8/1 WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW RESULTS: Keller’s report on Miz vs. Styles vs. Ali and Ziggler vs. Gable vs. Ciampa for U.S. Title shot, Mysterios challenge Usos for belts

KELLER’S WWE RAW REPORT
AUGUST 1, 2022
HOUSTON, TEX. AT TOYOTA CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON USA NETWORK

Commentators: Jimmy Smith, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves

Ring Announcer: Mike Rome

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[HOUR ONE]

-Jimmy Smith introduced the show as they aired a wide shot of the crowd from the upper deck.

-Becky Lynch made her ring entrance, wearing a shoulder immobilizer. They cut to a four minute video recap of what happened with her at Summerslam. Back live, a “Becky!” chant rang out. She said at Summerslam she finally remembered who the hell she is. She said it wasn’t the fancy clothes or constant need for glory or validation, but rather it’s the relentlessness and determination and persistence and owning every mistake she’s made and the pursuit to be better today than she was yesterday. She said when she separated he shoulder at Summerslam, she could have given up or pushed forth to give it everything she had. She said she grit her teeth and fought through 20 of the most painful minutes of her career. She said she realized her shoulder was separated, but so was her grip on reality. She touted the WWE Women’s Division. She said she gave it her best, but the best wasn’t good enough that week. She said she’s not defined by one match, though, or even one match. She said she defines the match and the title. “And I will not be defined by any man, I define The Man,” she said. (Was that a dig at Vince McMahon’s image of her as a heel?) She said her comeback story starts now.

She shifted to thanking Bianca Belair for making her the B-E-S-T she can be for the last year. She asked her to come on out. Belair pranced to the ring in high heels while twirling her braid. Corey Graves said bygones are bygones and respect has been earned between these two top tier competitors. An “EST” chant rang out. Belair said she is The Man. They hugged. Becky said, “Hold it down, B, I’ll see ya’ soon.” She left the ring to another “Becky!” chant. Belair clapped in the ring. Belair was welled up with emotion.

Belair said she has nothing but respect for Becky. She said she respects her, and some may wonder how that’s possible considering she has shaken her hand only to use her other hand to smack her in the face. Belair said she never wanted to be handed anything. She said Becky made her work for elevating the meaning the belt. She said earning Becky’s respect means something. She said now that there’s a target on her back, she’ll never be caught slipping. She said she stays ready for whatever is next. They cut backstage as she was talking to an attack by Bayley, Iyo Sky, and Dakota Kai attacking Becky backstage. Becky glutched her arm in pain as it was stuck under a chair. Belair sprinted to the backstage area to make sure Bayley & Co. left. Officials checked on Becky as Belair asked if she’s okay.

-They went to Smith, Graves, and Byron Saxton at the announce desk. Graves said Bayley & Co. want some level of control, but they don’t know what that entails yet. They shifted to hyping the Mysterios challenging The Usos for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles, plus Edge would speak and two three-way matches to determine the no. 1 contender to the U.S. Title.

-Some featured freeze-frames were shown of key happenings at Summerslam to the tune of Jason Aldean’s “Crazy Town.”

-Smith talked about Houston, Tex. as postcard shots aired of the city.

-A video aired on the history of the U.S. Title narrated by JBL. JBL said the title is named after a country built on opportunity. Photos were shown of various champions over the decades from Dusty Rhodes and Roddy Piper and Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat and Wahoo McDaniel to Booker T and Bret Hart to Kofi Kingston to A.J. Styles to Seth Rollins to Bobby Lashley.

(Keller’s Analysis: With two Triple Threat matches for U.S. Title contendership, it’s smart to work to elavate the importance of the title. Nice video.)

-As A.J. Styles made his ring entrance, Graves talked about how important the U.S. Title is to this industry. Mustafa Ali came out next.

-A video package aired on the Miz vs. Logan Paul match. Then a soundbite aired with Logan apparently at outdoors at home earlier in the day stating he has found his calling. He said his Summerslam was the coolest thing he’s ever done. He said he’s got an multi-year, multi-event deal coming. He said he doesn’t know when his next match is, but it’ll be massive.

