WWE Raw Results
July 24, 2023
Tampa, Florida (Amalie Center)
Commentary: Kevin Patrick and Corey Graves
Results by: Mike Tedesco of Wrestleview.com
“Then. Now. Forever. Together.” The WWE video leads us into the show.
We go live into the Amalie Center to see the Judgment Day standing in the ring. Damian Priest, Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley, and Finn Bálor are in the ring without Dominik Mysterio. Damian Priest shouts for everyone to rise for the Judgment Day. Rhea Ripley says they not only run Monday Night Raw. They run all of WWE. Finn Bálor puts over the “unbeatable” Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley and Señor Money in the Bank Damian Priest. Bálor refers to himself as the next World Heavyweight Champion. Before we get to the man of the moment, Bálor wants to show what he did last week.
Video: Dominik Mysterio defeated Wes Lee for the NXT North American Championship this past Tuesday on NXT, following a lot of help from the Judgment Day.
Ripley says it is her honor to welcome the new NXT North American Champion and the hottest man she knows, her Latino Heat, “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio.
NXT North American Champion “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio comes out to the ring to loud boos from the crowd. Mysterio gets in the ring and embraces the Judgment Day. Mysterio says he is the fighting NXT North American Champion, but the boos drown him out. To showcase his greatness, he has this video package.
Video Package: A video highlights the career and treachery of “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio, the new NXT North American Champion.
The crowd loudly boos that video package. A “You Suck” chant picks up. Mysterio shouts that he is the new NXT North American Champion…
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn interrupt and walk out to the stage to a loud ovation. A “KO” chant picks up. Kevin Owens tells Sami Zayn to correct him if he’s wrong, but they did this last week. The Judgment Day came out and stood in the ring trying to look menacing and scary, they talked for a while, and then the one with the mullet, Dom, tried to talk, and nobody wanted to listen to him. Owens wants to make sure he didn’t dream that. Owens doesn’t like when people don’t learn. Owens shouts that nobody cares what Dominik Mysterio has to say ever. Mysterio is so desperate for people to respect him and tries to convince people that he’s good. If Mysterio wants to help this business, the best thing he can do is shut his mouth forever.
Mysterio shouts that he will not be disrespected because he’s a champion now. The crowd loudly boos. Sami Zayn says Mysterio is right that he’s being disrespected, but that’s only because nobody here respects him. Zayn has an idea for him to win respect. What if Mysterio goes one-on-one with one-half of the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions tonight? What if they did Dominik Mysterio versus Sami Zayn in Tampa tonight? Mysterio asks if he really wants some of Dirty Dom. He can have some. Zayn wants to remind him of one thing. Last week, when they had a match, they made a big stink about how their titles weren’t on the line. If Mysterio is a fighting champion, as he says, he’ll put his title on the line tonight. Ripley accepts for Mysterio.
Later tonight, we’ll have a SummerSlam contract signing with World Heavyweight Champion Seth “Freakin” Rollins and Finn Bálor. Logan Paul will also return to the show to confront Ricochet. Liv Morgan will battle Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley. We’ll also see WWE Intercontinental Champion “The Ring General” Gunther go face-to-face with Drew McIntyre. Cody Rhodes will also address the attack by Brock Lesnar.
Becky Lynch makes her way to the ring. The Man will battle Zoey Stark for an opportunity to face Trish Stratus next.
-Commercial Break-
It’s official: “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio will defend the NXT North American Championship against Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champion Sami Zayn later tonight.
Replays are shown of Zoey Stark defeating Becky Lynch two weeks ago on Raw. Trish Stratus assisted in the victory.
Becky Lynch vs. Zoey Stark w/ Trish Stratus
If Becky Lynch wins, she’ll get another opportunity to face Trish Stratus. If Zoey Stark wins, Becky Lynch will get “Thank you, Trish” tattooed on her chest.
