SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE RAW TV REPORT
AUGUST 5, 2024
BALTIMORE, MD. AT CFG BANK ARENA
AIRED LIVE ON USA
BY MAURICIO POMAREZ, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Michael Cole, Pat McAfee
Ring Announcer: Samantha Irvin
Attendance: WrestleTix reported that as of last night that 11,447 tickets had been distributed; arena is set up for 11,841. Check out WrestleTix on Patreon for final figures.
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[HOUR ONE]
– The show opened with a highlight reel of SummerSlam.
– Ludwig Kaiser stood in the middle of the ring to officially introduce Gunther as the new World Heavyweight champion. Gunther listed his accomplishments and said that this title deserved more. Gunther said that he was ready and prepared for anyone or anything and that he was greatness personified. He said that moving forwards the legacy of the championship belonged to him.
– Randy Orton interrupted and Gunther admitted that he didn’t see him coming. Orton said that title looked good on Gunther’s shoulder, but he wouldn’t be champion if it wasn’t for him. Orton pointed out that Gunther didn’t actually pin him during the King of the Ring finals and that Triple H agreed that there needed to be a sequel. He claimed that he would walk into Gunther’s home country and walk out as world champion. Gunther acknowledged that the ending of his match with Orton left his record tainted. Gunther accepted Orton’s challenge and had a face-off with him.
(Pomares’s Analysis: A solid opening to start the era of Gunther as world champion and set up his first title program. While I had convinced myself that we would get Gunther vs. Dragunov at Bash in Berlin, I can deny that Orton is a much stronger choice to establish Gunther as a proper world champion and using the result of their last match as a set up was a smart decision.)
– Backstage, Jackie Redmond interviewed Sheamus about his issues with Pete Dunne and Ludwig Kaiser. Sheamus said that he would deal with Kaiser tonight and maybe put Dunne on the shelf afterwards.
(1) SHEAMUS vs. LUDWIG KAISER
They immediately started brawling on the entrance way, exchanging strikes around the ring. Once the match started, Sheamus nailed Kaiser with an uppercut before receiving a rising kick to the chest. Sheamus cornered Kaiser and pummeled him with numerous strikes. Kaiser tried to target Sheamus’ knee, only for Sheamus to clobber him with a pair of gut punches. Sheamus crushed Kaiser with a rolling senton, forcing him to roll out of the ring. Kaiser faked a rib injury to attack Sheamus from behind and drive him into the steel steps.
Kaiser nailed Sheamus with a running dropkick into the steel steps, but he managed to return to the ring before a Count Out loss. Sheamus tried to fight back with a pair of strikes, only for Kaiser to maintain control with various blows to the chest. Kaiser pummeled Sheamus with the Beats of Bodhran, until Sheamus managed to pull his head into the ropes. Kaiser knocked Sheamus down with a kick to the legs and kept on pummeling him with chops. Sheamus retaliated with a series of right hands and clotheslines, setting him up for the Irish Curse. Kaiser blocked the Celtic Cross, only for Sheamus to flatten him with the White Noise for a nearfall.
Sheamus trapped Kaiser in the Cloverleaf, but he was able to crawl and grab the ropes. Kaiser pulled Sheamus’ head into the ropes and put him down with a discus clothesline. They started exchanging slaps to the face, until Sheamus sent Kaiser to the apron and hit him with the Beats of Bodhran. Sheamus knocked Kaiser off his feet with a diving clothesline and evaded a shillelagh shot from Pete Dunne. Sheamus took care of Dunne with a pump knee, only for Kaiser to crack him with an enzuigiri for a close nearfall. Kaiser tried to go for a twisting DDT, but Sheamus quickly shut him down with a pump knee and a Brogue Kick.
WINNER: Sheamus at 11:09
(Pomares’s Analysis: Another outstanding and hard-hitting encounter between these two which I originally thought would pay off at Bash in Berlin.. Coming after this match, it seems like they are building to Sheamus vs. Dunne at Bash in Berlin. It sucks that Kaiser missed the last month due to injury, especially after he really started receiving a strong push. Hopefully, he is able to bounce back and establish himself as a threat in the Intercontinental title picture.)
