Heavy is the head that wears the crown, but at least Jey Uso has a friend by his side tonight on WWE Raw from Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The World Heavyweight Champion has his running buddy Sami Zayn as a tag team partner to take on the formidable challenge of Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed. We’ll also see CM Punk and Liv Morgan in action in Money in the Bank qualifying matches. Not the same one, mind you, as WWE doesn’t really do that sort of thing.
Follow along below with live updates as all the action unfolds tonight from the BOK Center.
Pat McAfee is hype about the Indiana Pacers beating the New York Knicks and the bet he made with Michael Cole, which means the Voice of WWE needs to call tonight’s action in nothing but a Pacers jersey. “You look like an a–hole,” McAfee quips.
Sami Zayn tells CM Punk he must win Money in the Bank
Seeing as this show is in Oklahoma, the fans are less excited about Cole’s jersey than they are about the first wrestler to hit the ring this evening, CM Punk. “Is it great to be alive on a Monday night in Tulsa, Oklahoma or what?” Punk says, perhaps rhetorically, before appeasing the Raw crowd with a reference to the Oklahoma City Thunder that starts an “OKC” chant.
Calling for another Summer of Punk, he reminds us that he’s already won MITB twice and is looking forward to doing it a third time. “It’s time that CM Punk got some gold around his waist,” he says. Since he calls Jey Uso a friend, going after him following a briefcase win would be business, not personal. John Cena, on the other hand … that would be personal, and he would delight in coming to “pick the bones, little bitch.” He says he will see everyone at Money in the Bank after he qualifies tonight.
Hey, a small “we want Truth” chant. Expect there will be a bigger one later. In any case, Punk is not upset about being interrupted by Sami Zayn, which he appreciates. Sami declares that it’s the first time he’s heard CM Punk speak so clearly about his goal to become world champion, and while he wants the same thing, he insists that Punk has to win tonight and qualify for MITB to keep the briefcase away from Seth Rollins. Hard to argue with that logic.
Zayn adds that he also wants Punk to win tonight, but if he wins the contract and the championship, they will be face to face in the ring again for a very different conversation. “I look forward to it, Sami,” punk replies.
Roxanne Perez offers Liv Morgan help in her match tonight, but that aid is quickly rebuffed. Morgan moves on to tell Iyo Sky she plans on going after her after winning MITB, as one does. Sky tells her that’s not going to happen.
Liv Morgan vs. Ivy Nile vs. Stephanie Vaquer – Money in the Bank qualifying match
Even though there have been tons of rumors about Triple H not being a fan of the MITB concept, one thing WWE always does well in the qualifying stages is sow some doubt about who might win. This match is no exception, as Morgan is the save choice and Vaquer could use the profile boost by making it to the battle for the briefcase. Sorry Ivy, who at least gets to suplex both her opponents at once. Several times, actually.
This match is trying its best to make us think Nile has a chance, but inevitably she ends up isolated with Vaquer, and that ends badly. Vaquer will have a chance for the MITB contract on Saturday.
Winner: Stephanie Vaquer by pinfall
AJ Styles is approached with the offer of a handshake from Paul Heyman, who claims he only wants to wish AJ a happy birthday. Skepticism levels are high!
Ah, Heyman is trying to get Styles to focus on the Intercontinental Championship and forget about MITB so Rollins can win it. Styles says Heyman must be exhausted from chasing that meal ticket and that Paul should know he doesn’t respond well to threats. “You try to push me out and I will push back,” AJ says, suggesting that Heyman go tell Rollins he knows all about the plan.
A Rusev video package leads to a backstage interview with Sheamus, who tells Cathy Kelley why he’s not too pleased with the way his “old friend” is going about his business since returning to WWE. His message is simple and direct: “I bully bullies.”
The Judgment Day (Finn Balor and JD McDonagh) vs. War Raiders
The World Tag Team Champions, the New Day, join the announce team to get a closer look at this matchup. Kofi Kingston can’t hide his joy over Ivar’s new tattoo, but the Judgment Day needs to be more worried about the Raiders slamming each other onto them. The Raiders also get the tag champs ejected from ringside to the delight of the fans.
McAfee should consider becoming a NASCAR driver because he’s the best at getting the sponsor shoutouts in during Raw, calling out someone getting slammed onto the Slim Jim logo. Also this match is presented by Cash App, which I may use to buy some Slim Jim. But probably not.
Just when Ivar gets rolling, Perez shows up and prevents him from taking flight, and Balor capitalizes with a Coup de Grace to get the pinfall. Will that get Roxanne closer to being asked to join the Judgment Day?
Winners: The Judgment Day by pinfall
Becky Lynch is upset about Lyra Valkyria costing her multiple opportunities in just the six weeks since The Man has been back. Naturally, Lynch says everything Valkyria has is because of her, and when Becky wins at Money in the Bank, Lyra will have to hold up her hand.
In the back, Kelley congratulates Vaquer, who in turn gets some congrats from Rhea Ripley. Cole is psyched about that potential matchup, which, yeah.
