WWE Monday Night Raw 9/18/2023

WWE Monday Night Raw 9/18/2023

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/09/wwe-monday-night-raw-9112023.html

Cody Rhodes came out. He said he wanted to talk about Jey Uso but was interrupted. Dominik Mysterio then comes out and says when Jey joins Judgment Day, they will be the most dominant faction in WWE. Dom says he will dedicate his victory over Cody tonight to Rhea. Cody says Dom is more into Rhea than she is into him and says it's like Urkel and Laura Winslow. Cody says Rhea has eyes for Jey Uso.

Dom says they are a family and a family always has each others back. Priest and Balor come out and we go to break.

Cody Rhodes vs Dominik Mysterio

Dragon Lee is out there watching this as he fights Dom for the NXT North American title next week. Cody does a delayed gordbuster then figure fours him. Finn pull Cody off the apron then they botch a suplex spot. Cody then hits a cody cutter and cross rhodes. Cody then wins it.

This was really short for some reason and they botched one of the only spots they did here. I didn't understand what this was about at all.

Judgment Day get on the apron and stare at Cody then Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens come out. A 6-man stand off ensues.

Kevin Owens gets on the mic after and says he and Cody have to talk. Owens asks if its true that Jey Uso is on Raw because of him. Owens wants to know why Cody thought this was a good idea. Cody said his job is to make the people happy. Cody asks if the fans like Jey. Cody says Jey is one of the best in the world and deserves a 2nd chance. Cody said Jey should get time to show that he has changed. Cody then says Bloodline is down a member. Sami says Owens should give Jey a 2nd chance and said they gave each other 2nd chances. Owens says he can pretend Jey didn't cost all of them the title. Owens says he trusts both of them, hopes they are right and then leaves.

Kofi Kingston vs Ivar

 

We saw clips of Adam Pearce telling New Day that Erik can't compete tonight, so the tag is cancelled. Kofi doesn't want it cancelled and suggests a 2v1. Adam then says they should do a 1v1 and Kofi gets the spot.

Ivar shoulders over Kofi then Kofi back elbows him. Ivar buttdrops him in the corner then Kofi hits punches. Kofi top rope chops him then dropkicks him. Kofi then hits a jumping clothesline. Kofi high kicks him then is back body dropped to the floor. Ivar then splashes him off the apron on the floor.

We go to break and return. Ivar side slams him then crossbodies him as he is seated. Ivar misses a top rope splash then Kofi splashes his back off the buckles. Kofi runs up the buckles and twisting crossbodies him. Kofi hits the ranhei for 2. Kofi evades kicks then Ivar hits a tiger driver for 2. Ivar spinning high kicks him then bronco busters him in the corner.

Valhallah tells Ivar to go for a moonsault instead of a 2nd rope splash and Ivar hits it. Kofi kicks out at 2 then sunset bombs him off the ropes. Kofi then hits the trouble in paradise kick and wins it.

They did a little too much here but it was good with Kofi being the underdog and Ivar being the big hoss.

Ricochet is interviewed. He said he feels Nakamura sees this as just another night. He said he is nobody's pawn and says let's play games if Nakamura wants to play them. He said he is a cheat code and it's game over tonight.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs Ricochet

 

Ric = Ricochet, SN = Shinsuke Nakamura

Seth Rollins' music hits. Adam Pearce and security try to stop him but fail. Seth chases Nakamura but Nakamura hides behind security. SN goes to the ropes for cover and SN gives him a stiff boot. SN then throws him into the middle buckle. SN stomps on him. Ric backflips into a headscissors and then dropkicks him.

Ric mudhole stomps him then goes to handspring but is dropkicked. SN knees him in the gut and does a grounded cobra twist. Ric standing moonsaults him for 2 then SN hits corner strikes. SN footchokes him in the corner then Ric moonsaults off the 2nd turnbuckle connector onto him outside.

