SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE RAW TV REPORT
AUGUST 26, 2024
PROVIDENCE, R.I. AT AMICA MUTUAL PAVILLION
AIRED LIVE ON USA
BY MAURICIO POMAREZ, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee
Ring Announcer: Samantha Irvin
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[HOUR ONE]
– The show opened with a graphic in memoriam to the recently passed Sid Vicious.
– The Judgment Day made their way to the ring and showed footage of their assault of Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest. Finn Bálor claimed that Ripley and Priest were the bad guys that betrayed Judgment Day and got what they deserved. Liv Morgan said that after Bash in Berlin, Ripley and Priest would finally realize that her and Dominik would always be on top. Dominik barely managed to say through the boos that he would enter the Intercontinental title tournament.
– LWO interrupted and made their way to the ring. Rey Mysterio told Dominik that he was a lost soul and that at least when he was with Ripley, one of them had a set. Dominik gloated about his win the last time they faced before Rey called him a jackass. JD McDonagh tried to take a cheap shot, only for Rey to knock him away with the mic. LWO sent Judgment Day out of the ring, setting him up for a Tope con Hilo from Dragon Lee, as WWE Raw went to commercials.
(Pomares’s Analysis: Very by the numbers opening segment, though it’s good to see the LWO back on TV. I expect Judgment Day to beat LWO before their match at Bash in Berlin, but hopefully LWO doesn’t go back into obscurity after this.)
[Commercial Break]
(1) JUDGMENT DAY (Finn Bálor & Dominik Mysterio & JD McDonagh & Carlito w/Liv Morgan) vs. LWO (Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee & Joaquin Wilde & Cruz Del Toro)
Back from break, it was confirmed that Adam Pearce had booked both teams in an eight-man tag match. Lee nailed Finn with a headscissors takeover and a slingshot dropkick. Rey caught Finn with a back elbow and a bulldog for a two count. Carlito cornered Rey, only for Del Toro to attack him with an axe handle and a high crossbody. Del Toro dropped Wilde on top of Carlito, but he kicked out at two. Finn distracted the referee, allowing JD to take a cheap shot on Del Toro and Carlito to put him down with a clothesline.
Dominik stomped Del Toro down, until he was able to hit JD and Finn with a series of kicks. Del Toro knocked Finn and JD down with a dropkick, reaching Wilde for the tag. Wilde hit JD with a clothesline and a facebuster, setting him up for a DDT. LWO threw Judgment Day out of the ring, but they walked away before their stereo suicide dives. LWO catapulted Wilde off the middle rope into Judgment Day on the ramp, as WWE Raw went to an ad break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Judgment Day crushed Wilde with a stomp, a slingshot senton and a slingshot moonsault for a two count. Wilde sent Finn and Carlito out of the ring, reaching Rey for the hot tag. Rey knocked Dominik down with a headscissors takeover, following it with a diving seated senton. Rey blasted Dominik with a kick to the head, only for Dominik to stop him atop the turnbuckle.
Dominik tried to go for a superplex, but Rey shut him down with a sunset flip powerbomb. Wilde and Del Toro took care of JD and Carlito while Lee sent Finn out with a headscissors takeover. All of the LWO went for stereo suicide dives on all sides of the ring. Rey put Dominik on the ropes and nailed him with 619. Liv pulled Dominik away from a Frog Splash, allowing him to beat Rey with La Magistral.
WINNERS: Judgment Day at 13:33
– After the match, Judgment Day assaulted LWO and sent them out of the ring. Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley showed up to make the save and take Carlito, JD and Finn out. Priested clobbered JD with a lariat while Liv in a sleeper hold. Dominik, Finn and Liv retreated while Priest and Ripley hit Carlito and JD with their finishers.
(Pomares’s Analysis: An exciting opening match to give Judgment Day a win ahead of their big match while giving LWO a much needed showcase on TV. The post-match assault was fine for a go-home show, though I expected a bit more from this story.)
