WWE Raw Review – November 13, 2023
Kicking off this week’s Raw with a recap of the World Heavyweight Title Match then Adam Pearce making the War Games Match official.
Cody Rhodes asks Washington DC what they want to talk about then says he knows what he wants to talk about. He says he & Jey Uso want to give fans a memory tonight and says they will win back the Undisputed Tag Team Titles. He says while that’s the immediate future there is another important match to look ahead to the War Games match.
Jey, Sami Zayn & World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins then make their way down to the ring to join their teammate. Rhodes says all 4 men are in the ring for one reason whether he’s gotten along with them for all their careers recently or as former rivals.
Judgment Day’s music hits and they appear. Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champion Finn Balor asks the 4 men in the ring how they’re going to win War Games and Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champion Mr Money In The Bank Damian Priest points out that they’re just 4 random men who are going against a family. Balor asks Rollins how it feels to be World Heavyweight Champion standing next to Rhodes who he could never beat. Priest then asks Rhodes how he can beat all his teammates but never be champion. Balor tells Zayn that his partners know he’s a loser after last week and Priest questions whether Jey can really be trusted. NXT North American Champion Dominik Mysterio looks to speak but boos rain down on him & Zayn says the truth is no one wants to hear him talk. He says while Judgment Day wants to pit him and his teammates against each other they’re able to put all their issues aside. He tells Judgment Day they don’t know what they’re in for and says the group will find out the hard way that the power lies with him and his teammates. Rhodes says he was surprised to see Judgment Day come out without Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley given that she’s the leader and Priest says there is no leader. Rhodes asks if Mysterio gets the orders when Ripley isn’t around and Priest becomes frustrated. He calls himself the leader before Rollins says he’s done with talking. He proposes a tag team match seeing as himself, Zayn, Mysterio & McDonagh are dressed in their wrestling gear. Priest accepts on behalf of Mysterio & McDonagh.
Tag Team Match
Judgement Day (NXT North American Champion Dominik Mysterio & JD McDonagh) vs. World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins & Sami Zayn
JD McDonagh & Seth Rollins lock up to get this match started then Rollins lands a shoulder tackle and executes an arm drag then follows it up with a kick to his midsection and sets up for a Pedigree.
Dominik Mysterio pulls McDonagh out of the ring to provide him with a hand and Rollins goes after him. McDonagh takes advantage and clocks him from behind then Mysterio becomes legal and Rollins levels him.
Sami Zayn tags in and rains down right hands on Mysterio in the corner then sends him crashing into the top turnbuckle face first and delivers an elbow off the middle rope.
Rollins & McDonagh tag back in and McDonagh fires off stomps on him in the corner before Mysterio tags in and looks for the 3 Amigos but Rollins reverses the 3rd one and sends him crashing into the mat. Zayn tags in and delivers a clothesline then looks to plant him.
McDonagh pulls him out of the ring to save him and they look to head to the back but Rollins & Zayn go after them and Rollins sends McDonagh crashing into the barricade face first.
Zayn delivers an exploder to Mysterio in the corner and looks for a Helluva Kick but Mysterio manages to evade the move.
McDonagh tries to interfere but Rollins sends him crashing out of the ring to join Mysterio on the outside before they go flying to take out Judgment Day as we go to a break.
After the break Zayn catapults McDonagh into the corner before Rollins & Mysterio become legal and Rollins nails Mysterio with a boot.
He follows it up with a Sling Blade and a gutbuster then executes a Buckle Bomb then looks to hit Curb Stomp but Damian Priest & Finn Balor appear to attack Rollins & the ref calls for the bell.
Winners: No One (No Contest)
After the match Judgment Day attack Rollins & Zayn but Cody Rhodes & Jey Uso run down to even the odds. Both teams continue to brawl as Adam Pearce and security run down to the ringside area to break things up. A frustrated Pearce then announces that those currently at ringside that are not involved in the Undisputed Tag Team Title Match later tonight will be banned from the arena.
After the break Ripley is yelling at Pearce about banning Judgment Day from the arena. Pearce tells her she doesn’t care and Judgment Day doesn’t run Raw because he does. He makes it clear that she isn’t welcome at ringside either during the main event.
Zoey Stark’s music hits and she appears. She tells Ripley that she knows exactly what she’s doing in the ring and tells her that she’s inside her head. She says Ripley is spread too thin and worried about too many things including her Women’s World Title. She says she went through the entire women’s division to secure her Women’s World Title match and says Ripley has been overlooking her.
Ripley assures her that such isn’t the case and she knew it was only a matter of time before they stood face 2 face in the ring. She lists off her accomplishments over the past few months, and tells Stark that she reminds her of herself. She says she is a future champion but the only way she will be a Women’s Champion is by being on the opposite brand that she is. She says she can handle everything on her plate and tells Stark to get out of her ring so she can deal with Pearce. Stark reminds Ripley that she nearly took her Women’s World Title from her at Crown Jewel and says she will take her Women’s World Title from her at Survivor Series. Ripley tries clocking her from behind but Stark low bridges her out of the ring.
