WWE RAW Grand Rapids, Michigan
The commentators are Michael Cole and Wade Barrett.
– Tonight is WWE RAW, the red show begins with a video of the events from last Monday on RAW with Drew McMcIntyre, who has decided to team up with Judgment Day.
Drew McIntyre is in the ring to boo. McIntyre says he is not Dominik Mysterio and he has the right to speak. McIntyre says he is upset by the recent comments. He is called a liar etc. But he never lied to anyone. If we decided to turn our backs on him, it doesn’t matter because that means we weren’t a true Drew fan. He looked Jey Uso in the eyes before attacking him. And Jey probably wants an apology for causing his defeat, but he can’t remember ever hearing an apology from Jey around his family. McIntyre says Cody was collateral damage. Cody brought Jey back to RAW and he saw Cody’s moves on SmackDown. He can’t forgive Jey, Jey cost him the greatest moment of his life at Clash At The Castle in front of his family.
McIntyre says he sacrificed 16 years without his family and he should have had this big moment, but Jey’s family took this moment away from his family. McIntyre says everyone is focused on one question: Did Drew McIntyre join Judgment Day? He’s been the same guy since day one. He asks the crowd if he has joined Doomsday. The audience is mixed. McIntyre says, despite all these years, we don’t know him well. No, he’s not on Judgment Day, but yes, he’ll be on their team at WarGames. For what ? Because Rhea Ripley gave him something no one can give him: Jey Uso in a cage. McIntyre says this is a warning, Jey’s fate rests with him. Jey Uso’s music starts and he comes.
Jey Uso says McIntyre needs to move on. McIntyre cost him his title shot. Jey asks the fans if they want to see him attack McIntyre. The crowd agrees, but Judgment Day comes from the other side on the apron to protect McIntyre. Seth Rollins, Sami Zayn and Cody Rhodes enter the ring. Adam Pearce stands between the two clans. Adam Pearce says WarGames is Saturday so no one will be fighting tonight. If someone touches someone before Saturday, the other team has an advantage. Pearce says McIntyre is at WarGames, so Team Cody needs to find a fifth partner. And they have to do it before the end of the evening. And at 9 p.m. (3 a.m. in Paris) he wants to know who will fight for the lead in the singles. You have to vote before 9pm or he will.
– Back after the break, backstage, discussing Judgment Day together. Damian Priest tells Ripley that adding McIntyre to the team was good, but as a leader he would have liked to know so he could talk about it. Ripley says McIntyre was unpredictable and she didn’t know it. But she understands that they should have discussed everything together near WarGames. The priest asks where Drew is. Ripley says he’ll be there soon. Priest says he should be in the advantage game tonight. Ripley says they’ll wait for Drew to talk about it together.
Single game
Nia Jax vs. Raquel Rodriguez
At the end of the fight, Rodriguez tries to hit Jax, but she can’t get him up. Jax hits a senton on Rodriguez to crush him. Jax goes to the corner for his finisher but Rodriguez gets up and tries a powerbomb but Rodriguez falls to the floor. Jax continues his Banzai Drop and counts to three.
Winner: Nia Jax
– We present a video about Xia Li.
– Back, behind the scenes, we find Judgment Day. JD McDonagh agrees Priest should be in the game tonight. The priest asks when McIntyre will arrive. Drew McIntyre comes out and says he heard Priest wants the advantage match. Priest asks if he has any problem. McIntyre says no, but he was thinking about having him in the match and not Priest. He doesn’t have a problem with JD, but he hates Jey. Priest says McIntyre cost him a title. McIntyre tells him to take it easy. Priest finally agrees to let McIntyre in the game. McIntyre says it’s a real example of leadership.
– On SmackDown we present a video from Becky Lynch, who decided to join the WarGames last Friday.
– Back, behind the scenes, we find Cody Rhodes’ clan. Seth Rollins says he wants Drew tonight. Jey Uso says he wants it too. Rollins says McIntyre will destroy Jey and they need him on Saturday. Jey says McIntyre talked about family, it’s important, he wants the match. Seth agrees. Sami says the match is decided tonight but who will be the fifth partner. They have spoken to Nick Aldis and can choose to side with SmackDown if necessary. Cody says he has an old friend he can call too.
Single game
Becky Lynch vs. Xia Li
At the end of the fight, Becky goes to perform her Dis Arm Her, but Xia manages to push her away. Xia puts Becky on her shoulders for an air plane spin and covers her, but Becky fights back for two. Xia goes to the corner but Becky gets back up and hits her. The two trade blows in the corner, Becky manages to catch Xia by surprise and cover her, but she fights back for two. Becky takes Xia in for the finish, but Xia blocks her and delivers a round kick, causing Becky to fall to the floor of the ring. The referee decides if Becky is not knocked out and Becky gets up. Xia goes for another round kick, but Becky pushes her back into the post. The two wrestlers return to the ring to break the count and exchange blows. Becky avoids a round kick and hits him with the man handle slam for a three count.
