[intro music playing]
[John Cena] Then.
[Ric 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]
["Kingdom" playing]
[fireworks exploding]
[imperceptible]
-[crowd singing along] -[fireworks exploding]
[announcer] Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome
"The American Nightmare"
Cody Rhodes!
[Cole] Monday Night Raw is live tonight in Salt Lake City, Utah.
We kick things off with Cody Rhodes in action against Dominik Mysterio.
Plus in our main event tonight, Drew McIntyre has many scores to settle
with The Bloodline who he blames for costing him the Undisputed Title.
Even though Jey Uso has left The Bloodline,
he is still in the sights of McIntyre tonight.
["Kingdom" continues]
[crowd cheering]
[crowd singing along]
[fireworks exploding]
[Wade] And the high-flying Ricochet has become a pawn in the rivalry
between World Heavyweight Champ Seth Rollins
and the unpredictable Shinsuke Nakamura.
Tonight, he gets a chance for payback as Ricochet goes one-on-one with Shinsuke.
[Cole] And Becky Lynch is now The Grand Slam Man.
Last week, she won the only title that eluded her,
the NXT Women's World Championship.
Tonight, she's issued an open challenge
to defend the NXT Women's Title live on Monday Night Raw.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting] Cody! Cody! Cody!
So…
Salt Lake City…
What do we want to talk about?
I was interrupted last week,
so I would really like to talk about "Main Event" Jey Uso.
["It Is My Time" playing]
[Cole] Well, not a shock that this punk
would want to steal Cody Rhodes' spotlight.
[Wade] Cool your jets, Cole. Let the guy talk.
[crowd booing]
The only thing that they need to know about Jey Uso…
[crowd booing]
[in Spanish] Shut up!
[in English] Once "Main Event" Jey Uso…
[booing continues]
…joins The Judgment Day…
we will continue to be the most dominant
faction in all of WWE!
[in Spanish] Shut up!
[in English] Speaking of dominating…
Mami isn't here because she was injured last week by Nia Jax.
But she will be back better and soon.
[booing continues]
But tonight, after I beat you, Cody…
[booing intensifies]
…I will be dedicating my victory to Mami.
-Did you guys hear him? -[crowd] No!
All right, let's give it another shot. Tell them… Tell them what you said again.
[crowd booing]
[imperceptible]
Big night for you, huh?
If you didn't catch what he said,
Dom is going to dedicate his victory to Mami.
[crowd booing]
Maybe that will be what does it, what impresses her enough
that she finally defines your relationship, right?
Maybe a little bit before your time,
but I'm getting a real Urkel, Laura Winslow vibe.
It seems like you are far more into her than she is into you.
[crowd cheering]
And all this dedication to Mami…
Well, what's the deal?
Because it also seems that Mami, if you watched the show last week,
has eyes for Jey Uso.
Right?
No, no, no. It's not like that at all.
[crowd booing]
We are all family, and once Jey Uso joins The Judgment Day,
he is going to know what it's like to have a family,
because a family always has each other's backs.
["The Other Side" playing]
[Cole] Well, not a shocker that Dominik would bring out his family,
The Judgment Day, the Tag Team Champions of Damian Priest and Finn Bálor
to be at ringside for his match tonight,
as we kick off Monday Night Raw against "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes.
It's live. It's next, here on USA.
[imperceptible]
[Cole] We're back live on Monday Night Raw.
Cody Rhodes versus Dominik Mysterio, one on one.
Also here tonight in Salt Lake City for Monday Night Raw,
none other than that man,
the mystical, dynamic second-generation lucha star.
Rey Mysterio once called him the future of lucha libre.
Dragon Lee who, next week on Monday Night Raw,
will battle Dominik for the NXT North American Championship.
[Wade] Yeah, Rey did not do much for his son Dominik,
but he did teach him how to walk.
Luchadores Dragon Lee is in big trouble
-next week right here on Raw. -[bell rings]
[Cole] So, Dominik, who got himself into this
by running his mouth to Cody Rhodes last week on Monday Night Raw
faces The American Nightmare one on one,
and Cody goes down low immediately.
