WWE RAW Review – July 17, 2023
Kicking off this week’s Raw with Cody Rhodes asks Atlanta what they want to talk about then says they really don’t have to talk because there’s 1 shadow looming over every arena WWE goes to Brock Lesnar. He says one thing for sure is that when Lesnar shows up when he’s called to the ring and tells Lesnar he should do just that right now.
Lesnar doesn’t appear and Rhodes says Lesnar is supposed to be here tonight. He asks if Lesnar’s plan is to be fashionably late but he’ll be in the ring waiting for him no matter what time he shows up. He gives a shout out to his mother in the front row and says she was the one who made him into the fighter he is today. He says his relationship with Lesnar can be summed up in 2 words hard times. Rhodes says it won’t be hard times for him when Lesnar shows up.
As Rhodes goes over to greet his family, Lesnar’s music hits. Rhodes readies himself to fight him but Lesnar doesn’t appear. His music hits once more but before he even has the chance to appear Rhodes heads to the back and looks to waste no time.
Lesnar then appears with a chair in hand and attacks Rhodes with it. He sends Rhodes into the ring apron and ring post then delivers an F5 to him on the floor right in front of his family. Lesnar cinches in the Kimura Lock on Rhodes but decides to relinquish it and tosses him inside the ring. He follows him inside and cinches in the Kimura Lock once more before he lets go then tells Rhodes he’ll see him at SummerSlam and heads to the back.
Non Title Match
Intercontinental Champion Gunther vs. Matt Riddle
Match starts off with a lock up before Gunther delivers a pair of chops to Matt Riddle in the corner then locks in a sleeper but Riddle quickly escapes and looks to lock in an armbar but Gunther counters into a roll up. Riddle kicks out and sends Gunther crashing to the outside.
He looks to go flying off the ring steps but Gunther catches him mid air with a chop and follows it up with a bodyslam as we go to a break.
After the break Riddle fires off chops on Gunther before Gunther responds with one of his own and they go back & forth. Riddle gains the upper hand and delivers a kick to Gunther’s head then follows it up with a pair of forearms then lands an Exploder and a kick to his spine.
Gunther fires back with a German suplex and plants him before Riddle lands a pair of ripcord knees and ascends to the top & looks to hit Floating Bro but Gunther gets his knees up then delivers a dropkick follow by a Powerbomb to get the win.
Winner: Intercontienetal Champion Gunther
After the match Gunther hops up on the announce table and grabs a mic. He says tonight is the greatest night of the WWE Universe because everyone came to see the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time. He says Riddle is done and he’s building a legacy. He says if Drew McIntyre wants to ride his coattails he’s welcome to but he will eventually fall victim to him.
We then head backstage and see a confrontation between Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley & Women’s Tag Team Champion Raquel Rodriguez which turns physical and results in Rodriguez suffering an apparent knee injury.
Rhea Ripley says Judgment Day is stronger than ever and asks if anyone really thought they’d break up. She says now that no one can stop them not only do they run Raw but they dominate the show. She says Raquel Rodriguez found that out earlier and calls herself the most dominant Women’s Champion in history. She says not only will Finn Balor & Damian Priest become World Champions but Dominik Mysterio will become North American Champion tomorrow night on NXT.
Priest says despite holding the Money In The Bank briefcase, Balor gets first crack at Seth Rollins’ World Heavyweight Title. Balor then puts him on notice and tells him he will dethrone him.
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens then make their way down to the ring. Zayn says he feels like he has a pretty good relationship with the WWE Universe and knows what they both like and dislike. He asks Atlanta if they paid to hear Mysterio talk and they boo him. He then asks if they paid to see someone beat him up and the crowd cheers. Zayn says Atlanta is in luck and so are himself & Zayn because they get a chance to get their hands on Mysterio later tonight in their tag team match against him & Priest. Priest challenges Zayn & Owens to put their Undisputed Tag Team Titles on the line and Zayn asks Owens for his opinion & an irate Owens agrees to do so as long as he gets to put his hands on Priest & Mysterio.
We then head backstage and see Raquel Rodriguez being checked on in the medical office as Liv Morgan & Adam Pearce. Rodriguez insists she’s still fit to compete in the Women’s Tag Team Titles match and Pearce allows her to do so.
Women’s Tag Team Titles Match
Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez (c) vs. Sonya Deville & Chelsea Green
Sonya Deville wastes no time as she delivers a kick then tags in Chelsea Green. Green & Deville deliver a double vertical suplex before Green sends Morgan into the middle turnbuckle and tags in Deville. Deville fires off right hands in the corner but Morgan fights back and delivers a kick.
Raquel Rodriguez tags in and levels Deville then sends her face first into the corner before she plants her with a fallaway slam but Deville sends her crashing into the ring post shoulder first then locks in a half Boston Crab but Morgan breaks the hold. Rodriguez tags her in as Deville tags in Green.