-Graves plugged that Triple H will be on Logan’s podcast tomorrow.

(1) MUSTAFA ALI vs. A.J. STYLES vs. THE MIZ – U.S. Title contendership match

Miz’s ring entrance took place. Miz yanked at Ali’s hair from the ring apron early to slow his momentum. Styles knocked Miz off the ring apron, then went for an early Styles Clash on Ali. Miz yanked Styles by his leg out of the ring. Ali then dove onto Miz at ringside and then played to the crowd. At 5:00 all three were down and slow to get up after a stretch of rapid-fire action. Styles rallied and set up a Phenomenal Forearm on Ali, but Miz yanked him off the ring apron. Styles threw Miz, whose ribs were taped, into the announce desk. Ali then landed a tornado DDT off the ring apron to the floor. The announcers gasped. Ali landed with a thud in addition to Styles. Graves said he’d be shocked if Styles gets back into the match.

Ali threw Miz into the ring and then worked his way slowly back into the ring , but Miz caught him with a Skull Crushing Finale. Miz was slow to be able to drape his arm over Ali, so Ali kicked out before three. Ali landed a 450 on Miz, but Styles caught Ali on the rebound and gave him a Styles Clash on Miz. He then quickly covered Ali for the win.

WINNER: Styles in 9:00.

(Keller’s Analysis: With Miz losing to Logan on Saturday, Miz didn’t have a ton of credibility going into this as a deserving U.S. Title contender. Ali didn’t have a hot streak, either. I hope in the future Paul Levesque works to build matches like this weeks ahead of time by giving wrestlers key wins leading to a matches like this with title ramifications. Obviously, he didn’t have time for that this time. The match itself was good. Ali is someone I hope gets a more consistent push.)

-They went to the trainer’s room where Adam Pearce observed Becky being treated. She asked for some nice.

-Elsewhere backstage, Sarah Schreiber approached Bayley, Io Sky, and Dakota Kai. Bayley said what they did wasn’t about Becky, it was about them. She said everyone would fine out what they mean soon. The Usos walked into the arena and smiled at Bayley & Co. Then they talked about beating the Street Profits again and said they’ll beat the Mysterios again later.

-Seth Rollins made his ring entrance. Graves said he left Riddle in a heap once again on Saturday at Summerslam. Smith called it savagery. A video package aired recapping the latest Seth beatings on Riddle. Then back live, Seth bragged about what he did and celebrated that they don’t have to hear from Riddle tonight. He said it took a lot of guts for Riddle to show up when he wasn’t cleared and calling him out, “but there is a thin line between being gutsy and being stupid and Riddle has crossed the stupid line more times than I can count.” He said there’s a silver lining, though. He said Riddle has wanted so badly to be like his big bro Randy, and now he too is on the shelf with a career-threatening injury. He cackled.  He said now that Riddle is out of the picture, he can turn his attention to Roman Reigns and the Undisputed Title. Instead, he was interrupted by the Street Profits music.

Seth told them to shut down their music as the Profits walked out. Seth said they’re losers like the Houston Rockets. He said they should break up. The Profits said they beat him to win the tag titles and he got beat up “when Cody Rhodes only had one boobie.” Seth he’d love to fight them both. He said if they split up and find their way back to him, they can revisit the idea of a match. Angelo Dawkins asked the crowd if they’d like to see one of them beat up Seth. The crowd cheered. Dawkins told Seth to be careful what he asks for. Dawkins and Montez Ford did “rock, paper, scissors.” A ref walked out to oversee. Ford grabbed the ref and ran to the ring to make it clear he was going to be the one wrestling Seth, skipping the “rock, paper, scissors.”

