WWE Wrestlepalooza has come and gone and it … well, it sure was a WWE PLE, that’s for sure. In some ways, it was the entire current experience in one show, and in that sense, the perfect way to kick off a relationship with a new broadcast partner.
Wrestlepalooza had some of the best the company has to offer, including a banger between Iyo Sky and Stephanie Vaquer and a fun if a little silly mixed tag team match. It also had some head-scratching booking calls like Brock Lesnar squashing John Cena, it wasn’t all that long in terms of number of matches, and it had commercials. The good, the bad, the ugly, all rolled up into one. Kind of fitting that ESPN’s own wrestling writer gave the show a ‘C’ grade.
The nice thing about wrestling is that we turn the page quickly and get on to the next thing, which in this case is WWE Raw from Evansville, Indiana. Tonight we have been told to expect the Raw return of Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, a victory lap of sorts from Vaquer, plus Bayley vs. Roxanne Perez and Penta and The War Raiders taking on The New Day and Grayson Waller in a No Disqualification match.
Let’s jump in and see what this night has in store for us all.
Before we get to the meat of the show, we get a full Wrestlepalooza highlights package, which leans heavily on the ESPN integration, a.k.a. all the shine that the PLE got from various network shows leading up to the event. We then see The Vision, completely reunited, entering the area, followed by Vaquer, The New Day and Waller, Bayley, and LA Knight. Not all together, mind you.
Cody Rhodes returns to Raw and immediately has a chat with Seth Rollins
What do the fans in Evansville want to talk about? We may not ever know since Cody’s microphone time is quickly interrupted by the arrival of The Vision, with Seth Rollins having everyone hang back in the aisle so he can confront Rhodes alone in the ring.
Rollins claims that he always had Crown Jewel circled on his calendar to see two of the best in the world in their prime, one on one, may the best man win. “And it should be that simple, but it’s not that simple. ‘Cause it’s you and me, and it’s bigger than that, and it’s deeper than that,” he adds.
Though he claims to know what everyone from the locker room to people watching at home thinks of him, Rollins says none of them matter, and he dismisses the loud “CM Punk” chant that arises by noting that Punk doesn’t have a championship. But Seth wants to know something else: What does Cody think of him? Genuinely.
Rhodes says it’s complicated because of some questionable choices, including hanging out with Paul Heyman. Despite that, Cody says Seth changed his life and his career as both an opponent and an ally. Rhodes also turns things around by pondering what Seth thinks of Seth, saying that on any given night, Rollins could be the absolute best … though that would mean not hiding behind “these three goons” here.
The response comes in the form of a watch. Specifically, Rollins points to the watch Rhodes gave him at WrestleMania 40, one he says he hasn’t worn again since then, asking if it was a sincere gesture. He says Cody compliments him when it suits him but tears him down at other times. Since Rhodes puts himself at the top of the company, Rollins figures that can only mean Cody believes Seth either thinks he isn’t good enough or isn’t as good as Cody himself.
Rollins goes on to say The Vision isn’t just a group but an actual vision of what the future of the business looks like, one that he leads. “This is not a two-man show, I’m the alpha,” concludes Rollins. Rhodes retorts that all three matches they have had to this point were one-on-one, but will that be the case at Crown Jewel? And in those three matches, how many of those has Seth won?
Literal mic drop there as the crown chants Cody’s name. Alas, he leaves the ring only to find The Brons blocking his way. There’s some tension but they eventually let him pass untouched. “Crown Jewel awaits,” says Joe Tessitore.
Jey and Jimmy Uso have a difference of opinion about LA Knight, to say the least. Jey thinks The Vision would have taken care of Knight already if Jimmy wouldn’t have tagged with him, while Jimmy is resentful that his brother is flipping the blame for some of their recent difficulties onto him. Jey and LA are on a collision course in the ring, but it remains to be seen if Jimmy will play any part in that.
The New Day and Grayson Waller vs. Penta and The War Raiders – No Disqualification Match
The New Day side is definitely at a size and power disadvantage in this one, and even after Waller is the first to introduce weaponry to the mix (in the form of a kendo stick), it’s not going to be easy to corral the Raiders and the flying Penta.