And now Cody Rhodes hoisting Dominik Mysterio up,
looking for the vertical suplex.
Look at the power of Rhodes!
Down goes Dominik Mysterio,
and Cody with the Figure-four Leglock, perhaps, on Dominik.
[Dominik screams]
And Mysterio, center of the ring. Nowhere to go.
[Wade] That'll be the shortest match in the history of Raw,
the way this is going.
[Cole] Makes it to the bottom rope, forces the break.
So for Dominik, you have to wonder after this match tonight,
what condition will he be in tomorrow night on NXT
right here on USA when he takes on the NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes?
[Wade] Carmelo Hayes' star becomes bigger by sharing the spotlight of "Dirty" Dom.
[Cole] And then next week on Monday Night Raw,
the battle with Dragon Lee.
And then at No Mercy, if Dominik survives all that,
he's got Mustafa Ali for the NXT North American Championship.
-Oh! -[Wade] Nice!
[Cole] Finn Bálor getting involved.
And now the numbers game turns Cody Rhodes' intentions on its head.
And Dominik now takes control.
[Wade] Dominik Mysterio burning the candle at both ends.
Forget the Grayson Waller rub.
The locker room wants the "Dirty" Dom rub.
He is the workhorse champion.
[Cole] This is how Dominik turned it around, thanks to Finn Bálor.
One half of the Tag Team Champions.
You should join Dominik's PR team.
[Wade] Great. I just tell it like I see it.
You know what? During the interval just then, Dominik--
-[Cole] Wow! -That was nasty.
Dominik Mysterio offered to sign his vest for you, Michael Cole,
and you rejected it. How disrespectful!
[Cole] And look at Cody now, off the second rope…
-Cody Cutter! -[crowd cheering]
Cody is fired up!
I didn't think the vest be worth anything.
And now Rhodes, center of the ring.
Cross Rhodes to Mysterio.
-Cover by Cody… -[crowd] One, two, three!
-Cody with the win. -[bell rings]
["Kingdom" playing]
[announcer] Here is your winner,
"The American Nightmare"
Cody Rhodes!
[Wade] Well, we didn't see the best of Dominik Mysterio tonight,
but we did see the best of Cody Rhodes.
Cody Cutter,
followed by this, Cross Rhodes.
And it's good night.
It's a short night's work for The American Nightmare.
Not how The Judgment Day saw this one going.
[Cole] And it doesn't bode well for Dominik
with the week that he has coming up.
[Cody and crowd singing along]
[Cole] And as Cody Rhodes celebrates,
I think Judgment Day has got something else on their mind.
[Wade] Sometimes when you win, really, you lose.
["Fight" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] And here comes Kevin Owens and Sami.
[imperceptible]
And a standoff with The Judgment Day.
Bálor, Mysterio, and Priest, the ball's in their court.
[Wade] So are the Tag Team Championships.
Don't get your hands dirty, boys.
[crowd booing]
[Cole] And the Tag Team Champions
and also Señor Money in the Bank
going to think twice about it as they look to make their retreat.
[Wade] Champions don't fight for free.
[crowd booing]
We're gonna get those back, don't you sweat it, pal.
[Cole] Cody Rhodes thanking Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
for coming out to even the odds against The Judgment Day
as we're off to a red-hot start here on Monday Night Raw.
Cody with the victory over "Dirty" Dom.
[Wade] Pays to have friends in this industry
when danger lurks around every corner.
["Kingdom" playing]
[Owens] Hey, cut the music. Cut the music.
Cut the music.
Cody, if you don't mind, before you go,
why don't you get back in the ring?
Because I think we have to talk about something.
All right.
What's it about?
[Cole] We're back on Monday Night Raw.
Moments ago, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn helped out Cody Rhodes,
but Kevin Owens said, "Cody, I need to talk to you about something."
All right. Now that we're back on the air and everybody can hear this, Cody…
from what I understand and correct me if I'm wrong,
but I'm pretty sure I'm right…
Jey Uso is back on Raw because of you.
-You are correct. -Okay.
So, look… [clears throat] I don't think I need to go into details
about what Jey Uso did to a lot of people back in that locker room
when he was part of The Bloodline.