The bell rings, and Lynch quickly sends Stark to the corner and stomps her down. Lynch punches away at her before Stark pushes her off. Lynch hits a running forearm for a one-count. Lynch grabs the arm, but Stark quickly gets out of the ring and stands alongside Trish Stratus, still wearing a face protector. Stark gets on the apron, but Lynch knocks her down. Stark avoids a baseball slide, but Lynch still grabs her and punches her around ringside. Lynch gets her in the ring and puts her on the second rope. Stark punches and kicks her back before hitting a springboard missile dropkick for a two-count. Stark pulls Lynch up to her feet and punches her. Lynch avoids a knee and sidesteps an avalanche. Lynch takes her down for a two-count. Stark goes to the apron to recover and snaps Lynch’s arm off the top rope. Stark pulls her down by the hair and hits a springboard twisting senton for a two-count.
-Commercial Break-
We return from the break to see Lynch sending Stark into the barricade a few times. Lynch gets Stark in the ring and heads to the top rope for a diving leg drop. Lynch picks up a near fall. Stratus clutches her chest in anxiety. Lynch grabs the arm, but Stark whips her off. Lynch holds onto the ropes and boots her back. Lynch puts her on the apron and hits a strike combination. Lynch goes to the second rope, but Stark avoids a dive. Lynch lands on her feet and knocks her off the apron. Lynch hits a diving clothesline. Stark is put in the ring, and the referee checks on her. As the referee is distracted, Stratus head-butts Lynch with her face protector. Stratus gets Lynch in the ring, and Stark hits a big kick. Stark covers, but Lynch kicks out before three!
Lynch counters a Z-360 and hits a Bexploder. Stark avoids an avalanche and kicks her back. Stark heads to the top rope, but Lynch cuts her off. Lynch goes to the second rope and hooks the head for a superplex. Lynch immediately transitions to an armbar. Stark fights it, rolls over, powers her up, and viciously slams The Man down for a near fall. WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus is pacing at ringside. Stark sets Lynch up for a 450 splash, but she lands on her feet when Lynch moves. Stark rolls her up, but Lynch rolls through for a two-count. Lynch immediately applies the Dis-Arm-Her, but she soon releases her to knock Stratus off the apron. Stark rolls Lynch up for a near fall.
Lynch puts Stark on the apron, but Stark knocks her back. Stark goes for a springboard, but Lynch catches her and hits a Manhandle Slam for the win.
Winner by Pinfall: Becky Lynch
An irate Trish Stratus sits at ringside after being knocked off the apron. The realization that she has to face Becky Lynch again slowly sets in, and she begins to shake her head in denial. Lynch smiles and points at the WWE Hall of Famer.
Video: Last week on Raw, Brock Lesnar viciously attacked Cody Rhodes with a chair before accepting his SummerSlam challenge.
“The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes is shown walking backstage. We’ll hear from him next.
-Commercial Break-
The theme song for Raw is “Greatness” by Vo Williams. Vo Williams is shown at ringside.
“The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes addresses Brock Lesnar
“Wrestling has more than one royal family.”
The sound of “Kingdom” is heard, and the crowd happily sings along as “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes makes his way to the ring. Rhodes gets in the ring, and the crowd is loudly buzzing. A “Cody” chant picks up. Rhodes says, “So, Tampa Bay, whatta ya wanna talk about?” Rhodes asks the viewing audience to excuse him for a brief moment as he turns his back to see everyone tonight. Rhodes turns and looks at the crowd and is showered with applause.
We’ve all seen the clip of Brock Lesnar beating him up with a chair in front of his mother. Admittedly, he didn’t have that on his bucket list for 2023, but he’s not surprised. Rhodes is impressed. You’re talking about Brock Lesnar. Lesnar didn’t even have five professional fights and won the UFC Championship. Lesnar never played football and made it to an NFL team. Lesnar could be considered “Mr. SummerSlam.” Surprised? No. Impressed? Yes. However, his mother, Michelle Rhodes, wasn’t impressed. This is the same lady who watched Terry Funk throw fireballs at his father’s face. This same lady drank with Gordon Solie at the Columbia. If anything, his mother knows that Brock Lesnar made a mistake. The mistake wasn’t beating him up in front of his mother. The mistake was Lesnar left Rhodes breathing.
