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WWE RAW TV REPORT
SEPTEMBER 23, 2024
ONTARIO, CALIF. AT TOYOTA ARENA
AIRED LIVE ON USA
REPORT BY MAURICIO POMARES, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett
Ring Announcer: Samantha Irvin
Attendance: WrestleTix reported earlier that 8,606 tickets had been distributed; arena is set up for 8,616. More tickets have been sold since then. Subscribe to WrestleTix on Patreon for detailed up-to-date information. The arena has a capacity of 11,089 spectators when configured for concerts.
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[HOUR ONE]
– The show opened with Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan arriving at the arena while Braun Strowman and Bronson Reed were shown brawlinlg. Dominik and Liv made their way to the ring and gloated about their assault on Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley from last week. Ripley interrupted to get in Liv’s face, only for Liv to mock her for her damaged leg. Ripley said that she was fully cleared and announced that Dominik would be locked in a shark cage during their match. Before Liv could say anything, Ripley knocked her down with a headbutt and walked away.
(Pomares’s Analysis: A hot opening segment, despite not saying much we haven’t heard from them before. The added stipulation to the title match makes sense and hopefully won’t end up like every other shark cage match they’ve done in the past.)
– A recap of Ludwig Kaiser and Sami Zayn brawling last week was shown.
– Sami Zayn made his way to the ring, ahead of his match against Ludwig Kaiser.
[Commercial Break]
(1) SAMI ZAYN vs. LUDWIG KAISER
Sami cornered Kaiser and stomped him down, forcing him to roll out of the ring. Kaiser surprised Sami with a forearm strike and smashed his head into the ring post. Kaiser drove Sami into the steel steps and blasted him with a Penalty kick for a two count. Before Sami could react, Kaiser nailed him with a basement dropkick. Sami caught Kaiser with a boot, followed by an axe handle and a clothesline over the ropes. At ringside, Sami tried to leap over the barricade, only for Kaiser to shove him into the timekeeper’s area, as WWE Raw went to commercials.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Sami managed to take Kaiser down with a sunset flip powerbomb for a two count. Sami dropped Kaiser into the corner with a Xploder, but Kaiser rolled out of the ring before the Helluva Kick. Kaiser smashed Sami’s head into the steel steps before crushing him with a running dropkick into them. Sami barely managed to the ring, only for Kaiser to pummel him down. Kaiser blocked a Blue Thunderbomb and took Sami down with a roll-up using the ropes, but the referee noticed it. Sami shocked Kaiser with a Xploder into the corner, only for Kaiser to block the Helluva Kick with an enzuigiri for a nearfall. Sami planted Kaiser with a German suplex and finished him with the Helluva Kick.
WINNER: Sami Zayn at 12:19
– After the match, Gunther showed up in his ring gear and teased doing the match tonight, only to refuse to give him the match once again.
(Pomares’s Analysis: Solid match to give Sami Zayn a strong win on TV while still delaying the title match. At the rate they are going, I assume they are saving Gunther vs. Sami for Crown Jewel.)
– A recap of the Judgment Day defeating the New Day to retain the tag titles; and Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods arguing last week was shown.
– Backstage, Kofi Kingston met Xavier Woods, only for Woods to admit that tensions were high last week. Kofi revealed that he had found some memorabilia from their past to go back to their glory days, but Woods immediately told him that they shouldn’t do that while they weren’t on top. Kofi admitted to not making a lot of good choices recently and decided that Woods should be making the calls over the next few weeks. American Made interrupted to call New Day has-beens, only for Kofi to mock Chad Gable for his fear of Uncle Howdy. They officially set up a tag match.
[Commercial Break]
– A video package was shown, recapping the rivalry between Bron Breakker and Jey Uso.
– Backstage, Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio tried to complain to Adam Pearce about the shark cage match, but he refused to change the match. Carlito and JD McDonagh showed up to discuss Carlito’s upcoming match with Dragon Lee. They crossed paths with Ilja Dragunov, only for Dragunov to mock them for not being able to fight him without Finn Bálor.
– Dragon Lee made his way to the ring, ahead of his match against Carlito.
[Commercial Break]
(2) DRAGON LEE (w/Cruz Del Toro, Joaquin Wilde, Zelina Vega) vs. CARLITO (w/Dominik Mysterio, J.D. McDonagh)
Lee immediately blasted Carlito with a dropkick, followed by a suicide dive. Lee knocked Carlito away with a thrust kick, only for Carlito to shut him down with a clothesline. Carlito missed a strike, allowing Lee to sweep him off his feet and nail him with a slingshot dropkick. Lee nailed Carlito with a dropkick before being distracted by Judgment Day. Dominik and JD took Wilde and Del Toro out, only for Rey Mysterio to show up and hit Dominik with a seated senton. Carlito missed a corner splash, allowing Lee to finish him with Operation Dragon.
WINNER: Dragon Lee at 2:15
(Pomares’s Analysis: While I would have liked to see Dragon Lee get a longer showcase, him beating Carlito in two minutes was probably the better choice. Don’t know if this will lead to anything for Lee, but at least it’s good to see him win a match for once.)