– Backstage, Jackie Redmond interviewed The Miz about his participation in the tournament. Miz admitted that things went bad for him in the past two weeks and said that he needed to win tonight, so he could get back in the title picture. Bronson Reed interrupted to warn Miz that after he is done maiming Braun Strowman, he would be back for him.
– Damage CTRL made their way to the ring, ahead of their match against Pure Fusion Collective.
[Commercial Break]
– Backstage, Kofi Kingston said that it was great that they spoke how they felt last week and how rare it was in the industry. They put over how they had two chances to win the Intercontinental title.
– Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed Pure Fusion Collective about the impact they have made on Raw. They gloated about injuring Dakota Kai, Zelina Vega, Katana Chance & Kayden Carter.
(2) DAMAGE CTRL (Iyo Sky & Kairi Sane) vs. PURE FUSION COLLECTIVE (Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark w/Sonya Deville)
Sky pummeled Stark with forearms, only for Baszler to low-bridge her. Deville took a cheap shot at Sky behind the referee’s back, as WWE Raw went to a commercial break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Sky knocked Baszler off her feet with a kick, reaching Sane for the hot tag. Sane knocked Stark off the apron and hit Baszler with a couple of clotheslines. Sane laid Stark out with a spinning backfist and took her and Baszler down with a double headscissors takeover, followed by a shoulder thrust and a forearm shot. Before Baszler could react, Sane blasted her with a diving forearm blow for a two count.
Baszler put Sane in an ankle lock, until she was able to kick her away. Stark knocked Sane down with a springboard missile dropkick, but Sky broke the pinfall. Sky low-bridged Baszler while Stark stopped Sane atop the turnbuckle. Zelina Vega showed up to ram Deville into the ring post, allowing Damage CTRL to take the with a moonsault and Insane Elbow for the win.
WINNERS: Damage CTRL at 7:33
(Pomares’s Analysis: Solid match while it lasted with a painfully uninterested crowd. With the tag titles already on another storyline on SmackDown, it really feels like these teams won’t have much direction beyond facing each other over and over again.)
– The commentary team introduced the latest tape from the Wyatt Sicks. Bo Dallas talked about a man masquerading as a shepherd while leading his pack of wolves. Bo said that they gave Chad Gable chances to change his way, but now they had to cut off the head of the snake. He finished by saying that this was more than a reckoning and that this was a purge.
[Commercial Break]
[HOUR TWO]
– Drew McIntyre made his way to the ring to mock how CM Punk’s shtick was predictable. Drew sat in the middle of the ring to tell the crowd that they were enabling Punk’s behavior and feeding his ego. He said that everything he lashed Punk’s back would be the crowd’s fault. Drew talked about how he would lash Punk numerous times all because of a cheap bracelet. CM Punk attacked Drew from behind and laid him out on the announce table while whipping him with the strap. Various security guards showed up to separate them, allowing Drew to retreat. Punk beat the security down with the strap and stood tall.
(Pomares’s Analysis: A pretty good go-home angle that focused on the things that work the most in this feud: Drew’s promo work and the physicality between these two.)
– A video package was shown, featuring Braun Strowman talking about his match with Bronson Reed and how he would show them why they call him the monster among monsters.
– Jey Uso made his way to the ring, ahead of his match against Kofi Kingston and Karrion Kross.
[Commercial Break]
– Footage of Sheamus attending College Gameday in Ireland was shown.
(3) JEY USO vs. KOFI KINGSTON vs. KARRION KROSS – Intercontinental Championship
Kofi immediately stomped Kross down before Jey pushed him away so he could stomp Kross down. Both of them stomped Kross down and nailed him with a basement dropkick in the corner. Kofi knocked Jey down with a leaping back elbow for a two count. Kross pulled Jey out of the ring and took him down with a clothesline before receiving Kofi’s dropkick through the ropes. Kofi crushed Jey and Kross with a thrust fall, as WWE Raw went to commercials.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Jey pummeled Kross with right hands and clocked Kofi with an enzuigiri. Jey crushed Kofi with a hip attack before receiving a thrust kick from Kross. Kofi crushed Kross with a corkscrew crossbody, followed by a dropkick. Kofi knocked Jey down with a leaping clothesline, setting him and Kross up for the Boom Drop. Kross avoided Trouble in Paradise, making Kofi send Jey out of the ring with the move. Kross cracked Kofi with a forearm strike and a powerbomb, setting him up for a Cloverleaf. Kofi countered the hold with an inside cradle before receiving another forearm shot. Kross avoided a diving splash, only for Jey to beat him with a Spear and an Uso Splash.