Rhodes takes a breath on the microphone. Rhodes doesn’t want to go to SummerSlam to win the rubber match. Rhodes wants to embarrass Lesnar at SummerSlam. There are a whole bunch of people backstage freaking out that he wants to embarrass Lesnar. They think he’s poking the bear, but he’s slapping the bear in the face and telling him to come get it. A “Cody” chant fires up. Rhodes doesn’t want to beat Lesnar at SummerSlam only because of the positive ramifications on his career or because he made it personal by breaking his arm. Rhodes wants to beat Lesnar at SummerSlam because it’s what he deserves. When he’s old and thinking about his career, he’ll look back on this time and realize it wasn’t pretty, but he’s pinning that final chapter in this story. At SummerSlam, he’ll end this.
Replays are shown from two weeks ago of Ricochet flipping over the top rope and landing on his feet in front of Logan Paul. Ricochet was furious that Logan Paul said he was unprofessional. Ricochet took Paul down with Sliced Bread #2 on the floor.
Jackie Redmond is backstage with Ricochet. She asks about Logan Paul coming to Raw. Ricochet says he’s thrilled that Logan Paul accepted his invitation to Raw tonight. Ricochet doesn’t like that he’s late because he thinks he’s a bigger star. Ricochet says they’ll have some business to settle. Whatever he wants to say to Logan Paul, he’ll say it to his face.
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens come to the ring. Zayn will face Dominik Mysterio for the NXT North American Championship next.
-Commercial Break-
We’ll look at the SummerSlam Rules of Engagement from this past Friday’s SmackDown later tonight.
NXT North American Championship
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champion Sami Zayn w/ Kevin Owens vs. “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio (c) w/ Damian Priest and Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley
The bell rings, and Mysterio quickly hooks a side headlock. Zayn whips him off, drops down, leapfrogs him, and hits an arm drag. Mysterio quickly fights up and pulls on the hair before backing Zayn into the ropes. Zayn reverses a whip, but Mysterio holds the ropes. Zayn clotheslines Mysterio over the top rope and hits a somersault senton.
-Commercial Break-
We return from the break to see Zayn punching Mysterio down in the corner. Zayn starts up the ten punches and hits them all. Moments ago, Ripley punched Zayn in the face as the referee was distracted. Zayn goes to the top rope. Ripley gets on the apron to distract the referee. Damian Priest pops up and slams Zayn off the top rope. Kevin Owens immediately gets on the apron and punches Priest away. The referee sees Owens on the apron and ejects him from ringside. Owens is furious, but the referee then ejects Priest and Ripley from ringside too!
Mysterio is furious and turns into a Michinoku Driver from Zayn. Zayn covers for a near fall. Zayn sets up for a Helluva Kick, but Mysterio moves. Mysterio snaps Zayn off the top rope and dropkicks him into the middle rope. Mysterio goes for a 619, but Zayn gets up and turns him inside out with a clothesline for a near fall. Zayn sets Mysterio up and goes to the top rope, but Mysterio gets up and punches him. Mysterio goes to the top rope and tries for a superplex, but Zayn knocks him down. Mysterio takes a cheesy bump to the canvas. Zayn leaps, but Mysterio dropkicks him out of midair for a two-count.
Mysterio mounts Zayn and punches away at him. Mysterio stomps him and goes to the apron for a slingshot senton. Mysterio dropkicks Zayn in the shoulder and sets up for the Three Amigos. Zayn gets out of it and goes for a Blue Thunder Bomb. Mysterio fights it and elbows him in the head. Mysterio goes for the ropes, but Zayn pulls him back for a Blue Thunder Bomb attempt. Mysterio counters with a head-scissor takeover into the ropes. Zayn avoids a 619 and hits a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall!
Zayn gets to his feet, and Mysterio begs him off while on his knees. Mysterio tries to crawl away when Zayn doesn’t take the bait. Zayn grabs his feet, but Mysterio kicks him in the head. Mysterio knocks him into the ropes and hits a 619 for a near fall. Mysterio slaps the mat in frustration. Mysterio sneers at Zayn and grabs him by the hair before punching him. Mysterio shouts that he is the champion. Zayn fights back, but Mysterio kicks him and starts the Three Amigos. One Amigo, Two Amigos, and the Third Amigo! Mysterio goes to the top rope and tries for a Frog Splash, but Zayn gets the knees up! Zayn is fired up and hits an exploder in the corner. Zayn shouts for Mysterio to get up, but he’s distracted by Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley punching Kevin Owens down on the stage. Mysterio rolls Zayn up for the win!