– Backstage, Karrion Kross showed The Miz support ahead of his match against Bronson Reed. Kross told Miz that Braun Strowman was wrong and monsters come in different sizes.
[Commercial Break]
[HOUR TWO]
– Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed Sheamus about his recent loss to Pete Dunne. Sheamus led the crowd into chanting for Butch and said that he still had a score to settle. Sheamus said that he and Dunne should make this an English-Irish thing.
– Bronson Reed made his way to the ring for his match against The Miz, only for Braun Strowman to surprise him with an axe handle from the barricade. Miz argued with Strowman, allowing Reed to take them both out with a suicide dive. Numerous security guards showed up to stop Reed and Strowman, only for Reed to crush two of them with a Tsunami. Reed and Strowman knocked each other down with clotheslines at the same time. Strowman knocked the guards away and tried to hit Reed with a superplex. The security guards pulled Strowman off the top turnbuckle, but still took Reed down with a dropkick. Strowman beat down the guards before posing atop the turnbuckle.
(Pomares’s Analysis: Yet another strong showing between Bronson Reed and Braun Strowman. This feud has done wonders for both of these men and has fully earned a big spot on PPV. At this point, it’s very likely they will do the ring explosion spot at some point and I hope they get a big no rules match at Crown Jewel.)
[Commercial Break]
– Drew McIntyre made his way to the ring, as a recap of CM Punk’s words from last week was shown. Drew recapped some of what Punk said last week and said that for once he was real. He admitted that he didn’t want to go back to Hell in a Cell and said that his family had begged him not to do this match. Drew said that it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks, this match needed to happen. Drew promised to make Punk bleed a lot and make him suffer as much pain as he has ever felt. He said that Punk was just a man and he would break him permanently.
(Pomares’s Analysis: Another great promo from Drew McIntyre who matched Punk’s intensity from last week in making Hell in a Cell feel as personal and dangerous as it should be.)
– Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed Adam Pearce about the issues between Bronson Reed and Braun Strowman. Pearce announced that they would finish their issues in a Last Monster Standing match. Pearce heard noise coming from the back and found Pete Dunne assaulting Sheamus with his cricket bat. Dunne clobbered Sheamus with the bat on the back, as security guards carried him away.
[Commercial Break]
– Backstage, Bianca Belair put over Iyo Sky’s win and told her that she caught her slipping. Sky said that next time she would come for the women’s tag titles. Jade Cargill told Sky and Kairi Sane to focus on their tag match and regardless of who won, the titles would stay in the same place.
(3) DAMAGE CTRL (Iyo Sky & Kairi Sane) vs. UNHOLY UNION (Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn)
Sky swept Dawn off her feet, setting her up for a double basement dropkick. Sane knocked Fyre away with a headscissors takeover, followed by a shoulder thrust. Sane nailed Dawn with a diving forearm strike for a two count. Fyre distracted Sane, allowing Dawn to knock her off the apron. Fyre blasted Sky with a suicide dive, as WWE Raw went to an ad break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Dawn nailed Sane with a running Meteora for a two count. Fyre stopped Sane from tagging out, only for Sane to hit her with a jawbreaker. Sane sent Dawn out of the ring, reaching Sky for the hot tag. Sky dropped Fyre with a flapjack and tripped Dawn on top of her. Sky knocked Dawn away with a dropkick before blasting both of them with a springboard dropkick. Fyre caught Sky with a thrust kick, followed by a cheap shot from Dawn for a nearfall. Sane saved Sky from a backstabber and knocked Fyre off the apron. Sane crashed into Fyre with a diving elbow strike while Sky finished Dawn with Over the Moonsault.
WINNERS: Damage CTRL at 9:45
(Pomares’s Analysis: By far the most meaningful non-title tag match in the women’s division in a long time. Coming after last week’s excellent showing between Sky and Belair, it’s good to see an actual rivalry for these belts. It’s also neat to see Fyre and Dawn get some TV time after losing the belts.)
– Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed Bron Breakker about his match tonight. Breakker said that the championship deserved to be on a shoulder like his before claiming that he would be champion for a long time.
– A circle on fire with seemingly viking symbols in the middle was shown while a voice said that faith was woven.
[Commercial Break]
– They showed the entirety of the Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns segment from SmackDown.
– New Day made their way to the ring, ahead of their match against the Creed Brothers.
[Commercial Break]
– Backstage, Sami Zayn wished Jey Uso luck, ahead of his championship match.
(4) NEW DAY (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) vs. CREED BROTHERS (Julius Creed & Brutus Creed w/Chad Gable & Ivy Nile)
Julius knocked Woods down with a shoulder tackle before they started exchanging right hands and chops. Woods clocked Julius with a discus elbow strike, followed by a pendulum kick and a crossbody from Kofi. Julius dropped Brutus on top of Kofi for a one count. Brutus knocked Kofi down with a shoulder tackle, only for Kofi to take him down with a back elbow and a splash. New Day took Brutus down with a double bulldog, setting him up for Woods’ elbow drop.