(2) MONTEZ FORD vs. SETH ROLLINS

Fore took early control and threw Seth into the ringside barricade. Seth took over with an elbow and threw Ford into the ring. Ford scored a quick near fall after surprising Seth with a kick. Ford climbed to the top rope, but Seth rolled to the floor. Seth set up a Pedgiree, but Ford backdropped out of it. Seth controlled the action for several minutes. When Ford made a comeback, he scored a two count after a high flying top rope crossbody. Ford stayed in control for a while. Seth came back with a Falcon Arrow and bucklebomb for a two count. Seth went for a top rope frog splash, but Ford moved. Ford then climbed to the to prope and went for a frog splash. Saxton wondered if Ford was on the verge of the biggest win over his career. Seth, though, lifted his knees and hit a stomp for the clean win. Seth teased a post-match Stomp, but Dawkins ran in for the save. Seth retreated. Graves said with a lot people speculating on the future of Ford and Dawkins as a team. He said tonight Ford made believers out of many people with his performance against Seth.

WINNER: Seth in 11:00.

(Keller’s Analysis: Really good match. This is setting the stage for Ford to score a career-accelerating big singles win against an established top tier star, and delaying that moment is smart until they are ready to move forward with Ford in a big way. He looked like he’s ready for a serious singles push out there.)

-A four minute video package aired on the Roman Reigns-Brock Lesnar match.

-They went to the announcers at ringside. Graves touted photos and footage from after Summerslam went off the air available at WWE.com.

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[HOUR TWO]

(3) ALEXA BLISS vs. ASUKA

Saxton said both of these women are trying to find their way back into contendership for the title. A fan in the front row held up a “HHH Era” sign. At 3:00, Bayley, Sky, and Kai charged out and attacked both women.

WINNER: No contest in 3:00.

Sky was going to leap off the top rope with a chair, but Belair ran out for the save. Bayley & Co. fled. Belair said she wants a match against one of them tonight. They smiled. Sky pointed at herself, a sign she was volunteering. [c]

-A replay aired of the angle before the break. Then the announcers hyped Belair vs. Sky. Graves told fans who hadn’t seen Sky before to buckle up.

(4) DOLPH ZIGGLER vs. CIAMPA vs. CHAD GABLE – U.S. Title contendership match

Ciampa didn’t get his first name back yet. Graves touted Ciampa’s history as a former NXT Champion and called him a global traveler who is ruthless. Gable walked out and told Houston they have a problem. He was very proud of himself. He said his brain is twice the size of Texas. He said he will represent the fans the only way he can. He said he won’t cheat, unlike the Houston Astros.

Gable got control of Ciampa and stomped his chest into the mat. Ziggler came up behind Gable and gave him a Fameasser for a two count. They cut to a split-screen break. [c/ss]

Back from the break, Ciampa scored a near fall on Gable. Then he scored a near fall on Ziggler, but Gable broke it up with a diving headbutt to Ciampa’s shoulder. Ziggler hit the Zig Zag on Ciampa as Gable was back suplexing Ciampa. He scored a near fall. All three were down and slow to get up at 9:00. Ziggler superkicked Ciampa, but Gable stole the cover. Ziggler beat up Gable at ringside, but as he tried to re-enter the ring, Ciampa kneed him off the ring apron. Ciampa then landed the Fairy Tale Ending on Gable for the win.

WINNER: Ciampa in 10:00.

(Keller’s Analysis: It’s safe to assume that Ciampa wouldn’t have gotten that win if Vince McMahon were still in charge. Levesque is familiar with Ciampa’s strengths and a fan of his. That setws up Styles vs. Ciampa with the winner getting a future U.S. Title match against Bobby Lashley.)

-A video package aired on The Judgement Day vs. Mysterios at Summerslam, and then Edge’s return. [c]

-More freeze-frames aired of big moments at Summerslam.

(Keller’s Analysis: This artistic celebration of Summerslam reenforces what a big deal WWE major events are. It validates those who watched and makes those who didn’t feel like they missed out on a piece of history. This is a smart approach WWE takes, with an eye on the long-term instead of an insecurity of losing viewers by not showing something happening live in the ring instead.)

