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WWE RAW TV REPORT
JULY 15, 2024
DAYTON, OHIO AT NUTTER CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON USA
BY MAURICIO POMARES, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee
Ring Announcer: Samantha Irvin
Attendance: WrestleTix reported that as of last night that 7,831 tickets had been distributed; arena is set up for 7,970.
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[HOUR ONE]
– The show opened with a video package recapping the history between Rhea Ripley and Liv Morgan.
– Rhea Ripley made her way to the ring to tell the crowd that mami was home. Ripley called Liv Morgan out for walking around with something of hers. Ripley said that she would handle Dominik Mysterio later and that Liv was holding her Women’s World title. Dominik Mysterio showed up with a black rose and tried to speak with Ripley, only for Liv Morgan to interrupt them from the screen.
– Liv told Ripley that she finally saw what she saw in Dominik and that she enjoyed kissing, claiming that she was now on top. Ripley officially challenged Liv to a title match at SummerSlam and Liv accepted without hesitation. Liv said that she was no longer the same Liv Morgan and that she even helped Dominik beat his father, unlike Ripley. Ripley said that she would not only end Liv’s revenge tour, but her whole career.
(Pomares’s Analysis: Rhea Ripley’s return promo was kept simple which worked well with the crowd. I kind of wish this promo’s contents were more memorable, but at least it got its point across to set up the expected SummerSlam match.)
– Sheamus made his way to the ring, ahead of his match against Bronson Reed.
[Commercial Break]
– Backstage, Dominik Mysterio followed Rhea Ripley, as she entered a locker room full of black roses. Ripley simply closed the door on his face and threw the flowers into his face while Damian Priest observed.
(1) SHEAMUS vs. BRONSON REED
They knocked each other down with shoulder tackles and clotheslines, followed by a running cannonball. Sheamus attacked Reed with a series of kicks to the head before they started exchanging forearm strikes. Sheamus sent Reed to the apron and tried to go for the Beats of Bodhran, but Reed pulled him out of the ring. Reed blasted Sheamus with a diving shoulder tackle and threw his body over the announce table. Sheamus smashed Reed’s head into the announce table and pummeled him with the Beats of Bodhran on it, as WWE Raw went to commercials.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Sheamus attacked Reed with a series of forearms to the chest and a clothesline. Sheamus flattened Reed with the White Noise, but he managed to kick out at two. Reed avoided a diving move and laid Sheamus out with a sitout powerbomb for a two count. Reed missed a moonsault, allowing Sheamus to score the win with a pump knee.
WINNER: Sheamus at 8:08
– After the match, Bronson Reed tried to attack Sheamus, only for Pete Dunne to take him out with an enzuigiri. Dunne walked away from the ring, but immediately attacked Sheamus the second he turned his back on him. Reed took advantage of the situation to crush Sheamus with the Tsunami.
(Pomares’s Analysis: The match itself was pretty fun while it lasted, however the most interesting bit was the post-match angle. I really thought we were building to a Brawling Brutes reunion, but I’m all for a Sheamus vs. Pete Dunne. My only issue was the attack from Bronson Reed who feels like the WWE wrestler that receives the most 50/50 booking with how often he loses and assaults people.)
– Backstage, Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley discussed Priest’s responsibilities as champion. Dominik Mysterio showed up to talk with Ripley, but she pointed out that Dominik didn’t talk to her while she was injured.
[Commercial Break]
– Backstage, Ilja Dragunov told Sami Zayn that he didn’t help him last week to get a title shot. Sami told Dragunov that he gave him the shot because of what he sees in him before warning him to bring his best against him.
– A video package was shown, featuring Gunther talking about seeing loads of people with dreams, but titles not meaning anything. Gunther talked about his domination over NXT and how he brought prestige back to the Intercontinental title. He gloated about the people he had beaten as champions and how he won King of the Ring with ease. Gunther finished by saying that he would bring prestige to the World Heavyweight title.
– Earlier today, Jackie Redmond interviewed Zelina Vega about the return of Rhea Ripley. Vega said that she didn’t care for her or Liv Morgan and that after they finished their issues, she deserved a title rematch. Sonya Deville, Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark interrupted to claim that they were at the front of the line. Vega mocked Deville for her forehead and set up a match tonight.
– Zelina Vega made her way to the ring, ahead of her match against Sonya Deville.
