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WWE RAW TV REPORT
JUNE 26, 2023
SAVANNAH, GA. AT ENMARKET ARENA
AIRED LIVE ON USA
REPORT BY MAURICIO POMARES, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Corey Graves
Ring Announcer: Mike Rome
Tonight after WWE Raw, join Wade Keller live with guest co-host Kelly Wells from PWTorch to break down the show with live callers and emails.
•STREAM LIVE HERE ABOUT 5 MINUTES AFTER THE SHOW CONCLUDES
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•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 a video package, recapping the rivalry between Cody Rhodes and Dominik Mysterio.
– Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio stood in the middle of the ring to loud boos from the crowd. The fans didn’t let Dominik speak, forcing Ripley to speak for him. Ripley called Cody Rhodes a coward, until Cody interrupted. Ripley said that Dominik would beat him at Money in the Bank. Cody quoted the Cat in the Hat before calling Dominik a scared little boy. Dominik and Ripley walked away, only for Cody to offer him a free shot. Dominik approached the ring before walking away again. Cody said that he wanted to find out if Dominik was half the man as his father or if he was just Mami’s little boy.
(Pomares’s Analysis: Solid opening segment with a great crowd reaction. No major angle for the go-home show, but it might come later on the night.)
– The commentary team ran down tonight’s match card.
– Shinsuke Nakamura made his way to the ring, ahead of his match against Ricochet.
[Commercial Break]
– Bronson Reed was shown watching the next match from ringside.
(1) RICOCHET vs. SHINSUKE NAKAMURA
Nakamura pressed his boot on Ricochet before nailing him with a leaping knee drop. Ricochet caught Nakamura with a kick to the chest and an axe kick. Ricochet sent Nakamura to the apron, only for Nakamura to put him on a sleeper hold. Both men blasted each other with big boots to the face, knocking each other off the apron. Reed distracted Nakamura, only for Ricochet and Nakamura to nail him with a pair of kicks to the head. They nailed Reed with a pair of sliding dropkicks, angering him into entering the ring and getting ejected from it, as WWE Raw went to commercials.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Ricochet knocked Nakamura down with a springboard clothesline. Ricochet caught Nakamura with a handspring back elbow and a running Shooting Star Press for a two count. Nakamura blocked a moonsault with his knees and started pummeling Ricochet down with knee strikes. Nakamura laid Ricochet out with an inverted Xploder, but Ricochet countered his Kinshasa with a Recoil for a nearfall. Nakamura stopped Ricochet atop the turnbuckle with an enzuigiri, followed by a rising knee. Ricochet blocked the Kinshasa and dropped Nakamura with Sliced Bread. Ricochet crushed Nakamura with a Shooting Star Press for the win.
WINNER: Ricochet at 10:42
(Pomares’s Analysis: Pretty good encounter to start tonight’s in-ring action. Good win to give Ricochet some momentum, though I don’t think he or Nakamura have any real chance of winning Money in the Bank.)
– A video package aired, recapping the rivalry between Matt Riddle and Gunther.
– Earlier today, Matt Riddle challenged Gunther to a title match at Money in the Bank.
– At backstage, Byron Saxton interviewed Matt Riddle about his challenge for Money in the Bank. Riddle called Gunther out for hiding behind his lackeys, only for Ludwig Kaiser to show up and mock him. Riddle assaulted Kaiser, until Gunther blasted him with a big boot out of nowhere. Gunther stomped Riddle’s damaged leg before accepting the challenge.
[Commercial Break]
– At backstage, Dominik Mysterio demanded a match tonight after being embarrassed by Cody tonight. They were about to offer an opponent, only for Ripley to whisper something in his ear and say they would get back to him.
– A lengthy video package aired, highlighting numerous Money in the Bank statistics.
– Ronda Rousey made her way to the ring, ahead of her match against Raquel Rodriguez.
[Commercial Break]
– A recap of Liv Morgan’s challenge from WWE SmackDown aired.