Some tables are now part of the equation, which is something to keep an eye on while you puzzle over Joe Tess continually calling Xavier Woods “Woodsy.” The crowd comes to life again as Ivar goes for a moonsault only to see both Woods and Kofi Kingston roll out of the way.
Far from being banned, the Mexican Destroyer rears its head as Penta uses it in Avalanche fashion on poor Waller, a crowd-pleasing way to close this one out.
Winners: Penta and The War Raiders by pinfall
Finn Balor seems to be delighted to tell Dominik Mysterio that he is too busy to help him tonight, quipping that El Grande Americano should just help him. But he’s in Mexico, naturally. JD McDonagh doesn’t want to help either, but Roxanne Perez leans on him to do it “for The Judgment Day.” He reluctantly agrees but may regret it since it means facing Rusev. Scratch that, he’s almost guaranteed to regret it.
Lyra Valkyria tries to apologize to Bayley but is shocked to see Bayley not only treat her nicely but ask Lyra if she’ll be in her corner tonight. Eventually, Valkyria relents, saying if it means that much to Bayley, she will be there for her, though it’s clear she still isn’t 100% sure what is going on.
Stephanie Vaquer cuts a wholesome promo celebrating her big win
Adam Pearce calls Vaquer to the ring to a nice reception from the Evansville fans, and both Tessitore and Wade Barrett put her over as someone who is already amazing but just scratching the surface of what she could be as a champion. Pearce congratulates her before Vaquer calls this “the dream of my life,” one she once thought may be impossible but managed to achieve through hard work and sacrifice.
Stephanie calls her dad, who is on hand tonight, the best example of how to be strong and never give up. This was a short but wholesome way to have the hew champ get some time in the spotlight, speak in two languages and look forward to her next big match at Crown Jewel.
Tessitore sells Lesnar’s destruction of Cena as a sign that this version of Brock is the most dangerous ever. So this was just to build up someone who needs no buildup. Got it.
Rhea Ripley is all business as she says she is ready for Asuka and wants to settle their recent differences in the ring tonight. Kairi Sane is caught in the middle, as per usual.
Bayley vs. Roxanne Perez
The question here is whether Bayley will switch personas mid-match and make Valkyria’s decision to accompany her to the ring backfire. Or rather, will it happen during the match or after it ends?
Bayley and Perez really work well together in this writer’s humble opinion, and I would not mind seeing them do this again. Roxanne even pulls off an impressive delivery of Pop Rox on the floor.
With the ref distracted, Raquel decides to get involved, and though Lyra manages to neutralize the powerhouse, Roxanne flies out and into Lyra. That sets off something within Bayley, who hauls her foe back into ring for a string of offense that ends with the Rose Plant.
Winner: Bayley by pinfall
After the bell, Lyra attempts to celebrate the win with Bayley in the ring, but she ends up getting slammed and berated for her hug. Bayley yells at Lyra to stay out of this as she walks back up the ramp.
Cody gets a congrats from Jimmy Uso backstage, though Jimmy asks Cody if he can talk to Jey since his brother is “all up in his head.”
We see that conversation right after the commercial break, with Jey trying to minimize the drama but also looking with envy at Rhodes’ championship belt. Or at least that’s sure how it appeared.
JD McDonagh vs. Rusev
Friends don’t let friends fight Rusev. Unless you are teammates in The Judgment Day, I guess.
There’s no way McDonagh is winning this, so we shall see if this is a Lesnar-Cena situation. No, JD is definitely getting in more offense than John did, including a springboard moonsault to the floor. Good on you, Irish Ace.
He also hits a top rope moonsault set up by a big headbutt, an unexpected hope spot if there ever was one. That’s only delaying the inevitable in this case, however, meaning a huge kick and the Accolade. Dirty Dom considers wading into the ring to help but decides against it, but when Rusev won’t release the hold, Balor comes to the rescue. That leads to Finn and Dom arguing as they usher JD to the back.
