[intro music playing]
[John Cena] Then.
[Ric] Woooo!
-[glass shattering] -[The Rock] If you smell…
-[bell tolling] -[Cena] Now.
[Roman] Acknowledge me.
-[Triple H] The king of kings… -[Cena] You can't see me…
[Cena] Forever.
Together.
[crowd cheering]
[Kevin] Our final stop before this Saturday's SummerSlam
takes us to the sold out Toyota Center in Downtown Houston, Texas.
Welcome, folks, to Monday Night Raw.
And, Corey Graves,
with five days before the biggest party of the summer,
tonight promises to be absolutely epic.
[Corey] No doubt about it.
After the Hellions from Hades, The Judgment Day,
carved a path of destruction across Raw last week,
several superstars are seeking revenge, including Sami Zayn
and our flamboyant World Heavyweight Champion,
Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
Tonight, they'll join forces to take on Senor Money in the Bank Damian Priest
and Dirty Dominik Mysterio of The Judgment Day in tag team action.
[Kevin] And in one of the main events at SummerSlam,
The American Nightmare, Cody Rhodes, and The Beast, Brock Lesnar,
will settle the score once and for all.
But first, the man who some describe as the past, present, and future of WWE,
Cody Rhodes is in the same building as Brock Lesnar
for the first time since Lesnar's savage attack on Rhodes
in front of his own mother.
Sparks could fly tonight.
["Take Flight" playing]
[crowd booing]
[Corey] Oh, but we're gonna kick off Raw with H-Town going viral.
[Samantha] Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Logan Paul!
[Kevin] A man with a plan, that is for sure.
Just last week on Monday Night Raw…
Listen to the boos around the arena, by the way.
…Logan Paul left Ricochet waiting for him in the ring.
The global sensation, but he knew exactly what he was doing.
Wherever you are, Logan, wherever you are in this arena,
I'm here to say one thing.
I'm here to challenge you for a match at SummerSlam.
If it's a fight that you want, Logan,
then it's a fight that you're gonna--
[crowd exclaiming]
-[Kevin] Boom! -[crowd booing]
-Premeditated attack from Paul. -Hey, hey, hey, Ricochet, buddy.
I accept your challenge for a match at SummerSlam.
Hey. Hey, for real.
Y'all look stupid as hell out here trying to challenge me.
Yo, I'm the best--
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] The Maverick's overconfidence would come back to bite him.
Laid out by the highlight of the night.
[Kevin] And what a match this promises to be.
Will Logan Paul get his revenge?
The social media megastar heads to the biggest party of the summer
to take on the highlight of the night, the scintillating Ricochet.
Houston, Texas!
[mixed cheers and boos]
Please allow me, WWE superstar Logan Paul,
to welcome you…
to Monday Night Raw!
[crowd booing]
Look, I have this thing
where I don't really like talking in front of brain dead people for too long…
[crowd booing]
…so I'll go ahead and make this quick.
I'm not here for y'all.
I'm here for Ricochet.
Last week on Raw,
I attempted to intro--
[crowd booing]
As I was saying…
[crowd booing]
[crowd chanting] You suck! You suck! You suck!
…I attempted to introduce Ricochet…
[crowd booing]
…to my audience…
who is nothing like this horrible crowd in Texas!
[crowd booing]
All that I wanted to do was showcase Ricochet's amazing athleticism, you know,
build some hype around our match this Saturday at SummerSlam.
But then… I was sneak attacked,
victimized and abused.
And while I was down…
Ricochet decided to make a spectacle out of the whole thing.
[crowd] What?
The whole thing!
What?
I said the whole thing!
What?
So this Saturday at SummerSlam…
-you can forget about a fight… -What?
…because I am going to beat Ricochet in the most viral WWE match in history.
There is nothing I won't do--
["One and Only" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] Last week, it was Ricochet who got the last laugh.
Now the highlight of the night offering a little salt for the wound for Mr. Paul.
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
Logan, what's… what's going on, man?
[crowd chanting] Ricochet! Ricochet! Ricochet!
Whoo!
But wait, wait, wait, wait.
What's going on?
I mean, last week I was in your live stream,
a great live stream, all time live stream.
But this week I'm in your head.
Because, Logan, we've seen you do this over and over again.
You come out here and you try to spin the story
in order to make yourself look like the good guy,
but I hate to break it to you, homey…
you not the good guy in this situation.
Because, listen,
you can… you can fool the people who pay to follow you online, but…
you not foolin' Houston.
[crowd cheering]
[Logan] My content is free.
But, Logan, you did actually say one thing that's true.
Out of all the… the crap that spewed out of your mouth,
you did say one thing that was correct.
Our match, our match at SummerSlam, it will be box office.
It will be all time.
That is the truth.
But before that happens…
I need to say something.
Now, while I might not like anything about you…
and I think that you are a horrible human being.
[crowd cheering]
They do, too.
But if there's one thing, Logan,
if there's one thing that I can respect it is that you are an athlete.
You are a competitor. You are an amazing showman.
And if there's something that Ricochet can respect,
I can always respect that.
You know what?
[crowd booing]
You know what? I really appreciate that, Ricochet.
I'm serious.
I really appreciate that.
And if we're being honest here…
yeah, I'll admit it.
Ricochet, you--
[crowd chanting] You suck! You suck! You suck!
You suck! You suck! You suck!
Ricochet, you are one of the greatest to ever do it.
Until I showed up.
Come on, baby.
[laughs] Come on.
Hey, you and I, we're not so different.
Brother, sometimes we even think alike.
No, we do Ricochet.
We think alike.
Bro, this thing between us,
this didn't start back at Money in the Bank.
This started way earlier this year at the Royal Rumble
when I made us go viral in that epic double jump spot in case you missed it.
Roll the clip.
Let's go, baby!
Let's do this!
[Pat] Ooh!
[crowd cheering]
[Logan] Let's do this!
[Corey] Another look at absolute breathtaking athleticism
from both superstars.
A viral moment, for sure.
Man, I really got it, don't I?
[laughs]
Hey, but you're right, brother.
You're right.
You and I are gonna put on a hell of a match.
Put it there, pal.
[indistinct conversations]
There he is.
Oh, Ricochet. Wait, wait.
One more thing. One more thing before you go.
After the match on Saturday,
the ring announcer is gonna announce the winner of the match, right?
And that ring announcer over there, Samantha Irvin…
Hi, Samantha.
That's your fiancée, right?
Ah, that's what I thought.
So, yeah, Ricochet, after I beat you at SummerSlam,
I hope there's no hard feelings when I have your girl saying…
"And the winner is Logan Paul."
[crowd booing]
[Corey] Logan Paul has no chill, and Ricochet has heard enough.
[Kevin] To think that Logan Paul says he's the one being victimized.
[Corey laughs] Oh!
Paul turns the tables.
We can't overlook Logan Paul's impressive wrestling background.
[Kevin] Look at the speed of Ricochet!
-[Kevin laughs] -Wow!
[Kevin] Logan can't keep up.
[Corey] For the first time in his life,
Logan Paul may have met his physical match in Ricochet.
-[Ricochet screams] -[crowd cheering]
[Kevin] Ricochet taking to the skies.
He's caught him!
Good night, Ricochet.
[crowd booing]
["Take Flight" playing]
[Corey] That titanium reinforced right hand of Logan Paul strikes again.
And if it lands this Saturday in Detroit at Ford Field…
well, that may go viral for a whole different set of reasons
that Ricochet is not gonna be very happy about.
[Kevin] I can't believe he talked about Samantha Irvin like that.
That's low.
Ricochet is gonna be fired up come SummerSlam on Saturday.
Speaking of being fired up,
how about The Scottish Warrior last week on Monday Night Raw?
SummerSlam opponent.
We saw Drew McIntyre go face to face with Gunther.
I'm here. I'm dressed.
I see the Intercontinental Championship.
Why don't we do this right now?
[crowd cheering]
It's unacceptable.
If you want to ride on my coattail…
-[crowd] What? -…I accept.
What?
And I'm gonna humiliate you again…
What?
-…at SummerSlam. -What?
[Kevin] This will result in Ludwig Kaiser stepping up for his ring general.
-One V One match. McIntyre! Claymore! -[crowd] One, two, three!
-To the face of the German. -[bell dinging]
["Gallantry Artist" playing]
But then Gunther swiftly inside the ring only for The Original Bro to help out.
[Corey] Matt Riddle, who has been a thorn in the side of Imperium,
would then get his just due courtesy of The Ring General.
A powerbomb for Matt Riddle.
And things began to look bleak for McIntyre,
who was able to turn the table quite literally.
[Kevin] Ooh!
[crowd cheering]
The Ring General through the table.
How about that from The Scottish Warrior, Drew McIntyre?
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Ludwig Kaiser, Giovanni Vinci,
and the Intercontinental Champion, The Ring General, Gunther.
[crowd booing]
Gunther, in a few days at SummerSlam, you'll defend your title.
Do you have any concerns at all
given how unstoppable Drew McIntyre has looked since he came back?
I don't live in the past. I live in the here and now.
And my only concern right now is disappointment.
With you.
'Cause you could have prevented all of this last week.
Don't get me started with Gio.
I'd expect more especially from you.
See, tonight, I will take care of Drew McIntyre myself,
but I heard he has other commitments.
So he's not here.
So tonight is the night
where Ludwig Kaiser has the chance to redeem himself
against that barefooted meddling maggot, Matt Riddle.
Following that, come SummerSlam this Saturday,
I personally will end Drew McIntyre once and for all.
♪ Bro ♪
[Corey] The Intercontinental Champion on a mission this coming Saturday.
It seems like there's a little trouble in paradise
if you're Ludwig Kaiser or Giovanni Vinci.
["We Up" playing]
[bell dinging]
[Samantha] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first from Las Vegas, Nevada, weighing in at 216 lbs,
The Original Bro, Matt Riddle!
[Kevin] Well, every time Riddle has been knocked down by Imperium,
he's kicked himself back up.
Will Ludwig Kaiser redeem himself in the eyes of the menacing Gunther
by taking down The Original Bro?
What a match we've got in store here kicking off Monday Night Raw.
[Corey] Watch out!
Kangaroos in Texas?
[Kevin] Riddle, Kaiser. Next.
["We Up" playing]
["Symphony No. 9 In E Minor" playing]
[crowd booing]
[Samantha] And his opponent, accompanied by Giovanni Vinci
and the Intercontinental Champion, The Ring General, Gunther,
representing Imperium, Ludwig Kaiser.
[Corey] Tonight, redemption is the name of the game for Ludwig Kaiser,
looking to fight his way back into the good graces of The Ring General,
the Intercontinental Champion, Gunther.
[indistinct conversations]
Okay.
[Corey] Gunther, with a few last minute marching orders
for his charge, Ludwig Kaiser.
The Intercontinental Champion preparing for a showdown of his own
this coming Saturday in Detroit.
[Kevin] We are just five days away.
It truly is the party of the summer, where The Ring General,
the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion this century,
Gunther, will put his championship on the line
against the man he says is riding his coattails of success,
it's The Scottish Warrior, Drew McIntyre.
[bell dinging]
[Corey] You see the stoic Intercontinental Champion looking on.
And make no mistake about it,
Ludwig Kaiser absolutely possesses the skill set to top Matt Riddle.
Matt Riddle has an extensive amateur mixed martial arts background
that he'll certainly use.
But these two are familiar with one another.
Kaiser, however, I think, has a few wrinkles in his game.
