WWE Raw: A good show featuring two must-see matches

Thomas Starr

Jey Uso is your new intercontinental champion.
Jey Uso is your new intercontinental champion.

This was a good edition of Raw. The first hour featured a couple of highlights, which were the best parts of the show. Dom and Liv opened the show with an in-ring promo. Just the sight of them raised the crowd’s ire. The stipulation of Dom being in a shark cage at Bad Blood was perfect. Dom selling the cage by saying, “I can’t go back” was hilarious.

The match between Zayn and Kaiser was excellent. Kaiser is coming into his own and Sami made him look like a stud. Gunther coming down and teasing having a match with Sami right then was great. When he said, “No.” I laughed. Sami has brought got the best in Gunther.

The main event delivered. Throughout the show they pointed out that Jey Uso has never won a singles title. The crowd got behind and when he won, they blew the roof off. Exceptionally good match.

Show Open

Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan arrived in a lowrider. Before they entered the arena, Bronson Reed attacked Braun Strowman and drove him through a merchandise table. Why the merchandise table was where no one could get to it, I do not know. That lowrider is heat, though.

These two are the best heels in wrestling. They are completely unlikable. There is no one cheering when Dom and Liv are in the ring.

Rhea Ripley interrupted and told Liv to shut up. Everyone in that building was thinking the same thing.

Adam decided that Dom will be in a shark cage at Bad Blood. Rhea headbutted Liv Morgan to end the segment. That headbutt looked fantastic. Liv was not unconscious afterwards, so I assume it did not land. It looked that good.

Sami Zayn vs. Ludwig Kaiser

Kaiser is another unlikable heel. His body language and facials are terrific. The haircut and those micro-tights are not endearing in any way.

I was happy to see WWE had the commercial before the match, so we got a sizable chunk of work before the next commercial. Sami took a nasty looking bump into Samantha Irvin’s chair by the barricades as they went to the break.

A fantastic match. Sami gave Kaiser most of the match. Ludwig pulled out several classic heel moves including an eye rake and feet on the ropes. Ludwig countered a Helluva kick, but Sami eventually hit it and won.

Winner: Sami Zayn

Gunther came out enraged. He said Sami had been asking for a match for weeks. Gunther teased that they would have the match tonight. Then he said, “No.” That was hilarious.

New Day and American Made did some comedy in the back to setup a match. Brutus Creed’s new gimmick is he has a high-pitched laugh. That does not seem like a step forward, but okay.

Dragon Lee vs. Carlito

Dragon Lee had new gear on. The mask was cool, but he took it off for his regular mask. I do not know if it is possible, but if he could wrestle in a mask like that it might help him get over.

This was short. Dragon Lee won. I am not sure what that accomplished, but at least it was short.

Winner: Dragon Lee

Karrion Kross showed up backstage to talk to Miz. He is trying to get into Miz’s head. I do not know why. I also do not care.

Nine o’clock hour

WWE welcomed Netflix to Raw. There were about a dozen people in the front row when they said this. None of them were identified and I did not recognize anyone. Were they executives?

Sheamus is trying desperately to get the crowd to chant “Butch” at Pete Dunne. He did a promo in the back and started the chant, but the crowd was not feeling it.

Bronson Reed vs. Miz

There is no reason to have this match but watching Miz get squashed could be a weekly thing and I would watch.

Instead, Braun attacked Bronson before the match. Security tried to separate them. Two of them got into…well…a position on the mat and waited for Reed to splash them. It looked ridiculous.

This was chaos. Security stopped Strowman from suplexing Bronson off the top rope. Then Strowman attempted a dropkick. Why? He barely grazed Reed’s hip. The crowd audibly groaned.

Winner: No contest

Security finally separated them, and we went to break.

Drew McIntyre promo

Drew echoed the tone of Punk’s promo from last week. He said he does not want to be in Hell in a Cell. His family has also asked him not to do the match. Drew promised to make Punk bleed “a lot.” Great intensity. A bloody, violent match is the only way this feud can end.

Adam Pearce announced Strowman vs. Reed in a Last Man Standing match next week on Raw. Pearce heard fighting nearby and found Dunne hit Sheamus with the cricket bat.

Unholy Union vs. Damage CTRL

Bianca and Jade talked with Damage CTRL backstage. WWE is trying to get last week’s Iyo Sky vs. Bianca Belair over as women’s match of the year. It was not a great match, so the hype is absurd.

Very sloppy match. They did get the crowd up, though. The ending saw Kairi attempt her insane elbow to the outside, but she completely missed and landed on her backside. That had to hurt. Iyo hit a moonsault and got the pin.

Winners: Damage CTRL

WWE aired a replay of the Roman Reigns-Cody Rhodes cinematic package from Smackdown. This was very well done. There are some huge questions that could be asked about how everyone ended up there and how it fits with the rest of the shows, but it is better not to think too much?

Roman Reigns is the same guy as he was, which is good. Too often modern wrestling promotions try to turn long-time villains into goody goody babyfaces and lose what got that wrestler over in the first place.

New Day vs. American Made

Joe Tessitore mentioned that the Creeds have only lost two matches since joining Gable. Have they had more than two matches? I hope they have moved them away from the Wyatts because that is a dead end.

Winners: American Made

New Day and The LWO had a run-in backstage. Xavier Woods agreed to a match with Rey for next week.

Bron Breakker vs. Jey Uso – Intercontinental Title

Good match. The crowd was really into it by the end. Jey used two splashes to beat Breakker. This is his first singles title.

Winner: Jey Uso

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