[intro music playing]
[John Cena] Then.
[Rick Flair] Woooo!
-[glass shattering] -[The Rock] If you smell…
-[bell tolling] -[Cena] Now.
[Roman Reigns] Acknowledge me.
-[Triple H] The king of kings… -[Cena] You can't see me…
[Cena] Forever.
Together.
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] With Night of Champions one week from Saturday,
the stakes are mounting as we welcome you inside the Greensboro Coliseum
in the beautiful state of North Carolina for Monday Night Raw.
-["Fight" playing] -[crowd cheering]
["Worlds Apart" playing]
[Corey] And we are kicking things off in a big, big way
with the Undisputed Tag Team Champion.
[announcer] Please welcome, the Undisputed
WWE Tag Team Champions,
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn!
[Kevin] Corey, KO and Sami defeated The Usos
in the main event of WrestleMania, and they'd love nothing more
than to have The Bloodline in the rear view.
But that couldn't be further from the truth
as we barrel towards Night of Champions.
[Corey] You're absolutely right.
It seemed that though The Bloodline was an issue of the past,
and Owens and Zayn can focus on being fighting champions.
But the past has yet again reared its ugly head
because one week from Saturday, Zayn and Owens will defend
their Undisputed Tag Team Championship against Roman Reigns
and Solo of The Bloodline.
[Kevin] And Roman Reigns returned to SmackDown
for the first time since WrestleMania
dealing with some Bloodline issues.
There's a problem, do you understand? There is a real problem.
But it's not Sami and Kevin. No.
The problem…
are your brothers.
[crowd booing]
You thought you were just gonna lose
in the main event of WrestleMania, and we weren't gonna talk about it?
Apologize.
[crowd cheering]
I'm here to make you laugh. I'm a clown now.
I'm a clown again, huh?
Who's that? Who's the clown?
[crowd exclaiming]
Hey, man, we apologize.
The Undisputed Tag Team titles come home to The Bloodline
at The Night of Champions
when Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
will lose
to Solo
and your Tribal Chief,
Roman Reigns.
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] Certainly not the development that Jimmy and Jey Uso expected
but a massive challenge for the champions.
-Oh, Greensboro! Oh, my God! -[crowd cheering]
I'm not gonna lie, guys. I'm excited.
I am on one tonight because we found out,
just like each and every one of you,
we found out on Friday.
[scoffs] Trust me, we were as surprised as anyone.
That at Night of Champions, we will be defending
our Undisputed Tag Team Championships
against the team of Solo Sikoa and Roman Reigns.
[crowd cheering and booing]
And yeah, look. Hey, I get it. On paper,
that's about as big of a threat to our Tag Team Championships
as there is, but we don't see it as a threat.
What we see it as, as a gift.
It is a gift because we are getting something
we never thought we were gonna get.
A chance at revenge on Roman Reigns.
[crowd cheering]
Let's be honest for a second.
Kevin Owens should have beat Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship.
[mouths] I did. I did.
And I know at Elimination Chamber,
I should have beaten Roman Reigns for that Championship.
[crowd cheering]
But he has cheated his way through an entire title reign.
He has gone unchecked for far too long.
And now Roman,
we are going to check you.
[crowd cheering]
This is the problem with Roman. Yeah?
He's gone unchecked for too long, and now he doesn't know when to stop.
We thought the only chance we would ever get our revenge for Roman Reigns
was to make sure that we watched The Bloodline crumble.
But it seems these days, Roman is doing a pretty good job
of making sure that happens all by himself.
And he's pushing too far and he's pushing too hard,
and he's pushing The Usos too hard.
And now he's pushing this Championship thing too hard
because it's not enough for him.
It's never enough.
It's not enough to have the WWE Championship.
It's not enough to have the WWE Universal Championship.
It's not enough to be Champion for a thousand days.
And now he wants the Undisputed Tag Team Championships too?
Well, Roman, you psycho, you manipulator.
You want these championships?
You can't have them!
[crowd cheering]
["The Other Side" playing]
[Corey] Oh! Things just took a very interesting turn
for the Tag Champions.
The Judgment Day has arrived.
[Kevin] Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. Hold on. Cut that music!
Cut it! Cut the music!
You know what? I'm so glad you guys came out here.
Because to be real honest with you,
I'm so sick of talking about The Bloodline.
I don't care about The Bloodline,
and I don't know what you guys are out here to say,
but I'm sure you're not out here to ask us to hang out later.
You know what? You guys want to fight?
You want to fight? Let's fight. Let's fight.
-Let's go. Let's go. -[crowd cheering]
Hang on. Hang on. Hang on.
Look. Okay.
I'll admit, I-- Hang on. This might be my fault, okay?
I started out at a ten.
I started out at ten but I feel like you're… You're up here right now.
And look, we have our problems with The Bloodline,
but we don't have an issue with The Judgment Day.
We don't actually know why they're out here, okay?
Yeah. Maybe they're not here to fight.
I don't know. Maybe they're not here to fight.
Let's just… Let's hear 'em out.
Let's hear 'em out.
Gentlemen, and Dom.
[crowd cheering]
[Kevin] That's good.
That's good.
The floor's all yours.
[Priest] Actually, Sami, he's spot on.
I would love to fight.
[Kevin] I told you.
[Bálor] Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Tranquilo! Tranquilo, big man.
Tranquilo.
We're here to talk. We're here to talk.
We're here to talk.
[imperceptible]
We… We came to wish you guys the very best of luck
in your upcoming match against Solo and Roman.
But we're just a little confused because last week,
you guys said that you were done with The Bloodline.
But to me, it looks like you're… You're right back where you started.
Yeah, right back to getting beat up by Roman?
[giggles] Maybe.
Maybe, maybe, but…
But if by some miracle,
you guys actually do win,
when you get back, there's gonna be a whole line of Superstars
waiting for you.
And guess what?
The line starts here.
[crowd cheering]
And in case you guys didn't remember,
The Judgment Day?
We run Monday Night Raw.
[crowd cheering]
You wanted to hear them out.
Well, guys, those are all fantastic points.
[crowd chanting indistinctly]
All very well said.
However, me personally,
I'd love to hear what Dom has to say about it.
[crowd booing]
Dom, would you like to weigh in?
Because I know these people just love when you talk.
[crowd booing]
You want to know what--
[crowd booing]
You wanna know--
[booing intensifies]
-I said-- -[booing intensifies]
All right, all right.
I can't… I can't hear anything he's saying. It's pointless.
Can't you just punch him in the face already?
[crowd cheering]
Yeah, why not?
Whoa, whoa, whoa, hang on. Hang on.
[imperceptible]
Okay, okay--
[Corey] Oh! He just clobbered Zayn after the distraction by Ripley.
And now, KO being stomped out by The Judgment Day.
[Kevin] It's four against one.
The Judgment Day destroying Kevin-- But here comes Sami Zayn!
[Corey] Sami with an equalizer, clearing the ring.
[rock music playing]
Well, we know Kevin Owens wants to fight.
We know that Damian Priest is in the mood for a fight.
We know that Judgment Day just put themselves at front of the line
for the Tag Team Championships.
And let me tell you this, if somehow, some way,
this match gets made official, we will have won
a hell of a Tag Team Match on our hands, I promise you that.
Welcome, folks. Ringside. Cory Graves, Kevin Patrick.
And I'll say this, Cory.
I'm still trying to shake the haunting images
and scenes that we saw here, right at our announce desk
with Brock Lesnar pummeling Cody Rhodes.
Well, I'm sure the images are a little more vivid in the mind
of The American Nightmare himself.
And luckily for us,
Cody Rhodes is in the house, live, tonight on Raw.
[Kevin] Guess who else is here tonight? Drafted to Monday Night Raw,
the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion this century,
The Ring General makes his Raw debut.
Welcome to Gunther.
[Corey] And we will find out who will oppose Gunther
come Night of Champions for his intercontinental title.
As we will see a Number One Contenders Battle Royal
live on Raw.
[Kevin] And who is going to be crowned
the new World Heavyweight Champion at Night of Champions
one week from Saturday?
The final is set.
Seth "Freakin" Rollins against The Phenomenal AJ Styles.
We're going to take a deeper look
into this historic title match later tonight.
["The Rising Sun" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[crowd singing along]
[Kevin] How cool is it, having Shinsuke Nakamura here now
on Monday Night Raw?
The Miz tried to seduce Shinsuke, didn't exactly work out for the A-lister.
Shinsuke Nakamura would rather have
a one-on-one fight, and that's coming your way next on Raw.
[fireworks exploding]
[Corey] At Night of Champions, we will crown
a new World Heavyweight Champion.
This will be a champion
that will defend anywhere, anytime,
all over the world.
[Seth] This is an opportunity for us to push the industry forward.
I know what it's like to sit at home
and watch everybody else achieve whatever it is they want.
Now it's my turn.
[Corey] This will be a champion you can respect,
that you can admire.
This champion will earn the title…
[Cole] In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,
for the AJ Styles versus Seth Rollins.
One of these men will be crowned the new World Heavyweight Champion
at Night of Champions.
[Corey] The final to the World Heavyweight Championship tournament are set.
Which of these two generational Superstars will etch their name in history?
Will it be Seth "Freakin" Rollins or will it be "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles?
We'll find out one week from Saturday.
[Kevin] Corey, some breaking news here on Monday Night Raw.
This just announced.
KO and Sami Zayn are set to take on Finn Bálor
and Damian Priest of The Judgment Day
after everything that played out moments ago.
Currently, KO and Sami, the Tag Champions,
will have one eye on Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa at Night of Champions
but they cannot take their eye off the ball
with Bálor and Priest tonight.
Look at the "King of Strong Style" Shinsuke Nakamura,
set for one-on-one action here on Monday Night Raw.
["I Came To Play" playing]
[announcer] And his opponent, residing in Hollywood, California,
weighing in at 221 pounds,
The Miz!
[Kevin] Miz was showing us all up over at Mother's Day.
a private yacht, a candlelit dinner for Maryse over in Los Angeles.
Not bad at all.
[Corey] A life befitting the A-lister.
For Miz. I, for one, happen to feel bad for Miz.
I think this is not a situation Miz desired to find himself in.
Miz never wanted to fight Shinsuke Nakamura.
Miz wanted to join forces with Shinsuke.
And I spoke to Miz earlier today,
and he said, with all of the factions popping up throughout WWE,
Miz believes that he could watch Shinsuke's back.
[Kevin] And luckily, I spoke with Shinsuke Nakamura,
we're doing our journalistic duties here,
and Shinsuke told me, Corey, that he's never going to fall
for the manipulative ways of someone like The Miz.
[Corey] If you spend a few minutes around Miz,
you'll realize he's the most misunderstood man in Hollywood
not named Tom Sandoval, okay?
Miz means good.
[crowd chanting] Tiny balls! Tiny balls! Tiny balls!
Don't listen to them. Don't listen to them.
[continues indistinctly]
[Corey] The disrespect from Shinsuke.
[crowd cheering]
Come on!
[Corey] Nakamura. Refreshed, rejuvenated.
