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Raw: Randy Orton returning for war

Joseph Casciaro

Happy Monday everyone, it is time for the go-home edition of Raw before Survivor Series this Saturday night.

Tonight’s show kicked off with Drew McIntyre after he shocked the world last week by helping The Judgement Day retain their tag titles and shaking Rhea Ripley’s hand. He said people keep asking why, but he has been the same person this entire time. If you’re a fan of Drew he doesn’t see a need to explain his actions and he looked Jey Uso right in his eyes before he dropped him last week.

Jey screwed Drew over many times when he was part of The Bloodline and he never apologized to Drew, so Drew hopes Jey isn’t expecting an apology. He said Jey cost him the biggest moment of his life in front of his family at Clash at the Castle. Jey’s family took Drew’s big moment from his family.

Everyone is wondering if Drew has joined The Judgement Day and Drew said he has not joined them, but he will be on their team at War Games. He has joined them because Rhea Ripley gave him the best gift of all, Jey Uso in a cage. Before Drew could continue, Jey made his way out to the ring.

A War Games preview. Credit: WWE

Jey came out to fight, but as he tried to get in the ring Judgement Day rushed through the crowd and stood behind Drew. So, Jey needed his own backup and out came Seth Rollins, Sami Zayn and Cody Rhodes to stand with Jey. They all got into the ring, but before a fight could begin Adam Pearce stood between the two teams.

Pearce said these men cannot touch each other before the advantage match later tonight, and if someone throws the first punch before that match their team will lose the advantage. He had some other announcements as well, with Drew joining J-Day’s team, Cody’s team has until the end of the night to find a fifth member for War Games. When it comes to the advantage match, both teams have until 9 PM to decide who will represent their team in that one-on-one advantage match.

Despite J-Day having Drew join their team, Damian Priest was not too happy about Rhea asking for Drew’s help without checking with the group. Rhea was quick to apologize and Priest then said he wants to be in the advantage match later tonight, but Ripley said that needs to be discussed as a group.

Later in the show, Drew joined J-Day backstage and he also wanted to compete in the advantage match tonight. He also said he does not like any of them, but he despises Jey Uso. Drew and Priest then had a little back and forth before Priest finally agreed to let Drew compete in the match, he told Drew to prove his worth.

We then saw the other team discussing who it would be to go up against Drew in the main event. Jey Uso has a bone to pick with Drew after last week, so it will be him facing off with his enemy in the advantage match. Cody also said he can call an old friend to be the fifth member of their team…enticing.

Nia Jax vs. Raquel Rodriguez

Rodriguez quickly tried to take control of this match, but Jax caught her with a uranage and stopped that. This really was a battle of two powerhouses, but Rodriguez changed the game up on us and dove off the apron with a crossbody onto Jax. However, once again the control switched, and Jax Samoan dropped Rodriguez into the ring post.

Jax then stretched Rodriguez’s body around the post and followed that by locking in a submission. However, Rodriguez somehow found the power to lift Jax on her back and drop her down, she then hit a hurricanrana and a big boot. Rodriguez now hit her corkscrew spinning senton, but she then tried to lift Jax and her lower back gave out. Jax then hit a running senton and hit the Annihilator to get the victory.

Winner: Nia Jax

Becky Lynch vs. Xia Li

This match has been brewing since Lynch was still the NXT Women’s Champion and Li has been mowing down the Raw roster recently. This match started quite slow until Lynch hit Li with a baseball slide and then jumped off the apron with a big forearm. Li got herself back into the match as she hit Lynch with a kick to the face when she tried to get back in the ring.

After a commercial break, Lynch began making her comeback and hit Li with a Bexploder suplex. However, it did not do too much damage and Li responded with a spinning kick to Lynch’s back and followed that with an airplane spin slam. Li then made her way to the top rope, but Lynch met her up there and landed a superplex. Lynch then went for the Man-Handle Slam, but Li blocked and hit her signature spin kick that knocked Lynch to the outside. Li met her out there and went for another kick, but Lynch ducked and threw her into the ring post.

