[intro music playing]
[John Cena] Then.
[Ric Flair] Woooo!
-[glass shattering] -[The Rock] If you smell…
-[bell tolling] -[Cena] Now.
-[Triple H] The king of kings… -[Cena] You can't see me…
[Cena] Forever.
Together.
["Greatness" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Jimmy] From a sold-out Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada,
welcome to Monday Night Raw.
[fireworks exploding]
Hey, knock it off.
Come on. Come on, what you guys doing?
Break it up, break it up.
Get out of here.
Stop. Stop!
Riddle, calm down.
[indistinct shouting]
Get out of here. Get out of here.
Stop!
That's our backstage area,
absolute chaos to kick off the night on Monday Night Raw.
It's blatantly obvious Riddle and Rollins have no interest
in waiting till we arrive in Cardiff, Wales, for Clash at the Castle.
We're hoping to get those officials to separate those two
and focus on the task at hand here tonight.
[Corey] Wait, wait, wait.
[Jimmy] They're still going.
[Saxton] Here at the Scotiabank Arena,
Rollins and Riddle are going at it.
-[Jimmy] Oh, my God. -[Corey] Get some security out here.
[Saxton] We need more than that.
[Corey] A lot more than this.
[Jimmy] A lot more than a couple of referees
-to separate these two gentlemen. -[Saxton] They're going out in the crowd.
[crowd cheering]
[Jimmy] Oh, my God. They're not going to stop for anything.
[Corey] Oh, no. No, no, no.
[Saxton] We need some more backup, please.
[Jimmy] Well, for weeks, these Superstars at each other's throats.
[Corey] Those issues become so deeply personal.
They say time heals all wounds, I could say this is the exception.
Riddle and Rollins trying to destroy one another.
[Jimmy] They're getting worse every week.
[Saxton] Remember, Rollins tried to end Riddle's career,
so you understand why the emotions are so high here.
[Jimmy] Well, Riddle tonight looking to pay him back.
[Saxton] Finally, these two are separated.
-Oh, no. -[Corey] No.
[Jimmy] Oh, my God. Oh!
Riddle taking out everyone, not just Seth Rollins.
[Corey] So much disdain between these two men.
[indistinct shouting]
[crowd boos]
[Saxton] Hey, Riddle's still coming after Rollins.
[Corey] What a melee to kick off Raw.
[Saxton] These two couldn't care less about Clash at the Castle.
[Corey] We've got two weeks till Clash at the Castle,
but what about everything we've got planned tonight
live on Monday Night Raw?
And it's about the chaos we have planned later tonight that's important,
but, right now, we focus on what is coming up,
and that is the hometown boy, that's right, Edge, making his return
to Toronto, but waiting for him was his first acolyte in Judgment Day,
the ruthless, the vicious but dedicated Damian Priest.
Edge promising to end Judgment Day, it starts tonight.
[Corey] The semi-finals of the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship tournament
begins tonight as Alexa Bliss and Asuka join forces once again
to battle Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky.
[Saxton] It is going to be one heck of a matchup.
Which one of these teams take one step closer to tag team gold?
[Jimmy] Well, welcome to Monday Night Raw.
[fireworks exploding]
[crowd cheering]
["Time to Rock and Roll" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[announcer] Ladies and gentlemen,
please welcome WWE Hall of Famer,
Trish Stratus!
[Jimmy] There are pioneers, there are legends,
and then there is Trish Stratus in a class by herself.
[Saxton] The seven-time women's champion,
Hall of Famer,
Canada's Got Talent judge, Trish Stratus, here in Toronto.
I love it.
[crowd cheering]
[Jimmy] Sixteen thousand, yes.
[Corey] A Hall of Fame worthy ovation
here in Scotiabank Arena for Toronto's own.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting indistinctly]
Guys, oh, man.
It feels so good to be here.
[crowd cheering]
It feels so good to be home.
[crowd cheering]
And I'm not just talking about Toronto.
I'm talking about in this ring…
[crowd cheering]
…between these ropes.
I have to say…
it'll never not feel like home between these ropes.
[crowd chanting] One more match! One more match! One more match!
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately.
["Role Model" playing]
[Jimmy] Oh, no.
[Corey] Talk about crashing the party.
[Saxton] Talk about disrespect.
[Jimmy] Bayley, Dakota Kai, and Iyo Sky, the disruptors,
even the homecoming too much for these ladies.
They have to get in the way.
[Saxton] What do these three want with Trish Stratus?
[Corey] I don't know what's gonna happen next.
The Hall of Famer's outnumbered.
We got so excited, and we had to come out here.
I mean I told you guys, Raw is literally the best show to be.
We are in the ring with Trish freaking Stratus!
[crowd cheering]
I mean, we are huge fans.
You know I'm a huge fan. We're huge fans, right?
Yeah. I am big fan.
[speaking Japanese]
Yes. Iyo said she's been your number one fan for so long,
you're legendary, international legend.
Japan, New Zealand, all over the world.
But all that aside, we're just wondering, um,
what are you even doing here?
[crowd booing]
Well, in case you haven't heard,
there's a kind of a big match happening later.
It's kind of a big deal.
Fellow Torontonian, Edge…
[crowd cheering]
…will be back in this ring after a decade,
so I'm here to support him.
And actually, before I was interrupted,
rudely I might add, clearly not Canadians…
I had something to say.
Trish, we don't care what you have to say.
[crowd booing]
I don't like you.
[laughter]
[laughs] Iyo doesn't like you,
Dakota doesn't like you, I don't like you,
we all don't like you, because we're kind of sick of you
riding our damn coattails all weekend long.
I mean, we went to Kingston, and we went to London,
and now we have to be here, you're welcome, by the way.
But literally you've been all on us all weekend long,
and we're getting really, really sick of it,
because this is our ring now.
You're in the past. This is our show now,
you're in the past, we are the now, so who the hell do you think you are?
[crowd booing]
[imperceptible]
["Watch Me Shine" playing]
[Jimmy] Oh, you said something about being outnumbered, Corey?
[Saxton] This is where we get some backup
in the form of the Raw Women's Champion, Bianca Belair.
[Jimmy] EST marching, practically sprinting to the ring.
[Corey] Bayley, Iyo Sky, and Dakota Kai out here
disrespecting a Hall of Famer in Trish Stratus.
Who in the hell is Trish Stratus?
Bayley, you're not even in the same stratosphere.
[crowd cheering]
Yes. See, Trish walked so that we all could run.
So, what you should be doing is thanking Trish
because there would be no Bayley without Trish Stratus.
[crowd cheering]
But since you standing here acting like this, then you know what,
I'll tell you who the hell Trish Stratus is.
Oh, she's a trailblazer and she's a Legend and this is her city.
[crowd cheering]
So stop being disrespectful.
[crowd chanting] EST! EST! EST!
[imperceptible]
But you know what?
I don't even need to defend her, because she can defend herself.
Bayley…
I could tell you something, I can real quick go from "I am retired…"
[Saxton] Uh-oh. [laughs excitedly]
…to "I was retired," if you don't stop running your mouth.
[Saxton] Say something, Bayley.
Okay, well, uh…
I know you're a little stupid… [laughs]
but there's three of us and two of you,
so that sounds good right now.
Simple math, sweetie.
Myself and Women's Champion Bianca Belair make two.
["Fight Me" playing]
[Jimmy exclaims]
[Saxton] Well, let's readjust that math.
[Corey] The odds evening up…
very, very quickly and they've now shifted into the favor of Trish Stratus.
[Jimmy] Three on two becomes four on three.
[Saxton] Alexa Bliss and Asuka.
And the future
Women's Tag Team Champions, Asuka and Alexa Bliss,
well, that makes one, two, three, oh, that's four.
[crowd cheering]
Well, you're lucky that I'm feeling really generous this Monday
in your hometown and everything, so I'm going to let you slide on this one.
We'll see you three idiots at Clash at the Castle, okay? [laughs]
That's… That's if you make it to Cardiff.
So, to your little girlies there,
good luck because you're gonna need it.
You're done for. You're done for.
You're done for.
["Time to Rock and Roll" playing]
[Jimmy] Finally it looks like we might be settling down to a match
we did expect.
[Saxton] Look how quickly Bayley hit the retreat button.
[Corey] Certainly got a boost in confidence with Alexa Bliss
and Asuka having the Hall of Famer on her side.
This match is about to begin, momentarily.
Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky versus Alexa Bliss and Asuka.
And it is all about the WWE Women's Tag Team titles.
[Jimmy] That's right, in the semi-finals of the tournament.
Both these teams have earned their way in and it has not, Byron, been easy.
[Saxton] It has not. Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai
to get past Tamina and Dana Brooke
while Alexa Bliss and Asuka had to overcome Nikki A.S.H. and Doudrop.
On the other side, we know Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah
are awaiting the winner of
a "Second Chance" Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match.
-More on that later on tonight. -[bell rings]
[Corey] But the here and now is this.
The semi-finals have begun. Asuka and Iyo Sky squaring off.
[Jimmy] Circling like sharks.
[Corey] Two women who have had very, very similar career paths.
[indistinct shouting]
Iyo wants no part of The Empress just now.
[Saxton] Asuka has arrived. Iyo Sky perhaps a little timid there
of taking on Asuka to start this match.
[Corey] Let's talk about the deadly striking ability
possessed by Asuka "The Empress of Tomorrow,"
but when you're talking kicks, you have to mention Dakota Kai
who can strike with the best of them.
[Jimmy] Right now, transitions on the great submission game.
The gamesmanship begins between Asuka and Iyo Sky.
[Saxton] The thing about Asuka, not only does she afflict you with her…
[Corey] Very interesting exit from the ring by Dakota Kai.
[Saxton] I would call it perhaps getting overwhelmed early on.
[Corey] There's nothing wrong with taking a moment
to compose yourself, re-strategize.
[referee] Four…
[Jimmy] A lot of opportunities for the chicken dance so far from Asuka.
-[Saxton] Dakota looks a little flustered. -Six…
She's gotta get back in this ring or she's gonna get counted out.
-Eight… -[Jimmy] Count up to eight,
Dakota Kai just in time to run right into Asuka.
[Saxton] Iyo Sky dodging one there from Asuka.
Here it comes!
[Jimmy] Alexa Bliss clearing the ring.
Alexa Bliss and Asuka running the show.
[Corey] Semi-finals are underway.
[crowd cheering]
[Jimmy] Welcome back to the WWE Women's Tag Team Tournament semi-final.
Alexa Bliss and Asuka versus Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky.
First part of this match, resembled a track meet
with Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky running from the ring,
but they are back in and going at it.
[Saxton] All four of these ladies will be involved in that
six-woman tag team match in two weeks at Clash at the Castle.
Right now, it's all about who will punch their ticket to the finals
of the Women's Tag Team Title Tournament.
[Jimmy] We're talking about Clash at the Castle,
Dakota Kai, of course, and Iyo Sky want momentum in that six-woman tag.
They can get it tonight.
[Corey] This is also an opportunity if you're Sky and Kai to inflict
a little extra punishment on your opponents… Oh!
[Jimmy] Shoulders down.
Kick out from Iyo Sky.
[Corey] …prior to the match in Cardiff, Wales.
Right now, Sky one step ahead of Alexa Bliss.
[Jimmy] Alexa Bliss, of course, and Asuka in the opening round
against Nikki A.S.H. and Doudrop. Great teamwork taking out Doudrop.
We knew how great they were as individuals,
but good chemistry last time out.
[Saxton] That's really key. Hold on, cover here.
[Jimmy] Another cover, hook of the leg.
Kick out from Iyo Sky.
This is what it's all about.
The semi-finals WWE Women's Tag Team Tournament
to decide our new champions.
[Saxton] That's motivation enough for a team like Alexa Bliss and Asuka,
who have been rivals, who have been on the opposite end of things to say,
listen, let's put our strengths together
and become the next Women's Tag Team Champions.
[Corey] Iyo Sky appears to want no part of The Empress of Tomorrow.
These are two women who both began their careers,
became stars in their native Japan.
Both of these women dominated the NXT Women's Division at separate times
and now here they are as obstacles to one another.