WINNER: Jey Uso at 8:45
(Pomares’s Analysis: Fine match to give Jey Uso another win en route to a likely title shot, though nothing mind blowing.)
– Earlier today, Gunther spoke from the European tour and said that he was still focused on Randy Orton.
– They showed footage of Bianca Belair’s cameo on Bel-Air.
[Commercial Break]
[Commercial Break]
– Randy Orton made his way to the ring to talk about how much the World Heavyweight championship meant to him. Orton said that he wasn’t here to see the arrival of the new World Heavyweight title, but he would still win it to establish a new legacy. Orton said that he was walking into enemy territory and admitted that Gunther was a legend there. He put over how Gunther was an egotistical jerk when he arrived at WWE and that they were similar in that way. Orton said that he would put Gunther in his place and that he would beat Gunther just like he beat all of his demons with an RKO.
(Pomares’s Analysis: This was probably as good of an angle, they would be able to deliver without Gunther’s presence. Not bad, but didn’t really connect with me as a go-home angle for a world title match.)
– Braun Strowman made his way to the ring, ahead of his match against Bronson Reed.
[Commercial Break]
– A video package was shown, showcasing Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn’s title win at Clash at the Castle, ahead of their title match at Bash in Berlin.
(4) BRAUN STROWMAN vs. BRONSON REED
Strowman blasted Reed with a shotgun dropkick and pummeled him with forearm strikes. Reed knocked Strowman down with a clothesline, setting him up for a rolling cannonball. Strowman nailed Reed with a chop and crushed him with a running crossbody. Reed caught Strowman off-guard with a high crossbody, followed by a suicide dive, as WWE Raw went to an ad break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Reed put Strowman down with a DDT, only for Strowman to stop him atop the turnbuckle. Strowman launched Reed’s body across the ring and knocked him down with a big boot. Reed evaded a powerslam and pulled Strowman’s head into the ropes before walking up the ramp. Strowman attacked Reed from behind, only for Reed to drive him into the LED board on the entrance way.
WINNER: No Contest at 7:43
– Bronson Reed walked to the back and threw a trash can into Braun Strowman’s. Strowman assaulted a bunch of security guards to reach Reed in the parking lot. Strowman blocked a shot with a piece of metal and laid Reed out with a chokeslam onto a car’s hood. Reed avoided a shot with the piece of metal, only for Strowman to pounce him over another car’s hood. Reed laid Strowman on the car’s roof, climbed a ledge and crushed him with a Tsunami.
(Pomares’s Analysis: Not usually a fan of no contest finishes, but that post-match angle, absolutely made up for it. Bronson Reed’s booking has been shockingly consistent and dominant over the past month. Assuming this will lead to a match at Bad Blood.)
[Commercial Break]
[HOUR THREE]
– Backstage, Braun Strowman was checked by medics in the parking lot.
(5) XAVIER WOODS vs. THE MIZ vs. PETE DUNNE – Intercontinental Championship Contender’s Qualifying Match
Dunne surprised Woods with a roll-up and took Miz down with a crucifix pinfall. Miz and Woods clotheslined Dunne out of the ring before Dunne knocked Woods down with a lariat. Dunne stomped Miz and Woods’ hands and nailed Woods with an enzuigiri. Woods caught Dunne with a dropkick through the ropes, only for Miz to kick him away and spike Dunne with a Tornado DDT, as WWE Raw went to a commercial break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Woods planted Dunne with a Russian leg sweep, followed by a series of uppercuts. Woods put Dunne in a Giant Swing, only for Miz to drop him with a low DDT. Miz put Dunne down with a Lung Blower, followed by a reverse and regular DDT on him and Woods. Miz pummeled Woods and Dunne with kicks to the chest before crushing Woods with a corner clothesline. Woods countered a high crossbody with a modified Xploder on Miz. Woods hit Miz with a Gorebuster and dropped Dunne on top of him with a powerbomb for a two count.