I don't think I need to dive into all that. You're well aware.
I just… All I want is for you to tell me
why you thought it was a good idea
to bring Jey Uso into our locker room here on Raw.
That's all I want.
And it's not just for me.
There's a lot of people back there that need to hear it, too.
So please, if you could just enlighten me, that'd be great.
Sure there's a lot of people back there that need to hear it, no doubt.
There's a lot of people out here who probably already know why, though.
[crowd cheering]
I've… Kev, I've had a lot of roles.
I've had a lot of tasks, I've had a lot of duties.
But my job is to make these people happy.
-Right? And… -[crowd cheering]
And I'm going to answer your question. I am.
But you guys like Jey Uso, don't you?
[crowd cheering]
You are looking at somebody who has received
a large amount of second chances.
He is one of the very best in the world.
He deserves a second chance.
And I think… I think we should give him the time
to show us that he's changed.
Not to mention The Bloodline…
[crowd booing]
…who we are all very familiar with,
are now down a member.
What's bad about that?
And, Cody, if I could jump in here.
And, Kev, I don't mean to pile on.
I've got your back since day one, you know that.
But I've also known you since day one.
And this is always how you've been.
You just take a bit more time to warm up to people.
You take more time to trust people.
Maybe I'm the opposite. Maybe I trust people too quick sometimes.
But look, man, I know Jey Uso, okay?
I've been through a lot with Jey Uso,
and the situation that that guy had to dig himself out of…
You don't have to give him a second chance,
but I think you should.
-Okay? -[crowd cheering]
Because guess what, man, you've given me second chances.
I've given you second chances.
And because of that, we won
the Undisputed Tag Team Championships in the main event of WrestleMania.
And that doesn't happen without a second chance.
[crowd cheering]
So, man, I'm not saying you got to do it right away, but just--
All right. Okay, look.
I see where this is going. So look…
Guys.
I hear you. I do.
You want me to pretend like Jey Uso
isn't a big part of why you didn't win the Universal Title
against Roman Reigns at Elimination Chamber?
I'll pretend that didn't happen.
You want me to pretend like Jey Uso is not a huge reason
why you didn't walk out of WrestleMania as Champion?
I'll pretend that didn't happen.
You want me to pretend like Jey Uso didn't cost me,
what, five title matches against Roman Reigns?
That's fine. I'll pretend that.
Then I'll even pretend like Jey Uso
is not one shade of eyeliner away from joining Judgment Day.
Okay?
You guys want me to trust Jey Uso?
I can't do that.
But I trust both of you…
so I hope you're right.
[microphone thuds]
[Cole] Well, let's show you what Kevin Owens is talking about
when it comes to trust with Jey Uso.
Last week, he decided to team with Jey Uso
against Priest and Finn Bálor of The Judgment Day.
And you ask yourself, is this an accident or not
when it comes to Jey Uso?
I believe it was an accident when Uso took out his tag team partner.
[Wade] You can believe whatever you want. Look at the face of Kevin Owens.
He doesn't believe for one second it was accidental in any way.
[Cole] So, Wade, the question as it involves Kevin Owens now is this,
is this paranoia on Kevin Owens' part or is what he's talking about true?
A guy beats you up for three years straight.
He says he's changed and then he Superkicks you in the mouth.
-I would suggest he hasn't changed at all. -We'll see how this all plays out.
Jey Uso, Drew McIntyre later on tonight.
A lot of turmoil between Kevin, Sami, and Cody Rhodes
and a lot of turmoil as it comes to the WWE Women's Championship.
Let's take you back to last week on Monday Night Raw.
[Cole] "The Eradicator" Rhea Ripley will defend the Championship tonight
against Raquel Rodriguez.
"Dirty" Dominik Mysterio banned from ringside.
Raquel versus Rhea for the World Title.
-[bell rings] -[Raquel yells]
[Cole] Raquel trying to establish dominance early.
Cover for the Championship.
Ripley's got a kick in two.
Rhea looking to dig down deep.
[Wade] Little tribute to her Latino heat Dom-Dom.
[Cole] Cover.