[Jimmy] Slick move to the roll-up.
[Corey] A stomp to the fingers of Asuka.
[Saxton] Looks like Asuka's jaw-jacking finally got under the skin of Iyo Sky.
[Jimmy] When you talk about creative offense,
these are the Superstars you think of.
[speaking indistinctly]
[Jimmy] Oh!
[Corey] I think that kick caught Asuka in the throat.
[Saxton] Asuka thought she'd outsmarted Iyo Sky.
[Jimmy] Little too much jaw-jacking from Asuka, and it cost her.
[Saxton] Dakota Kai, a big smile on her face.
But Asuka was waiting for her.
[Jimmy] Great counter from Dakota Kai.
Ooh!
Now, Corey, these are exactly the veterans Asuka and Alexa Bliss
that Dakota Kai, Iyo Sky, and Bayley came to disrupt.
Came to wipe out of the locker room.
[Corey] You could say to disrupt, to wipe out,
but I think it's a matter of… Oh!
Sky and Kai are both veterans
in their own right, they've traveled the globe.
They are here to make a name for themselves as Asuka answers
with Kawada Kicks of her own to the face of Dakota Kai.
[Saxton] You do not want to get into a striking contest with Asuka.
[Corey] And it's a smart strategy if you're Bayley and Iyo and Dakota.
You try to find the biggest dog in the yard and take them out.
[Saxton] You can also see the growing list of enemies, Corey,
that those three ladies are building here.
[Corey] It's lonely at the top. Big right hand by Bliss.
[Jimmy] Face down goes Dakota Kai.
-To the cover. -One, two…
[Jimmy] Kick out. That right shoulder up from Dakota Kai.
[Saxton] Smile of confidence on the face of Alexa Bliss
as we take another look at the tandem offense here.
Wow!
Face-first went Dakota, not quite enough,
but Bliss and Asuka in full control.
[Jimmy] Roll up again, shoulders down, quick kick out from Dakota Kai,
but over and over again, just getting put on her back.
Takes energy every time to kick out,
pretty soon you run out. On her back again.
[Saxton] It's wise strategy by Alexa Bliss.
[Corey] You got to question the strategy, Saxton.
Alexa was exerting a lot of energy on her own,
trying to execute multiple pinfall attempts to no avail,
but that was effective, as was the dropkick.
[Jimmy] Speaking of veterans,
later tonight, Dolph Ziggler versus Finn Bálor,
two of the best to ever step in the ring
are going to collide later tonight on Raw.
[Saxton] Dakota Kai, Iyo Sky attempting to regroup on the outside,
but they're not gonna get a whole lot of time here.
-Here comes Bliss. -[Jimmy] The athleticism of Alexa Bliss.
[crowd cheering]
[Jimmy] The crowd here in Toronto, 16,683.
[Corey] Asuka… I'm sorry, Alexa needs to get either Dakota or Iyo
into the ring and finish this one.
This is not the time to bask in the adulation
of Toronto's WWE Universe.
There we see Dana Brooke and Tamina who were unceremoniously eliminated
from this prestigious Tag Team Title Tournament.
[Saxton] I believe they've got their eyes still on that "Second Chance" opportunity.
[Corey] And a kick from Kai.
Alexa, come on.
[Saxton] Counter here. Alexa wisely holding on.
-Dakota going down low. -[Corey] Oh!
[Jimmy] Taking a basic hold from Alexa Bliss and taking advantage.
Boot right to the face.
The lack of respect that we've come to expect.
[Jimmy] Welcome to the semi-finals of the WWE Women's Tag Team Tournament.
Alexa Bliss and Asuka versus Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky.
And right now, Alexa Bliss in the wrong corner.
[Saxton] Alexa been in pure desperation mode
to attempt to make a tag to Asuka.
[Corey] Sky and Kai have done
a masterful job of cutting the ring in half.
Keeping Alexa far, far away from The Empress of Tomorrow.
[Jimmy] Oh!
[Saxton] Now there's a separation, and there's the tag.
[Jimmy] And a fired up Asuka face-to-face with Iyo Sky.
Nowhere to run this time.
[Saxton] Asuka has a chance to completely shift the momentum in this match.
Hip-attack to Dakota Kai.
Down goes Iyo Sky, and Asuka all sorts of fired up.
[Corey] Hip-attack in the corner.
[Jimmy] Oh!
-Looking for the lift. -[Saxton] How quick is Asuka?
[Jimmy] That spinning attack, over and over.
Oh, beautiful!
[Saxton] Down low, connection.
-Cover. -[Jimmy] That might be it. To the cover.
Just before three, the kick out from Iyo Sky.
Wow.
[Corey] You see Aliyah, Doudrop, and Nikki A.S.H. looking on.
Aliyah, of course, partnered with Raquel Rodriguez.
She will find herself in the semi-finals this Friday.
Dakota Kai trying to create a diversion here.
[Saxton] More than that.
[Corey] It was effective.
[Jimmy] Asuka taking her eye off the ball at exactly the wrong time.
[Saxton] Double knees to the back of the neck of Asuka.
[crowd cheering]
-[Saxton] Iyo Sky takes flight. -[Corey] Whoa!
[Jimmy] Unbelievable dropkick to the cover.
[Saxton] No.
[Jimmy] Just in time is Alexa Bliss.
[Saxton] Bliss trying to dispose off Dakota Kai,
but it's Kai who disposes off Bliss instead.
[Jimmy] The veteran move on the veteran with the reversal.
[Saxton] Tag made. Dakota Kai the legal competitor again.
Trying to hoist up The Empress.
[Corey] Oh, back slide, shoulders down.
[Saxton] Still not quite enough.
[Jimmy] Oh!
[Corey] That's a Scorpion Kick, for those watching along.
Byron finally took a breath.
Here we go, Asuka.
[commentators exclaiming]
-[Saxton] That's gotta be it. -[Corey] That's gonna be it.
[Jimmy] Shoulders down.
[Jimmy] Oh!
Just enough left in the tank, and here's why, everything on the line.
The Women's Tag Team Championship Tournament semi-final.
[Corey] See how the action unfolded moments ago.
Watch these double knees, right to the base of Asuka's skull.
Right at the neck. But Iyo was not finished there.
Spectacular spring-boarded dropkick, right on target,
knocking Asuka halfway across the ring and nearly ending this one.
[Saxton] What is it going to take for either one of these teams
-to finally secure the victory? -[Corey] Oh!
[Jimmy] Beautiful spinning back fist.
[Corey] Bliss with a chance to end this now.
Two-for-one special.
[Saxton] She's got Dakota and Iyo.
[Jimmy] Oh, Double DDT!
[Saxton] Tag made to Asuka.
[Jimmy] Teamwork once again on display.
-Oh, this might be it. -[Saxton laughs]
[Jimmy] Dakota trying to break that grip.
[Saxton] Dakota Kai holding on for dear life and now Asuka's got it.
[Jimmy] Iyo Sky once again there for her teammate.
Dakota Kai starting to wear down.
[Corey] As Asuka looking for the tag from Alexa Bliss.
What is it going to take?
[Saxton] Maybe upping the ante a little bit?
Maybe Alexa Bliss going up top?
[Jimmy] Now Asuka, it looks like she just tagged herself in.
Oh!
[Saxton] Dakota Kai with the knees up for Twisted Bliss.
Asuka finds the mark on Sky.
Nasty backhand by The Empress.
[Corey] There we go. Dakota just connected
with a hellacious forearm, rocking the jaw of Asuka.
[Saxton] Asuka out of the way at the last possible second.
Iyo Sky has tagged herself in.
But Asuka doesn't know. Asuka's got the Asuka Lock.
[Jimmy] It's not on the legal competitor,
and the tap means absolutely nothing,
but Asuka doesn't know it.
Celebrating. Now on her back.
[crowd] One, two, three!
-[Jimmy] What a comeback! -[bell rings]
["Tokyo Shock" playing]
[announcer] Here are your winners,
the team of Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky!
[Jimmy] Just when the offense of Asuka
looked like it might have turned this around,
Iyo Sky with the steal.
[Saxton] You cannot help but to be extremely impressed
with the performance here.
Take another look. Here's where it changed.
Asuka thought she escaped danger, but Iyo Sky made the tag.
Asuka had no idea.
The Asuka Lock was cinched in on to Dakota Kai.
Iyo Sky, right there, catching Asuka off guard with the roll up.
It is now Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai
who are headed to the finals
of the Woman's Tag Team Championship Tournament.
[Jimmy] A "Second Chance" Fatal 4-Way this Friday,
and we have more details on that later.
But right now, the veterans trying to recover.
But Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky victorious.
Yay!
Certainly a thrilling victory for Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky,
as they advance to the finals
of the Women's Tag Team Championship Tournament.
Now, folks, please welcome Dolph Ziggler.
[crowd cheering]
Dolph, how exactly do you plan to bounce back tonight against Finn Bálor,
after that nail-biting loss to Theory last week?
You know, Kev, I've been doing this a long time.
A lot of highs, and a lot of lows and last week…
Theory, I'll admit it, he was the better man.
But I just wanted to help him, you know?
He's got the world in his hands, he's just so arrogant about it.
That's where the problem lies--
[clapping] Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've heard it all before, Dolph.
"Respect the locker room veteran" spiel.
You make me sick.
You're the same as Edge, and you're the same as Rey Mysterio.
You attach yourselves to younger up-and-coming Superstars
to try and keep yourself relevant.
But you disguise it.
You try to disguise it by saying,
"Hey, I'll give the kid some guidance."
"I'll give the kid some tips."
"I'll teach the kid something."
Well, you know what?
You can't teach me nothing, kid.
[scoffs] Kid?
We're like the same age.
There is one thing I can teach you, Bálor.
-["Here to Show the World" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Corey] That spoke volumes.
Are you just gonna sit there on your ass
like a little bitch or are you gonna come out to the ring?
[commentators laugh]
-[Jimmy] Parting shot from Dolph Ziggler. -[Saxton] What you gonna do now, Finn?
-[bell rings] -[announcer] The following contest
is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, residing in Hollywood, Florida,
weighing 218 pounds, Dolph Ziggler!
[Jimmy] And Monday Night Raw is presented
by the new "two for $5" menu at Sonic, only at Sonic.
[Saxton] Dolph Ziggler in a fighting mood here tonight.
[crowd cheering]
[Jimmy] The veteran is fired up, and he is going to need it
against The Judgment Day's own Finn Bálor,
looking for momentum tonight.
The veteran Dolph Ziggler and Finn Bálor
collide next on Monday Night Raw.
[narrator] Satisfying moments in WWE
is presented by the new "two for $5" menu at Sonic.
Only at Sonic.
[Roman] If anyone ever comes out here and says they're the face of this company
and it's not me, they're lying.
And if anyone ever comes out here
and says that they carry this company on their back,
Drew McIntyre…
you're lying.
[McIntyre] I don't think you represent those titles
the way they deserve to be represented
and you do not deserve to be champion.
I can see something through your eyes.
-I see fear. -[crowd cheering]
[Corey] Roman Reigns goes right after McIntyre.
Reigns could be headed to Claymore country.
Zayn sacrificed himself for Roman.
Superman punch.
And now Roman looking to lay waste to McIntyre.
[crowd cheering]
Oh, a Claymore.
McIntyre downs the champ with a Claymore.
Will McIntyre end the record-setting reign of Roman at Clash at the Castle?
[Jimmy] That's what we're all looking forward to.
The Undisputed WWE Universal Championship on the line.
Clash at the Castle, Drew McIntyre
versus the "Head of the Table" Roman Reigns.
[Corey] McIntyre will play the role of challenger in Cardiff, Wales.
Two incredibly heavy-hitters,
the most prestigious championship in the game.
It's going down in Cardiff.
[Jimmy] You're looking at a fired-up Dolph Ziggler.
["I Am Danger" playing]
[Corey] He better be.
[announcer] And his opponent, accompanied to the ring by Rhea Ripley,
representing The Judgment Day,
Finn Bálor!
[Jimmy] We know he's experienced, we know he's technical.