We go to break and return. Ric flying knees him and does a handspring back elbow. Ric running ssp's him for 2. Ric kicks the buckle as SN's head is on it. Ric then springboard crossbodies him. Ric sits up top and is facekicked, then legswept on the apron. Ric enzugiri's him outside, avoids a chairshot and superkicks him. Ric then hits him with a chair and is disqualified. Ric seems shocked that he got DQ'd for this.

SN sliding kicks him in the back of the leg then does a kinshasha to the back of the neck. Ric's leg is put arund the post then SN chairs it. Seth Rollins comes out and goes after SN. Seth is wearing women's clothes for some reason and is back body dropped on a chair. Seth is then backdropped on the commentator's table. SN then grabs a Seth head from the crowd and then does Seth's poses with it in a funny moment.

The match had some highlights but wasn't that special. The lame ending didn't help it.

Seth is walking around in the back. He says he is fine and doesn't need the ref's help. He then heads to the trainers room.

Piper Niven and Chelsea Green are interviewed. Green doesn't think Shayna and Zoey's team is formidable or a real team. She says friendship is what makes a real team and says her and Piper are best friends. Piper doesn't agree and asks what country she is from. Green says, "Florida". Byron tells her it's Scotland and Green says of course it is and says she knows it.

Chelsea Green and Piper Niven vs Zoey Stark and Shayna Baszler

Zoey hits back elbows and an uppercut in the corner on Green then sliding lariats her. Zoey does a corkscrew senton off the ropes onto her. Shayna goes a neckbreaker on Green then sliding knees her. Zoey misses a corner splash then Green top rope dropkicks her. Piper shoulderbeakers her, Green hits an enzugiri on Zoey then is superkicked.

Shayna running knees Piper off the apron then Piper slams her on the floor. Nia Jax then comes out and bangs Piper's head off the post and steps. Nia samoan drops Zoey then sentons her. Nia throws Green then hip attacks Green in the corner. Nia splashes Shayna then banzai bobs her. Nia says she will take out anyone she wants and says the division is on notice.

The match was too short and they didn't get to do much before it ended. 

Adam Pearce is in the back on the phone then Chad Gable goes up to him. Chad asks about Seth and says he's angry. Chad asks how he can get another shot at Gunther. Adam said he has to earn his way to the shot. Bronson Reed comes in and says back of the line. Reed calls him small but has like maybe 3 inches on him. Gable says he'll suplex him if he wants to be next in line. Adam says they can have a match next if they want to fight.

Jey Uso is interviewed. He says he knows he has a target on his back and has history with Drew. Damian Priest walks in and says the Judgment Day is looking for an Uso. Priest says he wants Jey in the Judgment Day, but he can't make that decision. Jey says he knows about family. Priest says he has relatives, but says Judgment Day is something special. He says they can be the family he is looking for.

Chad Gable vs Bronson Reed

Reed pushes him down and throws him. Chad flying forearms him  then top rope dropkicks him. Reed splashes him and hits a powerslam. Chad goes into the buckles chest first. Reed gorilla presses him and throws him onto the top rope. Gable is then pushed off the apron into the rails.

We go to break and return. Chad clips him then is lariated. Chad triangles him over the top rope then koppo kicks him. Chad hits a top rope headbutt then Reed body blocks him. Reed goes for a senton but Chad gets his knees up. Chad is on his back and is driven down backwards. Reed top rope splashes him and wins it.

It was okay. I don't like Chad losing here as he's above that. I think they could have had a better match but it's TV and they weren't getting that kind of time. Reed winning this felt random.

Tommaso Ciampa talks in the back. He said he tried to be patient and wait for his number. He said being patient is not a virtue in this universe. He said Vinci taps tonight and said he has chosen Imperium. He said Gunther has what he wants and then leaves.

Becky Lynch fist bumps with Tozawa in the back.

Sami and Kevin Owens talk. They are arguing about Jey Uso. Jey Uso comes in and tells Owens to say what he has to say to his face. Owens says he thinks he is with Judgment Day or is about to be. He says he will run Judgment Day soon and says he doesn't trust him either way. Owens said he doesn't have a match and is out of here. Sami tells Jey that Owens needs time to come along and asks him to chill. Sami said it sounds like Jey has a big decision to make and wishes him good luck with it.

