WWE Raw is live tonight from the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California.
Two matches and two segments have been advertised for this week’s episode ahead of time.
Men’s Money in the Bank winner Penta will face Bron Breakker of The Vision in singles competition.
The ongoing program between Joe Hendry and JD McDonagh, which has seen Hendry refer to McDonagh as a Funko Pop in numerous musical performances, will continue on Monday night. Hendry will face McDonagh in singles competition.
Roman Reigns is set to return to WWE Raw this week. He is advertised to address The 946 on the show.
Also advertised for tonight’s show, WWE Champion Sami Zayn will appear ahead of his match against Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel on November 7.
According to a report from WrestleTix on Monday morning, 9,075 tickets have been distributed for the show.
Our live coverage kicks off at 8 p.m. Eastern.
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Live! From San Diego, California.
Joe Tessitore & Wade Barrett were on commentary.
Roman Reigns was chauffeured into the building and grabbed his title belt from a stage hand. Pulling in behind him was Undisputed WWE Champion Sami Zayn, forced to carry his title belt like a schmuck. Zayn whizzed by Reigns on his way to the ring, offering the real world champion a courtesy wave.
Sami Zayn Addressed His Ride or Dies, And Roman Reigns Demanded Acknowledgement
Sami came out to what at first felt like a positive reaction, but then got some boos once he grabbed the mic. He asked the fans who was here to ride or die with the last good guy, but before he could get into it, Roman Reigns music hit, and he slowly made his way to the ring.
Roman told Sami it was good to see him, and they hugged it out. Sami finally understands all the things Roman told him about “the burden” and “the disrespect” when he was running with Roman when he was Tribal Chief. Reigns then demanded acknowledgment from the crowd, and the crowd chanted “OTC!”
Roman told Sami that the most important title he ever had was “Honorary Uce,” and Roman wanted to know if Sami was on Raw out of love (to serve the Bloodline) or out of greed. Sami wasn’t interested in being a subordinate to Roman; he is the head of his own table on SmackDown. Roman told Sami that he was holding “a title,” but Roman held “the title.”
Sami said that Roman’s title was the “B-title” until Roman started holding it. Roman responded that maybe the title Sami had hadn’t “meant sh!t since WrestleMania 40.” Sami was furious that Roman tried to minimize his world title. Sami didn’t appreciate that Roman wasn’t even acknowledging him as a threat, when Roman knows exactly the kind of threat that Sami poses. Roman shot back that Sami might not even have that title by the time Crown Jewel rolls around.
As Roman went to leave, Penta made his entrance with his Money in the Bank briefcase. Sami Zayn stood in the ring and stared down Penta.
Penta v. Bron Breakker
Breakker dumped Penta with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex, then floored him with a Steinerline. Breakker tossed Penta over his head with a release Northern Lights suplex. Penta fired back with some chops, but Breakker took him down with a double-leg and pummeled him.
Penta took Breakker down with a tijeras, then yanked him out of the corner with a backstabber. Penta hit a springboard lariat, then caught Breakker with a tope on the floor. On the floor, Breakker whipped Penta into the steel steps. Breakker tossed Penta onto the announcers’ desk.
After a commercial, Penta came off the top with a crossbody for a near fall. Breakker hit a release German suplex for another near fall. Breakker taunted Penta, who responded with a slap. Penta countered a military press with a tornado DDT, then hit a series of lariats to finally take Breakker off his feet.
Penta drove Breakker’s face into the mat, then hit a gamengiri. Tessistore called Penta’s handstand dropkick the “corner handstand sternum stomp” when Penta hit it, which is a hilarious overcomplicated name.
Penta and Breakker fought up to the top. Penta pushed Breakker away, who popped up and snapped Penta down with an avalanche Frankensteiner for a near fall.
Breakker charged for a spear, but ran into a superkick. Penta hit the Penta Driver for a near fall. Penta set up for a Mexican Destroyer, but Maxxine Dupri and Austin Theory ran out to distract Penta. Penta superkicked Theory like a geek, but then Penta dove into a spear from Breakker for a near fall.
Dupri distracted the referee so Theory could grab the briefcase. Je’Von Evans jumped that geek Theory, then nailed Breakker with the briefcase while the ref was still distracted by Dupri. Penta then hit the Mexican Destroyer to get the pinfall.
Match Result: Penta pinned Bron Breakker (12:51).
— Jackie Redmond caught up to Roman Reigns as he was leaving (at 8:45pm EST). Redmond noted that people were coming at Roman from “all directions”: Sami Zayn, the 946, and a confrontation with Penta (that’s actually just three directions). Roman drove off. It’s easy to deal with all these challengers by only showing up once every few weeks.
Another note: the 946 hasn’t even laid a hand on Roman yet.
