WWE RAW Review – August 28, 2023
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champion Sami Zayn vs. Mr Money In The Bank Damian Priest
Match starts off with a lock up then Damian Priest delivers a knee to Sami Zayn’s midsection then follows it up with a shoulder tackle. Zayn fires back with a few chops but Priest lands several stomps in the corner and a right hand.
Zayn then delivers an elbow drop off the middle rope before delivering a dropkick through the middle rope and a moonsault off the ropes on the outside.
They get back in the ring and Zayn fires off right hands on Priest in the corner. Priest lands a clothesline and follows it up with several stomps then delivers more right hands and an elbow in the corner then executes a sit out suplex but Zayn manages to dump him out of the ring.
He looks to go flying but Priest stops him in his tracks but Zayn fights him off and sends him into the ring post shoulder first then looks to go flying once more but Priest catches him and sends him face first into the announce table as we go to a break.
After the break Zayn delivers a sit out powerbomb to Priest off the middle rope then delivers several right hands to his head and clotheslines him out of the ring before he goes flying over the top to level him.
He tosses Priest back inside the ring and ascends to the top rope then looks for a splash but Priest catches him but Zayn escapes his grasp and hits a Blue Thunder Bomb.
Priest lands a pair of kicks to Zayn’s head and knee then looks for Razor’s Edge but Zayn escapes and hits an exploder then sets up for the Helluva Kick.
JD McDonagh appears out of nowhere and grabs Zayn’s ankle & that opens the door for Priest to land South Of Heaven for the win.
Winner: Mr Money In The Bank Damian Priest
After the match Priest shoves McDonagh and tells him to stay out of his business then he storms up the ramp leaving McDonagh alone in the ring. Kevin Owens shows up and beats down McDonagh along with Zayn. Owens lands a Stunner and Zayn follows it up with a Helluva Kick as Priest watches what’s happening from the top of the ramp.
After the break we see Akira Tozawa tell Drew McIntyre he looks great before walking off. Matt Riddle walks in and asks McIntyre what he thinks about the picture he’s holding. McIntyre reveals a photo of himself in Riddle’s ring gear and Riddle says every great team has matching gear. McIntyre says he thought they agreed to see where things go with their partnership. Riddle pleads his case as to why McIntyre should be his tag team partner and tells him they should watch New Day collide with Viking Raiders at ringside so they can scout the competition in the tag team division. McIntyre agrees to do so but only so he can see Viking Raiders get beat up.
We then head over to a video hyping up the Women’s World Title match between Rhea Ripley & Raquel Rodriguez at Payback.
After the break LA Knight’s music hits but The Miz emerges instead dressed in Knight’s clothing and sharing his mannerisms.
The Miz says he wants to talk to Memphis then says he’s so dangerous that he starts flubbing his words when he’s in the ring with Miz. He says the fans need to earn their cheers, then grabs a bag from the ring steps full of Knight’s t shirts. He tells the crowd to say ‘yeah’ if they want a free shirt, but tosses it onto the floor instead of into the crowd. He then removes Knight’s shirt, reverting back to himself in the process and calls the fans pathetic. He says anyone can be generic and vanilla like Knight then claims that he doesn’t do catchphrases like Knight. He says the party will be over when he beats Knight and says it’s his game.
Tag Team Match
New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) vs. Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar)
Xavier Woods & Erik lock up to get this match started then Woods lands a chop then follows it up with a shoulder tackle. Erik fires back with a forearm and a sidewalk slam before Ivar tags in and lands several right hands. Erik tags back in and Ivar lands a knee on Woods’ midsection. Erik then pins Woods but Woods kicks out.
Ivar tags in and delivers a right hand but Woods fires off several of his own. Ivar responds with another knee to Woods’ midsection but Woods manages to make the tag to Kofi Kingston & he lands a thrust kick on Ivar’s jaw then ascends to the top and delivers a crossbody.