He has yet to show the rest of the roster, let alone the WWE Universe.
[Kevin] Think about what's going through the mind of Ludwig Kaiser right now.
You remember when you were younger and you were in trouble with your parents?
But when they were disappointed in you, that was even worse.
Now, imagine The Ring General, Gunther, says he's disappointed in Ludwig Kaiser.
[Corey] I perpetually disappoint my parents to this very day,
and I'm famous.
Kaiser now teeing off on Matt Riddle in the corner.
[Kevin groans]
A strong forearm right between the shoulder blades of Riddle.
[Kevin] Has to be so motivated.
So devoted, always to his Ring General, Gunther.
[Corey] What I understand in the point of view of Imperium,
this business, the mat,
everything that takes place inside of the ropes is sacred.
Gunther is out to raise the profile
of the entire sports entertainment industry.
And his own, of course.
Nice side headlock takeover by Matt Riddle.
-[Kevin] No way out for Riddle. -And let's be perfectly honest,
the fact that Matt Riddle is out here competing barefooted,
like some kind of lunatic,
with three of the most highly skilled individuals in the game…
[Kevin] Hang on. Cover. Look at this. And Matt riddle out just in time.
[Corey] …is insulting to Gunther.
[Kevin] Talk about what it does
for someone of the combat sports background.
And Matt Riddle gets closer to the surface.
More in control.
[Corey] Oh, of course.
Matt Riddle, it's worked for him well for his entire career.
I'm not questioning Riddle's choice.
I'm just trying to explain why Gunther doesn't see it in the best of lights.
[crowd] Woooo!
[Kevin] Gunther, just days now away
from Saturday's showdown at SummerSlam with Drew McIntyre.
-[Corey] Ooh! -[crowd] Woooo!
Ooh. Oh, my goodness, I think Riddle might have…
I… I think Kaiser might be on Dream Street right now.
That jab from Riddle rocked Kaiser.
Fisherman suplex.
My God!
[Kevin] You're right. Kaiser's feeling that.
[Corey] Kaiser is trying to gain his wits about him.
It goes to show you the striking power possessed by The Original Bro.
Yes, he's laid back. Yes, he can be cool to a fault.
But at the end of the day,
-Riddle is a tough, tough human being. -[Riddle groans]
[Kevin] Yes, he is.
[Corey] Meets the ring post, shoulder first.
And now Kaiser looking to rally.
[all exclaiming]
My God! Kaiser began his leap halfway across the ring.
That was tremendous athleticism.
[Kevin] Kaiser now at pace!
Uppercut wiping out Matt Riddle.
[Corey] Just lighting up The Original Bro with a European uppercut.
[indistinct conversations]
Mid-match strategizing by The Ring General and Ludwig Kaiser.
[Kevin] Kaiser so keen to seek that approval of Gunther.
[Corey] Oh, my!
Kaiser dumped to the outside courtesy of Riddle yet again.
[Kevin] Matt Riddle along the apron! Oh!
-[Corey] Soccer-style kick of Riddle. -The Floating Bro!
[Corey] It is chaos on the outside.
Can Kaiser get back into the good graces of the champion?
-[indistinct conversations] -[crowd cheering]
[Kevin] We're at the sold-out Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, tonight,
Monday Night Raw, just five days before the party of the summer,
SummerSlam, from Detroit.
[Corey] Right now, Ludwig Kaiser of Imperium
was all tied up by The Original Bro.
He seemed to be in jeopardy and quick thinking by Kaiser.
[Kevin] Kaiser has really rallied back in this match
after a strong showing from Riddle.
But here goes The Original Bro again.
[Corey] Sparta Kick by Riddle.
-[Kevin] Oh! -And an overhead kick connects.
Kaiser again in the ropes.
[Kevin] Kaiser now wobbly legs. Here goes Matt Riddle with a big right.
[Corey] Exploder suplex.
And a Broton.
[Kevin] In front of the watching Ring General.
Who said he was disappointed with Ludwig Kaiser.
[Corey] Look at this display of power.
[Kevin] Cover. For the win now.
[Corey] Can you imagine how humiliating it would be for Ludwig Kaiser
as an actual German to be defeated by a German suplex, Kevin?
You'll never recover from that.
[Kevin] Look at this again.
Arms everywhere, flattened into the canvas.
-Riddle again. -A second Broton.
Riddle now just enjoying inflicting this beatdown on Kaiser.
[Kevin] You've gotta think it might derail some momentum for Gunther and Imperium.
[Corey] Kaiser got the knees up just in time.
[Kevin] Ooh! Elbow to the back of the neck!
[Corey] You can see the mood change on the face of Ludwig Kaiser.
[Kevin] Motivated Kaiser fire in his eyes, but Riddle again never backs away.
[Corey] Riddle firing that barefoot of his.
[Kevin] Kaiser roll.
Oh, and a big kick.
Cover now. Matt Riddle, is he-- Oh, he kicks out.
[Kevin] You call that a Kaiser roll?
Like something you eat a cheeseburger off of?
[Kevin] There you go. Lothar Matthaus would've been proud of that kick.
[Corey] I wasn't endorsing it.
But Kaiser now trying to rally himself…
knowing that The Ring General is looming large on the outside,
as is Giovanni Vinci.
[Kevin] Imagine the pressure on Ludwig Kaiser right now.
[Corey] Pretty insurmountable.
-Ripcord knee by The Original Bro. -Oh!
That might do it if Riddle can get in for the cover here.
[Corey] A second fisherman suplex by Riddle.
No, transitioning into a powerslam, perhaps.
[Kevin] Giovanni Vinci wants to get involved
-and distract Riddle. -Watch Kaiser.
[Kevin] But Riddle has answers! Are you kidding me?
-[Corey] Oh, my God! -Oh!
[Corey] That may do it.
[Kevin] Riddle to put away Ludwig Kaiser! Oh, he kicks out.
[crowd exclaiming]
[Corey] The look of concern washing over the Intercontinental Champion
as he witnessed Matt Riddle utilizing a powerbomb,
a move near and dear to Gunther.
And then capping it off with a knee to the side of Kaiser's face,
who somehow was able to beat the count of three.
[Kevin] And we saw Gunther wincing.
Giovanni Vinci tried to get involved.
It tells you all about the performance of Matt Riddle here tonight.
[Corey] Riddle again hoisting up Kaiser. Potentially thinking about Bro Derek.
Shoulders down. Great counter.
[Kevin] Riddle up just in time. Quickly back up on their feet!
Wow.
[crowd exclaiming]
[Corey] Riddle answers with a knee strike of his own.
[Kevin] Riddle has Kaiser ready!
[Corey] And again, Kaiser appears to be down and maybe out.
Can Riddle finish the job?
-Gunther imploring Kaiser to move. -Scouting.
Kaiser up just in time!
Oh, devastating kick.
-[Corey] Running enzuigiri by Kaiser. -[indistinct conversations]
And Gunther has given the order.
-[grunts] -[Kevin] Ooh!
DDT.
-[crowd] One, two, three. -[bell dinging]
[Kevin] Kaiser in the good graces of Gunther.
[Samantha] Here is you winner, Ludwig Kaiser.
["Symphony No. 9 In E Minor" playing]
[Corey] A massive win
of the utmost importance for Ludwig Kaiser.
The disappointment of The Ring General served as a great motivator tonight.
Can Gunther continue his momentum this Saturday
as he defends his Intercontinental Title against Drew McIntyre.
[Kevin] Corey, I still can't get over what we witnessed two weeks ago
in a Viking Rules Match.
And what a moment it was
when Maxxine Dupri reclaimed her Letterman's Jacket.
Thank you!
The jubilation didn't last long. Valhalla with the spear through the table.
And the Vikings on their turf, would feast.
[Corey] Absolutely brutal Viking Rules match-up.
And you see again Valhalla making her presence known.
Opening the door for Otis to experience Ragnarok,
-courtesy of Eric and Ivar. -[bell dinging]
["Vicious" playing]
[Kevin] And this sets up tonight beautifully.
Look at Maxxine Dupri go.
Motivated for her very first singles match on Monday Night Raw.
[Corey] Maxxine has been studying under the master, Chad Gable.
And Valhalla, well…
I think she's gotta be summoning
or channeling those Viking gods of hers, KP.
What else can we expect from this one tonight?
[Kevin] Some collecting sight, that's for sure.
But in just moments here on Monday Night Raw,
the alluring Maxxine Dupri, a graduate of the Alpha Academy,
heads into the ring for her very first singles match
against the vengeful Valhalla of The Viking Raiders.
[Corey] And for months
The American Nightmare and The Beast have battled it out.
Lesnar has embarrassed Cody Rhodes in front of Cody's own family.
They will do battle in one of the main events,
out of SummerSlam this Saturday.
But both superstars are under the same roof live tonight in Texas,
and it's next.
[crowd booing]
Uh, excuse me, Logan. I'm sorry to interrupt,
but would you care to break down what happened in the ring between--
Oh, I'm breaking it down, Baldy. Byron. Byron.
Sorry. Sorry. Yeah, I'll tell you what happened, bro.
What happened is I just gave Ricochet
a small taste of what's gonna happen this Saturday at SummerSlam.
And I promise this will be one of the most viral matches
in the history of WWE.
And, hey, Ricochet, buddy. [chuckles] What happened, man?
I thought you were always one step ahead of me.
Look at you now. Looking like a full grown fetus.
Get this out of my face.
-[Corey] Wow. The reaction from Logan. -Well, listen, folks,
ahead of the launch of Becoming Cody Rhodes
streaming now in Peacock, Cody's joined TikTok.
So, TikTok, what do you want to talk about?
[Kevin] @americannightmarecody
-Go and follow The American Nightmare. -["Kingdom" playing]
[crowd] ♪ Whoa ♪
I was thinking about joining TikTok, but it turns out I suck at dancing.
[laughs] Fair enough.
Listen, Corey, tonight we do know that Cody Rhodes, The American Nightmare,
and The Beast, Brock Lesnar, are in the same building.
And it happens just five days before they collide at SummerSlam.
["Daylight" plays]
[Cody] I'd be crazy not to be scared of Brock Lesnar.
But I still wanna fight Brock Lesnar.
♪ Telling myself I won't go there ♪
♪ Oh, but I know that I won't care ♪
♪ Tryna wash away All the blood I've spilt ♪
♪ This lust is a burden That we both share ♪
♪ Two sinners can't atone From a lone prayer ♪
♪ Souls tied Intertwined by our pride and guilt ♪
♪ There's darkness in the distance ♪
♪ From the way that I've been livin' ♪
♪ But I know I can't resist it ♪
♪ Oh, I love it And I hate it at the same time ♪
♪ You and I drink the poison From the same vine ♪
♪ Oh, I love it And I hate it at the same time ♪
♪ Hidin' all of our sins From the daylight ♪
♪ Oh, I love it And I hate it at the same time ♪
Brock Lesnar is The Beast.
Beast enough to break my arm, but not man enough to make me tap out.
♪ Tellin' myself it's the last time ♪
♪ Can you spare any mercy That you might find ♪
♪ If I'm down on my knees again? ♪
♪ Deep down, way down, Lord, I try ♪
♪ Try to follow your light But it's night time ♪
♪ Please, don't leave me in the end ♪
♪ There's darkness in the distance ♪
♪ I'm beggin' for forgiveness ♪
♪ But I know I might resist it, oh ♪
♪ Oh, I love it And I hate it at the same time ♪
♪ You and I drink the poison From the same vine ♪
[Cody] The game is 1-1. Are you satisfied?