And I truly believe that the change of scenery for the King of Strong Style
from Friday Night SmackDown from Monday Night Raw
could mean big, big things for Shinsuke.
[Kevin] This is actually Shinsuke Nakamura's first
one-on-one match on Monday Night Raw.
[groans]
[Corey] Burying his knee into the side and now the kidneys of Miz.
[Kevin] So you don't think Miz, after all these years in WWE,
hasn't earned a reputation backstage
that Shinsuke Nakamura is going to notice?
[Corey] I think if Miz was truly as bad as everybody makes him out to be,
Miz would have been gone long ago.
But the fact is, Miz lives up to the hype.
Miz delivers in big situations,
and Miz can hang with the best in the world.
[Kevin] Miz, last week, blaming when Shinsuke Nakamura…
on missing out on the World Heavyweight Championship tournament.
Both of these Superstars eliminated.
And I promise you, Shinsuke was equally as disappointed.
[commentators groaning]
[Corey] Nakamura would love to have his name etched in the history books
as the new World Heavyweight Champion.
But that day may come.
[crowd cheering and booing]
[Kevin] One week from Saturday, Night of Champions.
Seth "Freakin" Rollins and AJ Styles.
A match for the ages on the horizon, as Miz is thrown to the outside.
[yells]
[Corey] Sliding kick, right to the heart of the A-lister.
Shinsuke burying another knee, right into the chest of Miz.
And… Like a guillotine across the back of the neck.
We've seen a bit of a return to form recently from the King of Strong Style
after a short absence from WWE, Shinsuke came back more focused.
In arguably better physical condition, rejuvenated and ready to take his game
to the top of the mountain.
[Kevin] Two incredibly decorated Superstars.
Now, Shinsuke Nakamura, in a powerless position!
Oh, my…
[Corey] Neckbreaker across the middle rope,
racking Nakamura's body with pain
and affording The Miz several moments to…
recalibrate his game plan.
[Kevin] Miz is turning around the pace.
[Corey] The King of Strong Style is in danger of being dethroned by the A-lister.
[crowd cheering]
[Kevin] An electric atmosphere here in North Carolina tonight,
witnessing one-on-one action.
Shinsuke Nakamura, drafted to Monday Night Raw a few weeks ago.
One-on-one with the "A-lister" The Miz.
[wrestlers grunting]
[Corey] Nakamura refused multiple overtures by The Miz
to join forces and run Monday Night Raw together, but--
But Shinsuke refused and is now taking out all of his frustrations
-on The Miz. -[Kevin] The Miz even had a name.
Mizuke Nakamura.
[Corey] We could have done better than that.
But I'm not going to tell Miz.
[Kevin] Twenty-eight WWE titles between these two Superstars.
Such incredible careers as Miz goes to the corner.
A big Kick from Shinsuke.
[Corey] Nakamura placing Miz on the top turnbuckle.
Oh! An eviscerating knee.
[Kevin] Nakamura now for the win and a kick-out by The Miz.
Shinsuke's so close.
[groans]
[Corey] Smart move by the veteran Miz.
Nakamura able to escape a Skull-Crushing Finale attempt.
O'Connor Roll by The A-lister.
[Kevin] Has The Miz got it? Shinsuke may turn it around now.
[Corey] Nakamura, looking for the armbar. Miz sensed it coming.
Shinsuke trying to break the grip of The Miz.
[man] Let's go!
[Corey] Great submission defense by Miz, stacking Nakamura.
[Kevin] Somehow Nakamura now is free, a kick from The Miz. [groans]
[Corey] DDT spikes the King of Strong Style.
[Kevin] The Miz now to finish Shinsuke Nakamura,
who kicks out.
[Corey] Dangerously close
as we look again at The Miz planting Shinsuke.
And then at about two and nine tenths, Nakamura's shoulder
shoots up off the canvas, and this match continues.
[Kevin] What a match to kick off Monday Night Raw here tonight.
[Corey] With the announcement of the Undisputed Tag Team Champions,
Owens and Zayn will battle
The Judgment Day in tag action still tonight.
[Kevin] And we also have the Raw debut of The Ring General,
the Intercontinental Champion Gunther.
A swing and a miss by The Miz, Shinsuke now, turning it around.
[Corey] The first one didn't get Miz, but the second one did.
-Shinsuke into the cover! -Quickly across.
[Kevin] Shinsuke now to finish The Miz, kicks out at two.
[Corey] What a display of fortitude by The A-lister.
Shinsuke continues to pour on the punishment.
Miz landing on his feet, looking for the Skull-Crushing Finale.
Nakamura able to shrug Miz off.
[Kevin] Nobody home for Shinsuke Nakamura, and look at Miz going to the corner.
[Kevin] That's gonna hurt.
[Corey] Sliding German suplex from Nakamura.
Things are beginning to look bleak for The A-lister.
[crowd cheering]
[Kevin] Shinsuke channeling the energy of the WWE Universe.
[Corey] Here we go!
Oh, Miz out of the way.
-Just in time. -[crowd booing]
Great ring awareness…
-by the Grand Slam Champion A-lister. -[Kevin] Wait.
What's the Miz got planned? Oh, man!
[Corey] Brilliant. Miz went for the eyes.
[Kevin] The referee wasn't looking.
[Corey] Skull-Crushing Finale.
[Kevin] Is that enough now for The Miz?
Shinsuke Nakamura gets a foot on the rope.
[Corey] Luck is on the side of Shinsuke tonight.
[crowd cheering]
Nakamura, just close enough to get his foot on the bottom rope
to keep this match alive.
[Kevin] Nothing lucky about that, Shinsuke Nakamura.
-[Corey] Inside Cradle. -He's got awareness,
and now can he finish The Miz?
[Corey] Kinshasa!
[Kevin] That's got to do it for Shinsuke Nakamura
-if he can pin down. Yes, he can. -[bell rings]
[crowd cheering]
[announcer] Here is your winner,
Shinsuke Nakamura!
[Corey] What a battle!
And a warning shot across the Red Brand.
The King of Strong Style,
looks to make Monday Night Raw his new kingdom.
So it's the Red brand, as you mentioned, for Shinsuke Nakamura.
It's both Red Brand and Blue Brand
for the Tag Team Champions of Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez,
who continue to be blown away by this time…
Who were defending their titles this past Friday night on SmackDown.
[narrator] Stronger Together is brought to you by Progressive.
Get even more savings when you bundle
your boat, RV, or motorcycle with Progressive.
[Cole] Liv and Raquel hope to hold on to the gold
as they take on Bayley and Dakota Kai of Damage CTRL.
[indistinct shouting]
-And look who's looking on now. -[Wade] Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn.
[Cole] Double team now on Damage CTRL.
Raquel Rodriguez turning it around.
Oh, and using Morgan as a battering ram!
And there's the big kick by Kai.
Double team now by Damage CTRL.
[Wade] Sickening landing on this maneuver.
[Cole] Bayley directing Iyo Sky now.
Bayley knocking Sky off.
Liv Morgan gonna roll her up.
Shoulders are down.
-Morgan and Raquel retain! -[bell rings]
[crowd cheering]
How else do we make you understand it?
-I've already explained it 24 times. -It's not gonna happen.
-Do you understand? -Ladies, please, Please, I get it.
I get it. But it is what it is.
Liv was injured in the match against Damage CTRL on SmackDown, okay?
As much as she wants to defend the titles tonight,
she's not medically cleared to compete.
So despite the fact that none of us want to hear this, least of all me,
the Championship Match tonight is postponed.
Right? Because Liv is "injured."
Yeah, injured.
-Not medically cleared to compete. -Oh.
She's not "medically clear."
Okay. Funny how he keeps moving the goalpost, isn't it?
Interesting, 'cause as a former member
of the management team, in a situation like this,
they would forfeit their championships and they would be given to us by default.
Yeah. And as a former member of management,
you know, that would never happen.
Well, then I'm going to speak to your manager.
I am not gonna stand here and listen to you cry on and on and on.
Look, it's not happening, all right?
But guess what? I would be happy to defend Liv's honor,
tonight in a match with you, Chelsea.
That's something I can make official as of right now.
And that sounds like a great idea, right, Chelsea?
-And you're gonna regret it. -[laughs]
That's what's gonna happen. You're gonna regret this.
And you're gonna wish that you never, ever asked for this battle. You too!
-Okay, Karen, all right. -You're gonna regret it!
Bye, Karen. We'll see you out there.
[Corey] Chelsea and Raquel still to come tonight,
but the moment is upon us.
[Kevin] And that is a frightening and terrifying sight.
The Ring General, the Intercontinental Champion, Gunther,
along with Vinci and Kaiser, set to make his Raw debut, next.
Brock Lesnar, Cody Rhodes.
The American Nightmare is in for the fight of his life.
Yeah. That's just one of many matches at Night of Champions
that promises to be truly epic.
One of which is the battle to become the new World Heavyweight Champion,
AJ Styles and Seth Rollins.
This weekend, I had a sit down with Seth "Freakin" Rollins
to get his thoughts on being in the finals of the tournament,
and his desire to affect change in this industry.
And Seth knows, it all begins with him.
My name is Seth Rollins, and I'm from Davenport, Iowa.
I'm WWE's next breakout star.
[Corey] He is a visionary.
He is a revolutionary.
I am Seth…
[crowd] "Freakin" Rollins!
Sing my song.
[crowd singing Seth Rollins' theme song]
[Corey] He is a man considered by many to be a generation-defining Superstar.
And he has an opportunity to add more history
to his already impressive résumé at Night of Champions,
where he will compete in the finals to crown a new World Heavyweight Champion.
My guest, Seth Rollins.
-Seth, thank you so much for your time. -Mr. Graves.
Thank you for having me.
We go back a long way.
I expect this to be a lot of fun, but, uh…
Don't you go digging too deep now.
Well, no promises. I'll do my best.
We go all the way back to 2012, where you competed in a tournament
to crown the first ever NXT Champion.
What did that victory mean for you?
At that time, there was a need for change.
There was this fight to take the reins of the industry.
And I they had the vision.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd] One, two, three!
[bell rings]
[Kevin] And the era of Seth Rollins has begun.
[Seth] Winning that title, becoming inaugural NXT Champion.
I could push the industry forward. I could pave the way.
[Corey] You wouldn't waste much time after becoming NXT Champion
before you would arrive on Monday Night Raw,
Friday Night SmackDown,
as a member of the most dominant faction in recent WWE history, The Shield.
[men over radio] Sierra, Hotel, India, Echo, Lima, Delta. SHIELD.
[Cole] What is this?
These three guys just came rushing through the crowd.
We are The Shield.
[Seth] We are the most dominant force in the history of this company.
We wanted success. We wanted it now. We wanted change.
We wanted it now.
We weren't going to take no for an answer.
Well, as The Shield continued to dominate,
obviously, Seth Rollins saw a need for change within.
And I don't think anybody will ever forget the chair shot heard around the world.
[crowd exclaiming]
[Seth] To this day, of everything that I've ever done,
"Why did you do that? Why did you turn on The Shield?"
[crowd chanting] You sold out! You sold out! You sold out!
