SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE RAW REPORT
JUNE 19, 2023
CLEVELAND, OHIO AT ROCKET MORTGAGE FIELDHOUSE
AIRED LIVE ON USA
REPORT BY MAURICIO POMARES, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Corey Graves
Tonight after WWE Raw, join Wade Keller live with guest co-host Brandon LeClair from PWTorch to break down the show with live callers and emails.
•STREAM LIVE HERE ABOUT 5 MINUTES AFTER THE SHOW CONCLUDES
•CALL: (347) 215-8558
•EMAIL COMMENTS/QUESTIONS: wadekellerpodcast@pwtorch.com
•IF YOU DON’T LISTEN LIVE, SEARCH “WADE KELLER” ON YOUR PODCAST APP TO SUBSCRIBE AND THEN DOWNLOAD OR STREAM THE FULL SHOW TWO HOURS OR SO AFTER THE TV SHOW ENDS.
[HOUR ONE]
– The show opened with Seth Rollins making his way to the ring. As Rollins soaked in the crowd’s cheers, Finn Bálor attacked him from behind, starting a brawl all over the ring. Finn drove Rollins into the ring post and stomped him down, as referees and agents separated them. Finn crushed Rollins with the Coup de Grace off the steel steps three times.
[Commercial Break]
– A recap of Finn Bálor’s assault aired.
– At backstage, as Seth Rollins was helped by agents, Finn Bálor attacked him from behind and smashed him into a storage box.
– The Miz showed up in the ring and complained about not being able to accept Seth Rollins’ open challenge. Miz made his own open challenge to anyone in Cleveland. Tommaso Ciampa made his shocking return and immediately knocked Miz down with a punch.
(1) TOMMASO CIAMPA vs. THE MIZ
Ciampa stomped Miz down before dropping him with a back suplex onto the table’s cover. Ciampa nailed Miz with a series of clotheslines, but Miz countered a knee strike with a low DDT. Miz caught Ciampa with a boot to the face, only for Ciampa to respond with a series of chops. Miz caught Ciampa with a clothesline in the corner before climbing the top turnbuckle. Ciampa caught a diving axe handle with a jumping knee strike, followed by the Fairytale Ending for the win.
WINNER: Tommaso Ciampa in 4:19
– The commentary team ran down tonight’s match card.
– The Judgment Day made their way to the ramp.
[Commercial Break]
– Finn Bálor said that Seth Rollins’ challenge was canceled because he is the only one that would take the belt from him. Rhea Ripley said that the WWE Universe would be bowing down to their feet. Damian Priest said that he would win the Money in the Bank briefcase before warning Cody Rhodes to keep Dominik’s name out of his mouth. Dominik challenged Cody to a six-man tag team match amidst a shower of boos.
– A recap of Jey Uso turning on Roman Reigns on SmackDown aired.
– At backstage, Byron Saxton interviewed Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn about Jey Uso turning on Roman Reigns. Kevin was angry at being about the Bloodline again, only for Sami to call him a rageaholic. Sami told Kevin that he would let the topic go, as long as Kevin doesn’t have another outburst for the rest of the night.
– Sonya Deville & Chelsea Green made their way to the ring, ahead of their match against Kayden Carter & Katana Chance.
[Commercial Break]
– A video package aired, showcasing numerous TikToks of Chelsea Green acting like a Karen.
(2) KAYDEN CARTER & KATANA CHANCE vs. SONYA DEVILLE & CHELSEA GREEN
Deville took Chance down with a pump kick and Green knocked Carter off the apron. Chance hit Green with a headscissors takedown, followed by a clothesline from Carter. Carter nailed Green and Deville with a dropkick and splash combination. Chance and Carter crushed Deville with a springboard leg drop and senton combination for a two count. They blasted Deville with their 450 splash and neckbreaker combination for the three count.
WINNERS: Kayden Carter & Katana Chance in 1:59
(Pomares’s Analysis: Fine match and a decent showcase for Kayden Carter & Katana Chance. Kind of wish they were a bit more consistent with how much of a threat Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green actually are.)
– Cathy Kelly introduced Cody Rhodes for an on-stage interview. Kelly asked Cody about Dominik’s challenge to a six-man tag team match tonight. Cody officially accepted Dominik’s challenge and would need to find two partners.
(Pomares’s Analysis: This felt like a promo that should have happened backstage.)