Woods dropped Kofi off his shoulder on top of Brutus for a two count. Woods blasted Brutus with a series of chops, only for Brutus to retaliate with chops of his own. Before Brutus could react, Woods cornered him with chops and right hands. Julius and Woods sat Kofi and Brutus atop the turnbuckle, setting them up for stereo superplexes, as WWE Raw went to a commercial break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Woods knocked Brutus down with a clothesline and low-bridged Julius, reaching Kofi for the hot tag. Gable distracted the referee during the tag, so Kofi was not allowed in. Woods and Brutus exchanged numerous chops and elbows, until Brutus drove Woods into the corner with an Irish-whip. Woods knocked Brutus off the top turnbuckle with a headbutt, setting him up for a missile dropkick. Kofi got the hot tag to take Julius down with a springboard clothesline, followed by a dropkick. Kofi sent Brutus out of the ring with a hook kick and pulled Julius out of the ring with a headscissors takeover.
Before the Creeds could react, Kofi crashed into them with a top turnbuckle thrust fall. Back in the ring, Kofi crushed Julius with a high crossbody, but he kicked out at two. Julius evaded Trouble in Paradise and blocked the SOS. Kofi shut Julius down with Trouble in Paradise and took care of Woods with a Tope con Hilo. Gable distracted Woods, only for Woods to hip toss him into the ring. Woods stomped Gable down, until Julius cracked him with a jumping knee. Julius pounced Kofi out of the ring and lifted Woods, setting him up for the Brutus Bomb.
WINNERS: Creed Brothers at 15:14
(Pomares’s Analysis: A top notch tag match to continue the New Day storyline while giving the Creeds a much needed win after losing every single encounter against the Wyatt Sicks. Xavier Woods has slowly become one of the top performers on Raw, both in his wrestling and performances, elevating his storyline to one of the most intriguing ones on TV.)
– A video package was shown, recapping the rivalry between Finn Bálor and Damian Priest.
– A message from the Wyatt Sicks was shown, featuring numerous cryptic messages and a QR code.
[Commercial Break]
[HOUR THREE]
– A video package showcasing the Pure Fusion Collective was shown.
– Backstage, LWO met New Day and apologized for what happened last week. Woods dismissed his apology and called Rey Mysterio out when he left to prepare for his match against Finn Bálor next week. Woods complained about being disrespected by people who held singles gold and accepted to face Rey next week.
– Jey Uso made his way to the ring, ahead of his match against Bron Breakker.
[Commercial Break]
– A video package portraying Bronson Reed and Braun Strowman as kaiju monsters destroying a city was shown to hype their match.
– It was announced that Bronson Reed and Braun Strowman would battle in a Last Monster Standing match; Kofi Kingston would take on Chad Gable; and Xavier Woods would face Rey Mysterio next week.
(5) BRON BREAKKER vs. JEY USO – WWE Intercontinental Championship
Breakker knocked Jey down with a shoulder tackle, only for Jey to send him out of the ring and hit him with a suicide dive, as WWE Raw went to commercials.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Jey pummeled Breakker down with a load of right hands, until Breakker shut him down with a snap powerslam. Breakker drove Jey into the corner with an Irish-whip twice and beat him down with jabs. Breakker dropped Jey with a backbreaker and mocked him by doing push-ups instead of going for the pinfall. Jey cornered Breakker with a shoulder thrust and clotheslined him out of the ring. Breakker blocked a suicide dive with a forearm and started smashing Jey’s head into the announce table. Breakker nailed Jey with a diving bulldog onto the announce table, as WWE Raw went to its final commercial break.
[Commercial Break]
Back from break, Jey attacked Breakker with a series of right hands, setting him up for a corner hip attack. Breakker avoided a diving move and dropped Jey with a gutbuster for a two count. Jey avoided the Gorilla Press and flattened Breakker with a Samoan Drop for a nearfall. Breakker stopped Jey atop the turnbuckle and launched him away with a Frankensteiner. They exchanged right hands and uppercuts, until Breakker withstood a superkick and turned Jey inside out with a lariat.
Breakker immediately hit Jey with a Gorilla Press Slam for a close nearfall. Breakker blasted Jey with a Spear at ringside before throwing his body back into the ring. Jey blocked a Spear with one of his own, setting him up for the Uso Splash and a shocking nearfall. Jey blocked a Spear through the barricade with a superkick and put Breakker through the barricade with a Spear of his own. Back in the ring, Jey knocked Breakker down with another Spear, followed by the Uso Splash and the win.
WINNER: Jey Uso at 19:41 (New WWE Intercontinental Champion)
(Pomares’s Analysis: A good main event with great final minutes and a shocking result. Based on his popularity, Jey winning a singles title made sense, however, giving him the belt at this point feels somewhat awkward. Breakker just won the belt last month and only had one title defense, so having him drop the belt so soon feels like a bit of waste. I assume that Jey will go back to the Bloodline story in the near future, so him actually succeeding as a singles wrestler was something that must have been in the works for a while. I don’t expect Jey to have a long reign and I think there’s a realistic shot that Breakker wins the belt back.)
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