Winner: Becky Lynch
– After the match, Damage CTRL comes out of the crowd and approaches the ring, but Charlote Flair, Shotzi and Bianca Belair arrive to fight. A fight breaks out between the wrestlers and security arrives to separate everyone.
– Ludwig Kaiser is walking behind the scenes and Giovanni Vinci stops him to see if everything is okay. Kaiser says nothing is wrong. He didn’t like seeing Vinci trying to get on good sides with Gunther. Vinci says he will do whatever is necessary for Imperium. Gunther loved his job for Imperium, so he will continue to do so. Kaiser says Gunther put him in charge. So Vinci will stay behind the scenes and deal with Johnny Gargano alone.
– Back, the wrestlers are coming.
Single game
Johnny Gargano accompanied by Tommaso Ciampa against Ludwig Kaiser
At the end of the fight, Emperor Gargano gave a knee strike. Giovanni Vinci arrives at ringside to give instructions, but Kaiser tells him to go backstage. Gargano takes the opportunity to hit Kaiser and hits him with a slingshot DDT for a three count.
Winner: Johnny Gargano
– On video today, Chelsea Green and Piper Niven chat with Adam Pearce and say it’s a shame to share the locker room with non-champions. Natalya and Tegan Nox arrive and demand a match for the tag team titles. Kayden Carter and Katana Chance come out and say that Natalya and Nox aren’t a real team. Indi Hartwell and Candice LeRae as well as Maxxine Dupri and Ivy Nile are also coming to secure their spots. Pearce organizes a 4-way match to crown the next contestants.
– Back, WWE announces Backlash in France in 2024, full details here.
– Backstage, Rhea Ripley and Dominik find Zoey Stark and Shayna Baszler on their sofa. Ripley asks what they are doing. Stark says they heard so much about the Judgment Day Club that they wanted to see it. Once again, Ripley isn’t worried enough about her. It’s all well and good here, but the most interesting thing is the women’s title, because after Survivor Series, the title comes straight home. Ripley says Stark will take a beating at Survivor Series for this.
– Chelsea Green and Piper Niven will be on commentary for the next game.
WWE Emerging Tag Team Titles – 4-Way Tag Team Match
Indi Hartwell and Candice LeRae vs. Katana Chance and Kayden Carter vs. Maxxine Dupri and Ivy Nile vs. Natalya and Tegan Nox
At the end of the match, Natalya uses her Sharpshooter on Chance, but Nile blocks the submission with a bulldog. Dupri takes over the tag and delivers two body slams to Nox! Dupri starts dancing like Otis and hits Nox with an elbow drop. Dupri follows up with a bridge suplex on Nox, but Nox withstands two! Dupri pushes Nox into the corner for a splash. Nile and Dupri double suplex Nox and do the thank you sign. Nile and Dupri go to the corners, but Natalya pulls Nile out of the ring. Nox turns Dupri’s cross body into a quick three count.
Winners: Natalya and Tegan Nox
– Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci argue together behind the scenes. Gunther comes and asks the two of them for an explanation. Kaiser said he warned Vinci to stay away. Everything was fine, otherwise he would have easily beaten Gargano. Gunther says Kaiser never listens. He truly believed that Kaiser could increase the group’s prestige, but Kaiser disappoints him. He praises da Vinci’s efforts, but perhaps he commissioned the wrong person to do it. Now they can watch him face Miz.
– The Miz enters the ring for the face-to-face.
– Back, behind the scenes, the teams are arguing. Adam Pearce comes to find out what’s happening. Xavier Woods says the wrestlers had a chance, they want a fight too. Pearce says they can’t make it tonight, but Next week they will all compete in a Turmoil Tag Team for a shot at the Tag Team Titles. All are happy. Nick Aldis arrives and Pearce says they need to talk.
– The Miz is in the ring for his MizTV. Miz says he wants to talk to him before Gunther arrives. That is the word respect. This word accompanies him everywhere and in sports. The respect for the wrestlers in the ring comes from the fans. Respect for the people behind the scenes. Which leads to Gunther showing no respect for his achievements. Gunther’s music interrupts Miz and he enters the ring. Gunther says he has to clarify something. That’s not disrespect, he just has no respect for Miz. His holy reign consists of competitions and fights, while the Miz is merely an entertainer.