Morgan catches her with a pair of shoulder tackles and a step up knee then delivers a Codebreaker off the middle rope and follows it up with ObLIVion then goes for a pin but Deville breaks the fall with a knee.
Deville then pulls Rodriguez off the apron and executes a chop block then she rakes Morgan’s eyes allowing Green to hit Unprettier then goes for a pin but Morgan kicks out.
Deville tags in and Green hits a 2nd Unprettier then Deville follows it up with a running knee for the win.
Winners & New Women’s Tag Team Champions: Sonya Deville & Chelsea Green (NEW CHAMPIONS!!!!!)
After the break we head over to a video of what happened in the next chapter of The Bloodline’s civil war this past Friday on Smackdown.
We then head over to a video of Byron Saxton sitting down with World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins. Saxton asks Rollins what his plans are for defending his World Heavyweight Title and Rollins says there is no better place for a marque title match than SummerSlam. He says that several men have earned his place on his short list including Finn Balor, Damian Priest, Drew McIntyre & Gunther. Balor then walks in and takes Saxton’s seat before demanding a rematch at SummerSlam. He says the line starts with him and the issues are far from over. He tells him to do what he has to do to make things official.
Rollins tells Balor he has to stop living in the past and Balor says he’s living in chaos. He promises to get his retribution and do to Rollins what he did to him. Rollins tells Balor that his title is more than his personal vendetta against him and says they don’t need a match to settle the score. He says they can deal with things right here right now and tells him to either take his shot or leave. Balor stands up and opts to walk away then suddenly returns and rains down right hands on Rollins. He tells him to make the match official.
Viking Rules Match
Viking Raiders (Erik & Ivar) vs. Alpha Academy (Chad Gable & Otis)
Otis tosses Chad Gable over the top rope and onto Viking Raiders on the long boat then the bell rings and Ivar sends Otis crashing into the ring post. Erik levels Gable on top of the long boat but Gable cinches in an Ankle Lock. He relinquished it and goes flying to level Ivar on the floor then sends Erik crashing into one of the shields.
Otis calls for a table, and Gable gets it but Erik blindsides him from behind then Ivar levels Otis with a boot and sandwiches him between himself and the side of the long boat. Viking Raiders get Gable back in the ring and look to level him but Otis intervenes and takes out Ivar that takes us to a break.
Erik delivers a knee to Gable’s head in the middle of the ring. Ivar then ascends to the top and delivers a moonsault to Otis and pins him but Gable goes flying off the top with a moonsault of his own to break the fall then takes out Ivar with a German suplex and goes for a pin of his own but Erik breaks the fall.
Erik & Gable then go back & forth with forearms before Gable gains the uppercut and delivers a kick to Erik’s midsection then looks to run the ropes but Erik catches him with a right hand. Gable responds with a suplex and ascends to the top, then delivers a diving headbutt then he goes for a pin but Valhalla breaks the fall.
Maxxine Dupri levels her with a crossbody off the top and takes back her stolen letterman jacket. Valhalla spears Dupri through a table set up in the corner allowing Viking Raiders to attack a distracted Gable and send him crashing into a shield set up in the corner.
Otis then levels both Viking Raiders and delivers a powerbomb to Erik before delivering The Caterpillar to Ivar then he ascends to the top rope but Valhalla clocks him. Viking Raiders then plant him with a double powerbomb for the win.
Winners: Viking Raiders
Shayna Baszler vs. Nikki Cross
Nikki Cross wastes no time as she rains down right hands on Shayna Baszler but Baszler locks in the Kirifuda Clutch for the win.
Winner By Submission: Shayna Baszler
After the match Ronda Rousey appears in the crowd and asks Baszler if the front door working on the indies is faster than the backdoor with her MMA background. She says she took her opportunity and a fraction of the time to get where she is then calls Baszler a knock off version of her. Baszler tells Rousey it’s easy for her to say those from afar and says Rousey knows that she’s better in the ring than she is like everyone else does. She challenges Rousey to meet her in the ring but Rousey refuses and Baszler hops the barricade before making her way up the stairs. Security stops her and Rousey tells her she’ll get her booked for SummerSlam. She then challenges her to a 1 on 1 match.
The Miz welcomes fans to Miz TV and says he’s back. He says he beat Tommaso Ciampa last week in the middle of the ring and he is a winner. He calls himself the biggest star in all of WWE before introducing Becky Lynch.
Lynch makes her way down to the ring and Miz says it must me nice for Lynch to sit next to a winner. Miz asks Lynch about her recent losses at Money In The Bank to Trish Stratus & Zoey Stark. Miz asks if she’s lost a step and Lynch becomes irate. She tosses their chairs out of the ring then gets in Miz’s face and tells him she’s lost titles but not a step. She says he knows Miz has other guests coming out. She demands he bring them out and Miz agrees. He then introduces Trish Stratus & Zoey Stark and they appear.