[Commercial Break]
– A recap of Sonya Deville, Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark assaulting Damage CTRL wsa shown.
(2) ZELINA VEGA vs. SONYA DEVILLE (w/Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark)
Deville pummeled Vegaw ith a series of knees, only for Vega to spike her with a DDT. Vega caught Deville with the 619, but Baszler stomped her elbow into the apron behind the referee’s back. Deville immediately dropped Vega with a reverse DDT for the three count.
WINNER: Sonya Deville at 1:05
– After the match, Katana Chance and Kayden Carter showed up to save Zelina Vega from a post-match assault.
(Pomares’s Analysis: Unfortunately, I’m not surprised WWE gave this story so little time in the ring. I’m happy to see Sonya Deville back, but there’s only so much she can do with such little TV time. Additionally, I’m really not a fan of having the last world title contender lose in such short fashion.)
– Backstage, Dominik Mysterio confronted Damian Priest about not telling him about Rhea Ripley’s return. Jey Uso interrupted to mockingly ask if Ripley was single. Priest convinced Dominik to prove himself and deal with Jey.
[Commercial Break]
[HOUR TWO]
– Backstage, Adam Pearce was talking with the referee, until Chad Gable interrupted to gloat about finding out that Uncle Howdy was Bo Dallas. Gable demanded to know what Pearce would do to him, only for Pearce to tell him that Bo was here tonight. Gable said that he would handle things his way and call Bo out tonight.
– Damian Priest made his way to the ring and called Gunther out before his own match against Braun Strowman. Gunther showed up to discuss how Priest is living out his dream of being world champion in WWE. Gunther told Priest that he wasn’t living up to the hype and his reign had no prestige. He told Priest that he would give him the chance to lift the weight of his shoulders and told him to hand him the title. Priest criticized Gunther for not having WWE as his dream and told him that they don’t need him here. Priest said that while Gunther was handed everything in Europe, he fought for his life in the streets.
– Gunther said that living on the streets was a choice and that it was the fault of Priest’s parents. Gunther gloated about being recognized his whole life and receiving a call from WWE to make sure street trash like Priest didn’t become world champion. Priest said that Gunther didn’t have the heart and that’s the reason he lost his title at WrestleMania. Priest finished by saying that at SummerSlam, he would see if Gunther was a boring, conceited, privileged scumbag. Braun Strowman showed up for his match before Priest and Gunther could get into a fight.
(Pomares’s Analysis: Pretty good exchange between Damian Priest and Gunther to give some personal edge to their world title feud. It would all hit harder if there weren’t so many shenanigans in all of Priest’s title defenses.)
[Commercial Break]
– Backstage, Adam Pearce officially booked Jey Uso against Dominik Mysterio. Bron Breakker showed up to call Pearce out for giving Ilja Dragunov a title shot. Pearce told Breakker that he already lost his shot and this was none of his business. Breakker threatened to attack everyone in the match, but Pearce had security escort him out of the building.
(3) DAMIAN PRIEST vs. BRAUN STROWMAN
Priest caught Strowman with a series of kicks to the leg, followed by a roundhouse kick. Strowman blocked a leaping back elbow, only for Priest to clobber him with a forearm. Priest attacked Strowman with more kicks, but Strowman shut him down by throwing him across the ring. Strowman laid Priest out with a forearm strike and clotheslined him out of the ring. Priest evaded the running shoulder tackle and sent Strowman over the announce table, as WWE Raw went to an ad break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Priest clocked Strowman with a series of strikes to the head, until Strowman knocked him down with clotheslines. Strowman dropped Priest with a forearm shot to the chest for a two count. Strowman blocked the South of Heaven, only for Priest to nail him with a kick to the leg knee and a series of spinning kicks. Priest avoided the running Powerslam due to Strowman’s hurt knee and knocked him out with the South of Heaven.
WINNER: Damian Priest at 8:15
– After the match, Gunther showed up to slap Damian Priest, but Priest retaliated with another strike, forcing him to retreat.
(Pomares’s Analysis: A decent match to finally give Damian Priest a strong singles win on his own. It slightly feels like a case of “too little, too late,” but the post-match angle with Gunther helped sell the match.)
– Backstage, Alpha Academy were shown discussing helping someone and Chad Gable immediately showed up to accept their help against the Wyatt Sicks. They told Gable that they were not talking about him, as Xavier Woods showed up. Maxxine Dupri confirmed that Otis and Akira Tozawa would team with Woods against the Final Testament tonight.