– A video package was shown, recapping the debut of the Wyatt Family 11 years ago in Baltimore.
– A recap of numerous headline news from SummerSlam was shown.
– Damian Priest made his way to the ring to call Finn Bálor so he could beat him down. Priest said that most of his life he was alone, until he found family in Judgment Day. Priest said that after the premiere of his documentary, he found out how many people were inspired by him and that his family was much bigger than him. He told Finn that when he was suffering, he would be the reason for his pain.
– Finn appeared on-screen to tell Priest that he betrayed the Judgment Day after winning the world title. Finn showed up a picture of last year’s SummerSlam and reminded him that after the show, Priest told him to man up. He said that he waited a year to finally do it and that he wouldn’t face him yet. Finn said that he would wait until Priest had almost forgotten about him and would stab him on the back. Finn finished by revealing that he had JD McDonagh, Carlitio, Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan on his side.
(Pomares’s Analysis: A very good showing for Damian Priest as a full-on babyface after finally finding his groove over the last two months. I wished they did more to show the Judgment Day’s side and was expecting to see Rhea Ripley appear, but I guess it makes sense to let both Priest and Rhea have their individual moments to address the betrayal.)
– Backstage, Bronson Reed complained to Adam Pearce about not having a match tonight and said that he would create his own path.
(2) LYRA VALKYRIA vs. SHAYNA BASZLER (w/Sonya Deville & Zoey Stark)
Baszler put Lyra in a wrist lock and smashed her shoulder into the mat. Baszler stomped Lyra’s arm and lifted her body while still holding her wrist. Lyra evaded a kick and knocked Baszler down with a running crossbody. Lyra nailed Baszler with an enzuigiri, only for Baszler to put her in an ankle lock. Baszler tried to pick Lyra’s leg, but Lyra shut her down with a gutwrench powerbomb for a two count. Lyra kicked Stark and Deville down before Baszler put her in a sleeper hold. Lyra broke the hold and cracked Baszler with an enzuigiri, setting her for the Nightwing. Deville and Stark immediately entered the ring to assault Lyra and end the match.
WINNER: Lyra Valkyria at 2:38 via DQ
– After the match, Sonya Deville, Zoey Stark and Shayna Baszler tried to continue their attack, but Damage CTRL showed up to make the save and chase them away.
(Pomares’s Analysis: I shouldn’t be surprised when a women’s match gets so little time and lazy booking and yet here I thought that the commercial free hour would guarantee this more TV time.)
– Backstage, Karrion Kross claimed that tonight the Final Testament would put an end to the New Day. Kross said that it didn’t have to be this way for Xavier Woods and that history would remember Woods for being just a man standing next to the man. Kross said that Woods chose to stand with Kofi Kingston and tonight we would witness the end of the New Day.
[Commercial Break]
[HOUR TWO]
– A recap of numerous headline news from SummerSlam was shown.
– Backstage, Maxxine Dupri tried to speak with Ivy Nile, but Chad Gable interrupted to tell Nile that Dupri had nothing to say to her.
– CM Punk made his way to the ring to say that he was happy because the fans loved it when he was knocked down and got back up. Punk said that he was proud that he was able to come back earlier from injury. Punk said that he was still here thanks to the fans and that Drew hadn’t put him in the ground. He said that the fans were tired of him talking and were ready to see him fighting. Seth Rollins interrupted and immediately took off his jacket to say that it was finally time to put him in the dirt.
– Before they could start fighting, Drew McIntyre showed up in the crowd to tell them that tonight was a night of celebration. Drew said that Punk proved that he still got it, but that he was no longer the best in the world. He showed Punk that he still had his bracelet, angering Punk into leaving the ring and chasing him. As Punk ran out of the ring, Bronson Reed showed up to blindside with a body block. Reed and Rollins traded strikes, until Reed crushed Rollins with two Tsunamis. Referees and agents showed up to separate them, only for Reed to hit Rollins with four additional Tsunamis.