I hope you're not.
♪ Oh, I love it And I hate it at the same time ♪
[Cody] Brock, you made a mistake.
You left me breathing.
I wanna go to SummerSlam to embarrass you
because it's what you deserve.
♪ …time ♪
♪ Oh, I love it And I hate it at the same time ♪
♪ You and I drink the poison From the same vine ♪
♪ Oh, I love it And I hate it at the same time ♪
At SummerSlam, Brock, I end this.
♪ From the daylight Runnin' from the daylight ♪
♪ Oh, I love it And I hate it at the same time ♪
[Kevin] Saturday, in one of the main events of SummerSlam,
is a monumental match in the career of Cody Rhodes.
Motivated, driven, and indomitable.
Can Cody back up his talk and finally slay The Beast, Brock Lesnar?
Saturday, 8:00 Eastern. SummerSlam.
["Rock It Like Me" playing]
[Corey] It's debut time.
[bell dinging]
[Samantha] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, accompanied to the ring by Alpha Academy,
Maxxine Dupri.
[Kevin] Man, I am so excited for this.
Maxxine Dupri.
How captivating and alluring is Maxxine Dupri?
All set to go.
Like you said, Corey,
in her debut singles match here on Monday Night Raw
taking on the vengeful Valhalla of The Viking Raiders next.
It's your night.
-I'm ready. -It's your night.
[Kevin] SummerSlam is presented by Rocket Mortgage.
Buy, sell, finance, save.
And by C4 Energy, the official energy drink of SummerSlam.
WWE and C4 has teamed up to create all new C4 Ultimate Energy drinks
and C4 Ultimate pre-workout powders.
Available now exclusively at GNC.
[Corey] We're moments away from the single debut of Maxxine Dupri
of The Alpha Academy.
-Maxxine looks ready. -Yeah. Yeah.
["Vicious" playing]
[Kevin] What a challenge tonight.
Man, it's scary.
[Samantha] And her opponent,
accompanied to the ring by The Viking Raiders,
Valhalla!
[Corey] Valhalla no doubt an intimidating presence to deal with.
Maxxine Dupri has to realize how high the deck is stacked against her.
We've seen the physical capabilities of Valhalla in the past,
but… perhaps the most dangerous aspect of her game is the mystique.
The mystery surrounding Valhalla.
Was she summoning God?
Was she praying to someone?
[Kevin] I thought I heard Odin and Balder earlier, which means yes.
Speaking to the Gods.
And Maxxine should consult with the Gods as well, says Valhalla,
because she's gonna need them tonight.
[Corey] Maxxine may not have contact with the Gods,
but she has been under the close eye of the Master of Alpha Academy,
-United States Olympian, Chad Gable… -[bell dinging]
…and his number one guy, the "Tree Trunk" Otis.
-[Kevin] Oh, watch out! -Valhalla.
Those shotgun knees right out of the gate.
This could be a very short night for Maxxine.
[Kevin] Maxxine just looking across at Chad Gable,
taking her eye off the game here.
Valhalla desperate to get her paws all over her.
[Corey] Nice arm drag.
-And another by Maxxine. -[Kevin laughs]
[Kevin] The training is paying off.
[Corey] Come to figure, Maxxine hasn't had a lot of experience,
but a few days in the ring around Chad Gable,
that's like taking batting practice with Shohei Ohtani.
[Kevin] Yes, it is.
[Corey] Technically speaking, Gable is as good as they get.
Nasty landing for Maxxine.
[indistinct conversations]
Valhalla just extremely vicious.
-Cover. -Cover now to put Maxxine away early.
And a kick-out by Maxxine.
How impressive is Maxxine Dupri?
We had her as a guest on the After the Bell podcast, Corey…
[Corey] Listen, I like talking about Maxxine as much as the next guy,
but right now, we should be talking about Valhalla
who is dominating Maxxine at the moment.
Valhalla just slow and deliberate in her application of this submission
realizing that she's got all night if she needs it
to inflict as much punishment as she can on Maxxine.
[Kevin] And Valhalla did, of course,
spear Maxxine through the table in the Viking Rules Match.
But Valhalla can't let go that.
Maxxine has had big time bragging rights over her.
There's another arm drag from Maxxine Dupri.
How impressive is this kick.
Suplex her!
[Corey] Maxxine holding strong into the…
[Kevin] Oh!
…bright lights and the magnitude of the moment.
Fisherman suplex by Maxxine.
[Kevin] Maxxine nearly looks stunned
-that she can pull it off. -[screams]
Oh!
All the coaching from the master, Chad Gable, is paying off.
[Corey] I think that maneuver is a little more effective
when Otis performs it, but nonetheless…
[crowd cheering]
…the Dozer is having himself a time on the outside,
but they gotta get him under control.
Thank you!
[Kevin] Oh, yes.
You feeling some kind of way, Corey?
[Corey] Looks like someone put a hinge in a caterpillar,
but it's still effective.
[Kevin] Elbow drop.
Maxxine quickly back on her feet.
-Get on top! -[Corey] Oh, no.
Oh, okay, maybe Maxxine's getting a little too overconfident.
She's feeling herself.
[Kevin] Your first time, Maxxine.
Maxxine, taking flight. A devastating effect!
Cover! Hang on.
[Corey] Hey, Eric from The Viking Raiders just put his head in the ring.
[Kevin] It's all kicking off here.
[Corey] We have bedlam on the outside of the ring.
[Kevin] Watch out. It's Gable!
[all exclaiming]
[Corey] The Academy takes out The Viking Raiders,
but Valhalla from behind.
Maxxine took her eye off the ball and could pay dearly.
[Kevin] Mayhem outside the ring, but inside, it's Valhalla in control.
Massive right connecting.
[Corey] Oh, Valhalla looking to take it at high risk.
[Valhalla howls]
Oh, no, this looks bleak.
Maxxine's first singles match may be her last.
[Kevin] Well played, Maxxine.
What has Maxxine Dupri got planned here?
-[Corey] Whoa! -For the victory!
-[crowd] One, two, three. -Maxxine's done it!
-[bell dinging] -What?
["Rock It Like Me" playing]
[Samantha] Here is you winner, Maxxine Dupri.
[Corey] What a night for Maxxine Dupri.
And dare I say,
in this victory, it was a landmark night for the entire Alpha Academy.
Well done, Coach Gable. Well done, Dozer.
And last week was a landmark day of destruction
for the villainous quartet of The Judgment Day.
[Corey] We could be on the precipice of yet another landmark night
for The Judgment Day.
[Kevin] NXT North American Championship on the line.
Dominik Mysterio defending against Sami Zayn.
Wait a second.
KO looks to be in a bad way here.
-[Corey] From behind. -Dominik Mysterio might stick this one.
-[bell dinging] -The condition of Kevin Owens
is a real concern.
Can Liv Morgan take the fight to Rhea Ripley?
[Corey] Look out!
A blindside attack by Rhea Ripley.
The Women's World Champion laying waste to Liv Morgan.
-[grunts] -[cries]
[Apollo] You guys walk around here all day picking on people.
I'd love to see you try that with me.
Tonight, you'll receive your punishment.
[Corey] Damian Priest imposing his will
-on Apollo Crews. -One, two three.
[bell dinging]
[Bálor] Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
You think you run this place, but you don't.
The Judgment Day run Monday Night Raw now.
[Corey] The World Heavyweight Champion teeing off!
Outnumbered as he may.
And here comes the cavalry in the form of Sami Zayn.
[Kevin] Proving their dominance as the full sharks feast
on the World Heavyweight Champion.
[Damian Priest] All rise for The Judgment Day!
["The Other Side" playing]
[mixed cheers and boos]
[Kevin] There's no doubt The Judgment Day are on a path of destruction
that seems almost impossible to stop.
After last week's unimaginable display of domination,
what do these Hellions from Hades have in store
here on Monday Night Raw tonight?
["The Time Is Now" playing]
[Kevin] A huge congratulations
to our very own 16-time World Champion, John Cena, alongside Jackie Chan.
Go and check out Hidden Strike,
the number one movie in the US and worldwide on Netflix.
[Corey] The tag team we never knew we needed.
Jackie Chan and John Cena.
Congrats.
[crowd cheering]
Maybe we could have just went our separate ways.
But clearly you still have a problem.
So tonight, I'm gonna fix this problem.
Because while you want the entire world to just stay out of your business,
I'm ready to fight the entire world, and I need to pick up some momentum.
That starts with you tonight.
And then I'm gonna go on
and I'm going to win the SummerSlam Battle Royal this Saturday.
I'll see you in the ring.
And once we are finished,
it will be me who wins the SummerSlam Battle Royal this Saturday.
Problem solved.
["The Other Side" playing]
[Corey] Nakamura and Ciampa still to come.
But we are joined right now by The Judgment Day.
[Kevin] And at SummerSlam, in just five days from now,
a member of The Judgment Day in the devious Finn Bálor,
will hope to put seven years of bitterness behind him
by taking down the World Heavyweight Champion,
Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
[Samantha] Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome The Judgment Day!
[mixed cheers and boos]
[speaking Spanish]
[mixed cheers and boos]
All rise for The Judgment Day.
[mixed cheers and boos]
Let's face it, guys,
Monday Night Raw doesn't start until we say it does.
Because this is our world now.
[crowd chanting]
And for anyone who doesn't wanna fall in line,
we've got no problem putting them on the shelf.
Because let's be honest here, who's really gonna stop us, huh?
Hey, boys, who's gonna stop us?
You know what? Let's try to answer that question.
Let's run through a short list of the so-called heroes
on Monday Night Raw.
Uh, Kevin Owens?
-[laughs] -No, we took him out.
Uh, Sami Zayn?
Nah. We left him laying.
Seth "Freakin" Rollins?
[crowd cheering]
Impossible after the epic beating we gave him last week on Raw.
And we all know what Mami did to Liv Morgan.
So to answer your question, nobody can stop The Judgment Day!
Now, if Sami and Seth decide to show up tonight,
well, Dirty Dom and I will make sure
they don't leave this arena whole.
[crowd booing]
Seth Rollins, you come out here every week, week after week,
and you act all insane.
You act insane.
You see, your idea of insanity
is coming out here wearing some stupid clothes,
doing a sing and dance, laughing like a clown.
That's not insanity. No.
Insanity is waking up every day for the last seven years
looking yourself in the mirror,
and seeing the scars that you caused, that you inflicted.
And those scars remind me of everything that you took from me.
The career that you ruined, the career that you've spoiled.
Seth Rollins, at SummerSlam, I can't erase those scars.
But I will inflict scars.
And those scars are gonna make me feel just a little bit better
knowing that every day that you wake up and you look in the mirror,
you'll remember the time that Finn Bálor beat you
for the World Heavyweight Championship.
[mixed cheers and boos]
And at SummerSlam…
[crowd booing]
…all of Judgment Day is gonna have the goodies.
[crowd booing]
[Bálor] Take a breath, Dom. Take a breath.
[crowd chanting] You suck! You suck! You suck! You suck! You suck!
I'm bringing back the Mysterio na--
[crowd booing]
[Rhea Ripley] That's right, Dirty Dom.
You are gonna bring some pride to the Mysterio name.
But as for any idiot who decides to try and get in our way,
well, I advise them to take a little page out of Raquel Rodriguez's book,
and that is run and hide.
Because otherwise,
they're gonna have to learn to enjoy their time in rehab.
Just like Liv and Kevin Owens.