Hook of the leg on Rodriguez, who kicks out.
[Wade] Oh, my word!
[Cole] Raquel looking to do more damage to Ripley.
But Raquel's got to get the Champ into the ring.
What the hell? Who the hell?
The Irresistible Force!
Nia Jax is here!
[Wade] Nia Jax has just changed the complexion of this match.
[crowd] One, two, three.
[bell rings]
[announcer] And still…
[imperceptible]
[Cole] Nia Jax isn't done yet!
[Wade] Jax is wrecking everything in sight.
-[Cole] Nia Jax makes it clear. -I'm back!
"The Champ is in my crosshairs!"
["Not Like Most Girls" playing]
Annihilation at the hands of Nia Jax.
We can give you injury updates now.
First, the Women's World Champion, Rhea Ripley.
She suffered bruised ribs.
She's on a day-to-day basis, as is Raquel Rodriguez,
who suffered whiplash after the Samoan Drop by Nia Jax.
["New Day, New Way" playing]
[bell rings]
[announcer] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, representing The New Day,
from Ghana, West Africa, weighing in at 212 pounds,
Kofi Kingston!
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Kofi Kingston is set for action here tonight on Monday Night Raw.
A score to settle with Ivar of The Viking Raiders.
Kingston, Ivar, live, and it's next here on USA.
[Cole] WWE Fastlane is presented by Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.
The new expansion will be available September 26th
on Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5 and PC.
Buy the bundle and you can play Cyberpunk 2077 today.
Rated M for Mature.
Kofi Kingston set for one-on-one action here tonight on Monday Night Raw.
We know what time it is. Bring him out.
I want to slap this dude so badly, man.
["Vicious" playing]
[female voice] Valhalla is here.
[announcer] And his opponent,
accompanied to the ring by Valhalla and Erik,
representing The Viking Raiders,
Ivar!
[Cole] Now, I know some of you may be confused over the fact
that we have been advertising
that there was going to be a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match tonight
between The Viking Raiders and The New Day.
Well, a bit earlier on, WWE official Adam Pearce
met with the teams to explain why it wasn't happening.
Erik of The Viking Raiders no longer medically able to compete tonight.
-So-- -That means that
Adam Pearce, put your singlet, putting the boots on?
-Oh, baby! -You back?
It means I'll have to cancel the 2-out-of-3 Falls.
No, no, no. What do you mean, cancel, bro?
No, no!
Well, are you saying…
-How about… What's Ivar doing? -Yeah.
He's not doing nothing, is he? Huh?
-Yeah. Two-on-one action. -Two-on-one?
-Let's go. Because we've been wanting-- -What about one-on-one?
[both] Rock, paper, scissors. Shoot.
[exclaims] I told you, undefeated.
It's going to be me.
-Kofi and Ivar. -Yeah.
-Tonight, Raw, Salt Lake City. -Yes, sir.
-It's official. -I've been wanting to slap…
[Cole] So there we have it.
Kingston and Ivar one-on-one here tonight on Monday Night Raw.
[Wade] The Viking Raiders and New Day are tied up at one apiece…
-[bell rings] -…in tag matches in recent weeks.
The point of that 2-out-of-3 Falls was to essentially be the rubber match.
It's off now, of course, hopefully we'll get back to that at some point
in the future as both tag teams
are scrambling to try and get to the top of the ladder
and become Number One Contenders.
[Cole] This match, interesting as well, because you remember a few weeks ago,
Drew McIntyre was here at ringside when The Viking Raiders took on New Day.
Ivar picked up Kofi Kingston
and he drove him through McIntyre here at ringside,
which led to McIntyre throwing that chair into Xavier Woods,
and really ignited that rivalry as well.
We saw McIntyre and Woods last week.
Ooh!
[Wade] Across bloodlines in the tag division.
Right now, everyone scrambling for a piece of The Judgment Day.
[Cole] And again, even though this isn't a Tag Team Match,
you can still build momentum for your team.
Sit down, Kingston. Ivar!
[Wade] That is one way to stop traffic in full flow.
You simply cannot argue with a mass of humanity like Ivar
moving like that.
Gravity always wins.