All of them traded chops, until Dunne knocked stomped Miz and Woods’ hands. Dunne kicked Woods’ head, only for Miz to kick him out of the ring. Miz nailed Woods with the Skull Crushing Finale, but Dunne nearly stole his pinfall. Dunne trapped Miz in a crossface, until Woods blasted both of them with thrust kicks. Woods crushed Miz with a Limit Break elbow, only for Dunne to pull the referee out of the ring. Dunne kicked Woods out of the ring and beat Miz with the Bitter End.
WINNER: Pete Dunne at 11:02
(Pomares’s Analysis: Some pretty good action hurt by what has been a very weak crowd. I really liked Woods’ performance and I genuinely bought into some of his nearfalls. Now that the story has moved from the Final Testament, I’m really interested to see where the possible split of Woods and Kofi goes.)
– Back from break, Jackie Redmond interviewed Bron Breakker about the participants in the tournament so far. Breakker put over Jey Uso and Pete Dunne’s wins, but quickly diminished their chances of beating him.
– Backstage, Chad Gable said that he would expose Bo Dallas tonight.
[Commercial Break]
– A recap of Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest assaulting Judgment Day was shown.
– Backstage, Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley said that they were the bad guys and would make Judgment Day their victims.
– The commentary team ran down the match card for Bash in Berlin.
– A video package in tribute to the recently passed Sid Vicious was shown.
[Commercial Break]
– It was announced that Sheamus, Bronson Reed and Ludwig Kaiser would fight in a triple threat match; Ilja Dragunov, Dragon Lee and Dominik Mysterio would face off in a second triple threat match; and that Zelina Vega would take on Shayna Baszler.
(6) UNCLE HOWDY vs. CHAD GABLE
Howdy pummeled Gable down and mockingly danced with his body, until Gable knocked him down. Howdy put Gable down with a clothesline, followed by a snap powerslam, as WWE Raw went to its final commercial break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Gable put Howdy down with a dragon screw, but missed a diving headbutt. They traded forearm strikes, until Gable sent Howdy out of the ring with a belly-to-belly suplex. Gable blasted Howdy with a diving clothesline, only for Howdy to shut him down with a back body drop and a hip attack into the barricade. Howdy tossed Gable over the announce table and cleared the table. Gable blocked a suplex and dropped Howdy with an Olympic slam onto the table. Howdy was able to return to the ring in time, only for Gable to sit him atop the turnbuckle and pummel him. Gable launched Howdy away with an avalanche Xploder for a close two count. Gable dropped Howdy with a series of German suplexes, but couldn’t follow up with the Chaos Theory suplex.
Howdy dropped Gable with a uranage, following it with a clothesline and a Magic screw. Ivy Nile distracted Howdy, allowing Gable to put Howdy in an ankle lock. Gable accidentally knocked the referee down before being put in the Mandible Claw. The Creeds pulled Howdy out of the ring and threw him into the barricade. The lights turned off and the rest of the Wyatt Sicks showed up to take the Creeds out and drag them away from ringside. Nile put Erick Rowan in a sleeper hold, but he was still able to beat the Creeds down while carrying her away. Howdy avoided a moonsault and spiked Gable with Sister Abigail for the victory.
WINNER: Uncle Howdy at 12:43
(Pomares’s Analysis: A good in-ring debut for Uncle Howdy who looked decent in his first match in over 5 years. Gable is probably one of the best guys they have at making anyone look great. My only nitpick with Howdy was his presentation as an in-ring performer which looked a bit off, especially the mask. Now that the feud with American Made is seemingly over, I genuinely don’t know where the Wyatt Sicks go from here. Based on their motivation, I think their next target could be Judgment Day.)
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