-["Trap Queen" playing] -Because…
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] I think Miss Rodriguez would beg to differ.
Raquel Rodriguez, who still believes that had it not been for Rhea Ripley,
she and Liv Morgan would be WWE Women's Tag Team Champions.
And Rodriguez is making a beeline for Rhea.
[Kevin] With an injured knee because of the attack by Rhea Ripley.
Raquel Rodriguez is taking the fight to The Eradicator.
[Corey] Rodriguez certainly holding her own right now.
[Kevin] Two absolute powerhouses.
Raquel Rodriguez.
[Corey] There aren't too many women who can stand toe to toe with Rhea Ripley,
but Raquel certainly fit that description.
Rhea sent to the outside.
Rodriguez holding the ring.
[Kevin] The World Champion is feeling the wrath of Raquel Rodriguez!
[Corey] Rodriguez now just… Woman handling the Women's World Champion.
-[Kevin] Ooh! -Spine first into the ring post.
[Kevin] Raquel Rodriguez, who, as far as we're aware,
wasn't medically cleared to compete in any way,
still taking the fight to Rhea.
[Corey] This isn't a sanctioned match, KP. This is a damn fight.
[speaking Spanish]
-[Kevin] Ooh! No! -Oh, no.
[Raquel groaning]
Rodriguez momentarily distracted by Dominik's Latino Heat.
And Rhea made Raquel pay.
[man] Back up.
[Corey] My goodness.
Good thing these officials showed up finally.
-Dealing with two forces of nature… -[screaming]
…but Ripley again attacking the knee of Raquel.
[crowd booing]
[indistinct conversations]
Unfamiliar sight,
seeing anyone bring the fight to Women's World Champion Rhea Ripley.
But I hope, for Raquel's sake, that she's taking care of that knee,
not letting her emotions get the best of her
because that does not look good for Rodriguez.
Not at all. No.
And two superstars that will be bringing the fight this Saturday at SummerSlam,
Shayna Baszler and Ronda Rousey.
When they became a tag team,
it really was a match made in combat sports heaven.
[Corey] The Baddest Woman on the Planet, Ronda Rousey!
-[crowd exclaiming] -[bell dinging]
[Cole] The danger is Shayna Baszler.
This is destiny. We manifested this a decade ago.
[Wade] All of the gold
and all of the power in the women's tag ranks
now goes to Baszler and Rousey.
[Cole] Wait a minute! What the hell?
Shayna Baszler just assaulted her best friend.
But why?
I first became aware of Shayna watching Strikeforce
when I was a bartender.
Shayna had a personality.
She wasn't asking for permission to be there.
She was filling her place instead of meekly occupying it.
And then when we were on The Ultimate Fighter together,
I knew right away that she was my first pick.
I came in to The Ultimate Fighter with a chip on my shoulder.
It's kind of a show for up and comers.
And I was way past being an up and comer.
Ronda was there as a coach.
Ronda and I hit it off.
I wasn't like a lot of people. I didn't, like, hate on Ronda right away
just because she was winning really fast and getting opportunities.
I don't know if I would say that Shayna was my protege.
She started fighting before me.
She had more experience than me.
But I will say that towards the end of The Ultimate Fighter,
there was, like, one minute left of the last round of grappling,
and she started laughing and goes, "Yeah, you know, it's really funny.
I made it through this many weeks of The Ultimate Fighter,
and you never armbarred me once."
Ask her how many times I armbarred her in that minute.
Then you'll know who is protege. [chuckles]
There's this image that Ronda Rousey has for the public
as it pertains to us, her friends, me.
She lets us live for free at her house,
but it's so that she could have people to beat up for free.
It's not 'cause it's out of the goodwill of her heart. [chuckles]
I was there for every single one of Ronda's training camps
to be the sparring partner that mimicked the people she was fighting
so that she could learn to capitalize.
Ask Ronda Rousey how many fight camps of mine she showed up to
to be my sparring partner.
And then ask, "How is it possible that Ronda got to where she got…
and I was only able to to get to where I got?"
This whole thing has been set up from day one…
for her to be elevated to this position
despite the work of everyone else, namely me,
who'd come before her.
It happened in MMA. It's happening here.
And I'm done. I'm sick of it.
I'm not gonna let that happen again.
[Corey] This Saturday at SummerSlam, Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler,
will showdown under MMA Rules.
And we'll take a look at the second part of this epic story later tonight.
["The Rising Sun" playing]
[Kevin] Roll on SummerSlam.
But the here and now, The King of Strong Style.
[crowd cheering]
[bell dinging]
[Samantha] The following contest is scheduled for one fall!
Introducing first from Kyoto, Japan, weighing in at 220 lbs,
Shinsuke Nakamura!
[Kevin] The sold out crowd in Houston, Texas,
getting loud for Shinsuke Nakamura.
[Corey] Nakamura has already made his SummerSlam plans.
This coming Saturday, he'll compete in the SummerSlam Battle Royal.
That is, of course, assuming he gets past his opponent tonight, Tommaso Ciampa.
[Kevin] Ciampa, a man that drew a line in the proverbial sand
for The King of Strong Style, Shinsuke Nakamura.
But Shinsuke didn't listen.
They go one-on-one next.
I'm proud of you. You applied the master's teaching.
You represented the Academy well,
just like one of us is gonna represent the Academy well
when we win the SummerSlam Battle Royal this weekend.
[both] Right.
Oh, yea--
That's ridiculous.
What's happening here?
I mean, first match of the night and with a stellar performance,
my best man here restores the honor of this great sport.
And you didn't hesitate a second to turn it into an absolute joke again?
Are you kidding? Did you see her technical proficiency?
I taught her everything. She knows it was great.
And let's not forget, these two are former Tag Team Champions.
-Yep. -And my coach is an Olympic athlete.
An Olympic athlete?
Well, you came far in life.
-You need her to speak for you now. -[Ludwig laughs]
-Now you're hanging out with that freak. -Come on now! Hey!
What happened? I mean, you're not worth of my time.
-Come on. -He's really not worth your time.
I mean, somebody like Gable,
won't even last five minutes in the ring with The Ring General.
It's a good point, actually.
Because the last two weeks have been a little bit of a roller coaster for me.
My soul could really do
with dragging somebody around in the ring for a little bit.
And you know what?
Put that clock on the wall.
I won't need five minutes for you.
Five minutes?
I'll last five hours if I want to!
But you know what? I'll take a little five minute challenge.
But if you want Gable tonight, why don't you leave your crew in the back?
-And I'll do the same. -Yep.
Be my guest.
[Corey] Wow, that could be very, very interesting.
As is the showdown we're about to see.
[Kevin] We've got to look at the taped ribs of Tommaso Ciampa.
[bell dinging]
Think back to last week's match for Ciampa against "Big" Bronson Reed,
where Shinsuke Nakamura created a distraction
when The King of Strong Style appeared,
that opened the door for "Big" Bronson Reed
to pulverize the ribs of Ciampa.
[Corey] Both Nakamura and Ciampa will be competing this Saturday
in the SummerSlam Battle Royal.
This is an opportunity to gain some momentum, particularly for Ciampa,
who claimed he's ready to fight the entire world.
[Kevin] Ooh! What a chance to impress.
The SummerSlam Battle Royal.
[Corey] And both of these athletes have certainly had their problem
in recent times with "Big" Bronson Reed.
And it's almost as though
there's sort of a bottleneck in the middle of the card here in WWE,
particularly on Monday Night Raw, where the question remains,
who will be the next to challenge for the Intercontinental Champion…
[Kevin] Look at this. The catalyst behind all this friction.
…or the World Heavyweight Champion post SummerSlam?
What does the future look like?
It's wide open and it's full of opportunity for anyone.
From Shinsuke Nakamura to Ciampa to "Big" Bronson Reed.
But it's all about momentum and stacking wins here on Monday night.
[Kevin] Ciampa, someone who's yet to taste that success here on Monday Night Raw.
Can't say the same about The King of Strong Style.
-Ciampa here. -Come on!
The Blackheart fired up.
[Corey] Ciampa is as technically skilled and proficient as they get here in WWE.
And Ciampa has a ruthless attitude, second to none,
as Nakamura is experiencing firsthand.
Ciampa certainly possesses all of the tools
needed to be a major player here on Monday Night Raw,
and it could all begin tonight with Shinsuke Nakamura.
Conversely, Nakamura has a healthy respect
for what Ciampa has accomplished in his career.
And Nakamura knows that if you pick up a win over somebody like Ciampa,
maybe "Big" Bronson Reed's next.
Perhaps it's an Intercontinental Title opportunity.
Maybe a World Heavyweight Championship opportunity.
Oh!
[Kevin] Why do you think Shinsuke Nakamura wanted to pick that fight with Ciampa
showing up last week?
[Corey] Because I think Nakamura is tired of being an afterthought.
Shinsuke is a superstar who, several years back,
won the Royal Rumble match.
Nakamura has been in the conversation to be a World Champion,
and Nakamura has yet to really realize that potential.
[Nakamura grunts]
-[Kevin] Nakamura warming up here. -[grunts]
[Kevin] I think Shinsuke realized,
"Nobody else cares about me in the locker room.
It's time to look out for number one."
And that's exactly what Shinsuke is doing right now
at the expense of Tommaso Ciampa.
[Kevin] The swagger of The King of Strong Style.
-But watch out! -Ooh!
Ciampa just rocked the jaw of Nakamura with that knee.
[Kevin] Lightning fast.
Offense there from Ciampa.
[Corey] Here comes the ruthlessness we talked about.
[Kevin] Oh! What a vicious knee.
How does Shinsuke find his way back in this match now?
[Kevin] Welcome back to Monday Night Raw.
Shinsuke Nakamura, Ciampa, one-on-one action.
It's been a bitter relationship between this duo.
There's never really been much of a relationship.
Ciampa put his nose in Shinsuke's business,
and Nakamura took offense to it and decided to fight about it.
Ciampa didn't mean any offense, Shinsuke took offense.
It sounds like the Internet, basically.
[Kevin] Bronson Reed, big fella, has been stirring the pot--
[Corey laughs]
[Corey] Sliding German by Nakamura.
-Looking for the cover! -Shinsuke now to put away Ciampa.
-One, two… -Can he get it?
Ciampa kicking out at two.
Ciampa, no time wasted. Straight back up on his feet.
[Corey] Are you looking at the right guy? Do you know which guy is Ciampa?
Ciampa's the bald guy. There's "Big" Bronson Reed backstage.
Three-hundred-pound son of a gun beats everybody up.
Ciampa is now on his feet.
You spoke a little too soon. It's okay.
Shinsuke answers with a kick upside Ciampa's dome.
[Kevin] Ooh!
[Corey] Oh, God! That may do it.
That's gotta do it. Nakamura's out.
-One, two… -[Kevin] Ciampa to put away Shinsuke!
Kicking out again.
[Corey] And you can see immediately Ciampa favoring his ribs.
He's been fighting through the pain.
Adrenaline will only get you so far.
Nakamura's been unable to exploit the rib injury.
Again caused by "Big" Bronson Reed!
[Kevin] Huge credit to Ciampa.
Back out here as resilient and as powerful as ever
-after that crushing by Reed last week. -[groans]
Who seems to be enjoying watching on from a distance.
[Corey] There's nothing better in life than watching two people you can't stand
beat each other up.
[Kevin] Look at this.
Blow after blow in a perilous position.
[Corey] From the second rope, The King of Strong Style.