Both women were now back in the ring trading strikes and Lynch ducked another spin kick to hit the Man-Handle Slam for the victory.

Winner: Becky Lynch

After the match, Damage CTRL made their way through the crowd, but they were attacked from behind by Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair and Shotzi, Lynch’s teammates in War Games. All eight women were brawling, but after being broken up it was Lynch, Flair, Belair and Shotzi standing tall!

The problems in Imperium continued, Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci just could not get on the same page. Kaiser feels like Vinci is trying to undermine him and he does not want his help tonight, he wants to handle Johnny Gargano on his own.

Ludwig Kaiser vs. Johnny Gargano w/Tommaso Ciampa

Kaiser wanted to prove himself tonight and he started quite hot, he was hitting Gargano with every strike imaginable. Gargano did get a bit of momentum going and went for a suicide dive, but he was caught with a slap and then a running European uppercut. Kaiser then tried to hit a running kick, but he was cut off with a slingshot spear from Gargano.

The comeback was on, Gargano hit a roll-through kick and suicide dive, he then dove from the second rope with a tornado flat-liner. Kaiser then reversed a run from Gargano and hit him with a discus clothesline and followed that with a tilt-a-whirl facebuster. His momentum continued as he hit a rolling fireman’s carry and a PK, but Vinci then made his way out and this distracted Kaiser.

Kaiser was so angry to see Vinci out there and Gargano utilized this distraction by kicking Kaiser and then hitting One Final Beat to steal a win. Vinci looked quite happy to see his tag partner lose tonight.

Winner: Johnny Gargano

 

For part two of Raw: Randy Orton returning for war click on the link below:

Zoey Stark broke into The Judgement Day’s locker room to mess with Rhea Ripley, saying she is focusing on everything except her ahead of Saturday. Ripley actually respected Stark for pulling something like this and said she would get her beating at Survivor Series.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship #1 Contender’s Fatal-Four-Way Match: Natalya & Tegan Nox vs. Indi Hartwell & Candice LeRae vs. Katana Chance & Kayden Carter vs. Maxxine Dupri & Ivy Nile

This match began with two teams controlling the match, Nile and Dupri were battling with Natalya and Nox. That battle continued until Hartwell tagged herself in and went to work on Nile, she worked with LeRae to hit Nile with a double-team splash. Carter and Chance then got into the action and they hit LeRae with an assisted cannonball before Carter dove to the outside onto some of her opponents. All the women were now outside the ring and Dupri dove from the second rope onto everyone.

Once back in the ring, Natalya hit Chance with a Michinoku Driver (Shoutout Just 5 Guys). Nile then double power bombed both Natalya and Nox, quite the feat of strength. All eight men were now trading their shots, but Natalya ended up getting Chance in a Sharpshooter, but Nile broke it up and Dupri hit Nox with a Caterpillar and a bridging suplex. Dupri and Nile then went to the top ropes, but Natalya pulled Nile to the floor.

Dupri still went for a dive onto Nox, but Nox rolled through the crossbody and got the victory. Nox and Natalya are the number one contenders for Chelsea Green and Piper Niven’s tag titles.

Winners: Natalya & Tegan Nox

Number one contenders. Credit: WWE

Gunther was walking backstage when he found Kaiser ripping Vinci apart, Gunther was outraged with Kaiser for his loss earlier. However, he applauded Vinci’s actions and said he may have put the wrong person in charge.

Adam Pearce let the entire tag division know that next week there will be a tag team turmoil to find new number-one contenders for the tag titles. He then found Nick Aldis walking around backstage and said they have some things to talk about.

It was now time for The Miz and the Intercontinental Champion, Gunther, to go face-to-face in the ring ahead of their title match this Saturday. Gunther began by saying he has zero respect for Miz and that this sacred ring is for fighting, but he is just an entertainer. Miz steered into that by saying he is proud to be an entertainer, and he said he works to be like people like Bret Hart, Mr. Perfect and Shawn Michaels as a champion. He said those people are remembered because they are not only good at one thing like Gunther and he is immortal as an entertainer. Miz said he will do whatever it takes to win and if Gunther doesn’t respect him now, he will beat the respect into him at Survivor Series when he becomes a 9-time IC Champion.