[Cole] You know, tell us about Ivar. He's such a powerful man,
over 300 pounds, but he's very quick as well, agile, tremendous athlete.
[Wade] Yeah, but to me, it's the mindset that is stuck 1,300 years in the past,
tapping into those ancient warrior roots, just a bloodthirsty level of rage
once that bell rings,
and when you have that much humanity
and you're able to move it around like Ivar can, you are always a threat.
[Cole] "Let's go, Kofi!" chants filling the arena here tonight.
Capacity crowd in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Kingston sent across the ring.
Ooh!
Classic Kofi Kingston there, caught Ivar on the bridge of the nose.
And now Kingston off the top rope, down goes the big man.
[Wade] Kofi Kingston can attack you from every angle. Once he takes flight…
-[Cole] Oh! -…it's danger personified.
[Cole] Former WWE Champion Kofi Kingston takes the big man down.
[Wade] The man has won it all in singles and in tag ranks.
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] And Ivar, oh! With a…
Ooh! Big kick by Kingston, and Ivar is down.
Is this enough? Kingston into the cover.
Looking for the win, and a kick out by Ivar.
[Wade] Ivar is really hurting at this point.
Whatever game plan he came in with in this match, it's all gone to shreds.
[Cole] And now sent over the top rope and hitting the floor with a crash
is Kofi Kingston.
[Wade] Swing things back in your favor.
[Cole] And now Ivar on the apron.
Kingston in trouble.
This is going to be a mess.
Splat! Kingston flattened by Ivar!
[yells]
[groaning]
[wrestlers grunting]
[Cole] Ivar of The Viking Raiders
in this match against Kofi Kingston here tonight.
Capacity crowd in Salt Lake City, Utah, as Ivar has been dominating Kingston.
Almost broke Kofi in half
and now that flying crossbody by the 300-pounder.
And this is where Ivar turned things around, Wade, before the break.
[Wade] You've heard of a bird of prey. Well, this is The Beard of Prey.
And for Kofi Kingston, he ended up like one of those pancakes
he's so obsessed with.
[Cole] And now, top rope, Ivar…
This could be disaster for Kofi who moves out of harm's way.
[Wade] Well, that would have been game over had that connected.
Kofi Kingston had the smarts, the wherewithal
just about to pull his carcass out of the way.
But for how long can he stay alive in this match?
[Cole] Again, if you're just tuning in tonight,
this is supposed to be a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match
between The New Day and The Viking Raiders.
Erik of The Viking Raiders, not medically cleared,
so we have the one-on-one match.
Kingston, cover, off the splash to the spine,
and Ivar gets the shoulder up at two,
as Valhalla and her horns look on.
[Wade] Well, I appreciate Kofi Kingston fighting fire with fire
with that splash off the ropes.
Didn't quite have the same impact as that of Ivar, however.
[Cole] What a crossbody! Changing direction mid-air.
Cover, and a kick out off the lateral press by Ivar.
[Wade] That is where Kofi Kingston can win this matchup.
It's that catlike reflexes, that ability to torque his body in mid-air.
Nobody else can match that.
[Cole] And that's how Ivar can win the match,
ground Kingston with a stiff boot to the face.
[Wade] Just good, old-fashioned brute-forcing it.
You know, The Viking Raiders have simply won gold
wherever they have been.
It is--
[Cole] Oh! SOS by Kofi for the win,
and a kick out at two by Ivar.
[Wade] It's Kofi who is far more well-versed
in the singles ranks than Ivar.
And is that starting to tell at this point in the matchup?
Just milliseconds away from victory there, Kingston.
[Cole] And now the Boom Drop on the way from Kofi.
And Kofi has Ivar where he wants him perhaps.
[Wade] My worst nightmare many times in my career.
Looking up at Kofi Kingston.
[Cole] I still love to call this when he did this to you.
[crowd chanting] New Day rocks! New Day rocks!
[Cole] Went for Trouble in Paradise.
Ivar are able to duck underneath. Ivar missed with a heel kick of his own,
and Kofi hooking Ivar up, went for the SOS again,
but Ivar able to block.
