Tag: liv morgan

WWE Raw live results: Fatal four-way number one contender’s match

Posted on by Steve Khan

Air Date: November 4, 2024 (taped November 3)
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 

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Show Recap — 

(If you followed my recap of Crown Jewel, you’ll know there were streaming issues with Sportsnet Now. Well, Raw opened with no audio on Sportsnet Now even though it’s a taped show. The audio returned about 7 minutes into the show. Fortunately, it takes about that long for anything to happen on a WWE show.) 

Raw opened with a massive fireworks display, which doesn’t happen much anymore. Judgment Day, Damian Priest, Sheamus and Seth Rollins were shown arriving earlier. 

Michael Cole and Corey Graves were tonight’s announcers. 

Liv Morgan segment 

Liv Morgan entered with Dominik Mysterio and Raquel Rodriguez. She held her world title and showed off her new Crown Jewel ring (she did not have the Crown Jewel belt). She welcomed us to Monday Night Morgan. 

She declared the Liv Morgan revenge tour was over and the world tour was starting. She took out Rhea Ripley for a third time and she would be out for a long time. She beat Tiffany Stratton (on Smackdown) and travelled halfway around the world to become the inaugural Crown Jewel champion. 

Dom said he would win tonight and become the next world champion as he was loudly booed. 

Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair interrupted. Belair recalled their interaction last week and Cargill challenged them to a tag match. Morgan tried to create dissension between Belair and Cargill but they didn’t bite. 

Adam Pearce marched out and tried to settle things down but Morgan kept taunting Belair so Belair smacked her. Pearce informed Morgan there would be a battle royal tonight to determine her next challenger and Belair and Cargill were in the match.

IYO SKY won a battle royal to become number one contender for the Women’s World Championship (12:41) 

The opening portion of the match followed a familiar pattern. Someone would shine, then get eliminated by someone else. That person would shine, then get eliminated, and so on. 

Kayden Carter eliminated Isla Dawn first. Shayna Baszler almost eliminated Carter but she was saved by Katana Chance. Sonya Deville picked up the pieces and eliminated Carter anyway. Maxxine Dupri got a moment to “shine” but she was quickly eliminated by Ivy Nile. Zelina Vega used an ugly-looking 619 to eliminate Nile. 

During a break, Kairi Sane eliminated Vega, Natalya eliminated Alba Fyre, and Iyo Sky eliminated Chance. Chance was seemingly eliminated earlier but she didn’t land on her feet so she walked on her hands back to the apron but was immediately dropkicked out by Sky. 

Belair eliminated Sane before Baszler and Deville eliminated Natalya. Baszler and Deville had their backs turned so they were dumped out by Belair and Cargill. That left Cargill, Belair, Lyra Valkyria and Sky. Cargill and Belair wound up facing off for a moment but they were attacked from behind by the other two. Cargill and Belair fought them off anyway. Cargill hit Jaded and Belair hit KOD. 

Rodriguez and Morgan ran back down and eliminated Belair and Cargill from outside the ring. The tag champs chased them away through the crowd. 

Sky and Valkyria battled on the apron as the crowd chanted “This is awesome” (for the second time in the match). Valkyria booted Sky into the ring post but Sky followed with a German suplex on the apron. Valkyria fell out of the ring and Sky is your new number one contender. 

(This wasn’t good but the crowd had fun.) 

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New Day interview / Wyatt Sicks video 

Cathy Kelley interviewed The New Day. Xavier Woods said they should have won the number one contender’s match last week and they would have if Chad Gable didn’t interfere. Kingston raised his eyebrow at this comment. Kingston said the War Raiders didn’t win straight-up but it didn’t go down the way Woods described. Woods said Kingston dropped the ball because he’s the one that got beat. Kingston suggested he watch the tape. 

As they argued, the feed cut to a Wyatt Sicks video. Uncle Howdy/Bo Dallas spoke in riddles as the camera focused on a man tied to a chair wearing a sheep mask. Bo Dallas removed the mask to reveal The Miz was the man kidnapped. Miz said they wanted Final Testament but he wasn’t in Final Testament. Dallas showed his face and told Miz that he was the one he wanted. 

Dallas told Miz he would crawl on his belly through thorns and thistles for all the pain he had inflicted on others as he begged and pleaded for mercy until he returned to the ground. For dust you are and to dust you will return. Dexter Lumis (in his mask) ran up behind Miz as the feed cut. 

After a break, Cole said their production crew had nothing to do with the airing of that video. He didn’t seem concerned about Miz. 

(They probably should’ve chosen any other week to air this video.) 

********

The War Raiders defeated The New Day (9:08) 

Erik gave Kingston a nasty-looking knee to the back of the head and the War Raiders took control through an early break. Kingston made a hot tag after the break and ran wild until Woods tagged himself in. Kingston was getting ready for Trouble in Paradise as Woods tagged in. Kingston was perplexed. Erik knocked out Kingston and the Raiders gave Woods their finisher “War Machine” (elevated German suplex and springboard clothesline combo) for the pinfall win. 

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[SECOND HOUR] 

They announced their Road to WrestleMania European tour. 

Sami Zayn & The Usos segment 

Zayn entered. He greeted the fans in Arabic and said how proud he was to be able to come out in front of his people and speak their language on WWE television. However, that’s not why he came out. He wanted to address what happened on Crown Jewel with the Bloodline. 

Jey Uso entered (to a very big reaction). Jey thanked Zayn for having his back at Crown Jewel. Even though he watched the footage, Jey asked Zayn if kicking Roman Reigns was an accident. Zayn looked surprised by the question.  

Jimmy Uso entered. Jimmy said they all saw the same thing. They watched Zayn kick OTC dead in the face on purpose. Jimmy was pissed, Reigns was pissed, and Jey should be pissed. Jimmy said Zayn couldn’t be trusted. 

Zayn interrupted and said Jimmy should probably be reminded of his own track record. Jimmy welcomed him to the family first and was his brother but as soon as things started going badly, it was Jimmy who kicked him in the face. Jimmy kicked Reigns in the face when things got bad between them and as soon as Jey had his own opportunity, Jimmy kicked him in the face too. 

Jimmy said he didn’t owe Zayn an explanation and he wasn’t the bad guy. The crowd chanted, “Sami Uso.” Zayn told Jimmy that he didn’t hate him. He never did. Jimmy wasn’t a bad guy but he made bad decisions. Zayn came out at Crown Jewel for one reason and that was Jey. 

Zayn admitted that standing alongside Jimmy, Jey and Roman felt like old times. It felt special. For one minute, it felt pretty damn good. But that’s how long it lasted. Just one minute and it fell apart just like it always did with the four of them. 

Zayn wasn’t doing this again. He wasn’t having his loyalty tested and wasn’t being put on trial by their family again. He apologized to Jey and said he wasn’t doing this again. Zayn told Jey, “I’m out.” 

Zayn left the ring but Jey asked him to come to Smackdown so they could talk this out like family. Jimmy said Zayn wasn’t family. Jey said Zayn isn’t blood-related but he is family. Jey called him “Sami Uso” (as the crowd was already chanting, “Sami Uso.”) The crowd cheered. Jey hoped to see Zayn on Smackdown. Zayn walked to the back. 

Zayn was great here. 

********

Seth Rollins interview 

Jackie Redmond interviewed Seth Rollins. (It seemed like Rollins was scaling back on the ridiculous outfits but he was in a new one here.) Rollins put over Bronson Reed. He respected their fight and knew they would dance again. But that was down the line because he had gold on his mind. Three of the best in the world—and Dominik Mysterio—were going to duke it out for a chance at Gunther. Rollins was full of confidence. 

******** 

Dragon Lee (w/Zelina Vega) defeated Chad Gable (w/Ivy Nile) (11:36) 

There was a bit of comedy early on with Dragon Lee snapping Gable’s singlet against his body. They would up on the apron and Gable gave him a back body drop off the apron to the floor. After a break, Dragon Lee gave Gable a double-foot stomp off the top but Gable gave him an overhead suplex into the corner. 

