Following their Undisputed WWE Tag Team title win at Payback, Finn Balor & Damian Priest will be in action on SmackDown tonight.
WWE has announced that Judgment Day (Balor & Priest) will face off against The Brawling Brutes (Ridge Holland & Butch) on tonight’s episode of SmackDown. It appears to be a non-title match.
Last Saturday, Balor & Priest defeated Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn in a Steel City Street Fight to become the new Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions. Interference by Rhea Ripley, Dominik Mysterio, and JD McDonagh led to Balor & Priest getting the victory.
There was months of tension between Balor and Priest leading into Payback. Much of that tension was due to Balor’s friendship with McDonagh. In an attempt to get on Priest’s good side, McDonagh gifted Priest a custom Money in the Bank briefcase on Raw this Monday.
SmackDown is taking place from TD Garden in Boston tonight. Here’s what’s been announced for the episode:
AJ Styles vs. Jimmy Uso
Charlotte Flair & Shotzi vs. Damage CTRL (IYO SKY & Bayley)
Judgment Day (Finn Balor & Damian Priest) vs. The Brawling Brutes (Ridge Holland & Butch)
Every member of The Judgment Day now holds championship gold.
After months of dissension, Finn Balor & Damian Priest worked together to win the Undisputed WWE Tag Team titles from Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn at Payback. Because the match was a Steel City Street Fight, interference was legal. Dominik Mysterio, Rhea Ripley, and JD McDonagh all got involved.
Balor pinned Zayn to win the titles after Dominik struck Zayn with Priest’s Money in the Bank briefcase. There was a point leading into the finish where Zayn had the match won after giving Priest a Helluva Kick, but McDonagh pulled Zayn out of the ring before the referee could count to three. Ripley then took out Owens with a spear through the barricade.
Balor’s friendship with McDonagh has caused much of the distrust between Balor and Priest in recent weeks. On Raw this past Monday, Priest told McDonagh to stay out of his business. McDonagh isn’t an official member of Judgment Day.
Ripley told Balor & Priest on Raw that changes would be coming to Judgment Day if they didn’t defeat Owens & Zayn.
The Steel City Street Fight included a spot where Owens gave Dominik a Swanton through a table after jumping off of a stairwell.
Following Balor & Priest’s victory, The Judgment Day stood united on the stage with all of their title belts. Ripley currently holds the Women’s World Championship and Dominik holds the NXT North American title. Priest is also still in possession of the Money in the Bank briefcase.
WWE Payback takes place tonight at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh and unless something suddenly changes, the show will be void of any Bloodline content — the first pay-per-view/PLE in nearly a year to not feature a match or segment including the stable.
Payback will also not include many of the companyâs top stars. Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar and Logan Paul will not be on the show. Bianca Belair is taking time off, Cody Rhodes will not be wrestling (although he’ll be a guest on The Grayson Waller Effect) and Ronda Rousey appears done with the company for the time being. The Usos, Solo Sikoa, and Paul Heyman are not currently advertised either. Many of the top names that have driven WWEâs major storylines last year and this year are simply not featured this weekend.
The Judgment Day will be looking to fill any holes left by the stars not booked. They are officially part of two of the six matches on the card, but Damian Priestâs Money in the Bank briefcase could easily factor into a third. The stable has shown they can be a draw, especially for NXT, so itâll be interesting to see how much of Saturdayâs show revolves around them.
Which match headlines this show should be interesting as well. A case can certainly be made for Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus being the main event. Itâs the blowoff to their feud, in a steel cage, and has two of the companyâs most recognizable names. However, the angle has not exactly been on fire of late.
Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens vs. Judgment Day could easily headline the show as well. Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura could go on last as well, but the issue there is that few fans believe Nakamura has any chance at all of walking away with the WWE World Heavyweight title…although the aforementioned MITB briefcase looms large.
The show has drawn well. As of this writing, WrestleTix has 12,475 tickets out for the show with the get-in price being $300. It’s a hot ticket in Pittsburgh.
Regardless of the stars not booked, there are plenty of good matches that should make for an entertaining show. Below are previews, my predictions and betting odds for WWE Payback (8 PM Eastern on Peacock/WWE Network):
Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus in a steel cage match
Lynch is a -1000 favorite.
The idea has always been for Stratus to put over Lynch and I have to imagine this is the blowoff to their story. Lynch should win clean and Stratus will get her comeuppance in the end.
Lynchâs star power has taken a bit of a hit since her original era as âThe Man.â Sheâs due for a hot storyline to get her back to where she was but unfortunately, this hasnât been it. Iâm not sure when and where this angle lost its luster, but it’s been lacking for a while.
Stratus has put all of herself into this heel gimmick, but itâs hard for fans to hate returning legends. Edgeâs heel turn went in a very similar direction. Iâm assuming Stratus turns back babyface the next time we see her after Payback, which could be a while from now. She has plenty of projects outside of wrestling that are far easier than taking bumps. This is likely it for her current run, but she could return by WrestleMania.
Prediction: Lynch
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins defends against Shinsuke Nakamura
Rollins is a -1000 favorite.
Itâs nice to see Nakamura in a top storyline, but heâs not walking away with the title. However, Rollins might not be either due to Priest and the aforementioned briefcase.
Nakamuraâs videos in recent weeks, which have been excellent, have focused on Rollinsâ injured back — likely to be the eventual downfall of his World title run. Eventually, the physical toll of being a fighting champion will be too much for him and a dastardly heel will pick up an underhanded victory against a vulnerable champion.
AEW has been doing a similar storyline with International Champion Orange Cassidy for the better part of a year now, but Iâm expecting WWE to pull the trigger on the champion losing much sooner.
Iâm not sure if Priestâs eventual MITB cash-in, which could come this weekend, will be successful or not. Balor could easily mess things up for his stablemate as part of their ongoing story.
Prediction: Rollins retains
WWE Womenâs World Champion Rhea Ripley defends against Raquel Rodriguez
Ripley is a -5000 favorite to win.
The betting world certainly isnât giving Rodriguez much of a chance here. Ripley, Dominik Mysterio and the rest of Judgment Day are one of the hottest acts in the company right now and, thus, taking the title off Ripley would serve little purpose at the moment.
However, WWE has always booked Rodriguez strong and they will try to find a way for her to get cheated out of winning the title.
This might not be Ripleyâs main story of the night either. She’ll be ringside when Finn Balor & Priest challenge Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn as well. Ripley could even appear during a third match if Priest attempts to cash in his briefcase later in the show.
Prediction: Ripley retains
WWE Undisputed Tag Team Champions Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens defend against Judgment Day (Finn Balor & Damian Priest)
Zayn & Owens are -1000 favorites.
Not that gambling on WWE results is actually something anyone should do, but if you are going to do it, you might consider putting a little money on Judgment Day. Balor and Priest have not been getting along very well lately and it seems pretty clear an eventual split is coming, but that doesnât necessarily mean itâs happening tonight.
Dave Meltzer reported earlier this month that the plan is for Priest to leave the group, likely turning babyface in the process. To me, the likeliest scenario is Balor somehow costing Priest his opportunity to cash in the MITB briefcase. If thatâs the case, their split isnât happening here.
JD McDonagh will likely factor into things here as well as we’ll likely find out more about his standing with Judgment Day on the show.
WWE loves a good storyline of two people who donât get along having to co-exist as tag champions. I think we could be headed to exactly that. Weâll see.
Prediction: Judgment Day wins the titles
LA Knight vs. The Miz
Knight is a -2500 favorite.
Unless WWE decides they are going to give Knight the Daniel Bryan treatment, it seems very likely he will win this match.
I thought I would hate this feud, but I donât. Both Miz and Knight can tell a good story in their promos and the angle that Miz thinks Knight is a copy of the Attitude Era and someone with fleeting popularity has been surprisingly entertaining.
Knight should win clean.
Prediction: Knight
WWE United States Champion Rey Mysterio defends against Austin Theory
Mysterio is listed as a -500 favorite.
This has the closest betting odds of the night which isn’t surprising as this could really go either way. The story they are telling is that Santos Escobar was supposed to get the shot at Theory, but Mysterio replaced him in a title match after he was attacked and injured. That seems to signify there could be a dissension-type storyline going on with the LWO soon. I mean, similar stories have worked for The Bloodline and Judgment Day, so why not do it with a third stable?
So far, Escobar seems to be coping with having lost his title shot in a mature and sportsmanlike manner, completely unfitting of a professional wrestler. Will that remain the case? They are going somewhere with this angle, but I just don’t know if an Escobar heel turn is the destination.
Theory regaining his title here seems possible, but so does Mysterio winning clean and then being respectfully challenged by Escobar. I can’t offer a clear prediction for this one because there are multiple avenues the story could take. However, it feels likely Mysterio will retain.
In the new edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer provided a look at where WWE could be going with its Judgment Day storyline.
Meltzer wrote that, while things could change, the long-term plan is currently for Damian Priest to be out of The Judgment Day. Meltzer added that it’s likely JD McDonagh will join the group, but that isn’t 100 percent confirmed.
While this could easily change, the long-term plan is Priest out of Judgment Day. Whether that means McDonagh is in, thatâs a probable but not 100 percent
There’s been growing tension between Priest and Finn Balor in recent months. That tension led to Balor losing his title challenges against World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins at both Money in the Bank and SummerSlam.
Priest won the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match this July and still holds the briefcase.
Balor’s friendship with McDonagh has recently contributed to the tension between Balor and the rest of Judgment Day.