Lynch demands a 1 on 1 rematch with Stratus & Stratus tells her to settle down. She says Lynch is acting like her daughter and Lynch tells Stratus to keep her daughter’s name out of her mouth. Stratus asks Lynch why she’s so obsessed with her and says she won’t fight her again. She says herself and Stark are done with Lynch but before they do she needs one thing a thank you from Lynch. Lynch says Stratus wants to feel better than everyone and says Stratus hit her when she knew she was at her weakest because she knew she never stood a chance when she was stronger. She says she’s accomplished more than Stratus ever has and tells Stratus to prove she’s as good at her in the ring 1 on 1.
Stratus agrees to fight Lynch but under a few conditions. She says Lynch has to face Stark once again and beat her get on her knees and thank her and tattoo Thank You Trish across her chest. Lynch agrees to all of the above.
Stratus & Stark blindside Lynch but Lynch levels both of them and takes off Stratus’ protective face mask & she punches Stratus then puts on Stratus’s face mask and headbutts Stark with it.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Bronson Reed
Match starts off with a lock up then Shinsuke Nakamura delivers a knee but Bronson Reed runs over him and stomps on his neck. Nakamura responds with a elbow and a running knee then delivers a kick to Reed’s head and looks for the double knees on the back of his neck but Reed ducks out of the way and delivers a shoulder tackle off the apron as the action spills to the outside as we go to a break.
After the break Nakamura delivers a series of kicks to Reed’s midsection then he follows it up with a dragon screw and goes for a pin but Reed kicks out. Nakamura locks in a sleeper but Reed escapes and plants him with a running Death Valley Driver then drags him over to the corner then ascends to the top rope.
Nakamura rocks him with an enziguri then delivers a knee to his midsection and lands a knee off the middle rope before he sets up for the Kinshasa but Reed catches him with a crossbody then Tommaso Ciampa blindsides Reed causing the DQ.
Winner By DQ: Bronson Reed
After the match a frustrated Nakamura kicks Ciampa.
After the break Bryon Saxton tries to get a word with Nakamura but Nakamura wanted him to stay out of his business.
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles Match
Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (c) vs. Judgement Day (Mr Money In The Bank Damian Priest & Dominik Mysterio)
Seth Rollins appears out of nowhere and blindsides Finn Balor on the outside before they brawl to the back so Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn follow suit by blindsiding Judgment Day.
Damian Priest manages to eventually gain the upper hand and delivers a right hand to Zayn then sends him into the top turnbuckle face first then fires off stomps on him in the corner then tags in Dominik Mysterio. Zayn lands a right hand on Mysterio’s head then tags Owens in.
Owens executes a pair of sentons on Mysterio then fires off stomps on him in the corner then he delivers a corkscrew elbow out of the corner then tags Zayn back in. Mysterio shoves Zayn into the corner then tags in Priest & he delivers a right hand then tags Mysterio back in. Zayn catches him with a back body drop but Mysterio rolls out of the ring to regroup.
Zayn follows him and sends him into the announce desk face first then dumps him back inside the ring. Rhea Ripley gets in his face allowing Mysterio to deliver a baseball dropkick. Priest then chokeslams him onto the apron as we go to a break.
After the break Priest fires off right hands on Zayn in the middle of the ring. Priest sends him crashing into the corner but Zayn manages to make his way over to his corner and tags in Owens & he rains down right hands then clotheslines him out of the ring then delivers a senton to Priest on the outside then hits a Frog Splash off the apron on Mysterio.
Owens tosses Priest back inside the ring then sends him into the ring post shoulder first then follows it up with a cannonball and looks for a Swanton Bomb but Priest gets his knees up. Mysterio tags in and delivers a Frog Splash off the top to Owens then goes for a pin but Zayn breaks the fall. Mysterio dumps Zayn out of the ring before Owens catches him with a Pop Up Powerbomb then goes for a pin but Priest breaks the fall.
Zayn & Priest tag in. Zayn delivers a chop, then follows it up with a tornado DDT and goes for a pin. Priest kicks out and Zayn ascends to the top rope but Priest catches him with a right hand then knocks Owens off the apron and delivers a spinning kick to his head. He executes a hurricanrana and a series of kicks but Zayn catches him with a big boot.
Mysterio makes the blind tag and dropkicks Zayn into the ropes then dials it up for the 619 but Zayn delivers a back body drop that sends him crashing to the outside then goes flying to level him and gets him back inside the ring.
Ripley gets in the referee’s face but Liv Morgan runs down and attacks her. She fires off right hands then sends her crashing into the barricade and dumps her into the timekeeper’s area. Priest looks for a double chokeslam on Owens & Zayn but they escape and Owens catches him with a Stunner then Zayn delivers a Helluva Kick to Mysterio for the win.
Winners & Still Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions: Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (STILL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!)
Matches Of The Night
Non Title Match- 7/10
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles Match- 7/10
Viking Rules Match- 6/10
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Bronson Reed- 6/10
SummerSlam Card So Far (August 5th)
Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lensar
Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler
World Heavyweight Title Match
Seth Rollins (c) vs. Finn Balor