Dragon Lee superkicked Gable right in the face (as Gable was upside down on the middle rope) and hit a corner dropkick for two. They exchanged forearms until Dragon Lee hit a German suplex. Gable no sold it and hit a German suplex of his own. Dragon Lee no-sold that and they traded counters until Gable hit consecutive German suplexes. 

Dragon Lee came back with a Liger bomb for two. Gable suplexed Dragon Lee off the top and hit a Cliffhanger DDT. Gable tried a cover with his feet on the rope but Vega knocked him off. Nile went after Vega and put her on a dragon sleeper. 

Rey Mysterio walked out to check on Vega. Gable tried to attack him (and maybe remove his mask) but Dragon Lee hit Operation Dragon (Destino) for the pinfall win. 

(This was great. It sort of felt like they were told to do whatever match they wanted. This is worth checking out if you missed it.)  

********

Gunther interview 

Redmond interviewed Gunther (with Ludwig Kaiser) about his loss to Cody Rhodes. Kaiser was pissed at the question but Gunther calmed him down. Gunther said Rhodes didn’t get lucky and wasn’t undeserving. That night, Rhodes was the better man. 

Redmond asked about the number one contender’s four-way. Gunther said they were three very capable competitors—and Dom. Rollins’ ability spoke for itself and Priest represented another difficult challenge. There was also Sheamus who Kaiser was supposed to take care of. 

Gunther was still the champion and after losing on Saturday, it was on him to do better. He looked at Kaiser and said they both needed to do better. Kaiser didn’t look happy. 

********

Priest entered first at 9:29 pm, they went to break, and the match started at 9:41 pm. They went to break two minutes into the match and returned at 9:47 pm. They wrestled for just four minutes before going to break again. 

Fatal four-way match: Damian Priest defeated Dominik Mysterio, Sheamus and Seth Rollins to become number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship (17:40) 

Dom tried to escape the other men but Sheamus caught him with ten beats of the Bodhrán. Priest gladly watched this transpire but Rollins caught him in a schoolboy for two. Rollins wiped out Sheamus and Priest simultaneously with a suicide dive and hit one on Dom. 

Dom was actually in control after a break. During the break, he shoved Rollins off the top to the outside and shoved Sheamus into the ring steps. Dom hit Priest with a tornado DDT for two. Dom talked trash as he punched Priest so Priest fired up and hit strikes, a corner elbow and a flatline. 

Sheamus gave backbreakers to Priest, Rollins and Dom. The crowd chanted for Sheamus as he hit Dom with a diving knee drop. Rollins broke up the cover and Priest clotheslined him. 

After another break (the second one within ten minutes), Sheamus and Priest exchanged strikes until Sheamus hit White Noise for two. Dom set up Sheamus for 619 but Sheamus hit him with a powerslam. Sheamus went for a Brogue Kick but Rollins knocked him out of the ring with a knee strike. Rollins gave Dom a Pedigree but did not go for a cover. 

Rollins set up for a curb stomp instead but his attention turned to Bronson Reed who attacked Sheamus and Priest outside the ring. Rollins went after Reed but Reed clotheslined him and cleared the announce table. Priest and Sheamus attacked Reed who rolled into the ring. 

Reed fought off both men and gave out Death Valley Drivers. Reed hit Tsunamis on both men (as Dom watched from the outside). Reed then put Rollins through the announce table with a Tsunami off the barricade. 

Dom waited until Reed left to take advantage. He hit Sheamus with a frog splash but Priest broke up the cover. Dom gave Priest a 619 and went for a frog splash but Priest caught him out of the air and hit a chokeslam for the pinfall win. 

(Sheamus seemed to be the favourite but the crowd obviously cheered when Priest pinned Dom.) 

— Gunther was in the ring after replays and had a staredown with Priest as the show ended. 

Cody Rhodes, Liv Morgan win inaugural WWE Crown Jewel Championships

Posted on by Ian Carey

Liv Morgan and Cody Rhodes are the first-ever winners of the WWE Crown Jewel Championships.

Morgan defeated WWE Women’s Champion Nia Jax today at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia, thanks in large part to interference from her Judgment Day teammates.

The match’s finish saw Nia attempt to go for the Annihilator, but Dominik slid Tiffany Stratton’s MITB briefcase into the ring, distracting the referee and allowing Rodriguez to knock Jax off the turnbuckle. Morgan then hit Oblivian and got the win.

Triple H presented Morgan with the Crown Jewel Championship after the match.

Rhodes vs. Gunther headlined today’s show. The finish saw Rhodes reverse Gunther’s sleeper hold into a pinning combination, similar to Bret Hart vs. Roddy Piper at WrestleMania 8.

Triple H announced at today’s Kickoff show that the Crown Jewel Championship winners will receive a “massive ring” similar to what is awarded to champions in team sports. The title belts will remain on display in Saudi Arabia at the WWE Experience fan attraction.

“As this is an annual event, we’ll see how many rings people can collect over the years,” Levesque said.

Liv Morgan has signed new five-year WWE contract

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan has inked a new long-term WWE contract.

During an appearance on Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast this week, Morgan mentioned that she recently signed a new five-year contract with WWE. When asked about her plans going forward, Morgan said she intends on being with WWE for as long as the company will have her.

“I’d like to be in WWE as long as they would allow me. But in the same token, like, I am preparing and thinking about life outside of WWE, which, you know, isn’t gonna be for a very, very long time. But, yeah, as long as they will have me, I will happily be in WWE,” Morgan said.

“I just signed a new five-year deal, so my five-year plan is WWE. Yeah, so, that’s my five-year plan.”

Morgan is currently in the midst of the biggest run of her career. She’s aligned with Dominik Mysterio and Raquel Rodriguez as part of the Judgment Day and is feuding with Rhea Ripley.

An angle on NXT this Tuesday saw Morgan and Rodriguez attack Ripley in the parking lot. WWE says that Ripley will miss an “undisclosed amount of time” following the attack due to a fractured right orbital socket.

Morgan has been Women’s World Champion since May. This is the second World title reign of her career.

At Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia this Saturday, Morgan and Nia Jax will face off to determine the first-ever women’s Crown Jewel Champion.

Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez attack Rhea Ripley on WWE NXT

Posted on by Bryan Rose

A storyline from the Raw brand continued on Tuesday’s NXT.

Ava was talking to Robert Stone and Stevie Turner regarding next week’s show at the ECW Arena when referees ran past her and into the parking lot. Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez were seen walking away from the scene with baseball bats as referees found Ripley a bloody mess outside of her car.

A few moments earlier, Ripley made a surprise appearance on NXT, giving the likes of Zaria, Stephanie Vaquer, Giulia, Jordynne Grace, and Kelani Jordan a pep talk ahead of their match next week at the 2300 Arena, where they will face Fatal Influence, Roxanne Perez, and Cora Jade. Ripley told them to “blow the bloody roof off.”

At Bad Blood earlier this month, Rodriguez made her return and cost Ripley a chance to regain the Women’s World title from Morgan. On Monday’s Raw, Ripley said that while she had made mistakes in the past, it was now only about winning the Women’s World title and they would have to kill her in order to stop her.

WWE Crown Jewel 2024 poster revealed, top matches advertised

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The top matches for WWE Crown Jewel 2024 are already being advertised.

WWE makes its return to Saudi Arabia with Crown Jewel being held in Riyadh on Saturday, November 2. On social media today, Saudi official Turki Alalshikh shared the PLE poster — which is promoting that Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther and Nia Jax vs. Liv Morgan will take place.

These matches will determine WWE’s first-ever Crown Jewel Champions. At Bad Blood over the weekend, Paul “Triple H” Levesque unveiled the Crown Jewel title belt and announced that, in a new annual tradition, the WWE Champion and World Champion in the men’s and women’s divisions will face off in singles matches at Crown Jewel. Though their belts will not be on the line, the winners will be recognized as the Crown Jewel Champions for that year.

Before Crown Jewel, Gunther has a World Heavyweight Championship defense against Sami Zayn on Raw tonight (October 7).

