– Tonight’s WWE RAW opens up on the USA Network with a video package on the Omos vs. Bobby Lashley feud, showing how we got to tonight’s Steel Cage match, where MVP will be locked out, while Lashley and Omos will be locked in. We’re now live from the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia as Jimmy Smith welcomes us. He’s joined at ringside by Corey Graves and Byron Saxton. We see the Steel Cage in place as the announcers hype tonight’s show.
Steel Cage Match: Omos vs. Bobby Lashley
We go right to the Steel Cage and out first comes Omos with MVP. They enter the cage and Omos is all smiles. MVP says we will witness a spectacle of destruction tonight. MVP gets the “What!?” treatment when taking shots at his former client. He then praises Omos as the boos get louder. MVP expects his former client to put up a fight because that’s the man he is, but we all know how this one will end. MVP goes on and says the era of The All Mighty ends tonight and we are all privileged to be living in the age of The Nigerian Giant. The music hits and out next comes Bobby Lashley to a pop. Lashley poses on the stage as pyro goes off. Lashley marches to the ring ready to fight as Mike Rome does the introductions.
Cedric Alexander runs down and attacks Lashley from behind on the ramp. They brawl and Omos exits the cage to help Cedric. Officials run down to try and restore order as fans chant for Lashley now. Omos and MVP are held back on the ramp as Lashley enters the cage and calls Omos in to fight. Omos stares down to the cage as we go to commercial.
Back from the break and order has been restored. The bell rings and Lashley charges in the cage but Omos clubs him to the mat as MVP looks on from ringside. Omos puts a boot to Lashley to keep him down. MVP with a cheap cane shot through the steel cage wall.
Lashley fights back and jumps on Omos’ back with a Sleeper hold. Omos powers out with ease but Lashley rams him into the corner and works him over. Lashley charges but Omos grabs hm by his throat, then clubs him to the mat with a shot to the heart. Omos sends Lashley back to the corner as fans chant for Lashley. Lashley gets dropped again, which allows MVP to connect with another cheap shot through the cage wall, right into Lashley’s neck. Omos grabs Lashley and launches him face-first into the top turnbuckle, then flattens him with a big boot.
Omos poses as fans boo him. Omos with a big running splash across the ring into the corner. Omos with another splash in the corner. Lashley fights back and gets an opening. Lashley drops Omos and climbs up but Omos jumps back up and cuts him off. Lashley stomps away and sends Omos to the mat. Lashley climbs again but here comes Cedric again, climbing the outside of the cage.
Cedric kicks Lashley from the top of the cage but Lashley grabs him and launches Cedric from the top of the cage to the mat. Lashley leaps off the top turnbuckle but Omos catches him in mid-air. Omos launches Lashley into the steel wall of the cage. Fans boo as Omos stands tall over Lashley. Omos grabs him but Lashley fights back. Lashley charges but a huge boot to the face puts him back down as MVP looks on. Omos grabs Lashley by his face and MVP barks orders, telling him to finish Lashley. Omos scoops Lashley to his shoulders and launches him into the cage wall, but the cage breaks and Lashley tumbles out to the floor.
Lashley is up on his feet now as the cage wall falls to the ground. His feet touch the ground and he wins the match.
Winner: Bobby Lashley
– After the match, Lashley and his fans explode as it becomes obvious that he’s winning. MVP seethes at ringside. It’s announced that despite the unique way the match ended, Lashley is still the winner as his feet touched the ground first.
– We see how Ciampa defeated Mustafa Ali with The Miz as special referee last week, which was arranged by Theory.
Veer Mahaan vs. Mustafa Ali
We go back to the ring and out comes WWE United States Champion Theory for this non-title match. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and out comes Mustafa Ali. Theory takes the mic and says he can’t go through with this match unless there’s someone he can trust to call it down the middle 100%. Theory says we’re going to have a special guest referee for this match. The music hits and Theory introduces The Miz, who comes out in his referee gear.
Theory is still stalling. Miz asks if he’s ready. Theory brags on being the youngest champion and the protege of WWE Chairman & CEO Vince McMahon, and says it’s not fair that Ali just falls into this match. Theory says he’s taking Ali back to the first lesson he learned from Mr. McMahon – expect the unexpected. Theory goes on and reveals that he won’t be wrestling Ali tonight, but Veer Mahaan will. The music hits and out comes Veer as Ali looks on.