Ciampa out of the way!
[Kevin] Ciampa now a bit of pace.
Miss. Scouted by Shinsuke.
[Corey] Shinsuke hoisting Ciampa up across the top turnbuckle.
[Kevin] Ooh!
[Corey] Eviscerating knee.
[Kevin] That's gotta do it.
-One, two… -Shinsuke Nakamura now to put Ciampa away!
He kicks out again.
[Corey] We know both of these superstars will take part this Saturday
in the SummerSlam Battle Royal at Ford Field,
8:00 p.m. Eastern start time, streaming live WWE on Peacock.
Which of these two will march in with the added confidence and momentum?
[Kevin] Ooh! Another big knee rocking Shinsuke.
[Corey] Ciampa could be thinking about ending it all here.
[Kevin] Big right.
Will he go back for the Fairytale Ending?
Kick to the midsection.
Shoulders are down now. Shinsuke.
-One, two, three. -Can he get the victory here?
-He's got him. -[bell dinging]
[Samantha] Here is your winner, Shinsuke Nakamura!
[Corey] I'm not entirely certain,
and I don't want the official to hear me if I say it too loud,
but I think Nakamura may have had a little assist from Ciampa's trunks.
-Let's take a closer look here. Yeah! -Oh, a good spot.
[Corey] Hey, listen,
The King of Strong Style didn't earn that name the easy way.
He's as smart as the day is long and realized that momentum was at stake.
And now of the two,
Shinsuke Nakamura is going to march into Ford Field
in the SummerSlam Battle Royal with added confidence and head held high.
The biggest party of the summer is this Saturday.
-I can't believe it's already here. -It certainly is.
And one of the main events at SummerSlam
is, of course, The Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns,
and his cousin, the unhinged Jey Uso.
And Jey Uso stood face to face with Roman on Friday Night SmackDown.
And the fact that you still stand here
and you wanna still do this just blows my mind.
I don't get it.
You can't beat me, Jey.
No, Jey, you can't beat me.
I wanna know what's going through your mind right now
'cause I don't understand the fact that you actually think
that you can beat me!
It's because I already beat you.
[mixed cheers and boos]
[Kevin] A reminder to Roman Reigns.
Jey Uso. Look at this. Spear to Reigns.
[Corey] Jey Uso referencing what went down at the Money in the Bank event
when he pinned Roman Reigns.
But Friday night, a very familiar scene.
Solo, the enforcer of The Bloodline…
-[roars] -…coming to the aid of The Tribal Chief.
-And watch this. -Oh!
A Spear-Spike combo.
[Corey] A statement made by The Head of the Table.
[Kevin] Well, Roman Reigns will not have any champions advantage
when he takes on Jey Uso.
It's Tribal Combat.
Which means there are no disqualifications, no countout.
You pin or submit your opponent
to become the Undisputed Champion and The Tribal Chief.
[Corey] That goes down this coming Saturday.
But we are moments away from this.
The Beast Incarnate, Brock Lesnar,
has made Cody Rhodes life hell for the past several months
and even humiliated Cody in front of his own family.
Well, both of these superstars are here in Texas, in Houston,
and they are live next.
[Kevin] Earlier tonight here on Monday Night Raw,
Raquel Rodriguez in her home state of Texas
wasn't gonna let Rhea Ripley trash talk her.
Injured and all, Raquel appeared going blow for blow at Ripley.
[Corey] Raquel still blames Rhea Ripley for Raquel and Liv Morgan
losing their Women's Tag Team Titles several weeks back
after an attack by Rhea Ripley of The Judgment Day.
Well, tonight, Rhea looked to finish what she started a few weeks ago.
[groans] Wait. Don't…
-Calm down. -How's she doing, Doc?
-She's hurt. -Yeah, I can see that.
Listen, I know you want a match with Rhea, okay?
But you're not clear.
I also can tell how personal it is for you.
So I want you to listen to me. I'm gonna give you my word,
just as soon as you are cleared to get back in that ring,
I will give you your match.
When you're clear.
-You have my word. -[breathing heavily]
[groans]
-Do you feel better now? -No.
["Next Big Thing" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Kevin] The Beast has arrived in Houston.
[Corey] Brock Lesnar with an extremely intense look in his eyes tonight.
It varies greatly from the smiling beast we've seen
over the past few weeks and months.
Lesnar seem to derive great pleasure from making Cody Rhodes life hell.
But a very different demeanor from Lesnar tonight.
[Kevin] Devoured in front of his own mother watching on.
Cody Rhodes will hope to finally slay The Beast, Brock Lesnar,
in one of the main events of SummerSlam this Saturday.
[Corey] The series is tied at one fall apiece.
One for Rhodes, one for Lesnar.
The rubber match goes down Ford Field this Saturday.
We're gonna have a fight on our hands.
Well, The Beast Incarnate is here.
We know Rhodes is in the building.
[mixed cheers and boos]
[crowd chanting] Cody! Cody! Cody!
Ladies and gentlemen…
my name is Brock Lesnar.
[mixed cheers and boos]
I am an NCAA Heavyweight Wrestling Champion.
[mixed cheers and boos]
I am a UFC Heavyweight Champion.
[mixed cheers and boos]
I am the WWE Heavyweight Champion of the World.
[mixed cheers and boos]
And if there's one thing I know about championships…
is that this is fight week.
[crowd] What?
The hype is over.
What?
This Saturday…
What?
…at SummerSlam…
What?
…in Detroit…
What?
[crowd cheering]
…I get paid…
What?
…to fight…
What?
…to kick ass…
What?
…against Cody Rhodes.
What?
This Saturday at SummerSlam…
What?
…Cody Rhodes…
What?
…gets paid…
What?
…to get his ass kicked…
What?
…by Brock Lesnar.
[crowd booing]
So let's cut the crap.
I've already been here way too long tonight.
Cody, if you wanna come out here and tell me otherwise…
be my guest.
I'll respect that.
Come out here.
Look me dead in the eyes.
Shake my hand and I'll see you Saturday.
But if you don't come out here and shake my hand,
I'll see you Saturday.
So you got about five seconds before I leave this town.
Five, four, three…
-["Kingdom" playing] -[crowd cheering]
Wrestling has more than one royal family.
♪ Adrenaline in my soul ♪
♪ Every fight 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 ♪
♪ Whoa… ♪
[Corey] Cody Rhodes is here.
And The American Nightmare is dressed to fight!
Lesnar, smiling like a butcher's dog.
Grinning from ear to ear knowing that this Saturday
he'll have a chance to feast on the remains of The American Nightmare.
Cody almost cautiously circling the ring.
You don't have to do this, Cody.
That is the most decorated athlete in combat sports history
who just called you out.
[Kevin] Cody's circling the ring
in a manner that we're used to seeing from Brock Lesnar.
♪ Out the curtain, lights go up I'm home ♪
♪ Whoa ♪
♪ And my father said, when I was younger ♪
♪ Hard times breed better men ♪
[crowd cheering]
[indistinct conversations]
[crowd chanting] Cody! Cody! Cody!
[mixed cheers and boos]
[crowd cheering]
[indistinct conversations]
[crowd booing]
[Corey] Oh, wait a minute. Wait a minute.
-Cody! -[Corey] Taking the fight to Lesnar!
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] Cody understands the assignment,
what he is facing Saturday at SummerSlam.
Rhodes trying to gain any semblance of an advantage before we get to Detroit.
And it may have backfired spectacularly.
-[groans] -[crowd exclaiming]
Steel ring stares directly to the face of The American Nightmare.
[Kevin] No playing when The Beast turns.
Rhodes hobbling away as the savage predator goes back for more!
["Next Big Thing" playing]
[Corey] Again tonight in Houston,
The Beast Incarnate with the last laugh.
Oh, no. Brock's not done yet.
Lesnar may not want Rhodes to make it to Detroit.
Brock said if Cody came out and shook his hand,
Lesnar would respect Cody.
["Next Big Thing" playing]
[Kevin] He can't help himself.
-[Corey] Cody, just stay down. -Ooh!
[mixed cheers and boos]
Oh! F5.
[Corey] F5 from The Beast.
["Next Big Thing" playing]
Lesnar almost begrudgingly
beating down his opponent for SummerSlam tonight.
Cody's only got himself to blame.
[Kevin] Lesnar lives to hunt.
[Corey] But Cody Rhodes only knows one way.
Cody knows how to stand his ground.
Tonight, The Beast may be standing tall,
but it may be a very different chapter of the story
this Saturday at SummerSlam In one of the main events.
Lesnar, Rhodes 3.
[Kevin] We witnessed stunning events moments ago.
Cody Rhodes here taking the fight to The Beast, Brock Lesnar.
A decision that Cody may regret.
[Corey] Moments after shaking hands with Brock Lesnar.
Rhodes trying to gain the upper hand prior to their showdown at SummerSlam,
but Lesnar… just insisted on dominating yet again.
An F5 for Rhodes.
And finally a… bright smile from The Beast Incarnate.
["Symphony No. 9 In E Minor" playing]
[Samantha] And his opponent, representing Imperium,
he is the Intercontinental Champion,
The Ring General, Gunther!
[Kevin] You're not salivating at the thought of Gunther
and Drew McIntyre, The Scottish Warrior,
for the Intercontinental Championship this Saturday at SummerSlam?
-Something wrong with you. -[bell dinging]
[Corey] We know how excited Gunther is,
and you can see the clock in the bottom of your screen.
Gunther boldly declared he would need less than five minutes
to defeat the Master of Alpha Academy, Chad Gable,
a United States Olympian.
But let's be perfectly honest.
The Intercontinental Champion, The Ring General,
has been the personification of dominance recently on Monday Night Raw.
[Kevin] Yeah, but Chad Gable is the personification of consistency
each and every week on Monday Night Raw. We know what Chad Gable can do.
He referenced the fact that he's an Olympian.
You don't think he can go five minutes with Gunther?
[Corey] I didn't challenge Chad Gable for five minutes. Gunther did.
You don't have to explain Gable to me. I'm a big fan of Chad Gable.
[Kevin] There's an argument to be made
that if anyone can go five minutes with Gunther,
or any superstar for that matter, it's Chad Gable.
The Master in The Alpha Academy.
Remember, no Otis, Maxxine, or Imperium's Kaiser and Vinci ringside.
A stipulation made by Gable.
[Corey] Gunther smoothly transitioning into that half crab,
and almost mocking Gable.
I don't imagine Gable will take too well to being mocked.
Gunther supremely confident and with good reason.
We've barely seen Gunther in jeopardy
during his reign as Intercontinental Champion.
Yes, he's had some incredible, memorable match-ups,
but have you ever really doubted as to whether or not
The Ring General was going to emerge victorious?
-I haven't. -Only in the last few weeks
we've seen the trepidation and nerves in the face of Gunther
with what Drew McIntyre is capable of, especially after last--
[Corey] Shoulders down.
-One, two… -[Kevin] Gunther toying with Chad Gable.
[Corey] And I will give the devil his due as… as you just mentioned
as you referenced Drew McIntyre, The Scottish Warrior.
-One, two… -Shoulders down again.
A fantastic bridge by Gable.
-[Kevin laughs] -[grunts]
-[Kevin] Ooh! -And a stomp from The Ring General.
Ha!
Listen, Drew McIntyre has encountered Gunther before in the past.
Think back to WrestleMania.
But we've seen how fired up and motivated McIntyre has been
since returning to Monday Night Raw.