And now hulking Kofi Kingston up into a powerbomb! Cover!
Kofi stays in it somehow.
[Wade] Such nice technique from the big man.
Double underhook butterfly powerbomb.
But Kofi Kingston, his head bouncing off the mat.
I've no idea how he kicked out from there.
[Cole] Well, Ivar is learning of the resilience of Kofi Kingston.
There is a long history between these two men.
[crowd chanting] Kofi! Kofi! Kofi!
[Wade] If you're backing a winner from here, it has to be Ivar.
Clearly, the fresher man.
[Cole] Oh, what a kick!
He about knocked Kofi's teeth out of his head.
And Kofi still able to kick out.
I swear to God, Wade,
I thought he knocked his entire teeth out of his mouth.
Watch this. Bang!
[Wade] Kofi's lucky he did not get a broken jaw there.
For all the catlike reflexes we spoke about,
that kick simply came from out of nowhere and hit right on the money.
[Cole] How do you know he didn't have a broken jaw?
My goodness!
Kofi desperately just trying to pull himself up.
I don't think Kofi has any clue where he's at.
[Wade] Defenseless here.
[Cole] And now Ivar into the corner, just crushing Kingston.
Kofi Kingston collapses in a heap.
[Wade] I am gobsmacked by the range of offense
that Ivar has at his disposal.
[Cole] Truly impressed with what Ivar has been able to accomplish tonight.
[Wade] What's he pulling out here?
[Cole] The big man to the second rope.
Kingston with nowhere to go.
Valhalla directing traffic and…
[Wade] It's the voice of the gods that is getting sent to Ivar.
[Cole] I think Valhalla is sending Ivar up to the top rope.
[Wade] Absolutely not.
[Cole] Ivar from the top!
-Moonsault connects, Ivar into the cover. -[referee] One, two…
How the hell is Kingston still in this?
[yelling loudly]
[Wade] How dare you kick out, Kofi Kingston?
[Cole] What a match between Ivar and Kofi!
[Wade] Ivar pulling out the ace.
The top rope moonsault at his size
landing perfectly, and somehow Kingston
figured out a way to kick out of that.
[Cole] Ivar incensed over the fact that Kofi is still in this match
[Wade] It's an absolute travesty that that didn't get the victory, Cole.
And if that didn't do it, what the hell will?
[Cole] Now, Ivar with Kofi Kingston up on the top turnbuckle.
How much more punishment can Kofi Kingston take?
[Wade] Kofi Kingston's going to need a month off after this match.
[Cole] Kofi trying to fight back.
Trying to block Ivar. Doing a good job of it now.
Blows to the small of the back.
-Kingston now, Sunset Flip powerbomb. -[crowd cheering]
And now it's Kingston's turn.
[Wade] I don't think Kingston can stand up, Cole.
[Cole] Kofi trying to drag himself to his feet.
[Wade] Has he got feeling in his legs?
[Cole] Trouble in Paradise!
Kofi cover on Ivar.
-[crowd] One, two, three! -[bell rings]
A hell of a match and win for Kingston.
["New Day, New Way" playing]
[announcer] Here is your winner, Kofi Kingston!
[Cole] Unbelievable match by Kofi tonight.
But I'll tell you, what a breakout night for Ivar of The Viking Raiders.
[Wade] The punishment that Kofi Kingston
endured tonight was unbelievable.
The Beard of Prey connecting early in this match-up.
I thought it was over right there.
Jaw-breaking offense from the big man still wasn't enough.
Kofi just about kicking out and then this, Cole…
I can watch that 1,000 times on a loop
but eventually, somehow Kofi Kingston managing to turn it around
with a second rope powerbomb followed by, goodnight,
Trouble in Paradise to the temple.
What a performance from both men.
They're all winners tonight, though, Cole.
[Cole] Yeah. Wait till we get the Tag Team Match
between The Raiders and The New Day.
Kofi Kingston celebrating here tonight.
This wild and unpredictable match.
Now, speaking of unpredictable, Shinsuke Nakamura
has been creating that and more as it comes to Seth "Freakin" Rollins.
So, Shinsuke, you want to play games?
You want to do this on your time?
