WWE Raw Review – June 26, 2023
Kicking off this week’s Raw with a video recapping the events that have led to the upcoming match at Money In The Bank between Cody Rhodes & Dominik Mysterio.
Mysterio tries to welcome fans to Raw but boos from the crowd drown him out. Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley then calls Cody Rhodes a loser and says his momentum has been slowing down as of late & she says Mysterio will put him out of his misery in London, England.
Rhodes’ music hits and he makes his way down to the ring.
Rhodes says he knows what they’re trying to do and welcomes fans to Raw. Mysterio tries to speak once again but he’s cut off by more boos. He whispers something to Ripley and Ripley says Mysterio told her that will show Rhodes exactly how dangerous he is and Rhodes thanks her for the education. He says he has proven to be effective and invites Mysterio to share how he feels. He says those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind. He says Mysterio is quoting from a children’s book because he’s just that.
Mysterio & Ripley retreat to the back and Rhodes asks where they’re going. He says he’ll give him a free shot and Mysterio hops back up on the apron. He dismisses Rhodes and hops down before heading to the back before Rhodes adds that he wants to find out if Mysterio is half the man his father is or if he’s simply Mami’s little boy.
Ricochet vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Shinsuke Nakamura wastes no time as he fires off right hands and knees then delivers a knee to Ricochet’s midsection. Ricochet fires back with a Scissor Kick and low bridges Nakamura onto the apron but Nakamura locks in a Sleeper. Ricochet escapes and delivers an enziguri before both men send one another tumbling to the floor with boots.
Bronson Reed applauds before Ricochet hits him with an enziguri and Nakamura lands a boot then they get back inside the ring and level Reed once again. Reed looks to get in the ring but the referee ejects him from ringside as we go to a break.
After the break Ricochet delivers a springboard crossbody then follows it up with a series of forearms and a springboard back elbow then delivers a standing Shooting Star Press and goes for a pin but Nakamura kicks out and Ricochet looks for a moonsault but Nakamura gets his knees up and plants him.
He sets up for a Kinshaha but Ricochet catches him with a Recoil and ascends to the top rope. Nakamura trips him and delivers a knee to his midsection but Ricochet manages to land a standing Sliced Bread and ascends back up to the top then delivers Shooting Star Press for the win.
Winner: Ricochet
We then go backstage to a confident Matt Riddle talking to Byron Saxton about his challenge to Gunther for an Intercontinental Title match at Money In The Bank. Ludwig Kaiser walks in and attacks Riddle before Gunther appears and accepts Riddle’s challenge.
After the break we go backstage to Adam Pearce. Dominik Mysterio & Rhea Ripley walk in and Mysterio demands a match tonight to prove how tough he is to Cody Rhodes. He says he has someone in mind and Pearce asks who. Ripley whispers something to Mysterio and tells Pearce that they’ll get back to him.
Women’s Tag Team Champion Ronda Rousey vs. Raquel Rodriguez
Match starts off with a lock up then Ronda Rousey delivers a kick to Raquel Rodriguez’s midsection but Rodriguez plants her a delayed vertical suplex then Rousey sets up for Piper’s Pit but Rodriguez escapes and lands a shoulder tackle.
Rousey then cinches in an Ankle Lock but Rodriguez fights her way out of it and looks for an arm submission but Rodriguez counters it into a fallaway slam then lands a 2nd one and looks for a corkscrew elbow.
Shayna Baszler pulls Rousey out of the way before Liv Morgan takes her down on the outside as Rousey takes advantage and rolls up Rodriguez for the win.
Winner: Women’s Tag Team Champion Ronda Rousey
We then head over to a video of Finn Balor & he has a message for World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins.
Rollins welcomes Savannah to Monday Night Rollins then gives a shout out to NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes in the audience. He thanks Hayes for having his back this past Tuesday on NXT after Finn Balor attacked him and says they have more in common than what meets the eye. He says they’re both fighting champions and promotes Hayes’ NXT Title match tomorrow night before wishing him luck. He then addresses his Money In The Bank match with Finn Balor and says he got his answer about which Balor would be coming to Money In The Bank last week then he calls Balor out to the ring.