– Katana Chance and Kayden Carter made their way to the ring, ahead of their match against Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark.
[Commercial Break]
– A highlight reel of WWE’s tour through Mexico, including the recently hired Stephanie Vaquer.
(4) KAYDEN CARTER & KATANA CHANCE (w/Lyra Valkyria) vs. SHAYNA BASZLER & ZOEY STARK (w/Sonya Deville)
Carter slapped Baszler, but Baszler put her down with a waist lock takeover and nearly stomped her elbow. Chance and Carter nailed Baszler with a double thrust kick. Chance caught Baszler with a Victory Roll, only for Stark to blast her with a thrust kick to the back of the head. After a brief sponsor spot for Twisters, Stark caught a high crossbody from Chance. Chance surprised Stark with an arm drag and a dropkick before Carter launched her onto Stark with a monkey flip. Carter and Chance sent Baszler and Stark out of the ring, setting them up for a tag team senton, as WWE Raw went to a commercial break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Carter swept Baszler off her feet and nailed her with a kick to the head. Carter kicked Stark away, reaching Chance for the hot tag. Chance knocked Stark down with a headscissors takeover, followed by a corner clothesline and a flipping leg drop. Stark cracked Chance with a knee to the face, setting her up for a jumping knee from Baszler and a two count.
Chance blocked an armbar and crushed Baszler with a moonsault into a double knee drop, following it with an assisted splash. Lyra pulled Deville off the apron before receiving a kick from Stark. Chance shocked Baszler with a jackknife pinfall, but she managed to kick out at two. Baszler and Stark finished Chance with the powerbomb into a rising knee combination.
WINNERS: Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark at 9:52
(Pomares’s Analysis: A much stronger follow-up to this group’s debut, after the embarrassingly short match from earlier tonight. I hope they actually commit to giving this group enough TV time to make it worthwhile and not just feed them to Damage CTRL or Jade and Bianca at the first opportunity.)
– They showed footage of The Miz at the American Century Championship.
– Backstage, Rhea Ripley told Finn Bálor and JD McDonagh that it didn’t matter that Liv Morgan helped them. Dominik Mysterio showed up to tell Rhea Ripley that he got a match against Dominik Mysterio. Ripley told Dominik that he was stupid for picking up a fight with Jey and called him a coward for trying to cancel it. Dominik said that he only wanted to prove that she still belonged to him, angering Ripley into leaving the room.
[Commercial Break]
– Adam Pearce introduced Drew McIntyre to the ring, as a recap of their confrontation on the Money in the Bank post-show was shown. Pearce told Drew that they were on the verge of something special. Pearce said that he wanted to book Drew McIntyre vs. CM Punk and asked him how much he wanted this match. Drew said that he wanted this match more than anything. Pearce told Drew that he only wanted him to apologize to the referees for what he did to them.
– Drew refused to apologize after everything they had done to him. Drew said that Pearce should apologize to him and beg him to come back. He said that he wanted Punk’s head on a spike and demanded him to make the match official. Pearce told Drew that he was still suspended, angering him into shoving the referees down. Drew approached Pearce, until Seth Rollins showed up to fight with him and force him to retreat.
(Pomares’s Analysis: A really good continuation to Drew McIntyre’s story after Money in the Bank that fit his character perfectly. The only thing against it was the Seth Rollins angle at the end that only made it feel like they didn’t have a proper ending.)
– Earlier today, Pat McAfee received a video tape during his show and they had it ready to air.
– In the VHS, Erick Rowan was shown speaking about the family he had and how one day he lost a brother. Rowan said that he got up and kept moving, only for his other brother to go as well. Rowan said that he fell down a well that he didn’t want to get out of and no one was going to miss him. Uncle Howdy handed him the sheep mask and asked him how it made him feel. Rowan said that it gave him hope and that it gave him purpose to help those like himself. Rowan finished by saying that they would take broken hearts and make beautiful art.
(Pomares’s Analysis: Maybe the greatest work coming from this group and arguably of Erick Rowan’s career. The genuine look at his point of view after the passing of Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper was truly heartbreaking.)
– Dominik Mysterio made his way to the ring, ahead of his match against Jey Uso.