[Seth] We had beaten everybody there was to beat.
And at some point,
if you want to reach ultimate success, you've got to take risks.
If I hadn't put the chair in Roman's back,
what would the future have looked like?
Why is now the right time for a new World Heavyweight Championship in WWE?
And why is Seth "Freakin" Rollins the guy to hold?
[Kevin] More from that outstanding sit-down
with Seth "Freakin" Rollins later tonight.
But Rollins and "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles,
two of the best to ever do it,
a dream match for the masses.
With historic and landscape-shifting implications.
Who is going to be crowned the new World Heavyweight Champion?
We're going to find out at Night of Champions, one week from Saturday,
["Symphony No. 9 in E Minor" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Kevin] The intimidating sight of Imperium
when Gunther was drafted to Monday Night Raw, Corey,
it sent shockwaves throughout the entire WWE Universe.
You're looking at the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion this century.
[Corey] The dominance has shown no signs of slowing
as Gunther, Kaiser, and Vinci
look to run roughshod over Monday Night Raw.
[Kevin] Gunther, "The Ring General" became Intercontinental Champion
just three months after making his SmackDown--
-[Corey] Oh, whoa, whoa. -Oh!
[Corey] That's how you make an entrance.
Ladies and gentlemen…
I demand
all your gratitude
for your
Intercontinental Champion!
[crowd cheering]
The…
Ring General!
Gunther!
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting] Gunther! Gunther! Gunther!
Perhaps an introduction is due.
For almost a year,
I dominated Friday Night SmackDown
as the undefeated and longest-reigning
Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion of the modern era.
[crowd cheering]
But from this day forth, I shall continue my mission here
on Monday Night Raw.
But-- But understand.
No man here at Raw
has yet been identified to be the next challenger
for my great prize, or has earned my respect.
But just in a few moments, one man can achieve both.
Tonight,
this Battle Royal will determine my next challenger
for my championship.
Against this champion
at The Night of Champions.
["It's About to Go Down" playing]
[Corey] Absolute conviction in the eyes
and the voice of the Intercontinental Champion.
[Kevin] Announcing a Battle Royal here on Monday Night Raw
to determine who will face Gunther at Night of the Champions for his title.
Wow! Huge news here on Raw tonight.
The first to emerge.
The man that Gunther defeated to become Intercontinental Champion last year.
[Corey] The ring is going to get extremely crowded in a matter of moments,
as these Superstars battle to earn themselves the opportunity
to challenge for Gunther's Intercontinental Championship
at Night of Champions a week from Saturday in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
["Battle Tested" playing]
[Kevin] Ricochet, joined by the walking natural disaster,
Bronson Reed.
Who will be the last man standing?
A Battle Royal to determine who will face Gunther at Night of Champions is next.
[Kevin] The end of the road begins.
Don't miss the new movie Fast X, only in theaters Friday.
[Corey] We are moments away from a Battle Royal
to decide who will challenge Gunther
for the Intercontinental Championship a week from Saturday.
in Saudi Arabia at Night of Champions.
["The Best Is Yet To Come" playing]
Here's an old, familiar face.
[Kevin] It certainly is, indeed.
[announcer] The following is an Intercontinental Championship
Number One Contenders
Battle Royal!
Making his way to the ring, Apollo Crews!
[Corey] Apollo Crews making his return to Monday night
after a stint in NXT,
where Crews reestablished himself
and really reconnected with what brought him to the dance
to begin with.
["We Up" playing]
[announcer] Next, Matt Riddle!
[Kevin] Here's a fellow who's been in flying form of late,
jumping to the aid of Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.
[crowd chanting] Bro! Bro! Bro!
Riddle bringing a bit of momentum to this Battle Royal.
[Corey] A lot of humanity in the ring.
A Battle Royal could go any number of ways, but--
Oh! Wait a minute.
Not a smart move.
A bold move by The Original Bro,
but I'm gonna say right now, not the smartest decision
of Riddle's career.
You don't want to incite The Ring General and Imperium.
[bell rings]
[Kevin] Elimination occurs when a Superstar is thrown
over the top rope and both feet touch the ground.
The last Superstar standing will receive a title match
against Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship
at Night of Champions.
[Corey] Quite literally a golden opportunity,
not only when you're talking about the Intercontinental Championship,
but this is an opportunity to really stake your claim on Monday Night Raw.
Bye-bye, Tozawa.
[indistinct shouting]
Courtesy of Baron Corbin and--
Whoa! Just sent Corbin to the outside.
[Kevin] There goes two Superstars already.
[Corey] Nothing seems to go Corbin's way these days.
I almost feel bad for the guy.
[Kevin] You're not going to feel bad for Dexter Lumis.
[indistinct shouting]
Mace and Mansoor working together
for the greater good.
The Maximum Male Models.
[Kevin] So many decorated Superstars.
-Hard to pick a favorite. -Oh, dear.
[Corey] The Alpha Academy.
Bye-bye, Maximum Male Models.
[Kevin] Otis, a model himself now.
[indistinct conversation]
Maxxine watching on.
Yes! I'm so proud of you!
[Corey] Mansoor still hasn't been eliminated.
Mansoor's feet never touched the ground.
And--
Mace with a world-class assist--
-[Kevin] Oh, come on! -And Lumis spoils everything.
[Kevin] Are you serious, Mace?
[Corey] Dexter Lumis.
We could spend all day trying to decipher
what's going on in that guy's mind, and it wouldn't do us any good.
Oh, and JD McDonagh just eliminated Humberto.
[Kevin] JD McDonagh recently drafted to Monday Night Raw.
McDonagh now mixing it up with Dolph Ziggler--
[Kevin] Oh!
[Corey] With a Superkick. Thanks for coming, Irish Ace.
Von Wagner.
Looking to make his name at the expense of The Showoff.
Wow!
[Kevin] Making easy work of it, Dolph Ziggler.
[Corey] Do you know how hard it is to eliminate Dolph Ziggler
from a Battle Royal situation?
[Kevin] He's a towering presence. Fallen but--
[Corey] Hang on a second, McDonagh now.
[Kevin] JD McDonagh!
[Corey] Making the most of the opportunity.
-Trying to-- -[Kevin] McDonagh's been eliminated.
[Corey] So is Ziggler.
McDonagh's looking to make a statement, but…
Wait a minute.
The Irish Ace had better tread carefully.
Because what he's doing is essentially tugging on Superman's cape.
You don't want to incite The Showoff.
[referees talking indistinctly]
[Kevin] Monday Night Raw in North Carolina tonight.
It's all out mayhem in the ring, a Battle Royal.
The prize,
a chance to go up against Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship
at Night of Champions, one week from Saturday.
[Corey] Doesn't seem much of a prize.
The prospect of being chopped in the soul by The Ring General.
Riddick Moss on it.
Precarious position on the backside of the ring there.
Cedric Alexander, caught in the clutches of The Viking Raiders.
[Kevin] Oh, man!
The Viking Raiders teaming up for now, that is.
[Corey] Erik and Ivar
pummeling Xyon Quinn,
a new free agent.
Drafted from NXT.
[Kevin] Goodbye, Xyon.
[Corey] Considered by many to be a very high-profile prospect,
[Kevin] Shelton Benjamin was waiting for The Viking Raiders.
[Corey] Shelton planting his feet in the center of the ring
and swinging at anything that moves.
Great strategy.
[Kevin] Shelton, a former Intercontinental Champion,
would love to test his skills against Gunther at Night of Champions.
[Kevin] So many big hitters still in there,
Shelton Benjamin sent to the outside.
The Viking Raiders, see Bronson Reed,
who's been making waves here on Monday Night Raw of late still there.
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] Erik and Ivar.
Facing off against the Alpha Academy.
Gable and Erik.
[Kevin] Otis and--
Ivar just bouncing off each other but here goes Gable!
Erik lucky to survive.
[Corey] Oh, dear.
Great escape by Gable.
Erik hanging on to the top rope.
You see Valhalla
chanting towards Erik and--
Gable just ate an elbow.
[grunts]
[Kevin] Such a risky strategy from Gable being mocked by Valhalla!
Erik, now! Otis taking care of business.
[Corey] The number one guy coming through when it counted.
[Kevin] Oh!
[Corey] And Ivar finishes the job.
[crowd cheering]
Two big heavy hitters, Otis and Ivar.
And the "Colossal" Bronson Reed!
-[Kevin] Wow! -[crowd cheering]
[Corey] That had to be damn near 800 pounds of humanity
Bronson Reed just dumped.
[Kevin] Keep going.
Incredible.
From the Aussie destroyer.
[Corey] And now, the objective has become clear.
You must eliminate Bronson Reed.
It's a team effort.
[Kevin] We saw this at Elimination Chamber.
Bronson Reed, taking four separate Superkicks.
Man-mountain here, being ganged up on.
[Corey] Ricochet in danger of being eliminated by Elias.
There's Johnny Gargano,
who's been battling through some injuries recently.
Big opportunity for Johnny to get back…
in the fray.
[Kevin] Johnny motoring but Ali is still in it.
Oh!
[Corey] Kicked right between the eyes.
That was positive-Ali beautiful.
Thanks for coming, John-- Oh, no.
Johnny hanging on,
keeping his Intercontinental Championship dreams alive.
[Kevin] Looks like Mustafa Ali was in a tough spot--
-Ricochet pouncing! -[Corey] Spear by Johnny!
[Kevin] Can he send Mustafa Ali to the outside--
Look at this from Ricochet.
[Corey] A Shooting Star Press on the run off the back.
And look at the power of Moss.
[Kevin] Riddick Moss now.
[Corey] Gigantic Fallaway Slam.
[Kevin] Speaking of gigantic.
[man in audience] Let's go!
[Corey] Bronson Reed just ate two boots from Apollo Crews
who caught a modified Blockbuster but-- Oh! Look out.
[groans]
[Corey] Elias looking to earn himself an opportunity.
Utilizes power of his own but Apollo escapes.
[Kevin] Apollo trying to turn it around, trying to dump
Elias to the outside. Can he do it?
Yes, he can.
[exclaims]
[Corey] And Reed adds another.
[Kevin] That is one frightening sight.
What has Mustafa Ali got planned here?
[Corey] Maybe a massage, perhaps a post-match nap,
because it is going to be a long night when you're dealing with Bronson Reed.
-[Kevin] My goodness! -Double stacked!
[crowd cheering]
And here comes The Original Bro.
Matt Riddle utilizing his world-class striking ability.
[Kevin] Bronson Reed still on his feet though.
Reed now, rocked by Riddle.
[Corey] Riddle from the top.
[Kevin] The Original Bro taking down Bronson.
[crowd cheering]
-Riddick Moss! -[Corey] Wow!
[Kevin] Look at the speed of that man.
[Corey] Beyond that speed. Let's talk about the impact.
Well, next time.
Thanks for coming, Riddick.
[Kevin] We talked about the momentum of Riddle,
still involved in this Battle Royal. Can he go all the way?
[Corey] Gargano rolls through,
connects with a kick to Riddle's chin, but--
-[Kevin chuckling] -That's Gargano over to the outside.
