This week’s episode of WWE Raw emanates from the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado! American Made faces Alpha Academy. The Intercontinental Championship contenders tournament continues. CM Punk and Sami Zayn call out WWE World Heavyweight Champion Gunther. Damian Priest teams up with Jey Uso. Damage CTRL battle Unholy Union, and much more!
We break it all down in this week’s WWE Raw recap!
We Hear From Rhea Ripley
Rhea Ripley recalls beating Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio at WWE Bash in Berlin, but says they have unfinished business with the Judgment Day. Ripley points out that she pinned Morgan at Bash in Berlin, and wants another shot at the WWE Women’s World Championship,
Dominik Mysterio appears and says Morgan is still recovering from their tag match but asserts that Morgan will accept Ripley’s challenge. Mysterio says Morgan isn’t afraid of Ripley, and points out that she’s defeated Ripley before. Ripley calls Mysterio stupid. Ripley tells Mysterio to tell Morgan that she’ll face her anytime, any place.
Morgan attacks Ripley from behind. As Ripley gets her leg tangled up in the ropes, Morgan continues the beatdown until Damian Priest rushes down, forcing Morgan and Mysterio to retreat.
Backstage, Chad Gable says he’s sick and tired of losing to the Wyatt Sicks. Gable then fires up the rest of American Made ahead of their tag team match
American Made (Julius Creed, Brutus Creed & Ivy Nile) vs Alpha Academy (Otis, Akira Tozawa & Maxxine Dupri)
All six competitors brawl inside the ring upon the sound of the bell until Tozawa is left to be double-teamed by the Creed Brothers. Tozawa eventually breaks free and tags in Otis. Julius Creed hits Otis with a knee at ringside, and looks to deliver a crossbody, but Otis catches him. Nile comes face-to-face with Otis, prompting Dupri to take her down to the mat. Otis lays out both Creed Brothers, as Dupri then launches herself onto American Made with a crossbody to the outside.
In the match’s closing moments, Otis lands back drops on both the Creed Brothers. Otis wipes out Brutus and attempts a pinfall, which is broken up by Julius. Tozawa delivers a German suplex to Julius, then wipes out Brutus with a suicide dive. Tozawa looks to wipe out Julius as well, but is caught. Otis eats a Brutus Bombs. Dupri is tagged in. Gable hops on the apron as Dupri does a reverse caterpillar. Dupri slaps him. Nile capitalizes and traps Dupri in a Dragon Sleeper hold. Dupri taps out.
Winners: American Made
After the match, Chad Gable challenges the Wyatt Sucks to a street fight, eight-person tag team match next week. The lights flicker off and off, revealing Uncle Howdy. Howdy references the death of Bray Wyatt and says his life is no longer his. Howdy says Gable has gambled his very being, and the Wyatt Sicks will collect the debt.
Zelina Vega vs. Shayna Baszler
Vega prepares for a 619, but is tripped by Baszler. Vega then sends Baszler flying out of the ring with a dropkick. Later, Vega takes down Baszler with a DDT, then lands a moonsault. Vega attempts a pinfall, but Baszler kicks out. Vega kicks Zoey Stark and takes down Sonya Deville with a meteora on the outside. Off the distraction, Baszler connects with a kick for the win.
Winner: Shayna Baszler
Post-match, Stark, Baszler, and Deville start to attack Vega. Lyra Valkyria tries to make the save, but the numbers are too much to overcome. Deville grabs a mic and calls everyone pathetic. Deville then challenges to women’s locker room to step up and shoot their shot.
Backstage, Rhea Ripley is on crutches. Damian Priest says Finn Balor will only face him in tag team action tonight. With a smile, Ripley says she has a partner in mind for Priest. (It’s Jey Uso)
CM Punk Calls Out Gunther
CM Punk says his strap match at Bash in Berlin was hell, and he feels glad to be out on the other side of it. With Bash in Berlin now in the rearview mirror, Punk say he can now get down to business, meaning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Punk calls out Gunther and commends him for defeating Randy Orton. Punk says he put Drew McIntyre to sleep, and it’s time for him to wake up as champion. Punk tells Gunther to enjoy his reign, because he plans to take the title off of him.
As Punk celebrates on the outside, he is attacked by a hooded figure. The figure reveals themselves to be Drew McIntyre. Wade Barrett tries to defuse the situation, but McIntyre walks past him and hits a Claymore on Punk. McIntyre drags Punk into the ring and connects with a second Claymore. While WWE officials try to separate McIntyre from Punk, McIntyre grabs Punk’s bracelet and tears it apart. McIntyre then shoves the bracelet beads into Punk’s mouth and hits a third Claymore. McIntyre continues to beat Punk, until officials pull him off of him. Medical staff then rush down with a gurney.
Back from commercial break, Punk is rolled to the back on the gurney. McIntyre runs from out of nowhere and resumes his beatdown on Punk.
Intercontinental Championship Contender Tournament: Ilja Dragunov vs. Dragon Lee vs. Dominik Mysterio
Dragunov and Lee team up to send Mysterio flying out of the ring, then battle back and forth. Lee looks for a suicide five on Dragunov, but Mysterio catches him against the ropes. Dragunov connects with a pair of German suplexes on Mysterio, then grabs a hold of Lee for a double German.
