Finally, WWE Raw has come back to Titletown. WWE says fans in Green Bay usually sell out the Resch Center when the show comes to town, and tonight should be no exception.
On the agenda for this week’s show: More King and Queen of the Ring matches, including one with a man who probably didn’t expect to need to be in it even a week ago. That would be Jey Uso, who lost his World Heavyweight Championship back to Gunther on the last episode of Raw.
Oh, and Corey Graves is back on commentary this week as well, joining Michael Cole to call the action. Check out how the action unfolded with impressions written as it happened.
Unsurprisingly, Iyo Sky won’t hand her title over to Liv Morgan
“It seems like everyone needs reminding that this is my division,” Liv Morgan claims, boasting alongside “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio that she taught Nikki Bella a lesson last week. Morgan scoffs at the idea that Bella paved the way for anyone, especially her, the self-proclaimed women’s tag team champion of all time. Is that even that big a flex, though?
When Morgan’s talk turns toward getting a rematch for the Women’s World Championship, she and Dom are joined in the ring by the current holder of said title, Iyo Sky. The champ makes her bilingual case against Liv’s disrespect, and Morgan fires back with her request for a title shot. Ever the magnanimous sort, Morgan also says Sky could just save herself the trouble and hand over the belt.
Iyo tosses the title to Liv and dropkicks her, and poor Dom ends up catching a stray as well.
Stephanie Vaquer vs. Ivy Nile vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Asuka – Queen of the Ring Tournament Fatal 4-Way Match
Asuka makes her long-awaited return here, sporting a little more paint than usual as her design goes from her face down her neck. She would normally figure to be the pick to go over here, but given the fact that the women’s tournament is tilted a little more toward up and comers than the men’s bracket, Vaquer feels like the most likely choice.
Putting Nile and Rodriguez in this match provides two times the chances for crazy power spots, which is awesome. Or it would be except we’ve gone to two three-minute commercial breaks during this bout. Lovely.
Asuka’s missile dropkick timing doesn’t look even a bit rusty. and she faces off with Vaquer in what we can only hope is a brief preview of a future program. Rodriguez looks like she might win this with a Tejana Bomb on Vaquer, but Rhea Ripley drags her out of the ring and delivers a Riptide on the floor. Asuka takes advantage with her running hip attack, now called the Empress Impact, and advances in the tournament.
After her successful return, Asuka tells Cathy Kelley that she will be Queen of the Ring and that no one is ready for her, as per usual.
Winner: Asuka by pinfall
An extended highlight package takes us through the Uso-Gunther world championship match from the last Raw, which ended with Jey passing out and losing the title by submission. Gunther is shown grinning and making his way to the ring.
Back in The Judgment Day clubhouse, which is looking sadder than ever, Mysterio tells Finn Balor he should stay back and not assist JD McDonagh in his battle against AJ Styles tonight. Dom will be in his corner instead, and after the Dirty one departs, Balor compliments Rodriguez and leaves to plot with Roxanne Perez, though the look on Raquel’s face suggests she might not be on Balor’s side if and when things in the group finally explode.
Gunther vs. Goldberg is indeed on
Though he admits Uso was the better man for one night at WrestleMania, Gunther says he is superior on every other night. So what’s next? Not “that guy,” says the Ring General, hearing the “Goldberg” chants ringing through the crowd. He tries talking to Seth Rollins instead, but he is cut off by the entrance theme for … yes, Goldberg. The fans chant his name eagerly as the WWE Hall of Famer makes his way to the ring.
Goldberg congratulates Gunther and says he was proud of his victory. But one more thing: A few months ago, Gunther started something with his family in Atlanta, and he intends on ending it in Atlanta on Saturday Night’s Main Event. “You’re mine … because you’re next!”
“The rumors are true,” Cole says, pointing out that we will see the match in less than three weeks.
JD McDonagh vs. AJ Styles
It’s not like The Judgment Day hasn’t previously been in any “one wrestler tries to run through the whole group” stories in the past, but the group had a different roster then so this still feels fresh for Styles. AJ’s pursuit of Dom on the outside leads to a great spot where JD comes flying over the barricade into the timekeeper’s area, shot from an angle where you couldn’t really see him coming. Love those shots.
Mysterio fails in his mission to ensure McDonagh wins, with a Styles Clash sealing his doom, but just when it appears he’s going to get more punishment after the bell, Balor comes to pull him to safety. Alas, he left his Intercontinental Championship in the ring, which AJ grabs and holds over his head. The Judgment Day try trapping Styles, but he slips away and escapes still in possession of Dominik’s gold.
Winner: AJ Styles by pinfall
Alpha Academy and Natalya wish Sheamus good luck tonight, with Akira Tozawa especially animated.
