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Raw: A Monday with HIM

Joseph Casciaro

WWE is just days away from Money in the Bank this Saturday, and tonight was the final Monday Night Raw before the Premium Live Event.

Tonight’s show opened with the Women’s World Champion, Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio. Dom-Dom was attempting to talk, but he could not get a word in over all the boos so Ripley had to step in. She was hyping up her little Dom-Dom ahead of Saturday but was then interrupted by Dom’s MITB opponent Cody Rhodes.

Dom immediately started hiding behind Ripley, and she told Cody that at MITB Dom is going to show him how dangerous he is. Cody responded with a quote from Cat in the Hat, yes the children’s book, because he views Dom as nothing more than a child. Dom then decided to walk to the back while Cody begged him to show what he’s got, he offered a free shot if Dom will stop being a coward.

Even with a free shot, Dom still declined and Cody said that this Saturday he wants to see if Dom is even half the man his father is or if he’s just Mami’s little boy.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Ricochet

Nakamura had a bone to pick with Ricochet after he was the reason Nakamura lost to Bronson Reed last week. The anger Nakamura had towards Ricochet was showing tonight, he started the match by kicking Ricochet all over the ring. It was also pointed out that Reed was watching this match from a chair at ringside, and after both men fell to the outside Reed stood to give them a round of applause.

Reed ended up getting a little too close to the action as he was hit with an enzigiri from Ricochet and a big boot from Reed. He then tried to get in the ring for revenge and he was hit with two more kicks, the ref finally made the decision to send Reed to the back banning him from ringside. After a commercial break, Ricochet soared through the sky with a springboard clothesline and he followed that with a standing shooting star press.

Nakamura came right back with some knees, but it was not long before he was caught by a Recoil from Ricochet. He followed that with a standing sliced bread and he then leaped from the top rope with a beautiful shooting star press to get the win.

Winner: Ricochet

We were then shown a video from earlier today of Matt Riddle challenging Gunther to an Intercontinental Championship match this Saturday. Fast forward to the live show, Riddle was face to face with Ludwig Kaiser who was questioning why Riddle thinks he’s worthy.

After their exchange of words, Riddle began to beat down Kaiser, but then came the Ring General to attack Riddle from behind. With Riddle down and out, Gunther screamed challenge accepted before stomping on Riddle’s injured ankle.

Later in the show, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens went after Imperium seeking revenge for their friend Riddle. In order to prove a point, Zayn challenged Gunther to a one-on-one match later tonight!

Dom now stormed into Adam Pearce’s office to say that the way Cody embarrassed him earlier was not right. So, Dom was requesting a match to prove himself later and he said he already found the perfect opponent.

Ronda Rousey w/Shayna Baszler vs. Raquel Rodriguez w/Liv Morgan

Rousey and Baszler will be defending the Women’s tag titles this Saturday against Rodriguez and Morgan, who just made her return last Friday on Smackdown. Rodriguez was attempting to overpower Rousey early on, but Rousey was using her submissions to take down her much bigger opponent. Mayhem broke loose when Baszler interfered to help Rousey so Morgan attacked Baszler on the outside. With the brawl happening outside, Rousey was able to sneakily roll up Rodriguez and steal a win.

Winner: Ronda Rousey

Finn Bálor addressed Seth Rollins ahead of their championship match this Saturday, it was a fantastic promo and video package. Highlighted was their match seven years ago when Rollins injured Bálor and caused his only world title reign to last only 24 hours.

A look into Bálor’s video. Credit: WWE

Rollins then made his way out to respond to Bálor’s video, before speaking about Bálor, Rollins welcomed a special guest to the show. NXT Champion, Carmelo Hayes was sitting front row taking in the show and Rollins said he and Hayes are both fighting champions.

He then said a few weeks ago he asked the question about which Finn Bálor would be coming to MITB, and he said Bálor showed that when he attacked him twice last week. Rollins now called Bálor out, saying he is tired of talking and just wants to fight. But he was nowhere to be seen, Rollins then said that Bálor is the smartest and most dangerous he has ever been. However, he said that Bálor has tricked himself into thinking he will be the one to take everything from Rollins. Even with how good Bálor is, he has not accounted that he will be facing Rollins and the best version of Bálor is nowhere near as good as the best version of Rollins.

Bálor then attempted to attack Rollins with a chair, but this week Rollins was ready for him and the brawl was now on. Both these men were throwing fists and Bálor tried to grab his chair again, but Hayes who was sitting front row pulled the chair from Bálor’s hands and Rollins knocked him into the crowd. Rollins can thank Hayes for having his back tonight.

It was later announced that tonight we will be getting Carmelo Hayes versus Finn Bálor!

Tommaso Ciampa vs. The Miz

Ciampa returned last week and beat The Miz very easily and tonight there was meant to be a rematch, but Miz attacked Ciampa from behind during his entrance. He threw Ciampa’s knee into the ring and then slammed his knees into the barricade. The attack was completed with a Skull Crushing Finale on the floor.