Shinsuke Nakamura delivered a promo while seated on a staircase. Subtitles were used as Nakamura said he is frustrated and whoever he was addressing is blessed with so much privilege. He said he was taking the opportunity away and it is now his. He said that win or lose your next battle, the person will be less than. Nakamura said that’s not his problem and he will wait for now because he knows it all ends at his hands
After the break we head backstage to see Seth Rollins & Sami Zayn before Cody Rhodes shows up & asks Rollins to talk. Rollins asks what he wants and Rhodes says they can hate each other for 364 days of the year except for in the War Games match. Rollins says he doesn’t like Rhodes and doesn’t know if he ever will but he respects him and he’s willing to put their differences aside for just 1 night. Rollins then wishes him luck in his Undisputed Tag Team Titles match with Jey Uso later tonight and tells him to win the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Otis
Match starts off with a lock up before Shinsuke Nakamura fires off right hands on Otis’ midsection but Otis absorbs them.
Nakamura then rocks him with an enzuigiri but Otis responds with a hip attack and a splash in the corner.
He looks for The Caterpillar but Nakamura rolls out of the ring to avoid it so Otis meets him out there and hits him with a clothesline as we go to a break.
After the break Nakamura fires off kicks on Otis’ chest before Otis catches one and counters into a powerbomb then follows it up with a shoulder tackle and a pair of spinning back elbows.
He whips him into the corner and delivers another one then lands a clothesline and delivers The Caterpillar then goes for a pin but Nakamura kicks out.
Otis sits him on the top rope and joins him up there but Nakamura escapes and pulls Otis down. He connects with a kick and looks for Kinshasa but Otis counters into a slam.
Nakamura hits a Kinshasa on the middle rope but Otis stays on his feet so Nakamura hits a 2nd one to the back of his neck and a 3rd one to the face for the win.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
After the match Alpha Academy slides into the ring to check on Otis. Nakamura clocks Chad Gable and dares him to attack him but Maxxine Dupri & Akira Tozawa hold him back.
A War Games video aired & the video showed footage from past matches and laid out the basics of the match then Michael Cole read through the rules of the match.
Seth Rollins was walking backstage he was approached by Drew McIntyre & he recalls Rollins telling him that he’d have no one to blame but himself if he lost at Crown Jewel. McIntyre said Rollins was right. McIntyre also recalled Rollins saying that the loss might be the best thing that ever happens to him. McIntyre said Rollins may have been right about that too.
McIntyre said there’s something he’s been waiting to give Rollins. McIntyre offered his hand which Rollins shook. McIntyre said Rollins represents the title the way a world champion should. McIntyre congratulated Rollins and then said he would do what he always does by working his ass off and earning a rematch. Rollins said he knew McIntyre would and then walks away.
A video package aired on Tegan Nox & she said she’s been defined by an injury for a long time. Footage of her surgery was shown. She said no one wants to be known for a bunch of crying. She said the last year of her career has been the craziest of her life. She said she’s faced some of the greatest wrestlers of all time and she can hang with the best of them. Tegan Nox WWE Superstar got a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Nox asked.
Women’s Tag Team Champion Piper Niven vs. Tegan Nox
Tegan Nox wastes no time as she lands a dropkick and fires off right hands but Piper Niven catches her with a suplex and a running senton then begins targeting Nox’s arm by stomping and landing a splash on it.
Niven delivers a clothesline and a shoulder breaker then gets her up before Nox counters into a roll up but Niven kicks out then Nox connects with a knee to her jaw but becomes distracted when Chelsea Green hops up on the apron.
Niven takes advantage and levels her as Natalya shoves Green on the apron then Niven sends her crashing onto the floor and looks for a running crossbody but Nox avoids it and connects with the World’s Shiniest Wizard.
She goes for a pin but Niven gets her foot on the bottom rope then Nox looks to roll Niven up but Niven stays on her feet.
She looks for a sit out senton but Nox moves out of the way & hits a running knee for the win.
Winner: Tegan Nox
Michael Cole & Wade Barrett recaps footage of The Miz winning last week’s Intercontienetal Title #1 Contenders Fatal 4 Way match to earn a shot at the Intercontinental Title followed by Ivar attacking Miz afterward.
Backstage Jackie Redmond is with The Miz & she asked what was driving Miz to dethrone Gunther. Miz said a bus. He said it took him a long time but he finally has a bus.
Miz then assumed she meant the match and said it’s about respect. Miz said Gunther has been trying to diminish him by calling him a sports entertainer and a clown.