(Pomares’s Analysis: The first half of this segment felt like more of the same we’ve seen from this group of wrestlers. The second half came out of nowhere, as Bronson Reed’s booking has been incredibly inconsistent since his return to WWE. It’s cool to see Reed finally getting that program with Seth Rollins, he seemingly was supposed to get early this year. This is probably just a temporary program to give time for Drew and Punk to finish their feud, but hopefully Reed is able to elevate himself with this rivalry.)
[Commercial Break]
– Backstage, Jackie Redmond interviewed Adam Pearce about the status of Seth Rollins. Pearce confirmed that Rollinls was now in the hospital and informed CM Punk that Drew McIntyre was no longer in the building.
(3) NEW DAY (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) vs. AUTHORS OF PAIN (Akam & Rezar w/Karrion Kross, Scarlett & Paul Ellering)
Kofi attacked Akam with a dropkick and caught him with a diving axe handle. Kofi nailed Rezar with a dropkick, only for Akam to drop him with a spinebuster, as WWE Raw went to commercials.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Woods got the hot tag to clobber Rezar with a discus forearm strike. Woods pummeled Rezar with right hands, followed by thrust kicks on him and Akam. Rezar rammed Woods into the corner, only for Woods to beat him down with headbutts. Woods nailed Rezar with a missile dropkick while Kofi took care of Akam with a thrust fall. Kross tripped Woods off the top turnbuckle behind the referee’s back, only for a debuting Odyssey Jones to attack him from behind. Woods surprised Rezar with an inside cradle to pick up the win.
WINNERS: New Day at 6:57
– After the match, Odyssey Jones dropped the Authors of Pain with a double side slam and laid Karrion Kross out with a Boss Man Slam. Xavier Woods begrudgingly celebrated with Kofi and Jones.
(Pomares’s Analysis: The match didn’t really matter. This was all about the angle afterwards which brought back a man I thought we would never see again. Odyssey Jones as part of New Day is a fun direction to go while maintaining the story of Xavier Woods. Hopefully, we are close to finishing the Final Testament bit of this story and see more of a conflict between Kofi and Woods.)
– Backstage, JD McDonagh laughed about what happened to Damian Priest and gloated about being a champion while Priest had nothing.
– A-Town Down Under made their way to the ring, ahead of their match against Awesome Truth.
[Commercial Break]
– Backstage, Kofi Kingston introduced Odyssey Jones to Xavier Woods. Kofi told him that he met him while he was rehabbing. Alpha Academy showed up to congratulate the team for their win and dance with them.
– A recap of Awesome Truth and Jelly Roll beating Austin Theory down was shown.
(4) AWESOME TRUTH (The Miz & R-Truth) vs. A-TOWN DOWN UNDER (Austin Theory & Grayson Waller)
Truth dropped Waller with a back body drop and knocked him and Theory down with a headscissors takeover. Miz and Truth clotheslined Theory and Waller out of the ring, as WWE Raw went to an ad break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Truth caught Theory with a boot to the face, but Waller missed a follow-up elbow drop. Truth kicked Theory away and gave Miz the hot tag. Miz planted Theory and Waller with a double flapjack, setting them up for a series of kicks to the chest. Miz took Theory down with a plancha and spiked him with a low DDT for a two count. Theory blocked the Skull Crushing Finale, only for Miz to knock him off his feet. Truth stole the tag while Miz hit Theory with a high crossbody. Truth accidentally knocked Miz off the apron and laid Waller out with an Attitude Adjustment. Theory immediately took Truth down with A-Town Down for the three count.
WINNERS: A-Town Down Under at 7:36
(Pomares’s Analysis: Just an okay match to give Theory and Waller their heat back after the SummerSlam angle. I get the feeling that Truth and Miz won’t last much longer as a team which is fine by me, as long as they don’t start feuding.)