He's always fit, there's nothing he can't do in the ring,
but has The Judgment Day made Finn more dangerous?
[Corey] Mentally, The Judgment Day
has freed Finn Bálor and arguably created the most dangerous version
of The Prince we have ever known in the WWE Universe.
Look at the laser focus in the eyes of Bálor
and it doesn't hurt he's got a heavy-hitter
like Rhea Ripley watching his back at all times.
[Saxton] Think about what The Judgment Day has done already.
The damage they've caused to Rey Mysterio, to Dominik Mysterio.
The damage they hope to cause to Edge later on tonight.
That is what is fueling the confidence of every member of The Judgment Day.
[Corey] Right now, Finn Bálor looking at Dolph Ziggler
as something of a wounded animal.
Finn realizes Dolph's pride took a shot last week.
Dolph's pride was defeated in a match against Theory.
Bálor looks to capitalize on that tonight, perhaps finish the job once and for all.
[Saxton] All you gotta do is look at the career of Dolph Ziggler
over the years here in WWE and how many times Dolph has been
able to bounce back to win gold when people thought his time was done.
[Jimmy] Well, now would be the time
because Finn Bálor looking like a caged animal,
barely staying on his half of the ring.
-[referee] Ring the bell. -[bell rings]
[Jimmy] And we are underway.
The veteran Dolph Ziggler versus, well, the other veteran Finn Bálor.
Incredible résumés for both of these gentlemen.
[Saxton] Both men have been to the top of the mountain here in WWE.
Finn Bálor former Universal Champion.
Dolph Ziggler multiple world titles in his own right.
[both grunting]
[Corey] Oh!
[Saxton] Dolph Ziggler with the early advantage.
Finn Bálor goaded Ziggler in.
[Jimmy] Ready for that superkick and went to the corner,
but out at exactly the right time.
[Saxton] You have to think, though,
what if Ziggler does suffer another loss here tonight
against Finn Bálor? What that does to his mentality?
But, right now, you see how driven Dolph Ziggler is to try to humble Bálor.
[Jimmy] Finn Bálor, though, last week against Rey Mysterio,
a win over another veteran.
As he said, "Everyone who's stood up to The Judgment Day,
we've eliminated them one by one."
A lot of momentum coming into this match.
[Saxton] Official checking on Dolph Ziggler.
Certainly will not give up at this juncture
or any juncture for that matter.
[Jimmy] Now, Corey, in the back,
Dolph Ziggler with a smack to Finn Bálor.
Was that warning, not gonna do anything physically to Finn Bálor,
but the willingness to fight, is Dolph trying to show that?
[Corey] It was a warning shot. Dolph was likely trying to pump himself up
a lot more than he was trying to incite Finn Bálor.
Dolph wants to prove to himself that he's still got it.
That he's not yesterday's news like Finn Bálor referenced backstage.
[Jimmy] When you talk about veterans
who have the respect of everyone in the locker room,
number one on that list has to be Dolph Ziggler.
[Corey] I don't disagree with you in any capacity.
Everybody respects what Dolph Ziggler has done as a professional.
The difference is, not a lot of people like Dolph Ziggler backstage.
Dolph has been brash since day one.
Dolph takes pride in rubbing people the wrong way,
so Bálor looks at this as an opportunity to do the locker room a favor.
[Jimmy] Doing everything with that right now.
That bulldog position, leaning on the chin of Dolph Ziggler.
[Saxton] Neither one of these Superstars taking any unnecessary risks
as they try to maintain an advantage.
[Jimmy] You talk about Dolph Ziggler not fearing anyone,
last week against Theory, the upstart,
the young buck with incredible physical talent.
An epic match last week where he came up short.
No shame in that.
-[Corey] Oh, man. -[Jimmy] Oh!
Dolph Ziggler laid out.
Finn Bálor loving it.
[Jimmy] Welcome back to Dolph Ziggler versus Finn Bálor on Monday Night Raw.
It has been a master's class from both of these Superstars.
Before the break, unbelievable.
[Saxton] Ziggler sent sternum-first into the top turnbuckle.
Listen and watch this again. Oh!
And that's why Finn Bálor has been able to maintain
a significant advantage over The Showoff.
[Jimmy] And always with the counter.
Finn Bálor, every time Dolph Ziggler's tried to get his offense going,
seems as though Finn Bálor has the perfect counter move.
Speaking of counters, there's a great one from Dolph Ziggler.
[Saxton] Ziggler able to create some separation, throwing up the elbow.
Kick to follow.
Now Ziggler on the move.
-[crowd] One, two, three! -This is what Dolph Ziggler does.
He finds that next gear and he is unloading on Finn Bálor.
[Jimmy] Disrespect for the veterans in the locker room from Finn Bálor.
Dolph Ziggler not taking that.
-Ready to put this one away. -One, two…
Kick out just in time from Finn Bálor.
In front of 16,638 here in Toronto.
Monday Night Raw…
Great crowd on hand
and they have been behind every single one of these matches.
Right now cheering on Dolph Ziggler against Finn Bálor.
[Corey] A sold-out crowd here in Scotiabank Arena
as Bálor drives the dagger down, into the cover.
One, two…
[Jimmy] Oh, barely with that right shoulder up.
[Corey] What about this massive matchup still to come tonight?
Member of The Judgment Day,
Damian Priest, goes one-on-one with Hall of Famer Edge.
Edge competing on Raw in Toronto for the first time in over a decade.
[Saxton] Priest, typically, would be out here to support
his fellow Judgment Day members, but without a doubt,
preparing for that high-stakes matchup later on tonight.
[Jimmy] And, Corey, what would it mean for Finn Bálor and Judgment Day,
for Finn to beat Dolph Ziggler and have momentum going
into that match, the confidence?
[Corey] I think right now Damian Priest had better be focused only on Edge.
I'm sure Damian is morally supportive of Finn Bálor
and anything Rhea Ripley does tonight, but Damian Priest needs to prepare
for the biggest match of his career.
-[Jimmy] A roll-up from Dolph Ziggler. -One, two…
[Saxton] Ziggler wasting no time following up.
Was looking for the Famouser.
-Oh! -[Jimmy] Oh!
Shoulders down. That could be it.
-Oh, just before three. -Are you kidding me?
Are you kidding me, ref?
-Learn how to count to three. -[Corey] Rhea Ripley in disbelief.
Let's take a look at this. Moments ago, Dolph Ziggler
looking for the Famouser which he has used to great effect
throughout his career, but a sit-out powerbomb by Bálor
nearly ended this one.
Dolph with a little too much left in the tank.
[Saxton] Bálor in position poised to strike. Ziggler
Oh!
Spiking DDT.
-[Jimmy] To the cover. Hooking the leg. -One, two…
[Jimmy] Oh, more fight left in The Judgment Day's Finn Bálor.
Rhea Ripley stressing outside the ring and here's why.
[Saxton] Ziggler beating Finn Bálor to the punch,
delivering the DDT to follow.
Much like we talked about the incredible resiliency
of Dolph Ziggler, we could say the same about Finn Bálor.
[Corey] Rhea Ripley trying to cheer Finn Bálor on,
trying to motivate The Prince as Dolph makes it to his feet first,
looking for the superkick. Bálor counters.
[Saxton] Ziggler trying to fight out of it.
[Corey] Finn wanted 1916, but a kick to the knee.
Here comes Famouser.
-[Jimmy] Oh, there it is. -[Corey] This time Ziggler connects.
[Jimmy] Famouser and he got all of it.
-[crowd] One, two… -[Jimmy] Oh!
[Saxton laughs] Man!
[Corey] Everyone in Scotiabank Arena
including Dolph Ziggler thought that was the end.
The kick right on the patella.
Famouser delivered,
but Bálor able to beat the count of three.
[crowd] One, two…
[Saxton] You can see the panic on the face of Rhea Ripley.
I'm sure frustration starting to seep in a little bit for Dolph Ziggler.
Trying to figure out how do I put Finn Bálor away?
[Jimmy] When we talked about veteran technique,
we talked about the ability to do anything in the ring,
but also the ability to dig deep.
It gives you longevity on Monday Night Raw,
and, right now, both of these Superstars just playing that.
Oh, dropkick right into the corner.
[Corey] Now Finn Bálor perhaps poised and ready to end this.
[Jimmy] Oh, Coup de Grace but…
-[Corey] Zig Zag! -[Jimmy] Oh.
-Once again on his back. -[crowd] One, two…
[Saxton] Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa!
That's about as close as you can get.
[Jimmy] Famouser, Zig Zag, and still a kick out.
[Saxton] Bálor was looking for the Coup de Grace.
Right there with the Zig Zag,
and, oh, jeez, about a half a second away.
-[Rhea] Get up! -[Jimmy] Finn Bálor right now
has to be running on fumes. He's walking between raindrops
taking all this damage.
[crowd chanting] Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!
[Rhea] Get up.
[Corey] The same has to be said for Dolph Ziggler.
Dolph has been physically exhausted, as has Bálor.
Both of these athletes not afraid for a fight,
to get into the deep waters.
Both of these guys cardiovascular machines
when it comes to who has the ability to deliver that final blow…
which at this point neither man has.
Now is just getting ugly. Throw technique out the window.
Let's throw hands.
It's just pure desire right now.
[Saxton] Bálor goes down low.
[Bálor laughs]
[Corey] I don't know if Bálor actually…
I think that was incidental, it wasn't a low shot.
Oh, and a headbutt rocks Bálor.
-[Saxton] Watch Rhea! -[Jimmy] Oh, my God, Rhea on the apron
with a cheap shot.
Right into the arms of Finn Bálor.
[Corey] 1916. This one is as good as done.
[Saxton] Bálor gonna try this one more time.
[Jimmy] Coup de Grace right through the chest of Dolph Ziggler.
Shoulders down.
-[crowd] One, two, three! -[bell rings]
[Jimmy] Huge win for Finn Bálor and Judgment Day.
-["I Am Danger" playing] -[announcer] Here is your winner,
Finn Bálor!
[Jimmy] Grow eyes in the back of your head when you take on Judgment Day.
Lesson for Edge later tonight.
What was a heck of a matchup, it's a shame it came down to that woman,
Rhea Ripley, as the difference maker.
[Corey] Why is it a shame, Saxton? There's a reason you run with a faction.
There's a reason you have friends watch your back,
because in WWE, it's dog-eat-dog.
And this is why you want someone like Rhea Ripley on your side
who nearly knocked the teeth out of Dolph Ziggler's head in preparation
for the Coup de Grace.
Through the skies in Scotiabank Arena,
Finn Bálor drops the hammer, earns the three-count,
and The Judgment Day grows a little bit stronger,
a little bit more intimidating than they were a few moments ago.
[Saxton] Despite the controversial manner in which they earned that victory,
momentum continues for The Judgment Day.
[Jimmy] Damian Priest wherever he is, watching, getting ready for Edge,
he is thrilled and ready.
Well, it looks like Finn Bálor got the victory tonight.
and now please welcome my guest, SmackDown's Aliyah.
Hi, how are you?
Aliyah, would you ever have expected that you and Raquel Rodriguez
would make such a complimentary team as you head into the semi-finals
of the Women's Tag Team Championship Tournament?
Well, I am the breezy badass and she is a beast, and to--
[laughs] Oh, I'm sorry, badass or just bad?
Thanks, Sarah. I got this.
Ding-dong. Bye-bye.
I'll be doing the interview now.
Aliyah, right here, right here.
Um, I was wondering if you were taking notes of Dakota and Iyo
in their match to help you prepare for the semi-finals
against the winner of the "Second Chance"
Fatal 4-Way Match this Friday.
I mean, it doesn't really matter because we all know Dakota and Iyo
are gonna go on to win the finals, win the whole thing,
and become your new Women's Tag Team Champions.
And where's your partner? Where's Raquel?
It's none of your business.
-Oh. -Everything is our business.
[speaking Japanese]
Iyo said you're either really brave or really stupid
to show up on our show all alone.
-[crowd booing] -Who said she's alone?
I'll be taking over for now.
Uh, ding-dong, hello?
Bayley, tell us, how's the knee doing?