Winner: No contest

Dominik Mysterio vs. Akira Tozawa

The big tune-up match that Dom decided on before facing Cody is…Akira Tozawa. Not much of a challenge for Dom-Dom here tonight and he quickly started stomping Tozawa out. However, Tozawa was not going down easy, he hit a big diving back elbow and followed that with a suicide dive.

Tozawa was now looking for his signature diving senton, but Ripley distracted him and Dom threw him off the ropes. Dom-Dom finished the match off with a Frog Splash.

Winner: Dominik Mysterio

Money in the Bank Women’s Summit

WWE decided to hold a summit between all the women competing in Money in the Bank this weekend: Becky Lynch, Iyo Sky, Bayley, Trish Stratus, Zoey Stark and Zelina Vega.

Bayley attempted to take over the summit by saying she has the best chance of winning since she is the only woman that has won one before. Vega was quick to interrupt by pointing out the flaws of every single one of her opponents, and saying that she will take the briefcase to the LwO.

Next to interject were Stratus and Stark, Trish was going on and on calling herself a legend while Stark stood beside her looking like a fool. Trish then turned her attention to Becky, asking her when it’s all said and done will she be man enough to say “Thank You, Trish.”

Becky decided not to say anything back and instead punch Trish right in the mouth, this ignited a brawl between all six women. Sky hit a big moonsault onto most of the women, but Becky was left alone in the ring and she climbed the ladder taking down the briefcase. If history stands correct, Lynch just cursed herself heading into MITB.

Gunther w/Ludwig Kaiser vs. Sami Zayn w/Kevin Owens

Gunther was all over Zayn right from the opening bell and as soon as Zayn got a bit of offence he was distracted by Giovanni Vinci making his way out with his crutches. That distraction allowed Gunther to hit Zayn with a German suplex before sending us into a commercial break.

After the break, Gunther was chopping through the chest of Zayn and you could see his chest starting to bleed. Zayn was finally able to block a chop and hit Gunther with a sunset flip powerbomb. He followed that with a flurry of lariats, but when he went for the Blue Thunder Bomb, Gunther reversed and got Zayn in a sleeper hold.

KO watching Gunther’s chops. Credit: WWE

Zayn broke the hold by spinning Gunther into the Blue Thunder Bomb and he then leaped from the top rope, but he was met in mid-air with a chop. Gunther then went to the top rope himself and hit a massive splash, but Zayn somehow kicked out at two! Owens and Kaiser then began brawling on the outside, so Gunther hit Owens with a boot and Zayn then hit him with a tope over the top rope.

Both men were now back in the ring, Zayn was able to hit Gunther with an exploder suplex and he wanted the Helluva Kick next. While he was loading up the kick, Vinci hit Zayn with his crutch and Gunther hit him with a powerbomb for the victory.

After the match, Imperium was beating down Owens with the number advantage, so out from the back came Riddle! Imperium had no choice but to retreat to the back, Gunther and Riddle will definitely be a brawl at MITB.

Winner: Gunther

Finn Bálor vs. Carmelo Hayes

#HIM has arrived on Raw, this is Hayes’ first appearance on the main roster and he is facing a massive challenge in Bálor. The match began with the vicious Bálor we have been seeing for weeks now, he was stomping a hole in the chest of Hayes. Bálor may have started hot, but then Hayes started picking up some momentum. He hit Bálor with a Fade Away, his signature springboard leg drop, and followed that with a tope to the outside.

After a commercial break, Hayes continued his attack by hitting a springboard crossbody, but he was then caught by a lariat turning him inside out. Bálor then hit a sling blade, but he was then caught with a superkick from Hayes and that was followed by a reverse springboard DDT. Despite all of Hayes’ offence Bálor kept coming back, he caught Hayes with a gutbuster and then his slingshot dropkick into the corner. He then finished off the NXT Champion with a Coup de Grace and takes this big win into MITB.

Winner: Finn Bálor

Cody Rhodes vs. Damian Priest

It feels like Priest has been in the main event of Raw so much recently, and it really seems like WWE management is very high on him. The match began with some back and forth, but it was Priest getting the advantage with some big elbows. However, Cody came right back hitting a facebuster, but then out from the back came Rhea Ripley and Dom-Dom. Even with them out there, Cody still hit Priest with a suicide dive, but then Dominik made his presence felt. He distracted Cody long enough for Priest to come and hit him with a flat liner.

Following a commercial break, Priest hit Cody with a Broken Arrow, a flapjack and a massive clothesline. Priest went to the top rope, but Cody popped up and ran up the ropes to arm-drag Priest to the mat from the top. He followed that with a Disaster Kick before landing some jabs and then the bionic elbow. Rhodes stayed on the attack with a Pedigree, and he went for a Cody Cutter but Dom grabbed his foot while Rhea distracted the ref. Priest then delivered the South of Heaven Chokeslam, but Cody kicked out at two and he then threw Priest into Dom.

Cody now hit the Cody Cutter and finished this main event off with a Cross Rhodes!

As Cody was celebrating, Dom got one final cheap shot in ahead of MITB. He hit Cody with a forearm to the back of the head before running up the ramp to end the show.

Winner: Cody Rhodes

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