WWE Women’s Champion Jax and Women’s World Champion Morgan retained their titles at Bad Blood with respective victories over Bayley and Rhea Ripley.

Rhodes did not defend his Undisputed WWE Championship at Bad Blood. Instead, he teamed with Roman Reigns to defeat Solo Sikoa & Jacob Fatu. The Rock then made his return to WWE at the end of the show.

Liv Morgan: I grew up a fan of Bret Hart

Posted on by Ian Carey

The Liv Morgan Revenge tour stops in Calgary on Monday, the hometown of Bret Hart.

The Women’s World Champion has been doing media rounds in the city to promote tonight’s Raw. She was a guest on Sportsnet Radio and was asked about Hart appearing on the show as well as the influence the Hart family has had on the wrestling industry.

“Calgary is so enriched in wrestling culture and wrestling history so I’m super excited to come back,” Morgan said.

“Bret Hart is super iconic in wrestling, in pop culture, in life. I grew up a fan of Bret Hart, still a fan of Bret Hart, so I’m super excited to see him on Monday,” she continued.

“I’ve met him a couple of times. I loved his career, I’ve read his book, big fan of his book. I remember the whole time I was reading his book I just kept texting Nattie like ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe this,'” Morgan also said about Hart to Buzz Bishop.

Natalya is also expected to be on tonight’s Raw, although this has not been confirmed. Lyra Valkyria and Zelina Vega are advertised to have a surprise partner in their match against the Pure Fusion Collective.

Morgan praised Natalya as well, saying she is a “great figure” for women in sports.

“Nattie’s so amazing. She’s such a locker room leader. She’s given so much to the wrestling community as far as her work with WWE and all that she does outside too. Her and TJ run the Dungeon 2.0 where they are training and letting people practice all across different forms of wrestling from all over the world. I feel like she’s just such a great figure for wrestling and women’s wrestling and women in wrestling and women in sports in general.”

Morgan doesn’t have a segment advertised for tonight’s Raw, but she’ll likely be watching closely as Dominik Mysterio faces Dragon Lee in singles competition.

“This Monday is for sure going to be special and I’m very happy to be there. Calgary always brings the energy, so we’re excited for the next stop on the Liv Morgan Revenge Tour,” she told The Calgary Sun.

Dominik Mysterio on possible match vs. Rhea Ripley: I don’t think WWE will book it

Posted on by Ian Carey

Dominik Mysterio is up for wrestling Rhea Ripley, but he doesn’t think WWE will ever book it.

Dominik and Liv Morgan lost to Ripley and Damian Priest at Bash in Berlin on Saturday and Ripley was able to get her hands on Dominik during the match. However, Morgan was able to rescue him before Ripley gave him a Riptide.

Dominik was asked about a potential match against Ripley during a recent appearance on The Gorilla Position.

“I don’t think they’d book it but I’m here for it,” Dominik responded when asked about a possible match against Ripley. “Yeah (I’d do it), I mean, but let’s just leave it at that.”

Morgan, who was also a guest on the show, reacted to one of the hosts commenting that Ripley would “destroy” Dominik if the match ever happened.

“Excuse you, excuse you, there is no possible way that that happens. No, not even for one single second,” she responded.

“I came out of my mother’s womb and dropkicked the doctor,” Dominik added. “What do you think I would be willing to do as a 27-year-old?”

A co-host commented that, at least, Dominik didn’t dropkick his mother.

“Well, you don’t know,” Dominik responded. “I took out the doctor, who knows what happened next?”

Dominik and Morgan’s appearance on The Gorilla Position is available below:

WWE Bash in Berlin preview & predictions: Everybody loves Gunther

Posted on by Ian Carey

Image: WWE

Today’s WWE Bash in Berlin in Germany (1 PM Eastern on Peacock/WWE Network) should be another fast-paced, three-hour PLE.

The Paul “Triple H” Levesque era is all about these five-match shows. It’s how he ran TakeOver events back in the first black & gold era of NXT and now he’s brought that philosophy to the main roster. The idea is they save some matches for SmackDown, such as LA Knight’s US title defense this week, and each PLE match gets all the time it needs. On top of that, keeping the shows under the three-hour mark helps ensure fans stay hot throughout. 

Still, I’ve heard fans express they don’t like the short lineups. When you look at the international shows that have followed this format, however, they’ve all been well-reviewed. Backlash France, King & Queen of the Ring in Saudi Arabia, Money in the Bank in Toronto, and Clash at the Castle in Glasgow were all excellent shows.

Many of the above-mentioned PLEs benefited greatly from having a hot crowd and Berlin’s fans will likely be bringing their A-game to this show. I’m expecting Gunther to receive a hero’s welcome. I think when this show was announced, many felt this would be where Gunther wins the World title rather than his first defense, but this works too. It’s almost as if Saturday is his home championship parade after having won the title in an away game.

Wrestling fans are spoiled with good PPV/PLEs right now and this won’t be any different. Below are previews and predictions for each match at Bash in Berlin. 

Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes defends against Kevin Owens

Rhodes heads into this title defense against Owens as a -6000 favorite and it’s hard to disagree with those odds. 

While the result is not in question, how we get there should be interesting. In recent weeks, WWE has done a good job of reminding the audience (and Rhodes) about all the times Owens has turned on someone who was seemingly his friend. So, will he do it again? It doesn’t feel like anyone is asking for a KO heel turn at the moment, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. 

The possibility that Owens will turn heel during this program with Rhodes seems high, but it also feels likely Randy Orton and Rhodes will run a similar program sometime before WrestleMania. There’s more history with Orton and Rhodes so if they are going with the jilted friend angle, it makes more sense with Orton. 

Rhodes will win clean and either Owens will remain a babyface or we will start to see some signs of him breaking bad again.

Prediction: Rhodes retains

WWE World Heavyweight Champion Gunther defends against Randy Orton

Gunther is also a -6000 favorite to successfully defend against Orton and I, along with many others, would be shocked if anything other than that happens. 

This will be a straight match with a clean finish and a chance for the live fans to give Gunther his flowers. I also think many will be surprised at how well these two pair up and the kind of chemistry they have. On the surface, it’s two guys from completely different generations and backgrounds, but this will probably be the best match on the show. 

I’m also very interested to see Orton’s approach to taking Gunther’s chops. It feels like it could go either way. Either he won’t want to take many of them, or he’ll want to take more of them than anyone else on the main roster has so far. No middle ground. 

Prediction: Gunther retains

WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Unholy Union (Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn) defend against Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair

Belair & Cargill are listed as -175 favorites to defeat the Unholy Union, but there are a couple of scenarios that would see the champions retaining. 

At some point, either Cargill is turning on Belair or vice versa. It’s just not clear how exactly this match will play into this eventuality. 

Three possible things could happen here:

  1. Cargill and Belair go full Road Warriors and run through the Unholy Union to take back their titles
  2. Either Cargill or Belair turns on the other and Fyre & Dawn retain
  3. There is a miscommunication or some other type of mild breakup tease between Cargill and Belair, resulting in the Unholy Union retaining

Blair Davenport and Naomi will also get involved. but will likely just cancel each other out. 

As for whether it is Cargill turning on Belair or Belair turning on Cargill, I think it’s more likely that Cargill ends up heel. I have a hard time picturing a heel Belair, but they may go that route too. 

Admittedly, part of the reason I’m picking Fyre & Dawn to retain is that I just don’t want to pick all the favorites but I also think there’s a decent chance they win. 

Prediction: Unholy Union retains

Dominik Mysterio & Liv Morgan vs. Damian Priest & Rhea Ripley

The Terror Twins are listed as -250 favorites and those seem like fair odds. 

Normally, a new or recently restructured faction would win in their first big PLE match but that doesn’t make the most sense here. Ripley and Priest are both coming off losses at SummerSlam, Morgan is on fire right now, but then there is good ol’ Dominik. You can always pin Dominik.

The most likely finish is Dominik taking a Riptide from Ripley and Priest pinning him shortly after. That is the way. 