Despite the dissension, Judgment Day stood tall over Cody Rhodes and Sami Zayn on Raw earlier this week after getting help from McDonagh. McDonagh came to Judgment Day’s aid after Rhodes defeated Balor in the main event of the episode. Priest tried to give Balor the Money in the Bank briefcase to use as a weapon, but he slid it too far and Rhodes hit Balor with the briefcase instead.
Carmelo Hayes’ challenger for Heatwave is set to be determined tonight on NXT.
Wes Lee battles Dijak in an NXT Championship number one contender’s match on tonight’s show. The winner will get their shot against Hayes on the special Heatwave edition of NXT next Tuesday.
Gold will be up for grabs as The Dyad challenge Tony D’Angelo & Stacks for the NXT Tag Team titles in tonight’s opening match. It’s the first defense for D’Angelo & Stacks since they won the championships from Gallus at Great American Bash.
Mustafa Ali is on a campaign to challenge Dominik Mysterio for the NXT North American Championship. Tonight, Ali has stated that he has an important announcement to make.
Ahead of facing Ilja Dragunov at Heatwave, Trick Williams will be in action against Drew Gulak tonight. Dana Brooke vs. Blair Davenport and Tyler Bate vs. Joe Coffey have also been announced.
Our live coverage starts at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
A tag team title match opens the show live from a soundstage at the Performance Center in Orlando.
NXT Tag Team Champions The Family (Tony D’Angelo & Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo) defeated The Dyad (Jagger Reid & Rip Fowler with Joe Gacy, Ava and The Schism) to retain their titles
D’Angelo pinned Fowler after outside interference by masked assailants presumed to be the Creeds.
Joining The Dyad at ringside were Joe Gacy and Ava as usual, but they are also joined by a bunch of Schism members wearing masks that surround the ring like de facto lumberjacks. That would play into the finish.
Stacks got to shine a lot in the early portion of the match, including him doing a swan dive over the ropes. He was later cut off and sent crashing into the announce desk, just before the show cuts to its first commercial break.
The match goes through the split-screen break, with Stacks being worked over throughout. The heels continue to work over Stacks when the show returns from the break. Stacks gets a visual pin in a hope spot, but the referee is distracted by Tony D.
They build to a hot tag that brings in “The Don” to clean house. The Dyad bump and feed. Tony D is cut off after a blind tag by The Dyad. Suddenly, out comes Ivy Nile. The Schism lumberjacks form a line to block Nile from getting into the ring. Meanwhile, two other masked men hop the barricade, and they jump The Dyad. They appear to be the Creed Brothers, judging by the suplex they did and context clues. The Don then covers Fowler for a pinfall.
Eddy Thorpe is the focus of a great vignette that plays to his Native American heritage. Thorpe also cuts a promo about Dijak, who is he is currently feuding with in storyline.
Wes Lee interrupts an autograph signing with NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes. Lee remains a subtle heel as they banter back-and-forth.
Tension within Chase U continues with a skit. Once the most enthusiastic student, Thea Hail is still bitter with Andre Chase. She complains to him, and Duke Hudson somewhat agrees with her. Chase says he only wants Hail to be happy, and she shoots back by telling him to not throw in the towel next time.
Blair Davenport defeated Dana Brooke (with Kelani Jordan)
Davenport pinned Brooke the win the match. Jordan got involved at one point, trying to keep Brooke honest.
Brooke grabbed the ring bell shortly before the finish to seemingly use as a weapon. Jordan takes the bell away from Brooke, and Jordan seems shocked Brooke would stoop to such tactics.
After some clunky exchanges between Brooke and Davenport, Brooke is rocked by a knee strike. Davenport then delivers a second knee strike, and Davenport covers Brooke for a three count.
NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes is still signing autographs when he is interrupted again. This time it was Dijak interrupting Hayes, and they have words.
Trick Willaims defeated Drew Gulak (with Charlie Dempsey & Damon Kemp)
Williams pinned Gulak after a windmill kick. Dempsey and Kemp interfered during the match, but Josh Briggs and Brooks Jensen run down to even the odds.
Kemp distracted the referee at one point, allowing Dempsey to interfere. Dempsey gives Williams a German suplex on the floor. Gulak then goes on to work over Williams.
Comeback by Williams, and Dempsey tries to interfere again. That backfires as Williams drops both Dempsey and Kemp on the floor. They try to attack Williams, but out runs Briggs and Jensen. The country boy babyfaces make a save by neutralizing Dempsey and Kemp. The two teams brawl at ringside as Williams and Gulak go home in the ring.
Dabbo-Kato is the focus of a vignette. He fought his way out of the shadows, and he vows to cast his own shadow when he soon returns to NXT. It was indeed soon, as he actually returns this week for a run-in later in the show.
Von Wagner challenges Baron Corbin to a match at Heatwave
Baron Corbin is heading to the ring for a monologue. Oh joy. Corbin brags about running an Olympic gold medalist out of NXT (referring to Gable Steveson). Corbin then refers to the rest of the locker room as “soft ass little bitches.” Is he doing a CM Punk gimmick?
Corbin says he is ushering in a new era of himself. He places is place “back into the main event” where he claims to belong. Out comes Mr. Stone and Von Wagner to interrupt and confront Corbin.
Corbin tries to make fun of Stone, but Stone turns that around on Corbin. Stone then puts over Wagner. Corbin wants Wagner to talk instead of Stone. Corbin then tries to make fun of Wagner.
Corbin tells Wagner he needs to learn how to “talk on the stick.” Corbin cuts a promo on Wagner about his lack of speaking ability. Wagner responds by saying Corbin talks too much, which guarantees the two a spot on an upcoming episode of Botchamania. If you know, you know.
Wagner cuts a promo making fun of Corbin’s various gimmicks. Wagner then challenges Corbin to a match next week at Heatwave, and Wagner vows to table Corbin. Corbin goes to cheap shot Wagner, but Wagner clotheslined Corbin over the ropes on the side of the ring with the announce desk.
Wagner teases putting Corbin through the announce desk, and they have a pull-apart brawl. Looks like a grudge match is now set for next Tuesday.
WWE World Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley and her main squeeze, NXT North American Champion Dominik Mysterio, are in a locker room for a promo. Ripley challenges Dragon Lee and Lyra Valkyria to a mixed tag match at Heatwave.
Mustafa Ali in a vignette gives a stump speech like he is campaigning for the North American title. Ali delivers a speech that plays on populism and patriotism. Where have a seen that before?
Wes Lee defeated Dijak in a number one contender’s match
Lee pinned Dijak, which makes Lee the next contender for Hayes’ NXT Championship. Good match. Eddy Thorpe got involved at one point, although he never physically interfered.
Cat-and-mouse game early on, with Lee floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee. Lee targets Dijak’s leg with kicks and holds. Dijak cuts off Lee, and Dijak works an arm. Hope spot dashed by Dijak, and he posts Lee. Back to work on the arm.
Dijak dashes another hope spot when he catches Lee on an attempted tope. Dijak lawn darts Lee into a ring post, just before the show cuts to a split-screen commercial break. Dijak continues to work over Lee during the break, still targeting the arm.
After the show returns from the break, Lee counters Dijak to deliver a tornado DDT that spikes Dijak. Moments later, and Lee powerbombs Dijak. Lee then gets a near fall.
Lee crumples to the mat when his injured shoulder gives out. Dijak looks to capitalize with his finisher, but Dijak injured leg buckles. Lee then deliver a pump kick, but Dijak answers back with a chokeslam into a sit-out powerbomb for another near fall.
The fighting spills outside, where Dijak throws Lee over the barricade. Dijak looks to use the steps as a weapon, but out comes Eddy Thorpe. Dijak is distracted by Thorpe, and they face off. Thorpe ducks a lariat, and Lee leaps off the barricade to give Dijak a Frankensteiner. It was not pretty, but Dijak crashes into the ring steps. Lee acts like he pops his shoulder back into place, and Lee then jumps back into the ring to deliver a Cardiac Kick. Lee follows up with a twisting corkscrew senton, and Lee covers Dijak for a pinfall.
Dragon Lee and Lyra Valkyria in a backstage skit accept the challenge from Rhea Ripley. So, Ripey and “Dirty Dom” against Dragon Lee and Valkyria in a mixed tag match at Heatwave.
Ilja Dragunov cuts a promo on Trick Williams in a video package hyping their match next Tuesday.
Tyler Bate vs. Joe Coffey (with Mark Coffey & Wolfgang) ends in a no-contest
The match was going pretty well, as the two work really well together. They do some British style spots and such, and things were just beginning to heat up when in runs Dabbo-Kato. He boots Bate with a high kick and he attempts to guzzle Coffey. The rest of Gallus drag Coffey out of the ring. So, Dabbo-Kato sets his sights back on Bate. Sit-out tree slam by Dabbo-Kato, as he leaves Bate laying in the ring.
Baron Corbin and Bron Breakker have a confrontation in the parking lot. Breakker says he will be watching Corbin’s match next week against Wagner (who Breakker has recently feuded with). Corbin tells Breakker he is not intimidated by him.
Hard Hitting Home Truths with Nathan Frazier is a wacky skit where Frazier’s talk show is interrupted by Meta-Four. They are on video chat, and Noam Dar bickers with Frazier over the Heritage Cup. Frazier is the rightful holder of the trophy, but Dar has a replica. They will apparently have a match at Heatwave to decide the real Heritage Cup Champion.
