WWE RAW Review – September 25, 2023
Kicking off this week’s Raw with Cody Rhodes welcomes fans to Raw then says he has been interrupted 2 weeks in a row trying to get out what he needs to. He says Jey Uso coming to Raw means someone is heading to Smackdown and a disgruntled Raw locker room. He says while he isn’t best friends with Jey he wasn’t going to stand by as Judgment Day attacked him because helping him was the right thing to do then calls Judgment Day toxic before their music hits.
They make their way down to the ring and Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champion Finn Balor asks Rhodes why he has to stick his nose in Judgment Day business. Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champion Mr Money In The Bank Damian Priest says they gave Jey the chance to join a real family but he had to save the day because everything is always about him. NXT North American Champion Dominik Mysterio looks to speak but boos rain down on him from the crowd. Rhodes tells him that although he has a real family they can’t stand him. He asks Judgment Day what happens when Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley returns and all 3 of them have lost their titles tonight. Mysterio tells Rhodes to keep Ripley’s name out of his mouth before hopping up on the apron with Priest & Balor. Jey appears to provide Rhodes with some backup and Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens are right on his heels with the odds becoming 4 against 3 Judgment Day backs down and heads to the back. However, halfway up the ramp JD McDonagh appears with 2 chairs in hand. He hands one to Balor and they head back into the ring along with Mysterio. Priest tries stopping them but they disregard them and a brawl ensues. Owens, Zayn, Rhodes & Jey dumps McDonagh, Balor & Mysterio out of the ring then they all go after Priest & Rhodes cracks one of the chairs across his spine.
Bronson Reed vs. Otis
Match starts off with a lock up then Bronson Reed looks for a shoulder tackle but Otis stays on his feet and looks for one of his own. Reed stays standing before they attempt to level one another with clotheslines & after an unsuccessful 1st try they both take one another down a 2nd time.
The action spills to the outside and Otis clotheslines Reed before Reed sends him crashing into the ring post and levels him with a clothesline of his own before getting him back inside the ring. Reed gets Otis on his shoulders and plants him with a Samoan Drop then they level one another with crossbodies and Otis lands a back suplex.
He follows it up with a splash in the corner and The Caterpillar then ascends to the middle rope and looks for a Vader Bomb but Reed moves out of the way and delivers a running senton then ascends to the top rope and hits Tsunami for the win.
Winner: Bronson Reed
We go backstage where Becky Lynch is shining up her NXT Women’s Title then Tegan Nox walks in and Lynch says she expected her to answer her open challenge instead of Natalya. Nox says she thought she would let the veteran answer the call and after offering up some advice, Lynch offers her the next shot after Tiffany Stratton this weekend at No Mercy.
After the break we head backstage and see Tegan Nox & Natalya asking Adam Pearce for a shot at the NXT Women’s Title. Pearce makes a #1 Contenders match between them official.
Footage aired of Ciampa telling Imperium that he would go through Ludwig Kaiser then expects a a Intercontienetal Title match with Intercontienetal Champion Gunther.
Tommaso Ciampa vs. Ludwig Kaiser
Match starts off with a lock up before Ludwig Kaiser delivers a right hand to Tommaso Ciampa’s midsection then Kaiser delivers a shoulder tackle but Ciampa fires back with rapid right hands and a chop to Kaiser’s spine.
They then take turns landing strikes on one another in the corner before Kaiser sends Ciampa crashing into the ring steps face first as we go to a break.
After the break Ciampa is hanging off the top rope as Kaiser sends him crashing out of the ring. Ciampa gets back inside then dumps Kaiser out with a back body drop. Kaiser looks to get back in but gets met with a series of chops then Ciampa dumps him back inside and clotheslines him out of the ring on the other side.
He sends him into the announce table face first and tosses him over the ring steps then delivers a DDT off the middle rope as a means of getting him back in the ring. Kaiser gets Ciampa up on his shoulders but Ciampa escapes and delivers a side Russian leg sweep.
Giovanni Vinci hops up on the apron but Ciampa levels him with a knee & as the referee checks on him Kaiser lands a kick and looks to pin Ciampa but the fall isn’t counted and a frustrated Kaiser kicks Vinci out of the ring & this opens the door for Ciampa to land a jumping knee strike for the win.
Winner: Tommaso Ciampa
We get a video package on Dragon Lee then he was shown standing backstage after the video was played.