The bell rings and Ali nails a dropkick to stun Veer, then another into the corner. Ali charges again but Veer leaps at him and takes him down with a flying body press. Ali counters and turns it around in the corner but Miz gets in the way. Ali keeps trying to fight but Veer drops him with a big boot. Veer dominates some more and presses Ali over his head but Ali lands on his feet. Ali superkicks Veer, and another superkick.
Theory trips Ali from ringside but Miz acts like he didn’t see it. Veer charges but Ali sends him to the floor. Ali keeps dropkicking Veer as he tries to re-enter the ring. Ali runs the ring and goes to leap out but Miz is in the way, counting Veer. Ali and Miz have words now. Miz mushes Ali in the face. Ali turns back around but Veer drops him with a strike out of nowhere. Veer jumps down on Ali’s back and applies the Cervical Clutch for the pin to win.
Winner: Veer Mahaan
– After the match, Veer stands tall as his music hits. Theory returns to the ring and he wants a selfie. Veer re-applies the clutch to Ali so Theory can snap a selfie with them in the background. Miz then gets in the selfie and Theory snaps another while Veer has Ali locked in the hold. They send Veer to the floor so he can take apart the announce table now. The music interrupts and out comes The Mysterios – Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio. Rey and Dominik attack Veer as he tries to re-enter the ring. Dominik flies out but Veer catches him. Rey then flies out off the apron and makes the save, taking Veer down. Rey and Dominik stand tall together in the ring as the music hits, leaving Veer at ringside, furious and staring them down.
– Becky Lynch is backstage arguing with Adam Pearce. Back to commercial.
– Back from the break and we see recent happenings in the RAW Women’s Title chase, to promote tonight’s Six-Pack Challenge main event with Becky Lynch, Asuka, the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, Doudrop, and Nikki A.S.H. Becky is backstage ranting with Adam Pearce about tonight’s Six-Pack Challenge now. She says the match can’t even happen now as WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks and Naomi left the building. Lynch goes on and suggests Pearce just name her the #1 contender and give her the night off. Pearce makes the new main event Lynch vs. Asuka with the winner becoming the new #1 contender to RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair for a match at Hell In a Cell.
– We see how RAW Tag Team Champion Riddle decked Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns on Friday’s SmackDown.
RAW Tag Team Champion Riddle vs. SmackDown Tag Team Champion Jimmy Uso
We go back to the ring and out comes RAW Tag Team Champion Riddle by himself. He hits the ring and the pyro goes off as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and out come SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos – Jimmy Uso with Jey Uso. The bell rings and Jey provides an early distraction from ringside, allowing Jimmy to take control in the corner. Riddle ends up countering from the opposite corner, leveling Uso with a big kick. Riddle with a suplex for a close 2 count. Riddle goes to capitalize but Jimmy drops him with a right hand.
The referee is distracted again, allowing Jey to rock Riddle with another big right hand cheap shot. Jimmy goes to punch Riddle in the corner but Riddle catches him in a Triangle, then tumbles him to the floor. More back and forth on the floor now as The Usos team up to turn it around after Riddle kicks Jey from the apron but Jimmy knocks Riddle to the floor. Jimmy runs and nails a big dive. Jimmy sends Riddle into the steel ring steps now. Jey grabs their title belts and poses with them on top of the steel steps as fans boo. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and Jimmy is dominating Riddle in the ring. The Usos raise their fingers in the air to boos. Jimmy with the Rikishi splash in the corner for another close 2 count. Riddle finally fights up and out of a hold, rocking Uso with an overhead kick. They tangle and Riddle nails a big Exploder suplex from the corner. Riddle keeps going but Jimmy gets a quick shot to the gut up and they’re both down now.