Becky Lynch comes out to talk. She says you have to take the chances and opportunities while you can. She said she didn't want to just win the NXT Women's title and put it on the mantle. She says she wants to defend and elevate the title. She said she will be at NXT tomorrow but says she is here in Utah tonight. Becky talks about giving opportunities then Natalya comes out and says she wants one. She says she accepts and Becky said she meant it for someone new. Natalya says she is a hypocritical ginger witch and pushes her. Becky says she accepts and Becky says to ring the bell.

NXT Women's Title - Becky Lynch (c) vs Natalya

Natty = Natalya

Becky is thrown into the post and we go to break. We return and Becky hits a spin kick to the gut. Becky flying forearms her and exploders her. Natty release germans her then hits some shots while she is up top. Natty superplexes her for 2 then Becky top rope dropkicks her.

Becky baseball slides her under the bottom rope then Natty spinning clotheslines her. They try pin attempts on each other and Becky pins her.

This was short and rushed. The work was okay, but there wasn't a lot they could do here. Becky also was obviously not losing.

Dom talks to Adam Pearce and Dragon Lee. Dom says he lost to Cody and it's Adam's fault because Rhea wasn't there. He said Rhea wasn't there because he didn't punish Nia Jax for attacking her. Dom says he doesn't like guys with masks and says it reminds him of his deadbeat dad. He says he will keep his NXT title next week. Lee says he will leave Raw as the NXT champ and he was very hard to understand.

Tommaso Ciampa vs Giavanni Vinci

Kaiser grabs Ciampa's leg and Vinci hits shots on him. Vinci hits a euro and sends a huge wad of spit flying. Vinci hits a hard lariat and we see Gunther watching in the back. Vinci backdrops Ciampa then Vinci stomps on him and slaps him in the back of the head. Ciampa hits a thesz press and hits mounted punches.

Ciampa flying lariats him then corner lariats him. Ciampa reverse ddt's him then Vinci rolls him up. Vinci springboards and runs into a knee on it. Ciampa then taps him out with the sicilian stretch.

It was another short one and they did the best they could with it.

Seth is limping in the back and is interviewed by Byron. He says he feels tired and is in pain. He said he is losing his mind and says he will do whatever it takes to get Nakamura in the ring. He says the ball is in Nakamura's corner, saying he can name the time, place and stipulation. He says their destiny's are intertwined. He asks if Nakamura or himself will define Nakamura's legacy.

Drew McIntyre vs Jey Uso

Drew's wearing white and gold and looks like he is in his underwear. Drew faceshoves him and Jey hits shots in the corner. Jey enzugiri's him then Drew lariats him. Drew pounds on him then suplexes him for 2. They trade chops and Drew stomps him. Drew is thrown out and tope'd. Jey then topes him again.

Judgment Day comes out. We go to break and return. Jey is sitting up tops and takes headbutts then Drew superplexes him. They trade forearms and Jey hits punches. Drew headbutts him then takes an enzugiri. Jey samoan drops him then Drew spinebusters him. Jey misses a punch and Drew neckbreakers him off of it.

Dom gets on the apron and Priest grabs Drew. Jey flying kicks Drew for 2. Priest pounds fists with Jey and encourages him. Jey then superkicks Priest, Finn and Dom. Drew then hits a claymore kick and wins it.

The match was basic for the most part. They just didn't do their best stuff. I had a hard time buying Jey doing any real damage to Drew due to the size differences. I would have played out this Judgment Day/Uso thing out more then having Uso beat them up here.  

Judgment Day stomp Jey 3v1. Drew watches on but doesn't do anything. Cody Rhodes then comes out and helps out Jey. Cody clears Judgment Day out of the ring and Dom has to be pulled out by Priest to safety.

Overall thoughts: It was a nothing show for the most part. The matches were short and didn't get enough time. Jey going after Judgment Day was the only real happening. I didn't think it was awful, but you could skip this one and not miss a lot.