– Backstage, Damian Priest said that he would give JD McDonagh the beating that he deserved. Priest said that he never wanted him in Judgment Day and that Finn Bálor had only sent him as a first bullet.
– JD McDonagh made his way to the ring, ahead of his match against Damian Priest.
[Commercial Break]
[HOUR THREE]
– Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed Bron Breakker about all the challengers that would come for his title. Breakker said that he didn’t have a target on his back and that he was the hunter. Breakker said that this title was made for him and there was nobody that could take the name off his title.
(5) DAMIAN PRIEST vs. JD MCDONAGH (w/Carlito)
JD attacked Priest with chops, only for Priest to knock him down with a big boot. Priest cracked JD with an elbow strike and stomped him down before planting him with a flapjack. Priest nailed JD with two strikes to the head, but missed a corner splash. JD pummeled Priest with a barrage of stomps, setting him up for a basement dropkick. They traded slaps and chops, until Priest sent JD out of the ring with a kick to the chest. JD managed to drive Priet’s head into the ring post, following it with a suicide dive, as WWE Raw went to a commercial break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, JD landed on his feet off the South of Heaven to hit Priest with a headbutt and a moonsault. Priest countered the Devil Inside with a flatliner and withstood his slaps. Priest clocked JD with two elbow strikes to the head and pounced him over the announce table. Back in the ring, Priest knocked Carlito off the apron, only for Finn Bálor to show up and attack him.
WINNER: Damian Priest at 10:09 via DQ
– After the match, the rest of Judgment Day showed up to assault Damian Priest. Priest launched JD and Dominik out of the ring and took Carlito down with a thrust kick. Priest lifted Finn Bálor for the Razor’s Edge, but Liv Morgan saved him. Dominik and Liv stomped Priest down, until Rhea Ripley showed up to make the save. Ripley smashed Liv’s head into the ring post and cleared the announce table. Dominik saved Liv from the Razor’s Edge while JD still tried to attack Priest. Ripley cracked JD with a headbutt, setting him up for Priest’s South of Heaven.
(Pomares’s Analysis: A solid match that was more about the post-match angle. While I was hoping to hear from Rhea Ripley, it’s good to see her interact with the newest version of Judgment Day. Ripley has been more or less a babyface long before WWE actually started booking her as one, so after the feud with Liv is over, I wonder what direction she will take.)
– A lengthy recap of Roman Reigns’ return at SummerSlam was shown.
– Backstage, Sonya Deville, Zoey Stark and Shayna Baszler assaulted Dakota Kai before she could come out for their match.
[Commercial Break]
– Sonya Deville made her way to the ring and claimed that there wouldn’t be no much, only for Iyo Sky to take Dakota Kai’s place.
(6) IYO SKY (w/Kairi Sane) vs. SONYA DEVILLE (w/Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark)
Sky avoided a sliding dropkick and sent Deville out of the ring with a headscissors takeover. Sky took Baszler and Stark down, only for Deville to throw her into the steel steps, as WWE Raw went to commercials.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Deville knocked Sky off her feet with a kick to the head, but missed a shoulder thrust into the ring post. Sky nailed Deville with a dragon screw, followed by a shoulder tackle, an uppercut and a dropkick. Sky blasted Deville with a missile dropkick for a close two count. Deville clocked Sky with a rising kick and a running knee, but she kicked out at two.
Sky caught Deville with a roll-through into a double stomp, setting her up for the double knee strike in the corner. Stark put Sky’s leg on the ropes, only for Sane to take her out with a backfist. Sky blasted Baszler with a dropkick through the rope and sent Deville out of the ring. Sane and Sky took all of their opponents down with a moonsault and an Insane Elbow at the same time. Back in the ring, Sky crushed Deville with a moonsault to pick up the win.
WINNER: Iyo Sky at 9:04
(Pomares’s Analysis: Fun match to showcase how babyface Damage CTRL works. It feels like this is leading to a big six-woman tag match, but I doubt it will take place at a major show like Bash in Berlin.)