Graves says RAW Tag Team Champion Randy Orton has a prior family commitment, so he is not here tonight. Jimmy and Riddle trade headbutts and strikes as they fight back up from the mat. Jimmy catches Riddle with a big Pop-Up Samoan Drop but Riddle kicks out just in time. Jimmy goes to the top but Riddle rushes up with him. They tangle as fans cheer them on. Riddle tries for a super RKO but Jimmy sends him back to the mat. Jimmy goes for the Uso Splash but Riddle gets his knees up. Jey can’t believe what he just saw.
Jimmy and Riddle are both up now but they’re dazed. Jimmy runs into a back elbow from the corner. Jey assists from the floor, causing Riddle to land bad from the corner. Jimmy ends up rolling Riddle as Jey helps him with leverage for the pin. The referee counts it but then he catches Jey and ejects him from ringside. The distraction and the argument leads to Riddle rolling Jimmy up for the pin to win.
W1nner: Riddle
– After the match, the music hits as Riddle heads to the ramp with his title in the air. We go to replays. The Usos are seething in the ring, clearly disappointed at the finish. Riddle continues to celebrate on the stage.
– We see how new Judgment Day member Rhea Ripley punished Liv Morgan last week as Damian Priest and WWE Hall of Famer Edge watched. We also see how Priest vs. Finn Balor ended and how AJ Styles got involved. Kevin Patrick is backstage with Liv now, asking about her state of mind following last week’s attack. Liv says Rhea will never get away with this because no matter the odds, Liv never gives up. She goes on until Los Lotharios approach. She turns down a Kiss Cam request and then AJ Styles and Finn Balor walk up. They get Los Lotharios to leave and say they will see them later. AJ and Balor propose that they team with Liv to work together and have each other’s backs or Judgment Day will tear them apart. Balor asks Liv if she wants to come join them at ringside tonight and she says she will think about it. We see Edge, Priest and Ripley backstage talking now while Edge sits on his throne.
– Still to come, Asuka vs. Becky Lynch. Back to commercial.
– Back from the break and The Judgment Day is in the back. Damian Priest asks if fans have been listening and if they’re getting it yet, and then says they’re not because they’d be showing respect and rising for The Judgment Day by now. Priest goes on and says they don’t take orders, they do what they want when they want, and if any of your precious heroes want to step to them, they’ll get nothing but punishment in return. Priest laughs. Ripley speaks next and says they are done being everything fans want them to be. She says nothing is holding her back now, it’s time for complete and utter eradication. Edge says people should listen to Priest and Ripley because they don’t speak names and make lies. Edge knows some people are tired of pretending, he travels the country and sees it in their faces, but with the state of the world right now, who can blame you for being angry? Edge tells people to stop being sheep, join their movement and add some excitement into your life. He says their mission statement is Judgment Day equals power, and he offers everyone to accept this gift or keep living your purgatory existence. Edge goes on and says he has seen how this plays out and he knows more favorites will join them. Edge says his arms are wide open, waiting for the next WWE Superstar who needs his genius to guide their career. Edge addresses AJ Styles about how they’ve sacrificed their bodies for fans when the fans weren’t there for them in the end. Edge calls on AJ, Finn Balor and Liv Morgan to join their movement. He says this will end, either with AJ, Balor and Liv by their sides or laying at their feet, again and again and again, as long as it takes. Edge moves the scales of justice to end the segment.
AJ Styles and Finn Balor vs. Los Lotharios
We go back to the ring and out comes Finn Balor. Liv Morgan joins him and they wait on the ramp as AJ Styles makes his way out to another big pop. They all head to the ring together.
Back from the break and the announcers plug WWE Clash at The Castle in Cardiff, Wales. We go back to the ring and out comes Los Lotharios – Angel and Humberto. They do the Kiss Cam at ringside as AJ, Balor and Liv look on. AJ starts off with Humberto and they take it to the corner. Humberto backs off and AJ unloads.
Balor tags in for the double team dropkicks on Humberto. Balor covers for 2. Balor controls Humberto by his arm now. AJ comes in but Humberto turns it around and tags in Angel for another double team. Angel with an abdominal stretch to AJ. Humberto tags right back in, drops AJ and taunts Balor.