NXT Women’s Title #1 Contenders Match
Tegan Nox vs. Natalya
Tegan Nox & Natalya lock up to get this match started then they go back & forth exchanging submission holds before Nox fires off a few right hands and an uppercut.
She follows it up with a running senton in the corner but Natalya fires back with a powerbomb then Nox sends Natalya into the middle rope face first then hits Shiniest Wizard for the win.
Winner & #1 Contender To The NXT Women’s Title: Tegan Nox
After the match Lynch & Nox stare one another down.
We then head backstage to Judgment Day and see Damian Priest chew out JD McDonagh for what happened earlier tonight. He makes it clear he isn’t part of the group and kicks him out of their lounge.
World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins welcomes fans to Monday Night Rollins then tells the crowd that if they’re as sick and tired of Shinsuke Nakamura as he is then they should sing his song. He tells them to do the same if they think it’s time for him to defend his World Heavyweight Title then calls out Shinsuke Nakamura unless he wants him to move on to another challenger.
Nakamura appears on the Titan Tron and says Rollins has many demands. He says he wants nothing more than to be the straw that breaks Rollins’ back then says while his stamina is admirable he has no patience. He says Rollins showed his hand while he has yet to show his then formally accepts Rollins’ challenge. He calls his shot for the World Heavyweight Title at Fastlane in a Last Man Standing Match. Rollins takes a minute to think it over and admits that Nakamura played his hand perfectly. He says Nakamura is forgetting one thing and that is that his back is not a weakness but rather a strength. He says his family will only be ashamed of him if he doesn’t give it his all then accepts his stipulation and says one of them will walk out as World Heavyweight Champion adding that will be him.
Backstage Jackie Redmond is with Ricochet & he was on crutches & she asked when he would be back in the ring. Ricochet guaranteed that he will return and it will take more than that to keep him down. Ricochet said that it doesn’t matter whether Nakamura wins the World Heavyweight Title or not he has unfinished business with him.
Highlights aired of Damian Priest & Finn Balor beating Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn to win the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles at Payback.
NXT North American Title Match
Dominik Mysterio (c) vs. Dragon Lee
Dominik Mysterio delivers a kick to Dragon Lee’s midsection but Lee fires back with a shoulder tackle and a hurricanrana that sends Mysterio out of the ring then goes flying over the top rope to level him then tosses him back inside and goes for a pin.
Mysterio kicks out and cinches in a Half Boston Crab but Lee makes it under the bottom rope to break the hold before Mysterio delivers a DDT to Lee on the apron as we go to a break.
After the break Mysterio ascends to the top rope and looks for a Frog Splash but Lee gets his knees up and fires off right hands then lands a pair of back elbows and a kick to Mysterio’s midsection.
He then delivers a dropkick to his face in the corner but Mysterio plants him with a Michinoku Driver and sends him into the ropes face first then dials it up for 619 but Lee ducks out of the way and delivers a knee to his head.
They go back & forth with right hands before Lee delivers a hurricanrana that sends Mysterio crashing onto the floor. He gets him back inside the ring and lands a powerbomb then goes for a pin but Mysterio kicks out.
Lee ascends to the top rope but Mysterio meets him up there then Lee manages to drape him off the turnbuckle and delivers a double stomp off the top rope then Mysterio manages hits the Frog Splash for the win.
Winner & Still NXT North American Champion: Dominik Mysterio (STILL CHAMPION!!!!)
Footage aired of Nia Jax taking out Rhea Ripley & Raquel Rodriguez. Michael Cole & Wade Barrett also recapped footage of Jax destroying Women’s Tag Team Champions Chelsea Green & Piper Niven, Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark last week.
Jax was shown walking backstage. Akira Tozawa enters the picture and quickly ducks out once he saw Jax.
Jackie Redmond interviews Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn & Owens said the only thing Jey Uso proved last week was that he wasn’t with Judgment Day last week. A fired up Zayn shifted the focus to their Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles match and how they started together and won the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles in the main event of WrestleMania together. Zayn said it’s not about anybody else it’s about taking back what’s ours.
After the break Michael Cole introduces Nia Jax and she makes her way down to the ring.