[Kevin] And then, there were four.
[Corey] If I were Johnny, I would be hightailing it somewhere else.
[Kevin] What has Gunther got planned here?
[Corey] Per order of The Ring General, Imperium…
making their presence felt, attacking Matt Riddle.
[Kevin] Bronson Reed now!
And there goes Riddle's chances.
[Corey] Oh, keep your eye on Ricochet.
Ricochet is a powerhouse,
despite being outsized by Reed.
[Kevin] Ricochet!
KP, it sounds like a few more minutes, you'll become a man over there.
[Kevin] Just watch out.
Because this fella could be coming our direction, Gravey.
[Corey] This is a lot of man.
Bronson Reed still keeping himself in the fray.
[Kevin] Ali's turn. Ricochet joining in.
Reed's going nowhere.
[Corey] One of these three will head to Saudi Arabia
and challenge The Ring General.
[Kevin] No! Ricochet, is it enough?
[Corey] Reed still hanging on.
[Kevin] How?
[Corey] Oh, no.
Oh, dear.
[Kevin] Oh, Mustafa Ali from behind.
-[bell rings] -He's done it.
[Corey] Mustafa Ali!
[announcer] Here is your winner,
Mustafa Ali!
[Corey] Mustafa Ali, a Superstar who has begged and clamored
and fought and scratched and clawed
for an opportunity to make his mark.
Well, Ali, be careful what you wish for,
because you've just earned it.
A date with The Ring General
at Night of Champions, for the Intercontinental title.
[Kevin] And he got it done in the most spectacular of ways.
Eventually, Bronson Reed booted to the outside with Ricochet.
[Corey] It seemed like it took an entire village
to eventually eliminate the powerhouse, Bronson Reed.
And in the end, Mustafa Ali outlasts the field.
And will challenge Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship,
[fireworks exploding]
One week from Saturday, streaming live,
WWE on Peacock.
Night of Champions.
-[Kevin] Congratulations, Mustafa Ali. -I'm on The Night of Champions!
[Corey] Enjoy the sweetness of the moment, Ali,
because it will be all business in the desert.
Ali got to be feeling like he just won the lottery.
Clearly, on top of the world right now.
That excitement may be short lived. I mean, we're talking about Gunther here.
Yeah, the positivity paying off.
I'd like to say the same about Cody Rhodes.
He's been positive, he's been defiant,
yet his reality continues to be haunted by "The Beast" Brock Lesnar.
[Cody] I had the daunting task of competing against The Beast.
And here is what I discovered.
I discovered what Brock Lesnar is made of
because it was literally all over my fist.
I discovered that Brock Lesnar can be defeated
because at Backlash, I beat Brock Lesnar.
Now that Brock Lesnar is, thankfully, in the rearview mirror,
it is very clear what is next for me.
It is the World Heavyweight Championship.
[Cole] Cody's feeling it. Cross Rhodes!
Can Cody Rhodes put away The Miz?
-To advance… -[Corey] Wait, wait…
[Corey] What the hell? Brock Lesnar!
F5 to Cody Rhodes!
Look at this face!
You want to take credit for this, Cody?
I want a fight!
Night of Champions.
Who is the coward now?
[Kevin] Truly frightening scenes we witnessed here at ringside, Corey.
And it all comes down to this.
Cody Rhodes is never going to run away.
He's going to run towards that challenge.
That challenge is The Beast Incarnate.
Brock Lesnar, Night of Champions is where it's at.
One week from Saturday, Rhodes and Lesnar.
[Kevin] There is a look at "The Man" Becky Lynch
outsmarting Trish Stratus last week
celebrating Mother's Day along with her intelligent two year old yesterday.
The Man has a lot to say. Next here on Raw.
["Celtic Invasion" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[announcer] Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome, "The Man"
Becky Lynch!
[Kevin] The Man of the people has arrived on Monday Night Raw.
For weeks now, WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus
mocking the "Missing Becky Lynch."
But The Man returned to Raw in epic fashion last week.
[Corey] I happen to find it low class and tasteless, KP,
that you wished Becky a Happy Mother's Day
but you didn't wish Trish a Happy Mother's Day.
Trish is a mother as well.
-And by the way, thank you, Trish, for-- -Becoming a mother?
[Corey] Sure!
[crowd cheering]
[Kevin] Electric crowd on their feet here,
showing their appreciation for Becky Lynch.
[crowd cheering]
Let's take a look at that epic comeback from The Man last week on Raw.
I am very worried and very concerned because Becky Lynch is missing.
It's--
["Celtic Invasion" playing]
What? No. Guys.
No, no, no. The joke is done.
Cut the music, guys.
It's done.
-The music is-- -[crowd cheering]
[Kevin] Big right from Becky Lynch and then a Bexsploder as well.
You want me, Trish?
You want me, Trish? I'm right here.
The Man has come around to kick your ass.
Come on!
[Corey] Obviously, Lynch has plenty on her mind
as pertains to the WWE Hall of Fame.
[crowd chanting] Becky! Becky! Becky!
The Man has come around to Greensboro!
[crowd cheering]
Look, uh, part of being The Man is admitting
when you've been going through some stuff, okay?
And lately I've been going through some stuff,
and we all, we all have our struggles.
We all have our struggles behind closed doors.
We have small struggles, big struggles, medium struggles.
And we put on the face that we need to put on
so that we can do what we need to do to become the people that we want to be.
[crowd cheering]
And… And sometimes,
when it becomes too overwhelming and we feel like
we can't do it on our own anymore, we have to man up and ask for help.
And that's what I did. I asked for help from two legends in this business.
Two women who have been through a lot in their own life.
Lita and Trish Stratus.
[crowd booing]
And Lita was great.
[crowd cheering]
And she came back and we won gold,
and Trish Stratus came back and she hasn't skipped a beat.
And I let her get close to me,
and my family, and I was so clouded in my judgment
that I couldn't see the snake in the grass,
and I couldn't see what probably all of you saw from a mile away.
It was that Trish Stratus never came back to help me.
Trish Stratus came back to help herself,
like the backstabbing egomaniac that she is.
[crowd cheering]
But despite all of that,
I did want to come out to this ring, and I wanted to say,
thank you, Trish.
[crowd cheering]
But not for all of the bollocks reasons that you gave.
No, no, no, no, no.
I want to say thank you, Trish, because when you hit me in the back of the head,
you turned on a light that had been off for many, many, many months.
And I want to say thank you, Trish.
Because when you stood in this ring and you called my daughter stupid,
you reminded me that the only thing that matters in this life
is standing up for the people
that depends on us.
And I want to say thank you, Trish.
Because you gave all the badness in my head
a face, and a name, and a target.
[crowd cheering]
And at one stage, Trish, you were number one in this business,
and you want to be number one again.
But I am it.
I have done it, made it. I don't need a championship to prove it,
and I will be it until I say it is over.
You want it, you've got it.
[crowd cheering]
And I will show you how thankful I am
when I kick your head in at Night of Champions.
-[crowd cheering] -[microphone thuds]
["Celtic Invasion" playing]
[Corey] A fired up Becky Lynch.
Wants Trish Stratus at Night of Champions.
It's been a long time since we've seen that look
in Becky Lynch's eyes.
[Kevin] Powerful from The Man.
[crowd cheering]
Rhea, you've been keeping a close eye on the women's division.
Can I ask your opinion on the addition of Natalya to Raw and the way she intervened
your attack on Dana Brooke last week?
Natalya? She needs to stay in her lane.
Look, she's made a pretty impressive career for herself,
-but I really just do not-- -[Natalya] There is no "but."
There is no "but."
Yes, my career is impressive.
But you already know that, Rhea. And this is not about lanes.
This is about you beating down a woman that was already beaten.
Rhea, you're the champ.
You're the most dominant woman that's ever held that championship.
But Rhea to me, you deserve nothing but respect,
respect something that you're not allowing
the other women that you're running through.
Don't act like you came down to the ring last week for Dana.
Look…
You've had a longer career,
but we all know that you wanted to be in the ring with me
to try and make everyone care about you again, Nattie.
So, you're welcome.
But if you ever interrupt me again,
I'm not gonna help boost your career.
I'm going to end it.
-Mami. Let's go. -[crowd booing]
["New Day New Way" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[bell dings]
[announcer] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, representing The New Day,
from Atlanta, Georgia, weighing in at 215 pounds
Xavier Woods!
[Corey] Xavier Woods, an extremely decorated tag team competitor
as part of The New Day,
looks to continue to prove that he is a threat all on his own.
As Woods goes one on one with Dominik Mysterio
of The Judgment Day, live next on Monday Night Raw.
[yells] Yo!
I've been his coach for a year.
Ay-yay-ay! Guys, stop it. Again, with the negativity.
I mean, no wonder you both lost in the Intercontinental Championship
Battle Royal.
-Can I give you some advice? -[all] No!
I used to be a loser like you.
But then I started thinking more positive and look at me,
winner! Yay!
[speaking indistinctly]
[mutters indistinctly]
Congratulations.
You're now the rightful challenger
to what's rightfully mine.
But…
I already feel regret for you
because you're going to travel halfway around the world
to suffer the biggest loss of your career.
And the beating
that goes along with it.
Good luck at Night of Champions.
I mean, honestly, I kind of feel bad for you too.
I mean, you have to go all the way there
and then all the way back,
just for me to beat you.
Humiliate you.
And take your Intercontinental Championship.
[chuckles]
That's it. Be positive.
[Corey] You know how The Ring General responds with disrespect.
Xavier Woods' getting set for one on one action.
Welcome ringside tonight, folks.
Now, tonight, the Lambert family raced to their ringside seats
with a Fast Family seat upgrade.
Thanks to the new movie, Fast X: The End of the Road Begins.
Don't miss Fast X only in theaters, Friday.
[crowd cheering]
Congratulations to the Lambert family and welcome to Monday Night Raw.
["It Is My Time" playing]
[crowd booing]
Look, Mami.
It's Xavier Woods.
[crowd booing]
Woods, you need to convince yourself--
[booing intensifies]
You need to convince yourself that you're going to beat me.
Because it's a new day?
-Huh? -Look, look, look. Dom.
Let me stop you right there.
Because you're right. You're right.
I don't have anybody to watch my back.
Right now.
But unlike you, I'm a grown man
who can stand on his own two feet and fight his own battles.
Can you say the same thing?
[crowd cheering]
Or, or, or…
Do you have to ask "Mami" for permission to speak?
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting] Mami! Mami! Mami!
[Corey] Xavier Woods better mind his words.
Choose them carefully.
Because Dominik Mysterio is so dangerous,
the dude makes El Chapo look like the Hamburglar.
[Kevin] Xavier Woods is so impressive, looked certain to beat
Dominik Mysterio last week only for the intervention
of Rhea Ripley.
So now Dominik Mysterio is celebrating Mommy's Day twice,
with Mexican Mother's Day on May 10th, followed by US Mother's Day yesterday.
[Corey] What's it have to do with Mommy's Day?
Completely different holiday
celebrated for an entirely different set of reasons, KP.