Chelsea Green & Iyo Sky v. Roxanne Perez & Raquel Rodriguez
Speaking of lazy champions, Morgan was at ringside while her lackeys did her fighting for her against Green and Sky.
Rodriguez floored Green with a clothesline, then distracted the ref so Morgan could lay in a cheap shot on Green. Green slipped out of a slam attempt and tagged in Sky. Sky caught Perez with a running crossbody. Sky came off the top with a shotgun dropkick. Sky set up for the meteora in the corner, but Rodriguez ducked to the floor to regroup.
On the floor, Rodriguez tossed Sky into the ringside barricade, then dumped her onto the floor.
After a commercial, Perez went for her double-jump Lionsault, but Sky got her knees up. Rodriguez came in and caught a jawbreaker. Sky dove for the tag, but Perez pulled Green off the apron. (Some agent really likes that spot, we see it at least once a week).
Sky escaped a Tejana Bomb and made the tag to Green. Green threw some of the worst arm drags I’ve even seen (you could tell Perez was doing 100% of the work). Perez escaped an Unprettier attempt and got the tag to Rodriguez.
Rodriguez charged into a double knee from Green. Green tried to go to the top, but Morgan crotched her. Green blocked a superplex from Rodriguez and shoved her down. Green made a blind tag to Sky, then dove onto Morgan and Perez on the floor.
Back in the ring, Sky countered a suplex into a hurricanrana and cradle, and got the pinfall.
Match Result: Chelsea Green & Iyo Sky defeated Roxanne Perez and Raquel Rodriguez when Sky pinned Rodriguez (12:11).
— The 946 and their newest member Carmelo Hayes FaceTimed in another promo where they told us “ain’t nobody safe.” Yet Roman got in and out of the building unscathed.
JD McDonagh (w/ Dominik Mysterio) v. Joe Hendry (w/ a mini in a Funko Pop Head)
This was so devastatingly unfunny I assume Vince has come out of retirement and started faxing in suggestions.
McDonagh attacked Hendry before the bell, then chased the mini around the ring until he ran into a clothesline from Hendry. The Funko Pop guy thew one a Funko toy in the ring to frustrate JD. Tessitore on commentary reached Michael Cole levels of obnoxiousness.
Hendry hit McDonagh and Mysterio with a dive on the floor.
After a commercial, McDonagh had Hendry locked in a sleeper. Hendry dumped McDonagh back to escape. Hendry made his comeback and dumped JD with a fallaway slam. McDonagh ducked the discus lariat, but Hendry hit a DDT for a near fall.
Mysterio tried to distract Hendry by jumping up on the apron, but the Funko Pop tripped him up. Hendry grabbed a guitar he’d brought with him and tried to hit JD with it. But McDonagh got the guitar and broke it over the Funko Pop Guy’s Funko Pop head. Mysterio laid in some boots for good measure.
Back in the ring, McDonagh hit Hendry with a flying headbutt and got the pinfall.
Match Result: JD McDonagh beat Hendry with a headbutt (9:19).
I hated all this.
— Earlier today, Lyra Valkyria thought she saw Bayley coming, but when she turned around and decked her, she hit Lola Vice instead.
— There was also a recap of “Main Event” (now on Rumble, a new network, so this show will be important for a few weeks), and Bayley distracted Valkyria to cost her a match against Sol Ruca.
Lyra Valkyria v. Lola Vice
After a few minutes of aimless back and forth, Valkyria drug Vice out of the ring. On the floor, Valkyria hung Vice off of the apron and dropped her over her knee.
Following a commercial, Vice was making a comeback in the ring with kicks. Vice hit a pair of hip attacks in the corner. Vice drug Valkyria out of the corner with a Saito suplex for a near fall.
Valkyria came back with a fisherwoman’s suplex for a near fall. Lyra dove off the top, and right into a spin kick for a near fall. Valkyria went for Night Wing, but Vice countered with a choke. Valkyria escaped by dumped Vice to the floor, then following her out with a dropkick through the ropes.
Valkyria tossed Vice back into the ring, but Bayley grabbed Lyra’s foot from under the ring. Valkyria called the ref out to have him look for Bayley under the ring, and of course she wasn’t there when the ref looked. Bayley pulled at Valkyria’s hair from behind. Lyra ran back into the ring, and ran right into a back hand from Vice.
Match Result: Lola Vice pinned Lyra Valkyria following a back hand (10:46).
Everyone was just waiting for Bayley to interfere and cost Lyra the match.
After the match, Valkyria tried to jump Bayley, who fought her off. Valkyria ran, and Bayley grabbed a mic and said their feud would end next week in a “no disqualifications match.”
— In the back, Adam Pearce and Stephanie Vaquer were with the trainer. Vaquer’s ankle was taped up, and the trainer won’t clear her for at least another week. Becky Lynch showed up to demand a shot at Liv Morgan. Instead, once Vaquer is cleared, it will be Vaquer and Lynch in a match to determine Morgan’s next contender.