-Edge made his ring entrance and played to the crowd. They cheered him. Edge said: “Thanks for that, because, to be fair, for the last few months I’ve been a bit of an asshole. But that changes now because now we both get what we want.” He said he created The Judgment Day with an idea to get the potential out of some wrestlers by passing along some of the knowledge he acquired in his career. He said when they had their first taste of power, they pulled one over on them. He said he didn’t see it coming, which is to their credit. He said now it’s time to kill what he created. He said he is going to end Judgment Day. He threw the mic down.

(Keller’s Analysis: I liked the to-the-point brevity of that. Sometimes Edge can get into the mode where it seems he’s going for an Emmy Award winning performance. It was smart to acknowledgment of what he had been like for a few months, and then move past it. He charitably framed his goal with The Judgment Day, leaving off some of the approaches they were taking to succeed before his underlings dumped him, but all in all this worked.)

-Kevin Patrick asked about the Mysterios shifting their focus from The Judgment Day to the Usos. Rey said Judgment Day is in their rear viewer mirror. He thanked Edge for his help. [c]

-A clip aired o WWE holding tryouts with Big E among those observing. Dwight Howard even tried out.

-Schreiber interviewed Bayley, Sky, and Kai backstage. Bayley said everyone is talking about her return at Summerslam. She said Sky and Kai are two of the best in the world who have waited far too long for this moment. Sky said they know how to play the game. Bayley said soon they will be in full control.

(5) IYO SKY (w/Bayley, Dakota Kai) vs. BIANCA BELAIR

Sky came out first. Then Belair made her entrance. They cut to a break at 1:00 after Sky landed a moonsault press off the ring apron. [c]

Belair went for a K.O.D., but Sky slipped free. They battled on the ring apron. Sky leaped off the ring apron at Belair, but Belair caught her legs and swung her into the barricade. As Belair began to throw Sky back into the ring, Bayley and Kai sat on the ring apron and blocked them. Bliss and Asuka walked out to even the odds. They cut to a split-screen break at 10:00. [c/ss]

[HOUR THREE]

The heel trio backed down during the break. Belair was in control back from the break. Belair landed a spinebuster, then went for a handspring moonsault, but Sky lifted her knees. An “EST!” chant rang out briefly. Sky grabbed at the ref as Bayley grabbed at Belair’s leg. Sky went for a pin on Belair with her legs on the middle rope. Bliss shoved her legs off the middle rope. Everyone at ringside stood on the ring apron, then Bayley and Kai entered the ring. Asuka and Bliss joined them. The ref called off the match. They had a big pullapart brawl with a bunch of officials running into the ring to separate them. The heel trio retreated as Belair’s music began playing. Smith said this is far from over.

WINNERS: No contest in 17:00.

(Keller’s Analysis: Two out of four matches ended in a no contest. I get why they rationalized doing it here. The match was good and the post-match chaos was exciting. With Becky out of the mix for now, they’ve recovered nicely with this set of trios.)

-Miz gave Ciampa a pep talk backstage when Patrick approached them for comments about how their Miz came up short while Ciampa won. Miz said he was cheated. Miz said WWE shouldn’t be a playground for an entitled YouTuber. He said he had Logan where he wanted him until Styles interfered and cost him a victory. He asked if Styles had been training Logan to keep him from winning. Miz said tonight is about Ciampa. Ciampa said he used to respect Styles and the path he took. He said he chose to side with a social media influencer who made a mockery of their home. He said when he crushes Styles’s dream of becoming U.S. Champion, it will be that much more satisfying. Miz pointed at Ciampa and said he’s the next U.S. Champion.

-A commercial aired for WrestleMania next year, with tickets going on sale on Aug. 12. [c]

(6) A.J. STYLES vs. CIAMPA (w/Miz)

Booker T joined at the announcers on commentary at ringside. Styles favored his shoulder as he walked out, which Graves pointed out. It seemed like they were setting up a reason for Ciampa to get the win over Styles. Ciampa got in a long stretch of offense. Booker said Miz could be the X Factor for Ciampa. Styles went for a Pelé kick, but Ciampa moved. Styles caught Ciampa in the eye. Ciampa dropped to ringside. Styles chased him back into the ring and then landed a nice dropkick as Ciampa rebounded off the ropes hard. Styles landed a slingshot Phenomenal Forearm at ringside. They cut to a break. [c]