When will you be returning to action?
Yeah. When are you gonna be returning to action?
Why don't you prove it to me tonight and face me?
[scoffs] Okay. All right.
See you out there.
[crowd cheering]
[indistinct chatter]
-["Shooosh" playing] -[Jimmy] Seems as though the challenge
might be accepted. We might see that later tonight, Byron.
[Saxton] A little endorsement for Aliyah from Trish Stratus.
[announcer] Please welcome Otis and Chad Gable,
Alpha Academy!
[Jimmy] Chad Gable alongside his number one guy,
the "Tree Trunk" Otis.
[Saxton] Is it me or does Otis get bigger every week?
[Jimmy] Wider, wider. He gets wider every week.
[Saxton] Yes.
[Jimmy] WWE Survivor Series will be live
from TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, Saturday, November 26th.
Tickets are available this Friday at Ticketmaster.com.
Shoooosh!
[Saxton] Chad Gable and Otis sauntering to the ring
and, well, get this, the Alpha Academy has issued an open challenge
with the hopes of testing the best.
We'll find out who will answer the challenge next, live on Raw.
Thank you!
[Jimmy] Tonight, Raw coming to you from Toronto, Canada.
Not just a great skyline, not just friendly people,
not just great food, but a great town for the WWE.
It's sold out tonight at the Scotiabank Arena.
They've been screaming all night.
[Corey] That can all come to a screeching halt.
They've been requested to shoooosh.
Thank you.
[clears throat]
Shoooosh.
[clears throat]
[crowd booing]
Shoooosh, please.
Because Master Gable has an important announcement.
For the first time since its inception,
the Alpha Academy has decided to accept new students.
[Corey] Saxton, you've barely passed first grade.
And I decided to start my search right here in Canada.
[crowd cheers]
Although, I'm starting to regret it because I've looked up and down Toronto,
and the only thing I found is toothless, washed-up,
ex-hockey players hooked on Tim Hortons.
[Saxton] I like Tim Hortons.
[crowd booing]
Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa. Shoooosh.
Look, look at your own Maple Leafs.
They lost an ice hockey game to a team from Tampa Bay.
[crowd booing]
Oh, oh…
Hey, I know education isn't your strong suit here.
So, let me give you a little factoid.
They don't even have ice in Tampa Bay. [laughs]
Here's a few more facts.
I found no talent in Canada.
[crowd chanting indistinctly]
[Corey] …must have been busy. Canada's greatest athlete.
[clears throat] Shoooosh.
The only guy I keep hearing about is some geek named Auston Matthews.
Only problem is Auston Matthews
is an American and he doesn't have the talent
to watch Otis' jockstrap, baby.
[crowd booing]
-[Corey] A side gig for you, Saxton. -[Saxton] I'll pass.
But against my better judgment,
right here tonight in Toronto,
I'm hosting the first-ever Alpha Academy Open Challenge.
Thank you!
So I'm begging you, Toronto, send me your best.
I don't care if it's a civilian,
if it's some former athlete that can't let go of their glory days,
if it's someone that thinks they're a fighter.
Send me what you got and see if they measure up,
but I got a hypothesis for you.
They don't.
Thank you!
[crowd booing]
[Saxton] Who's gonna answer this open challenge?
[Corey] I saw a pretty tough guy sweeping the hall backstage.
He looked tough like he'd been in a fight with life.
Oh, whoa, big surprise, there's nobody coming to answer the challenge.
-That's exactly what I thought. -["Fight" playing]
-[Jimmy] Oh! -[crowd cheering]
[Saxton] You might want to rescind that comment there, Master Gable.
We got somebody, all right.
[Jimmy] He talked about a fighter.
He's got one in front of him now.
[Saxton] A man who has been on an absolute warpath,
Kevin Owens.
-[Jimmy] Canada's own KO… -[Owens yelling]
…shouting his way to the ring.
[crowd cheering]
Scotiabank Arena now rocking.
[Corey] With the mood Owens has been in over the last several weeks,
this could be a relatively short night for Master Gable.
Owens is here for one reason and one reason only,
to fight.
[Saxton] Re-adopting his no-nonsense prize-fighter mindset,
and on a mission to remind everyone just exactly who Kevin Owens is.
[Jimmy] Hospitalized Ezekiel,
took on Drew McIntyre last week.
-He has shown no fear. -[bell rings]
[Jimmy] And it continues right now going right at Chad Gable.
[Saxton] This is the last person Chad Gable
expected to answer the open challenge.
[Jimmy] More than likely the last person he wanted to accept the open challenge.
[Corey] Chad Gable gotta realize
you don't wanna throw hands with Kevin Owens.
Rely on what brought you to the dance, Gable.
Wrestle Kevin Owens.
[Saxton] A lot easier said than done with the mood that Owens is in.
[Corey] Gable able to weather the early storm.
Now wearing Owens down in the corner.
Poor Gable is outnumbered now.
It's like Chad Gable versus Kevin Owens
and how many people are here in this arena? 16,000?
Jimmy, I was looking at you. You have the number?
-[Jimmy] 16,683. -[Corey] Thanks.
-[Saxton] That was impressive. -[Jimmy] I'm sorry. Otis was standing
right over me, man. The dude's a giant.
It's also I think how much Otis weighs.
The numbers just match up, but, right now,
Chad Gable on the run right into a wall.
[Saxton] Kevin Owens is in a mood.
Give me that cauliflower ear, buddy.
[Saxton] Do you think Gable is regretting that open challenge?
[Jimmy] Oh, he just grabbed Chad Gable by his cauliflower ear.
[Corey] I'm a fan of it. I like this ruthless Kevin Owens.
Saxton over there has spent the last three years complaining
about Kevin Owens having a bad attitude.
Now, all of a sudden,
he's a bigger fanboy than anyone in Canada.
I like Kevin Owens beating people up and kicking people's ass,
but I also like when Chad Gable does it.
-[Jimmy] Oh, my God! -[Corey] Senton by Owens.
[Jimmy] Not just the brutality, the agility of a guy of Kevin Owens' size.
[Saxton] We're going to see more of that agility.
[Corey] Clear the deck.
[Saxton] Or maybe not.
[Corey] Smart move by Gable.
The valedictorian himself.
-[Jimmy] Gable… -[Corey] Oh, man.
Nasty T-Bone suplex on the outside.
Shoooosh.
[Jimmy] That's what you learn spending your life doing Graeco-Roman.
[Corey] Otis is informing us that Gable has got hips like Shakira.
Oh!
[Jimmy] I don't know if I needed that information but…
[Saxton] Perhaps a facial makeover now, too.
[Corey] Are you implying Shakira is not attractive?
-[Saxton] It's not what I was implying. -[Corey] It's what you were doing.
Kevin Owens looking to end this in spectacular fashion.
[Jimmy] Remember what he did to Ezekiel in this exact same position.
[Corey] Beautiful escape.
[Saxton] Spine-first on the apron.
[Jimmy] Oh, no, no, no.
-[Saxton] Oh, geez. -[Jimmy] Oh, yes!
[Corey] Can Owens get back up into this fight?
[Jimmy] Well, it was an open challenge from Chad Gable
and answered by Kevin Owens.
[Corey] I think Owens may be regretting the decision to answer the open challenge.
Another in a series of painful German suplexes.
This one went down before the break.
On the ring apron.
We often talk about how this is the hardest part of the ring.
There is absolutely no give.
It is all steel underneath.
And then following up with a picturesque German suplex
on the back of Owens' neck and shoulders again.
[Saxton] It seemed when this match started,
it would be over in short order,
but Kevin Owens and Chad Gable settling nicely
and now advantage firmly in Gable's corner.
[Jimmy] Corey, we knew Chad Gable was strong,
but the way he's manhandling Kevin Owens with suplexes is unbelievable.
Oh!
[Corey] Owens answering with a suplex of his own,
and now let's try this one more time.
Clear that deck. Cannonball.
[Jimmy] Chad Gable not able to get out from under the ropes this time.
[Saxton] And look at Kevin Owens unable to capitalize
because of all the damage done by Gable.
[Jimmy] Otis trying to will Chad Gable back to his feet.
[Corey] Take another look here at the impact from the cannonball from KO.
Who can make it to their feet first?
[crowd chanting] This is awesome!
[Jimmy] Kevin Owens stepping very gingerly on that left knee.
It's been bothering him throughout this match.
[Saxton] Both men trading shots.
A hobbled Kevin Owens just trying to stay upright.
[Jimmy] Smart move from Chad Gable going right to that compromised knee.
Oh!
[Corey] That's got to be it. Gable's not getting up after that.
[Saxton] I'm not sure it's wise for Owens to climb to the top.
But nonetheless, he's going for it all.
[Jimmy] Looking to put it away.
Oh, my God!
Halfway across the ring.
-That's got to be it. -[crowd] One, two…
[Jimmy] No!
[Corey] Chad Gable survives.
Take a look at the height, the distance,
and most importantly, the impact.
Two hundred and sixty plus pounds halfway across the ring,
crashing down onto the core of Chad Gable,
who somehow manages to kick out.
[Jimmy] Chad Gable looking for momentum for the Alpha Academy.
Former Raw Tag Team Champions.
They had a tough run as of late,
but Chad Gable trying to get himself
and his team back in it tonight.
[Saxton] Owens looking for the pop-up powerbomb.
Gable slips behind.
[Corey] Owens wants the stunner. Gable!
[Saxton] Oh, again.
[Corey] German suplex.
[Jimmy] Just before three, getting that right shoulder up.
[Corey] Gable needs to keep his foot on the gas pedal.
Gable needs to keep applying the pressure.
Whatever he's got left in the tank, now is the time to exhaust it.
From the top, Master Gable.
-[Jimmy] Oh! -[Corey] Headbutt connects.
That's gonna do it. Can Gable make the cover?
[Jimmy] There it is. Hooking the leg.
[Corey] And Owens now defying the odds, surviving.
But before this, look at the angle.
High across the top of Owens' shoulders
and base of his skull stacked up high,
and then Gable soaring delivering a flying headbutt
right to the heart of Kevin Owens, but amazingly, this one rolls on.
[Saxton] How much more longer does it roll on
as Gable now is upping the ante on the middle rope?
[Jimmy] It'll take something big to get Kevin Owens out of here
and that's exactly what Chad Gable is thinking right now.
[Saxton] Owens continues to swing,
continues to fight.
Gable right there again to meet him.
[Corey] My goodness.
-Oh, no. -[Saxton] Oh, boy.
-[Jimmy] Oh, yes! -[Corey] Wow!
[Jimmy] What?
[Corey] Can Owens make the cover?
Now is the time.
Gable is not getting up if Owens gets there fast enough.
[Jimmy] He's there now crawling to the cover.
[crowd] One, two…
[Jimmy] Oh!
[Corey] You got to be kidding me.
[Saxton] How in the world did Gable kick out after this?
Jarring impact. Owens.
Look, Owens is on the top rope again.
[Jimmy] Once again.
-Oh! -[Corey] Knees up.
Knees up. Gable got the knees up.
[Saxton] Now it's Gable wasting no time.
Looking for the moonsault.
[Corey] Superkick on the temple.
Owens hitting the rewind button.
-Pop-up powerbomb. -[Corey] Powerbomb!
[Jimmy] Hooking the leg. One, two, three.
-A huge win for Kevin Owens. -[bell rings]
["Fight" playing]
[announcer] Here is your winner,
Kevin Owens--
[Saxton] Otis from behind.
No time to celebrate for Kevin Owens.
[Jimmy] The Tree Trunk stomping Kevin Owens right through the canvas.
-[thuds] -[commentators exclaim]
[Corey] Otis colliding with the ring post.
Owens' out of the harm's way for the moment,
but I don't think Kevin's finished yet.
-[Jimmy] Not at all. -[Corey] Oh, no, no, no.
Kevin, no.
[Saxton] We saw what this did to Ezekiel. Oh!
[Corey] I think Otis may have just saved Gable's career.
Now, Otis, this mass of humanity,
looking to punish Kevin Owens.
-[Saxton] Owens. -[Jimmy] Stunner!