You could have Ripley pin Morgan to set up another title match between them, but that wouldn’t be as satisfying to the audience as Dominik getting his comeuppance. There are lots of ways to get to another match between Ripley and Morgan, and they don’t have to have Morgan take a pin in a tag match to do that. 

Prediction: Priest & Ripley

CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre in a strap match

Punk is listed as a -500 favorite to win and probably will. 

It was mentioned on Wrestling Observer Radio recently that the rules of this match tend to favor the heel going over. They are going with the touch all four corners rule which is a prime breeding ground for either a fluke or a dirty win. There are examples of babyfaces winning these matches like Eddie Guerrero beating Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at No Way Out in 2004. I think that match might be a blueprint of sorts for what we see in Berlin. 

During his AEW run, Punk was often portrayed in his matches as not being as good as the other guy but he uses his veteran skills and high ring IQ to find a way to win. He may do something similar here. The rules of this strap match also provide an opportunity for Punk to win in a fair way, which could be considered clean, but he wins by being smarter, not more athletic, stronger or just being a better wrestler. 

Another factor is that it’s rumored/heavily believed Punk vs. McIntyre III will take place inside Hell in a Cell at Bad Blood. So, whatever happens in Berlin should lead to that. 

Prediction: Punk

WWE star Liv Morgan signs with Paradigm Talent Agency

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan is the latest member of the WWE roster to sign up with Paradigm Talent Agency.

It was announced via Variety today that Paradigm has signed Morgan as a client. Damian Priest, Tiffany Stratton, CM Punk, and Drew McIntyre have also joined Paradigm recently. It’s one of the biggest talent agencies in Hollywood, trailing WME (William Morris Endeavor), CAA (Creative Artists Agency), and UTA (United Talent Agency).

“WWE Superstar Liv Morgan has signed with Paradigm for representation, Variety learned exclusively,” the report said. “She continues to be represented by attorney Brad Small at Fox Rothschild.”

Morgan (real name Gionna Daddio) had her first movie role in “The Kill Room,” which was released in September 2023.

At SummerSlam last weekend, Morgan officially aligned with Dominik Mysterio when he betrayed Rhea Ripley and helped Morgan retain the Women’s World Championship. Morgan is now part of a new-look version of The Judgment Day with Dominik, Finn Balor, JD McDonagh, and Carlito. Both Ripley and Priest have been kicked out of the faction.

Dominik Mysterio betrays Rhea Ripley, aligns with Liv Morgan at WWE SummerSlam

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Dirty Dom and Mami Rhea are kaput, and Liv Morgan is still the WWE Women’s World Champion.

Dominik Mysterio turned on Rhea Ripley in the SummerSlam opener Saturday to allow Liv Morgan to retain the Women’s World title, and Morgan and Mysterio kissed afterwards to cement their new alliance.

After months of are they or aren’t they, Mysterio interfered on Morgan’s behalf in the Women’s World title match at SummerSlam to confirm that he has been in cahoots with Morgan since helping Liv win the Women’s World title from Becky Lynch at King and Queen of the Ring in May.

Mysterio both stopped Ripley from hitting Morgan with a chair during the bout, then took the referee to allow Morgan to hit Ripley with Oblivion on the same chair to secure the victory and win the title.

The post-match unfolded with Mysterio and Morgan in the aisle as Ripley fumed in the ring:

Our ongoing live coverage of SummerSlam is available here.

WWE SummerSlam live results: Cody Rhodes vs. Solo Sikoa, CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre

Posted on by Steve Khan

Date: August 3, 2024
Location: Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, OH

**********

Show Recap — 

Welcome to our live coverage of SummerSlam. The countdown show is three hours long.

Countdown to SummerSlam —

Michael Cole said WWE has been on a massive roll, specifically thanking Paul Leveseque and once again called this the “Triple H Era.” Cole was joined on the preshow by Wade Barrett, Big E, Pat McAfee and a large crowd of fans behind them.

(I won’t recap the entire pre-show but will provide updates throughout.) 

Byron Saxton, Jackie Redmond and Cathy Kelley provided updates on Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley and CM Punk, respectively. 

There was a feature on The Miz. Miz arrived on his party bus along with Maryse, Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano. R-Truth welcomed them there and he did his usual stupid comedy, confusing DIY for DX.

Kelley interviewed Dominik Mysterio. Dom assured her the vibes in Judgment Day were good. He was annoyed she was in their clubhouse and asked her to leave. Dom wore a San Diego Padres cowboy hat and a $600 Louis Vuitton shirt with planets on it. (I looked it up.) 

Bron Breakker told Saxton he was happy that Sami Zayn’s comedy show would be able to support his family but he title reign would be over tonight. 

There was a Cole sit-down interview with Seth Rollins. He called CM Punk selfish and anything he said about giving back to the business was a lie. It was Drew McIntyre’s own fault for propping up Punk to get him in this level of a match.

There was a good feature on Damian Priest where Peter Rosenberg interviewed him through the Bronx and Yankee Stadium. There was also a clip of Gunther showing up to the premiere of Priest’s documentary to call him street trash. Priest said he would humble his bitch-ass. 

Redmond and Rosenberg replaced Cole and McAfee on the panel. Still two hours to go.

There was a SummerSlam numbers video. 

There was a Redmond sit-down interview with Ripley. It was heartbreaking and depressing for her to be away when her shoulder was injured. She didn’t answer when Redmond asked if her shoulder was 100%. She said Morgan took things too far with her actions the last few months. “If you have a problem with me, use your fists.” Ripley took great pleasure in hearing Dom tell Morgan, “I hate you.” 

Kelley interviewed Morgan. She said Ripley would be the only one crying tonight. She blew off Kelley and left. Big E reminded us this wasn’t a Dom on a pole match. 

Saxton interviewed Nia Jax and Tiffany Stratton. Jax couldn’t wait to be “reckless and clumsy” with Bayley tonight (referencing Bayley’s own words) and become the champion. Saxton asked Stratton if she planned on cashing in tonight. Jax cut her off and they left together.

CM Punk sit-down interview – part one 

Cole sat down with Punk. He admitted he still had a temper, but that made him who he was. This job and career were fleeting and he tried to enjoy every moment. Cole asked if he’s grown up over the years. Punk preferred the word “matured.” 

Cole asked about the polarizing response to his return. Punk said there have always been certain people who were jealous of him but they were wrong and he was right. “Nobody watches you more than your biggest hater.” They were all fans and they all paid attention to what he was doing, whether they liked him or not. Being different is what made him popular. 

He was disappointed he lost at the Rumble match but was happy for Rhodes. He learned from the experience and would take that into next year’s event. 

********

Rollins joined the panel to discuss his role tonight. 

X-Pac joined the panel. He mentioned teaming with Kane and losing to Big Show and Undertaker at SummerSlam 1999. He put over Logan Paul and LA Knight. Paul was interviewed by Redmond at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

They showed Big E throwing out the first pitch at a Cleveland Guardians game. His pitch hit the dirt and he said Kofi Kingston gave him a hard time over it.

One hour to go. 

They asked some wrestlers about their favourite SummerSlam moments. McIntyre mentioned how stupid it was when Lex Luger beat Yokozuna by countout in 1993 and everyone celebrated like it was a big deal. 

McAfee interviewed Jelly Roll.

There are still 35 minutes left and now they’re showing a random video package of Rollins beating John Cena at SummerSlam 2015 thanks to John Stewart. 

********

Cole was at ringside and he welcomed their newest broadcaster, Joe Tessitore. Tessitore was blessed and honoured to be there as a lifetime fan. 

Cole announced that Tessitore would start announcing on Raw starting September 2nd. Cole will move to Smackdown on USA.

********

Morgan vs. Ripley will open SummerSlam. 

CM Punk sit-down interview – part two  

Punk was surprised to hear the animosity coming from McIntyre upon his return. Punk said McIntyre was more mad at himself and Punk was a totem that he had to take his frustration out on. But McIntyre made things personal. 