[Kevin] We say Mammy in Ireland. Off we go, then. One-on-one action.
Woods wants respect put on his name in singles competition.
-And he wanted this reason-- -[Corey] Need I remind you
that Dominik doesn't celebrate Mother's Day any more
because Dominik is in the position,
he's in this life because his mother wasn't there for him.
Haven't you ever listened to Dominik speak?
[Kevin] Or his Mami is in his life right now.
Rhea continues to help Dominik.
-Even on one-on-one matches. -Two different people, Kevin.
Mother and Mami.
Two separate entities entirely.
[crowd chanting] Who's your daddy?
Dominik is where he's at in the moment due to Mami, M-A-M-I.
He's in the position in life as an ex-con because of Mommy,
M-O-M-M-Y.
Stick with me here, kid.
-[Kevin] It's really grinding your gears. -You're right.
[Kevin] Xavier Woods now looking to get his lift back after last week.
I learned a thing or two from Carmelo Hayes.
And after the-- Oh!
[Corey] A big dropkick by Woods to the spine of Dominik.
[Kevin] It's over now. Xavier Woods to put away Dominik, who kicks out.
[Corey] Dom just needs to weather the early storm of Woods.
Woods, certainly an extremely explosive, dangerous, capable athlete.
Not very long ago that Woods pushed the Intercontinental Champion, Gunther,
to the absolute limit on SmackDown.
But now, Dom Dom is doing what he does best.
Dominik's running so red hot right now.
-He melts all the ices. -[crowd booing]
Tea, cube…
-[Kevin] There's a response from Woodsy! -Spiced vanilla.
All the ices, KP.
Quit calling him Woodsy. You guys aren't friends.
[Kevin] ATL and proud.
[Corey] Get yourself shanked for something like that.
-Look at Dom. -[Kevin] The fans hate it.
There's no denying.
Dominik Mysterio, he's growing week in and week out
as a singles competitor.
[Corey] Display of power by Dominik.
Come on, Xavier. Ha!
That's something he learned, likely, from Mami.
He goes to the gym with Mami. M-A-M-I.
Mother Mysterio never won a test--
[Kevin] If he spends all his time spotting Rhea.
-[Corey] Cover. -[Kevin] Here we go.
Xavier Woods. Can he finish Dominik? He's out.
Rhea looked a little nervous there.
-Oh, come on. -Say it again. Say it loud, KP.
-She's right there. -…hides behind Rhea Ripley.
I see no fear in the face of the SmackDown Women's Champion.
[Kevin] What about Dominik?
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] Rhea's staring a hole through Woods.
[imperceptible]
[crowd cheering]
[Kevin] Welcome back. Monday Night Raw.
One-on-one action with Xavier Woods,
now going to work on Dominik Mysterio of The Judgment Day.
Rematch from last week.
And Dominik won the match
thanks to Rhea Ripley as he hooks the leg for the victory again.
A kick out by Woods.
[Corey] It could be a massive night for The Judgment Day as a whole
if Dom's able to pick up a win. Let's take a look at this impact.
Pow!
Just shot out of a cannon.
Taking out Woods.
-Dominik-- -[crowd booing]
Earning his way towards victory.
Now, later on tonight, Damian Priest and Finn Bálor
will battle Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn,
the Undisputed Tag Team Champions live on Raw.
And, of course, every night's a big night for Mami, the SmackDown Women's Champion,
[crowd chanting] You suck! You suck! You suck!
[Dominik yells indistinctly]
[Kevin] WWE Universe here in North Carolina,
letting their feelings be known towards Dominik Mysterio.
And the reception Dominik is getting,
both inside this country and outside.
[Corey] Because people around the globe are jealous of Dominik
and the extreme amount of-- Oh!
…masculinity he possesses.
The fact that Dominik goes home with the SmackDown Women's Champion
at night makes people furious.
Everyone's living vicariously through Xavier Woods right now,
knowing that they could never reach the heights
that Dominik has already romantically reached.
[Kevin] Do you agree with Xavier Woods that he feels
there's not enough respect in his name--
[Corey] I don't need you to finish. No, I don't agree with Xavier Woods.
-Why not? -I've known him a lot longer than you.
[Corey] Oh, dang! Elbow rocks Dom.
Cover by Woods.
[Kevin] This could do it then for Xavier Woods of The New day.
Dominik out quickly.
Xavier Woods now starting to rally.
Starting to wear down Dominik.
So powerful, so explosive, Xavier Woods.
[Corey] Woods has been in the deep waters in the past.
Woods knows what it means to be a champion in WWE.
Xavier possesses that particular set of skills.
[Rhea yells] Dom!
[Kevin] This time, he connects and takes down Mysterio.
Woods hooks the leg now and a kick out by Dominik once more.
[Corey] Concern on the face of Rhea Ripley on the outside as we look again at Woods,
propelling himself into a clothesline.
[Kevin] Xavier Woods drafted to Monday Night Raw,
just a taste of what he can accomplish in the ring now.
Can he finish off Dominik Mysterio as Rhea Ripley stalks?
[Corey] Great evasion by Mysterio, one step ahead of the veteran Woods.
Snap suplex.
[Kevin] Oh, no.
[Corey] Look how happy it makes Mami.
It's infectious.
Grinning from ear to ear.
Hell, I'd drop 11 or 12 amigos right now if I were Dom.
[Kevin] Rhea's celebrating.
[Corey] That was only a pre… That's just a preview.
[Kevin] He managed to…
[crowd booing]
[Corey] Dom making a slow climb to the top,
surveying the scene here,
at the Greensboro Coliseum.
-[Kevin] Xavier Woods. -Oh! He got the knees!
And Xavier Woods can do it.
-He's gonna do it-- -[Kevin] But Dominik kicks out.
[Kevin] It looks certain to be Xavier Woods in a victory.
-[Corey] Look at the power of Woods. -Oh!
-[Corey] Big time, gut buster, cover! -Drops the leg again!
Is this the moment-- Dominik is somehow still in this.
[Corey] Dom knows how to survive.
Dominik is a survivor.
Like cockroaches and Twinkies.
At the end of the world, there will only be Dom Dom,
and perhaps Mami, should she so decide.
[Kevin] Cockroaches and Twinkies, eh?
[Corey] They have those in Ireland?
[Kevin] Not sure. I don't think so.
Xavier Woods, now with ideas from the top rope.
It's a long way away.
Xavier Woods off!
[Corey] And Rhea…
pulling Dom out of harm's way for the moment!
[Kevin] Just like last week. But Xavier Woods isn't hanging around.
[Corey] X gonna give it to ya.
[crowd chattering]
[Corey exclaims]
And Dom, taking advantage of the distraction.
[Kevin] Oh, and the SmackDown Women's Champion now.
With a cheap shot on Xavier Woods.
-One, two, three! -Dominik Mysterio…
-[bell rings] -[Corey chuckles]
[Kevin] Xavier Woods is gonna be furious.
[announcer] Here's your winner,
Dominik Mysterio!
[Corey] Woods may be furious, but his only course of action
is the same as the rest of the WWE Universe.
Jump online and complain about it.
Because Dom is living the dream!
[Kevin] Well, Corey, at the WWE draft recently,
Monday Night Raw selected an ace from the deck.
But be warned.
It's not exactly a good thing for Raw Superstars.
[crowd cheering]
[JD] For the longest time, I really bought into it.
I believed, you know.
I believe that if you worked as hard as you could,
you trust the process and you treat others around you with respect,
you'll get your turn.
But then the years take on and I see other guys.
Guys that aren't fit to lace my boots…
got opportunities ahead of me.
And I started to realize…
I am performing for an audience of fools.
And now what you're left with is this.
I am the paracausal force.
The plague of suffering.
I am the disrupter.
I dig the graves.
The Irish Ace is here to stay.
I'm hoping to get in a word with JD McDonagh
before he leaves the arena.
JD? Excuse me.
JD.
Excuse me.
I was hoping I could get your reasoning behind
why you attacked Dolph Ziggler earlier tonight
during that Battle Royal?
Cathy, I came to Raw to make a statement.
Who better to do that against than Dolph Ziggler?
I mean, he's done it all.
The former World Champion, Intercontinental Champion.
Money in the Bank winner.
He found out tonight what the roster is going to find out pretty soon.
You never bet against an ace.
[Corey] Stern warning by The Irish Ace.
[Kevin] How frightening is this? Indus Sher on Monday Night Raw.
Veer and Sanga, led by Jinder Mahal,
and they're next here on Monday Night Raw.
[Corey] Welcome back to Monday Night Raw.
We are set for a Raw in-ring debut.
["Tiranga" playing]
[bell rings]
[announcer] The following is a Tag Team Match scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, accompanied by Jinder Mahal,
Veer and Sanga,
Indus Sher!
[Corey] Indus Sher has arrived on Monday Night Raw
to turn the Tag Team division on its head.
Unmatched intimidation factor by Veer and Sanga.
[both roaring]
[Kevin] Let's ride.
Don't miss the new movie Fast X, only in theaters, Friday.
Jinder Mahal, a former WWE Champion,
he told me earlier, the Maharaja said, "I hand-selected…"
[both yelling]
"…Veer and Sanga."
Better look at Sanga, so powerful and calculated.
[Corey] Sanga is an extremely decorated kickboxing champion
prior to arriving in WWE.
We've seen Veer here on WWE Monday Night Raw in the past.
But not this Veer.
This is a more aggressive, more dangerous,
more explosive, if you can believe it, Veer.
All under the tutelage of the mastermind behind the mayhem, Jinder Mahal,
the modern day Maharaja.
And-- Forgive me, I didn't even learn these two gentlemen's names.
Because this one was over before the bell rang.
When you talk about intimidation, Veer and Sanga win most of their matches,
if you follow them in NXT, before the bell even rings.
[Kevin] This is Lavar Barbie, in the ring.
[commentators exclaiming]
[yelling]
[Kevin] Sanga.
Six-foot-eight.
Three-hundred-and-twenty-five pounds.
[Corey] Unparalleled brutality.
Sanga demanding a tag from the opposition.
And this guy, I heard was voted "Toughest Kid" on the swim team.
-[Kevin] Yep. Drake Thompson is his name. -That's great.
He can spend the rest of his career in the WWE2K "create a wrestler" mode.
Because clearly, he hasn't made it beyond that.
[Kevin] There's pulverizing.
[Corey] My God.
[Kevin] Here comes Veer as well.
[Corey] I don't know if there's a tag team in WWE
who can match the raw brutality that we are seeing from Indus Sher.
[Kevin] Oh, look at the weight that he hits.
Veer and Sanga.
-[Corey] Oh, my God. -Watch out!
[groans]
-[Kevin exclaims] -[groans]
[yelling indistinctly]
[Corey] I believe Veer has designs on ending this thing.
Is it still considered "mercifully" this deep into this beatdown?
[Kevin] Tag made as they will continue to brutalize Drake Thompson.
[Corey] Veer perched on the middle rope.
[Kevin exclaims]
[Corey] Good night.
You can count to 50.