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] Oh, no, no, no. Don't do this, Kevin.
[Saxton] Oh, Kevin's gonna do it. Oh!
-Powerbomb onto Otis. -[crowd cheering]
-[Jimmy] Levelling the Alpha Academy. -["Fight" playing]
Canadian crowd here in Toronto absolutely loving it.
Chad Gable wanted a fight, well, he got one.
[Saxton] Hobbled, beat up,
but Kevin Owens did what Kevin Owens does.
Fight Owens fight.
[Corey] There's no rest for the weary.
After the match, Otis wasting no time
attacking Owens and saving Chad Gable from certain disaster,
but Owens would be able to recover, and boom,
stunner for the big man.
And as Gable reentered the chat,
he received a powerbomb for his troubles
directly onto his partner, the Tree Trunk,
at the hands of The Prizefighter.
[Saxton] Yet another message sent to the entire Raw locker room.
Kevin Owens knows exactly who he is.
And this is the Kevin Owens show.
[Jimmy] And after tonight who's gonna want a piece of The Prizefighter?
That's the question.
This is my show.
The Judgment Day, we run Monday Night Raw.
-That's right. -I wanna keep beating everyone up
until they realize that. I mean, just ask Dolph Ziggler.
-Who? -Exactly. [laughs]
Hey, I've been meaning to talk to you.
You've been beating Dom so much recently,
-I think he's starting to enjoy it. -[laughing]
And as for his daddy,
Finn Bálor keeps Rey Mysterio in his pocket.
He is 61-mine.
-Oh, that was good. -Oh, smart.
That only leaves one lonely Legend to deal with…
Edge.
I know the cheers are gonna be crazy tonight,
because for the first time in over a decade,
the hero returns home to Toronto.
Well, it's gonna be your last one,
because I'm sending you back into retirement.
All those cheers as loud as they were,
they're gonna turn to terrifying screams
from your friends, from your family,
as you meet your Judgment Day.
[laughs]
-Burying all these Legends, man. -[laughter]
[Jimmy] It has been ten years
since Edge has competed on WWE in Toronto.
And Damian Priest of The Judgment Day looking to spoil the homecoming.
Edge said he would end The Judgment Day.
Big step tonight for him.
[Corey] Priest looks at this as an opportunity to put the final nail
in the coffin of the career of The Rated-R Superstar.
["Shining Like A Diamond" playing]
[bell rings]
[announcer] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, from Toronto, Ontario, Canada,
Aliyah!
[crowd cheering]
[Jimmy] There you see, it's Aliyah coming from SmackDown
to take on Bayley presented by the "two for $5" menu at Sonic,
only at Sonic.
There is Aliyah getting ready to go warmed up, fired up.
She's gonna need it on Raw against Bayley next.
["Shining Like A Diamond" playing]
[Jimmy] Monday Night Raw is presented by the new "two for $5" menu at Sonic,
only at Sonic.
There is Aliyah ready to take on Bayley.
Well, tonight, we saw one half of the women's tag team bracket filled.
Dakota Kai and Iyo Sky victorious.
Unfortunately, on the other side of the bracket, some unfortunate changes.
At Friday Night SmackDown this past week,
Gigi Dolin of Toxic Attraction suffered an unfortunate injury.
She will not be medically cleared to compete this coming Friday,
but there is a silver lining, so to speak.
Yeah, a new opportunity has opened up now for another team to advance,
what will be a "Second Chance" Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match.
The teams of Tamina and Dana Brooke, Shotzi and Xia Li,
Nikki A.S.H. and Doudrop, and Natalya and Sonya Deville.
The winner of this match will then go on to face
Raquel Rodriguez and Aliyah in the semi-finals.
[Corey] Or whatever is left of Aliyah after tonight.
[Saxton] That remains to be seen.
["Role Model" playing]
[announcer] Her opponent, from San Jose, California,
Bayley!
[Jimmy] June 25th, 2021, on SmackDown
was the last time we saw Bayley in the ring.
[Saxton] Why so mopey, Bayley?
[crowd booing]
[Corey] Mopey? Mopey, Saxton? Bayley's focused.
Bayley is not only focused on tonight, she's focused on Cardiff, Wales.
At Clash at the Castle, the six-woman tag team match
where Bayley will lead Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai
to face off against Raw Women's Champion, Bianca Belair, Alexa Bliss,
and "The Empress of Tomorrow" Asuka.
Bayley clearly has a lot on her mind and a lot on her plate.
Don't talk about being mopey.
[Saxton] Well, clearly Bayley was not prepared to compete here tonight.
Shout out to Aliyah for stepping up and going,
"Hey, you've talking for weeks, let's go. Let's have a match."
[Corey] Or Aliyah potentially dug her own grave.
She challenged one of the most decorated female Superstars
in all of WWE to a match. What happens next is on her.
[bell rings]
[Jimmy] It's presented by the new "two for $5" menu at Sonic,
only at Sonic.
[Corey] Listen, I admire Aliyah,
I admire the guts it took to issue this challenge.
Aliyah has got a very bright future.
She owns the fastest victory in WWE history.
It would go great things for Aliyah's career
should she be able to knock off somebody as decorated as Bayley.
But let's be real here. This is Bayley we're talking about.
-[Jimmy] Into the cover quickly. -[Saxton] Bayley who almost lost now.
[Corey] Well, ring rust is a real thing, Saxton.
Inside cradle.
[Jimmy] Shoulders down. Quick reversal.
Back up to her feet for Bayley.
[Saxton] Maybe that was part of the wise strategy from Aliyah,
understanding it's been quite some time since Bayley has actually competed.
[Corey] Yeah, but… Oh! Nice hip toss.
[Saxton] In her hometown, nonetheless. What a night it could be for Aliyah.
[Corey] You're right. It could be.
It's entirely possible, but I'm just saying,
Aliyah is setting herself up for some heartbreaking disappointment
in front of her friends and family.
-[Saxton] You're such a pessimist. -[Corey] I'm a realist, Saxton.
[Jimmy] Slick moves so far from Aliyah.
[Saxton] Aliyah, oh, creative offense.
[Corey] Certainly has Bayley off of her game in the early goings.
-Cover by Aliyah. -[Jimmy] Hooking the leg,
but quick sit up from Bayley.
[Corey] She's got the ear of Aliyah.
[Saxton] Perfectly illegal.
[Jimmy] Some viciousness from the veteran.
One. Out of the corner. Two.
[Saxton] Bayley kind of underestimated Aliyah in the early going in this match.
[Bayley shouting indistinctly]
Nearly cost her.
One. Two. Three. Come on.
[Corey] Think about it this way. If Bayley were to say,
take Aliyah's ear off, it would actually benefit Aliyah
-because she claims to be bougie. -[Jimmy] To the cover.
-Kick out from Aliyah. -[Corey] It's beneficial
to your bank account if you only have to buy one earring
instead of a whole pair.
[Jimmy] You always see the bright side of things.
[Corey] I'm ever the optimist, basically.
[Saxton] You are an absurd human being, that's what.
[Jimmy] Now that early momentum, though, of Aliyah right now countered by Bayley.
She knows every trick in the book.
First Women's Grand Slam Champion,
first Women's Triple Crown Champion,
Bayley's done it all.
The young buck, Aliyah, better catch up quick. Cover.
[Saxton] This is where Aliyah's fight, her tenacity gets tested here
-the longer this match goes. -[Corey] But think about it this way,
as much as you like to talk about what a feel-good story it is
being on Raw in front of your family,
in front of your hometown, you're setting yourself up for failure.
You are putting yourself into the pressure cooker
of your own volition.
[Saxton] Isn't that what you're here to do?
To step up, to make a name for yourself?
Oh, what should Aliyah do? Cower in the back?
"No, Bayley, I don't want to face you."
"I don't want to make a name for myself and get people talking about me."
[Corey] Aliyah made the challenge, Saxton, not Bayley.
[Saxton] Exactly, and you're doubting Aliyah for making the challenge.
[Corey] I'm saying she set herself up to potentially fail, that is what I said.
Listen to me. I'm usually right.
[Saxton] You give yourself too much credit.
[Corey] I'm gonna punch you in the throat.
[Saxton] I'd wish you try. I've seen you wrestle.
[Corey] Bayley now picking things up, flattening Aliyah.
There goes your feel-good story.
Good job, Bayley.
[Saxton] The match isn't over yet.
[Jimmy] Incredible aggression so far from Bayley, trying to get it over with.
Kick out from Aliyah.
[Corey] Take a look at this, incoming. Pow!
And Bayley now dictating the pace of this matchup.
[Jimmy] Behind the scenes, could Bayley have touched a nerve
talking about Raquel Rodriguez,
basically, calling Aliyah the weak link in that team, goading Aliyah.
[Corey] Listen, Bayley understands
the mental aspect of this game as well as anybody.
That could very well have been the intention.
Nasty looking impact in the middle turnbuckle.
[Jimmy] Every step Bayley takes sends a message,
which is, "You're not on my level yet."
[Saxton] Well, Aliyah will not go down without a fight,
attempting to give herself a chance
to what would be a major upset over Bayley.
[Corey] Crossbody in the corner. Check this power out from Bayley.
-[Jimmy] Oh! -[Corey] Double knees to the abdomen.
-[Jimmy] To the cover, hooking the leg. -[Bayley grunts in frustration]
[Jimmy] Kick out from Aliyah,
but she is starting to wear down in the ring.
[Corey] You gotta give credit to Aliyah, she's fighting her heart out.
[Saxton] Aliyah has been very impressive thus far.
[Corey] To your point you made, Bayley is out here anxious and eager
to show the world and Aliyah that Aliyah is not on Bayley's level.
[Saxton] Bayley wasn't anxious to get in the match in the first place.
[Jimmy] Also Bayley, with Dakota Kai and with Iyo Sky,
she's been the leader.
She's been the one at the front of that faction, of that group.
[Corey] Tonight is a chance for Bayley to lead by example.
[Jimmy] Exactly. Can't afford to fail.
She wants to show everyone led by her as the strongest.
Aliyah, in some offense going of her own.
[Saxton] This is huge for Aliyah. Huge opportunity to capitalize.
[Corey] High risk. Not gonna pay off tonight.
[yelling]
[Saxton] Oh! Maybe it will.
[Corey] A homage to Trish Stratus on the outside.
Bayley driven face-first. Can Aliyah shock everybody?
[Saxton] Aliyah wanting to win this match inside the ring.
Thesz press. Dropping bombs on Bayley.
[Corey] I think exhaustion's starting to play a factor.
It wasn't a great deal behind those rights thrown by Aliyah.
[Saxton] And Aliyah is just doing whatever she can think of.
[Corey] Bayley's not a Superstar
you wanna find yourself in that predicament for.
You have to have a game plan that you can execute
because Bayley is a master at throwing you off of your plan.
[Saxton] Aliyah going down low.
Single-leg crab.
[Jimmy] Putting pressure on the back.
[Corey] Middle of the ring.
[Jimmy] A handful of hair for Bayley.
[Saxton] Desperation for Bayley to escape.
[Jimmy] Another thing, on Bayley's side, the willingness
to do just about anything.
[Corey] That's what it takes to be a champion in WWE.
[Jimmy] Oh.
[Corey] Modified monkey flip there by Bayley.
-Oh, here we go. Rose Plant. -[Jimmy] Oh!
[Jimmy] To the cover,
-and the veteran wins it. -[bell rings]
["Role Model" playing]
[announcer] Here is your winner, Bayley!
[Saxton] A valiant effort put forth by Aliyah, but in the end,
experience was too much.
That's why Bayley is your victor. Look who's here to celebrate.
[Jimmy] We talked about leadership, Corey, she set the example in the ring.
[Corey] Listen, Aliyah tried valiantly.
Aliyah gave it all she had, and this was incredibly impressive.
A little shout out to Hall of Famer, Trish Stratus, on the outside,
but unfortunately for Aliyah, it wouldn't be enough
to make her feel-good story come true.
Bayley driving Aliyah face-first
into the center of the ring, and that, as they say, was all she wrote.