Jacy Jayne defeated Thea Hail (with Andre Chase & Duke Hudson)
Jayne pinned Hail, after Andre Chase tries to save Hail. Dissension remains within Chase U, as Hail is upset by her loss. She is also still very upset with Andre Chase.
The match itself goes through a commercial break. Hail was in control before the break, but Jayne is working over Hail when the show returns.
A turnbuckle cover comes off to expose the metal turnbuckle. Chase jumps on the apron to save Hail from smashing into the exposed buckle. Instead of gratitude for Chase, Hail yells at him to get off the apron. Hail then turns around, and she is cradled by Jayne in a small package for a pinfall.
Hail yells at Chase again after the match. Hails blames Chase for the loss, and she storms off afterwards.
Angel Garza and Humberto Carillo are the focus of a great video package that plays on their family history.
NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes is almost done with his autograph signing when in walks Wes Lee, who has a contract in hand for Hayes to sign. Hayes congratulates Lee on winning his match earlier, but Hayes gives Lee back the contract before saying he will see him next Tuesday.
Lee does not like being blown off by Hayes, and Lee flings a bunch of 8×10 photos off the table. Lee gets into Hayes’ face, and Lee tells him that he is not waiting until next week. Lee then drags a table off screen, seemingly heading for the ring. Looks like an impromptu contract signing is closing the show.
Before the closing angle, Tiffany Stratton is featured in a hype video. She returns to the show next Tuesday at Heatwave.
Lee is in the ring standing behind a table he dragged out earlier. Out comes Hayes. Notably missing is Trick Williams, as he is getting a singles push of his own.
Hayes and Lee begin to bicker. Lee makes some cracks about Hayes’ luxurious lifestyle as champion. Hayes admits being champ comes with perks, but it also comes with responsibility. Hayes says Lee has not walked in his shoes, so Lee cannot talk to him about how easy it is.
Hayes says that Lee takes a few losses and he “starts to fold like a chair on an Alabama boardwalk.” That is a great pop culture reference based a recent events in Montgomery.
Hayes is not convinced Lee can be him. Lee scoffs, remarking how he was told many times he could not do something. Lee talks about his time in the military, where he was called crazy for wanting to be a pro wrestler. Fast forward to now, and here comes more doubters telling Lee he cannot do something.
Lee talks about how to came to NXT and “set up shop,” before he eventually lost his tag team partner (who was released from WWE). Lee runs down all the reasons he was told he could not accomplish his goals. Lee says he became the greatest North American champ ever.
Lee goes on ask who he won the North American title from (referring to Hayes). Hayes responds by admitting that Lee won that title, but Hayes reminds Lee that he did not actually beat Hayes himself to win the title.
Hayes claims he put the North American title on the map with his reign with banger matches across two reigns as champ. But Hayes says this is not about that title. This is about the NXT Championship. Hayes says he agrees with 90% of what Lee is saying, but Hayes claims Lee “can’t” defeat him.
Lee chimes in by saying there goes the “can’t” again. Someone telling him he cannot do this or that. Lee has turned doubters into believers before, and Lee admits he is his own biggest doubter. But no more, as Lee vows to win the NXT title. Lee signs the contract, and he tells Hayes to do that same.
Hayes quotes a lyric from a classic R&B song by TLC about not chasing waterfalls. Hayes says next is not “Melo don’t miss.” Hayes says “Melo can’t miss.” Hayes signs the contract and poses with his NXT title belt.
Lee responds by leaping into the air and breaking the table with a stomp. Lee then tells Hayes he will see him at Heatwave.
Date: August 7, 2023 Location: Target Center in Minneapolis, MN
**********
Show Recap —
There was a long SummerSlam recap video.
Michael Cole and Wade Barrett are the new Raw announce team.
Opening segment
Cody Rhodes kicked off the show and received a big reaction. Rhodes spoke about Minnesotaâs own Brock Lesnar. Rhodes has had the privilege, honour and misery of standing across from the Beast and â surviving him. He couldnât have imagined what happened next. He showed a picture of Lesnar shaking his hand.
Rhodes spoke to his mother this morning and he shared his shock over the moment. She said, âDummy, donât you know what just happened? Brock Lesnar just acknowledged you.â Rhodes felt on top of the world after SummerSlam and felt like he could beat anybody.
Seth Rollins interrupted. He welcomed us to Monday Night Rollins (while staring at Rhodes, who smiled back). Rollins said he came out a while back to address the future of the world title and Rhodes was the first to enter, so Rollins wanted to return the favour. Rollins said if Rhodes felt like he could beat anyone, they just put that feeling to the test.
Judgment Day, minus Finn BĂĄlor, interrupted. Damian Priest said Rollins and Rhodes must be confused if they thought that they ran Raw. Rhea Ripley said Judgment Day ran Raw. Priest said they decide what happens with champions and he held up his briefcase.
Priest said Ripley was already the most dominant world champion (she was cheered) and they had the NXT North American Champion in Dominik Mysterio (he was booed). Priest told Rhodes that Dom wasnât done with him.
Before Rhodes could respond, BĂĄlor jumped Rollins from behind and Judgment Day attacked both men.
Sami Zayn ran out to make the save and the good guys cleared the ring.
Rhodes challenged them to a six-man tag match. Rollins didnât say anything but seemed taken aback by Rhodes making a challenge on his behalf. They argued off-mic as Zayn tried settling them down.
********
Earlier today, Ricochet complained to Adam Pearce about the finish to his match against Logan Paul. Pearce was apologetic but said the refereeâs decision was final.
Matt Riddle, Chad Gable, and Tommaso Ciampa entered Pearceâs office. Pearce said they all had reason to be frustrated but they were all on the cusp of greatness. He put them in a match and the winner would get to face Gunther for the Intercontinental title. They each stated they would win before Gable told them to shoosh. Gable said he would win in his neck of the woods tonight.
Fatal four-way match: Chad Gable defeated Tommaso Ciampa, Matt Riddle and Ricochet (10:07)
The crowd chanted for Gable who gave them a big âThank you!â a minute into the match. Gable and Riddle applied ankle locks to Ricochet and Ciampa respectively until they each escaped the ring. They led to an exchange between Gable and Riddle but Ciampa clonked their heads together. Ricochet hit Ciampa with a lionsault for two.
The four men exchanged moves and they showed a slow-motion replay of Ciampa giving Gable a reverse DDT because Gableâs head bounced right off the mat.
There was a big tower of doom spot that led to Gable bringing down the three other men with a triple-German suplex (Ricochet took a particularly big bump). The crowd popped for that and Gunther looked on in the back in amusement.
Gable put Ciampa in an ankle lock but Riddle nailed him with a knee strike and powerbomb but Ricochet broke up the cover. Riddle suplexed Ricochet before giving Ciampa a superplex. Ricochet and Gable tried moves off the top but both Ciampa and Riddle got their knees up leading to cradles for two counts.
Riddle wiped out Gable with a springboard diving before Ciampa gave Riddle a draping DDT. Gable got knocked down again, this time by a Ricochet dive before Ciampa hit Ricochet with a knee strike and Project Ciampa for two. Riddle gave Ciampa a Bro Derek but Gable broke up the cover with a diving headbutt.
Gable went for a Chaos Theory on Riddle but Ricochet brought Riddle down with a Recoil. Gable tried the Chaos Theory on Ricochet but Ciampa brought Ricochet down with a leg drop. Gable then gave Ciampa the Chaos Theory for the pinfall win. Gable earns a shot against Gunther.
This was a really fun match and the finish was awesome. The crowd was very happy to see Gable win. (The lack of a commercial break was nice, too.)
Gable pulled his young son out from the front row and celebrated with him around ringside. This was all great.
********
There was a recap of Rhodes beating Lesnar and the aftermath. Cole said Lesnar has never shown that sort of respect for his opponent in his fight career.
The six-man match set up in the first segment was made official.
Rollins confronted Rhodes in the back as he was speaking with Zayn. Zayn settled them down and said they have a chance to do something important tonight. Zayn was sick of Judgment Day and they were the reason Kevin Owens was on the shelf and their titles were in jeopardy.
Zayn said they could put Judgment Day away once and for all. Zayn asked if they were cool. Rhodes said yes. Rollins said yes and stormed off. Zayn wasnât convinced.
********
There was a recap of Roman Reigns beating Jey Uso thanks to Jimmy Uso. Reigns will be on Fridayâs Smackdown.
Miz walked through the back toward a planned photoshoot but was told to wait because LA Knight was in the middle of his own photoshoot. Miz was pissed and stormed off.
(The first hour of Raw is apparently commercial free but theyâre also killing time with video packages.)
********
Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Bronson Reed (11:55)
Nakamura was on offence but Reed ran him over, hit an elbow drop and knocked him out of the ring which led to our first commercial break of the evening (at 8:55 pm).
[SECOND HOUR]
The crowd was quiet but Nakamuraâs comeback got them back into it a bit. Reed cut him off with a powerslam and a running sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. Reed cut him off again moments later with a Death Valley Driver for two. Nakamura tried a kick but Reed dropped him with a clothesline.
Reed went for Tsunami but Nakamura moved and hit Kinshasa to the back of the head and another to the face for the pinfall win. The crowd was happy that the good guy won. (Nakamura also beat Reed a few months back in a Money in the Bank qualifier.)
********
Medical staff told Pearce that Raquel Rodriguezâs injury was serious and she couldnât be cleared yet. Pearce relayed the message to a disappointed Rodriguez. Candice LeRae and Indi Hartwell tried comforting her and said she needed to be 100% to face Ripley.