In the match’s closing moments, Carlito attacks Lee at ringside. Damian Priest runs down, slaps Carlito, then stomps on him. Mysterio tries to dropkick Priest but fails and flees. Back in the ring, Dragunov and Lee trade strikes. Lee hits a powerbomb and attempts a pinfall, but Dragunov kicks out. Lee connects with a stomp to Dragunov’s chest. Dragunov rolls Lee up in a small package, which Lee kicks out of it. Lee lands a jumping knee to Dragunov, to which Dragunov responds with an H-Bomb for the win.
Winner: Ilja Dragunov
Backstage, a taped-up Braun Strowman offers to be the replacement in the second Intercontinental Championship tournament triple threat match. WWE Raw General Manager Adam Pearce approves it.
Damage CTRL (IYO SKY & Kairi Sane) vs. Unholy Union (Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn)
In the match’s closing moments, SKY delivers a double drop kick to Dawn and Fyre. SKY lands a pair of knees to Fyre in the corner and attempts a pinfall. Fyre kicks out. SKY then connects with a back-breaker and a bridging German suplex, which Fyre kicks out of. Sane looks to take out Dawn with a dive to the outside, but wipes out Bianca Belair by accident instead. Jade Cargill then hits Sane’s face.
Back in the ring, Sky attempts a pin on Fyre, but is launched into the ropes when Fyre kicks out. Dawn sends SKY bouncing off the bottom rope while the referee isn’t looking. Dawn tags in, and syncs up a Gory Bomb-flatliner with Fyre for the win.
Winners: Unholy Union
Gunther Comes Face-To-Face With Sami Zayn
Gunther says WWE Bash in Berlin was the highest grossing arena show in WWE history. Gunther says he also beat the greatest version of Randy Orton at Bash in Berlin. Gunther says Bash in Berlin was also just another chapter in the legacy of the greatest WWE World Heavyweight Champion, himself.
Sami Zayn’s music hits. Zayn tells Gunther it’s funny that he’s talking about legacy, because he’s been thinking about the legacy of the Intercontinental Championships, which he lost a few weeks ago. Zayn looks back and says many WWE greats have used the Intercontinental Championship as a stepping stone to the world championship, much like Gunthe recently did. Zayn plans to now do the same thing.
Gunther says Zayn stepped down when he was Intercontinental Champion. Despite that, Gunther points out that Zayn always picks himself up after stepping down and returns to the ring. Gunther teases a title match against Zayn, but then declines it with a “No.”
Zayn says he’s never seen Gunther back down from a fight and asks why he’s backing down now. Zayn thinks it’s because he is the only one who has beaten Gunther in WWE. Zayn says Gunther can ride and hide, but he is coming for regardless, and vows to become World Heavyweight Champion.
Intercontinental Championship Contender Tournament: Sheamus vs. Ludwig Kaiser vs. Braun Strowman
Kaiser and Sheamus exchange strikes on the outside. Strowman takes them both down with a double clothesline and sends Sheamus crashing into the steel ring post. Strowman storms toward Kaiser, but Kaiser sends him crashing through the barricade.
Later, Sheamus delivers ten forearm strikes to the chest of Strowman. Kaiser turns him around into a Kaiser Roll. Kaiser hits a step-up enziguri, to which Sheamus responds with a Brogue Kick and a pinfall attempt. Pete Dunne pulls Sheamus to the outside and whacks him with a shillelagh. In the ring, Strowman hits a running powerslam on Kaiser for the win.
Winner: Braun Strowman
Damian Priest & Jey Uso vs. Finn Balor & JD McDonagh
The Judgment Day take control of Uso early on and taunt Priest, who stands waiting for a tag. Uso fights back by flying onto them to the outside.
Back from break, McDonagh and Balor are back in control, with McDonagh trapping Uso in an armbar. Uso escapes and unloads a series of punches on McDonagh. McDonagh responds with a headbutt. Uso tags in Priest, while McDonagh tags in Balor. Priest delivers a big right hand and a forearm to Balor. Priest goes corner to corner with elbows to Balor and McDonagh. Priest then kicks a charging Balor and flips him inside out with an elbow. Priest looks for South of Heaven but Balor counters into a roll up. McDonagh sends Priest’s chin flying off the top rope as the referee isn’t looking. Balor then attempts a pinfall. Priest tags in Uso, and delivers a double cross body to Balor and McDonagh. Uso then connects with superkick to McDonagh.
Uso goes up top for a splash, but Morgan pulls his leg while Balor distracts the referee. Balor hits a drop kick and tags in McDonagh. Balor connects with a Coup De Grace to Uso, while McDonagh follows up with a moonsault. Priest breaks up the subsequent pinfall. Morgan tries to distract the referee again, but Rhea Ripley’s music hits. Ripley limps down on crutches and meets Morgan face to face. Ripley whacks Morgen with her crutch and chases her around the ring. Morgan retreats through the crowd.
Back in the ring, Uso spears Balor. Priest delivers a Razor’s Edge to McDonagh. Uso follows up with an Uso Splash on McDonagh for a win.
Winners: Jey Uso & Damian Priest