(2) RONDA ROUSEY (w/Shayna Baszler) vs. RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ (w/Liv Morgan)
Ronda put Raquel in a guillotine, but Raquel quickly transitioned it into a vertical suplex. Ronda trapped Raquel in an armbar using the top rope. Raquel nailed Ronda with a shoulder tackle, followed by an ankle lock. Raquel blocked an armbar takedown and slammed Ronda on the mat. Before Ronda could get up, Raquel planted her with a Fallaway slam. Baszler saved Ronda from a twisting Vader Bomb before receiving a diving codebreaker from Liv at rinside. Ronda transitioned an armbar takedown with a pinning combination for the three count.
WINNER: Ronda Rousey at 2:20
(Pomares’s Analysis: Not much to say here. If they wanted to build the tag match at Money in the Bank, it probably would have more sense to have Liv Morgan beat Shayna Baszler.)
– A video package aired, featuring Finn Bálor narrating his road after being forced to vacate the Universal title 7 years ago.
– At backstage, Seth Rollins made his way to the ring.
[Commercial Break]
[HOUR TWO]
– Seth Rollins made his way to the ring to loud singing from the crowd. Rollins presented Carmelo Hayes as a special guest watching from the front row. Rollins thanked Hayes for his help on NXT and told him to kick Corbin’s ass. He talked about Finn Bálor constantly targeting, only to point out that he is still standing. Rollins dared Finn to come out and finish the job. Rollins said that Finn convinced himself that it was his destiny to get back at him. He admitted that he wouldn’t be at 100 percent at Money in the Bank, but claimed that the best version of Finn Bálor is not as good as the best version of Seth Rollins.
– Finn tried to attack Rollins from behind with a chair, but Rollins shut him down. Rollins launched Finn out of the ring, only for Finn to smash his damaged ribs into the steps and announce table. Hayes stopped Finn from grabbing a chair, allowing Rollins to clothesline Finn over the barricade. Finn retreated through the crowd.
(Pomares’s Analysis: Really interesting go-home angle for the World Heavyweight title feud. The promo was solid and the brawl was intense, but the major talking point was Carmelo Hayes’ interference. I don’t expect Hayes to appear at Money in the Bank, but I’m fully expecting him to get into a full program with Bálor in the near future.)
– A recap of Tommaso Ciampa’s return and win over The Miz aired.
– Earlier today, Byron Saxton interviewed Tommaso Ciampa about turning his back on The Miz. Ciampa talked about Miz not contacting throughout the entirety of his injury. Ciampa said that after walking around as Miz’s second, he would create his own opportunities.
– At backstage, The Miz made his way to the ring, ahead of his rematch against Tommaso Ciampa.
[Commercial Break]
– A recap of Seth Rollins and Finn Bálor’s brawl aired, as it was announced that Bálor and Hayes would face off.
– The Miz attacked Tommaso Ciampa from behind, as he made his way to the ring. Miz dropped Ciampa with a suplex into the barricade, followed by a Skull Crushing Finale. Miz walked away, as his match with Ciampa was canceled.
(Pomares’s Analysis: Fine beat-down angle, but I really didn’t need Ciampa vs Miz to turn into an actual feud.)
– At backstage, Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn confronted Imperium about their assault on Matt Riddle. Kaiser put over how Gunther defeated Kevin a few weeks ago. Sami challenged Gunther to a singles match tonight which was quickly accepted.
– Dominik Mysterio made his way to the ring for a singles match against an opponent of “Cody Rhodes caliber.”
[Commercial Break]
– Dominik’s opponent is revealed to be Akira Tozawa.
(3) DOMINIK MYSTERIO (w/Rhea Ripley) vs. AKIRA TOZAWA
Dominik quickly knocked Tozawa down with right hands and stomps. Tozawa caught Dominik with a hurracarrana, a shining wizard and a diving shoulder strike. Tozawa blasted Dominik with a suicide dive, but Ripley distracted him before he could follow it up. Dominik tripped Dominik off the top turnbuckle and crushed him with a Frog Splash for the win.