Cole asked why Punk cost Drew the title match in Scotland. Punk said he wasn’t the bad guy for returning fire. Cole asked if this was the best he ever felt. Punk laughed. His arm felt great but the rest of him didn’t. He was coming to fight and get his pound of flesh. 

******** 

Saxton interviewed McIntyre. McIntyre meant what he said when he wanted to beat Punk until his heart stopped. He called Punk a sociopath who didn’t get any sleep which is why he had huge bags under his eyes. If McIntyre had his way, Punk would go to sleep permanently.

******** 

SUMMERSLAM 2024 MAIN CARD — 

Jelly Roll and a choir performed God Bless America. 

Triple H entered to ask Cleveland if they were ready. They were. 

They used a very minimal stage setup to pack in as many people as possible. 

Jelly Roll performed his song Liar as clips played featuring tonight’s wrestlers. (This was in place of the regular intro video.)

Miz welcomed us to SummerSlam. 

******** 

They’ve added a referee cam to the presentation (for replays). The camera sits on the referee’s ear. 

Michael Cole, Corey Graves and Pat McAfee are the announcers. 

The opening match kicked off at 7:14 pm. 

Liv Morgan defeated Rhea Ripley (w/Dominik Mysterio) to retain the Women’s World Championship (15:53) 

They had a nice match but this was all about the ending. 

They played cat and mouse for the first 90 seconds until Ripley cut her off and clobbered her with clotheslines, a half-and-half suplex and a headbutt. Ripley slammed Morgan into the turnbuckle and set up for Rip-tide but Morgan slipped out and drove her shoulder-first into the turnbuckle. 

It was Ripley’s previously injured shoulder and she really sold it like it was hurt again. As Dom checked on Ripley, Morgan booted her shoulder and she continued to target it in the ring. 

Morgan went for a dive but Dom shoved Ripley out of the way and Morgan wiped out Dom instead. Ripley slammed her shoulder into the announce table and popped it back into place. 

Ripley made a comeback while continuing to sell her shoulder. Ripley went for Rip-tide but Morgan reversed into a DDT for two. 

Ripley applied a standing cloverleaf but Morgan used her legs to yank Ripley shoulder-first into the turnbuckle. That spot didn’t look good but Morgan followed with a crucifix bomb, which did look good, for two. Ripley hit a one-arm powerbomb for two. 

Ripley was still favouring her shoulder and she repeatedly rammed it against the turnbuckle. Morgan brought a chair into the ring but Ripley booted her and hit a Rip-tide. 

Instead of going for a cover, Ripley grabbed the chair. Dom stopped her from using it and the crowd popped like it was a betrayal, but as Dom told her, she couldn’t win the title that way.

Ripley was pissed and the distraction allowed Morgan to dropkick Ripley into Dom. Morgan followed with Oblivion for a nearfall and the crowd went nuts. 

Dom slipped a chair back into the ring and distracted the referee. Morgan hit Ripley with an Oblivion onto that chair for the pinfall win. 

— Dom helped Morgan to her feet and they made out. The crowd popped for the spot but they were booed as they left together. Ripley had a maniacal look on her face. (McAfee called Dom a piece of sh*t.) 

********


A pissed-off Damian Priest busted into the Judgment Day locker room demanding to know where Dom was. He put his hands on Finn Bálor and if he knew this was coming. Bálor was offended and said no. 

They talked Priest down but he was still hot and wanted to know where Dom was so he could kill him. Bálor, McDonagh and Carlito left to find Dom. Bálor said, “Thanks for the trust” before leaving and Priest seemed to regret treating Bálor that way. 

******** 

Bron Breakker defeated Sami Zayn to win the Intercontinental Championship (5:42) 

Bron immediately went for a spear but Zayn leaped over and Bron went shoulder-first into the ring post. Zayn followed with a flip dive. 

Bron dodged a Helluva kick and tried a press slam but his shoulder gave out. Bron managed to turn Zayn around with a clothesline anyway. (Odd they focused on the shoulder for the second match in a row.) Bron did a run up the ropes Frankensteiner for two. 

Bron talked trash so Zayn smacked him and hit a clothesline. Bron blocked a Blue Thunder Bomb and countered a back body drop. Bron tried a flying bulldog but Zayn countered with a Blue Thunder Bomb for two. 

Zayn hit an exploder into the turnbuckles and went for Helluva Kick but Bron nailed a spear. Bron ran the ropes and hit another spear for the decisive pinfall win. 

This was what it needed to be. 

********

Stephanie McMahon was shown in the crowd. 

******* 

Machine Gun Kelly appeared in a hood as a surprise and entered with Logan Paul. (MGK watched from the front row.) 

LA Knight arrived backstage in Paul’s truck. Knight destroyed the driver’s side window because of poor visibility. Safety first.

LA Knight defeated Logan Paul to win the United States Championship (12:03) 

Paul was loudly booed in his hometown. He attacked Knight during his entrance. Knight fought back but Paul spat Prime drink in his face. Knight repeatedly smashed Paul’s face against the desk and slammed a Prime bottle in his face. 

Knight then gave Paul a neckbreaker on the table (which didn’t break) and they rolled into the ring to start the match. There was a modest “F*ck you, Logan” chant as he took control. 

For the third match in a row, somebody went shoulder-first into the ring post/buckle and Knight was the victim this time. 

Knight fought back and repeatedly booted Paul to the sound of “Yeah.” Knight hit Matt Hardy’s Side Effect and hit a step-up diving elbow drop for two. 

Paul followed with a springboard clothesline and an impressive springboard moonsault to the outside. Paul followed with a right hand for a nearfall. With Paul on the top, Knight leaped up and brought him down with a big superplex for a nearfall. 

Paul raked the eyes which the ref did not see but Knight came back with a baseball slide. Some of Paul’s buddies were talking trash in the front row so Knight yanked them over the barricade and stomped them. Paul slammed Knight into the post. 

MGK gave Paul brass knuckles on a chain. Paul hit Knight with the knux, which the ref also didn’t see, but Knight ducked a Buckshot lariat and hit a BFT for the pinfall win. 

Knight won the title and the crowd exploded. This was fun. 

********

There was a Manscaped-sponsored segment with Baron Corbin, Apollo Crews, Otis, Maxxine Dupri and Akira Tozawa. Crews used the razor to shave his head. Otis used it to shave his belly. 

******* 

Nia Jax defeated Bayley to win the WWE Women’s Championship (12:32) 

Bayley tried taking the fight to Jax but Jax dropped her with a Samoan drop to take over. Jax’s offence included a stink face but Bayley responded with a back suplex. 

Jax missed a leg drop on the apron and Bayley responded later with a guillotine in the ring. The announcers reminded us that she once beat Jax with this move. Jax countered it this time and hit a senton and leg drop for two. 

Jax missed a diving leg drop and Bayley hit a Bayley-to-belly for two. Bayley tried a corner tackle but Jax hit an STO. Jax followed with an Annihilator but Bayley kicked out. Jax was shocked. 

Bayley dodged a charge and for the fourth straight match, someone (Jax) went shoulder-first into the ring post. Bayley tried a suicide dive but Jax caught her and hit a Samoan drop. 

Jax went to the middle rope but Bayley got under her and hit a powerbomb. This woke up the crowd (which was kind of dead) and they chanted “Holy sh*t.” Bayley hit a diving elbow drop for two. 

Tiffany Stratton ran out to her music along with her briefcase and a referee but Bayley knocked her off the apron. Bayley went back after Jax but Jax caught her with consecutive powerbombs. Jax hit consecutive Annihilators for the pinfall win. 

— Jax and Stratton happily celebrated together, so Stratton’s attempted cash-in was likely a setup to dupe Bayley. 

Jax hugged her mom (I think) and Ata Johnson at ringside. 

The first half of the match wasn’t much but it did get much better toward the end. 

********

Rollins wore very sparkly pants with a somewhat sparkly referee shirt. McIntyre wore new black and green gear. Punk wore black and pink (for Bret Hart, of course).

Drew McIntyre defeated CM Punk (with guest referee Seth Rollins) (16:58) 

They immediately exchanged blows like Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. Punk got the better of it and booted McIntyre in the corner for more than five seconds until Rollins pulled him off. McIntyre returned the favour until Rollins pulled him off. 