********
Ludwig Kaiser approached Maxxine Dupri in the locker room. Kaiser congratulated her on Gableâs win and said Gunther was looking forward to wiping the ring with his body. Dupri told him to get out of their locker room. Kaiser said heâs had his eyes on her for a while and talked about how perfect he was but said she hung out with a big, disgusting freak. Dupri slapped him.
Kaiser was knocked back a bit. He smiled and went to look back at Dupri but saw Otis in her place. Otis challenged him to a match tonight and said he wonât be so pretty after he was done with him. Kaiser said heâd see Otis tonight and would see Dupri later.
********
Becky Lynch promo
Lynch said she was almost close to the end and was getting her rematch against Trish Stratus next week. Lynch said it was the greatest of the previous generation against the greatest of this generation â and the next generation and the one after that and to infinity.
Zoey Stark interrupted. Stark said Lynch was scared of her and said âThe Manâ left her balls back at home. Lynch asked her what the heck she was doing. Lynch knew how good Stark was â but no matter how good she was, she was too stupid to realize she was playing second fiddle to Stratus instead of wrestling for championships.
Stark said she played second fiddle to no one and knew how amazing she was. Stark said the greatest of all time kicked Lynch to the side and picked her instead. Stark called herself the fastest-rising star in WWE.
Shayna Baszler interrupted. Baszler had a black eye. Lynch said, âDamn, Shayna, youâre looking rough.â Baszler said you should see how Ronda Rousey looks. Baszler said we wonât actually be seeing Rousey because she beat her and drove her out of WWE. The crowd applauded and there was a modest, âThank you, Shaynaâ chant.
Baszler got in Starkâs face and asked her who was the baddest now. Stark called her the baddest punching bag and threatened to send her home just like Rousey. Lynch was entertained and thought they should have a match tonight.
Pearce walked out and made the match official.
********
JD McDonagh spoke with BĂĄlor in the back. Priest approached them and wanted to speak to BĂĄlor alone. BĂĄlor said heâs known JD for 20 years and could say whatever he wanted in front of him. They argued over what happened at SummerSlam. Priest said that, even with his help, BĂĄlor still lost.
BĂĄlor got in Priestâs face and said maybe it was because of him that he lost. Priest said BĂĄlor was crowding him. BĂĄlor said his briefcase was crowding them.
Ripley ran in to separate them and tried to get them on the same page. She told BĂĄlor that they were all there at SummerSlam to help him. At her behest, BĂĄlor and Priest agreed to stay on the same page.
McDonagh chimed in. He thought the briefcase was getting between them and they should get rid of it. BĂĄlor left with McDonagh. Priest was annoyed but Ripley stopped him from going after them.
*******
Lynch sat at ringside to watch the match and shared a pitcher of lemonade with Wade Barrett. (Lynch made a social media post the day of SummerSlam â which she was left off of â about turning lemons into lemonade.)
Shayna Baszler defeated Zoey Stark (11:49)
Stark took control ahead of a break with a missile dropkick. Stark tried to do Baszlerâs arm stomp spot but Baszler avoided it and hit a gut wrench suplex for two. Stark countered a Kirifuda Clutch and hit a springboard dive. Stark was distracted by Lynch who was just standing there so Baszler hit her with Rouseyâs Piper Pit (spinning Samoan Drop) for the pinfall win.
(This match was fine but it felt long and there were some rough spots, including the finish.)
â Lynch toasted Baszler with her lemonade for beating Stark.
********
Nakamura told Byron Saxton he was tired of people getting involved in his business and was ready to carve his own path.
Just as he said this, the interview stopped when they heard crashing noises nearby. It was McDonagh attacking Sami Zayn. Officials stepped in to stop it.
********
Ludwig Kaiser (w/Giovanni Vinci) defeated Otis (w/Maxxine Dupri) (3:01)
Otis was too much for Kaiser early on but he ran shoulder-first into the ring post. Kaiser got face-to-face with Dupri so Otis went after him. Otis set up for the Caterpillar but Vinci jumped on the apron. Otis suplexed Vinci from the apron into the ring.
The ref was distracted trying to get Vinci out of the ring so Gunther ran into and booted Otis. Kaiser followed with a running boot for the pinfall win. Kaiser gave Dupri a look as they announced him the winner.
â Imperium attacked Otis after the match but bailed after Gable ran down to make the save. The crowd chanted for Gable as Gunther smiled confidently at him.
********
Jackie Redmond caught up with Rollins and Rhodes as they left the trainerâs room. She asked about Zayn. They both tried to answer at the same time and gave each other an annoyed look. Rhodes left and invited Rollins to do the interview himself. Rollins said Zayn wouldnât be cleared to wrestle tonight.
Nakamura appeared and offered to be their partner. Rollins said he has respected Nakamura for years and accepted his offer.
(They zoomed in on a smirking Nakamura as he watched Rollins leave.)
********
[THIRD HOUR]
The Miz / LA Knight segment
Miz entered. He complained about LA Knight (and the battle royal) and about a lack of respect. He spoke about learning the hard way early in his career about having to introduce yourself in the locker room, show respect, and shake hands. Miz said Knight never shook his hand. (The crowd yelled, âYeah!â whenever Miz said Knightâs name.)
LA Knight interrupted. He was cheered. Knight thought they had a good introduction in the battle royal but offered a handshake anyway. Miz said no.
Miz has seen other wrestlers come into WWE and try to ride his coattails. Miz said if you stripped away his charisma and his hot wife, you get guys like LA Knight. The crowd loved him now and theyâll buy his t-shirts for five months but Knight was just an Attitude Era fanboy playing cosplaying in his ring. The crowd chanted âTiny balls.â
Knight said he had no problem with Miz but warned him not to make this personal. Miz said he always took it personally because people told him heâd never make it but he main evented WrestleMania, won world titles, etc. Miz wondered what Knight has done over the last 20 years.
Knight said heâs been making himself a dangerous man, scratching and clawing to get in, while WWE bet on all the wrong horses â Mizâs included. Knight was a thoroughbred waiting for the right opening but Miz got a 20-year head start because he wassafe. They knew they could smack Miz around and kick him out of the locker room and Miz would just take it.
They knew that they couldnât do that to LA Knight because he wasnât to be messed with. Knight said his career was climbing while Mizâs was in the toilet. Knight said he would step over Miz to get to the main event. Miz said he was the main event and Knight was not on his level. Knight offered to prove him wrong because he wasnât going anywhere.
Miz took off his suit jacket but didnât fight. Knight looked away for a moment so Miz chucked his jacket in his face and tried to hit a Skull Crushing Finale. Knight countered it and gave Miz the Blunt Force Trauma. As Miz lay on the mat, Knight âshookâ his hand.
********
The following segment was billed as an open challenge by the Viking Raiders and it led to a return.
Erik and Ivar had control over Woods until he hit Erik with a tornado DDT. Kingston made the hot tag and hit Ivar with strikes, a dropkick, clothesline, crossbody, leg drop and an SOS for two. Ivar dropped Kingston and Erik followed with a knee strike for two. Ivar tagged back in but Kingston used a hurricanrana to take out Erik.
Kingston hit Ivar with Trouble in Paradise before wiping out Erik with a flip dive. Woods hit Ivar with Limit Break (ropewalk elbow drop) for the pinfall win.
********
Saxton wanted to interview Lynch but they were interrupted by Baszler. Baszler said she didnât want Lynchâs help tonight or ever. Baszler had a list of scores to settle. She was done with Rousey and would be coming for The Man one day. Lynch said she looked forward to it.
********
Redmond approached Kingston and Woods in the back as they celebrated. Kingston looked surprised upon seeing her and asked, âWho are you?â Woods knew what she was going to ask and they said they felt great to be back. Kingston said the Viking Raiders wanted to make a sacrifice to the gods but the New Day were the gods of the tag team division.
Woods noted the Usos breaking up and said they needed to bring positivity back to the tag team division. They planned on becoming tag team champions and invited Redmond to dance with them as they chanted âNew Day rocks.â Kingston and Woods told Redmond it was nice to meet her.
********
They announced, via TMZ, that Sonya Deville was out indefinitely with a torn ACL. (You could hear a few fans sighing at the news.) They provided no other updates other than Cole saying, âWeâll have to figure out who is going to become Womenâs tag team champions.â
********
Rodriguez jumped Ripley during Judgment Dayâs entrance for the main event and hammered away at her until officials broke it up. Ripley broke loose and went after Rodriguez but they were separated again. LaRae and Hartwell joined to help separate them but Ripley attacked them too. LaRae went after Ripley and officials had to separate them too.
Despite what happened, Ripley remained at ringside following a break.
********
Six-man tag team match: Cody Rhodes, Shinsuke Nakamura & World Champion Seth Rollins defeated Finn BĂĄlor, Damian Priest & NXT North American Champion Dominik Mysterio (w/Rhea Ripley) (14:41)
Rollins and Rhodes couldnât agree on who should start first so Nakamura stepped in for them. BĂĄlor was ready to start for his team but Priest tagged himself in. They had a discussion before Dom tagged himself in to start. Nakamura was all over Dom so Priest pulled Dom out of the ring and they went to break a minute into the match.
Judgment Day worked over Nakamura as the crowd chanted, âDomâs a loser.â Barrett thought that was ludicrous. Rollins made a hot tag and ran wild on Priest until Priest cut him off and tagged in BĂĄlor who dropkicked Rollins into the barricade. That led to another break at 10:52 pm.