Cole asks Jax why she’s targeted the entire women’s division and Jax says she wasn’t paying attention to him. She says she’s Nia Jax then calls herself the baddest human in all of WWE. She says everyone thought that title would go to Rhea Ripley but she squashed her. She says the same thing applies to Shayna Baszler, Zoey Stark, Raquel Rodriguez, Chelsea Green & Piper Niven and she squashed all of them.
Zoey Stark’s music hits and she gets in Jax’s face & says Jax squashed her but she did it while her back was turned. She dares her to do something while she’s face 2 face with her and they begin brawling.
Nia Jax vs. Zoey Stark
Zoey Stark delivers a dropkick then she looks for a springboard crossbody but Nia Jax flattens her and follows it up with an elbow drop before she tosses her across the ring and delivers a splash in the corner before Stark sends her crashing into the ring post shoulder first.
She then lands a pair of enzuigiris and a dropkick off the top rope then she gets Jax up on her shoulders but Jax counters into a splash and delivers a leg drop to the back of Stark’s neck before hitting Annihilator for the win.
Winner: Nia Jax
Backstage Byron Saxton asked Jey Uso why he didn’t join Judgment Day. Jey said no groups or emo bands. Jey said Cody Rhodes took a chance on him and he wasn’t going to do him like that. Jey said Judgment Day are not his kind of people. Saxton asked Jey where things stand with him & Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn. Jey said he & Owens have a beef and it is what it is but Zayn is his dawg. Jey said he would keep an eye on Judgment Day during the main event.
Michael Cole hypes Elimination Chamber being held in Perth, Australia at Optus Stadium while mainstream headlines were shown…
Backstage Finn Balor praised Dominik Mysterio for retaining his NXT North American Title. Mysterio asked where Damian Priest was. Balor said he needed to cool off. Balor told Mysterio to remember that they had a lot of work to do tonight.
The Miz welcomes fans to MizTV then introduces Drew McIntyre.
McIntyre makes his way down to the ring and Miz tells him that he can speak freely. McIntyre asks Miz if he has any questions and Miz applauds McIntyre for standing idly by as Jey Uso was being attacked by Judgment Day last week. McIntyre says he is nothing like Miz, and Miz says what he did was in his image. He then says McIntyre was unbeatable until he wasn’t and given his history, it makes sense he doesn’t trust Jey. McIntyre says karma is a b*tch and Miz says McIntyre is the Batman of WWE. He says Cody Rhodes is the Superman then asks how it felt to be beat by him last week.
New Day’s music hits & they appear and Kofi Kingston says McIntyre is not a coward like he showed them last week. Xavier Woods echoes the same sentiment. Miz cuts them off and says they were having a conversation before McIntyre then interrupts him and says no one did anything until Rhodes helped Jey last week. Kingston says McIntyre should’ve helped Jey out and McIntyre reminds them of all their losses at the hands of The Bloodline. They continue arguing with one another until Miz puts his hand up. McIntyre once again tells Miz to shut up and Miz puts his hand back up. McIntyre then hits him with Glasgow Kiss and says the time for talking is over. He tells Kingston to get in the ring.
Maxxine Dupri held an bag of ice on Otis’s back while Chad Gable told him that he had nothing to be ashamed of. Gable said they would study and see what went wrong. Ludwig Kaiser shows up and told Dupri to take a look at her guys and then take a look at Imperium.
Kaiser said they hold themselves to a higher standard. Dupri wondered why a guy who speaks so many languages can’t comprehend what go away means. Gable assume Kaiser was on his way to get browbeat by Gunther and told him to let him know what he would suplex his way into a Intercontienetal Title match and take the Intercontienetal Title from him.
Drew McIntyre vs. Kofi Kingston
Match starts off with a lock up then Kofi Kingston fires off chops but Drew McIntyre levels him with a massive one of his own. He delivers a 2nd one then lands a right hand.
Kingston fires back with a running forearm and looks for a splash but McIntyre catches him and lands a vertical suplex.
He follows it up with a shoulder tackle and kicks McIntyre over the top rope before ascending up there and going flying to level him on the outside then Xavier Woods hoists Kingston up on his shoulders to celebrate before Kingston goes flying off the apron then gets McIntyre back in the ring then climbs back up to the top and delivers a crossbody as we go to a break.