Punk was the aggressor from there as the fight spilled outside the ring. Rollins let them go and didn’t bother counting. 

Punk was in full control until McIntyre swept his legs out from under him (as Punk did to him at WrestleMania, which the announcers did not mention). McIntyre swung Punk repeatedly into the announce table and drove Punk into the steel ring frame. 

McIntyre hit a vertical suplex and Punk kicked out before even a one count. Part of that was Rollins not counting right away. Rollins was surprised McIntyre went for an early cover. 

McIntyre hit an overhead suplex and Punk kicked out again before one. McIntyre hit a powerbomb for a one count and a sit-out powerbomb for a two count. 

McIntyre grabbed a chair and advised Rollins to look the other way because he could make both of their problems go away. McIntyre went to use the chair but Rollins grabbed it out of his hand. (Cole said “Shades of ‘97.”) 

They went for another 1997 reference. McIntyre shoved Rollins so Rollins went to hit him with the chair and he ducked. He almost hit Punk but Punk avoided it. Punk used a rollup but Rollins was too late making the cover. McIntyre went for Claymore but Punk countered with a kick of his own. 

Punk did his usual comeback, blew a kiss to Rollins and hit a diving elbow drop for two. Punk applied anaconda vice but broke the hold to retrieve his family’s bracelet. The bracelet dropped and Punk went to pick it up but the extra time allowed McIntyre to hit a Claymore kick for a nearfall. 

For the fifth straight match, someone (McIntyre) went shoulder-first into the ring post. Punk went for GTS but let go upon seeing Rollins wearing his bracelet. Rollins (and the announcers) tried to explain that he was just holding onto it for now but Punk didn’t care. 

McIntyre clobbered them from behind, sending Rollins out of the ring. Punk hit McIntyre with GTS but Rollins was out of the ring. Rollins got back in but McIntyre kicked out. Punk got in his face for the slow count. Rollins screamed at him and told him not everything was about him. He told Punk to focus on McIntyre. 

Rollins said, “It’s not always about you, asshole,” so Punk dropped him with a GTS. Punk responded, “It’s not always about me, but it’s never about you.” Punk put on his bracelet. 

McIntyre kicked Punk in the nuts (as Punk did to him in Scotland) and hit a Claymore kick. McIntyre screamed at Rollins to make the count and he finally did for the three count. (Punk was down for a while.) 

— Rollins stormed off after the match. McIntyre grabbed the bracelet and posed over Punk’s body.

(This was a big letdown. They did, or tried to do, plenty of storytelling, but it just wasn’t good. Punk already came across like a petty man before this and that was exacerbated in this match. I would say their first match would’ve been better off without Rollins as the referee, but the action wasn’t good, either. All this over a bracelet Punk could easily get remade.) 

********

Priest and Bálor made amends backstage. Bálor offered to be in his corner if he changed his mind. Priest appreciated it. 

******* 

They cut to a suite featuring “WWE legends.” They didn’t name everyone in the suite but among those in there were Rick Steiner, Scott Steiner, DDP, X-Pac, Kevin Nash and, I think, Jackie Gayda. 

******** 

Gunther defeated Damian Priest to win the World Heavyweight Championship (16:38) 

They had an even match for the first few minutes until Priest used a hurricanrana to bring Gunther off the top and he followed with a falcon arrow for two. They exchanged chops and Gunther’s chest began bleeding. Priest dropped him with a kick. 

Gunther tried to fight back with chops but Priest’s kicks were too much. Gunther avoided a Stinger Splash and Priest went face-first into, guess what, the ring post. Gunther followed with a dropkick and powerbomb for two. 

Gunther tried chops again but Priest hit a South of Heaven chokeslam for two. The crowd distracted themselves with something else but they decided to start paying attention here. 

Gunther finally blocked Priest’s kick and hit a capture suplex. Gunther followed with a clothesline for two. Gunther’s chops finally started to make an impact. 

Bálor showed up at ringside to cheer on Priest. Gunther was annoyed so he booted Bálor. This pissed off Priest who rose up and dropped his straps and dropped Gunther with consecutive clotheslines. 

Priest hit a Razor’s Edge but Gunther got to his feet. Priest hit South of Heaven but Bálor put Gunther’s foot on the rope to break the fall. Priest didn’t see what happened but realized it upon seeing the replay. 

Priest was about to go after Bálor but Gunther caught him in a sleeper. Priest fired up and the crowd cheered as he broke out of it. Priest used a cradle for two. 

Priest grabbed Bálor by the throat as the crowd cheered but Gunther caught him in the sleeper again. 

Priest was out. Gunther won. 

— Gunther kissed Jinny at ringside and celebrated on the announce table.

(During the leadup to this match and this match itself, they did everything they could to make sure Priest was at least considered on the same level as Gunther, despite the result. Gunther’s chops are usually the main attraction but they were no more effective against Priest than anyone else’s chops for most of the match. It felt like Priest was very much screwed by Bálor.)

******** 

The Miz and R-Truth announced an attendance of 57,791. Austin Theory and Grayson Waller entered to insult them and Jelly Roll. Truth thought they were Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton and thought one of them “got their eye fixed.” 

Jelly Roll appeared in the ring with a chair and helped Truth and Miz wiped them out. Jelly Roll, Miz and Truth gave Theory a five knuckle shuffle. (Truth and Miz helped Jelly Roll to his feet.) 

******** 

Sikoa entered alone. It’s Bloodline Rules so that won’t last. 

The camera cut to Rhodes on his bus. He walked his dog Pharaoh through the back. Rhodes was emotional because, as Graves noted, this would be Pharaoh’s final trip on the road. 

Rhodes embraced Arn Anderson on his way through the back. The crowd popped. Arn warned him that he had a target on his back but Arn still had some influence and Rhodes still had friends who were on their way. 

The fans chanted for Cody as he made his way through Gorilla. Rhodes wore a skull mask through the stage but left it on the stage.

Bloodline Rules Match: Cody Rhodes defeated Solo Sikoa to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship (29:14) 

The normal portion of the match… 

Sikoa had a counter for almost everything early on and planted Rhodes with consecutive Samoan drops. Rhodes responded with a Cody Cutter. Rhodes hit Dustin’s dropdown uppercut and Dusty’s jabs and bionic elbow but Sikoa caught his Disaster kick attempt and hit a sit-out powerbomb for two. 

They traded counters until Sikoa hit Spinning Solo for two. Rhodes tried to fight back but Sikoa hit another Samoan drop. Rhodes was caught upside down in the ropes so Sikoa hit consecutive headbutts but Rhodes avoided another and hit a moonsault. Rhodes followed later with a superplex. 

They went back and forth until Rhodes hit a Cross Rhodes. 

16 minutes into this Bloodline Rules match, Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa entered to break up the cover. 

The Bloodline rules portion of the match… 

Kevin Owens entered (to his music) and he ran out but got beat up by the Bloodline. Randy Orton entered next (to his music). Orton gave Loa an RKO and Owens gave Tonga a stunner. Owens gave Sikoa a senton and Rhodes hit a Cross Rhodes but Sikoa just barely kicked out. 

Owens and Orton chased the Bloodline through the crowd leaving Rhodes and Sikoa alone. Rhodes figured it was now ok to use weapons so he grabbed the steel steps and clobbered Sikoa with it. Rhodes tried it again but Sikoa hit a spear for two. 

Sikoa set up the steel steps in the corner and tried a running hip attack but Rhodes moved and Sikoa crashed into the steps. Rhodes hit consecutive Cross Rhodes but Jacob Fatu showed up and wiped out Cody. Fatu hit a moonsault and placed Sikoa into a cover but Rhodes kicked out. 

Fatu superkicked Rhodes a few times and placed him on the announce table. Fatu hit a big splash off the top through the table (and may have hurt his leg in the process). 

The crowd who loves tables only barely reacted to this spot, likely because they’re waiting for the next thing to happen. (It seemed like most people were on their feet, despite being quiet.) 