He's certainly gonna pose a massive threat to Gunther's reign,
but if this is any indication of what Saturday is gonna look like,
it's gonna be another painful night for The Ring General's opponent.
[Kevin] You mentioned the match at WrestleMania.
-One… -Hang on. Cover here.
Kick-out early by Gable.
Gunther wasting no time.
That match an instant classic.
That match-up was a triple threat at the time.
Drew McIntyre said he was distracted with his old pal Sheamus in the ring.
This time, he gets his chance, one V one with Gunther.
[Corey] And right now,
I'm sure Gunther keeps glancing towards the TitanTron.
We are nearing the two-minute mark.
It's taken almost three minutes to get to this point.
And Gunther has yet to really come close to knocking off Chad Gable.
[Kevin] What happens to the mindset of Gunther
if he doesn't get this done in the next two minutes?
[Corey] I can't imagine it would be good for the mentality of the champion
realizing that he's got one of the biggest challenges of his career
coming in just a few days in Detroit.
And, you know, if you're Chad Gable,
maybe if you outlast the five minutes, as unlikely as it may be,
you'll earn yourself a title opportunity at Gunther's gold.
[Kevin] Absolutely. Well said.
And Chad Gable, of course, said earlier he wants to be part
of the SummerSlam Battle Royal.
-[Corey] Gable now bringing the fight. -Oh!
-[Corey] Gable able to avoid the chop! -Wow!
-Oh, my! -Not so lucky that time.
We are less than 90 seconds away from the expiration of this challenge.
[Kevin] Gunther…
just stalking Chad Gable now.
He's gonna have to pick up the pace a little bit.
[Corey] This will do it if Gunther lands this powerbomb.
Gabe will meet the same fate as so many before him.
All right, great escape.
Picks the leg.
-Gable's got the ankle lock! -[crowd cheering]
There's a minute left. There's only a minute left.
Gunther would be humiliated.
[Kevin] A big kick.
A little bit of separation, but we're down to 50 seconds.
And it's Chad Gable now raining down blows on Gunther.
[Corey] There it is. Sleeper hold applied.
I don't care how tough you are.
no mortal man can hold his breath for 40 seconds.
Gable's going down.
-[Kevin] With nowhere to go. -Oh.
Questionable tactic by Gunther.
Looking to soften up Gable a little more,
but cinches in the sleeper again and Gable beginning to fade.
[Kevin] Twenty three seconds.
Gunter's gotta finish off Chad Gable and quickly.
Keeps looking at the clock.
What a chance Chad Gable has here.
[Corey] Gunther might be feeling a little panic here.
We're less than ten seconds away.
Gable gonna do it.
Gable's gonna do it.
[crowd] …three, two, one.
[Kevin] Gable did it!
-[buzzer sounds] -[Corey] Oh, no.
-Thank you! -[crowd] Thank you!
[Kevin] Does that mean Gunther has finally been handed a loss?
[Samantha] Ladies and gentlemen, the time limit on the clock has expired.
Therefore, your winner is Chad Gable!
[Corey] It's a technicality. It's just a technicality.
This match is not over.
Add more time to the clock.
It's not over.
[indistinct conversations]
-[Corey] Well… It app-- -[Samantha] Ladies and gentlemen,
I have just been informed that this match will continue right now.
[Corey] The match is gonna continue. But Gable still has the upper hand.
We are on the verge of a major, major upset.
[Kevin] Gunther battering Gable during the commercial break.
But all of a sudden,
Gable fighting back now with everything he's got.
[Corey] Chad Gable humiliated the Intercontinental Champion
by lasting over five minutes with Gunther.
[Kevin] Look at this during the commercial break.
Moonsault here.
-Picture perfect for Chad Gable! -[crowd exclaiming]
-[grunts] -Ooh!
[crowd] Woooo!
[Corey] Gunther demanded that the official put more time on the clock.
Thus Gunther will not be discredited with a defeat here on Monday Night Raw.
The match is just being continued
because he issued the challenge to begin with.
However, you gotta imagine Gunther is in extremely bad mood,
and Gable is looking to capitalize.
Armbar applied.
[Kevin] Incredible strength and agility from Chad Gable now.
Has ideas from the top rope.
-[Corey] Gable! -Oh!
Gable, unbelievable showing so far as Gunther continues to be frustrated.
There's just five days
before Gunther puts his championship on the line at SummerSlam.
[Corey] Gable wants the Fujiwara Armbar.
His hips are off the mat.
This is an agonizing position for Gunther to be caught in!
Gunther needs to find a way out,
lest he suffers some sort of long term damage prior to SummerSlam.
[Kevin] Oh!
-[Corey] Big German suplex! -That may do it.
-One, two… -The Intercontinental Champion--
Oh, no! Chad Gable!
Gable is still alive.
Look at this again.
The power thunderous… as Gable collides.
With the comments, and now The Ring General…
Gable quickly back up on his feet.
-Superplex! -[crowd exclaiming]
[Corey] Gunther may regret challenging Gable altogether tonight
because Chad Gable of the Alpha Academy
is taking the Intercontinental Champion to his limits and beyond.
Drew McIntyre hopes to follow suit this Saturday at SummerSlam.
This cannot be good for the champion's confidence.
[Kevin] Raw number one trend across the United States here.
-[Corey] How could it not be? -Exactly!
Look at that. Hellacious right from--
-Oh! -[crowd exclaiming]
[Corey] Caught!
[Kevin] Gable was caught.
[Corey] Gunther swings his chops like battle-axes
as Gable just experienced firsthand.
-But Chad able to kick Gunther off again. -[Chad grunts]
-[Kevin] Oh, my God! -Deadlift German!
-Shoulders down. -[crowd] One, two…
[Kevin] To win it! Oh!
Gunther somehow out at two.
Deadlift German to the Austrian.
Outrageous feat of strength from Chad Gable.
[Corey] He got a big boot for his trouble.
And a lariat by Gunther. That may do it.
-[crowd] One, two… -[Kevin] Oh, Chad Gable!
-[crowd cheering] -How?
How is he still alive in this match?
[Corey] Gunther muscling up Gable, who escapes out the backside yet again.
Looking for the Chaos Theory suplex.
-Oh, my God, he's gonna do it again. -[crowd cheering]
Gunther able to counter almost miraculously.
[Kevin] Turning Gable inside out.
-And again. -Oh, my God.
These chops almost look like they're at Gable's throat.
[grunts]
Gunther is furious.
[Kevin] These the consequences. Turning to Gable now.
Oh!
[crowd] One, two, three.
-Gunther finally finishes off Gable. -[bell dinging]
["Symphony No. 9 In E Minor" playing]
[Samantha] Here is your winner, the Intercontinental Champion,
The Ring General, Gunther!
[Corey] It was not easy.
It required the Intercontinental Champion to find that next level, that extra gear.
Chad Gable took Gunther to the limit.
Look at this outrageous display of power from the Master of Alpha Academy.
Gunther finally had enough.
The brutality was next level.
The powerbomb was epic.
And the Intercontinental Champion reminding Drew McIntyre
that he is ready for war this Saturday.
[crowd booing]
Yeah!
Get used to it!
Get used to seeing me standing up here and celebrating my success.
Because for sure,
on Saturday, I will not lose the Intercontinental Championship.
Drew McIntyre, wherever you are, have a close look.
What I did to that man is the fate that awaits you as well.
Because come Saturday,
I'm gonna end Drew McIntyre once and for all at SummerSlam.
[crowd booing]
["Symphony No. 9 In E Minor" playing]
A bold declaration from The Ring General, Gunther,
as he prepares to defend his Intercontinental Title
against The Scottish Warrior, Drew McIntyre…
at SummerSlam.
[speaking German]
They're gonna pay all of them.
Dom, Rhea, Finn, Priest. All of them! They're gonna pay.
I'm not gonna stand for it anymore. I'm not gonna stand for it.
-We own them. -We are more than one!
[Kevin] Fired up Seth "Freakin" Rollins, Sami Zayn, gearing up for the main event,
-taking on The Judgment Day. -They're gonna pay.
I'm telling you. I'm telling you. No, no, no. There's no calming down.
-["Celtic Invasion" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Kevin] But for now, The Man of the people has arrived in Houston, Texas.
[bell dinging]
[Samantha] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first from Dublin, Ireland,
The Man, Becky Lynch!
[Corey] Do you want me to get you a bucket
so you can drool for the next 90 seconds or so?
Go ahead, KP.
[Kevin] Will you stop and live with yourself?
What a win it was for Becky Lynch, The Man, last week on Raw.
Securing a rematch with the vain, WWE Hall of Famer, Trish Stratus.
Becky joins us next right here on Raw.
And I'm happy about it.
[crowd cheering]
[Kevin] And just four days
before Roman Reigns puts his Undisputed Championship
and Tribal Chiefdom on the line,
he's gonna be appearing on First Take on ESPN tomorrow, 11:15 a.m. Eastern,
with Stephen A. Smith.
Folks, got to take you back to earlier tonight
here on Monday Night Raw.
A meeting between Cody Rhodes and Lesnar.
Rhodes decided to take the fight to The Beast, Brock Lesnar.
[Corey] Cody was able to maintain the upper hand momentarily,
but The Beast Incarnate would turn the tides in painful fashion,
capping off his attack with an F5 to The American Nightmare.
These two will collide this Saturday in one of the main events of SummerSlam.
Rhodes Lesnar 3.
Please welcome The American Nightmare, Cody Rhodes.
[crowd cheering]
Cody, we saw what happened earlier.
I have to ask, will you be able to compete this Saturday at SummerSlam?
Byron, Brock Lesnar could break my arm again!
He could break my ribs. He could break my jaw.
The brutality that Brock Lesnar has brought to me at SummerSlam,
I bring to him.
At SummerSlam, the aura of Brock Lesnar, of The Beast, gets shattered.
["Celtic Invasion" playing]
[Corey] The American Nightmare fired up.
[Kevin] Becky Lynch was certainly fired up last week.
A must-win match against the pugnacious, Zoey Stark,
to ensure a rematch against the Hall of Famer, Trish Stratus.
Man-handle Slam.
Becky would get the W for that rematch against the egotistical, Trish Stratus.
[Corey] How dare you speak ill of a Hall of Famer like Trish?
Absolute disrespect.
[speaks indistinctly]
-[Kevin] Bring on the rematch. -Get her, Becky!
["Celtic Invasion" playing]
[crowd chanting] Becky! Becky! Becky!
The Man has come around to Houston, Texas!
[crowd cheering]
And, well, Houston, I've said everything I needed to say,
and I have done everything I needed to do to get my rematch with Trish Stratus.
[crowd cheering]
And now, well, there ain't nothing left to do but do it.
And I can't think of a better place than here.
And I can't think of a better time than now!
[crowd cheering]
So come on out here, Patricia, and let's throw down in Houston, Texas!
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] Lynch wants a fight, and she wants it now.
["Time To Rock & Roll" playing]
[Kevin laughs] Yes.
♪ Whoa, it's time to rock and roll ♪
♪ Whoa, this time I'm in control ♪
♪ Whoa, right now I own the streets ♪
♪ I got the keys to the city ♪
♪ That's 'cause I get down ♪
You know, I thought I'm gonna do this match right here, right now.
Sounds good.
But then I thought,
you don't get to tell me when I have this match.
Nobody tells me when to fight.
Yes, by some fluke, you beat Zoey Stark.
Yes, you'll get your rematch, but I will tell you when.
Look, look, I'm not gonna cheat you out of your rematch, okay?