After the break McIntyre delivers a pair of belly 2 belly suplexes then follows it up with a neckbreaker and kips up before looking for a DDT. Kingston counters into a pinfall attempt but McIntyre kicks out and Kingston hits a Famouser then delivers The Boom Drop and looks for Trouble In Paradise but McIntyre ducks it and hits Future Shock DDT.
He then lands a chop and the action spills to the outside then Kingston delivers a tope suicida but McIntyre catches him with a right hand and sends Kingston crashing into the ring apron face first. He gets him back inside the ring and looks for Claymore but Kingston ducks out of the way and lands an SOS then goes for a pin but McIntyre kicks out.
Ivar sends Woods crashing into the barricade after appearing at ringside alongside Valhalla then sandwiches him between himself & the barricade so McIntyre takes advantage of a distracted Kingston and connects with Claymore for the win.
Winner: Drew McIntyre
After the match McIntyre leaves Kingston for Ivar & Valhalla in the ring. Ivar fires off back elbows on Kingston as McIntyre saunters to the back, then ascends to the top and lands a moonsault.
We then head backstage and see Intercontienetal Champion Gunther chewing out Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci. Gunther tells Kaiser that Vinci is now his responsibility and if he messes up then not only will Vinci be held accountable but so will Kaiser.
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles Match
Judgement Day (Mr Money In The Bank Damian Priest & Finn Balor) (c) vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn
Both teams waste no time going after one another as Kevin Owens goes after Damian Priest on the outside as Sami Zayn brawls with Finn Balor in the ring as we go to a break.
After the break Priest whips Zayn into the corner. Zayn lands a back elbow and an elbow drop off the middle rope then Balor tags himself in and sends Zayn into the top turnbuckle face first. He follows it up with a chop but Zayn overpowers him and tags in Owens.
Owens lands a running senton and a chop then fires off a right hand and a chop then delivers a 2nd right hand to Balor’s midsection but Balor fires back with a double stomp to his chest and tags in Priest.
Priest delivers a kick to Owens’ head and fires off kicks across his chest but Owens responds with a few chops and they rain right hands down on one another.
Owens delivers a DDT and tags in Zayn & he delivers a clothesline and rains down right hands on Priest in the corner before following it up with a dropkick and sending an interfering Balor out of the ring & he does the same to Priest and goes flying over the top to level them as we go to a another break.
We are back from the 2nd break Zayn delivers a tornado DDT to Priest and tags in Owens. Balor tags in on his side and Owens fires off right hands on his head then follows it up with a series of stomps and a clothesline on the outside before landing a cannonball to Balor back inside the ring. He ascends to the top and delivers a Frog Splash.
Owens delivers a step up enzuigiri but Balor sits him on the top turnbuckle before Owens gets Balor on his shoulders and executes a rolling senton then Balor responds with a Coup De Grace and goes for a pin but Zayn breaks the fall. Priest dumps him out of the ring before becoming legal and looks for South Of Heaven.
Owens escapes and tags in Zayn & he delivers an Exploder to Priest then he looks to follow it up with Helluva Kick but Dominik Mysterio hops up on the apron. Priest looks for Razor’s Edge but Zayn escapes and lands a Blue Thunder Bomb.
He goes for a pin but Balor breaks the fall. Owens takes out Balor before Mysterio takes a cheap shot at Zayn. Priest follows it up with an elevated flatliner and goes for a pin but Zayn kicks out.
Mysterio begins arguing with the referee but Jey Uso appears at ringside to take him out then JD McDonagh then blindsides Jey and works with Mysterio to attack him but Cody Rhodes runs down to even the odds as officials run down to break up the action on the outside.
Back in the ring, Owens lands a Stunner on Balor and they go tumbling out of the ring as Zayn delivers a Helluva Kick to Priest but McDonagh hits Zayn with one of the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles then Priest pins him for the win.
Winner & Still Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions: Judgement Day (STILL CHAMPIONS!!!!)
After the match Rhodes and Jey reemerge and attack Judgment Day as Owens & Zayn join in as s huge ringside brawl ensues but Rhodes, Zayn, Owens & Jey are left standing tall to close out this week’s Raw.
Next Week’s Raw
NXT Women’s Title Match
Becky Lynch or Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Tegan Nox
Fastlane Card So Far (Oct 7th)
World Heavyweight Title Last Man Standing Match
Seth Rollins (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
2 On 1 Handicap Match
The Bloodline (Jimmy Uso & Solo Sikoa) vs. John Cena
