This week’s episode of WWE Raw emanates from the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona! American Made’s Brutus and Julius Creed face the LWO’s Rey Mysterio and Dragon. Bianca Belair and Nia Jax fight for the Women’s WarGames advantage. Finn Balor and JD McDonagh defend the WWE World Tag Team Championships. Bron Breakker battles Ludwig Kaiser and more!
We break it all down in this week’s WWE Raw recap!
We Hear From Gunther
Jackie Redmond is in the ring with WWE World Heavyweight Champion Gunther, recapping the recent comments made by his upcoming challenger Damian Priest. Before Gunther can respond to them, Priest comes down to the ring with a microphone in hand. Priest encourages Gunther to say his response. Redmond hands the mic to Gunther. Priest says the old Gunther isn’t back and says he knows why Gunther is being silent and that’s because he’s never had to deal with a problem like Damian Priest.
Priest questions what will happen to Gunther when he loses to Priest at Survivor Series. Gunther brings the mic to say something but then draws it back and instead clocks Priest. Priest kicks him and delivers a lariat to him at ringside. WWE officials come down to ringside to try and break it up, but Priest sends Gunther flying through the announce table with a Razor’s Edge.
Backstage, Bianca Belair, IYO SKY, Naomi, and Rhea Ripley have differing opinions on who their fifth partner should be for WarGames.
Tornado Tag: American Made (Julius & Brutus Creed) vs. LWO (Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee)
Julius goes after Rey, while Brutus goes after Lee. The Creeds then double team Lee in the corner and send him crashing into Rey. Lee levels Brutus with a hurricanrana. He and Rey team up to take down Julius, with the latter hitting a springboard moonsault. Brutus returns to the ring and eats a series of kicks from his opponents. Brutus clotheslines Lee before throwing Rey out of the ring.
Lee looks for double stomp on Brutus in the corner, but Julius charges in and lands a superplex. Julius follows up with a big knee for a near fall. As Lee hurricanranas Brutus, Rey looks for a 619 on Julius. Julius sees it coming and wipes him out.
Back from break, Julius connects with a 450 Splash, but Lee breaks up the subsequent pinfall on Rey. Lee hits a DDT on Julius and looks for a pinfall himself, but Brutus breaks it up. Lee and Brutus go up top, as does Julius. The Creeds look for a suplex until Rey swipes them off their feet. Rey and Lee deliver a double baseball slide to Brutus. Lee dives onto Julius, while Rey dives onto Brutus. Rey sets up Julius for a 619. He’s stopped by Brutus, however. While the referee is distracted, Chad Gable shifts the mask of Rey, allowing Julius to gain the pinfall on Rey.
Winners: Brutus and Julius Creed
Backstage, Finn Balor tells Liv Morgan she should have more faith in her WarGames team. R-Truth enters the frame and says he’s looking for a place to hide from Butch. Balor tells Truth to leave. Truth says their Thanksgiving in cancelled. Balor turns his attention back to the Judgment Day and says Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez will walk out of WarGames victorious. He says no one is the group’s leader, but when people listen to him, they’re one successful family.
Bron Breakker vs. Ludwig Kaiser
Breakker goes right after Kaiser in the corner. Kaiser fights back with a series of right hands. Breakker responds with some of his own. Breakker runs the ropes and wipes out Kaiser with a giant shoulder tackle. The two go up top before returning to their feet. Breakker lands a pair of knees on Kaiser then looks to charge at him on the outside. Kaiser sees it coming and dodges, sending Breakker crashing into the announce table.
Back from break, Kaiser traps Breakker in an arm submission. Kaiser breaks it and taunts Breakker. Breakker fights back with a jumping clothesline and a powerslam. Kaiser goes up top, only to be hit with a Frankensteiner. Breakker goes for a spear, but Kaiser counters with a step-up enziguri. Kaiser trails to the outside and is blindsided by Sheamus, causing the referee to call for the bell. Sheamus begins punching Kaiser. He’s then approached by Breakker. Sheamus and Breakker begin to brawl, with security pulling them apart.
Winner (Via Disqualification): Ludwig Kaiser
WWE Raw General Manager Adam Pearce confirms that Bron Breakker will defend the Intercontinental Championship against Sheamus and Ludwig Kaiser at Survivor Series.