Winner by Pinfall and still NXT North American Champion: “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio
Sami Zayn immediately runs out of the ring and over to Kevin Owens. Priest and Ripley back away without further incident.
-Commercial Break-
Replays are shown of “Dirty” Dominik beating Sami Zayn to retain the NXT North American Championship after Zayn was distracted by Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley beating up Kevin Owens.
Kevin Owens is shown in the trainer’s room in a lot of pain.
Video: Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns had the Rules of Engagement for a match at SummerSlam set against his cousin Jey Uso this past Friday on SmackDown. It will be Tribal Combat with the title and tribal leadership on the line.
Shinsuke Nakamura is backstage. Ricochet comes up and asks if he’s seen Logan Paul, but Nakamura hasn’t. Ricochet walks off. Tommaso Ciampa walks up and says he cost him the match last week and earned the kick. This isn’t charity, so he isn’t getting more than one for free. Ciampa warns Nakamura not to get involved in his match against Bronson Reed. Nakamura says nothing.
Bronson Reed makes his entrance. He’ll face Tommaso Ciampa next.
-Commercial Break-
NXT North American Champion “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio is walking backstage with Señor Money in the Bank Damian Priest and Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley. They walk by Apollo Crews and Akira Tozawa. Tozawa is intimidated by them, but Crews isn’t. Crews steps up, so Priest tells him he’ll receive his punishment later tonight. They walk off, and Tozawa tells Crews that he’s got this.
Replays are shown of Bronson Reed viciously attacking Tommaso Ciampa two weeks ago on Raw, allowing The Miz to pick up a victory over Ciampa. Last week, Ciampa attacked Reed while he was in a match against Shinsuke Nakamura, costing Nakamura the match via disqualification. After the match, Nakamura kicked Ciampa in the face.
“Big” Bronson Reed vs. Tommaso Ciampa
Ciampa throws his jacket at Reed before the match begins. The bell rings, and Ciampa goes right to Reed. Reed quickly takes him down and goes for a suplex, but Ciampa knees him in the head a few times. Reed quickly cuts off the momentum and sends him out of the ring. Ciampa attacks Reed coming out to the apron and chops the chest. Ciampa boots him in the face and tries to lift him, but Reed is too heavy. Reed easily lifts Ciampa, but Ciampa slides back into the ring. Ciampa kicks Reed in the face and stomps him down. Ciampa hits a running knee to the face. Reed catches Ciampa soon after, slams him into the turnbuckles, and hits an Oklahoma Slam for a near fall. Reed stands on Ciampa’s injured ribs. Reed lifts him, but Ciampa slides off and jumps on his back with a sleeper hold. Reed begins to fade away, but Reed powers up and jumps back with Ciampa on his back! 300-plus pounds of Bronson Reed comes crashing down onto Tommaso Ciampa!
Reed pulls Ciampa up to his feet. Reed sends him into the ropes and avalanches him down before dropping a massive elbow. Ciampa yells in pain and rolls out of the ring holding his chest. Reed goes to the apron and dives for a shoulder tackle, but Ciampa knees him out of midair!
-Commercial Break-
Back from the break, we see Reed applying a grounded bear hug to Ciampa. Ciampa fights out, but Reed hits him with a snap powerslam for a near fall. Reed refers to that as a Cyclone Slam. Ciampa boots Reed back and dives, but Reed catches him. Reed goes for another Oklahoma Slam, but Ciampa gets out and hits a reverse DDT. Kevin Patrick says they’re out on their feet, but they’re both off their feet and down on the mat.