WINNER: Dominik Mysterio at 1:49
(Pomares’s Analysis: Once again, not much to say here. They had an interesting concept with Dominik facing a hand-picked opponent and still struggling, but they ended it way too quickly for it to mean much.)
– At backstage, the Viking Raiders said they would destroy the Alpha Academy while Valhalla said that she would hear the Gods again and it would be beautiful.
– Trish Stratus and Zoey Stark made their way to the ring for the Money in the Bank Summit.
[Commercial Break]
– Becky Lynch made his way to the ring while every other participant in the match was already in the ring. Bayley gloated about being the only woman in the ring to actually have won the ladder match. Iyo Sky simply told her to let the best woman win. Zelina Vega said that she would become Ms. Money in the Bank and bring the briefcase alongside Santos Escobar to the LWO. Trish Stratus said that winning is what she already does and after she wins, everyone should thank her for making such a historic moment.
– Stratus asked Lynch is she would be ‘Man’ enough to thank her after she wins. Lynch grabbed the mic, only to immediately punch Stratus. Lynch tossed Stratus and Stark out of the ring before being attacked by Damage CTRL. Vega tossed Bayley out of the ring, only for Sky to knock her down with a dropkick. Sky crashed into everyone else with a moonsault at ringside while Lynch climbed the ladder and unhooked the briefcase.
(Pomares’s Analysis: That was a fine final segment to give one final build to the women’s ladder match. Becky Lynch was the standout, continuing her rivalry with Stratus and Stark. I already didn’t expect Lynch to win, but after seeing her grab to briefcase her chances have gone from low to non-existant.)
– At backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed Carmelo Hayes about his match tonight. Hayes said that Rollins invited him here and would solve his problem by defeating Finn Bálor. Hayes said that if he had to go out in a blaze of glory, he would do it because he has to take shots to make shots and he doesn’t miss.
– Gunther made his way to the ring, ahead of his match against Sami Zayn.
[Commercial Break]
– At backstage, Rhea Ripley warned Becky Lynch that if she won the Money in the Bank briefcase, cashing-in on her would be the last thing she would do. Lynch called Ripley a main event sidepiece and said that the title needs her.
(4) GUNTHER (w/Ludwig Kaiser) vs. SAMI ZAYN (w/Kevin Owens)
Gunther knocked Sami off his feet with a headlock takeover and a shoulder tackle. Sami caught Gunther with an arm drag, following it with a few chops and jabs. Sami tried to pummel Gunther down, only for Giovanni Vinci to show up in crutches at ringside. Gunther took advantage of the distraction and planted Sami with a German suplex, as WWE Raw went to a commercial break.
[Commercial Break]
[HOUR THREE]
Back from break, Gunther blocked a Xploder and shut Sami down with a chop to the chest. Sami kicked Gunther away and climbed the top turnbuckle, but Gunther stopped him with another chop to the chest. Sami surprised Gunther with a sunset flip powerbomb for a nearfall. They avoided a few strikes, until Sami knocked Gunther down with a clothesline, only for Gunther to counter the Blue Thunderbomb with a sleeper hold. Sami managed to lay Gunther out with a Blue Thunderbomb, but Gunther blocked his diving splash with a chop for a two count.
Gunther crushed Sami with a diving splash, but he managed to kick out at two. Kaiser climbed to the apron, only for Kevin to attack him from behind. Gunther shut Kevin down with a big boot before receiving a Tope con Hilo from Sami. Back in the ring, Sami put Gunther down with a Xploder into the corner, but couldn’t follow up after Kaiser distracted the referee. Vinci nailed Sami with his crutch, allowing Gunther to finish him with a powerbomb.
WINNER: Gunther at 12:21
(Pomares’s Analysis: Another top-notch from Gunther, ahead of his title defense. Easily the match of the night so far. I’m still not a fan of Gunther winning matches with interference.)
– After the match, Imperium assaulted Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. Matt Riddle ran down to make the save, forcing Gunther to retreat with the crutch.