-[crowd] One, two, three! -[bell rings]
[Kevin] Indus Sher, rocking into Monday Night Raw
in devastating fashion.
[announcer] Here's your winners, Indus Sher!
[Corey] Sanga and Veer under the guidance of Jinder Mahal,
[speaking in Hindi]
[Corey] Well, I, for one, have to brush up on my Hindi, but this--
This is the same way no matter what language you speak.
This is ugly.
This is brutal.
This is painful.
This is Indus Sher,
and the tag team division has just been put on notice.
[Kevin] Indus Sher… As Veer takes flight.
…representing one-and-a-half billion people in the country of India.
Headed by the Maharaja, Jinder Mahal.
[Corey] And again, if you've been lucky enough
to see Indus Sher in NXT, you know what to expect.
If this is your first time seeing them, be ready.
-Being joined here by Jinder Mahal. -[speaking indistinctly]
I've been hearing a lot of people say that Monday night belongs to them.
This is our show. We run the show.
And our future…
will be riddled in gold.
Indus Sher…
[speaks in Hindi] …Monday Night Raw.
-[indistinct conversation] -[crowd cheering]
What's this? What's this?
-Now do we take care of them? -No, no. This, what's this?
-Oh. -What is that?
-Why? -Yeah. What is this?
-What? -Let me make one thing clear.
I will not tolerate the disrespect that you showed towards my men last week.
[groans]
[sputters] What do you mean, disrespect?
You have a problem what happened last week with them?
Is that what it is? How about this?
Next week, we deal with them, we'll fight you.
We can't fight tonight, we have a fight.
But next week, we don't have a fight, we'll fight all three of you.
Does that work? Look at-- Hey, hey, hey, hey.
-Yeah? -We'll find a partner.
-Fine. Whatever. -Next week.
Yeah.
All right?
Good?
-Gentlemen. -Yeah.
-Dude, you're… All the time. -What are you staring at?
[crowd cheering]
[Kevin] Look at The American Nightmare, Cody Rhodes.
He says Brock wants a fight at Night of Champions.
Well, against my better judgment, let's fight.
The American Nightmare, Cody Rhodes, is here on Raw, next.
["Kingdom" playing]
[crowd cheering]
-[fireworks exploding] -[crowd cheering]
♪ Every thought, out of control ♪
♪ Do it all To get them off their feet ♪
♪ Crowd is here ♪
♪ About to blow ♪
♪ Waitin' for me to start the show ♪
♪ Out the curtain Lights go up I'm home ♪
[crowd cheering and singing along]
[fireworks exploding]
♪ When I was younger ♪
♪ Hard times breed… ♪
[announcer] Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome
"The American Nightmare"
Cody Rhodes!
[Corey] There's a fine line between bravery and insanity,
and Cody Rhodes is a man walking that very line.
In such physical agony,
that Cody can't even casually walk to the ring
without favoring his ribs.
Ribs that were injured at the hands of guess who?
Brock Lesnar.
[Kevin] Hopes of becoming the New World--
[fireworks exploding]
…the new World Heavyweight Champion savagely derailed by Lesnar.
But Cody Rhodes does not run from a haunting challenge.
In fact, he embraces it.
And he's here tonight, on Monday Night Raw.
[crowd] ♪ Whoa-oh-oh ♪
♪ And my father said ♪
♪ When I was younger ♪
♪ Hard times breed better men ♪
♪ Better men ♪
♪ You took it all away I give it all away ♪
♪ Can't take my freedom… ♪
-[song fades] -[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting] Cody! Cody! Cody!
[crowd cheering]
So, Greensboro, North Carolina.
[crowd cheering]
What do you want to talk about?
I know these grounds.
I know this arena.
This is the fabled, very first home of Starrcade.
[crowd cheering]
A wonderful memory.
A great amount of mutual respect,
respect that is not shared by Brock Lesnar,
who has elected not to be here.
[crowd booing]
But you guys are a fun audience, right?
[crowd cheering]
I'm going to try one out, not something you hear
on a typical sports entertainment show, but…
Ladies and gentlemen, have you heard the one about the scorpion and the frog?
It's a simple story.
The scorpion is on one side of the river, needs to get to the other side.
And he asks the frog who can hop, who can swim over there,
he says, "Can I get a ride to the other side of the river?"
The frog says, "Hell, no. You'd sting me."
The scorpion says, "No, I wouldn't sting you,
because if I did, we'd both drown. So I'm not going to sting you."
That logic is airtight to the frog, y'all. That works.
Frog puts him on his back and carries him across the river and halfway across,
what do you think happens?
He stings him.
And as the poison is filling up that frog's lungs,
he asked the scorpion, "Why?"
And the scorpion said…
"It's my nature."
It is Brock Lesnar's nature…
to hunt.
Brock Lesnar must be hunting.
But make sure, Brock, if you're the one who's hunting,
let me ask you something.
How's your face?
[crowd exclaiming]
I know, Brock Lesnar, you look in the mirror, you see a lion.
You see the alpha male of our species,
but you should also see a black eye,
a set of staples.
And when I look in the mirror, I see the man who put them there.
I see a man who busted Brock Lesnar's face
and maybe broke his spirit and beat the biggest bully in WWE history.
So I gladly accept Brock Lesnar's challenge at Night of Champions.
[crowd cheering]
And I'm not gonna go out of bounds on Brock Lesnar.
There's always been this talk.
About his ego, his manipulation on the roster, his dates.
You want to know why Brock Lesnar is on top and has been on top?
Because Brock Lesnar is better
than 99.9% of the Superstars who come in this ring.
But at Backlash, Brock Lesnar was not better than me.
[crowd cheering]
He called it a cheap win.
Ugh, a wrestling counter to a wrestling move in a wrestling ring.
How cheap that is.
Brock, even if I had been imbued with the powers of a god,
and beat you in 20 seconds,
you still would have hunted me because this isn't about a championship.
This is about something else.
This is about who is the big thing
on Monday Night Raw.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting] Cody! Cody! Cody!
"The next big thing."
That's what they always said about Brock Lesnar.
The next big thing, the next big thing,
the next big thing and they were right.
But eventually, Brock…
what happens when they just say, "Next?"
You have conquered WWE, you have conquered sports entertainment.
You have conquered this sport.
But we are at the point where I need you to take your busted face,
I need you to step aside because you, sir, are not the big thing around here anymore.
You are simply in my way.
-[microphone thuds] -[crowd cheering]
["Kingdom" playing]
[Corey] Those words from The American Nightmare.
If you didn't feel those words, you'd better check your pulse.
[Kevin] Cody Rhodes making millions around the world
believe that he won't just survive The Beast,
he will slay "The Beast" Brock Lesnar
at Night of Champions, one week from Saturday.
[Corey] It's one thing to talk the talk, it's another entirely to walk the walk.
[crowd] ♪ Whoa-oh-oh ♪
♪ My father said when I was younger ♪
♪ Hard times breed better men… ♪
I knew I was going to win last week, just like I know I'm going to succeed.
Man. Everything's just going great.
Yo. Are you listening to me?
Hey. Hey, freak.
-Hello? -Whoa, hey! Hey!
-Don't talk to her like that. -Excuse you.
Wait. Where's your little family? Your little weirdo family.
-They're here somewhere. -Excuse you. Excuse you.
Do not talk about my family ever again.
You know what? We don't have to do this right here.
We can settle in the ring if you'd like.
[scoffs] Perfect. I'll see you next week.
["Trap Queen" playing]
[Corey] Zoey Stark and Candice LeRae action next week.
[Kevin] I love that from Candice LeRae.
[bell dings]
[announcer] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, from Rio Grande Valley, Texas,
she is one half of the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions,
Raquel Rodriguez!
[Kevin] You'll notice Raquel Rodriguez is flexing alone
as she makes her way to the ring.
Liv Morgan, injured on Friday night in the title defense,
not medically cleared to compete tonight,
so Raquel Rodriguez goes it alone
against Chelsea Green, and it's coming your way next,
on Monday Night Raw.
[imperceptible]
[Kevin] One half the Women's Tag Team Champions,
the towering presence of Raquel Rodriguez
set to go one-v-one, against…
-["Hot Mess" playing] -[female voice] It's Chelsea.
[announcer] And her opponent, accompanied to the ring
by Sonya Deville, from Victoria, BC,
Chelsea Green!
[Corey] Originally, we're scheduled to have
a WWE Women's Tag Team matchup tonight
with Raquel and her partner, Liv Morgan,
defending against Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville,
and I know how important tonight was for Chelsea Green.
She said she was going to succeed in a way that the hockey teams can't,
by bringing a championship back to her native Canada.
[Kevin chuckles]
[Kevin] You don't think that the talk from backstage about Chelsea
being all about Chelsea is untrue?
[Corey] You need to stop reading the Internet and listening to the rumors.
You're a rumor monger, KP.
[Kevin speaking indistinctly]
[Corey] You're basically human TMZ.
You're a fountain of misinformation. I no longer trust you.
[Kevin] The word is that Chelsea is salivating
at the thought of one-v-one action tonight.
[Corey] A lot of people around the world
are salivating at the thought of Chelsea Green.
So, I mean, I guess everybody wins, right?
-Ring the bell. -[bell rings]
[Corey] Got a little strategy before the match up.
-Oh, no! -[Kevin exclaims]
-[Corey] Raquel… -Back off, you're gonna get some too.
…in singles competition possesses the same power.
Perhaps she doesn't have Liv to utilize as a weapon,
as I'm sure Raquel would enjoy, but…
The fact is, Raquel Rodriguez is the real deal.
As strong as the day is long.
[Kevin] Raquel and Liv Morgan victorious in their title defense
on Friday Night SmackDown against Damage CTRL.
[indistinct shouting]
[Corey] Backstabber by Green.
[Kevin] Chelsea Green. This may be an opening.
[Corey] Oh! Stomped face first into the middle buckle.
That's how you neutralize a powerhouse like Rodriguez.
[shouts indistinctly]
[Kevin] What is it about Chelsea Green
that's ensured she's got off to such a hot start as a Raw Superstar?
If you paid attention, KP, Chelsea Green is a Superstar.
That's sometimes the hardest thing for a young Superstar to learn.
How to really embrace being a star in every aspect of the word.
And Chelsea does that.
[Kevin] Imagine what a victory would do
against Raquel Rodriguez in one-on-one action.
This may be it for Chelsea Green.
Look out, a powerful kick-out by Raquel.
[both grunting]
[Corey] Elbows across the collarbone of Rodriguez.
[Kevin] Liv Morgan, no doubt, watching on as her tag team partner
goes to work here.
Chelsea Green now, working on the left arm.
[Corey] Green grinding her forearm across the cheekbone of Raquel.
It won't win the match, but it's incredibly painful and irritating.
Although you might want to avoid irritating someone
as strong as Raquel Rodriguez.
[Kevin] I was about to ask you, what should Chelsea's strategy be
against someone so powerful, but…
Chelsea putting on a show here.
[Corey] Dropkick, right on the mark, cover by Green.
[Kevin] Chelsea now. Can she win this one once more?