They soon get to their feet and trade some stiff chops to the chest. Reed shoves Ciampa off, but Ciampa ducks a clothesline and hits a pair of running forearms. Ciampa catches Reed with corner clotheslines, an elbow to the head, and a leg lariat for a near fall. Ciampa sets up for a Fairy Tale Ending, but Reed easily fights it. Ciampa tries to counter with a sunset flip, but Reed sits down on his chest for a near fall. Ouch! Reed pulls Ciampa to the corner, but Ciampa fights and kicks him in the face. Reed cuts him off with a senton splash. Reed goes for a powerbomb, but Ciampa gets out and strikes at him. Reed crushes him with a chop, but Ciampa comes back with a big boot. Ciampa hits the ropes, but Reed clotheslines him down. Ciampa immediately pops up and gets in Reed’s face! They exchange forearms before hitting dual head-butts. Reed hits the ropes, but Ciampa knees him in the face. Ciampa tries to lift him, but he can’t get him stable. Ciampa tries again and hits “Big” Bronson Reed with an Air Raid Crash for a near fall!
Shinsuke Nakamura walks down the ramp. Ciampa leaves the ring and warns Nakamura to go to the back. Ciampa turns into a massive diving shoulder tackle off the apron from Reed. Reed quickly gets Ciampa in the ring and hits a Tsunami for the win!
Winner by Pinfall: “Big” Bronson Reed
Replays are shown of Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley attacking WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Raquel Rodriguez and Liv Morgan before their title defense. Rodriguez’s knee was injured in the attack. Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville went on to win the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship.
Byron Saxton is backstage with Liv Morgan. Morgan says Raquel Rodriguez is hurting, but she’ll recover. Morgan says Rhea Ripley is all hers tonight. Ripley thinks she can do anything. She’s the last person to defeat Ripley. She may get beaten up, but maybe she won’t. Morgan walks off.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville walk up. They’re not happy that Saxton didn’t interview them. They’re not happy that he wants to talk about Rhea Ripley. Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley walks up, and they’re scared away. Ripley says she warned Raquel Rodriguez and Liv Morgan to stay out of her way, but they didn’t listen. Does Saxton see a pattern?
-Commercial Break-
We see World Heavyweight Champion Seth “Freakin” Rollins in WWE Official Adam Pearce’s office looking at a contract.
Non-Title Match
Liv Morgan vs. Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley
As Liv Morgan makes her entrance, Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley blindsides her. Ripley sends her into the ring post before whipping her into the barricade. Ripley goes into the timekeeper’s area and snaps Morgan’s arm off the barricade. Ripley grabs a steel chair as Morgan gets in the ring. Ripley gets in the ring and viciously head-butts Morgan in the face. Ripley sandwiches Morgan’s arm in the chair and shouts, “You’re going to pay for getting in my business!” Ripley stomps on the chair, and Morgan screams in pain. Morgan holds her arm and acts like it’s broken. Ripley shouts that Morgan should never have gotten into her business. A trainer and a referee run into the ring. Ripley holds the title up and taunts Morgan. Ripley walks off and tells her to enjoy rehab. Ripley then returns and grabs the chair. The trainer tries to protect Morgan, but Ripley shoves him off. Ripley sandwiches the arm in the chair and stomps it again! Morgan screams in agony. Ripley says this is her division, and they’re lucky to live in it. Ripley walks off and laughs while continuing to talk trash. The crowd loudly boos her. Morgan says she can’t move her arm.
This match never started.
-Commercial Break-
Replays are shown of the vicious assault Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley perpetrated on Liv Morgan moments ago, seemingly breaking her arm.
Liv Morgan is sobbing in pain as the trainer tries to stabilize her arm.
Replays are shown of Valhalla spearing Maxxine Dupri through a table. The Viking Raiders defeated Alpha Academy in a Viking Rules Match.
Chad Gable, Otis, and Maxxine Dupri of Alpha Academy are backstage. Gable says no one knows what a Viking Rules Match is. How about they have an Academy Match? Maxxine Dupri tells “Val” that she’s embarrassed her multiple times. Just because Valhalla got one up on her doesn’t mean she’ll fall off. Dupri challenges Valhalla to a match next week. It will be Dupri’s first singles match.