[Commercial Break]
– Indus Sher made their way to the ring, as a recap of their assault on Cedric Alexander & Shelton Benjamin aired.
(3) INDUS (Veer & Sanga w/Jinder Mahal) vs. CEDRIC ALEXANDER & SHELTON BENJAMIN
Benjamin knocked Sanga off the apron with a jumping knee while Alexander caught Sanga with a thrust kick. Sanga caught a Pescado from Alexander, only for Benjamin to lay him out with a blockbuster off the apron. Veer crushed Benjamin with a Thesz Press while Sanga dropped Alexander onto the barricade. Veer blasted Benjamin with a cross chop, setting him up for a big boot from Sanga. Indus Sher crushed Benjamin with the side slam and elbow drop combination for the victory.
WINNERS: Indus Sher in 2:10
(Pomares’s Analysis: It was about time for Indus Sher to win a match against a team with non-local talent. Still waiting for Cedric Alexander and Shelton Benjamin to get something meaningful to do.)
– At backstage, an employee accidentally spilled water on top of Kevin Owens. Kevin refused to get angry before crossing paths with Matt Riddle. Kevin nearly imploded by hearing Riddle talking, only to immediately let go of his issue and walk away.
[Commercial Break]
[HOUR TWO]
– Logan Paul stood atop a ladder and put over Cleveland celebrities. Paul said that their city hasn’t won anything in recent times before announcing that he would participate in this year’s Money in the Bank ladder match. Ricochet interrupted to say that the reason Paul got added to the match is because he would go viral by going against him. Shinsuke Nakamura interrupted to say that with Paul in, he has more reasons to win. LA Knight interrupted to make fun of the type of content Paul does before saying that the briefcase has his name in it.
– Santos Escobar interrupted to say that the one to stand tall at the end would be him to represent the LWO. Butch interrupted and immediately attacked Paul, starting a big brawl in the ring. Paul knocked Butch off the apron, following it with a Tope con Hilo on Ricochet & Escobar. Paul climbed the ladder and posed alongside the Money in the Bank briefcase.
(Pomares’s Analysis: I understand why Logan Paul was added to the match and I expect him to have one major high spot. However, I don’t really care about him joining the ladder match and would honestly prefer to not have him in it.)
– A recap of Finn Bálor’s assault aired.
– Matt Riddle made his way to the ring, ahead of his match against Ludwig Kaiser.
[Commercial Break]
– As Gunther and Ludwig Kaiser made their way to the ring, a recap of their confrontations over the past month aired.
(4) MATT RIDDLE vs. LUDWIG KAISER (w/Gunther)
Riddle knocked Kaiser off his feet and put him in Ankle Lock. Kaiser caught Riddle with a few palm strikes, followed by a dropkick to the mid-section. Riddle took Kaiser down with a pair of gutwrench suplexes and a senton, followed by a Penalty Kick off the apron. Gunther distracted Riddle, allowing Kaiser to hit Riddle with a chop block. Kaiser planted Riddle with a snap suplex into the ground, as Raw went to commercials.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Riddle planted Kaiser with a superplex. They started a chop exchange, until Riddle blasted Kaiser with a Pele kick. Riddle cracked Kaiser with a pair of forearm strikes, followed by a Xploder. Kaiser blocked a senton with his knees, only for Riddle to crash into him with a springboard Floating Bro at ringside. Back in the ring, Riddle dropped Kaiser with a fisherman suplex for a two count.
Kaiser caught Riddle with an uppercut and an enzuigiri, only for Riddle to shut him down with a roundhouse kick and an enzuigiri. Kaiser blocked a springboard DDT with a slam, but Riddle kicked out at two. Riddle countered a diving uppercut with a German suplex, setting Kaiser up for the Broderick and the win.
WINNER: Matt Riddle in 9:14
– After the match, Imperium assaulted Matt Riddle, with Gunther stomping Riddle’s leg.
(Pomares’s Analysis: Pretty good encounter to give Riddle a win, ahead of his likely title match at Money in the Bank. It was also cool to see Ludwig Kaiser get a bit of a showcase as a singles wrestler.)
[Commercial Break]
– At backstage, medical staff helped Matt Riddle walk around backstage.
– At backstage, Imperium met Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens to warn them to be careful around them. Sami got a message and left alongside Kevin to deal with something else
– Earlier today, Chad Gable and Otis trained Maxxine Dupri, ahead of Alpha Academy’s match against the Viking Raiders.
