas (in Belgium). He said Randy Orton will finally meet his match in Berlin.
They plugged Smackdown moving to USA Network on September 13th.
Bianca Belair will be on the upcoming season of “Bel-Air.” They aired a clip and it looks awful. All of her lines were in WWE speak which sounds even dumber on a drama series.
Orton said he listened to voices in his head for most of his career but lately, the voices he hears are the fans. It meant the world to him that they sang his song — even if it took them 15 years. He thanked them.
Orton has won a lot of titles in his career. The World Heavyweight Championship meant the most to him because it was the first world title he won and he was the youngest to win it. He unified the two titles they had at the time and was honoured to do so.
The old world title was retired but it was reborn last year while he was at home on his couch recovering from spinal fusion surgery. He didn’t know if he would be able to perform again but knew if he did, he would do everything in his power to make sure his name was engraved in the world title once again. He wanted to create a new legacy. The crowd chanted “You deserve it.”
He knew he would be stepping into enemy territory in Berlin against a living legend (to people in Europe). But Gunther’s head was also shoved so far up his own ass he didn’t realize he was facing the most dangerous wrestler this company has seen in almost 20 years.
Orton signed his first WWE contract at 19 years old and he grew up in front of the fans. He learned from his mistakes and had to earn every ounce of respect that comes with his name. Gunther came into the company as a 30-something-year-old egotistical prick. They might have that last part in common.
The difference between them was that Orton was humbled earlier in his career but Gunther has never been put in his place. Orton planned on doing that in Berlin. This match could’ve just been about the title but Gunther had to make it personal. Gunther was right that Orton had demons but those demons were tougher than Gunther. Orton beat them all just like he would beat Gunther and he would do it with an RKO.
There was a pre-taped promo by Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre. They said Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair got all the attention but that did them no good when the bell rang (at Clash at the Castle). Dawn and Fyre would prove the doubters wrong in Berlin and retain the tag titles.
Bronson Reed vs. Braun Strowman ended in a no-contest or double count-out
This led to an insane conclusion and a spot that will be replayed for years.
Strowman immediately hit a dropkick but Reed knocked him down moments later with a shoulder tackle. Strowman no-sold a chop and hit one of his own. Strowman hit a running crossbody but Reed followed with a flying crossbody. Reed hit a suicide dive which led to a break.
Reed went up for a Tsunami but Strowman slammed him and hit a boot. Reed went to the apron and thumbed Strowman in the eye. Reed started walking to the back but Strowman ran after him and clotheslined him. Reed drove Strowman into the video board and walked through Gorilla into the back.
Reed knew Strowman would come after him so he grabbed a trash can and waited. Sure enough, Strowman walked through the curtain and Reed hit him with the can. Two security guards tried to step between them but Strowman tossed one into an equipment box and chokeslammed the other through a table.
They brawled to the parking lot and Strowman chokeslammed Reed onto the hood of a car. Strowman tackled Reed onto the hood of another car and Reed slid off and landed on the ground. Reed fought off Strowman by hitting him with a pipe.
With Strowman lying on top of the car’s roof, Reed climbed atop a wall that was about 9 feet high. Reed crushed Strowman with a Tsunami on the car and the side windows exploded. The crowd went nuts.
Adam Pearce frantically called for medics as officials checked on the two men.
Medics checked on Strowman after a break. Cole said Reed walked off on his own refusing medical attention.
(The bell never rang when they left the ring so they didn’t announce an official result.)
IC title tournament triple threat match: Pete Dunne defeated Xavier Woods and The Miz (11:03)
Woods wore a “SID” armband. He ran wild on Dunne following a break and Graves let us know Miz has been a non-factor through the break. Woods did a few Claudio Castagnoli spots including running corner uppercuts and a big swing (which didn’t look nearly as good as Claudio’s). Woods was dizzy so Miz hit him with a DDT.
Miz hit Dunne with a Codebreaker, DDT’d both men and hit It Kicks. Miz tried a flying crossbody but Woods caught him and rolled through. Woods hit some sort of gutbuster and powerbombed Dunne onto Miz. Miz hit Woods with a Skull Crushing Finale and Dunne tried to steal the pin but Miz broke it up. Dunne put Miz in a crossface but Woods superkicked both men.
Woods hit a flying elbow drop and had it won but Dunne yanked the referee out of the ring. Dunne booted Woods from the ring and hit Miz with Bitter End for the pinfall win. (The ref was annoyed but couldn’t do anything about it because there were no disqualifications.)
— The winner of this tournament will be determined in a fatal four-way. Uso and Dunne have now qualified.
Redmond interviewed Bron Breakker. Bron warned Jey to keep his name out of his mouth. He said a member of Jey’s family has never beaten a member of his family and Jey wasn’t going to be the one to do it. Bron dismissed the idea of Dunne beating him too. He warned the eventual tournament winner that he was the IC champion and the worst was yet to come.
Chad Gable cut a pre-taped promo alongside American Made. Gable said he wasn’t a false prophet. He wasn’t the one hiding behind a mask asking his family members to do the dirty work while he sat back and watched. Gable would show the world Uncle Howdy was just an ordinary guy and he would tap just like an ordinary guy.
There was a pre-taped promo by Priest and Ripley. Priest said Judgment Day called them the bad guys — and they were right. Ripley said it felt good being bad and the Terror Twins would show no mercy in Berlin. Priest said, “We’re your devils and we’re coming for you.”
Cole spoke about Sycho Sid. He said Sid was one of the first people to greet him when he started in WWE in 1997. Sid was one of the nicest men he ever met and was one of the best big men in sports entertainment.
They aired a very nice tribute video to Sid Eudy.
Uncle Howdy defeated Chad Gable (13:56)
Thumbs In The Middle Pointing Down
Bo Dallas’ last official match was in November 2019 in a six-man match and one of his opponents was “Shorty G” Chad Gable.
Bo Dallas/Uncle Howdy wrestled in a mask and a long grey wig. Howdy “danced” with Gable before knocking him down with a clothesline. Howdy hit a powerslam and chased a frightened Gable from the ring. They went to break one minute into the match as Howdy taunted Gable like Luke Harper.
Gable suplexed Howdy out of the ring and hit a dive off the top. The crowd chanted “You suck” at Gable who ran into a back body drop. Howdy used a running hip attack into the barricade. Uncle Howdy, respecting the rules, slid into the ring to break up the referee’s count.
Howdy chucked Gable over the announce table onto a leather chair. Howdy cleared the announce table but Gable hit him with an Angle Slam onto the table (which didn’t break). Howdy got back in the ring at a nine count.
They went to the top and Gable hit an avalanche t-bone suplex for two. Gable followed with three German suplexes. Gable tried Chaos Theory but Howdy blocked it and hit a uranage for two.
Howdy set up for Sister Abigail but Ivy Nile distracted the ref and that allowed Gable to counter and apply an ankle lock. Howdy countered the ankle lock but Gable fell into the referee as a result. Howdy put Gable in the mandible claw but the Creed Brothers pulled Howdy out of the ring and tossed him into the barricade.
The lights went out momentarily and the Wyatt Sicks entered to take out the Creeds. Howdy avoided a Gable moonsault and hit Sister Abigail for the pinfall win.
“And here is your winner, Uncle Howdy.”
The show ended with Uncle Howdy doing Bray Wyatt’s pose.
(This was probably as good a match as you’ll get out of Uncle Howdy but he won’t be able to wrestle Chad Gable every week.)
Overall: Thumbs In The Middle Pointing Up
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