Logan Paul returns to confront Ricochet
Ricochet makes his entrance. He asks where Logan Paul is. It’s time for him to show his “stupid face.” Ricochet asks where Paul is. He knows Paul isn’t backstage because there is a locker room full of people that know Paul doesn’t belong there. We’re in an arena full of people that know Logan Paul doesn’t belong here. The man in the ring knows Logan Paul doesn’t belong here. It’s not because he didn’t put in the work. Ricochet knows he has. It’s not that he’s not good. Some might even call him special. However, he’s Ricochet and is special every damn week. It’s not because of his ability. Logan Paul doesn’t belong here because he is an “arrogant little prick.” Paul doesn’t respect anything they do. Ricochet has dedicated his life to this. Ricochet has sacrificed so much to be here. Wherever Paul is, Ricochet is here to say one thing. Ricochet challenges Logan Paul to a match at SummerSlam. Paul can go around and run his mouth looking for a fight. If it’s a fight he wants…
…Logan Paul blindsides Ricochet from behind and happily shrugs. Logan Paul looks like he’s on Instagram Live and accepts the challenge at SummerSlam. Paul will show why he’s the best in the WWE. Paul points at a guy in the crowd and tells him he’ll make him famous. Paul says the guy needs to “get laid” and calls him a “stupid virgin.” Paul then turns into a superkick from Ricochet! Ricochet hits him with a standing shooting star press before picking up the phone. Ricochet holds it up and says he’ll see him at SummerSlam. Ricochet walks off. Paul gets to his feet and doesn’t look happy.
Jackie Redmond is backstage with “The Queen of Spades” Shayna Baszler. How does she feel about everything going on with her and Ronda Rousey? Baszler says she’s sick and tired of that name. To have Rousey’s name brought up with everything she’s done, she can’t handle it. They have to settle this without words. They’ll settle this in a language Ronda Rousey can understand. At SummerSlam, she’ll fight Ronda Rousey.
Señor Money in the Bank Damian Priest makes his way to the ring. He’ll face Apollo Crews next.
-Commercial Break-
WWE thanks Steppenwolf for the use of “Born to Be Wild,” the official theme song of SummerSlam.
An irate Logan Paul is walking backstage when Byron Saxton stops him. Paul says he’s coming to Raw next week to pop Ricochet’s “stupid bald head” off.
“Señor Money in the Bank” Damian Priest vs. Apollo Crews
The bell rings, and Damian Priest immediately kicks Apollo Crews down! Priest puts Crews in the corner and uppercuts him. Crews fights back, but Priest knees him in the midsection. Crews ducks a pair of clotheslines and applies a waistlock. Priest throws him off and hits the ropes, but Crews leapfrogs him and stumbles him with a dropkick. Priest is furious and charges, but Crews pulls the top rope down. Crews gets on the apron and kicks him back before hitting a moonsault block to take him off his feet. Crews gets Priest in the ring and hits a flying cross-body block for a two-count. Crews tries to lift Priest, but he gets out and claps the ears. Priest hits a running back elbow followed by a Broken Arrow for a two-count. Priest sizes Crews up and goes for a chokeslam, but Crews flips through. Crews knees him in the face and hits a step-up enzuigiri. Priest doesn’t leave his feet. Priest hits a spinning forearm and applies a hammerlock followed by a stiff clothesline. Priest pulls his top down and hits South of Heaven for the win.
Winner by Pinfall: Damian Priest
A jubilant Becky Lynch is walking backstage. Jackie Redmond stops her. Lynch says she was so focused on not getting tattooed that she didn’t get a chance to say, “The Man has come around to Tampa!” Now that she has her rematch against Trish Stratus, it ain’t over until she wins.
WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther makes his way to the ring alongside his Imperium stablemates Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci. He’ll go face-to-face with Drew McIntyre next.
-Commercial Break-
The Viking Raiders and Valhalla are shown. Valhalla says she accepts Maxxine Dupri’s foolish challenge. She tells Maxxine to consult the gods because she’s going to need them.
WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther and Drew McIntyre go face-to-face
Imperium stands in the ring, awaiting Drew McIntyre. “The Scottish Warrior” Drew McIntyre makes his entrance. McIntyre says he heard what Gunther had to say when he issued his challenge. McIntyre is ready to fight, so they can do this right now. WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther says after all that’s happened, he wants to fight for the title tonight. McIntyre dares him to. Gunther says he’s put prestige back on this title and raised it to a prestige level it has not seen before. It is unacceptable to defend the title in front of these degenerates. Gunther sees why McIntyre connects with these people. Just like them, McIntyre doesn’t get anything done in life. McIntyre failed at Clash at the Castle, and Gunther embarrassed him at WrestleMania. If McIntyre wants to ride his coattails, then he accepts. He’ll humiliate him at SummerSlam.