The one thing I'm not is a cheater, unlike the Astros.
[crowd booing]
It's true, though. You guys know it.
You guys, it's just facts. Spittin' facts.
[laughs]
Oh, you didn't like that. I'm so sorry.
-[Corey] Pretty timely reference. -I can't hear you.
Are they saying, "Thank you, Trish"?
Oh, you're welcome, you guys.
So, Becky, I'm dealing with a little situation here.
-So this rematch will actually-- -[Adam] Actually, Trish…
you know, funny thing, Becky did beat her last week.
I know you said that, and it happened.
So per the agreement, this match is going to happen.
[crowd cheering]
Oh, yes, it is.
This match is gonna happen tonight.
Matter of fact, get me a referee out here
because it will be Trish Stratus, and it will be Becky Lynch,
and it will be right now.
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] This isn't fair. Adam Pearce, you stooge.
[Kevin] Adam Pearce with the clutch play of the night.
I'm gonna break my nose again.
[Corey] I'm not entirely sure Trish's nose is even fully healed.
She's still required to wear that medical apparatus on her face.
You can hear her voice is nasally.
Maybe she's having trouble breathing through it.
[Kevin] Trish had that 10:00 p.m. doctor's appointment few weeks ago.
Everything was sorted out.
[Corey] You think this is real funny, don't you, KP?
[Kevin] Adam Pearce, what a man.
-Here we go. -[bell dinging]
The rematch that Becky Lynch won and deserved.
-But look at Zoey Stark! -[bell dinging]
Out of nowhere.
[Corey] Great wherewithal by Stark.
-Coming to the aid of her mentor. -What is this?
[Corey] Trish is not 100%. I'm not entirely sure--
[Kevin] Zoey Stark's not supposed to be in the match. Quite simple.
[Corey] She's not in the match. She's just beating up Becky Lynch.
-[Kevin] Not right now, she ain't. -[crowd cheering]
-Becky Lynch responded emphatically. -It doesn't matter. The match is over.
Oh, my God. Gnarly landing by both women.
[Kevin] Taking this to the outside, and Becky against the…
[Corey] Not in the face.
[Kevin] The numbers game playing a part here!
But Becky means business tonight.
Ooh!
Trish, turned it-- Oh, look at Becky Lynch go.
[Corey] Trish took the brunt of the impact with her face.
Lynch is just teeing off.
Get up!
Somebody get Trish's face protector back on.
Wait a second time out, Becky.
[Kevin] Oh, no. Zoey has Becky by the hair.
-Ooh! -What a display of bravery by Zoey Stark.
[Kevin] Yeah, real brave, yes.
Two-on-one.
Real brave.
Becky doing her utmost to fight.
Zoey…
And here comes Trish Stratus again!
[Corey] With the equalizer.
Get out of here. It's over. Come on.
Both of you, get out of here.
I hope Trish's nose isn't rebroken.
It's already starting to bruise.
Oh, my God.
She's looking like Rudolph right now.
["Time To Rock & Roll" playing]
It's a tragedy.
Someone get medical out here.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God, I think… I think Lynch might have a lawsuit on her hands.
[Kevin] It may not be another magazine cover for Trish Stratus.
-Awesome rematch. -[Corey] It looks like a Picasso.
[Kevin] There's a fire burning deep within Becky Lynch.
["Kingdom" playing]
[Kevin] I'm sure Cody Rhodes will be speaking
about Becoming Cody Rhodes, it's now on Peacock,
when he appears on The Today Show this Thursday,
9:00 a.m. Eastern time.
Do not miss it.
[Corey] I certainly hope that Cody speaks about
the injustice that we just witnessed.
'Cause Adam Pearce forced an impromptu match
between The Man, Becky Lynch, and Hall of Famer, Trish Stratus.
Thankfully, Trish's charge, her protege, Zoey Stark,
would stop the match basically before it had a chance to get underway
and bring the fight to The Irish Lass Kicker.
[Kevin] Becky responding, though.
Becky didn't fall away and shy away from the challenge,
instead taking the fight to Trish Stratus and Zoey Stark.
[Corey] And injured Trish Stratus, might I add.
And as Lynch attempted to do even more damage
to Trish's Hall of Fame face,
Trish stood her ground and laid out The Man with a chair.
[indistinct conversations]
So that was totally unacceptable.
-How is that unstable? -What do you mean, how?
-Rematch, we delivered. -You delivered?
-Yes. Sure did. -There was the bell and a ref.
And it finished. Ding, ding, ding.
-Really? -Yeah, yeah.
You didn't give me time to prepare. You go out there right there--
-Time to prepare? -Yeah. It's a match, Adam.
So let me give you plenty of time to prepare.
Let me give you the home field advantage 'cause I'm feeling generous.
Because in two weeks' time, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada,
you're gonna face Becky Lynch again.
Yes, you are. And this time, you're barred from ringside.
-Wait, what? -What?
-No, no, no. -Two weeks!
-We need to talk about this. -Hey! That is not fair.
And I'm from Toronto, anyway.
[Corey] Still don't love it, but she's got two weeks.
[Kevin] Gear up for the biggest event of the summer
at the official SummerSlam superstore coming to Downtown Detroit.
From this Thursday through Sunday,
shop the largest collection of SummerSlam merchandise
and get your hands on exclusive WWE gear you simply can't get anywhere else.
Go to WWE.com for more.
It is gonna be one fight when Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus
get their hands on each other in a couple of weeks' time.
But we don't have to wait for a fight for too much longer.
SummerSlam this Saturday,
where we will have Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler do battle.
[Cole] Wait a minute! What the hell?
Shayna Baszler just assaulted her best friend, Ronda Rousey.
[Ronda] Honestly, I can't.
I thought I knew how Shayna thought and what her motivations were,
so I can't.
Honestly, I don't know a damn thing. I can't tell you why she jumped me.
[Shayna] Being best friends with Ronda Rousey
is accepting being in a toxic relationship.
It's, "Live in my house for free. You won't have to work.
All you'll have to do is be a sparring partner for me."
Every day, get beat up and have no money,
so it was the only option I had.
It's, "Shayna, we're both in WWE. Let's team up.
Let's go. The Tag Title."
Like… like, she's stringing me along, doing me a favor,
when in reality,
she had the biggest target on her back, and she pissed off everyone.
[crowd booing]
And she needed me because everyone was ready to step to her…
and no one was gonna step to me.
She needed me to stand in front of her so that she could stand above me.
[Ronda] When everybody was jumping on the [bleep] mini bandwagon,
she, uh, never jumped on, you know, she was…
[sniffles]
They're for me and my in my…
my absolute roughest times.
Something I was reading.
They were talking about some king or emperor
that was saved by, like, a stable boy when he was younger.
And in his gratitude, he gave him everything.
He promoted him to be his general.
He gave him the best accommodations, did everything he possibly could for him
because he had someone that was completely loyal to him.
Eventually, the stable boy started feeling entitled
to all of those gifts.
He turned on him and killed the king and took everything.
I wanted Shayna to be my friend so badly
that I gave her everything to the point that she hated me for it.
The thing is, I've given Ronda everything a friend should give.
And she's never given it back.
And I'm… I'm…
I'm done riding in the backseat…
for Ronda Rousey.
This isn't gonna be a match.
This is gonna be a fight.
I am going to take the thing that means the most to Ronda Rousey.
I am going to take her reputation.
She has never been the baddest.
It has always been me.
I don't fight like anybody else because I'm not in a competition.
I'm not trying to win around.
If someone gets the best of you for even one sec,
it needs to drive you insane.
It means to hurt you inside.
That's the difference between me and Shayna.
Just like MMA, it took me a fraction of the time you invested
before I eclipsed you yet again.
I am the greatest combat sport athlete of all time,
and you are just a knockoff version of me.
God.
You wanna know the worst part about this whole thing is?
Outside of her husband and her mother…
I was the first one to hold her baby.
I love that kid.
She's my goddaughter.
She's gonna grow up…
and she's going to never forgive me
for what I'm going to do to her mother, Ronda Rousey.
[Corey] This Saturday, Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan,
this deeply personal score will be settled under mixed martial arts rules.
The Baddest Woman on the Planet, Ronda Rousey,
one-on-one with The Submission Magician, Shayna Baszler.
-["World's Apart" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Kevin] Who's ready for the main event of Monday Night Raw?
[crowd] Let's go!
[bell dinging]
[Samantha] The following is a tag team match
scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first,
he is one half of the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champion,
Sami Zayn!
[Kevin] There's gotta be a fire burning deep within Sami Zayn,
who looks to avenge the injury suffered by Kevin Owens last week.
Sami's teaming up with Seth "Freakin" Rollins,
taking on The Judgment Day's Priest and Dominik Mysterio.
And it's next.
[crowd cheering]
[Kevin] Join WWE Superstars, including Cody Rhodes and Liv Morgan,
this Friday at Ford Field
for a special volunteer experience to support the Detroit community
and fundraise for Connor's Cure.
One hundred percent of ticket sales
will be donated to Connor's cure in support of the V Foundation.
Scan the QR code on screen now
or visit v.org/summerslamservice for more information.
We are speeding toward Motor City and SummerSlam this Saturday.
[Corey] Streaming live. WWE on Peacock, 8:00 p.m. Eastern start time.
And in one of the main events of SummerSlam, it's the rubber match.
The Beast Incarnate, Brock Lesnar, The American Nightmare, Cody Rhodes.
Who will win the decisive third match?
[Kevin] Also one of the main events of SummerSlam,
the WWE Women's Championship is on the line in a Triple Threat Match.
Bianca Belair, Charlotte Flair, and the champ, Asuka.
[Corey] Social media is already ablaze and ready for this one
as the social media megastar, The Maverick, Logan Paul,
goes one-on-one
with the highlight of every night, Ricochet.
[Kevin] We've already heard
from deeply emotional Shayna Baszler and Ronda Rousey
will come Saturday at SummerSlam.
They'll be prepared to tear the heads off each other.
[Corey] And The Ring General is ready for battle
as he defends his coveted Intercontinental Championship
against The Scottish Warrior, Drew McIntyre.
[Kevin] What about the SummerSlam Battle Royal
presented by Slim Jim?
What an opportunity
for the likes of LA Knight and Sheamus to be victorious at SummerSlam.
[Corey] And you want another main event? I do!
Another one of the main events of SummerSlam,
Seth "Freakin" Rollins defends his World Heavyweight Championship
against Finn Bálor of The Judgment Day.
[Kevin] All that,
plus another one of the main events at SummerSlam in Detroit, Michigan,
Roman Reigns puts his Undisputed Championship
and his Tribal Chiefdom on the line against his cousin Jey Uso
in a match where anything goes, it's Tribal Combat.
[Corey] Here's a man who knows a thing or two about The Tribal Chief
and how dominant Roman Reigns truly can be.
One half of the Undisputed Tag Team Champion,
Sami Zayn.
["Visionary" playing]
[Samantha] And his tag team partner, he is the World Heavyweight Champion,
Seth "Freakin" Rollins!
[crowd] ♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪
[Kevin] Just five days away from a title defense.
Seth "Freakin" Rollins looks to survive this final challenge
before that World Heavyweight Championship match
Saturday at SummerSlam against the devious Finn Bálor.
[Corey] I cannot wait to hear Ford Field rocking
as they serenade the champ.
It's gonna sound like a Bob Seger meets Eminem show in Detroit.
It's gonna be unbelievable.
[Kevin] How electric has Houston been tonight.