Angel tags back in but AJ fights off the double team. Angel gets sent out of the ring, then Humberto right behind him as Balor comes in to assist AJ. Balor and AJ leap out of the ring with a double crossbody, taking down Angel and Humberto in front of the announcers. AJ and Balor stand tall as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and Humberto has AJ grounded in a single-leg Crab. We see how Angel leveled AJ at ringside and ripped his pants off for a pop. Angel tags back in now and they do a double team Crab to AJ, while taunting Balor. AJ kicks Humberto away now. AJ ducks a kick and drops Humberto with an enziguri as Balor and Liv cheer him on. Balor and Angel tag in at the same time. They go at it with Balor taking control.
Balor also drops Humberto and hits a double stomp on him. Balor with a side-Russian leg sweep on Angel. Balor goes on but Angel rolls him for a 2 count. Angel catches a kick and nails a big knee to the nose of Balor. AJ gets taken out. Balor blocks the Wing Clipper from Angel, then hits a Slingblade in the middle of the ring. Balor charges but Angel superkicks him out of the corner.
Humberto tags in and goes to the top for a moonsault but he lands on Balor’s knee on the way down. Balor with a corner dropkick to Humberto, dodging an attack by Angel. AJ nails a Phenomenal Forearm out of nowhere to take Angel out, sending him to the floor. Balor then hits Coup de Grace to Humberto for the pin to win.
Winners: AJ Styles and Finn Balor
– After the match, Balor and Styles stand tall in the middle of the ring as the music hits. We go to replays. Liv joins them and they invite her to “too sweet” with them. Liv does the “too sweet” with Balor and AJ in the middle of the ring as fans continue to cheer them on.
– Chad Gable and Otis are backstage with Kevin Owens. Gable has Ezekiel’s DNA results and Owens is ready to expose him. Owens opens the folder and it says the DNA sample was contaminated with BBQ sauce. Owens is furious now. Otis says Elias must’ve been eating ribs and pulled pork but Owens remembers Otis eating ribs like crazy backstage that week, and says maybe Otis needs the lie detector test.. Owens vents his frustration and Gable says next week he will expose Elias but this week he will beat him in the ring.
– We see what happened last week when Adam Pearce informed Sonya Deville that her WWE official’s contract has been terminated, which came before her quick loss to the returning Alexa Bliss.
Alexa Bliss vs. Sonya Deville
We go back to the ring and out comes Alexa Bliss with her new theme song, and Lilly. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and out comes Sonya Deville for the rematch with Bliss. The bell hits and they lock up. Deville is aggressive early on, and talks some trash to the referee, but Bliss rocks her. Bliss dropkicks Deville and takes her down again, then drops double knees. Bliss misses a moonsault and Deville comes back with a running knee for a 2 count.
Deville slams Bliss’ face into the mat a few times while talking some trash. Deville kicks Bliss in her face, then drops her with a clothesline for a 2 count. Deville is frustrated now. Deville grounds Bliss with a headlock now. Bliss finally fights up and out, nailing a jawbreaker. Deville drops Bliss again and charges in with a sliding knee. Bliss kicks out just in time but she’s frustrated.
Deville takes Bliss head-first into the corner. Deville exposes the turnbuckle now and the referee stops her. The referee puts the pad back on but he doesn’t see Deville catch Bliss with a Spinebuster, then cover her for the pin. Deville is frustrated when Bliss kicks out at 2 after she had her pinned for the win. Bliss fights back and rocks Deville in the mouth. Bliss then decks Deville again and drops her with a DDT for the pin to win.
Winner: Alexa Bliss
– After the match, Bliss stands tall as her music hits. We go to replays. Deville argues with the referee and gets in his face. Deville drops the official with a slap and the boos get louder now. Deville exits the ring and heads to the back.
– We get a video package on recent happenings between Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins.