McIntyre says they’ll talk about WrestleMania if he wants to talk about it. When he and Sheamus first met, he was 19, and Sheamus was 42. They dreamed of a singles match at WrestleMania. They had a singles match for 10 minutes at WrestleMania. When they were at their weakest, Gunther took advantage, as he should have. At WrestleMania, it was a Triple Threat Match. They let their personal issues get in the way. However, at SummerSlam, it’ll be one-on-one. Gunther will find out why he’s been called “The Chosen One,” “The Psychopath,” and “The Scottish Warrior.” After SummerSlam, it’ll be “New Intercontinental Champion.”
Ludwig Kaiser takes exception with how McIntyre is speaking to their Ring General. McIntyre says he actually likes Kaiser. He’s got moxie and charisma. Kaiser is more exciting than Gunther. Kaiser should be the leader of the Imperium. Kaiser will not stand here and listen to him disrespect Imperium. McIntyre says since Gunther isn’t going to do anything about it, they’re both dressed to go. They should fight. Kaiser gets in his face, so McIntyre says they need a referee.
-Commercial Break-
Ludwig Kaiser w/ WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther and Giovanni Vinci vs. Drew McIntyre
The bell rings, and they look around at the crowd. They lock up, and McIntyre powers him to the corner. Kaiser pushes his face. McIntyre shoves him to the corner and locks up with him. Kaiser shoves him back by the throat. Corey Graves does an incredible Ludwig Kaiser impression on commentary. McIntyre soon runs over Kaiser with a shoulder tackle, followed by a delayed scoop slam. McIntyre clotheslines him over the top rope. McIntyre stares at Gunther as he walks by him. McIntyre viciously chops Kaiser’s chest before sending him into the ring post. McIntyre chops the chest again and puts him in the ring. Kaiser quickly rolls back out. McIntyre follows him and chops the chest. Kaiser fights back with some right hands, but McIntyre takes him down with a chop. McIntyre sends Kaiser into the LED barricade and points at Gunther. McIntyre viciously chops Kaiser’s chest in front of Gunther.
McIntyre puts Kaiser in the ring. Kaiser attacks McIntyre on the apron and sends him into the ring post. Kaiser pulls McIntyre into the ring and continues to attack. Kaiser sends McIntyre shoulder-first into the ring post before hanging him up in the ropes. McIntyre hangs precariously toward the floor. Kaiser then dropkicks him off the ropes to the floor. Imperium stands over McIntyre.
-Commercial Break-
We return from the break to see Kaiser standing on the second rope, but McIntyre stuns him with a chop to the chest. McIntyre crushes Kaiser with White Noise off the second rope. McIntyre looks to be bleeding from the nose. McIntyre hits a pair of clotheslines before sending him into the ropes for an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. McIntyre hits him with a second belly-to-belly suplex followed by a neckbreaker. McIntyre kips up and waits for Kaiser to get up. Kaiser gets out of a Future Shock DDT, but McIntyre quickly takes him out with a Glasgow Kiss. McIntyre counts down and goes for a Claymore Kick, but Kaiser counters with a kick to the face for a near fall.
Kaiser forearms away at McIntyre before hitting an uppercut and a step-up enzuigiri. Kaiser hits the ropes, but McIntyre catches him with a Claymore Kick to pick up the victory.
Winner by Pinfall: Drew McIntyre
Gunther immediately gets in the ring and hits McIntyre with a German Suplex. Giovanni Vinci holds McIntyre for Gunther to stomp. Matt Riddle runs down to make the save. Riddle gets Vinci away before eating a big boot from Gunther. Gunther then hits Riddle with a Powerbomb. Gunther leaves the ring and big boots McIntyre. Gunther clears off the commentary table to a big ovation. Gunther goes for a Powerbomb, but McIntyre counters with a back body drop. McIntyre then crushes Gunther with a Powerbomb through the commentary table! Vo Williams, the singer of the Raw theme song, looks pumped up at ringside.