– Backstage, Sami Zayn finished speaking with Ilja Dragunov before Jey Uso showed up to talk with him. Jey told Sami that he would get his rematch and regain his title. Sami confirmed that he set up a rematch for next week and would win the belt back. Jey said that they would team up to get a title match against Judgment Day, so Sami could become a double champion.
– The commentary showed the latest video tape from the Wyatt Sicks. Uncle Howdy talked about Joe Gacy and said that they thought he could be held down. Gacy screamed at the screen that they would pay for their sins.
– Chad Gable and the Creed Brothers made their way to the ring, ahead of their match against the Wyatt Sicks.
[Commercial Break]
– It was announced that Bron Breakker would face Sami Zayn in a 2-out-of-3 falls title rematch; and that Damage CTRL would take on Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark in a match to determine contenders for the tag titles.
(7) THE WYATT SICKS (Erick Rowan & Joe Gacy & Dexter Lumis w/Uncle Howdy & Nikki Cross) vs. AMERICAN MADE (Chad Gable, Julius Creed & Brutus Creed)
Lumis chased Gable out of the ring and knocked Julius down with a back elbow. Lumis dropped Julius with a spinebuster, followed by a series of axe handles. Gacy nailed Julius with corner clotheslines and a belly-to-belly suplex. Lumis and Gacy dropped Brutus with a back suplex and neckbreaker combination. Gable tripped Lumis behind the referee’s back, setting him up for a bunch of right hands. The Wyatt Sicks knocked the Creeds off their feet. Rowan dropped Julius on top of Gable, setting them up for a senton from Gacy. Rowan powerbomb Lumis onto Gable and the Creeds, as WWE Raw went to its final commercial break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Gable caught Gacy with a Northern Lights suplex for a two count. Brutus planted Gacy with a Samoan drop, followed by a standing moonsault. Julius and Gable hit Gacy with moonsaults of their own, but Lumis broke the pinfall. Gacy caught the Creeds with a double handspring clothesline, reaching Rowan for the hot tag. Rowan put Gable and the Creeds down with clotheslines and leg lariats. Rowan dropped Gable with a back body drop, following it with a dropkick through the ropes and a shot into the barricade.
Back in the ring, Rowan crushed Gable with a slingshot senton and a Jackhammer, only for the Creeds to break the pinfall. Julius nailed Rowan with a jumping knee and Brutus sent Gacy out of the ring. Lumis crashed into the Creeds with a diving senton while Gable put Rowan down with a German suplex for a nearfall. Gacy and Lumis drove the Creeds onto the announce table while Rowan floored Gable with a chokeslam. Gacy powerbombed Lumis on top of Gable, setting him up for Lumis’ diving splash and the win.
WINNERS: The Wyatt Sicks at 11:03
(Pomares’s Analysis: A strong first look at the Wyatt Sicks in-ring wrestling. They have some good chemistry and American Made made them look really good. My only real question coming out of this is where do Gable and the Creeds go from here after losing their first match together.)
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OUR POST-SHOW PODCAST
JOIN US LIVE ON YOUTUBE TONIGHT FOR THE VIDEO-FORMAT OF OUR LIVE POST-SHOWS…
On the episode, Wade Keller will be joined by Jake Barnett from ProWrestling.net to review Raw LIVE along with VIP member video caller, viewer emails, and chat room interactions plus often an on-site correspondent. Join us and let us know your thoughts on Raw during the show.
https://streamyard.com/m8iikabx8v
Click that link during the post-show to enter the waiting room as “live video caller” (or just audio if you turn off your cam, which is fine). This is a private link, so don’t share. It’s just for VIP members at this time.
Email our post-show at wadekellerpodcast@gmail.com with your comments and questions about Raw. We’ll read your emails live during the post-show.
Subscribe to all of our free podcasts by searching “wade keller” and “pwtorch” in your podcast app of choice including Spotify and Apple Podcasts and most other iOS and Android apps.
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