Gunther and Miz face-off. Credit: WWE

Gunther said Miz is talking a big game and Miz is a future hall of fame, but Miz is just like everyone else in the building. He will be facing little Mike Mizanin on Saturday, the kid that got bullied and even his idols bullied him to show that he does not belong in wrestling. He said to this day Miz does not belong in this sport, the only place he belongs is in the crowd with the weird fans. Gunther’s conclusion is that Miz hasn’t been bullied enough and he then begins to shove him while degrading him. Gunther was begging Miz to do something, and Miz did just that as he began to punch Gunther in the mouth.

Unfortunately for Miz, Gunther caught him with a big boot to the face, but as Gunther continued to yell at him Miz got him with a low blow. Miz then hit a Skull-Crushing Finale and stood over Gunther while holding the Intercontinental title in the air.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Chad Gable w/Alpha Academy

Nakamura started this match well, he landed a Good Vibrations early on, but Gable came right back with a brutal belly-to-belly over the top rope to the outside. Gable then dove off the ring apron onto Nakamura sending us to a commercial break. Following the break, Nakamura was back in control and he connected with a running knee to Gable’s midsection.

Nakamura now hit a sliding German suplex and a diving knee from the second rope. Gable then reversed a suplex and hit Nakamura with a flipping DDT before following that with a diving headbutt from the top rope. While recovering Nakamura removed the pad from a turnbuckle, but Gable came right at him with a German suplex and a dragon suplex. He then went to the top rope and dove with a moonsault, but Nakamura got his feet up. Nakamura now went for a Kinshasa, however, Gable ducked and got Nakamura into an ankle lock.

The submission was tight, so Nakamura tried to roll through and send Gable into the exposed turnbuckle. Gable had to brace himself and make a quick stop to not hit the steel and this allowed Nakamura to roll him up and steal a win.

Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura

War Games Advantage Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Jey Uso

This match began with both men trading some strikes until McIntyre caught Uso with a kick and then began some ground and pound. McIntyre then ran at Uso, but he ducked and sent McIntyre to the outside before diving at him with a suicide dive. Uso then caught McIntyre with a kick to the head and a diving crossbody. He now made the mistake of going for another suicide dive and he was caught by a right from McIntyre.

McIntyre then picked up Uso and drove him spine-first into the barricade and ring apron, he followed that by crushing Uso’s face into the ring post. It seemed like McIntyre was in full control, but he started talking some smack and got caught with another kick to the face. Uso then hit three shoulder blocks and tried to springboard into the ring, but he was caught in mid-air by a Glasgow Kiss that sent him to the floor. McIntyre then slammed Uso onto the announce table and sent us into a commercial break.

Drew gets the advantage. Credit: WWE

Following the break, Uso was making a comeback with a superkick and a Samoan drop. However, McIntyre ducked a clothesline and hit a neckbreaker on Uso before kicking up. He was now calling for the Claymore, but he was met halfway with a superkick from Uso. Uso went to the top rope, but McIntyre knocked him off the ropes and hit a Future Shock DDT to get the victory and give Judgement Day the advantage in War Games!

Winner: Drew McIntyre

After the match, Rhea Ripley came out to applaud McIntyre as he continued his attack on Uso, but Uso began to fight back. As he did that the rest of Judgement Day came out to beat Uso down, this drew Rhodes, Zayn and Rollins out from the back. They all came with steel chairs and sent Judgement Day running.

Rhodes then said he is so glad J-Day has the advantage and someone like Drew McIntyre, but they must know that they are not alone. They found a fifth member, someone whom Rhodes has a LEGACY with and he is an apex predator! The crowd began to chant Randy and Rhodes simply said that the fans are right!

In War Games, the fifth member of Rhodes’ team will be, Randy Orton!

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