Balor doesn’t appear and Rollins says Balor will keep hiding in the shadows. He says Balor has convinced himself that he’s supposed to take everything from Rollins like he did 7 years ago. He says despite not being 100% tonight or on Saturday afternoon, Balor hasn’t accounted for him. Rollins says when it’s just him & Balor in the ring, Balor’s best version is nowhere near as good as his.
Balor tries blindsiding Rollins with a chair but Rollins sees him coming and knocks the chair out of his hand then he rains down right hands before Balor grabs the chair. Rollins knocks it out of his hand once again but Rollins dumps him out of the ring and rains down more right hands. Balor sends him crashing into the ring steps and announce table then delivers a kick to his midsection and grabs a chair from the timekeeper’s area. Hayes grabs it out of his hand allowing Rollins to clothesline him into the timekeeper’s area. Balor then retreats through the crowd.
We then head over to a video of Byron Saxton is with Tommaso Ciampa & Saxton asks Ciampa why he attacked The Miz last week and Ciampa explains it was out of frustration over the fact that The Miz never checked up on him once after he got injured.
Tommaso Ciampa vs. The Miz
The Miz blindsides Tommaso Ciampa halfway down the ramp then he tosses him into the barricade and the ring apron then sends his ankle crashing into the ring apron and delivers a big boot to his face then suplexes Ciampa into the barricade and delivers a Skull Crushing Finale to him at the bottom of the ramp before retreating to the back.
Winner: No One (Match Never Got Started)
We then head backstage and see Imperium strategizing for Gunther’s Money In The Bank match with Matt Riddle before Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens walk in to defend Riddle’s honor leading to an agreement for a 1 on 1 match between Zayn & Gunther later tonight.
Dominik Mysterio vs. Akira Tozawa
Dominik Mysterio wastes no time as he fires off stomps then gloats and delivers a knee to Akira Tozawa’s midsection before Tozawa fires off right hands then hits a hurricanrana and a running knee.
He ascends to the top rope and delivers a flying shoulder tackle before the action spills to the outside and Tozawa delivers a tope suicida.
He tosses Mysterio back in the ring and climbs up to the top rope but Mysterio trips him and ascends to the top rope & connects with a Frog Splash for the win.
Winner: Dominik Mysterio
Corey Graves welcomes fans to the Women’s Money In The Bank Summit and explains how the match works but Bayley cuts him off and brags about being the only woman in the match to win the Money In The Bank Ladder Match. She has the biggest chance of winning the ladder match but corrects herself and says Iyo Sky also has a good chance of winning. Sky tells Bayley may the best woman win.
Zelina Vega expresses her frustrations with Bayley dismissing everyone else in the match then says Becky Lynch has accomplished everything except win Money In The Bank. She calls Stratus a legend that has never been in a ladder match and says everyone is looking at the next Ms. Money In The Bank. Bayley laughs but Vega tells her that she’ll start taking her seriously when she proves her wrong and brings the briefcase back to the LWO.
Bayley says Vega is a bigger idiot than she looks and they start arguing along with Sky then Zoey Stark tells them to calm down and Trish Stratus says she sees a bunch of little girls. She says it’s clear to her why she was needed to save the women’s division because she is a woman. She says she’s the best and greatest woman to ever wrestle and winning is what she does. She says everyone will be thanking her for letting them be part of a historic moment then asks Lynch if she’ll be man enough to thank her when all is said and done.
Lynch takes a shot at Stratus and begins brawling with her and Stark as Damage CTRL beat down Vega in the corner. Lynch dumps Stratus & Stark out of the ring before Damage CTRL target her. Vega helps Lynch and dumps Bayley out of the ring but Sky jumps her and sends her out to join Vega. Sky levels everyone on the outside after brawling with Lync allowing Lynch to climb one of the ladders in the ring and unhook the Women’s Money In The Bank briefcase.
Champion vs. Champion Match
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champion Sami Zayn vs. Intercontinental Champion Gunther
Sami Zayn & Gunther lock up to get this match started then they go back & forth with submission holds before Gunther delivers an uppercut in the corner. Zayn responds with a couple of right hands and a back elbow, then sends him into the top turnbuckle face first. Giovanni Vinci makes his way down to ringside on crutches as Gunther delivers a German suplex to Zayn as we go to a break.
After the break Gunther is wearing down Zayn in the corner then he delivers a chop then sits Zayn on the top rope and joins him up there. He sets up for a superplex but Zayn rains down right hands on his spine and delivers a sunset flip then goes for a pin but Gunther kicks out.