Let's have ourselves a World Title Match!
["The Rising Sun" playing]
[Cole] Now let's make it clear. Nakamura was attacking Ricochet here.
Seth…
you have bad timing.
[Ricochet coughing]
I will take your title.
But not tonight.
[speaking in Japanese]
[crowd booing]
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome my guest at this time,
"The Highlight of the Night" Ricochet.
[crowd cheering]
Listen, Ricochet, I know you're getting ready
for your match against Shinsuke Nakamura
that's going to take place in just a few minutes.
Any final comments before you head out there?
Jackie you see, I feel like Shinsuke looks at tonight
as just another mind game that he's laid out for Seth Rollins.
But Shinsuke's going to find out really quick that I am nobody's pawn.
To be honest with you, I had moved past Shinsuke.
I was over Shinsuke Nakamura.
The only reason that I am involved tonight is because,
besides hitting me with a chair, he decided to attack me last week.
You see, that made it personal.
So Shinsuke, he can keep throwing flames in my face.
But you better believe that it's only going to fire me up.
So, Shinsuke Nakamura, if it's games that you want to play,
go ahead, let's play them.
Because I'm a cheat code and tonight is game over.
[crowd cheering]
-["The Rising Sun" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Change in attitude, change in gear for Shinsuke Nakamura.
[bell rings]
[announcer] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first from Kyoto, Japan,
weighing in at 220 pounds,
Shinsuke Nakamura!
[Cole] Shinsuke Nakamura has been making not only Seth Rollins',
but also Ricochet's life a living hell in recent weeks.
[Wade] Well, this new, dangerous edge of Shinsuke Nakamura
is leading him to the promised land of the World Heavyweight Championship.
["Visionary" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Seth Rollins not allowing Nakamura to enjoy the moment.
Adam Pearce coming out and trying to separate the two men.
Seth Rollins is incensed with what Nakamura has put him through
over the past number of weeks.
[Wade] Well, Rollins is done waiting on Shinsuke to--
[Cole] Here comes Rollins. Rollins on his way to the ring.
-[Wade] The fight is on. -Nakamura is going to retreat.
And Rollins now, in pursuit of Nakamura.
And Shinsuke hiding behind a wall of security.
This is uncharacteristic of Rollins here.
Nakamura has driven Seth Rollins to this.
Shinsuke Nakamura is in Rollins' head--
[indistinct clamoring]
[Cole] Nakamura's got a match with Ricochet
as he continues to mock the World Heavyweight Champion.
[official] Stay back. It's not worth it.
[clamoring continues]
[Cole] Well, moments ago on Monday Night Raw,
Shinsuke Nakamura was preparing for his match with Ricochet.
He was interrupted by the World Heavyweight Champion
Seth Rollins, who broke through security to try to make his way to Nakamura,
who retreated and hid behind security
before Rollins could get his hand on him.
[Wade] And you said it yourself, Cole,
uncharacteristic for Seth Rollins to lose his cool like that.
But that speaks volumes
to what Shinsuke Nakamura has done to the mind of the champion.
[Cole] Yeah, Seth doing exactly what Shin wants him to do.
Seth is unhinged.
He has no game plan in this scenario.
Seth Rollins is no longer the architect.
Shinsuke Nakamura is.
[Wade] When was the last time you saw the champion chasing the challenger?
["It's About to Go Down" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Our "Highlight of the Night."
[announcer] And his opponent, from Las Vegas, Nevada,
weighing in at 207 pounds,
Ricochet!
[Cole] Wade, you put it beautifully earlier tonight
when you called Ricochet a pawn in this issue
between Shinsuke Nakamura and Seth Rollins.
Ricochet is a very proud man.
He is not going to be a pawn.
[Wade] Well, I'll tell you point blank,
we talked about Seth Rollins losing his cool, losing his mind.
Ricochet for me, is another guy who's lost his mind right now,
sticking his nose in Shinsuke Nakamura's business.
He has no place defending Seth Rollins,
getting involved in what Shinsuke wants to do in this industry.
The whole reason Shinsuke took this turn to the dark side recently
is because people kept getting up in his grill,
delaying his career, preventing him
from going to the places he wanted to go to.