(5) ALPHA ACADEMY (Chad Gable & Otis w/Maxxine Dupri) vs. VIKING RAIDERS (Erik & Ivar w/Valhalla)
Gable took Erik down with a suplex before Otis and Ivar tagged in. Otis turned Ivar inside out with a shoulder tackle, but couldn’t follow up after Erik distracted him. Ivar blasted Otis with a spinning kick, allowing his team to pummel Otis down. Otis surprised Ivar with a suplex, reaching Gable for the hot tag. Gable nailed Erik with a kick to the mid-section and a flipping neckbreaker.
Gable clotheslined Ivar over the ropes and planted Erik with a Xploder, following it with an Orihara moonsault at ringside. Back in the ring, Gable blasted Erik with a diving headbutt for a close two count. Valhalla distracted Gable, only for Dupri to take care of her with a suplex at ringside. Erik knocked Gable out with a knee strike to the back of the head.
WINNERS: Viking Raiders in 4:14
(Pomares’s Analysis: Solid match to build to an eventual mixed six-person match. I still wish they give this tag match a bit more time.)
– At backstage, the Judgment Day discussed their match on the main event, pointing out the seemingly resolved issues between Finn Bálor and Damian Priest.
– Rhea Ripley made her way to the ring, ahead of her match against Natalya.
[Commercial Break]
– At backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed Natalya about her loss to Rhea Ripley at Night of Champions. Natalya said that she would use this match as proof that she still belongs.
– As Natalya made her way to the ring, Rhea Ripley attacked her before the match could start, smashing her into the steel steps and the apron. Ripley cracked Natalya with a headbutt and laid her out with the Riptide. Agents and referees came to check on Natalya, as the match was officially canceled.
– At backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed Raquel Rodriguez about her qualifying match. Raquel Rodriguez focused on Ripley’s assault before telling Ripley that she better hope she doesn’t win the briefcase.
(Pomares’s Analysis: This segment was mostly there to set up the eventual Rhea Ripley & Raquel Rodriguez match-up. I’m assuming next time we see Natalya, she’ll have some kind of character shift.)
– Raquel Rodriguez made her way to the ring, ahead of her match against Trish Stratus.
[Commercial Break]
– At backstage, Akira Tozawa offered his services as Cody Rhodes’ tag team partner. Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens showed up to reveal Cody contcted sent them the message earlier tonight. They officially became Cody’s partners for tonight’s main event.
(6) RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ vs. TRISH STRATUS (w/Zoey Stark) – Money in the Bank Qualifying Match
Stratus nailed Raquel with a rising kick, but Raquel quickly responded with a Bear Hug. Stratus slapped Raquel, only for Raquel to corner her with a shoulder strike. Raquel missed a shoulder strike, crashing into the ring post. Stratus nailed Raquel with a Tornado DDT, but she kicked out at two. Stratus smashed Raquel’s head on the mat, evaded a big boot and crushed Raquel with a shoulder strike. Raquel tried to powerbomb Stratus, but she countered it with a hurracarrana into the turnbuckle.
Stratus blasted Raquel with a jab, followed by a Camel Clutch. Raquel lifted Stratus’ body and laid her out with a side slam. Raquel crushed Stratus with a corner splash, a shot into the turnbuckle, a lariat and a Fallaway slam. Stark swept Raquel off the apron, allowing Stratus to smash her shoulder into the post for a two count. Becky Lynch shoed up to drive Stark into the barricade three times. Stratus tried to attack Lynch, only for Lynch to throw her into the barricade, ending the match.
WINNER: Trish Stratus via DQ in 6:02
(Pomares’s Analysis: That was a solid encounter for the time being. Really not a fan of the way they executed the DQ since it didn’t really make Raquel or Becky look good.)
– A recap of Finn Bálor’s assault aired.
– At backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed Bron Breakker about the possibility of Seth Rollins not taking part in his match tomorrow. Breakker said that he would hurt Rollins tomorrow and become the new World Heavyweight champion.
– Shinsuke Nakamura made his way to the ring, ahead of his match against Bronson Redd.
[Commercial Break]
– At backstage, Byron Saxton interviewed Becky Lynch about accidentally helping Trish Stratus qualify to Money in the Bank. Lynch admitted that she screwed up before pointing out that she gets to face Stratus in a match with ladders.