He follows it up with a kick to his chest and Boom Drop then gets the crowd and Matt Riddle fired up before taking a dance break on top of the announce table with Woods as we go to a break.
After the break Ivar delivers a snapmare to Kingston and follows it up with several back elbows in the corner. Kingston fires back with a dropkick off the ropes before Erik tags back in and Viking Raiders level Kingston.
Ivar tags back in and delivers a double ax handle then tags back out to Erik & Erik does the same and tags Ivar back in. Kingston takes advantage of Viking Raiders staring down by McRiddle but Ivar catches him with a big boot and delivers a right hand to Kingston’s spine. Kingston lands a jawbreaker then tags in Woods.
Woods delivers a side Russian leg sweep to Erik then flattens Ivar then Erik tags in and delivers a knee to the back of Woods’ neck. Kingston makes the blind tag and delivers a knee to Ivar’s face. Woods plants him face first and Kingston goes flying off the middle rope then he goes for a pin but Erik breaks the fall.
Woods levels Erik and sends him crashing to the outside. Kingston does the same to Ivar then looks to go flying off the ring steps to level him. Ivar catches him and sends him into the ring steps face first then sends him crashing on top of McRiddle.
McIntyre looks to throw his chair on Erik but accidentally hits Woods so Ivar then levels him with a cannonball off the apron and tosses Kingston back inside the ring. Erik tags back in and Ivar lands a spinning back heel kick then Viking Raiders hits Ragnarok for the win.
Winners: Viking Raiders
After the match Drew McIntyre looks to attack Viking Raiders but they roll out of the ring before he can. McIntyre then checks on Woods and apologizes to him.
We then head backstage to Judgment Day. Finn Balor tells Damian Priest that they need to get it together and Priest says they need to focus on themselves instead of people like JD McDonagh. Balor says McDonagh is the only reason Priest won his match tonight and the pair begin to argue. Rhea Ripley intervenes and says Judgment Day is starting to fall apart because they keep arguing. She says herself & NXT North American Champion Dominik Mysterio are the only ones handling Judgment Day business then gets them on the same page ahead of Payback. She says if they don’t win gold then there will be some changes.
We head to a video honoring Bray Wyatt and his legacy in WWE & over in the ringside area fans chant Thank You Bray as fireflies line the stands and an empty rocking chair sits on the top of the ramp.
After the break we see Kofi Kingston emerge from the medical office then McRiddle approach him and ask how Xavier Woods is doing. Kingston says Woods isn’t doing great but he’ll be alright. McIntyre then apologizes and Kingston says there’s no hard feelings. McRiddle will face Viking Raiders next week adding that he’s going to chat with Adam Pearce to make sure he won’t have to tag in.
Intercontienetal Champion Gunther stands on top of the announce table as Giovanni Vinci & Ludwig Kaiser flank him. Gunther says Chad Gable made history last week as the 1st man to beat him in more than 500 days by Count Out in an Intercontinental Title match. He says Gable won nothing since he is still the Intercontienetal Champion although he managed to achieve one thing angering him. He says Gable has his focus and attention then says if Gable is the last thing between him and his legacy then so be it. He announces that he will be defending his Intercontienetal Title once again against Gable next week and says he won’t beat Kaiser tonight.
Alpha Academy’s music cuts him off & they appear. Chad Gable says normally he would shoosh Gunther but he made some good points. He brags about being the 1st person to defeat Gunther in 2 years and says it won’t take him ten seconds to dethrone him next week because he’ll do it in 3 instead then tells Kaiser to get inside the ring and Kaiser does just that.
Chad Gable vs. Ludwig Kaiser
Match starts off with a lock up then they go back & forth with submission holds before Gable dumps Kaiser out of the ring and delivers a cannonball off the apron before we go to a break.
After the break Gable once again dumps Kaiser out of the ring then Kaiser slides back in and they go back & forth locking in submission holds on one another once again. Gable executes a drop toe hold but Kaiser fires back with a shoulder tackle.