Backstage, Sami Zayn says CM Punk and Roman Reigns will sit down and talk this Friday on SmackDown. Jey Uso says he’ll whoop Jacob Fatu’s ass in the WarGames advantage match this week.
WWE World Tag Team Titles: Judgment Day (Finn Balor & JD McDonagh) (c) vs. War Raiders (Erik & Ivar)
Erik hits a double clothesline, then throws McDonagh out of the ring. He slams Ivar onto Balor. Ivar knocks down both McDonagh and Balor with a cannonball to the outside.
Back from break, Balor dropkicks Erik and tags in McDonagh. McDonagh takes down Erik and trades quick tags with Balor. McDonagh charges toward Erik in the corner, which Erik dodges. McDonagh tags Balor back in and intercepts Erik’s tag attempt on Ivar. Erik and Balor trade strikes. Erik finally tags in Ivar, as Balor tags in McDonagh. Erik slams McDonagh, then Ivar roundhouse kicks Balor. Erik and Ivar execute a pop-up powerslam on McDonagh, but Balor breaks up the fall. Dominik Mysterio and Carlito try to intervene, but the War Raiders fight them off. Erik and Ivar connect with a War Machine on McDonagh, but Mysterio puts McDonagh’s leg on the rope. The referee sees it, stops the count, and calls out Mysterio.
Ivar ascends the ropes looking for a moonsault, but Balor trips him, paving the way for McDonagh to roll up Ivar for the win.
Winners (And Still): Finn Balor & JD McDonagh
A video package plays hyping up next week’s episode celebrating the 10-year anniversary of The New Day.
New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) vs. Alpha Academy (Otis & Akira Tozawa) (w/ Maxxine Dupri)
Woods and Kingston argue about who should kick off the match. Otis lands an elbow on Kingston, while Tozawa lands a senton on Woods and quickly pins him for the win.
Winners: Alpha Academy
After the match, Woods and Kingston argue again. Woods says Kingston doesn’t listen to him. Kingston asks what his problem is. Kingston points out that he’s helped Woods on numerous times, and Woods has fumbled every opportunity. Kingston calls Woods reckless and says he takes unnecessary risks. Woods says he took risks for Kingston and was the reason he became WWE Champion. Kingston says he was already a Hall of Famer when they met. Kingston adds that Woods has yet to be a singles champion like him and Big E because he wasn’t good enough. Woods asks if he was good enough when he took beatings for Kingston. Woods also points out that Kingston spoiled his title reign with a six-second loss to Brock Lesnar. Kingston and Woods depart on sour terms.
Backstage, The Miz warns The Final Testament that The Wyatt Sicks are here. Karrion Kross and crew then head out to confront them. Scarlett stays behind, only to see Nikki Cross standing behind her through the mirror. Final Testament eventually return to find Scarlett beaten down and a cryptic message written on the mirror.
WWE flashes back to Pearce’s announcement of the Women’s Intercontinental Championship.
WarGames Advantage: Bianca Belair vs. Nia Jax
Jax tosses Belair across the ring then flattens her in the corner. Belair rains down with a series of right hands, then motions for Jax to kiss her ass. Belair sends Jax to the outside with a dropkick. Belair dives onto Jax, but is caught and sent back-first into the ring post. Jax throws her into the barricade.
Back from break, Jax slams Belair to the mat and follows up with a senton. Belair attempts a Sunset Flip, but Jax holds onto the ropes. Belair pushes Jax shoulder-first into the ring post and takes her down with a crossbody to the outside. Belair rolls her back into the ring, only to be met with a leg drop. Jax goes to the second rope and hits another leg drop for a near fall. Jax ascends the ropes again, but Belair pushes her off and onto the apron. Jax ascends the ropes again, paving the way for Belair to land a big powerslam and a standing moonsault. Jax, however, kicks out of the following pinfall.
Jax headbutts Belair and follows up with a Samoan Drop. Jax ascends the ropes yet again, but Belair plants her with another slam for a near fall. Belair looks for a KOD, but Jax denies it. Jax crushes Belair in the corner, then Samoan Drops her onto the announce table. Belair reaches her feet, but Jax whips her into the steel steps. As the referee begins the count, Jax ascends the ropes and gloats.
Out of nowhere, Bayley pulls her leg, causing her to fall to the mat. Belair capitalizes with a 450 Splash for the win.
Winner: Bianca Belair