(7) SHINSUKE NAKAMURA vs. BRONSON REED
Nakamura took Reed down with a pair of strikes, only for Reed to retaliate with a shoulder tackle and an elbow drop. Nakamura clocked Reed with an enzuigiri, followed by the sliding German suplex. Ricochet showed up at ringside to distract Nakamura, as Raw went to a commercial break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Nakamura nailed Reed with an enzuigiri to the back, following it with a diving knee strike. Reed took Nakamura down with a snap powerslam, but he kicked out at two. Reed countered a Triangle Choke with a sitout powerbomb for a nearfall. At ringside, Reed knocked Nakamura down with a shoulder tackle off the apron. Reed tried to throw Nakamura into Ricochet, but Ricochet avoided and kicked Nakamura into him. Reed blasted Nakamura with an elbow strike before attacking Ricochet from behind. Nakamura nailed Reed with a spinning kick before accidentally knocking Ricochet off the apron. Reed planted Nakamura with a German suplex, setting him up for the Tsunami and the three count.
WINNER: Bronson Reed in 8:24
(Pomares’s Analysis: That was a fun match to continue the story between Ricochet, Reed and Nakamura. I’d be shocked if Reed isn’t featured in any kind of way at Money in the Bank.)
– At backstage, the Judgment Day prepared for their main event match.
[Commercial Break]
– At backstage, Seth Rollins confirmed he would still wrestle on this week’s NXT before putting over Finn Bálor’s assault.
– Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens made their way to the ring, ahead of their main event match.
[Commercial Break]
(8) CODY RHODES & KEVIN OWENS & SAMI ZAYN vs. JUDGMENT DAY (Finn Bálor & Damian Priest & Dominik Mysterio)
Cody took Finn down with an over-the-shoulders gutbuster before tagging Dominik in. Dominik attacked Cody from behind, only to immediately hide behind Ripley. Sami knocked Priest down with an elbow strike, following it with a series of right hands on Dominik. Sami put Dominik down with a suplex and a boot to the face, only for Ripley to hit him with a clothesline, as Raw went to its final commercial break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Finn nailed Sami with a stomp, setting him for a slingshot senton from Dominik. Priest and Sami put Sami down with a leg drop and backbreaker combination. Priest missed a strike into the ring post, but Dominik still stopped Sami from tagging out. Sami caught Finn with a clothesline, reaching Kevin for the hot tag. Kevin stomped Dominik down and knocked Priest off the apron. Kevin blasted Dominik with a thrust kick, setting him up for a corner cannonball for a two count. Finn got a blind tag and took Kevin down with a reverse DDT, but he kicked out at two.
Finn nailed Kevin with a sling blade, only for Kevin to shut him down with a thrust kick. Cody got the hot tag, nailed him with a drop-down punch and floored him with a snap powerslam. Cody cracked Priest with the Disaster kick for a close two count. Ripley distracted Cody, allowing Priest to hit Cody with South of Heaven for a close nearfall. Sami knocked Dominik off the apron into Ripley’s arms, following it with a Tope con Hilo on Dominik. Cody hit Priest with the Cody Cutter, but he managed to kick out at two.
Finn pulled Kevin off the apron, starting a brawl at ringside. Priest cracked Cody with a forearm strike, but he responded with a forearm strike of his own. Dominik broke Cody’s pinfall and tossed Kevin out of the ring, but couldn’t hit Cody with a 619. Sami and Kevin took care of Dominik with a Helluva Kick and Stunner while Cody finished Priest with the Cross Rhodes.
WINNERS: Cody Rhodes, Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn in 13:35
(Pomares’s Analysis: Pretty good main event with a fiery crowd to close out a mediocre show. I’m kind of surprised the Judgment Day lost when they are all booked for major singles performances at the show.)
Tonight after WWE Raw, join Wade Keller live with guest co-host Brandon LeClair from PWTorch to break down the show with live callers and emails.
•STREAM LIVE HERE ABOUT 5 MINUTES AFTER THE SHOW CONCLUDES
•CALL: (347) 215-8558
•EMAIL COMMENTS/QUESTIONS: wadekellerpodcast@pwtorch.com
•IF YOU DON’T LISTEN LIVE, SEARCH “WADE KELLER” ON YOUR PODCAST APP TO SUBSCRIBE AND THEN DOWNLOAD OR STREAM THE FULL SHOW TWO HOURS OR SO AFTER THE TV SHOW ENDS.
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