Gable lands a chop and cinches in an Ankle Lock on Kaiser but Kaiser makes it over to the ropes to break the hold then delivers a clothesline out of the corner and sends him crashing to the outside then delivers an uppercut as we go to a 2nd break.
After the 2nd break Kaiser sends Gable into the ring post shoulder first then follows it up with a dropkick that sends Gable tumbling out of the ring then tosses him back inside the ring and delivers a chop to his chest.
He lands an enziguri but Gable fires back with chops then Kaiser plants Gable but Gable fires off chops and follows it up with a dragon screw then looks for a German suplex but Kaiser plants him and delivers a kick to his face.
Gable drags Kaiser over the top rope and delivers an uppercut to him when he gets back in the ring then executes a rolling neckbreaker and looks for a moonsault off the top rope but Kaiser evades the maneuver and the action spills back to the outside where Gable lands Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci with a moonsault off the top rope.
He gets Kaiser back in the ring and ascends to the top rope & looks to go flying and Kaiser looks to block. Gable transitions into an Ankle Lock but Kaiser fights him off and delivers an uppercut.
He gets Gable up on his shoulders but Gable escapes and delivers Chaos Theory then goes for the pin but Vinci breaks the fall and the referee calls for the bell.
Winner By DQ: Chad Gable
After the match Otis beats down Vinci. Kaiser & Vinci eventually overpower him and send him crashing into the ring post. They then go after Gable as Gunther makes his way into the ring. Vinci and Kaiser look to continue to beat Gable down but Gunther pulls them off and delivers a Powerbomb Gable. He then stands tall with Vinci & Kaiser holding his Intercontinental Title above his head.
After the break we head over to a tribute video for Bob Barker.
World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins welcomes fans to Monday Night Rollins with a Yowie Wowie then introduces himself and says it’s been a long week. He says he’s going to keep things short and sweet then calls Shinsuke Nakamura out to the ring.
Nakamura appears on the Titan Tron and tells Rollins he wants to dismantle him as we see him training. He says she wants Becky Lynch to know he’s the reason she has to help him out of his beat and make him unable to walk his daughter down the aisle. He says he will destroy Rollins’ back and put him out of his misery before adding he has no future.
Rollins asks if that’s all he gets from Nakamura then says he wants to know what happened to the Nakamura that headlined the Tokyo Dome and the one who arrived in NXT. He tells Nakamura he would’ve given him the shirt off his back last month but his back won’t stop him from beating him at Payback. He says he won’t stop until someone pulls him off Nakamura then says he’ll make sure Nakamura will know he won’t get to take anything from him.
Nakamura blindsides Rollins from behind and whispers something into his ear. He lands a kick on his face and takes a bow before heading to the back.
We then head backstage to Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens & they inform Finn Balor & Damian Priest that their Undisputed Tag Team Titles match at Payback will be a Steel City Street Fight.
Tommaso Ciampa vs. Bronson Reed
Bronson Reed blindsides Tommaso Ciampa on the ramp before Ciampa manages to deliver a running knee off the apron as we go to a break.
After the break Ciampa goes flying off the middle rope to level Reed then rains down right hands but Reed catches him with a splash before he looks for a vertical suplex but Reed fights his way out and sends Reed into the middle turnbuckle face first.
He follows it up with an Air Raid Crash but Reed responds with a running sit out powerbomb then they exchange chops on the apron before Reed sends Ciampa into the ring steps face first and follows it up with a shoulder tackle.
Ciampa then delivers Willow’s Bell to Reed once they return to the ring and follows it up with a running knee. Ciampa fires off chops but Reed responds with a few of his own then Ciampa hits a Crucifix Bomb for the win.
Winner: Tommaso Ciampa
We see NXT Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton in the crowd.
Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley takes a few shots at Raquel Rodriguez and says she doesn’t blame Rodriguez for playing up her injury in order to get one up on her. She says her resume speaks for itself and it would take her too long to list off all her accomplishments. She says her Women’s World Title says it all then says Rodriguez might be big and tough but she is not her. She says when it comes to Payback she will still walk out as titleholder.