[Corey] Think about what this will do, not only for Chelsea
but Sonya Deville and their confidence as a team.
Yes, I know they wanted their tag team title match tonight,
but in the future, this could do great things for their confidence.
Knowing that Chelsea single-handedly took down Raquel.
Uh-oh. Uh-oh.
[Kevin] The powerhouse that is Raquel Rodriguez.
[Corey exclaims] That was nasty.
[referee] Get up, get up, you got this. Come on.
[Kevin] Raquel is feeling it.
Flattening Chelsea Green, and a second time.
[Corey] This is what Chelsea wanted to avoid.
[laughs] Oh, my!
[Kevin] That's got to do it.
You get the sense Raquel could put away Chel--
-I take it back. -Right.
[Corey] My goodness.
That would make Jake Paul blush.
[Kevin] Raquel Rodriguez, Fallaway Slam.
[Corey] I don't think Raquel's finished just yet,
-just ragdolling Green back and forth. -Let's go!
[crowd cheering]
[Kevin] One more for good measure.
Wearing down Chelsea Green.
[Corey] Twisted senton crushes Green beneath Rodriguez.
-[Kevin] Raquel Rodriguez-- -And there it is!
Tejana Bomb!
[Kevin] That's gotta do it. Raquel Rodriguez gets the victory.
-[bell rings] -["Trap Queen" playing]
[announcer] Here is your winner,
Raquel Rodriguez!
[Corey] Do you remember what I said moments ago
about boosting the confidence of Chelsea Green and Sonya Deville?
Scratch that. Let's edit that from me.
Future episodes of Raw,
I can't be held responsible for what I said
'cause it didn't work out that way.
[Kevin] It'll make the highlights. Look at this.
From the powerful and the confident Raquel Rodriguez.
You get the sense that being a champion here in WWE,
has taken her confidence to a new level.
[Corey] The Tejana Bomb.
When you possess that sort of power, it's difficult not to be confident.
A big time win for one half of the Tag Team Champions.
[Kevin] Doing Liv Morgan proud.
[Corey] What the hell?
Is that Ronda Rousey?
And Shayna Baszler…
who were both drafted Monday Night Raw.
Raquel Rodriguez, everybody. Your Tag Team Champion.
[crowd booing]
Hey, champ, I've got a question for you.
What are you supposed to do with that title, huh?
You know, it's rhetorical, okay? Defend it.
We are done waiting.
And you're going to defend it.
With or without Liv or you can catch this same exact beating
every single week until you do.
[crowd booing]
One more thing.
[Kevin] Oh, no.
Enough is enough. Oh!
[crowd cheering and booing]
Vicious and unforgiving statement made
by the Baddest Woman on the Planet,
Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler.
[Kevin] Well, folks, Tag Team Champions, KO and Sami Zayn
have an awful lot on their minds
that pertains to The Bloodline and Night of Champions.
But tonight, they must focus on Finn Bálor and Damian Priest.
[crowd booing]
Call Roman Reigns.
I can't know for sure what that was all about.
But The Wise Man doing a little wheeling and dealing, perhaps,
as we head toward Night of Champions.
Speaking of Night of Champions, I really enjoyed your insights
with Seth "Freakin" Rollins earlier tonight, part one of your interview.
Luckily for you, it's time for part two.
We've known Seth Rollins by many names over his tenure in WWE.
But these days Rollins isn't doing anything alone.
If you want to reach ultimate success, you've got to take risks.
If I hadn't put the chair in Roman's back,
what would the future have looked like?
That's a great question. We'll be asking ourselves until the end of time.
[chuckles]
In the wake of The Shield, we've since seen many iterations
of Seth Rollins.
We've seen The Architect, with The Authority.
We've seen the Monday Night Messiah.
You've been Universal Champion, you've been WWE Champion.
You've cashed in Money in the Bank at WrestleMania.
In one of the greatest moments in WWE history…
[commentator] Rollins with the heist of the century!
Why is the current iteration the best version of Seth Rollins?
-The Visionary, my friend. -[chuckles]
Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
[laughs] Man, this approach,
my hands are off the wheel.
That's the fun part.
We're in this crazy,
synergistic experience with the WWE Universe.
And I get to experience it,
for the first time in my career, the most authentic version of myself.
[crowd singing along]
[commentator] Over 75,000 singing along with Seth Rollins,
and they're not done yet.
And why do you think that is? Why now?
Man! Maybe it's the equity.
Maybe it's the time, the hard work, I don't know.
But there's some organic relationship.
For the first time in my career, I'm not the one forcing the change.
The WWE Universe has been the catalyst for the change in me.
[crowd singing along]
[Corey] Rollins being serenaded by the WWE Universe.
And tonight may just be the night that Rollins needs them most.
[crowd] One, two, three!
[Kevin] Rollins has done it!
[Corey] He has advanced to the World Heavyweight Championship final.
Why is now the right time for a new World Heavyweight Championship in WWE?
Why is Seth "Freakin" Rollins the guy to hold?
[sighs heavily]
I hate to say it, but--
We need to change again.
I don't feel…
like anybody at the top wants to take any risks
with the titles they're holding.
I think they're more about protecting themselves
than about pushing the industry forward.
And so now is the perfect time for a new World Heavyweight Championship.
And we can do it the way it's supposed to be done.
With that answer, I've got to ask.
What are your thoughts on Roman Reigns
and his Undisputed Universal Championship rank?
I knew you were gonna get there.
-I had to. -I knew you were gonna get there.
[Kevin] I cannot wait for next week already.
[Corey] I promise you, it will ruffle a lot of feathers.
Well, listen, Corey. There's no doubt that Seth "Freakin" Rollins
is operating at his operatic high note.
Will it be enough to take down "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles
and become the new World Heavyweight Champion?
We'll get our answer one week from this Saturday,
streaming live WWE on Peacock, Night of Champions.
But before we get there, we've got a few twists and turns on the road.
We certainly do. Next week's Monday Night Raw,
building to be a colossal show.
[Corey] For the very first time
since Lesnar's unhinged attack on Cody Rhodes,
The American Nightmare and The Beast Incarnate
will both be in the same arena under one roof.
[Kevin] Earlier tonight, Becky Lynch said that Trish Stratus
is a backstabbing egomaniac.
We're gonna see "The Man" Becky Lynch and the Hall of Famer, Trish Stratus
with their contract signing ahead of Night of Champions next week.
[Corey] And no rest for the weary as next week,
the Undisputed Tag Team Champions,
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn will be in action
with a mystery partner of their choosing
to battle Intercontinental Champion,
Gunther, Ludwig Kaiser, and Giovanni Vinci, Imperium.
["The Other Side" playing]
-[fireworks exploding] -[crowd cheering]
[bell rings]
[announcer] The following is a Tag Team Match
scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, representing The Judgment Day,
Finn Bálor and Damian Priest!
[Kevin] The Judgment Day continued to wreak havoc on Monday Night Raw.
[Corey] I believe the way The Judgment Day prefers to say it is that,
The Judgment Day runs Monday Night Raw.
[Kevin] Well, they hope to make the Undisputed
Tag Team Champions their latest victims.
Finn Bálor and Damian Priest are getting set for action here tonight,
against the champs, KO and Sami Zayn.
[Apollo] People keep asking me,
"Apollo, are you grateful to be back?"
A second chance at the opportunity of a lifetime?
Of course, I am.
But let's be clear.
This isn't a gift.
Nothing was handed to me.
I'm a former United States Champion,
Intercontinental Champion.
I fought on every corner of the planet and nobody says my name…
without putting some respect on it.
I earned my way back.
I never backed down from adversity, no matter what.
And I did it all by being the man that my kids can be proud of.
I can be changed by what happens to me.
But I refuse to be reduced by it.
This is my time.
[Corey] Can't wait for Crews, back here on Monday Night Raw.
[Kevin] Meanwhile, The Judgment Day Finn Bálor and Damian Priest
are set for tag team action. against the Undisputed Champions.
-["Fight" playing] -[crowd cheering]
-["Worlds Apart" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[crowd] Let's go!
[announcer] And their opponents,
they are the Undisputed
WWE Tag Team Champions,
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn!
[Kevin] Got to wonder what's going on in the minds of the Champions,
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn,
one week from Saturday at Night of Champions.
A daunting defense against a wrathful Roman Reigns,
and his "Street Champ" Solo Sikoa.
[Corey] We need to focus on the task at hand right now.
[crowd cheering]
[Kevin] The end of the road begins.
Don't miss the new movie, Fast X,
only in theaters, Friday.
[Corey] We've learned over the past several weeks that
Sami Zayn is still hung up on all things Bloodline.
Kevin Owens is eager, excited even,
to be fighting Tag Team Champions,
to defend the titles that they fought so hard for.
But Sami, he can't seem to shake The Bloodline.
And now, come Night of Champions, they have another encounter.
Not with The Usos that you might expect,
but with Solo, and The Tribal Chief himself.
[Kevin] The Tribal Chief on Friday Night SmackDown,
well, he turned the attention to Jimmy and Jey.
He said that KO and Sami are not the problem.
He went as far as saying, "I dedicate our victory
at Night of Champions to the greatest tag team of all time,
Afa and Sika, The Wild Samoans.
[Corey] Sure, but that sets Sami and Kevin up
to possibly be collateral damage
in whatever is going on within the block.
[crowd chanting] Sami! Sami! Sami!
[Corey] Let's not forget the task at hand.
Finn Bálor and Damian Priest.
Two elite level Superstars
who kicked off the night, by interrupting Kevin and Sami,
which is how we got this match to begin with.
Because Kevin wants to fight.
Kevin wants to fight as a tag team against great tag teams.
[Kevin] He didn't shy away from the four members of The Judgment Day, either.
Finn Bálor and Damian Priest.
The Judgment Day continue to grow collectively and individually.
[groans]
[Corey] And creatively escaping the armbar that had been applied by Finn Bálor,
a world class grappler.
And Sami, utilizing the pressure.
[Kevin] For so long, Corey, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens were the hunters.
Now they're the hunted.
How do you think that's affected their psychology?
[Corey] Kevin Owens only wakes up in the morning
because he knows there's a possibility of a fight.
Sami Zayn only wakes up in the morning
so he can continue thinking about The Bloodline.
But as you look across the Monday Night Raw landscape,
think about this.
We saw last week, Vinci and Kaiser of Imperium take the champions to the limit.
How about earlier tonight? We saw Indus Sher.
I mean, those two are going to terrorize the tag team division
no matter who the champions are.
Plus, you got to think of all the tag teams on SmackDown
who would love a crack at the Undisputed Tag Team Champions.
[Kevin] Sami Zayn taking down Finn Bálor twice now.
[Corey] We know The Usos still have Sami and Kevin in their crosshairs.
[Kevin] What do you think they're feeling right now?
After Roman Reigns, really demoralizing both Jimmy and Jey in the ring?
[Corey] I couldn't even begin to imagine.
A big right hand by Damian Priest.
The man who very nearly defeated one of the biggest stars
in the entertainment world at Backlash last week.
Priest is still riding off of that energy, that adrenaline.
Coming that close to making true history.