Ivar and Valhalla showed up. Ivar said Miz is a clown and a joke. Bronson Reed arrived and said the only person luckier than Miz was Gunther for escaping him. Ivar said Reed had his chance and failed. Reed threatened to send Ivar back to his Viking gods. Miz made his exit while Ivar piefaces Reed. Valhalla got in Reed’s face.
Tommaso Ciampa vs. Ludwig Kaiser
Ludwig Kaiser slides out of the ring but Tommaso Ciampa chases him back in and fires off strikes on him then looks to dump Kaiser out of the ring but Kaiser hangs on.
Ciampa rocks him with a knee and sends him bouncing off the announce table face first then delivers a chop back inside the ring.
Kaiser connects with a right hand and fires off stomps on him in the corner but Ciampa responds with a jawbreaker and a clothesline.
Kaiser catches him with a knee to his jaw, but Ciampa lands a kick across his face then looks to run the ropes but Giovanni Vinci trips him as the referee catches him and ejects him from ringside as we go to a break.
After the break Ciampa connects with a boot to Kaiser’s jaw before Ciampa delivers a splash and fires off right hands then delivers a clothesline and a reverse DDT.
He looks for a running knee but Kaiser avoids it and gets him up on his shoulders but Ciampa escapes and Kaiser lands a Death Valley Driver before Kaiser lands an uppercut.
Ciampa catches him with a knee as Vinci reemerges to hit Gargano with a running boot as Kaiser takes advantage of a distracted Ciampa by rolling him up for the win.
Winner: Ludwig Kaiser
We head backstage to Judgment Day where Dominik Mysterio, Finn Balor & Rhea Ripley express their frustrations with Damian Priest calling himself the leader of the group. Priest apologizes and Ripley allows him to lead his team at War Games. She picks up a back looking to give it to JD McDonagh as he is being checked on after taking a move for Priest during the huge brawl between the members of the War Games match earlier tonight. Priest tells her that he’ll handle it before he grabs the bag and goes to see McDonagh.
We get a recap of Xia Li attacking Becky Lynch before the Women’s World Title #1 Contenders Battle Royal last week.
Indi Hartwell vs. Xia Li
Indi Hartwell hits Xia Li with a boot then hits an uppercut and a 2nd boot to her head before the action spills out of the ring.
Li sends Hartwell crashing into the ring steps then gets her back inside the ring and fires off stomps on her midsection.
She lands a suplex and whips her into the corner then plants her with a spinebuster.
Li connects with a roundhouse kick and runs the ropes but the referee stops her when Hartwell falls over so the referee then calls for the bell.
Winner By Referee Stoppage: Xia Li
After the match Becky Lynch’s music hits and she makes her way down to the ring. She thanks Li for hitting her in the head last week and says they’re not waiting to do things on Li’s time anymore. She says things will be done on her time now and she came looking for a fight. Lynch looks to attack Li but Li slips out of the ring before she can. Lynch then tells Li if she wants to run then she can for the next 7 days because they will be facing each other next week.
The Miz was shown warming up for his match in the backstage area before Intercontienetal Champion Gunther shows up and congratulated him. To the surprise of absolutely everybody you won last week Gunther said. Gunther added that the fun and games are now over. Miz interrupted Gunther and told him to watch his match.
Miz said he didn’t think Gunther understood what he was dealing with. He said he does whatever it takes to win and there’s a reason he’s held the Intercontinental Title 8x. Gunther said he knows exactly who he is dealing with. He said whatever happened during Miz’s match with Ivar would not compare to the beating of a lifetime he’ll get at Survivor Series.
Highlights aired of Zoey Stark eliminating Shayna Baszler to win last week’s Battle Royal to earn a shot at the Women’s World Title.
Backstage Stark told Baszler that Ripley had no idea what was coming to her after the battle royal because she was feeling unstoppable. Baszler claimed she should be champion then conceded that Stark has been on a roll and said she’d be lying if she said she didn’t want to see her beat Ripley at Survivor Series.
Raquel Rodriguez shows up and indicated that she wasn’t happy about the way they eliminated her last week but she conceded that Stark has been showing out.
Nia Jax arrived and said she should be getting the Women’s World Title shot and would have had it if everyone didn’t gang up on her.
Jax said none of them could beat her in a 1 on 1 match. Rodriguez got in Jax’s face and told her that she’s not afraid of her and knows that she will beat Jax when they meet in a match.
The Miz vs. Ivar
Match starts off with a lock up before Ivar fires off back elbows in the corner but Miz delivers a hurricanrana off the top rope and looks to clothesline Ivar out of the ring.
Ivar blocks him and lands a boot but Miz manages to clothesline him to the outside and lands a dropkick through the middle rope. Ivar then sandwiches Miz between himself and the ring skirt and gets him back in the ring before he lands a boot and a right hand.