-[Corey] I haven't been that impressive. -[Kevin chuckles]
[Kevin] Sold out crowd here at Toyota Center.
[Corey] There's a lot of history between Rollins and Zayn.
Both incredibly decorated competitors in their own rights.
[crowd] ♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪
♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪
["The Other Side" playing]
As I began to say, Rollins and Zayn, long history.
As friends, as enemies.
Tonight, they're partners,
but they don't have the full-time tag team chemistry
that we've seen from The Judgment Day recently.
Absolutely dominance from this fearsome force.
[Samantha] And their opponents, accompanied by Finn Bálor,
the Women's World Champion, Rhea Ripley, representing The Judgment Day,
the team of Dominik Mysterio
and Mr. Money in the Bank, Damian Priest!
[Kevin] The villainous quartet of The Judgment Day.
And, Corey, there is a situation--
-Hang on a second! -Oh, wait, wait, wait.
Rollins and Zayn doing the right thing, the smart thing,
bringing the fight to The Judgment Day.
Trying to cancel out the numbers game before it gets played against them.
[Kevin] It could very well be played against them.
Finn Bálor still there and throwing punches.
As is Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
[Corey] I assure you that both Damian Priest and Dominik Mysterio
came out here on a mission tonight
to try to gain the upper hand on Seth Rollins on Finn's behalf
prior to the World Heavyweight Championship match
this Saturday at SummerSlam.
And Senor Money in the Bank, Damian Priest--
-Oh. -Oh! Look at Sami.
Finn Bálor quickly across now.
Seth Rollins taking flight!
Venom between these two ahead of SummerSlam
and that match for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Yeah.
I think it seems rather one sided, to be perfectly honest.
Seth "Freakin" Rollins wants to be a fighting World Heavyweight Champion
the WWE Universe can be proud of.
It's Bálor who's been seething for seven years.
[Kevin] This is a match that's set to start here on Monday Night Raw next.
[crowd cheering]
[bell dinging]
[Kevin] The main event of Monday Night Raw is under way.
Seth "Freakin" Rollins, the World Heavyweight Champion,
teaming up with Sami Zayn tonight
against Dominik Mysterio and Damian Priest.
[Corey] Can I just take a moment to talk about the bravery we're seeing
from Dirty Dominik Mysterio tonight?
Last night, NXT Great American Bash,
Dom had to fend off not just one, but two challengers simultaneously.
It made everyone in Cellblock 6 I'm extremely proud.
[Kevin] Dominik Mysterio, there is an argument to be made
that he's been a fighting champion of late.
-[Corey] I just said it. -I know.
A little bit of help, though, along the way from Mami.
[Corey] And there's a lot of people,
a lot of these mouth breathers blaming or crediting Mami
for Dom's title retention, and that's nonsense.
[Kevin] Is it? Is it really, Corey?
I don't know.
Seth Rollins, you gotta wonder about this decision.
Just five days out
from that World Heavyweight Championship defense against Finn Bálor.
[Corey] I'm telling you now,
if Rhea tries to do what she did to Wes Lee to you,
I'm gonna let it happen. I'm gonna laugh, and I'm gonna dance.
[Kevin] I'm not surprised to hear that.
[Corey] Tag is made.
Here comes the sinister Senor Money in the Bank, Damian Priest.
[Kevin] Are you buying this,
that Damian Priest wouldn't actually cash in on Finn Bálor
if Finn is successful at SummerSlam?
[Corey] Why are we talking about these hypotheticals?
Right now, Seth "Freakin" Rollins is the World Heavyweight Champion
and Senor Money in the Bank does have a contract.
Damian Priest should be focused on Seth Rollins…
-Oh! -…not Finn Bálor right now.
If Finn wins…
Listen, why should I doubt Damian Priest?
It's journalists like yourself
trying to sow dissension in The Judgment Day,
while all they're doing is dominating.
[Kevin] A lot of people are questioning the unity within The Judgment Day.
-[Corey] Who are these people? -A lot of people out there.
A lot of people backstage as well.
Look at Rollins!
There is a scenario with The Judgment Day.
All four of them are champions leaving SummerSlam.
A frightening thought for everybody around Monday Night Raw.
[Corey] Why? It sounds kind of awesome to me.
[Kevin] Again, that doesn't surprise me.
[Corey] I'm a big fan of Seth "Freakin" Rollins,
but I think Finn Bálor would do a lovely job
as World Heavyweight Champion.
He's one of the best on the planet.
He's been waiting for this opportunity for seven years.
For seven years it has eaten Finn Bálor alive
from when the very first Universal Champion was decided.
Guess what? At SummerSlam, guess who was involved?
Seth Rollins, Finn Bálor.
Bálor has been obsessing about the results that night.
While Finn Bálor emerged victorious, Bálor did defeat Rollins.
But Finn suffered an injury and was forced to relinquish.
And Rollins laughed.
[Kevin] So you think Rollins might be making a mistake,
letting the door stay open for Finn Bálor here at SummerSlam?
[Corey] Listen, Seth Rollins does what Seth Rollins wants to do.
And if Rollins feels that he can be a fighting World Heavyweight Champion
and represent his title,
far be it from me to question the Visionary.
Tag is made.
Here comes Priest.
-[Kevin] Oh! -There goes Rollins.
The punishment within The Judgment Day,
the most powerful man arguably in WWE, Senor Money in the Bank.
[Corey] Not physically powerful. We're not talking about that.
We're talking about danger.
Just the constant threat presented by anyone
who holds the Money in the Bank contract.
That doesn't exclude IYO SKY,
who holds the Women's Money in the Bank contract on SmackDown!
Incredibly dangerous position of power.
[Kevin] Scrap here now. A tag made.
[Corey] Look how well The Judgment Day are working together as a cohesive unit.
They've cut the ring in half.
They've neutralized Sami Zayn for the time being.
It's essentially two-on-one.
Priest and Dom against Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
[Kevin] It was The Judgment Day that laid waste
to Sami Zayn and Seth Rollins to end Monday Night Raw last week.
Oh, look at this. Look who it is? Finn Bálor out of nowhere.
[Corey] Bálor making his presence known, taking down the champ.
Can Rollins get back into this?
[Kevin] What a match we're witnessing in the main event of Monday Night Raw.
Packed house here in Houston.
Seth "Freakin" Rollins teaming up with Sami Zayn
against Dirty Dominik Mysterio
and Senor Money in the Bank of The Judgment Day, Damian Priest.
[Corey] Rolling elbow rocks Dirty Dom, who instinctively makes the tag to Priest.
Rollins has been unable to make Zayn legal for the past several minutes.
Rollins has taken a lot of abuse.
-[crowd cheering] -[Kevin] Tag made.
Here comes Sami Zayn.
Remember, Kevin Owen's taken out by The Judgment Day last week.
Sami Zayn out for a bit of revenge here tonight.
[Corey] Oh!
Zayn exploding with a clothesline.
Drops Senor Money in the Bank.
A big boot to Dirty Dom.
[Kevin] Priest so brutal.
So powerful.
But Sami Zayn sending Priest to the outside.
[crowd cheering]
Sami's feeling it.
Taking flight now!
-[crowd exclaiming] -Sami wiping out Damian Priest.
Senor Money in the Bank dragged back to his feet.
[crowd chanting] Sami! Sami! Sami! Sami!
[Corey] This surge from Zayn has ignited the WWE Universe
here in Houston.
-[Kevin] Oh! -Tornado DDT.
Cover!
-[crowd] One, two… -[Kevin] Sami for the win!
Dirty Dom in the way.
Stomping all over.
Sami Zayn, look at this again.
[Corey] Sami Zayn taking flight to great effect.
Twice in a row. The Tornado DDT.
And here comes Dirty Dom as the legal man yet again.
[Kevin] You can feel the tension
just five days out from SummerSlam in Detroit.
And Dominik Mysterio…
running for the 619!
Oh! Caught by Sami Zayn!
[crowd cheering]
[Corey] Poor Mami.
[Kevin] The Eradicator stormed on the outside.
The little Latino Heat feeling that.
Can Sami get across for the tag
with the World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins?
Here we go.
[Corey] Priest is legal. Rollins, legal.
Sling Blade by the World Heavyweight Champion.
Here comes Rollins!
[Kevin] Watch out!
[crowd exclaiming]
[Corey] Bouncing off the announce desk and Rollins coming back for more!
[Kevin] The second time!
[Corey] Priest is in jeopardy.
Rollins defending his ring!
The third time!
Launches Priest!
Rollins is rolling!
[crowd cheering]
You can see the intensity in the eyes of Seth "Freakin" Rollins,
who has his sights set on Finn Bálor.
But that's Saturday's business.
Tonight, it's Priest, it's Dom.
[Kevin] It has gotten nasty here
as Rollins now is stalking Damian Priest.
Rollins from a hig-- Oh, he's been caught!
[Corey] Picked out in mid-air.
Priest wanted South of Heaven.
Rollins did his homework.
[Kevin] Superkick.
Senor Money in the Bank is rocked!
[crowd cheering]
And the WWE Universe wanna see Rollins end this,
but Dominik Mysterio in the way.
[Corey] The numbers game of The Judgment Day
playing a factor yet again.
Rhea Ripley on one side, Dirty Dom on the other.
Zayn takes out Dom, and here comes Mami.
-Keep your hands off my Dom. -[referee] Get back right now.
Keep your hands off of him.
-[Corey] Finn Bálor just dropkicked Zayn. -Don't you touch Dominik.
-And the official is tied up with Ripley. -I've got Dom's back.
Watch Rollins on top rope!
Priest from behind!
[Kevin] Oh, no.
Damian Priest.
-[Corey] Razor's Edge! -[crowd exclaiming]
Good night, champ.
Oh, no.
Damian Priest has Seth Rollins dead to rights.
-Priest wants the contract! -Oh, my God.
-[Corey] Priest just told Bálor to… -It's gonna happen.
Give me the briefcase!
Okay, go. Cash it in!
Cash it in!
[Corey] Priest is cashing in!
-[Kevin] Oh! -Oh, no!
[crowd cheering]
[Kevin] Rollins just in time.
[Corey] But the cash-in was never made official!
The briefcase to the face of Dirty Dom!
Bálor picking the eyes!
-[Kevin] Oh! -Helluva Kick!
-[Kevin] Stomp! -[crowd cheering]
-Rollins in for the cover for the victory! -[crowd] One, two, three.
-He's got it! -[bell dinging]
-["Visionary" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Samantha] Here are you winners,
the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champion, Sami Zayn,
and the of the World Heavyweight Champion,
Seth "Freakin" Rollins!
[Corey] Well, the win is gonna go to Rollins and Zayn.
Damian Priest had Seth Rollins dead to rights.
As Priest wanted his contract,
it was Finn Bálor with a momentary hesitation
that may have just cost Priest the gold.
Here, we see it again.
Razor's Edge from Damian Priest.
[Kevin] And this was the moment Priest realizes the situation.
And the hesitation there for all to see.
[Corey] It was only momentary,
but it might have made all the difference in the world.
[Kevin] Oh!
[Corey] Priest eats the briefcase.
Zayn with a Helluva Kick to Bálor.
And Rollins, boom! Exclamation point.
-The Stomp. -[crowd] One, two, three!
-[crowd cheering] -[bell dinging]
But we adjust our sails…
for Detroit, the Motor City.
SummerSlam!
Rollins, Bálor, World Heavyweight Championship.
But what the hell was Senor Money in the Bank thinking?