– We go back to the ring and out comes Cody Rhodes to a big pop. Rhodes stops on the stage as the pyro explodes again. Rhodes then greets and poses in the corner as more pyro goes off. Rhodes enters the ring and he’s fired up as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and fans chant for Rhodes as he waits in the ring with a mic. He’s been told Seth Rollins isn’t here tonight, but he’s hoping Rollins is watching from home. Rhodes tried to move on last week but Rollins smashed his head into the table and said
Rhodes needs to know what he took away from Rollins – two wins, a bonus, the spotlight? Rhodes says the biggest threat to Rollins probably isn’t Rhodes, but Rollins himself. Rhodes looks back to 2012 when Rollins came to WWE with The Shield, admitting he was one of the bitter boys in the locker room due to The Shield’s success. Rhodes says Rollins won his way to the top, but Rhodes’ story is a little different – he didn’t win that much until recently, he actually lost, he scratched, he crawled, he painted his face, dead with a smile, looking up at the lights most nights, but the thing is, he endured. He says you learn so much from loss – how to live, how to love, how to adapt and reinvent. Rhodes goes on and says he’s never going to be The American Dream, so why not embrace The Nightmare? Fans pop. Fans chant “Cody!” now. Rhodes says you could say he lost his way to the top.
Rhodes goes on about his second chance and how he won’t take it for granted, and if you’re going to take it from him, you’ll have to kill him. Rhodes proposes a third time to run it back and this time it would be inside Hell In a Cell. Rollins appears on the big screen, laughing and doing his shtick. He accuses Cody of stealing his spotlight, cheating at WrestleMania Backlash, getting his face smashed and still wanting one more shot, this time in Hell In a Cell. Rollins says Cody must be stupider than he looks, and this will be the biggest mistake he’s ever made. Rollins says people who face him in the Cell are changed forever. Rollins accepts and says he will exploit every one of Cody’s insecurities, and expose him for the fraud he is. Cody says he will see Rollins in Hell.
– Asuka is backstage with Sarah Schreiber, who asks about tonight’s main event. Asuka says Becky Lynch is a Big Time Baby, and she will give her a reason to cry tonight because she’s ready for the RAW Women’s Title. Asuka goes on and says Becky is not ready for her.
Ezekiel vs. Chad Gable
We go back to the ring and out comes Chad Gable with Otis and Kevin Owens. Back to commercial.
Back from the break and out comes Ezekiel. Owens is on commentary. Back and forth between Gable and Ezekiel to start the match. Otis barks while standing behind Owens. Zeke grounds Gable but Gable fights up and goes for an arm drag. Zeke counters and grounds Gable again. More back and forth between the two. Zeke with a Gory Special in the middle of the ring.
Gable escapes and rolls him but Zeke rolls through and tries for an ankle lock. Gable gets the middle rope. Zeke is sent to the floor but he capitalizes and uses the middle rope on Gable. Gable ends up arguing with the referee, which allows Otis to come over and drop Zeke with a big clothesline. Fans boo Otis as we go back to commercial.
Back and forth after the break. Gable looks to mount some offense but Zeke catches him with a Spinebuster in the middle of the ring for a pin attempt. Zeke takes Gable to the corner and has him up top for a superplex now. Gable resists and headbutts him back to the mat. Gable leaps with a double axe handle but Zeke meets him in mid-air with a big jumping knee. Gable kicks out at 2. Gable turns it around and tries for the moonsault again, this time hitting it for a 2 count. Gable with forearms in the middle of the ring. Zeke fights back with chops and punches.
Zeke with a Donkey Kick from the corner. Zeke with a splash across the ring into the corner. Otis gets on the apron but Zeke knocks him to the floor with a running knee. Gable and Zeke trade roll-up attempts on the mat, and Zeke gets the pin to win.
Winner: Ezekiel
– After the match, Zeke quickly heads to the floor as his music hits. Zeke greets some fans at ringside as Alpha Academy seethes in the ring, and Owens joins them, looking on from the corner.
– R-Truth and Tamina Snuka are backstage looking for Akira Tozawa so he can be served with divorce papers. They finally find him hiding. Tamina and Tozawa go their separate ways. WWE 24/7 Champion Dana Brooke appears and thanks Truth for serving Reggie with papers last week. Truth was happy to start and end her marriage. Truth wants to talk about compensation now. He wants his 24/7 Title shot. Truth gets weird about it until Brooke shoves him away and takes off running. Brooke runs into Carmella and apologizes but they have some words. Carmella says Dana is a sorry excuse for a competitor and wife, while her husband Corey Graves can’t get enough of her. Carmella goes on bragging until Brooke says Carmella hasn’t been relevant since the “chinless guy” worked here, which is a reference to James Ellsworth. She also says Graves talks a big game but can’t back it up. Dana ends up leaving and Truth comes to Carmella. Carmella agrees to help Truth get his WWE 24/7 Title back but she wants Dana.