Zayn delivers a clothesline before Gunther locks in a sleeper but Zayn escapes and lands a Blue Thunder Bomb then ascends to the top and goes flying but Gunther catches him with a chop mid air then climbs up to the top himself and delivers a splash.
Ludwig Kaiser tries interfering but Kevin Owens beats him down. Gunther hits Owens with a big boot before Zayn goes flying over the top rope to level him then tosses Gunther back in the ring then delivers an exploder suplex in the corner & while the referee is distracted Vinci hits Zayn with his crutch allowing Gunther to hit a powerbomb for the win.
Winner: Intercontienetal Champion Gunther (Recommend)
After the match Imperium beats down Owens but Matt Riddle runs down and makes the save as he hits Vinci with one of his crutches then attacks Gunther with it. Owens then lands a Stunner on Kaiser.
Non Title Match
NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes vs. Finn Balor
Finn Balor trips Carmelo Hayes then he rains down right hands then fires off stomps in the corner and delivers several shoulders to his midsection. Hayes responds with a dropkick then delivers an enziguri and a double leg drop then the action spills to the outside and Hayes delivers a crossbody over the top rope as we go to a break.
After the break Balor delivers several shoulders to Hayes’ midsection then follows it up with a chop but Hayes fires back with a back elbow and goes flying off the ropes then delivers a splash in the corner but Balor responds with a series of stomps and a Sling Blade. Hayes lands a superkick and a springboard DDT then ascends to the top rope and goes flying.
Balor ducks out of the way before Hayes rolls him up but Balor kicks out and delivers a gutbuster then follows it up with a shotgun dropkick follow by Coup De Grace for the win.
Winner: Finn Balor
After the break we head to a video recapping the beginning of the civil war between The Bloodline last Friday on Smackdown.
Cody Rhodes vs. Damian Priest
Match starts off with a lock up then Damian Priest lands a shoulder tackle and a back elbow but Rhodes fires back with a dropkick and a delayed vertical suplex. Dominik Mysterio & Rhea Ripley saunter down to ringside as Priest looks to send Rhodes’ ankle crashing into the ring post.
Rhodes manages to send Priest into the ring post face first then delivers a tope suicida and tosses him back in the ring then he encounters Mysterio & Ripley before sliding back into the ring, where Priest is waiting to plant him as we go to a break.
After the break Priest lands a Falcon Arrow then he plants Rhodes face first then delivers a clothesline that flips Rhodes inside out and ascends to the top rope but Rhodes joins him up there and plants him before the pair go back & forth with right hands and kicks.
Rhodes lands a powerslam follow by Disaster Kick but Priest plants him face first. Rhodes sets up for Cross Rhodes but Priest escapes. Rhodes then plants Priest with a Pedigree and looks to pin him. Priest rolls out of the ring and catches him with a kick & while the referee is distracted by Ripley, Mysterio trips Rhodes as he looks for Cody Cutter & this allows Priest to hit him with South Of Heaven and go for the pin but Rhodes kicks out.
Priest then sets up for Razor’s Edge as Mysterio distracts the referee but Rhodes sends Priest crashing into Mysterio on the apron then delivers Cody Cutter before landing Cross Rhodes for the win.
Winner: Cody Rhodes
After the match Mysterio blindsides Rhodes from behind but quickly slides out of the ring and heads to the back with Ripley & Priest.
Matches Of The Night
Champion vs. Champion Match- 8/10
Ricochet vs. Shinsuke Nakamura- 7/10
Non Title Match- 6/10
Cody Rhodes vs. Damian Priest- 6/10
Money In The Bank Card (July 1st)
7 Man Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Ricochet vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. LA Knight vs. Santos Escobar vs. Butch vs. Damian Priest vs. Logan Paul
6 Woman Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Zelina Vega vs. Becky Lynch vs. Zoey Stark vs. Bayley vs. Iyo Sky vs. Trish Stratus
Cody Rhodes vs. Dominik Mysterio
World Heavyweight Title Match
Seth Rollins (c) vs. Finn Balor
Tag Team Match
The Bloodline (Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa) vs. The Usos (Jimmy & Jey)
Women’s Tag Team Titles Match
Ronda Rousey & Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez
Intercontienetal Title Match
Gunther (c) vs. Matt Riddle