(The initial entrance for Judgment Day, before the Rodriguez attack, happened before 10:30 pm. They went to break, the babyfaces entered, the match started, and they went to break a minute later. They came back at 10:48 pm but went to break again 4 minutes later.)
At 10:56 pm, Rollins made the hot tag (after a slight hesitation) to Rhodes who had an exchange with BĂĄlor that led to a Cody Cutter for two after Dom broke it up. Nakamura took out Dom, Priest took out Nakamura, Rollins took out Priest, and BĂĄlor took out Rollins.
Priest hit Rhodes from behind with the briefcase as the ref was distracted. Zayn ran in and attacked Priest with his one good arm (heavily selling his left arm). BĂĄlor tried using the briefcase but Rollins superkicked it into his face. Rhodes followed with a Cross Rhodes on BĂĄlor for the pinfall win.
â Rollins invited Zayn into the ring and the four babyfaces celebrated. Rhodes tried to get Rollins to cheer up and Zayn raised their hands in victory. Rollins shook hands with Rhodes.
â As they all celebrated, Nakamura dropped Rollins with a Kinshasa and casually left the ring. Zayn and Rhodes checked on Rollins as Nakamura sauntered up the ramp.
The shocking end of Saturday’s WWE SummerSlam saw Jimmy Uso cost his brother, Jey, his match against Roman Reigns. After the masked man that was Jimmy broke up a pinfall, revealed himself and, after a very lengthy staredown, superkicked his own twin brother. Reigns ultimately won a plodding match that ended what was mostly a good show with a whimper.
Why exactly Jimmy turned on Jey weâll find out over due time. Or maybe not as WWE storylines are weird like that sometimes. Perhaps it’s a short term feud leading to the two brothers ultimately reuniting to take on Reigns whenever he returns. Itâs a weird twist to the ongoing Bloodline storyline that I didn’t really see coming. It was natural to assume that Reigns’ schedule for the rest of the fall would likely involve feuding with Jimmy and eventually Solo Sikoa. But now everything seems up in the air with the turn.
The match itself was not great. A lot of it was either Reigns and Jey staring at each other (creating DRAMA) or Reigns getting heat forever on Jey, neither of which was all that interesting in a show that had already reached the four-hour mark. Of course, Sikoa got involved and it did pick up a little from there, but ultimately the match was a disappointment in the long-running Bloodline feud which had mostly delivered up to this point.
Hereâs my thoughts on the rest of the card:
Cody Rhodes defeated Brock Lesnar in what ended up being an excellent, dramatic match which I thought was the best match on the show in terms of storytelling and execution. The only drawback is that I thought the Lesnar beatdown was maybe a little too long, but it was effective in setting up Rhodesâ eventual comeback and win. The kimura spot toward the end was excellent — callback to their Saudi Arabia match. The question now is what will Rhodes do in the fall before the eventual return to feuding with Reigns. Judgment Day?
Logan Paul defeated Ricochet in the opening match. It was good and both came off as athletic, but for all the build, I kind of expected more. There were some cool moves, but I didnât think anything was âgoing viralâ as the advertising for this match had said. Paul won and probably needed to as he’s lost his last few matches and needs a few wins at this point.
Thereâs not much to say about the battle royal as it was every WWE battle royal youâve ever seen. LA Knight finally got his big win, last eliminating Sheamus. Knight is a story to watch in the coming weeks as itâs clear heâs getting over despite his push. It may be time to push him like heâs a star and this may have been the start of that.
Oh boy, the MMA fight between Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler. This didnât work at all. They tried to work an MMA style match, but some of what they did didn’t make sense and the crowd completely turned on it with people visibly leaving the stands as Rousey and Baszler grappled. There was also a weird spot where Baszler got “injured” and they took a minute to send medical in to check on her which does not happen in an MMA fight. Then, Rousey destroyed the doctors which definitely does not happen in an MMA fight. This was a style WWE fans werenât used to and were turned off by it as a result, and the confusing rules didn’t help much either. The match perfectly encapsulated Rouseyâs second run in the WWE where there were a bunch of ideas, but none of them were executed well.
Guntherâs run as Intercontinental Champion continued as he downed Drew McIntyre. If youâve seen these two wrestle, you know exactly what happened here. This was very good while it lasted, but by the end, I was thinking this would have been an excellent match if it had gone on for another few minutes. Still, with what they were given, this was a hard-hitting bout that delivered what you’d expect.
Finn Balor did not become the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion, but had a match with Seth Rollins that was significantly better than their match at Money in the Bank and was the best match on the show in terms of in-ring action. This was a hot back and forth affair with some excellent near falls, including one at the end that I thought for sure was the finish when the Judgment Day interfered, distracting Rollins and allowing Balor to hit the sling blade and the Coup de Gras. But it was Damian Priestâs briefcase that cost Balor with Priest putting it on the apron as he distracted the referee, allowing Rollins to stomp Balor onto the briefcase for the win. I thought that they should hold off on a split between Priest and Balor as the act is pretty hot right now, but they seem to be moving forward with it.
The WWE Womenâs Championship match also ended up being a very good match. I thought the finish was clever with Bianca Belair rolling up Asuka as she was in Charlotte Flair’s Figure Eight to score the surprise win. But that wonât be what people remember as IYO SKY immediately ran down to the ring. With Bayleyâs help clearing the field, SKY cashed in, hit the moonsault, and won the title. I feel like the eventual WrestleMania match will be Belair vs. Flair, so thereâs plenty of twists and turns left with this title until itâs time to go in that direction.
SummerSlam had its ups and downs, but overall I thought it was good with the Rhodes/Brock match probably being the highlight and Balor/Rollins not too far behind. With most of the spring and summer storylines now wrapped, it’s time to start building for the fall. We saw some glimpses, as it seems like a lock that Jimmy and Jey Uso will meet at Payback next month. Weâll likely be seeing more clues as soon as this week’s Raw and SmackDown.
WWE will be looking to continue its trend of well-reviewed big shows at tonight’s SummerSlam.
This is a notable time for WWE PLEs/PPVs. We seem to have entered an era where every big monthly event on the schedule feels special and unique. SummerSlam from Detroit’s Ford Field will likely be no different.
Over the last year, WWE has either run stadium shows for top-tier events (WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble), or a show from an underserved market (Backlash, Money in the Bank, etc.). They are events with either huge crowds of 40,000+ people or the rabid audiences of under 15,000 weâve seen in Puerto Rico, Montreal, and recently, London.
The events from Saudi Arabia have also begun to feel less like spectacle one-off shows and more integrated into WWEâs long-term storytelling.
All of that is to say that if recent trends continue, SummerSlam (8 PM Eastern on Peacock/WWE Network) is going to be an important and entertaining show.
However, one reason tonight might feel a touch bigger and more important than Backlash, Night of Champions or Money in the Bank is that Roman Reigns will be defending the WWE Universal Championship on the show. Not counting recent house shows in Mexico City and Cincinnati, it will be his first title defense since defeating Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania. Going four months between championship defenses on WWE programming is an excellent way to make every title match feel important.
Below are previews and predictions for each match at WWE SummerSlam 2023.
WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns defends against Jey Uso in a Tribal Combat match
Reigns is a -5000 favorite to retain.
The betting world is not giving Uso much of a chance to dethrone his cousin at SummerSlam. However, stranger things and bigger upsets have happened before.
While much of The Bloodline angleâs success has come from the drama within the group and Uso’s conflicted facial expressions, the entertainment value of Reigns’ title reign cannot be understated either. I donât think itâs coming to an end just yet.
He has defended his title five times since becoming a double champion by beating Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam last year. WWE successfully built up the belief that Reigns could have lost three or four of those matches as well. Many thought Drew McIntyre would win the title at Clash at the Castle last year, quite a few fans then believed Sami Zayn could beat him in Montreal, and still more fans were left flabbergasted when Rhodes didnât walk away from WrestleMania as the champion.
The game plan might be to keep building fans up into thinking they will finally see the fall of Reigns, only to yank it away from them after a series of intense near falls.
The most likely endgame for his title run is another clash with Rhodes at WrestleMania 40. However, Iâm not even certain heâll lose the belt there. Maybe Rhodes’ story is that he tries and fails multiple times before finally winning the title when heâs 50.
Jey Uso isnât going to win this match, but the story told should be excellent. Itâs SummerSlam so expect a big âhappening,â including the possibility of a new Bloodline member debuting.
Prediction: Reigns retains
Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar III
Rhodes is a -1500 favorite to win.
Rhodesâ story continues at SummerSlam as his program with Lesnar, which started the night after WrestleMania, likely concludes in Detroit.
Lesnar is 46 and in a perpetual state of near retirement. At this stage in his career, itâs about him making others look strong. He spent a year doing that for Reigns and now heâs spent the last four months doing the same for Rhodes. After this, Lesnar will probably take a vacation until the Royal Rumble.
Rhodes, the true babyface, will overcome his injured arm, Lesnarâs size advantage, and likely several other factors as well to come out the winner. Iâm expecting this result to be more definitive than his win at Backlash, too.
I do believe the story is eventually to get back to Reigns vs. Rhodes at WrestleMania again. Rhodes’ story might be similar to that of Kazuchika Okada, Tetsuya Naito or others who lost in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom before finally winning the biggest match of their life. The idea is the fans see the protagonist fail at first, but then they train harder, find something deep within themselves, and come back even stronger the next year. The message of the morality play is to never give up, even when you are seemingly outmatched. If done well, it could be the best WrestleMania to WrestleMania story WWE has ever done.