– We go back to the ring and Lacey Evans is introduced. She greets fans at ringside and heads to the ring as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and Evans is in the ring with a mic. She talks about how she admires and respects the men & women of the U.S. Armed Forces. She calls on everyone in the arena to stand and give them a round of applause with her. The arena is near Naval Station Norfolk and Evans mentions servicemen and women being in attendance tonight. She personally thanks them for their service and thanks everyone for the reception she received.
Evans goes on about how it’s hard to find courage to fight, to change your circumstances to change your life, but we’ve got what it takes to do so. She’s thankful to be on RAW to not only show the WWE Universe you have what it takes to beat the cycle, but to also show her two beautiful baby girls that they can do it, they have what it takes to make it, what it takes to wake up and work and win. Fans are barely cheering Evans now. She goes on and says she may not be better than any of the women in the RAW locker room, but they damn sure are no better than her. Evans raises her arms in the air as her music hits. She then flexes to barely a reaction compared to before.
– We see how Riddle defeated Jimmy Uso earlier. Riddle is backstage now, hyping up Friday’s SmackDown and how he and Randy Orton are coming to SmackDown to unify the Tag Team Titles. Riddle ends it by saying RK-Bro 4:20 means he just smoked your ass, bro. The Usos are also backstage now. They say Riddle got lucky today but come Friday all that luck runs out and The Bloodline will be dropped in gold.
#1 Contender’s Match: Asuka vs. Becky Lynch
We go back to the ring for tonight’s main event and out first comes RAW Women’s Champion Bianca Belair. She hits the ring and poses on the apron as we go back to commercial.
Back from the break and we see how WWE Superstars visited troops on the USS Iwo Jima battleship memorial before RAW. We also see how Bobby Lashley defeated Omos in the Steel Cage match earlier tonight. Lashley will host an All Mighty Challenge for Omos next week. We go back to the ring and Belair is now at ringside as Asuka makes her way out. The winner of this match will challenge Belair at WWE Hell In a Cell. Out next comes Becky Lynch to a pop. The bell rings and they go at it. Asuka is sent to the floor early on but she catches a basement dropkick and rocks Lynch.
Becky goes back tot he floor for a breather but Asuka follows. Asuka kicks the steel ring steps as Becky moves. Asuka charges Becky but it’s countered and Becky drives Asuka into the barrier. We go back to commercial as Belair looks on while Lynch and Asuka are down at ringside.
Back from the break and they trade pin attempts. Asuka with a big kick to the face but Becky hangs in there. They get up and trade strikes in the middle of the ring now. Asuka with a spinning back fist, then a kick to drop Lynch. Asuka goes on and hits a Hip Attack in the corner, then a GTS, and a sliding kick to the face. Lynch somehow kicks out. More back and forth now. Lynch has the Man-Handle Slam blocked and more as Asuka goes at it with her. Lynch does the leg drop from the corner but Asuka stays on her.
Asuka blocks the Dis-Arm-Her and rolls her for a 2 count. They tangle some more and Asuka gets the Asuka Lock applied in the middle of the ring. Lynch rolls over and turns it into a 2 count. They both show frustration after more back & forth in the ring. Becky ends up on the floor, arguing and yelling at Lynch. Asuka comes out and grabs Lynch but Lynch sends Asuka into the apron and Belair, knocking her down.
Lynch brings Asuka back in. Belair chases her but the referee holds Belair back at the apron. Lynch grabs Asuka’s umbrella while the referee isn’t looking, but Asuka spits her mist in Lynch’s face and then pins her for the win after a Buzzsaw kick.
Winner and New #1 Contender: Asuka
– After the match, Asuka celebrates as the music hits. The announcers confirm Asuka vs. Belair for WWE Hell In a Cell with the title on the line. Asuka heads up the ramp as Lynch throws a fit in the ring, covered in the green mist. Belair looks on as Lynch continues to throw a tantrum in the ring, blinded by Asuka’s mist. RAW goes off the air.
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