[Commercial Break]
[HOUR THREE]
(5) DOMINIK MYSTERIO vs. JEY USO
Dominik attacked Jey from behind and knocked him down with a dropkick. Dominik stepped on Jey’s back and attacked him with a series of shoulder thrusts. Jey broke a headlock attempt, only for Dominik to hit him with the Three Amigos. Jey evaded the 619 and low-bridged him, only for Dominik to block a suicide dive with a jab. Dominik threw Jey into the steel steps, as WWE Raw went to commercials.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, they traded right hands, until Jey knocked him off his feet with an enzuigiri. Jey crushed Dominik with a hip attack, but Liv Morgan showed up to pull him out of the ring. Jey knocked Dominik on top of Liv with a sliding dropkick, only for Liv to push him down and try to kiss him. Liv immediately ran away while Jey finished Dominik with a Spear and an Uso Splash.
WINNER: Jey Uso at 9:03
(Pomares’s Analysis: A decent encounter that started showing a bit of a more aggressive side to Dominik Mysterio, but once again ended in Liv Morgan shenanigans. This story isn’t for me, but at least we finally Rhea Ripley back to put more focus on the women fighting for the title.)
– A video package was shown, featuring Ilja Dragunov’s training.
– Chad Gable made his way to the ring to address the Wyatt Sicks.
[Commercial Break]
– Backstage, Rhea Ripley told Dominik Mysterio that she didn’t belong to anyone and he was hers.
– Chad Gable gloated about solving the mystery of Uncle Howdy’s identity and called the Wyatt Sicks out. Bo Dallas showed up, only for the Creed Brothers to attack him from behind and throw him into the barricade. The Creeds rammed Bo into the ring post and stood tall over his body, only for Bo to keep on laughing at them. Gable pummeled Bo with a series of forearms to the head, followed by a tag team powerslam from the Creeds.
– Gable planted Bo with a German suplex and stood tall with the Creeds. Bo continued on laughing, as the lights in the arena started turning off. The ring was filled with smoke and the rest of the Wyatt Sicks showed up on the entrance way. The Wyatt Sicks surrounded the ring while Gable and the Creeds escaped. The entire Wyatt Sicks stood tall in the middle of the ring.
(Pomares’s Analysis: I have mixed feelings on this segment. The Creeds finally joining Chad Gable was a great moment and the Wyatt Sicks having their first live segment since their debut was well-executed. However, both moments taking place in the segment kind of undermined the first one and left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth.)
[Commercial Break]
– It was announced that next week CM Punk would return; Lyra Valkyria would face Sonya Deville; and Xavier Woods, Otis and Akira Tozawa would battle the Final Testament.
(6) SAMI ZAYN vs. ILJA DRAGUNOV – WWE Intercontinental Championship
Sami put Dragunov in a wrist lock before nailing him with a chop to the chest. Dragunov retaliated with a chop of his own, only for Sami to throw him out and crash into him with an Arabian moonsault, as WWE Raw went to its final commercial break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Dragunov turned Sami inside out with the Constantine Special, followed by a couple of chops and a running boot to the face. Sami blocked a powerbomb and knocked Dragunov down with a clothesline. Dragunov blocked the Blue Thunderbomb, but Sami countered a second Constantine Special with the Blue Thunderbomb. Dragunov caught Sami with a pair of kicks, followed by a release German suplex. Sami dropped Dragunov with a Xploder into the corner, but Dragunov blocked the Helluva Kick with a big boot.
Dragunov planted Sami with a powerbomb, only for Sami to block the H-Bomb with his boot. Dragunov cracked Sami with an enzuigiri and a running knee, setting him up for a diving H-Bomb from the apron. Back in the ring, Dragunov nailed Sami with a coast-to-coast dropkick, but Sami blocked a diving senton with his knees for a nearfall. Sami knocked Dragunov off the apron with the Helluva Kick, only for Bron Breakker to show up to take Dragunov out with a Spear.
WINNER: Ilja Dragunov via DQ at 11:51
– After the match, Saim Zayn and Bron Breakker started brawling, until Breakker hit Sami with a back body drop and a Spear.
(Pomares’s Analysis: The match was probably as good as it could be with that ending, however I was genuinely disappointed by the outcome. Not only was the crowd not great for this one, but Bron Breakker’s attack was so by the numbers and short. For a match that had non-finish written all over it, this needed something more to make the DQ worth it, making the end of the show feel kind of flat.)
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