[bell rings]
[Jimmy] Momentum for Clash at the Castle
so important right now in favor of Bayley, Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai.
They are rolling.
[crowd cheering]
You said something about veterans.
Huge match later tonight.
[Corey] Styles and Lashley competing for the United States Championship
last week on Raw in a can't-miss contest.
But these two will join forces tonight.
["No One Will Survive" playing]
[Corey] Absolutely priceless piece of jewelry
around the neck of Ciampa gifted to him by one of his mentors.
["I Came To Play" playing]
One of the most decorated WWE Superstars of all time.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Monday Night Raw just became must-see.
[Saxton] You feel better now that you said that?
[bell rings]
[announcer] The following contest is a tag team match
scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first,
the team of Ciampa and The Miz!
[Corey] Ciampa and The Miz will join forces
against the duo we just took a look at,
AJ Styles and the United States Champion,
"The All Mighty" Bobby Lashley.
A huge tag team match awaits.
[Saxton] I cannot wait to see how Lashley and Styles fair as a tag team.
We're gonna find out next on Raw.
["Run" by Our Lady Peace playing]
[Jimmy] We wanna send out a special thanks to Our Lady Peace for "Run,"
the official theme song of WWE Clash at the Castle
from the album Spiritual Machines II,
available now on Apple Music and Spotify.
In the ring right now, The Miz and Ciampa.
Ciampa under the tutelage of The Miz,
he's looked impressive on Monday Night Raw.
[The Miz yelling]
["All Mighty" playing]
[Corey] Here's impressive.
Herculean.
[crowd cheering]
[fireworks exploding]
[announcer] And their opponents,
first, he is the United States Champion,
"The All Mighty"
Bobby Lashley!
[Jimmy] Bobby Lashley in the back does a push-up challenge
that no other Superstar can do without puking.
-They can't get half way through it. -[Corey] You and I have watched,
-eight, nine Superstars… -[Jimmy] At least.
…do that push-up challenge and Lashley smokes them all just for fun.
Just to get warmed up. Just before Lashley stepped out here
into the ring to kick someone's ass.
-[Jimmy] Is he even tired at the end? -[Corey] Absolutely not.
-["You Don't Want None" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Jimmy] You threw up, didn't you, Byron?
[Saxton] Oh, let's not talk about that.
-[fireworks exploding] -[crowd cheering]
[announcer] And his tag team partner,
from Gainesville, Georgia, weighing 218 pounds,
"The Phenomenal" AJ Styles!
[Corey] Lashley and Styles, a duo bound by mutual respect.
Seven nights ago AJ Styles pushed The All Mighty to the limit
and very nearly became the new United States Champion.
As we see, Lashley was able to survive and retain,
but these are two world-class athletes joining forces.
[Saxton] The competition between Lashley and Styles
is what dream matches are made of.
Now, tonight, we could see a dream tag team here
with The All Mighty and The Phenomenal One.
[Corey] But don't forget what happened two weeks ago when Ciampa was the one
who pushed Bobby Lashley to the limits
and nearly became United States Champion.
You know that loss has eaten at Ciampa since.
Tonight is an opportunity for a measure, a modicum of revenge.
[Jimmy] Iron sharpens iron.
All of the men in the ring
have made one another sharper over the last few weeks.
[Corey] Lashley looking calm under pressure,
grinning from ear to ear, having a little fun,
but once the bell rings, it is all business.
[bell rings]
[Saxton] It'll be Styles that'll start things off with Ciampa
in this tag team matchup.
[Corey] Styles and Ciampa are two Superstars who have been intertwined
over the past several months,
neither man able to gain a decisive advantage
or sustain any sort of victory.
Back and forth, back and forth, week after week.
[Jimmy] At SummerSlam, it was The Miz against Logan Paul.
-Ciampa… -[Corey] Oh, baby!
[Jimmy] Someone say ejected?
I think some molars got ejected from Ciampa's mouth.
[Saxton] Now the tag made to the United States Champion.
First look at Styles and Lashley working together.
[Jimmy] The ease to the hand off.
-[Saxton] Making it look easy. -[Jimmy] Wow!
[Corey] Look at this superhuman power
delivered by The All Mighty all night.
Let's take another look at the dropkick of AJ Styles
right on the chin of Ciampa.
It's almost miraculous Ciampa was able to recover,
and now makes the tag to The Miz.
[Jimmy] The Miz right on time with the aggression on Bobby Lashley.
Trying to work on the ribs.
[Corey] Just raw power from Lashley.
-[Saxton] Great balance. Oh! -[Corey] Skull-Crushing Finale.
[Saxton] Not quite. Lashley quickly tagging in AJ Styles.
A lot of history between these two men.
[Corey] Blitz of strikes from Styles, and down goes the A-lister.
[Jimmy] Combinations from AJ Styles.
When he gets running,
no one fights bigger than AJ Styles. Look at this.
[Saxton] Yes, right to the back of the neck of The Miz.
Oh! One for Ciampa.
Bobby…
[Corey] The All Mighty saying, "Light work."
[commentators exclaiming]
[Jimmy] Can Ciampa and The Miz come back? Laid out outside the ring.
[Jimmy] It's Bobby Lashley and AJ Styles versus The Miz and Ciampa
on Monday Night Raw and it's been incredible,
the teamwork we've seen on both sides.
[Saxton] You're seeing more of an experienced edge as a tag team
for The Miz and Ciampa.
[whooping]
[Corey] Oh, my goodness, the exclamation point by Ciampa.
[Jimmy] To the cover.
Kick out from AJ Styles.
He's done a great job of keeping AJ isolated and away
from "The All Mighty" Bobby Lashley.
[Corey] We just saw why Ciampa is such a lethal competitor.
AJ simply extended an arm and Ciampa saw an opportunity.
Ciampa will systematically pick you apart with whatever you give him.
[Jimmy] He always has such a vicious offense.
When he's on, no one's better.
[Corey] From bell-to-bell, Ciampa's the personification of misery.
[Saxton] Tag is made to The Miz.
Going down low.
[Jimmy] The teamwork.
-[Corey] He is misery-- -[Jimmy] To the cover.
One, two…
[Saxton] You got to be impressed with the continued offense
we're seeing on display from The Miz and Ciampa.
[Corey] Oh, that's the first bright thing you've said all night, Saxton.
I'm used to you crying and whining about how Miz is a reality star
and is one of the most popular men on the planet earth and, you know--
[Saxton] I call it like I see it, that's what I do.
[Corey] You and that community on Reddit you hang out with?
-[Saxton] Never mind. -[Corey] Would you call me a Chad?
[Jimmy] Here we go. AJ trying to fight his way back into this one.
Later tonight, Edge versus Damian Priest.
[Saxton] Styles inches away from making the tag.
[Jimmy] Miz with that double leg, ramming AJ Styles into the turnbuckle.
Ciampa taking the opportunity to hammer away.
[Saxton] AJ continuing to try to fight out of this predicament,
a long ways away from his corner.
[Corey] Oh, wow!
[Saxton] At this point, AJ may not even make the tag to Bobby Lashley.
[Jimmy] Dropkick right to…
And Ciampa not letting AJ Styles off the hook.
[Corey] Styles launched into the barricade.
[both cheering]
[yelling]
[Jimmy] Ciampa and The Miz soaking up every second of this.
[Saxton] Wasting valuable time.
Now, hold on, the pose party's over.
These two have done a great job getting under the skin
of "The All Mighty" Bobby Lashley.
[Corey] As long as Lashley is not the legal competitor,
it's a brilliant strategy.
[Saxton] This is why AJ Styles may not be able to meet that tag.
[Corey] Look at Ciampa.
The consummate pro right in the center of the ring,
putting his own body in between AJ Styles and Bobby Lashley.
Look at the way Ciampa lifts his hips up off of the mat.
That's creating added pressure on Styles and his jaw.
[Jimmy] 16,683 at the Scotiabank Arena.
Sold out here tonight in Toronto,
and they are getting their money's worth.
Incredible tag team match. Oh!
Great offense yet again from Ciampa.
And to your point, Corey, it seems like The Miz and Ciampa
are taking advantage of maybe the one weakness
for AJ Styles and Bobby Lashley.
Getting emotional, right? Both guys get fired up very, very easily,
as right now Bobby Lashley fuming. That's Miz's wheelhouse.
That's Miz's milieu.
It's where he's existed for the majority of his career,
to be insufferable to an opponent.
Ciampa is more of a technician.
Ciampa is world-traveled,
but Ciampa can still learn these little gems.
Ciampa's smart enough to know what he doesn't know
and a veteran like The Miz can provide him.
[Saxton] Ciampa came out and publicly said, "I attached myself to The Miz
because it will put more eyeballs on my career."
"More of a spotlight on my career."
[Jimmy] Ciampa, though, seemingly improving every week,
but right now The Miz, veteran moves,
keeping AJ Styles centered and away from Bobby Lashley.
-Cover. -[referee] One, two…
[Jimmy] Just before the count of three.
[Saxton] Miz wisely dragging AJ Styles back to his corner as Ciampa tags in,
and the offensive onslaught continues.
[Corey] Make a wish.
I wish I never had to come back to Toronto.
[Jimmy] If you wouldn't go through customs looking like Sleazy P. Martini,
maybe they wouldn't give you such a hard time.
[Saxton] Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
[Corey] You got the morality squad on the other side over there, Jimmy.
And there's Ciampa doing what Ciampa does best,
just grinding down Styles.
[Jimmy] It's not a compliment, by the way, Byron.
Right now, Ciampa, bulldog chinlock position,
wearing out AJ Styles.
[Corey] Almost in the breadbasket of Ciampa who's trying to hang on.
[Jimmy] Oh!
Could be perfect timing, The Miz.
[Saxton] I don't think Styles can make the tag.
-Maybe-- -[Jimmy] Oh, Pele Kick!
[Saxton] This is the best chance Styles has.
[Jimmy] Bobby Lashley cannot wait to get into this match.
[Saxton] Arm out stretched. Tag is made.
Here comes the United States Champion.
[Corey] Tag is also made to Ciampa
who's being bounced around like a ping pong ball right now.
[Saxton] A freight train of ferocity.
Bobby Lashley hitting everything that moves.
[Corey] Oh, man!
[Lashley yells]
[Jimmy] He doesn't care who his target is.
Taking out the entire team.
-[Saxton] Uh-oh. -[Corey] What?
[Jimmy] Oh, face-first go Ciampa and The Miz.
[Saxton] Lashley is standing tall and hungry for more.
[Jimmy] Ready to end this right now. Thinking spear.
[crowd booing]
[Corey] Smart move by Ciampa.
[Saxton] Ciampa looking like he's had enough.
[Jimmy] Talk about the education of Ciampa.
-Able to see that one coming. -[Corey] Oh, no, we've seen this.
[Jimmy] Yep.
[Saxton] Oh, right on the ring post.
[crowd cheering]
Bobby Lashley unleashing every ounce of his rage on to Ciampa.
[crowd chanting] Bobby! Bobby! Bobby!
[Saxton] Lashley gonna try this again. Looking for the spear.
[Corey] And Miz coming to the aid of Ciampa.
[Jimmy] We're seeing what you talked about, Corey.
The crowd behind Bobby Lashley makes him a new man.
[Corey] You're right. Even in Canada,
the WWE Universe rallies behind Bobby Lashley.
Uh-oh. Willow's Bell.
That's gonna do it.
[Jimmy] What a turnaround this would be. Oh!
Barely getting that right shoulder up.
[Saxton] Willow's Bell from Ciampa.
Spiking the United States Champion--
Now Ciampa wants the Fairy Tail Ending.
[Jimmy] No way you hit the Fairy Tail Ending.
[Saxton] Lashley… Spear!
[Jimmy] Oh! Folding Ciampa in half.
-To the cover. -[referee] One, two…
[Corey] And Miz just in time to keep it alive.
[Saxton] Styles back into the equation, going after The Miz.
[Jimmy] AJ Styles not about to let The Miz get a free shot.
Over the top!
Are you kidding me?
[Saxton] Styles coming back to life in this match.
-What the… -[Corey] Again?