Prediction: Cody Rhodes
Logan Paul vs. Ricochet
Paul is currently a -700 favorite to win.
As of this writing, there is currently some âfunny businessâ going on with the betting odds here. Multiple sites have different odds listed and BetOnline has Paul at a -700 favorite and has locked bets being placed on Ricochet. What any of that means, if anything, is unclear.
While the strange odds fluctuations are interesting, I donât see why WWE would have Ricochet go over Paul here. Dave Meltzer reported that the idea was for Paul to have an âin-ring showcaseâ match at SummerSlam, so the idea here is to create viral moments and highlights that will spread on social media to an audience not necessarily familiar with WWE.
Paul really needs a win. He hasnât gotten one since defeating The Miz at SummerSlam last year. In the year since, Paul has failed to get his hand raised against Reigns in Saudi Arabia, in the Royal Rumble, Money in the Bank, or against Seth Rollins at WrestleMania. At some point, heâs going to need to start winning matches.
Prediction: Logan Paul
Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler in an MMA rules match
With Rousey rumored to be leaving WWE, at least for the time being, it looks like itâs going to be her longtime friend and training partner who she puts over on her way out.
The videos airing on Raw detailing the history between the two friends have been excellent. They actually contain some very interesting philosophies on life and friendship.
Baszler feels like Rousey used her, only letting her live with her for free so she would have a training partner available 24/7. Baszlerâs motivation to attack and challenge her former friend is that Rousey didnât reciprocate the help she gave her. Rousey, on the other hand, explained her feelings by reciting a fable that may or may not actually exist (I searched and couldn’t find it).
In the former UFC star’s tale, a king is saved by a stable boy. The king is grateful so he gives the boy anything he wants to repay him. The king made sure that the boy had all the best accommodations, much like she gave to Baszler, the best food, got him jobs, and more, all similar to Rondaâs relationship with Shayna. The fable continues that one day, the stable boy began to feel entitled to the gifts and decides to overthrow the king and take everything from him. Rousey/the king is crushed because she thought the stable boy/Baszler was loyal to her.
âI wanted to be Shaynaâs friend so badly, I gave her everything to the point that she hated me for it,â Rousey said in the promo.
âThe thing is, Iâve given Ronda everything a friend should give and sheâs never given it back,â Baszler stated.
This match might not be that great because neither is a perfect wrestler, but it will be special to both of them and will tell a deep story, likely with a few Easter eggs and callbacks to previous moments from their careers.
Prediction: Shayna Baszler
WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins defends against Finn Balor
Currently, both wrestlers are listed at -120 to win.
The betting world doesnât know if Balor or Rollins is going to walk away from SummerSlam with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. I do, though: Rollins.
The success of The Judgment Day has revitalized Balor, but heâs not going to beat Rollins for the title. The drama with Balor right now is the growing tension between him and Money in the Bank winner Damian Priest.
Balor was distracted by Priestâs presence at ringside with the briefcase when he wrestled Rollins at Money in the Bank, so Iâd be surprised if they repeat the same finish. Perhaps this time, Balor does something to prevent Priest from cashing in. Dom Dom and Mami will be crushed.
It should be a great match, but I have little doubt Rollins will still be champion when itâs over.
Prediction: Seth Rollins retains
WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther defends against Drew McIntyre
Gunther is a -600 favorite to retain.
What happens here depends on what’s going on between McIntyre and WWE as of late. The most recent reports regarding his status with the company have his deal up in early-2024. Unless heâs signed an extension or a new deal that nobody knows about, I wouldnât expect him to beat a guy like Gunther right now.
Gunther is less than two months away from breaking Honky Tonk Manâs record for the longest single reign with the Intercontinental Championship. Heâs not going to lose it until he breaks that record or if HTM makes a shocking return, hits Gunther with a guitar, and performs a full version of ââ”Hunka Hunka Honky Love,” costing the champion his title in the process.
Prediction: Gunther retains
WWE Womenâs Champion Asuka defends against Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair in a triple threat
Asuka is a -140 favorite to win. Flair is listed at +175 and Belair is at +350.
This title is eventually going to find its way back to Flair; itâs just not certain when exactly that will happen. It will be soon, though, and I think most likely, it happens tonight. The triple threat rules allow Asuka to retain while keeping the other two strong, but thatâs not necessarily what they will do.
Asuka could retain and then drop it to Flair in the coming months, but SummerSlam is the big show and it makes sense for Flair to win it on a big stage.
Prediction: Charlotte Flair wins the title
25-man battle royal presented by Slim Jim
No odds are currently available, but I think we can all agree LA Knight is a top pick to win.
As of Friday night, Santos Escobar, Butch, Ridge Holland, Grayson Waller, The Miz, AJ Styles, Karrion Kross, Luke Gallows, Sheamus, Shinsuke Nakamura, Tommaso Ciampa, Chad Gable, Otis, Matt Riddle and LA Knight were the announced participants.
How WWE moves forward with Knight should be very interesting. Itâs hard to deny how much live crowds love the guy, but what really matters is how much confidence Vince McMahon has in him. If someone isnât Vinceâs chosen guy, it’s going to be quicker to pull the rug out from under him.
Although, with WWEâs Executive Chairman having undergone spinal surgery recently, itâs not really clear who is in charge of Knightâs professional life at the moment.
Assuming WWE does recognize fans want Knight in a bigger role, he should win this match. If Knight then went on to recreate all the famous Randy Savage Slim Jim commercials from the 90s as well, few would complain.
Ahead of his WWE World Heavyweight Championship match with Seth Rollins at Saturday’s SummerSlam, Finn Balor opened up about his initial reluctance to lead a faction after having gained notoriety leading the Bullet Club in NJPW.
Speaking to Sports Illustrated’s Justin Barrasso, Balor noted how he had to think hard about jumping into the Judgment Day role before fully committing to it. However, knowing he would be working with Damian Priest helped make his decision easier.
“Having success with Bullet Club, I knew there was going to be comparisons made had I been involved in another group, so I was always reluctant to go that direction,” Balor said. “However, when the chance to work with Damian was presented, I didn’t hesitate for a second. Damian and I have always had a very good relationship since we met at NXT, and I felt that this group could be something completely different.”
Another factor that played into Balor’s decision to take the Judgment Day role was his displeasure with where his career stood in WWE at the time the group formed. Feeling like he was in need of a change, Balor explained that the decision came together in the wake of a perfect storm.
“For me personally, I was at a point in my career where I knew that something had to change,” Balor said. “So the time of this was perfect and very similar to my NJPW turn. Finally, I could channel my real frustrations I was feeling into the character, and I had no doubt that this was the right move.”
Balor also noted how he doesn’t feel like Saturday’s match with Rollins will be the end of his story. Instead, he argued, it will be “the beginning of a new chapter.”
Balor came up short in his most recent attempt to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship as he lost to Rollins at Money In The Bank in July. Balor’s stablemate, Damian Priest, currently holds the Money In The Bank briefcase, which promises him a shot a title of his choosing at any time.
Date: July 24, 2023 Location: Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL
**********
Show Recap —
Rhea Ripley, Finn BĂĄlor and Damian Priest stood in the ring to start the show. Ripley said Judgment Day doesn’t just run Raw, they run all of WWE. BĂĄlor said he was the next world champion, Ripley was the unbeatable Womenâs champion, and Priest was SeĂąor Money in the Bank. BĂĄlor cut to a video package of Dominik Mysterio winning the NXT North American title last week.
Dom entered. Corey Graves said Dom was the first person in history to main event Raw, NXT and Smackdown in the same week. Dom put over his win while the Tampa crowd loudly booed. Dom cut to another video package and this one was all about him. The crowd chanted âYou suck.â
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn interrupted. Owens noted that this happened last week â Judgment Day entered and Dom spoke but nobody wanted to hear it. Owens hated people who couldnât learn a lesson. Owens informed Dom that nobody wanted to hear him talk ever and the best thing for him was to stop talking for good.
Dom said he was a champion now and was being disrespected. Zayn said Dom was right â he was being disrespected because nobody respected him. Zayn challenged Dom to a singles match tonight. Dom had no problem with this until Zayn told him to put his title on the line. Before Dom could respond, Ripley accepted on his behalf.
********
Becky Lynch defeated Zoey Stark (w/Trish Stratus) (9:48)
Stark took control ahead of a break but Lynch was on offence after the break, chucking Stark repeatedly into the barricade (which is becoming a regular spot for her) and hitting a diving leg drop for two.
Stratus headbutted Lynch (using her face mask) as the referee checked on Stark. Stark followed with a roundhouse kick for a nearfall. Lynch blocked Starkâs finisher and hit an exploder suplex. Lynch hit a superplex and floated over into an armbar but Stark hoisted her up into a powerbomb for two. They traded counters and cradles until Lynch applied a Disarmer.
Stratus chucked her mask in the ring so the ref tossed it out as Lynch knocked her off the apron. Stark tried to use the distraction with a springboard move but Lynch caught her with a Man-handle Slam for the pinfall win. (Stark got to show off a bit here and the crowd was into Lynch.)
Lynch gets her match against Stratus.
********
Vo Williams, whose song “Greatness” is the Raw theme, was shown in the front row.
Cody Rhodes promo
This was a rare in-ring Rhodes segment that wasnât at the top of the hour.