Jackie Redmond is backstage with Ronda Rousey. Earlier tonight, Shayna Baszler said she wants to fight Ronda Rousey at SummerSlam. Rousey says Baszler can’t challenge her to a fight. Anytime she’s in a fight, it’s THE fight. Rousey accepts the challenge.
Finn Bálor of the Judgment Day makes his way to the ring. The SummerSlam contract signing is next.
-Commercial Break-
Brock Lesnar returns to Raw next week, as does Logan Paul.
SummerSlam World Heavyweight Championship Contract Signing with Seth “Freakin” Rollins and Finn Bálor
Finn Bálor is standing in the ring. Bálor says WWE Official Adam Pearce was supposed to oversee this contract signing, but he’s preoccupied with all the chaos caused by the Judgment Day. The crowd starts singing Seth “Freakin” Rollins’ theme song, upsetting Bálor. Bálor says he and Rollins are professionals and can sign this contract.
World Heavyweight Champion Seth “Freakin” Rollins makes his way to the ring. Rollins gets in the ring and gyrates a bit. The crowd loudly sings his theme song. Bálor coldly looks at him. Rollins picks up the pen and signs the contract. Rollins turns the folio around and slides it to Bálor before sitting down and putting his feet on the table. Bálor takes the pen and thinks about it before angrily looking at Rollins. Rollins says Bálor has figured out what everyone has known for a long time. Bálor has absolutely zero chance of walking out of SummerSlam as the World Heavyweight Champion. The best-case scenario is he’ll beat Bálor’s ass and limp out as the world sings his song. The Tampa crowd sings Rollins’ song. Rollins says miracles happen every day. If Bálor is the better man, his title reign will be shorter than his Universal Title reign was. Bálor’s boy Damian Priest will cash in his Money in the Bank contract right then and there. Rollins and Bálor know it because they would do the same thing to him. Rollins tells Bálor to keep chasing the ghost. SummerSlam will not be the coronation of the Judgment Day. SummerSlam will be the end of the Judgment Day.
Bálor smiles at Rollins and signs the contract. The World Heavyweight Championship match at SummerSlam is official. Bálor says Rollins thinks he’s so smart and has it all figured out. Rollins thinks he runs this place, but he doesn’t. The Judgment Day runs Monday Night Raw now. Rollins says if Bálor loses, he’ll lose. He also said if he wins, he loses. Bálor says he’s been losing for seven years. Señor Money in the Bank Damian Priest, NXT North American Champion “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio, and Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley come through the crowd and down the ramp to get on the apron. Bálor says that losing is like an itch that you can’t scratch. It’s all Rollins’ fault. It feels like a seven-year itch. At SummerSlam, Bálor will make Rollins his “seven-year bitch.”
Rollins flips the table and hits Priest in the head before attacking Bálor. Mysterio attacks Rollins, but Rollins sends him out of the ring. Priest then hits Rollins in the face with the Money in the Bank briefcase. Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champion Sami Zayn runs down with a steel chair and starts to clear the ring. Ripley rips the chair out of Zayn’s hands, and Bálor viciously takes out Zayn. Ripley and Mysterio clear the ring of the furniture. Priest hits Zayn with South of Heaven before burying him under the furniture at ringside.
In the ring, the Judgment Day surrounds Rollins. The four of them viciously beat Rollins down. Priest hits Rollins with a Razor’s Edge. Mysterio goes to the top rope and hits The Architect with a Frog Splash. Bálor then finishes him off with the Coup de Grâce. The Judgment Day stands over Rollins. Bálor says it’s all over at SummerSlam.
Quick Match Results
— Becky Lynch def. Zoey Stark
— “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio def. Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champion Sami Zayn to retain the NXT North American Championship
— “Big” Bronson Reed def. Tommaso Ciampa
— “Señor Money in the Bank” Damian Priest def. Apollo Crews
— Drew McIntyre def. Ludwig Kaiser
E-Mail – mike@wrestleview.com
Twitter(?) – @MikeTedescoWV
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