– A video package aired, hyping up Carmelo Hayes’s accomplishments in NXT.
– Finn Bálor made his way to the ring, ahead of his match against Carmelo Hayes.
[Commercial Break]
– At backstage, Chad Gable called out the Viking Raiders while training Otis and Maxxine Dupri. Gable said that they would be here next week, so the Raiders could say whatever they have to say to their face.
– A recap of Rhea Ripley assaulting Natalya last week aired.
– At backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed Natalya about last week’s assault. Natalya said that her biggest battle is in her head, but she is still standing. Natalya dared Ripley to bring her title and face her woman to woman.
(5) CARMELO HAYES vs. FINN BÁLOR
Finn quickly took control with shoulder strikes and stomps on Hayes. Hayes caught Finn with an enzuigiri to the back of the head, followed by a springboard leg drop and a Pescado, as WWE Raw went to an ad break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Finn nailed Hayes with a few chops and evaded a diving crossbody. Hayes blasted Finn with a springboard clothesline, but he kicked out at two. Finn blasted Hayes with a lariat, followed by a barrage of stomps. Hayes blocked the shotgun dropkick with a thrust kick, setting him up for a springboard DDT and a two count. Finn dropped Hayes with a gutbuster, following it with a shotgun dropkick into the corner. Finn crushed Hayes with the Coup de Grace for the victory.
WINNER: Finn Bálor at 9:28
(Pomares’s Analysis: That was a good showing for Carmelo Hayes on his main roster debut, but it doesn’t really do him any favors ahead of a title defense tomorrow. This was the one match where I would have happily accepted a non-finish after a strong performance.)
– At backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed Cody Rhodes about his match against Damian Priest. Cody said that Priest would walk into Money in the Bank bruised and defeated. Cody pointed out that at Money in the Bank, Dominik wouldn’t have anyone from the Judgment Day.
[Commercial Break]
– A lengthy video package aired, recapping the fallout of the Bloodline over the past few weeks.
– The announce team ran down the entire Money in the Bank match card.
– Cody Rhodes made his way to the ring, ahead of his match against Damian Priest.
[Commercial Break]
(6) CODY RHODES vs. DAMIAN PRIEST
Priest knocked Cody off his feet with a shoulder tackle, but Cody responded with a drop-down punch. Cody nailed Priest with a dropkick, but Priest shut him down with a series of jabs and stomps. Priest crushed Cody with a corner elbow strike, only for him to respond with a delayed vertical facebuster. Ripley and Dominik showed up to distract Cody, allowing Priest to knock him off his feet. Cody pulled Priest into the ring post before blasting him with a suicide dive. Cody got distracted with Ripley and Dominik before receiving a spinebuster from Priest, as WWE Raw went to its final commercial break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Priest floored Cody with the Broken Arrow for a two count. Priest turned Cody inside out with a lariat before climbing the top turnbuckle. Cody surprised Priest with an avalanche arm drag, starting a strike exchange afterwards. Cody hit Priest with a shoulder tackle and a snap powerslam, setting him up for the Disaster Kick and a series of strikes. Priest avoided a corner splash and planted him with a flatliner for a two count. Cody laid Priest out with a Pedigree, but Priest managed to roll out of the ring before a pinfall attempt.
Priest evaded a diving attack and nailed Cody with a thrust kick for a nearfall. Cody caught Priest with a thrust kick, but Dominik tripped him before the Cody Cutter while Ripley distracted the referee. Priest smashed Cody with South of Heaven for a close nearfall. Cody avoided the Razor’s Edge and drove Priest into Dominik. Cody finished Priest with the Cody Cutter and the Cross Rhodes.
WINNER: Cody Rhodes at 13:36
– After the match, Dominik took a cheap shot at Cody from behind, as the show came to an end.
(Pomares’s Analysis: Cody Rhodes and Damian Priest closed the show with a pretty good main event. The ending was a bit too overbooked for my liking and I would really like Priest to start winning some matches. This was a solid if slightly uneventful ending to the go-home episode of Raw.)
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