Rodriguez’s music hits and she storms down to the ring. She wastes no time tossing Ripley into the corner and delivering a fallaway slam. Dominik Mysterio grabs Rodriguez’s attention allowing Ripley to set her up for Riptide but Rodriguez escapes with a hip toss then lands a clothesline.
After the break we head to a tribute video in honor of Terry Funk.
Falls Count Anywhere Match
Becky Lynch vs. Zoey Stark
Becky Lynch & Zoey Stark have kendo sticks in hand as the bell rings. Lynch hits Stark in the midsection with hers then cracks it across her spine a couple of times and gets in a shot on her side then uses the kendo stick for extra leverage on a side Russian leg sweep and uses it to lock in a Crossface.
Stark escapes on the outside and Lynch follows her out there. Stratus takes a couple of shots at Lynch with the kendo stick but Lynch levels both women after she goes flying off the ropes.
She sends Stark into the barricade before Stark sends Lynch colliding with the ring steps and goes for a pin. Lynch kicks out and Stark gets her back in the ring. Stark delivers a missile dropkick off the top rope and Stratus tosses a chair her way.
Stratus accidentally hits Stark in the face with it before tossing several more her way then Stark creates a pile in the ring and sits Lynch on the top. Stark lands a right hand but Lynch fights her off and delivers a leg drop.
She looks to lock in Dis Arm Her but Stark sends her crashing into the chairs face first to prevent her from doing so. Lynch lands a Manhandle Slam and goes for a pin. Stratus breaks the fall and Lynch chases her around the ring.
Stratus grabs one of the kendo sticks once more and looks to hit Lynch with it but Lynch grabs it from her and cracks it across her spine all the away up the ramp. Stark then hits Lynch with a chair and goes for a pin but Lynch kicks out as we go to a break.
After the break Lynch delivers a right hand to Stark off the barricade and into the ringside area then delivers a Bexploder to her onto the barricade and gets her back inside the ring. She pulls out a table but Stark delivers a dropkick to her through the ropes before she can set it up.
She tosses Lynch back inside the ring and delivers a jawbreaker off the top rope before cracking a chair across her spine repeatedly then she places it on top of her chest and goes flying over the top rope from the apron.
Stark places the chair across her chest once again and ascends to the top rope but Lynch stops her from flying by hitting her with the chair then superplexes Stark on top of the pile of chairs previously set up.
Lynch clears the announce table and sends Stark’s head crashing into it then she gets up on the table with Stark in hand and looks for a Manhandle Slam but Stark fights her off then Stratus reappears and trips Lynch.
Stark then delivers a running knee and goes for a pin on top of the announce table but Lynch kicks out and climbs up on the barricade near the timekeepers area. She pushes her off and levels Stratus then gets Stark on top of another barricade.
Stratus blindsides her and sends her crashing through a table with a bulldog then she helps Stark over so she can pin her and Stark does just that. Lynch kicks out and the 3 women brawl thorough the crowd. Stratus & Stark look to send Lynch crashing off a road case with a double bulldog.
Stark then looks to send Lynch crashing off it with a forearm but accidentally hits Stratus and sends her crashing through the table so Lynch takes advantage of the chaos and delivers a Manhandle Slam to Stark off the road case and through a 2nd table for the win.
Winner: Becky Lynch
Payback Card (Sept 2nd)
Steel Cage Match
Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus
World Heavyweight Title Match
Seth Rollins (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Women’s World Title Match
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Raquel Rodriguez
United States Title Match
Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Austin Theory
LA Knight vs. The Miz
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles Steel City Street Fight
Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens (c) vs. Judgement Day (Mr Money In The Bank Damian Priest & Finn Balor)
Next Week’s Raw
Tornado Tag Team Match
Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar) vs. McRiddle (Drew McIntyre & Matt Riddle)
Intercontienetal Title Match
Gunther (c) vs. Chad Gable