Rhodes said weâve all seen the clip of Brock Lesnar beating him up with a chair and doing it in front of his mother. Rhodes wasnât surprised. Lesnar won the UFC Heavyweight Championship before having five fights, wound up on an NFL roster without ever playing football, and has been called âMr. SummerSlam.â
Rhodes wasnât surprised by Lesnar and was even impressed. But his mother was not impressed. She was the same lady who saw Terry Funk throw fireballs in his dadâs face and the same lady who would drink with Gordon Solie at the Columbia in nearby Ybor City.
Rhodesâ mother knew what he would tell Lesnar and that was that Lesnar made a mistake. The mistake was that Lesnar left him breathing.
Rhodes wasnât going to SummerSlam just to win the rubber match, he wanted to embarrass Lesnar. Rhodes knew people would freak out at him poking the bear but he wasnât doing that â he was slapping it across the face and telling it to come get it.
Rhodes said beating Lesnar at SummerSlam wasnât just about the positives it would mean to his career or getting revenge for his broken arm. It was what Lesnar deserved.
âAt SummerSlam, Brock, I end this.â
********
Jackie Redmond interviewed Ricochet, who appeared to be awaiting Logan Paulâs arrival. Ricochet was thrilled that Paul accepted his invitation but was confused that Paul thought he could show up late just because he was a YouTube star. Ricochet did have a lot to say about Paul but would do so to his face.
Dominik Mysterio (w/Womenâs Champion Rhea Ripley) defeated Tag Team Champion Sami Zayn (w/Tag Champion Kevin Owens) to retain the NXT North American Championship (12:00)
They went to break a minute in after Zayn hit a flip dive.
[SECOND HOUR]
Ripley gave Zayn a cheap shot during the break but it didnât matter because Zayn was on offence after the break. Ripley distracted the ref as Priest shoved Zayn off the top so Owens went after Priest. The ref initially only tossed Owens from ringside but tossed Priest and Ripley moments later after he saw them bragging.
Zayn hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. Dom set up for a 619 but Zayn dropped him with a clothesline for two. Zayn tried something off the top but Dom caught him with a dropkick for two. Dom countered a Blue Thunder Bomb into a hurricanrana but Zayn avoided the 619 again and hit the Blue Thunder Bomb for two. (Dom didnât exactly go up easily for the move.)
Dom dropkicked Zayn and finally did hit the 619 for two. Dom followed with the three amigos suplexes but Zayn got his knees up on a frog splash. Zayn hit an exploder into the corner and set up for the Helluva Kick.
However, Zayn became distracted upon seeing Owens getting attacked by Priest and Ripley on the stage so Dom put him in a schoolboy for the pinfall win.
â Zayn sprinted up the ramp after Judgment Day but they bailed to the back. Zayn and officials checked on Owens as Dom left through the crowd.
********
They plugged Gable Stevesonâs âThe Decisionâ segment on tomorrowâs NXT. (LeBron Jamesâ âThe Decisionâ broadcast was 13 years ago this month.)
Medical staff checked on Owens backstage as he sold an injury. He thought something was broken.
There was a Roman Reigns/Jey Uso video package. (There was a commercial plugging this match earlier, too.)
********
Ricochet approached Shinsuke Nakamura in the back and asked if heâd seen Paul. Nakamura said no, so Ricochet asked him to keep an eye out.
Tommaso Ciampa approached Nakamura and said his loss last week was on him and he would let it slide that Nakamura kicked him in the face. Ciampa said he was about to settle things with Bronson Reed and didnât expect to see Nakamura out there, but if he did, then they had a problem.
********
In the back, Dom bragged about putting a whooping on Zayn. Apollo Crews and Akira Tozawa were nearby so Dom told Crews to show him some respect. Ripley asked if they had a problem. Tozawa said, âNopeâ and walked away. Crews was tired of Judgment Day and dared them to try something with him. Priest challenged him to a match tonight. Tozawa reappeared to wish Crews luck.
********
Bronson Reed defeated Tommaso Ciampa (12:46)
Ciampa held a sleeper hold but Reed fell backwards onto him. Reed followed with a running body block and elbow drop. Reed tried a charge off the apron but Ciampa caught him with a knee strike.
Reed was back in control after a break until Ciampa hit a reverse DDT. They traded offence for a bit until Ciampa no-sold a clothesline by popping to his feet and getting in Reedâs face. Ciampa got Reed on his shoulders and hit an air raid crash (which got the biggest reaction of the match) for two.
Nakamura sauntered out so Ciampa left the ring to⌠just stare at him. Reed flew off the apron to knock down Ciampa and he followed with a Tsunami back in the ring for the pinfall win.
As Graves noted on commentary, the loss was Ciampaâs own fault.
********
Byron Saxton interviewed Liv Morgan. Morgan confirmed Raquel Rodriguez was hurt but she was tough and would be back to take care of Ripley. Tonight, however, Ripley was all Morganâs. Morgan blamed their title loss on Ripley. She was tired of Ripley and reminded us that she was the last person to beat her. Morgan said, âMaybe Iâll get beat up but maybe I wonât.â Morgan said she wasnât backing down and left after saying, âWatch me.â
Sonya Deville and Chelsea Green confronted Saxton about interviewing Morgan instead of them. They also started mocking Ripley until Ripley showed up and they started playing nice. They left.
Ripley told Saxton that she warned Rodriguez and Morgan to stay out of their way but they didnât listen so she took out Rodriguez and Morgan would be next.
********
Non-title match: Womenâs World Champion Rhea Ripley vs. Liv Morgan
The match didnât happen. Ripley attacked Morgan during her entrance, drove her shoulder-first onto the barricade, and Pilmanized her shoulder with a steel chair.
A medical staff member checked on Morgan as a ref backed off Ripley. Ripley told them to move out of the way and she Pilmanized Morganâs shoulder again. (Ripley did the âsuck itâ thing before leaving the ring.) Ripley told Morgan to stay out of her business.
â After a break, Morgan was crying in the back as a medic checked on her shoulder.
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[THIRD HOUR]
There was an Alpha Academy promo in the back. Chad Gable angrily congratulated Viking Raiders on their win last week but said nobody even knew what Viking Rules was. Gable wanted an Academy rules match and threatened to put their heads through a chalkboard.
Maxxine Dupri took over for Gable. She said sheâs been getting the better of Valhalla every week and wasnât going to drop off just because Valhalla got one over on her last week. Dupri challenged her to a singles match next week which would be the first of her career. Otis said, âOh yeah!â (So Gableâs Academy Rules match is not happening.)
********
Ricochet / Logan Paul segment
Ricochet entered. He spoke about how nobody thought Paul belonged there. He did credit Paulâs ability and training, but said Paul was a prick. Ricochet said âweâ dedicate their lives to this and spend time away from their families and Paul couldnât understand that. Ricochet challenged Paul to a match at SummerSlam.
Paul suddenly appeared and decked Ricochet from behind. Paul took a selfie video while accepting Ricochetâs challenge. Paul pointed out a fan and told him, âYou need to get laid, you stupid virgin.â
Ricochet popped up and superkicked Paul before hitting a standing shooting star. Paul slowly got to his feet as Ricochet stared him down from the ramp.
********
Redmond interviewed Shayna Baszler. Baszler was sick of hearing Ronda Rouseyâs name included in everything that she does. Talking hasnât settled this and a match wouldnât settle it, either. At SummerSlam, Baszler wanted a fight.
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Saxton approached Paul in the back. Paul called Ricochetâs actions unprofessional as hell and said he felt victimized. Paul said he would be on Raw in Houston next week and would pop Ricochetâs stupid bald head (before telling Saxton, âNo offenceâ).
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Damian Priest defeated Apollo Crews (3:12)
Crews got some offence but Priest won fairly decisively with a South of Heaven chokeslam.
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Redmond interviewed Lynch in the back. Lynch was pumped about getting her rematch against Stratus and said, âIt ainât over âtil I win.â
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There was a Viking Raiders promo. Valhalla accepted Dupriâs âfoolishâ challenge.
Gunther / Drew McIntyre segment
Gunther entered with Imperium. McIntyre said he heard Gunther issuing challenges last week while he wasnât there. McIntyre was here this week and was dressed so he challenged him to an Intercontinental title match tonight. Gunther asked him if thatâs what he really wanted and McIntyre told him, âI dare you.â
Gunther said he brought prestige to the title and wasnât about to defend it in front of these degenerates. He knew why McIntyre identified with the fans because theyâve accomplished nothing. McIntyre failed at Clash at the Castle and was humiliated by him at WrestleMania. Gunther would humiliate him again at SummerSlam.
McIntyre talked about WrestleMania. He joked about Sheamus always being 42 years old before saying they always wanted to fight each other and they did so at WrestleMania. But after they beat the hell out of each other, Gunther picked their bones and won as he should have. However, it would be one-on-one at SummerSlam and McIntyre would beat his ass to become IC champion.
Ludwig Kaiser interrupted and asked how McIntyre could dare speak to their champion like that. McIntyre said he actually liked Kaiser. Watching Gunther was like watching paint dry and he thought Kaiser should lead Imperium. Kaiser didnât like that comment either so McIntyre challenged him to a match. Kaiser got in his face so McIntyre told them to get a referee.
********
Drew McIntyre defeated Ludwig Kaiser (w/Intercontinental Champion Gunther & Giovanni Vinci) (9:31)
There was a âWe want tablesâ chant because they were in the general vicinity of the announce table early on. This actually paid off later. (Graves did a pretty good impression of Kaiser, acting as though Kaiser was on commentary, but it went on too long.)