And while Bayley makes her way through the backstage area, Grayson Waller and Austin Theory are shown arguing again, this time with The New Day looking on. Props to Xavier Woods for his full 1970s pimp outfit.
Bayley is back, and going right back after Becky Lynch
“It feels so amazing to be back, I missed you guys so much,” says Bayley while addressing the fans, who seem equally excited to see her. She’s still a bit salty about being stripped of a WrestleMania opportunity two months ago, and who can blame her? Luckily, however, she doesn’t put her body on the line over and over just for one night, she does it for “people like you.”
Bayley calls out directly to Becky Lynch, vowing to take everything from her that The Man took from her. “You better get your ass out here right now,” she concludes, which does indeed bring Lynch out, carrying her Intercontinental Championship high and decked out completely in Chicago Bears gear.
Lynch says neither of them were supposed to be at the top of the business, but Bayley accepts it while Becky does not. She’d also prefer legacy over a “fake ass group of friends.” Becky, that’s fake ahh group of friends in current lingo.
Twisting the knife, Lynch claims that when she bumped Bayley out of WrestleMania, no one cared. Bayley begs to differ, and after trading insults, Lynch says they can go toe to toe in Columbus. Becky tries to slap Bayley but gets a much stiffer shot in return.
Kelley gets a word with Uso, who says tonight’s tourney match is very important for him to get to run it back with Gunther again. Say less. Jey is just a walking catchphrase machine at this point, and I mean that as a compliment.
Styles hands the title belt to Nick Aldis, who tells AJ he will get to face Dom to attain the title for real at Night of Champions. Bayley arrives soon after, and Aldis tells her next week she’ll get to face Bayley for Lynch’s championship on Raw. Lyra Valkyria stops by and makes it sound like Bayley ghosted her over the past two months, leading her to warn Bayley she will come after the championship as well if Bayley manages to dethrone The Man.
Kairi Sane vs. Liv Morgan
As we get out to this match already in progress, the action is halted after Morgan takes a hard bump to her shoulder, and the show cuts to commercial. After the break, replays show the bump again from several angles, and it appears she is legitimately injured. Here’s hoping it’s not too severe and she is able to get back in the ring again before too long.
No Contest (due to legitimate injury)
Now likely with a few more minutes to fill, Raw shows a highlight package of the confrontations between John Cena and CM Punk on last week’s edition of Raw and Smackdown.
Cole and Graves give an update on Morgan, saying she apparently has a dislocated shoulder.
Backstage, Sami Zayn talks to Kelley and says things feel different this time when he’s on the verge of a championship opportunity again. Karrion Kross interrupts and calls Zayn insane for doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result. Zayn fires back by calling Kross a coward because he hides in the back talking in riddles while Sami has the courage to go out, fail and get back up. Sami says the second he is done with King of the Ring, he will go to Adam Pearce and ask for a match.
Jey Uso vs. Rusev vs. Sheamus vs. Bronson Reed – King of the Ring Tournament Fatal 4-Way Match
This is a meaty matchup that should be making Big E proud. Uso is going to have to avoid getting locked up one-on-one with any of the other combatants, a point reinforced by his taped up ribs. Doesn’t stop him from flying to the floor with a suicide dive, of course.
The guy in the Brock Lesnar Minnesota Vikings jersey loves being right behind Sheamus as he dishes out the 10 Beats of the Bodhran to Reed, but all the fans are less enthusiastic about Rusev crushing Jey out on the floor. That leaves Sheamus and Rusev face to face in the ring, with a pretty loud “Rusev Day” chant ringing out. Reed crashes the party and gets to deliver a World’s Strongest Slam; shoutout Mark Henry.
You know what else isn’t good for Jey’s midsection? Getting locked in the Accolade by Rusev. All of the meaty men start flying around, with Reed hitting the Tsunami on Sheamus and forcing Uso to break up the pin.
Jey digs down deep to spear Reed, but Bron Breakker pushes him off the top turnbuckle to prevent an Uso Splash. Zayn comes out to neutralize Bron and LA Knight appears to lend a hand as well.
Uso climbs up to the top to drop not one but two Uso Splashes on Reed, which is enough for him to win and advance.
Winner: Jey Uso by pinfall
A furious Seth Rollins heads for the ring, stopping only to hand his jacket and tie to Paul Heyman. But someone else is ready to rumble as well: Cody Rhodes rushed down as the fans sing his theme a capella. They transition to a “holy s–t” chant as the two men stare each other down, then boo as Rollins elects to retreat. Rhodes turns around to lock eyes with Uso, with both men realizing they have to go through each other in the King of the Ring semifinals. That match will be next week, and that’s it for this one. Thanks for reading along!