Sikoa followed with an Uso splash for a nearfall. Rhodes hit a Cody Cutter off the top. 

Roman Reigns returns…   

Reigns entered to a huge pop (and altered music). 

Reigns didn’t tease anything. He immediately hit Sikoa with a Superman punch and spear upon hitting the ring. 

The crowd erupted and chanted, “Holy sh*t.” 

Reigns left the ring. 

Rhodes gave Sikoa one more Cross Rhodes for the pinfall win to a big pop. 

— Rhodes and Reigns gave each other a knowing look before Reigns left.

(I liked that they didn’t have Reigns doing the fake tease of going after Rhodes only to hit Sikoa instead. It was as straightforward as possible.) 

Liv Morgan accepts Rhea Ripley’s Women’s World title challenge for WWE SummerSlam

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Rhea Ripley has thrown out her challenge for SummerSlam.

As Dominik Mysterio attempted to reconcile with Ripley at the start of Monday’s Raw, Liv Morgan interrupted her and said at first she didn’t see what Ripley saw in Dominik, but then got to spend time with him and it all became real to her. Ripley said she waited three months for this and set up the challenge for SummerSlam on August 3. Morgan said she always knew the end game would be this, so she won’t run, but she isn’t the same Liv Morgan and accepted Ripley’s challenge, saying she hoped Dominik would be there too.

A show-long storyline had Dominik attempt to reconcile with Ripley, mostly to no avail until he got a match against Jey Uso, saying that Uso was talking about Ripley. Morgan interfered during the match and put Dom in another compromising position, going for a kiss when Ripley came out, causing Morgan to bail through the crowd. After Dominik won, Ripley told him backstage that she doesn’t belong to anyone, but Dominik belongs to her.

Ripley has been out of action for three months after suffering an injury during a backstage angle with Morgan, causing her to vacate the Women’s World title. She made her return on last week’s Raw, interrupting Dominik and Morgan as they were celebrating their mixed tag team win in the ring.

In the wake of Ripley’s absence, Morgan has been attempting to seduce Dominik as part of her “revenge tour” against Ripley, who had injured Morgan last year.

Wrestling Weekly: Catching up on everything WWE & AEW

Posted on by Victor Sosa

Image: AEW

It’s our first episode of Wrestling Weekly in the last two weeks as we’ve been away.

So, we decided to get caught up on everything that’s happened in WWE and AEW during that time. Seems like a lot!

Thanks for listening and have a great weekend~!

Click here to listen (sub needed)

WWE Raw live results: Liv Morgan & Dominik Mysterio team up

Posted on by Corey Michaels

WWE is in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada tonight for the Money in the Bank fallout episode of Raw.

For the first time ever, Liv Morgan & Dominik Mysterio will team up as they take on Rey Mysterio & Zelina Vega in a mixed tag team match. After accidentally costing him a win last week, Morgan will attempt to ramp up her seduction by helping Dominik defeat his father tonight.

Morgan retained her Women’s World Championship against Vega last Monday after botched interference by Dominik, who has supposedly been trying to make things right with Rhea Ripley by attempting to get Morgan to lose the title.

Judgment Day’s Finn Balor & JD McDonagh will team with Carlito tonight against Braun Strowman, The Miz & R-Truth. There’s also a six-woman tag match set with Lyra Valkyria, Kayden Carter & Katana Chance taking on Damage CTRL’s IYO SKY, Kairi Sane & Dakota Kai.

Plus, Jey Uso vs. Chad Gable will take place tonight. Join us for live coverage starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

**********

Pat McAfee returned to commentary as the show emanated from the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario Canada.

– CM Punk kicks off the show, addresses a suspended Drew McIntyre

Punk professed his well-wishes to the soon-to-retire John Cena before going on a tirade regarding McIntyre. While patting himself on the back, Punk pointed out McIntyre’s faults and why he had been getting in his way. Seth Rollins came out to confront Punk instead.

Rollins beckoned Punk back into the ring, accusing Punk of getting into his business when he cost Rollins the match at Money in the Bank. Punk apologized to Rollins, admitting his rage got in the way before saying he “isn’t that sorry.” Rollins poked at Punk, commenting that he gaslights everyone and thinks the world revolves around him. Rollins concluded by threatening to snap Punk’s arm once he is cleared.

– Dominik Mysterio pleaded with Adam Pearce to call him off of the Liv Morgan tag match, Morgan appealed to Mysterio

Jey Uso defeated Chad Gable

With his torso taped up, Gable immediately administered his skills to Uso with suplexes and holds. Throughout picture-in-picture, Gable remained largely in control, with spirited defenses from Uso sprinkled in between.

Uso briefly fought out of Gable’s fingers only for Gable to ensnare him via an Ankle Lock. The Wyatt Six sound effects sounded as the arena darkened. Uso speared Gable for the win and gave a goodbye Yeet to the crowd.

The match was fine. Gable showed his range and power, and looked strong in defeat as anyone traumatized by the Wyatt Six would be understandably distracted. Uso’s star power was on full display and had to take advantage of the situation.

– Post-Match

Chad Gable woke up in the mist when Sister Abigail (Nikki Cross) scared him away and delivered yet another VHS tape to Michael Cole and Pat McAfee at commentary. The segment ended with an Abigail jumpscare.

– Sheamus backstage interview

The Celtic Warrior discussed his aspirations and competition when Bronson Reed came into frame, telling Sheamus he’s waiting if he defeated Sheamus’s old friend Pete Dunne. Commentary would later state that Dunne’s tag team partner Tyler Bate was out of action due to injury.

Bronson Reed defeated Pete Dunne

Reed immediately flattened Dunne, but he rebounded quickly, capped off with a floating moonsault to the floor outside. After a commercial break, Dunne fought out of another control segment by Reed. After some finger joint manipulation, the large Reed powerbombed Dunne onto the mat, following a brief struggle on the top turnbuckle with Dunne targeting the fingers again. Reed won with a finished Tsunami Splash, and was ready to use another one before Sheamus came to Dunne’s aid.

Sheamus tried to embrace Dunne, but he refused, still bitter about the dissolution of The Brawling Brutes.

This was a fine outing by Reed, and Dunne’s finger snapping spots put him at an advantage. The match suffered from a commercial break that took up most of its time, but otherwise a decent TV match. I’m interested in the sewn seeds between Dunne and Sheamus.

– Seth Rollins and Damian Priest backstage segment

Rollins approached Judgement Day, seeking one-on-one counsel with Priest, and acknowledged that the World Heavyweight Champion stuck to his word. Priest retorted, stating that he’d be willing to throw out the gentlemen’s agreement from before Money in the Bank since Rollins was unfairly costed. He then answered the phone to an unknown caller.

– Sami Zayn in-ring promo

Proudly touting his successful title victory at Money in the Bank, Zayn professed that he was no longer an underdog and deserved respect. Bron Breakker, fresh off his loss to Zayn, admits his defeat and that he would accept not receiving a rematch. Then he speared Zayn until officials came out, and then he speared him again. Ilja Dragunov appeared, quickly rushing to Zayn’s side.

– Ilja Dragunov demanded Adam Pearce give him a match against Bron Breakker

Judgement Day (Finn Balor, JD McDonagh, & Carlito) defeated Awesome Truth & Brawn Strowman

Former tag champs R-Truth and Miz were attacked during their prolonged entrance. JD McDonagh was promptly chased out by Braun Strowman, charging like a bull seeing red. During picture-in-picture, Carlito gloated as McDonagh and Balor assaulted the legal Miz. Strowman came in for the hot tag, dismantling McDonagh without mercy. Attempting a chokeslam on Balor, Strowman was interrupted by Carlito & McDonagh but he laid them flat. Strowman and R-Truth proceeded to run a train all across Judgement Day.

McDonagh evened the odds by enticing Strowman, who proceeded to chase him out of the ring. Balor took advantage of this with a Coup de Grâce for the win as Strowman was too late in returning to the ring.