Miz says he prides himself on entertaining. He’s a WWE superstar because he can do it in the ring and out of the ring. Like the wrestlers you saw at a young age who were larger than life. Macho Man, Rick Rude, Mr Perfect, Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart. They all had this prestigious title, so he fought for the title of hero for years. The reason they’re still in conversation is because they’re not a one-word robot like Gunther. Gunther says Miz is clearly having fun. Miz says he can amuse him more. He was at the top of the mountain and was pushed down many times to change. This is what makes an entertainer immortal and enhances the legacy of the title. He will do everything in his power to win the title because that is who he is. And Gunther, he doesn’t know much, Gunther has never been down the mountain. When Gunther falls, we’ll see if he deserves our respect. Will Gunther go back up the mountain or will he be someone in the machine who has no personality? If Gunther doesn’t have respect, he’ll give him respect at Survivor Series and become a nine-time Intercontinental Champion! The crowd chants “Miz.”
Gunther says Miz wants to speak loudly, he’ll make his point. Everyone thinks he’ll face the Miz on Saturday, 20-year career, two-time Grand Slam champion and future Hall of Famer. But from his perspective, he’ll face someone just like everyone else in this building on Saturday, a weird little Mike Miz who was bullied in high school because he idolized his heroes. And when Miz graduated, he began a career as a WWE superstar, but then met his heroes and was bullied by them because he didn’t deserve his place in the sport. It’s the truth. 20 years later, Miz hasn’t always earned his place in the sport and in his ring. Miz deserves his place in the crowd among the other weirdos. The crowd chants “USA.” Gunther says it’s the only masturbation chant that hides her insecurities like Miz. He thinks Miz wasn’t intimidated enough. Gunther urges him to provoke him and tells Miz to defend himself. Miz starts to beat Gunther, but Gunther pushes him away with a big boot. Gunther tries to say that Miz isn’t on his level, but Miz low blows him. Miz continues with his Skull Crushing Finale and poses with the Intercontinental Title.
– Backstage, Jey Uso prepares for his match and Seth Rollins arrives. Rollins says they have a great history, but they have to get the win tonight. It’s important to have an advantage in WarGames. Jey knows this well since he’s been in the WarGames cage. So Jey gets the advantage and comes back in one piece, they need him. Jey agrees.
– Back, behind the scenes, we find Ivar and Valhalla. Both say Bronson Reed will be bitten because of his lack of respect for the gods. In a week the earth will shake, Ivar vs. Reed on RAW.
Single game
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Chad Gable, accompanied by Alpha Academy
At the end of the match, Nakamura lunges at Kinshasa, but Gable avoids him and gives him a German suplex in the bridge, but Nakamura fights off two. Gable tries for a moment, but Nakamura blocks it. Gable hits a full nelson suplex. Gable goes to the corner and hits a moonsault, but Nakamura blocks it with his legs and suplexes him. Nakamura continues his Kinshasa, but Gable converts it into the ankle lock and Nakamura manages to push him away. Nakamura tries to push him into the corner without a cushion, but Gable blocks him, Nakamura surprises him with a roll up and counts to three.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
– Backstage, Damian Priest stops Drew McIntyre before his match. McIntyre says he doesn’t need help. The priest says that’s perfect, they didn’t offer that. Ripley tells him to get the upper hand. McIntyre says he’ll have the advantage and send Jey to the sidelines for good.
– Back, backstage, Bronson tells Reed that he wasn’t the one who escaped last week by letting his witch friend do the fighting. Next week’s challenge is accepted. The tsunami wave will destroy it.
– The commentators present the WWE Survivor Series WarGames 2023 card that will take place this Saturday (discover here).
– Backstage, Sami Zayn and Seth Rollins motivate Jey for the match. Cody Rhodes arrives and asks if he has any news for the fifth member. Sami says his plan won’t work. Seth asks about him. Cody says he answered the phone and said yes, so he’ll be in the match !
WarGames Advantage – Single game
Drew McIntyre vs. Jey Uso
At the end of the fight, McIntyre tries a claymore, but Jey blocks it with a superkick and covers him, but he blocks two. Jey goes to the corner but McIntyre comes back up and takes him down. McIntyre hits a Future Shock DDT and covers for the win.
Winner: Drew McIntyre
– After the match, Rhea Ripley comes to ringside and tells McIntyre to finish Jey Uso. McIntyre brings Jey to the ring and sets up the announce table. Jey manages to hit McIntyre to push him away, but Judgment Day comes in to take down Jey. Cody Rhodes’ music hits and the Clan arrives to force Judgment Day out of the ring with chair shots. Cody gets on the microphone and says he’s happy that the JD has the advantage. They are also happy that the JD can have a star because they are not alone. They found someone who had a “legacy” with it. He is an “Apex Predator”. The crowd chants “Randy.” It’s not just voices in our heads, because the people here are right! The show ends like this.
Photo credit: WWE