Winner: Rusev by submission
Asuka rudely blows off Iyo’s offer of assistance, and while Kairi seems like she agrees with Iyo, all it takes is one yell from Asuka and she goes running off.
Knight is interviewed backstage and claims he was trying to ensure Jey was OK at Wrestlepalooza. He’s not trying to hurt Jey but will if he has to, suggesting Jey should worry less about being hot at him and more about head health. Yeah!
Jey Uso vs. LA Knight
Giving credit where it’s due, the way WWE has had these two at each other’s throats without taking the easy way out and making Jey do a standard heel turn has been pretty enjoyable. The announcers appear a little sympathetic toward Jey, noting that it’s difficult to concentrate fully on fighting The Vision while having to worry about Knight at the same time.
The “yeet” vs. “yeah” chants ring out as they trade shots, and honestly it would be disappointing if they did not. Just a thought, but wouldn’t it be wild if Knight was the guy who could drag the best out of Jey as a singles wrestler?
Just as Knight gets rolling on offense, The Brons arrive to cause a distraction on the outside. That gives Jey the opening he needs for a spear and an Uso Splash, and that’s the winning combo on this particular night.
Winner: Jey Uso by pinfall
As Jey relishes his win up the aisle, Jimmy arrives and says they should go save Knight from being destroyed by The Brons. Jey walks off but Jimmy grabs a chair, which is enough to get Heyman to tell Breakker and Reed to back off and go after Knight some other time. The fans chant “OTC” but there is no Roman Reigns coming tonight.
Back in the locker room, Becky Lynch rants about all the wrestlers who annoy her while Rollins appears to be lost in his own thoughts. The Man says she will make an example of someone, but Seth just stares at his WrestleMania 40 watch.
Elsewhere backstage, Iyo asks Rhea to call off the match with Asuka,. But Ripley declines, saying maybe they can beat respect into each other like she and Iyo once did. Iyo seems to take offense to Rhea cautioning her about trusting Asuka, and the segment ends with Ripley bemoaning the miscommunication going on here.
After a rundown of the WWE Raw card for next week, we get a video promo explaining the history of Los Americanos. A rich history it is, no matter how revisionist. “Long live lucha libre. Long live the dominion of El Grande Americano.”
Pearce gets a visit from Maxxine Dupri, who is seeking an opportunity. Next in the office are AJ Styles and Dragon Lee, who are ticked off about Los Americanos and granted a tag match against two of them (“Which two?” cracks Pearce at one point, heh) next week.
Asuka vs. Rhea Ripley
Though the announcers are right to say this is a PLE-caliber main event, the chances of it ending without hijinks feel low. It’s all Asuka early, but Ripley manages to weather the storm long enough to unleash a flurry of her own.
Rhea connects on a big boot that sets up her cannonball off the apron to the floor. Do we really need two commercial breaks in this main event? Probably not, but that’s what we’ve now got.
Another burst of offense from Mami ends with a Razor’s Edge, though Asuka is able to kick out from that. Rhea is thinking Riptide, but Asuka counters into an armbar attempt. Ripley powers out only to get dropped by a head kick, and now she has to kick out at two.
When Ripley gets thrown out to the floor, Asuka seems frustrated that Sane won’t lend a hand. She might want to worry more about eating a dropkick from Rhea while coming off the top rope, because that looked like it might have hurt.
Sane finally summons the courage to get on the apron and intervene, but that backfires as Asuka flies in with the Empress Impact and Ripley moves, sending Sane flying. One roll-up later and Mami is once again on top.
Winner: Rhea Ripley by pinfall
The bell has barely sounded when Asuka treats Ripley to a full dose of the green mist. Sky comes down to play peacemaker and Asuka appears to accept her offer. But then Asuka nails Sky with a spinning backfist, then orders Sane to attack her friend. If you wondered whether Sane was more scared of Asuka than courageous enough to do the right thing, the answer is yes. An Insane Elbow to Sky is the icing on the cake, leaving Asuka gloating as she has gotten exactly what she wanted.