[Jimmy] What the hell?
[Corey] Get the cameras. Who the hell are these people?
[Jimmy] AJ Styles looks just as confused as we are.
[Saxton] Styles attempting to refocus here on this match.
[Jimmy] Had The Miz right where he wanted him and now runs into a boot.
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] No.
-What? -[bell rings]
[Jimmy] The bell has rung.
[Saxton] Where are the cops? Where are the officials?
[Corey] Someone help Miz, what the hell is happening?
[Jimmy] He's getting dragged into the back in the middle of a match.
[Corey] How is this psychopath allowed in the arena again?
[Saxton] Where is security?
[Jimmy] The referee saying the match is over.
[Corey] Ciampa is still fighting there at his credit. I mean, good.
[Saxton] Okay. We got Styles, Styles with the Phenomenal Forearm.
[Jimmy] It's not over till AJ Styles says it's over.
[Corey] Can someone get eyes on Miz?
[Saxton] I don't know what to say about what we just saw happening.
I mean, Lashley and Styles still focused on Ciampa.
[Jimmy] Ciampa the victim of yet another spear.
[Corey] What is the…
I get The All Mighty and Styles
-have had their issues with Ciampa but-- -["All Mighty" playing]
[Jimmy] The Miz has been kidnapped.
Let's not forget that.
[Corey] I don't even know…
That's Dexter Lumis. We know the guy.
He doesn't work here,
but for the third or fourth week in a row,
somehow this maniac makes it to ring side.
We have a highly-trained security force.
What the hell is happening tonight?
[Saxton] No security in sight.
No officials, and Lashley and Styles
continued on as if the match was still happening,
which it was not.
[Corey] I mean Styles, Lashley,
no one knows what the hell to make of this situation.
Miz is a freaking WWE Superstar,
he's a father and this sort of stuff happens.
-This is ridiculous. -No, it's beyond ridiculous.
Well, all we can say is that moving on with the rest of tonight,
Damian Priest was the first recruit into The Judgment Day by Edge,
because Edge saw his talent.
Now, Edge has to deal with that talent one-on-one in Toronto.
[narrator] For the first time in more than ten years,
Edge competes on Monday Night Raw in Toronto,
but one man looks to spoil The Rated-R Superstar's homecoming
as Damian Priest sets out to end the Hall of Famer's career.
A match months in the making,
a partnership ended in a brutal betrayal.
[Priest] We are ready to shed
the last bit of limitations holding us back.
[narrator] Now, will the ultimate opportunist
make Damian pay the ultimate price?
I am going to end Judgment Day.
[narrator] Or will it be a nightmare in the north,
as Edge is undone by a monster of his own creation?
It all must come to a head in the Six,
it's Edge versus Damian Priest
for the first time ever tonight on Raw.
[Jimmy] It is said often, but this time it's abundantly true.
Losing is not an option for Damian Priest
taking on his former mentor, Edge.
[Corey] Toronto will become unglued
when Edge faces that man, Damian Priest, tonight.
[upbeat music playing]
["Rebel Heart" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[cheering continues]
I missed you guys so much.
[cheering continues]
[crowd chanting] Johnny wrestling! Johnny wrestling! Johnny wrestling!
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting] Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!
Well, surprise, everybody.
[crowd cheering]
Guys, it's been nine months since I've been in a wrestling ring.
I got to remember how to do this really quick.
Do I still talk into the microphone like this?
Still talk like this? Yeah?
First of all, thank you guys for reminding me who I am.
For those of you who don't know, my name is Johnny Gargano.
[crowd cheers]
And I was kind of a big deal back in NXT.
I'm a former NXT Champion,
three-time North American Champion,
Tag Team Champion,
first-ever Triple Crown Champion in NXT history.
As a matter of fact,
I won those tag team titles in this very building.
[crowd cheering]
It is great to see you again, Toronto.
[crowd cheering]
Since I've been gone, there's been a lot of questions
about where or when I was going to show up again,
and honestly, I had those same questions,
and for a long time, I wondered if I even wanted to do this anymore.
But I remember one day in particular,
I was standing there playing with my brand new, fresh,
six-month-year-old baby. Baby wrestling, baby wrestling, yes.
[crowd chanting] Baby wrestling! Baby wrestling! Baby wrestling!
He's going to appreciate that when he gets older, promise you.
And I remembered that when I was younger, I had big, impossible dreams.
I dreamed of becoming the Intercontinental Champion,
of becoming the United States Champion,
of becoming the WWE Champion…
[crowd cheering]
…and of wrestling at WrestleMania,
and it hit me, it hit me.
What type of father would I be
if I didn't teach my son that even the biggest,
most impossible dreams can come true.
[crowd cheering]
If you work hard enough, you can get anything you want
out of this life, I promise.
And when I left, I said,
"You will never fail if you bet on yourself."
And that is what I am doing here tonight in Toronto,
I am betting on myself.
[crowd cheering]
And I stand here incredibly proud to say.
Johnny wrestling is back in WWE.
[crowd cheering]
We're just getting started.
-We are just getting started. -["A-Town Down" playing]
[Jimmy] Look who's interrupting the party.
[Saxton] I'm still trying to get over the shock and awe of Johnny Gargano here,
but here comes Mr. Money in the Bank, Theory.
[imperceptible]
[crowd booing]
Johnny.
Wait, what?
What?
Is this real right now?
Hey, dude.
What has it been, nine months?
Hey.
[crowd chanting] Who's your daddy? Who's your daddy? Who's your daddy?
Johnny, a lot has happened in the past nine months, hasn't it?
That's true. A lot has happened in nine months.
I've changed a lot of diapers.
I've watched a lot of Bluey,
and I've also watched you,
and, man, it's great to see how much you've changed.
It's great. It's good to see you, man. Really.
-I know, man. -You've changed a lot.
I know, and, well, everybody knows, I mean, a lot has changed.
I've became the United States Champion,
on top of that, the youngest United States Champion.
I've competed at WrestleMania already,
and with this right here,
I am on my way to becoming the new
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
I hope you do. I hope you do.
It's almost like all the things you've dreamed of, I've already done them.
[crowd yelling] What?
It's…
Johnny, I got to tell you this.
I couldn't have done any of this without you.
I couldn't have.
When we were in NXT together, you took me under your wing.
[crowd yelling] What?
Now I look around and all these idiots saying "What,"
we're on Monday Night Raw.
[crowd yells] What?
It's almost like now I'm the veteran
and you're the rookie.
-[crowd yells] What? -I mean think about it.
You can stand behind me.
You can… You can be my caboose.
[crowd yells] What?
I mean, you can carry my bags if you want to.
[crowd yells] What?
You know what, even better, don't worry about the bags.
You can carry this right here and hand it to me
when I cash in and I become
the new Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
[crowd booing]
As good as that sounds, it seems like I can show you the way…
or if you don't wanna stand behind me
and support me like you did,
then maybe you just go away.
Okay.
But nobody wants to see that because they love us together.
Johnny and Theory, the dynamic duo, we're untouchable.
You know what, for old time's sake,
-let's do the high five. -The high five one more time?
-Come on. Let's do it. -Let's do it.
Hit me with it, Johnny. Come on. Hit me with it, Johnny. Hit me.
Come on, Johnny. Hit me.
[Jimmy] Oh!
[Saxton] He hit him all right. Oh, ho!
So much for rekindling new partnership.
[Jimmy] Superkick to his former friend and protégé.
[Corey] Johnny Gargano thought he needed to show Theory a whole new way
to do things here on Monday Night Raw.
[Saxton] I still can't believe it. Johnny Gargano is on Raw.
["Rebel Heart" playing]
Maybe that's not the way you do things.
[imperceptible]
You said to hit you. You said to hit you.
[upbeat music playing]
[Jimmy] That's right.
Ten years since Edge has competed in Toronto.
But if you tuned in late to see Edge,
you missed how our show started and it was absolute chaos
between Riddle and Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
[Corey] Right as we came on the air, in the middle of our pyro, actually,
Riddle and Rollins backstage brawling wildly.
Officials, security, anybody who could possibly
get their hands on these two did,
but still couldn't separate Rollins and Riddle.
[Saxton] The brawl had spilt out here into the Scotiabank Arena
between Riddle and Rollins, tensions on overload between these two men
who are scheduled to face each other at Clash at the Castle.
Riddle taking a high-risk, flattening the entire pile of humanity.
A brawl to kick off Monday Night Raw here in Toronto.
Got to wonder what's in store next week.
[Jimmy] Well, it may take a steel curtain in Pittsburgh
to keep these two gentlemen apart,
because that's exactly where we're gonna be, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
and that's exactly who is going to be there.
That's right, Seth "Freakin" Rollins and Riddle will come face-to-face
next week on Monday Night Raw,
have security, have whatever it takes to keep these two apart.
[Corey] We saw the beginning of the semi-finals tonight,
the finals will go down in the Steel City.
Iyo Sky and Dakota Kai have qualified.
Who will they oppose? We'll find out this coming Friday.
Brand new Women's Tag Team Champions next week in the Burgh.
[Saxton] These days you never know who's gonna show up on Raw.
Check it out. It's true.
WWE Hall of Famer, Olympic gold medalist,
Kurt Angle will be live next week on Raw from Pittsburgh.
["Rise For The Night" playing]
[bell rings]
[announcer] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, The Judgment Day's
Damian Priest!
[Corey] The calm before the storm,
the confident smirk on the face of Damian Priest, as he prepares
for the biggest match of his career.
[Jimmy] Monday Night Raw is presented
by the new "two for $5" menu at Sonic,
only at Sonic.
[Saxton] Think about this, five months ago,
Damian Priest was recruited by Edge to stand by his side,
a member of The Judgment Day,
and now here we sit in the hometown of Edge
where Damian Priest has vowed
to send The Rated-R Superstar back into retirement.
[Corey] How ironic that the destruction of The Rated-R Superstar could come
at the hands of his very own creation.
[Jimmy] Damian Priest has embraced the darkness
and says that darkness is gonna envelop Edge tonight.
Not just win, not just pin,
but finish the legend of Edge in Toronto.
[Corey] Lofty aspirations of Damian Priest,
but now Priest has got to back it up.
Priest has got to execute here tonight.
[crowd booing]
[man] Come on, Edge! Come on, Edge!
-["Metalingus" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[announcer] And his opponent, from Toronto, Ontario, Canada,
WWE Hall of Famer,
The Rated-R Superstar
Edge!
[crowd cheering]
[fireworks exploding]
[Corey] It is deafening here in Toronto,
where the dream began
many, many moons ago
before he was The Rated-R Superstar,
Edge loved this business more than anything in the world.
Time has passed, nothing has changed,
but tonight The Rated-R Superstar
finds himself with a massive target on his back.
[Saxton] A motivated and emotionally charged
"Rated-R Superstar" Edge
set to do battle with the man he once recruited,
the man he once guided, Damian Priest,
next live on Raw.
[Jimmy] We're coming to you tonight from Toronto, Canada.
That's right, home of the Toronto Maple Leafs,
the Blue Jays and the Toronto Raptors,
great sports town, we've been hearing it all night.
[Corey] Is Toronto the only city in Canada
that doesn't have a team called the Rough Riders?
[Jimmy] I think so. Yeah.
[Saxton] Oh, 16,683 that have packed the Scotiabank Arena
and in large part for that man, the hometown hero.
[Jimmy] And there is Beth Phoenix,
his wife, the Hall of Famer, cheer her on.
Look at those eyes, locked on Edge, giving him that moral support.
[Corey] Beth's eyes tell the story, emotions running incredibly high,
but Edge has gotta be careful not to let Priest use
those very same emotions against the Hall of Famer.
[crowd cheering]
[bell rings]
[Corey] It is about to go down here in the Six.
Edge, Priest, let's go.
[Jimmy] Damian Priest, cold eyes locked on Edge,
trying to show no emotion. Certainly no fear.
[Saxton] When you think about the self-assuredness,
the confidence, that Damian Priest, who said,
"I don't want Finn Balor at ringside. I don't want Rhea Ripley at ringside."
"I'm going to take out Edge all by myself."