Kaiser took control before a break after driving McIntyre a couple of times into the ring post. McIntyre chopped Kaiser while on the top rope and brought him down with a White Noise. McIntyre followed with overhead suplexes, a neckbreaker, and a headbutt. McIntyre went for the Claymore Kick but Ludwig countered with a leaping kick of his own for two.
Kaiser hit an enziguri but McIntyre came right back with a Claymore Kick for the pinfall win.
â Gunther immediately hit the ring after the match and gave McIntyre a German suplex. Imperium put the boots to McIntyre until Matt Riddle ran out to make the save. That didnât last long because Gunther powerbombed him.
Gunther cleared the announce table and the crowd cheered. Gunther set up for a powerbomb but McIntyre reversed it into a back body drop and he powerbombed Gunther through the table to the delight of the crowd.
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Redmond asked Rousey about Baszlerâs challenge to a fight. Rousey said Baszler canât challenge her to âaâ fight because any fight sheâs in is âtheâ fight. Rousey accepted.
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Next week on Raw:
Brock Lesnar appears
Logan Paul appears
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Seth Rollins and Finn BĂĄlor contract signing
BĂĄlor entered first. There was no host. BĂĄlor said Adam Pearce wasnât here because he had his hands full with all the chaos caused by Judgment Day tonight (Pearce was with Owens and Morgan earlier when they each got hurt). BĂĄlor said he and Rollins were professionals who could handle this like gentlemen and he invited Rollins to the ring.
Rollins entered. The crowd sang Rollinsâ song as he signed the contract. BĂĄlor hesitated before signing. Rollins said BĂĄlor finally figured out what theyâve known for a long time â that BĂĄlor had zero chance of walking out of SummerSlam as champion.
The most obvious scenario was that Rollins would beat BĂĄlorâs ass and the crowd would sing his song. But if BĂĄlor did win, his World title reign would be even shorter than his Universal title reign because Priest would cash in right then and there. They both knew it because BĂĄlor would do the same thing to him.
Rollins told BĂĄlor to keep chasing that ghost because SummerSlam wouldnât be the coronation of Judgment Day, it would be the end.
BĂĄlor smiled and signed the contract. BĂĄlor was amused because Rollins thought he had it all figured out. BĂĄlor told Rollins that he didnât run Raw, Judgment Day did. Rollins thought that BĂĄlor would lose in the end no matter what. The fans buzzed as Judgment Day entered through the crowd.
BĂĄlor said heâs been losing for seven years and itâs been driving him insane. It was all Rollinsâ fault and it was like an itch he couldnât scratch. It was like a seven-year itch. But at SummerSlam, Rollins would be his seven-year bitch. (Judgment Day leaped on the apron like the Sheild.)
Rollins got up to preemptively attack but Priest knocked him down with his briefcase. Priest and BĂĄlor looked at each other as Priest held his briefcase.
Zayn ran out, ducked a Ripley clothesline, and hit Priest with a steel chair. Ripley yanked the chair away before he could hit Dom with it and BĂĄlor tackled him. Judgment Day laid out Zayn before putting the boots to Rollins.
Priest gave Rollins a Razorâs Edge, Dom hit a frog splash, and BĂĄlor hit Coup de Grace. Raw ended with Judgment Day standing tall.
WWE has officially announced two matches for SummerSlam set for Saturday, August 5.
As revealed during Monday’s Raw show, Brock Lesnar vs. Cody Rhodes III is set for SummerSlam at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. After a show-opening promo from Rhodes on Raw, Lesnar attacked Rhodes and left him laying in front of his family, focusing his attack on the left arm of Rhodes that Lesnar broke in storyline earlier this year.
The World Heavyweight Championship will also be on the line at SummerSlam, as Seth Rollins will once again defend his title against Finn Balor. Rollins defeated Balor in their title match at Money in the Bank earlier this month, but they set up a rematch in a backstage promo segment during this week’s Raw.
Roman Reigns vs. Jey Uso for the Undisputed Universal Championship, Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler, Trish Stratus vs. Becky Lynch, and Ricochet vs. Logan Paul have also been heavily teased for SummerSlam, but only Lesnar vs. Rhodes and Rollins vs. Balor have been officially announced to this point.
The current official lineup for SummerSlam:
WWE SummerSlam, Saturday, August 5, 8 p.m. Eastern time on Peacock & WWE Network —
Brock Lesnar vs. Cody Rhodes
World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins defends against Finn Balor
Seth Rollins is expected to defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Finn Balor at SummerSlam.
Our own Dave Meltzer noted on yesterday’s Wrestling Observer Radio that Balor pinning Carmelo Hayes on NXT this week was done to build him up for a rematch with Rollins.
“Finn’s being protected right now. Finn’s beating everyone because they’ve gotta get Finn back ready for Seth,” Meltzer said.
“The plan was that Finn’s going over constantly because they gotta rehab him for Seth because that’s at SummerSlam.”
Balor and Rollins also met at SummerSlam 2016 in a match for the inaugural Universal Championship. Although Balor won the title that night, he suffered a labrum tear and was forced to vacate the belt, something both wrestlers have referenced throughout their most recent rivalry.
Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor head-to-head:
SummerSlam 2016: Balor defeated Rollins to win the inaugural Universal Championship (****)
Raw – January 15, 2018: Rollins defeats Balor
Raw – March 12, 2018: Balor defeats Rollins
Raw – April 2, 2018: Rollins defeats Balor (****1/4)
Raw – April 30, 2018: Rollins defeats Balor to retain the Intercontinental Championship (****1/4)
Raw – November 29, 2021: Rollins defeats Balor
Raw – November 14, 2022: Rollins defeats Balor to retain the United States Championship (***1/4)
Raw – May 8, 2023: Rollins defeats Balor in the World Heavyweight title tournament semifinals
Money in the Bank 2023: Rollins defeated Balor to retain the World Heavyweight Championship (***1/2)
Rollins also leads their head-to-head series on house shows 5-1.
WWE SummerSlam takes place August 5, 2023, from Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Nine matches are currently planned for the event:
WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns defends against Jey Uso
Cody Rhodes vs. Brock Lesnar
Trish Stratus vs. Becky Lynch
WWE Women’s Champion Asuka defends against Charlotte Flair and Bianca Belair in a triple threat
Intercontinental Champion Gunther defends against Drew McIntyre
Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler
Logan Paul vs. Ricochet
Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley defends against Raquel Rodriguez
World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins defends against Finn Balor
Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer discussed the final segments from Mondayâs Raw.
Both Alvarez and Meltzer had high praise for the Womenâs World Championship match between champion Rhea Ripley and Natalya, which saw Ripley retain the title.
âThis match was really good,â Alvarez said.
Meltzer called it the best match on the show, though was disappointed it went through a commercial break.
âI know the crowdâs reacting because itâs really good stuff,” he said. “And thereâs no sound. And they come back, and thereâs a lot of sound, and this is a show where thereâs not been a lot of sound during matches.â
The main event had Seth Rollins defeat Dominik Mysterio by disqualification after Damian Priest ran in and attacked Rollins in an attempt to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase.
âYou couldnât [have had] a more lame finish,â Alvarez said.
The end of the show saw Finn Balor interrupt Priest attempting to cash in the Money in the Bank briefcase by attacking Rollins himself. This got Priest mad and the show ended with the two arguing as Rollins escaped.
âSo hereâs the thing, theyâre idiots. You know why?,â Meltzer said. âBecause Finn beating on [Rollins] should have been a positive, not a negative…Finn Balor was just helping you.â
Not the greatest momentum for Carmelo Hayes just one day prior to a big title match.
Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer discussed Hayesâ appearance on Raw while going over the latter half of the show on Wrestling Observer Radio. Hayes first appeared on the show in the crowd, helping Seth Rollins ward off Finn Balor who attempted to take out Rollins with a chair. This led to a match later that night where Hayes was defeated clean by Balor, despite being the NXT Champion and having a title defense the following night against Baron Corbin.
âI was stunned, but I wasnât stunned,â Alvarez said. âRight out of the Vince playbook. It happens every time.â
Although Finn Balor is going for the World Heavyweight Championship on Saturday, Alvarez noted that literally anybody else on the roster could have been used for the spot Hayes was put in. Meltzer thought it established the NXT Championship as a lesser title.
âAll it did was tell everybody that [the NXT Championship] is a secondary title,â Meltzer said. âCarmelo Hayes is so far down the list that heâs like Gargano/Ciampa level…he was a plucky midcard to lowcard babyface and the NXT Champion should be a champion close to competitive with that.â
Carmelo Hayes not only made an appearance on Monday’s Raw, but also wrestled.
The NXT Champion appeared at ringside during a Seth Rollins promo. Finn Balor, who has been attacking Rollins in recent weeks ahead of their match at Money in the Bank on Saturday, came to the ring again with a steel chair. This time, Rollins was ready and the two brawled around ringside. Balor went to grab a chair, but Hayes blocked Balor from using it. Balor ended up bailing, running away through the crowd. A match was made for later in the show, which saw Balor pin Hayes clean with a coup de gras in a back and forth match.
Rollins appeared on last weekâs NXT, defeating Bron Breakker to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. After the match, Balor jumped Rollins from behind with a steel chair and continued his attack until Hayes and Trick Williams came out for the save.
Hayes will headline the second night of NXT Gold Rush on Tuesday, where he will defend the NXT Championship against Baron Corbin.