[Kevin] He is the punishment within The Judgment Day.
As Sami Zayn, now taking down Priest.
Cover and a very early kick out from Priest.
[Corey] And Damian Priest is a Superstar who has almost quietly continued
to ascend and improve within WWE.
Perhaps maybe not picking up some of the landmark victories he had hoped for.
But as far as his aggression, his ability, Priest gets better and better,
week after week.
[Kevin] Oh, man!
[Corey] And Kevin answers with a step-up enzuigiri that rocks the big man.
[Kevin] Is there any punishment that Kevin Owens can't take?
Bálor, now also sent to the outside.
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] Both Champions standing their ground in the center of the ring.
[speaking indistinctly]
Hurry up. Dom!
Come on.
[Corey] Looks like Finn's calling for reinforcements and here they come.
[crowd booing]
Dom Dom and Mami are headed to ringside.
What's this mean for the Champions?
[Kevin] Welcome back, folks.
Monday Night Raw, to a rip-roaring main event.
The Undisputed Tag Team champions Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
in action against The Judgment Day's Damian Priest and Finn Bálor.
This just days before the Champions Sami and KO go face to face
with Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa on Friday Night SmackDown,
their opponents at Night of Champions.
[Corey] The Judgment Day has done a fantastic job
of cutting the ring in half and isolating Sami Zayn
and keeping him far, far away from Kevin Owens.
And now Finn Bálor, the dagger of The Judgment Day,
utilizing his precision striking ability
to pick Sami Zayn apart.
[Kevin] We saw before the commercial break,
Finn Bálor saying, "I have an idea."
He called Mami, Rhea Ripley, the SmackDown Women's Champion,
and Dominik Mysterio ringside.
Priest and Bálor just needed a little moral support.
[Corey] You heard it, Rhea lights up a room, let alone an arena.
[crowd cheering]
[Kevin] I get it. Kevin Owens always wants a fight, but how wise is this,
knowing what's approaching a week from Saturday
at Night of Champions against Reigns and Sikoa?
[Corey] Many Superstars believe that iron sharpens iron.
That could be the case for Zayn and Owens,
or it could be catastrophic for the Champions.
[crowd cheering]
[Kevin] Sami trying to get a tag with Kevin Owens.
[Corey] A little bit of separation from Bálor… Tag made! On both ends.
[Corey gasps]
[Corey] Owens just firing off heavy right hands all over Damian Priest.
[Kevin] The power, the intensity behind every blow from Kevin Owens.
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] Owens rolling to the outside,
looking to get a little bit more of Priest.
Big clothesline and a senton to follow.
[Kevin] Zero time wasted from Kevin Owens.
He wants Priest back inside the ring.
Oh! Look out.
Kevin Owens now! Flattening The Judgment Day.
[Corey] Owens is toying with Rhea on the outside.
Superkick on the chin.
Clear the deck!
Cannonball coming.
Is there any stopping Kevin Owens right now?
[Kevin] Here we go! For the cover!
And the victory! And a kick out by Priest.
[crowd chattering]
[Corey] Kevin Owens got all of the cannonball in the corner.
And Damian Priest still has a little too much left in the tank.
[Kevin] A man on a mission.
Wiping out The Judgment Day on his own right now, KO.
Oh, Dominik Mysterio.
[crowd booing]
[Corey] Just that momentary hesitation allowed…
[indistinct shouting]
Both of you!
[Corey] Oh, no!
[crowd cheering]
Dom and Mami just got kicked out of ringside.
[Kevin] Ciao-ciao, Mami and Dom, out you go.
[Corey] This is a tragedy, KP. What are you smiling about?
[Kevin] The numbers have been evened.
That's bullshit. I didn't touch him!
[Corey] What did Rhea do? Rhea didn't touch anybody.
You're making a wrong decision! What are you doing?
[Corey] Taking Mami down as an accessory after the fact.
-[Kevin] They don't go anywhere without-- -Oh, no!
[Kevin] A big kick to the gut…
and the temple taking down Priest.
[Corey] That might have been the last gasp. Wait, it's Xavier Woods!
[Kevin] Mysterio's opponent from earlier on tonight.
Taking the fight to Dominik.
[Corey] Oh, sour grapes, Woods.
Won't take a loss like a true warrior.
[Kevin] Rhea Ripley aided… assisted loss. Excuse me.
Back inside the ring.
[Corey] Priest with a hook.
Damian Priest to end this thing and KO kicks out.
[Corey] Oh, boy.
[Kevin] The Wise Man.
Paul Heyman has arrived on the scene.
[Corey] But why?
[Kevin] A raucous crowd here tonight,
enjoying the main event of Monday Night Raw, tag team action.
The Undisputed Champions, KO and Sami Zayn,
against The Judgment Day's Damian Priest and Finn Bálor.
[Corey] And we're joined just before the commercial break
by none other than The Wise Man of The Bloodline, Paul Heyman.
So many questions unanswered.
[Kevin] Just weeks ago, we saw a short term alliance
between The Judgment Day and Paul Heyman.
[Corey] And earlier tonight, we saw some sort of interaction
between Heyman shaking hands with Imperium and Gunther.
Listen. The Wise Man has a reason for everything that he does.
Truly the epitome of playing chess while the rest of the world plays checkers.
[Kevin] And one week from Saturday, his Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns,
alongside Solo Sikoa will try to become
the Undisputed Tag Team Champions against KO and Sami.
[Corey] Excellent tandem offense by Priest and Bálor.
-Cover. -[Kevin] For the victory now!
Damian Priest, KO kicking out.
[Corey] The frustration momentarily washing over the face of Damian Priest.
And Sami Zayn has been a nonfactor in this matchup for the last several moments,
allowing for a two-on-one assault by The Judgment Day.
[Kevin] How devastating are they?
You just said it, Corey, excellent tag team between Priest and Bálor.
Oh!
[Corey] Heavy right hand by Priest and Owens answered.
[Kevin] Doing all he knows how to do, Kevin Owens, and that's keep fighting.
[Corey] It could be an ill-advised decision by Damian Priest.
Kevin Owens, shockingly capable on the top turnbuckle.
This rarely works out for Kevin's opponents.
[Kevin] Trading blows now.
[Corey] Seems like something of an anomaly.
Someone like Kevin Owens, a brawler, a fighter,
who is very, very comfortable on the top turnbuckle.
[Kevin] Attrition, the name of the game now,
as they wear each other down.
This could be an opening for Kevin Owens.
KO, the Swanton Bomb!
[Corey] Owens got it all.
But Kevin is so beaten and battered he's unable to capitalize
on the damage he just inflicted on Priest.
And Sami Zayn now is back on the apron.
[crowd chanting] Sami! Sami! Sami!
[Kevin] KO's gotta find a way to get over to Sami Zayn.
Eager for the tag.
Gets there, tag made, here comes Sami Zayn.
And Finn Bálor!
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] Sami with a double leg, rights and lefts.
[Kevin] Rapid offense…
from Sami Zayn and Bálor.
[Corey] Michinoku Driver, that could do it!
-Hooks the leg! -[Kevin] Is this the moment?
Kick out by Finn.
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] Difficult at times to read the expression of The Wise Man,
but I think Heyman is speaking to somebody currently on his phone.
I don't know how your lip reading is, KP, but I, uh…
I saw a little phrase that looked a little familiar.
Heyman could be chatting with The Tribal Chief.
Sling Blade by Bálor.
[Kevin] Finn Bálor, now looking for it again,
Sami Zayn turns it around.
-[Corey] Blue Thunderbomb! -[crowd cheering]
And Bálor survives. Barely.
[Kevin] My God!
[Corey] The Judgment Day know full well that a victory over the Tag Team Champions
would put them at the front of the line, at the top of the list,
for tag team title opportunities.
And Sami Zayn, just--
Gunther, Kaiser, and Vinci of Imperium are here at ringside.
-[Kevin] Could this be-- -From behind, Finn Bálor now.
[Corey] We know next week, Owens--
Owens and Zayn will battle Imperium in six-man action.
Cover by Bálor.
[Kevin] Once more, is this Finn's chance, and Kevin Owens in the way.
[Corey] A desperate Owens keeping this matchup alive.
But the Champions have got to feel like the walls are closing in right now.
[Kevin] We saw the handshake from Heyman with Gunther,
is this what it's all about?
As KO looks for the Stunner!
[Corey] Bálor disposes of Owens for the moment.
Exploder in the corner.
Sami Zayn has acquired the target.
Bálor in harm's way.
Helluva Kick!
-[Kevin] Sami quickly across-- -Vinci and Kaiser…
Owens just dropped Imperium, well, two-thirds.
[Kevin] Taking the matter into his own-- Oh, my God.
[Corey] Priest.
Chokeslam on the apron.
Kevin Owens' in bad shape, and here comes Zayn.
I don't know how much of that Zayn got, but he got enough to drop Priest.
It is madness.
And the challenges are coming from all sides
toward the Champions.
[crowd cheering]
[Kevin] Being hunted as Sami Zayn assesses his options now.
[Corey] And now all three members of Imperium--
[Kevin] Oh!
[Corey] John Woo Dropkick in the corner.
[Kevin] Leaves an opening now for Finn Bálor.
And we know what's coming.
Coup de Grâce from Bálor.
[Corey] Finn stuck it.
[Kevin] Hooks the leg, Finn Bálor gets the victory for The Judgment Day.
-[bell rings] -["The Other Side" playing]
[announcer] Here are your winners,
The Judgment Day!
[Corey] Just when it seemed as though the Undisputed Tag Team Champions
had turned the tide,
the walls began to close in
on Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens.
Challengers from every side.
Every angle.
Imperium, The Wise Man, The Judgment Day.
Truly threats from every angle.
[Kevin] Unholy alliances with Paul Heyman behind it.
Here he is. Look, as Sami Zayn was going for the Helluva Kick,
Finn Bálor dropkicked him in the corner.
[Corey] This would open the door for Bálor to deliver the Coup de Grâce
directly to the heart of Sami Zayn.
Finn got every ounce of this impact.
Sami Zayn's exhausted, beaten, battered, and bruised.
[bell rings]
And a disheartening defeat for the Tag Team Champions
at the hands of The Judgment Day and Imperium.
[Kevin] And as Night of Champions approaches one week from Saturday,
it's a case of "watch your back,"
for Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.
Well, next week, folks, on Monday Night Raw,
a blockbuster show coming your way.
We're set to see "The Beast" Brock Lesnar, and Cody Rhodes.
They're scheduled for a match at Night of Champions, but next week,
they will be under the same roof on Monday Night Raw.
[Corey] All of the elements for an explosive situation
will be here on Monday Night Raw.
And at Night of Champions, it has been made official.
It will be made official next week on Raw,
as "The Man" Becky Lynch,
and WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus, sign the contract.
But a disheartening night
for the Undisputed Tag Team Champions, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens.
They'll look to rally next week on Raw in a Six-Man Tag Team action
against the Imperium.
But who will Sami and Kevin choose as their partner?
[imperceptible]
[laughs]
We'll see you when you get back from Night of Champions.