This week’s episode of WWE Raw emanates from Anaheim, California! We break it all down in this week’s Raw recap!
We Hear From Jey Uso
Jey says he everyone has been in his ear lately, like Roman Reigns and Jimmy Uso, but he doesn’t give a damn what they think about him. Jey says it’s just him this Saturday for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Jey prepares to say his catchphrase when CM Punk’s music hits. Punk does his own version of Jey’s catchphrase. Punk says he is happy that Jey isn’t listening to the noise around him. Punk says it makes it harder to lace his boots against Jey because they’re friends. Punk says he always listens to himself and follows his heart and gut. Punk says it’s harder to believe in one’s self when they’re losing or about to. Punk says Jey’s recent actions answer a lot of his questions. Punk points out that Jey eliminated his own brother last week in the battle royal. Punk says Jey is showing that he’s got what it takes.
Punk asks how far Jey is willing to go. Punk says Jey is not the only one that needs to be champion again; he needs to be champion like he needs air in his lungs. Punk knows how far he’s willing to go at SNME. Punk again asks how far Jey is willing to go to win back the world title. Jey invites Punk to go. Jey claims that Punk will paint the picture like Jey is the bad. Jey vows to show Punk who the best in the world is.
Rusev vs. Penta
Rusev charges at Penta, but Penta dodges the line of fire. Penta delivers chops, then slams Rusev’s head into the mat. Penta follows with a hurricanrana and a pair of kicks. Penta wipes out Rusev with a dive to the outside. The action returns to the ring, with Penta spiking Rusev with a springboard DDT. Rusev reaches his feet, then rolls to the outside. Penta follows, only to be clocked with a right hand. Rusev lays in another right before taking Penta down with a clothesline. Rusev crushes Penta in the corner. Penta answers with a backstabber. Rusev sends Penta flying into the steel steps.
Back from break, Penta rocks Rusev with a kick and a handstand stomp in the corner. Rusev invites Penta to hit him. Penta kicks him in the head. Penta leaps off the top, but eats a Machka Kick on the way down. Penta escapes the Accolade and plants Rusev with a Penta Driver for a near fall. They trade strikes while on their knees next. Los Americanos charge down and attack both Penta and Rusev to cause a no contest.
No Contest
All three begin stomping away after the match before launching Rusev to the outside. El Grande then clocks Penta with an uppercut. The other two send Rusev crashing into the steel steps on the outside. All three stand tall in the ring. Rusev reaches his feet and wipes out Bravo and Rayo. Penta superkicks El Grande, then goes for a Penta Driver. Bravo pulls El Grande to safety. Penta and Rusev stare off in the ring.
Backstage, Bron Breakker thinks he and Bronson Reed should have been in the battle royal last week, or at least destroyed everyone in it. Paul Heyman warns that it could have made things worse for them as GM Adam Pearce was already mad at them. Heyman encourages Breakker to use his idea on LA Knight tonight as it would make his path to the world title clear. Heyman confirms that Breakker will face Knight in a match.
Elsewhere, Finn Balor asks when he and JD McDonagh will get a rematch for the tag titles. Adam Pearce says one of them will wrestle Sheamus tonight. McDonagh steps up.
Nikki Bella vs. Roxanne Perez (w/ Raquel Rodriguez)
Perez slaps Bella in the face. Bella rolls Perez for a two count, then returns with a slap of her own. Bella follows with a dropkick and a slam. Perez rolls into a head scissors. Bella counters into a headlock. Perez breaks free and lays in right hands. Bella blocks a hurricanrana, then delivers a jaw breaker. Perez rolls to the outside and hides behind Raquel. Bella clocks Perez with an elbow. The action returns to the ring, with Bella slamming Perez against the turnbuckles. Perez distracts the referee, allowing Raquel to drive Bella into the top turnbuckle. Perez slingshots Bella into the second rope.
Back from break, Perez nails Bella with a running uppercut and a springboard moonsault. Bella breaks free by delivering elbows. Bella rains down with right hands. Bella follows with a facebuster and a clothesline in the corner. Bella delivers a springboard enziguiri. Bella looks for a Rack Attack 2.0, but Perez counters into a headlock. Perez trips up Bella, but Bella answers with a spinebuster. Raquel hops up onto the apron. Bella knocks her off. Perez rolls up Bella, but the referee calls her out for having her feet on the ropes. Bella rolls up Perez for a two count. Bella lands an elbow and goes for the Rack Attack 2.0. Perez escapes her shoulders and sends Bella colliding into the corner. Perez hits the Pop Rox for the win.
Winner: Roxanne Perez
After the match, Raquel and Perez beat down Bella. Stephanie Vaquer runs down to make the save. Raquel steps up to Vaquer and stares her down. Nikki sides with Vaquer. Raquel leaves the ring and raises Perez’s hand.
Backstage, Jimmy Uso points out that he saved Jey Uso twice last week, only for Jey to then eliminate him. Jimmy says it was supposed to come down to them, then they’d fight each other. Jimmy claims that if it did come between him and Jey last week and Jey did believe in himself, then he wouldn’t be scared to find out what happens.
Bron Breakker (w/ Bronson Reed & Paul Heyman) vs. LA Knight
Breakker and Knight lock up. Knight nails him with an elbow, then a series of right hands. Knight runs over Breakker with a clothesline. Breakker answers with his own. Breakker shoulder tackles Knight in the corner. Knight leaps off the top with a crossbody. Knight rolls up Breakker for a two count. Breakker levels him with another clothesline. Knight fires off a series of right hands, then stomps. Knight charges into the corner with a knee next. Breakker rolls to the outside. Knight nails him with a dropkick through the ropes.