Becky Lynch does indeed say things to Lyra Valkyria’s face, but angry Lyra wants to fight
Valkyria asks Lynch to say the things from her video to her personally, which quickly brings The Man to the ring. Alas, Lyra wants to do the talking, explaining how she needed to get angry and that Lynch brought that out of her. Also, props to the person who has the “Tiffy, My Uncle is Single” sign. I’m sure your unc appreciates that.
The Man offers a retort, questioning whether she really hurt Valkyria more than anyone else as all she wanted to do is lift Lyra up. She tries to get the last word in and leave, also refusing Lyra’s offer to fight right here and now. Valkyria pursues her up the ramp and the two have to be separated by referees.
Cole and McAfee talk NBA and the basketball player shirts available on WWEShop. After that, we get a Penta MITB hype video, always a good time. And the fans get fired up as Jey Uso and Zayn are up on the concourse before making their ring entrance. Excuse me, need to take a yeet break, I’ll be right back …
Jey Uso and Sami Zayn vs. Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed
Is Breakker too cool and too over to be a heel? It does feel like that if this Raw crowd is any indication. McAfee ponders something else: whether Breakker and Reed will get along. I think they will.
Cole and McAfee discuss why Uso is wrestling in the tag match Saturday, a good question within the narrative of WWE and possibly in the real world as well depending on how you feel about the current world champ. Could you put Uso and Breakker in a program right now without the crowd siding with Bron, or is Jey over enough to avoid a disaster?
A crowd-pleasing spot sees Zayn fly to the floor to get caught by the heels, followed by Uso’s suicide dive knocking everyone over. That turns out to be the last big move of the match since Rollins arrives to deliver a stomp that forces the ref to call for the bell. The fans call for Punk and he obliges, brandishing a chair and saving Zayn from possibly seeing his life flash before his eyes as Reed was preparing to splash him through the announce table.
Rollins is heard telling Breakker they know where Punk will be later tonight and they have him right where they want him.
Winners: Jey Uso and Sami Zayn by DQ
There’s more tension in The Judgment Day clubhouse, though Balor tells Morgan that Perez is only there to help and that there’s no master plan. Dominik Mysterio tries to apologize for last week, but Balor says it’s all good between them. Finn is playing 4D chess here, I’m certain.
Kairi Sane vs. Raquel Rodriguez
This is a fun if obvious style matchup where Sane needs to get the match going at her pace and use her quickness to keep the upper hand. It’s working well enough to make Morgan want to intervene, but Sky shows up to even the odds.
Sane drops the Insane Elbow and gets the win. But the bigger deal here is that Balor wanted to send Perez to aid Rodriguez and Morgan said no. Everything’s coming up Finn right now.
Winner: Kairi Sane by pinfall
Zayn is getting checked out in the back when Karrion Kross arrives, and Sami flips out and asks what Kross’ obsession is. Karrion insists the issue is that Sami is a bad guy, not a good guy, and leaves Zayn with at least a little to consider as he walks away.
Cole and McAfee run down the Worlds Collide card, making me skeptical about two things:
- Cole says Mr. Iguana is one of his favorites.
- McAfee claims he has been a AAA fan for “a long time.”
A video package then promotes the Jey Uso-Gunther rematch on next week’s Raw before Gunther visits Jey in the locker room. The former champ says he thinks Jey is trying his best to be a great champion but his tendency to go with his head over his heart will be his downfall. I enjoy this, it’s like a supervillain telling his arch-foe superhero that his weakness is caring about innocents or the Emperor telling Luke Skywalker his faith in his friends is foolish.
AJ Styles vs. El Grande Americano vs. CM Punk – Money in the Bank qualifying match
The tension for tonight’s Raw main event is different than the other qualifier. Here it seems like Punk would be a natural favorite, except his enemies have already hinted at messing with him, and there are no DQs in this kind of match. You see where this might be headed.
The dueling chants of “he’s Chad Gable” and “no he’s not” are kind of fun. Maybe this will turn into a race to see who can pin Grande first. The Raw fans think this is awesome, so that’s good.
Americano is nailed by the GTS and Punk covers, but of course is dragged from the ring by Breakker. Uso (as Gunther predicted) and Zayn rush down to even things up with Breakker and Reed, and Styles flies to the floor to land on all of them.
Styles lines up a Phenomenal Forearm but Americano greets him with a headbutt from his loaded mask, and I have to admit WWE got me, as the luchador advances to Money in the Bank.
Winner: El Grande Americano by pinfall
There are still plenty of bad vibes to work out among the other combatants and Rollins’ crew, but the latter quickly gets the upper hand as Zayn and Uso both end up eating a spear from Breakker and a Stomp from Rollins. Uso is held in place to take a Tsunami from Bronson, then another. Cole wonders who can stop Rollins at MITB and his group in general, and correctly says things are looking bleak for Uso heading into his title rematch next week on Raw. But that’s it for this week’s Raw, and as Netflix says at the end, thanks for joining!