I’m pretty sure Vaquer wrestled on house shows this weekend, so it must be one of the ankle sprains that comes and goes.
Chad Gable v. Rey Mysterio v. Dragon Lee for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
Gable has already beaten both these guys in individual matches, but the fighting champion wanted to beat them both again, I guess? They tried to justify this on commentary by saying that Lee was getting a rematch, but Gable also wanted to include Mysterio because they were in San Diego.
The crowd chanted 619 before the opening bell.
Lee got the first bit of shine in the match, hitting dropkicks in the corner on Gable and Rey. Lee went for a German suplex on Rey, but Gable got behind Lee and suplexed them both at once.
After a break, Lee and Gable were fighting in the ring, with Rey on the floor. Gable and Lee escaped powerbomb attempts from each other. Lee went for the Styles Clash, but Mysterio broke that up. Mysterio sent Lee to the floor with a tijeras. Gable went for the ankle lock on Rey, but Lee broke that up. Gable then went for the ankle lock on Lee. Rey broke that up by jumping on Gable’s shoulders and sending him out to the floor.
Lee sent Rey to the floor, then caught him with a dropkick through the ropes. Lee charged for a dive, but Gable caught him with an overhead belly to belly suplex. Gable then went to work on Lee’s leg. Lee caught Gable with a PAC-style German suplex.
Rey came off the top with a West Coast Pop onto Gable on the floor.
After another commercial, Lee came off the top with a massive double stomp on Rey. Gable suplexed Lee in the corner, but Lee got his feet up when Gable came off the top with a moonsault. Rey set up both his opponents for a 619, but Lee got out of the way and Gable snagged Rey with an ankle lock. Lee broke that up, then hit Rey with a Styles Clash for a near fall.
Lee hit a sit-out powerbomb on Gable, but Rey broke up the pin attempt.
Rey hit both Gable and Lee with 619s on opposite sides of the ring. Rey came off the top with a frog splash on Lee. He went for the cover, but Gable broke up the pin attempt.
Gable dumped Rey and Lee with German suplexes and got booed. Gable went for an overhead German on Rey. He tossed him into Lee, and Rey caught Lee with a tornado DDT. Rey then tried for a tornado DDT on Gable, but Gable countered with a sunset flip and held down Rey for the three count.
Match Result: Chad Gable retained the Intercontinental Title by pinning Rey Mysterio in a triple threat match that also included Dragon Lee (15:41).
This was the best thing on the show by miles (or kilometers for the non-US readers).
After the match, Ethan Page jumped Rey and Gable. Big Cass then jumped Dragon Lee and chokeslammed him on the top of the ring barricade. Cass then hit Rey with a big boot for good measure. Meanwhile, in the ring, Page dropped Gable with an EgoPlex. Page hit a second EgoPlex on Gable before leaving.
— The Usos have arrived with a baseball bat. Jimmy also grabbed a chair while they made their way through the backstage area on their way to the ring.
The Usos Call Out 946; Roman Returns
The crowd wanted the Usos to run their entrance back, but Jey Uso didn’t have time for that. Jey did have time to declare that the Bloodline was now in their city. Jey called out the 946, and with a 5-on-2 advantage, of course they came out through the crowd.
Royce Keys stood on top of the announcers’ desk with the mic, and asked when the Uso would learn that “ain’t nobody safe.”
From behind, Solo Sikoa tripped up Keys. He attacked Carmelo Hayes and tossed him into Keys.
In the ring, the Usos got the edge on Bronco Nima and Lucien Price. Jey hit Keys and Hayes with a dive on the floor.
Sikoa tossed Keys in the ring and set him up for the Samoan Spike, but Hayes hit him with a crowbar, and now the Usos and Sikoa succumbed to the 5-on-3 disadvantage.
Jaida Parker handed Keys some handcuffs. Keys got in Sikoa’s face and told him to warn Roman that he was coming for him.
Then, Roman Reigns’ music hit and he came out to the ring. I guess he didn’t leave earlier in the night. The 946 started to back up as Roman made his way to the ring. The Bloodline and 946 stood across from each other, and man the pop when was unreal with they started brawling. Roman send Keys flying with a Superman Punch. Sikoa took out Hayes with the Samoan Spike, and the Usos fed Nima (I think) into a spear from Roman. The 946 slinked away through the crowd with the Bloodline standing tall.
Ain’t nobody but Roman safe from the 946, apparently.
A lot of the show was very hit or miss, but the Intercontinental Title match and show closing angle were very strong.
But it really doesn’t feel like they’re pushing Crown Jewel that hard.
Joseph Collins
TV recapper for the Observer website, starting in 2021 with AEW Dark. Currently covering the Monday Night Raw beat.