Ciampa scored a two count after the break. Miz paced nervously at ringside. Styles rallied and went for a Phenomenal Forearm. Ciampa caught him mid-air with a knee to the head for a two count. Ciampa landed a leaping back stabber for a near fall. Styles countered a second rope Air Raid Crash into a Styles Clash. That looked a little scary as Ciampa tried to position his head properly for the bump. That’s a dangerous move to do in that sequence coming off of a reversal of another move on the ropes. Styles made the cover, but Miz put Ciampa’s boot on the bottom rope. Styles attacked Miz at ringside, Ciampa then attacked Styles and threw him into the ringpost and then over the barricade in the time keeper’s area. Ciampa rolled back into the ring to try to win by countout. Miz held onto Styles’s leg so he couldn’t get back to the ring to beat the count. Styles fought of Miz and barely beat the count. When Styles re-entered the ring, Ciampa immediately took control and gave Styles his Fairy Tale Ending for the win.

WINNER: Ciampa in 14:00.

(Keller’s Analysis: A really good match. Ciampa got the tainted win, but considering where he was on the card, this was a vast elevation in stature. Ultimately, though, it would have meant more without the interference from Miz.)

-Patrick interviewed Lashley backstage about facing Ciampa. Lashley said he would defend this title every week on Raw if he has to because he lives for this. He said Ciampa is tough and hungry, which makes him dangerous, and Miz makes him more of a threat. Lashley said he’s going to bring respect back to the U.S. Title. He said he humbled Theory at Summerslam and he’ll do the same to Ciampa with a Hurt Lock.

-Smith hyped the Usos vs. Mysterios main event. [c]

(7) THE USOS vs. THE MYSTERIOS – Unified WWE Tag Team Title match

They did formal ring introductions. Rey dazzled Jey early with slick counter moves and then tagged in Dominik who hit both Usos at ringside with a flying crossbody. They cut to a split-screen break under a minute into the match. [c/ss]

The Usos took over during the break. Rey eventually got the hot-tag to Dominik, who took on both Usos with neckbreakers leading to a two count. When Dominik went for a 619, Jimmy moved. The Usos caught him flying over the top rope at them and then rammed him into the ringpost. They cut to another split-screen break. [c/ss]

The Usos gave Dominik a sustained beating. Back from thebreak, Dominik blocked a Samoan Drop off the second rope and landed a tornado DDT. Dominik landed a frog splash on Jimmy, but Jey broke up the count at the last possible split second. Jey and Rey battled at ringside. Jey landed a superkick. Dominik flew over the top rope, but overshot him completely and landed a thud. Not sure who was at fault there. Dominik climbed to the top rope, but Jimmy knocked him off balance. Jimmy set up a superplex of Dom off the top rope. They exchanged punches. Dom punched himself free and then leaped off the top rope and then landed a dropkick. He set up a 619 on Jimmy, but Jey blind tagged in and then the Usos gave Dom their double-team cutter for the win.

WINNERS: The Usos to retain the Unified WWE Tag Team Titles.

(Keller’s Analysis: Good tag match. Dominik was the weak link, as he’s still showing how he’s got a lot of improvement to make. This is a high pressure situation for him.)

-Afterward, Priest, Balor, and Ripley charged into the ring and beat up the Mysterios. Edge made the save, of course. His mistakenly speared Dominik, though. Rey and trainers checked on Dominik as the show went off the air. Rey looked distraught.

(Keller’s Analysis: That errant spear plants another seed for an eventual Dominik decision to join The Judgment Day.)

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Tonight after AEW Dynamite, join Wade Keller live with guest co-host Tom Stoup from the PWTorch VIP podcasts “Bonus Point” and “NXT 8 Yrs Back” to break down the show with live callers and emails.

•STREAM LIVE HERE ABOUT 5 MINUTES AFTER THE SHOW CONCLUDES
•CALL: (347) 215-8558
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