Not that I was a big fan to begin with, but I hope the Awesome Truth push slows down if not outright stopped with all the tag teams Raw can feature.

– Adam Pearce asked CM Punk backstage to stay away from July 15’s episode of Monday Night Raw, Punk obliged in the hopes of resting and getting cleared

– Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio are caught in an awkward predicament by Judgement Day

Morgan sought to alleviate Mysterio’s tension and massage him into a position that bordered on non-PG territory. Judgement Day laughed and yelled at Mysterio, who repeated he’d take care of it. Damian Priest said he’d let Mysterio learn the consequences of his actions on his own.

– Bo Dallas VHS promo

This VHS recording detailed the motivations and pain of each member of The Wyatt Six (Erik Rowan, Nikki Cross, Joe Gacey, and Dexter Lumis). Uncle Howdy and Dallas agree that the team are “sick”.

– Adam Pearce backstage segment

Pearce was approached by an angry Chad Gable, pleading that as General Manager, Pearce needed to do something about The Wyatt Six. Pearce opened the door to his office to find Bo Dallas sitting in a chair. He then closed the door.

– Damage CTRL claimed the team needed to go through a change

Ilja Dragunov defeated Bron Breakker via DQ

Breakker began this match in control of a spiteful Dragunov who matched his intensity. After a commercial break, Dragunov was in dire straits. The pair traded blows, with Dragunov’s resilience and Breakker’s tenacity on full display. Powerbombing Breakker from the top rope and following it with a senton, Dragunov nearly had the match won. He got some nice air from that senton.

Breakker tried a Gorilla Press + Knees-to-midsection that didn’t pay off, but neither did Dragunov’s top-rope maneuvers. A sprinting Breakker sought to spear Dragunov but was met with a knee instead. The match ended after Breakker threw a chair at Dragunov, disqualifying him.

Sami Zayn entered the fray to prevent a post-match beatdown but Breakker decimated both men.

Each time I see Dragunov and Breakker go at it, they improve upon the match before. The intensity from both men is palpable each time they step into the ring. I see this post-match leading to a triple-threat match for the Intercontinental Championship down the line.

– Damian Priest vignette

A confident Priest celebrated his successes and challenged Gunther to show up and take advantage of his King of the Ring win opportunity for the World Heavyweight Championship.

– The Final Testament backstage vignette

Karrion Kross reiterates his intentions to draw Xavier Woods out of New Day, while addressing John Cena’s impending retirement.

Damage CTRL (Iyo Sky, Kairi Sane, & Dakota Kai) defeated Lyra Valkyria, Kayden Carter, & Katana Chance

Frenzy ensued after the bell with each team picking a partner to lock up with. Sane kept Carter at pace, and tagged in Kai. Valkyria, Carter, & Chance solidified their offense with a synchronized kick through the ropes. Damage CTRL regained momentum as they delivered a united front onto Chance. After a Sliding Elbow, the legal Sane sought pinfall in repetition to no avail.

Sky served as the hot tag, striking with agility and precision to Chance until Valkyria leveled her with her dynamic powerhouse style. All six women engaged in a double suplex that flattened Damage CTRL with a resounding thud. Carter & Chance nearly ended the match with their Keg Stand finisher. Sky launched Sane through the air onto Valkyria and Chance while Kai and Sane dragged Carter to the middle of the ring. Punctuating the match with her moonsault, Sky ended the match.

Post-match, Zoey Stark, Shayna Baszler, & Sonya Deville laid out Damage CTRL, closing the scene and standing tall.

In a perfect world, Carter and Chance would be thriving in tag team action without being set pieces for someone else. They worked well in tandem with Valkyria. Sane in particular shone more than she has for a while since her WWE return.

– Rey Mysterio & Zelina Vega backstage interview, promised to stop Dominik Mysterio & Liv Morgan

– Shayna Baszler, Zoey Stark, & Sonya Deville explain why Deville joined them, Isla Dawn & Alba Fyre taunt them

– Gunther promo vignette

The Ring General walked down memory lane, detailing his past accomplishments and proclaiming the sport was too sacred for lesser wrestlers following their dream. Gunther acknowledged his upcoming match with Damian Priest at SummerSlam.

Liv Morgan & Dominik Mysterio defeated Rey Mysterio & Zelina Vega

It was on-sight for Vega onto Morgan, so much so that she quickly had to tag in Dominik, and Rey for Vega. Rey quickly outpaced Dominik, and it certainly didn’t help that Rey included Vega. Morgan was again no match for Vega, but Dominik stood in Vega’s way and Rey took advantage with no hesitation. Morgan sacrificed herself for Dominik, pushing him to absorb Vega’s flying knees herself.

Running circles around his son, Rey lined up his 619 finisher, but Morgan tripped him up, leading to Dominik to gain control for the first time in the match. The uneasy chemistry between Dominik and Morgan built throughout the match. Contrasted to the hard-hitting style of Vega and Rey, Dominik and Morgan were underhanded and rotten in their approach.

In a callback to Eddy Guerrero vs Rey Misterio at Halloween Havoc 1997, Dominik tore at Rey’s mask and spammed his elbows across his father’s face. Finally gaining a moment of respite, Rey tagged in Vega who again was too fiery for Morgan, leaving little opening for the Women’s World Champion. Now, it was Morgan’s turn to gain control for the first time as she used Eddie Guerrero’s Three Amigos finisher to no success. Tagging in Rey, the masked veteran kept Dominik in his paces. Vega and Rey teamed up with each employing a 619 on Dominik, but Morgan quelled this and slammed Vega into the ring post. Throwing a chair into the ring to distract the ref, she gave a cheap shot to Rey and Dominik followed up with a Frog Splash for the win.

Post-match, Dominik hugged Morgan in excitement but quickly realized his mistake. Morgan responded in kind by jumping into Dominik’s arms as she dropped them to the mat and held him there for an uncomfortable amount of time. She would leave in a hurry though, as Rhea Ripley made her surprise return and she did not look too happy to see Dominik. In fact, she chastised him and stormed off in fury.

This mixed-tag team match actually had a fun pace to it despite the comedic soap opera angle. Rey’s a legend and Zelina’s a very fine worker. Couple that with Dominik’s heat magnet status and Liv’s star power, and this was an energetic bout with big spots. It dragged her and there, but there were important wheels turning that brought it to its conclusion and the awkwardness of Rhea finally catching Dominik in the act.

Overall the show was good. It could have had more than five matches, however, and preferably without The Awesome Truth. The Wyatt Six angle seems to be heading somewhere but they could possibly come up with alternative means for VHS tapes to reach the production truck each week, and I’m glad to see there may be an actual follow-up with Sheamus and the rest of his Brawling Brutes. I’m looking forward to Ilja Dragunov, Bron Breakker, and Sami Zayn to inevitably clash. Rhea Ripley’s return solidified how sorely missed she was.

Liv Morgan & Dominik Mysterio to team together in WWE Raw mixed tag match

Posted on by Ian Carey

Dominik Mysterio & Liv Morgan will be partners on WWE Raw tomorrow night.

Adam Pearce has announced two new matches for Monday’s show including a mixed tag with Dominik & Morgan vs. Rey Mysterio & Zelina Vega.

Braun Strowman, R-Truth and The Miz vs. Carlito, Finn Balor & JD McDonagh has also been added to the lineup.

WWE Raw this week takes place at the Canadian Tire Center in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Two other matches already announced for the show include Jey Uso vs. Chad Gable and Lyra Valkyria, Katana Chance & Kayden Carter vs. Damage CTRL’s IYO SKY, Kairi Sane & Dakota Kai.

The announced lineup for the Monday, July 8 WWE Raw —

  • Jey Uso vs. Chad Gable
  • Lyra Valkyria, Katana Chance & Kayden Carter vs. Damage CTRL’s IYO SKY, Kairi Sane & Dakota Kai
  • Carlito, Finn Balor & JD McDonagh vs. Awesome Truth (R-Truth & The Miz) & Braun Strowman
  • Dominik Mysterio & Liv Morgan vs. Rey Mysterio & Zelina Vega