Miz delivers a boot to Ivar’s midsection and face then connects with a DDT and sets up for Skull Crushing Finale.
Ivar evades the move and sends Miz crashing into the mat as Bronson Reed saunters down to ringside then grabs a chair and takes a seat as we go to a break.
After the break Ivar plants Miz with a backbreaker and looks for a senton in the corner but Miz moves out of the way and hits a DDT then delivers the It Kicks.
They end up on the ropes and Ivar delivers a slam from the middle rope then looks to ascend to the top rope but Reed grabs his attention allowing Miz with his feet on the ropes to roll him up for the win.
Winner: The Miz
After the break Reed hits Ivar with a splash and ascends to the top rope & hits Tsunami.
We head backstage to Damian Priest catching up with JD McDonagh. He says while he may not see eye 2 eye with him he proved himself by taking a move for him earlier tonight. He gives McDonagh a leather jacket and officially welcomes him into Judgment Day.
After the break we see Gunther congratulate Giovanni Vinci on helping Ludwig Kaiser win his match as a frustrated Kaiser stands by after Gunther & Vinci walk off Kaiser runs into Indus Sher.
We then see Chad Gable cheer up Otis following his loss as Akira Tozawa & Creed Brothers surround him then Creeds discuss going after the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles as New Day overhearing this walks in to join the conversation. Meanwhile Maxxine Dupri & Ivy Nile begin chatting amongst themselves before Tozawa does his dance.
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles Match
Judgement Day (Mr Money In The Bank Damian Priest & Finn Balor) (c) vs. Cody Rhodes & Jey Uso
Finn Balor & Jey Uso lock up then Balor lands a shoulder tackle but Jey responds with one of his own and slaps Balor. Balor returns the favor and they begin brawling as Cody Rhodes & Damian Priest get in the ring to do the same.
Rhodes & Priest spill out of the ring and Jey whips Balor into the corner then Rhodes tags in and delivers a delayed vertical suplex then Jey tags back in and Balor delivers a kick to his midsection.
Priest tags in and whips Jey into the corner then fires off kicks on him and tags Balor back in. Balor delivers a Scissor Kick and wears Jey down with a hold then fires off right hands on him.
Priest & Rhodes once again get in the ring and brawl before finding themselves on the outside before Rhodes sends Priest crashing into the announce table face first as we go to a break.
After the break Rhodes tags in and delivers a right hand to Balor’s face then gets him up on his shoulders but Balor escapes and tags out to Priest.
Priest fires off right hands and jams his boot into Rhodes’ neck then delivers a knee to his midsection and dumps him out of the ring.
Balor lands a chop and gets him back in the ring now the legal man as he locks in an Abdominal Stretch but Rhodes escapes and executes a hip toss.
He looks for an elbow drop but Balor rolls out of the way and tags in Priest before Rhodes fires off strikes but Priest sends him crashing into the mat and delivers a forearm to his spine.
Rhodes clocks Balor on the apron and tags Jey in & fires off strikes on Priest then connects with a superkick and an enzuigiri from the apron then ascends to the top rope and looks for Uso Splash but Priest catches him and takes a shot.
Jey rocks him with an enzuigiri and runs the ropes but Balor trips him & this opens the door for Priest to send him crashing out of the ring and for Balor to catch him with a clothesline and a right hand to his midsection then tosses him over the announce table as we go to a 2nd break.
After the 2nd break Jey hits an enzuigiri on Priest before Balor & Rhodes tag in and Rhodes fires off right hands on Balor. He follows it up with a powerslam and a Disaster Kick then takes down an interfering Priest.
Balor rolls him up but Rhodes kicks out and delivers a thrust kick then Priest makes the blind tag in, and Jey follows suit. Jey levels Priest with a crossbody then connects with a superkick and ascends to the top rope.
He hits Uso Splash and goes for a pin but Priest kicks out and lands a clothesline then Balor tags in and ascends to the top as Priest looks for South Of Heaven.
Jey escapes and Rhodes takes him down with Cross Rhodes then Jey connects with a Spear on Balor before him & Rhodes lands Cody 1D then goes for a pin but Priest breaks the fall.
Rhodes takes him out but Priest manages to send him crashing onto the barricade and hits South Of Heaven onto the ring apron. Jey goes flying and levels Judgement Day on the outside.
Drew McIntyre appears out of nowhere and hits Claymore on Jey while the referee is distracted then dumps him into the ring and makes his way to the back allowing Balor to pin him for the win.
Winners & Still Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions: Judgement Day (STILL CHAMPIONS!!!!)
After the match Rhea Ripley appears next to McIntyre and shakes his hand to close out this week’s Raw.
Next Week’s Raw
Becky Lynch vs. Xia Li
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Chad Gable
War Games Advantage Match
TBD vs. TBD
Raquel Rodriguez vs. Nia Jax