[crowd booing]
[Corey] Point from that opening exchange
has got to be given to Priest backing the Hall of Famer into the corner.
[Jimmy] Psychological gamesmanship,
it's gonna be on throughout this match.
Damian Priest, a physical monster.
We're seeing that, former United States Champion.
[Corey] Edge physically matches up quite well with Damian Priest,
and Priest sent to the outside.
[laughs]
[Jimmy] Oh, remember The Judgment Day began
because Edge saw the talent in Damian Priest.
Wanted to hone it, make him sharper.
Damian Priest thought he had nothing to learn from Edge.
[Corey] Almost the case of Frankenstein's monster.
Edge was the Doctor. Edge had the best of intentions
for The Judgment Day, to set them all free emotionally,
to really see what their potential could be in WWE.
Oh!
And the creation turned against the creator,
and now you've got a Damian Priest
with his sights set on putting the final nail
in the coffin of The Rated-R Superstar.
[Jimmy] Oh.
[Corey] Edge is not appreciating the disrespect from Damian Priest.
[Jimmy] Veteran move, the speed of Edge.
[Corey] Just a simple shove, the veteran, the Hall of Famer,
reminding Priest, "I may have taught you everything you know,
but not everything I know."
[Jimmy] And, Corey, you talked about the emotions of Edge,
might be too much for him.
It's Damian Priest right now being emotional.
[Saxton] Edge just patiently waiting for Damian Priest.
Just a reminder, this match will be presented
with limited commercial interruptions until it is over.
Damian Priest and Edge one-on-one live on Monday Night Raw,
sold out Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
[Jimmy] We don't want any interruptions. We don't want any distractions.
This has been a long time coming.
So far, The Judgment Day, eliminating the Mysterios,
they've eliminated everyone who stood in their path except Edge.
[Corey] Edge has been determined to kill what he created.
[Saxton] Again, Edge very wisely using Priest's own momentum against him.
[referee shouting indistinctly]
[Saxton] The official forcing the rope break. Oh!
[Jimmy] Goes down low immediately.
[Corey] And a cheap shot right on the ear.
Smart move by Priest. Dishonest? Sure.
[imperceptible]
[Jimmy] But a veteran should know, protect yourself at all times,
especially against Damian Priest and The Judgment Day.
One thing Edge brought out in Damian Priest is that
willingness to use every underhanded tactic,
anything it takes to win.
[Corey] The willingness and the confidence.
Priest believing in himself.
[Saxton] Edge playing some mind games with Damian Priest.
[commentators exclaiming]
[Corey] The Hall of Famer frustrating Priest before dropping him.
[Jimmy] A little cat and mouse, ready to set the trap.
[Saxton] The magnitude of this match on so many levels not lost on Edge.
-Oh, wait a minute. -[Corey] Oh, my God!
Powerbomb!
[Jimmy] Oh, my God, Edge's former protégé laid out outside the barricade.
[Corey] Damian Priest just risked it all, and it did not pay off.
[Jimmy] Veteran move from Edge, getting out of the way, just in time.
[Corey] That was instinct and instinct alone
from The Rated-R Superstar,
and Priest might have cost himself the best opportunity he'd had so far.
[Saxton] Both these men delivering clubbing blows.
Oh, thinking the same thing.
Double boot. Edge and Priest both down.
[Corey] The action continued throughout the break,
but here's where the tides were turned.
Damian Priest very resourceful,
realizing in position to change things,
ricocheting Edge off of the ring post
and Priest was able to wrestle control away.
[Jimmy] Edge versus Damian Priest.
His former protégé,
the start of The Judgment Day was the bond between these two men.
-Oh! -[Corey] Flapjack.
[Jimmy] Edge's homecoming back in Toronto, first time in ten years,
but that could be pushing him to go toe-to-toe with Damian Priest.
Is that a smart idea?
[Corey] Edge still believes he can go.
The WWE Universe still believes Edge can go.
[Jimmy] Oh!
[Corey] Why don't you ask Damian Priest if Edge can still go?
[Saxton] Cover.
[Jimmy] Pulling him away from the ropes first.
-Hooking the leg. -[referee] One, two…
[Jimmy] That took that extra second to get away from the ropes,
-could have cost him the fall. -[Corey] This issue has gotten so personal
that even Edge himself doesn't appear to be thinking clearly.
Here we take another look at the neckbreaker.
We noticed that Edge on the outside of the ring
was breaking the official's count. Ordinarily, you would take,
you'd let the referee run up his count,
Edge wants to finish this once and for all.
[Saxton] Speaking of finishing, Edge is on the top rope.
[Jimmy] I don't believe it. Oh!
[Corey] Unbelievable impact all the way from the top rope to the floor.
[Jimmy] Crushing Damian Priest,
but, Edge, that was a very tough landing for him.
[Saxton] It was worth it to Edge, to sacrifice his health,
his wellbeing for the sake of taking out Damian Priest.
[Corey] Was it a momentary victory?
Is Edge gonna be able to recover?
Can Edge capitalize on the high risk that he just took?
-Priest is down. Edge is stirring. -Four!
[Jimmy] Referee's count just up to five.
[Saxton] Edge up, but Edge on wobbly legs here,
manages to roll back into the ring and break the count.
[Corey] This is my point, Edge wants to finish this.
Edge doesn't wanna win this match.
Edge wants to dispose of Damian Priest.
[Saxton] You have to understand it.
Uh-oh. Priest!
[Jimmy] That's the risk.
[Corey] And did you see the way that
Edge's head ricocheted off the middle rope?
We know Edge has a long history of neck injuries.
-Oh, God. -[Jimmy] Get out of the way.
[Corey] This is how Priest destroyed The Judgment Day.
-How they… -[Jimmy] Oh!
[Corey] …how they betrayed The Rated-R Superstar
in the first place, and maybe for the last time.
[Jimmy] Everyone here absolutely amazed
that Edge still somehow in this match.
Damian Priest trying to take him out of it right now
as Edge battles back.
[Saxton] It seemed moments ago Edge was done for.
[Corey] Oh, no. No, no, no.
-[Jimmy] Oh, yes. -[Corey] What?
[Jimmy] Hurricanrana!
Damian Priest flung all the way across the ring.
[Corey] That may be the spark that The Rated-R Superstar needed,
the spark Edge needed to rally.
[Saxton] Edge has got that look in his eyes.
[commentators exclaim]
[Corey] Edge's eyes are glazed over after that kick.
-Oh, Unprettier! -[Jimmy] That could be it.
One, two… Oh!
Left shoulder barely up in time for Edge.
His fairy tale homecoming almost became a tragedy.
[Corey] Damian Priest would have loved to end it with insult to injury.
Take a look at this. Edge was thinking spear,
gets met with a kick,
and then Priest looking for the Unprettier,
a maneuver Edge knows all about.
One, two…
[Saxton] How psychologically defeating would that have been for Damian Priest
to secure the win in that manner?
[Corey] That's what Priest wants, Priest wants to destroy Edge,
physically and psychologically.
[Jimmy] That's been the story of this contest.
It's not just about winning, it's about decimating your opponent.
Corey, you said it, Edge could have maybe had a count out
a couple of times in this match, wouldn't take it.
Damian Priest could have had a regular cover
with his own moves, no, it's about humiliating Edge.
[Saxton] Look, Edge is barley standing right now.
It's pure instinct.
[Corey] Edge is about…
Oh, my God!
[Saxton] Edge looking to rebound.
[Corey] Oh!
The Impaler flattens Priest.
[Jimmy] To the cover, just one arm over, and it's not quite enough.
Edge didn't have the energy to get that proper cover,
that may have cost him.
[Corey] It's amazing that Edge is even still in this matchup
after what happened earlier on.
Of course, Damian Priest reminiscent of the night
that Priest and the entire Judgment Day turned on Edge.
Obviously this is difficult to watch,
even heartbreaking for Beth Phoenix, Edge's wife and fellow WWE Hall of Famer.
[Jimmy] Oh, Reckoning. Face down goes Edge.
-This could be it. -[Saxton] Yes, that might be it for Edge.
How many Superstars have we seen Priest defeat with that maneuver?
[crowd booing]
[Corey] Priest now not satisfied to end it like that.
Priest promised to put the final nail in Edge's coffin tonight,
in front of Edge's friends and his family,
in his hometown of Toronto, and here comes the final nail.
[Jimmy] Full speed, thinking spear.
-Oh, my God! -[Corey] South of Heaven.
[Jimmy] The count of one, two… Oh!
[Saxton] Listen, what we're learning, everything is off limits here,
every move, every playbook, whatever it takes to win.
[Corey] Edge tearing a page out of Damian Priest's own playbook.
[Jimmy] They trained together,
they taught each other so much in Judgment Day.
[Corey] Edge a step ahead of The Judgment Day's punishment.
[Saxton] Speaking of using different… whoa!
[Corey] Charles Robinson sent to the outside.
[Jimmy] Referee's down and out outside.
[Corey] And here we go.
South of Heaven from Priest.
[Saxton] Priest well aware there's no referee available to make the count.
[Jimmy] Oh, no.
[Saxton] Again, nothing off limits here, especially with no official.
[Corey] We've seen the stoops that Priest is willing to sink to.
[Jimmy] Oh, no.
Not again.
[Saxton] This is what put Edge on the shelf originally
when he was removed from The Judgment Day.
[Jimmy] Not another Con-Chair-To-- Oh!
[Corey] Oh, my God, Edge out of the way just in time.
[Jimmy] Oh, now offense of his own.
Damian Priest flat on the chair that he brought in to cripple Edge.
[Saxton] And now, wait.
[Corey] Oh, my goodness.
[Jimmy] I think goodness is not on the menu right now.
[Saxton] Edge taking this to a more devious, sadistic level.
-[Jimmy] Oh! -[Corey] Crossface is in
with the support from the chair.
[Saxton] Again, official Charles Robinson still out of the equation.
Now Edge trying to muster up the… Oh!
[Corey] Priest had that piece of the chair, Edge is out.
[Jimmy] He just tossed the evidence, referee is up.
Oh, no, not like this.
[crowd] One, two…
[Saxton] It will not be like this at the last possible millisecond.
-[screaming] -[Saxton] Edge still has some fight left.
[Corey] Damian Priest is beside himself
after connecting with a piece of the steel chair,
looking for another Razor's Edge.
[Saxton] Edge able to slip behind. Oh!
[Jimmy] What?
[Corey] It's a Canadian Destroyer!
[Saxton] How fitting.
And now Edge in position.
[Jimmy] Spear! Ten years in the making.
-Shoulders down. -[crowd] One, two, three.
-[Jimmy] Redemption for Edge… -[bell rings]
…against The Judgment Day.
[announcer] Here is your winner, The Rated-R Superstar,
-Edge! -["Metalingus" playing]
[Jimmy] Was that worth ten years, Toronto?
-[Saxton] You're darn right it was. -[Corey] Yeah.
Wait, it doesn't look like Edge is finished yet.
[Saxton] Edge wants to finish Damian Priest.
[Jimmy] We said it, gentlemen, not just a pin, not just a submission.
[Corey] Wait, wait.
[Saxton] Rhea Ripley back out here.
[Corey] Oh, and Rhea goes low.
[Jimmy] In more ways than one.
-[Corey] I think we just saw now-- -[Jimmy] Finn Bálor!
All of Judgment Day.
Coup de Grace right through the chest.
[Saxton] After Edge just went through an absolute war with Damian Priest,
all three members of The Judgment Day.
[Corey] Looks to me like Edge won the battle,
but the war ultimately belongs to The Judgment Day.
-[crowd cheering] -[Jimmy] It's Beth Phoenix!
[Saxton] Beth Phoenix couldn't just stand by and watch this happen.
Beth is standing up for her husband.
[Jimmy] Standing by her man, chair in hand.
[crowd cheering]
Come on!
[Jimmy] The Hall of Famer staring down The Judgment Day.
[Corey] No fear from Beth Phoenix for Rhea Ripley.
[crowd chants] Use it! Use it! Use it!
[Jimmy] The Judgment Day wisely backing off. pley.