Back from break, Breakker tosses Knight to the outside. Breakker runs around the ring and nails Knight with a flying shoulder tackle. Knight connects with more right hands. Knight drives Breakker into the corner, then follows with a jumping neckbreaker on the rebound. Knight slams Breakker into the mat. He drops an elbow next. Breakker counters a BFT and rocks Knight with a jumping knee. Knight escapes a Frankensteiner by dragging Breakker off the top. They go back up top, with Knight landing a superplex. Knight knocks Reed off the apron, then dodges a spear from Breakker.
Knight repeatedly slams Breakker against the announce table. They return to the ring, where Knight lands a reverse DDT. Knight leaps off the top, but Breakker rolls out of the way. Breakker blasts Knight with a spear for the win.
Winner: Bron Breakker
Backstage, Adam Pearce announces that Dominik Mysterio will defend his IC Title against Penta and Rusev at WWE SNME.
Elsewhere. Jimmy Uso sees Jey Uso again. Jey says he has a lot on his plate and admits that he doesn’t have a lot of real estate for anyone. Jimmy understands. They shakes hands.
JD McDonagh (w/ Finn Balor) vs. Sheamus
Sheamus connects with a thunderous strike on McDonagh in the corner. He follows with a back body drop and more right hands. Sheamus slams McDonagh to the mat next. McDonagh strikes the back of Sheamus’ leg, then lands a forearm. When McDonagh gloats, Sheamus sends him flying over the top rope. Sheamus and Balor exchange words on the outside. McDonagh nails Sheamus with a corkscrew upon his return to the ring. Balor pulls McDonagh to safety when Sheamus lines up for the ten beats. Sheamus wipes them both out with a clothesline off the apron.
Back from break, McDonagh sends Sheamus and himself over the top rope. McDonagh lands a springboard moonsault to the outside. The action returns to the ring, with McDonagh delivering a 450 Splash for a near fall. Sheamus invites McDonagh to hit him, so he does. Sheamus runs over McDonagh with a pair of clotheslines. He then delivers a backbreaker. McDonagh headbutts Sheamus, then rolls him up for a two count. Sheamus hits a rolling senton, then the ten beats.
Sheamus lines up for a Brogue Kick, but McDonagh intercepts with a running knee. Sheamus launches McDonagh across the ring with a Celtic Cross. Balor puts McDonagh’s foot on the bottom rope to break Sheamus’ pinfall attempt. Sheamus confronts Balor. Sheamus rocks Balor with a pump knee on the outside. Sheamus catches McDonagh mid-dive to the outside, then tosses him onto the announce desk. Sheamus launches him into the barricade next.
Balor whacks Sheamus with the shillelagh as the referee tends to McDonagh. McDonagh leaps off the rop with a Spanish Fly for the win.
Winner: JD McDonagh
Backstage, Adam Pearce confirms that Maxxine Dupri will face Becky Lynch again. Dupri says she needs to call a friend to prepare for Lynch.
Elsewhere, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss say they never back down from a challenge. Flair says they are two tag titles defenses away from having the most in women’s history. Asuka and Kairi Sane interrupt. Asuka says Lyra Valkyria and Bayley don’t deserve a shot at the tag titles. Flair says they’d be honored to face Asuka and Sane. Asuka says Flair is not ready for her.
Dragon Lee and AJ Styles agree to defend their tag titles against JD McDonagh and Finn Balor next week.
WWE Women’s Tag Titles: Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Lyra Valkyria & Bayley
Flair runs over Bayley with a clothesline. Bliss tags in and lands a hurricanrana and dropkick. Valkyria and Flair tag in. Flair drives Valkyria into the mat and applies a waist lock. Valkyria escapes and dropkicks Flair in the head. Valkyria follows with an elbow. Flair answers with a big chop. Flair boots Bayley off the apron. Valkyria connects with an enziguiri, then a dropkick through the ropes to Flair.
Back from break, Valkyria rolls up Bliss for a two count. Bliss clocks Valkyria with a right hand. Bayley and Valkyria double team Bliss. Bliss double DDTs them in return. Flair leaps off the top with a double crossbody. She follows with chops to both Valkyria and Bayley. She clotheslines Valkyria next before tossing her to the corner. Flair follows with a back body drop to Bayley next. Flair climbs the ropes looking for a moonsault and nails it for a near fall on Valkyria.
Flair knocks Bayley off the apron with a big boot. Valkyria rocks Flair with a spinning heel kick. Bayley tags in and knees Flair in the face. She follows with an elbow off the second rope. Bayley dropkicks Bliss off the apron. Flair stuns Bayley with a pair of knees. Bayley responds with Bayley To Belly for a near fall.
Bayley knocks Bliss off the apron again. Flair kicks Bayley away. Valkyria delivers a leg drop off the top to Flair. Bliss lands the Sister Abigail on Valkyria. Bayley interrupts Bliss’ pin attempt. Flair kicks Bayley. Bliss goes up top. Valkyria catches her mid-crossbody and counters into a Night Wing. Flair interrupts Valkyria’s pin attempt. Flair and Bayley tag in and trade strikes. Flair boots Bayley in the face. She transitions into a Figure Eight. Valkyria prevents Bayley from tapping. Bliss descends off the top with a Twisted Bliss on Valkyria. Flair and Bliss deliver double Natural Selections for the win.
Winners (And Still): Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss
After the match, Asuka and Kairi Sane attack Bliss and Flair. Sane nails Flair with an Insane Elbow. Sane and Asuka target Valkyria next until Bayley drives them away.