Well, guess what, Ricochet?
You should have chose somebody else.
Made a bad move here.
[Cole] Wade, all great points and I agree with most of them.
But here's the issue, though,
Ricochet didn't stick his nose in anybody's business.
[bell rings]
If you recall, a couple of weeks ago, he went up to Seth Rollins,
he applauded him for the match that Seth had with Shinsuke Nakamura
earlier this month in Payback and he said,
"Listen, dude, you don't have to do all the work around here."
"There's others that can help pick up the slack on Monday Night Raw."
That's what Ricochet was saying
before he was pulled into this thing by Nakamura.
[Wade] He wasn't pulled into this thing.
Nakamura attacked the Champion, Seth Rollins,
because he wants to win the World Heavyweight Championship.
and out of nowhere, suddenly Seth Rollins, apparent best--
[Cole] Oh! Look at Nakamura.
The official trying to separate the two and a cheap shot by Shinsuke.
[Wade] Well, this is exactly what I've been trying to say to Ricochet.
Shinsuke Nakamura is a very different animal
than the Shinsuke Nakamura of six weeks ago.
Exactly the reason why he's best avoided.
[Cole] I mentioned earlier, new gear. A new attitude, new gear.
Shinsuke has gone to the darker gear here.
He said it brings back the past,
the more aggressive Nakamura, which he is, of course,
trying to pull out of himself as he tries to win
the World Heavyweight Championship.
[Wade] And I'll tell you this, one of the issues that Ricochet has had,
he was a very high-profile matchup with Logan Paul at SummerSlam.
He's trying to get himself back into the mix
of the big hitting marquee matchups,
and he's going about it completely the wrong way
by going after Shinsuke Nakamura, in my opinion.
[Cole] You know, Ricochet has the respect of a lot of people
in the WWE locker room.
Of course, the World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins
has had some great things about Ricochet as of late.
He believes that Ricochet is long overdue for a World Championship opportunity,
and he'd love to give Ricochet an opportunity down the road.
[Wade] Well, Ricochet is the greatest high-flyer
in the history of this industry, in my opinion.
But it's going to be hard to beat--
[Cole] Oh, what a drop kick.
[Wade] Or to be a high-flyer if you're getting a whooping from Shinsuke.
[Cole] And Nakamura gets his foot on the bottom rope quickly.
Ricochet, so many adjectives to describe the man.
"Exhilarating."
One of them that comes to mind.
[Shinsuke grunting]
[Cole] Picks up the pace.
He's so dangerous, but proving he can be aggressive as well.
[Wade] Well, we need no more of this tonight from Ricochet.
You've got the Japanese Enigmatic Superstar down.
Make sure you keep him there.
[Cole] Shinsuke slides behind,
runs into a couple of back elbows by Ricochet.
Ducked underneath and Nakamura,
that sliding dropkick,
I believe he might have caught Ricochet in the throat.
[Wade] Yeah, to me, that was Ricochet going for something a little too pretty.
The gloves have already come off in this one.
You had your chance once Shinsuke was down.
[Cole] And now, Nakamura.
Ricochet, where he wants him.
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Oh, and that running knee.
Cover by Nakamura.
[referee] One, two…
[Cole] Earlier on. Let's see where Shinsuke Nakamura actually got…
[Wade] And it's just expert timing and ring awareness from Shinsuke Nakamura.
[Cole] Cover by Nakamura and the shoulder up now for Ricochet.
[Wade] Shinsuke, such a unique cat, but really well rounded in the ring,
got a bunch of MMA experience
on top of those natural instincts,
and weird reflexes he has,
so hard to defend against someone like that.
[Cole] He just seems more comfortable right now.
One of the things we talked about back in the match
with Rollins at Payback, a lot more confidence for Nakamura.
Really in control of the ring.
[Wade] 'Cause he's not going out there to make anybody else happy.
He's going out there to get success
and he's as cut-throat as they come right now.
[Cole] Nakamura with a knee right to the midsection, dropping Ricochet.
[Wade] That unique striking ability that he's developed.
Ricochet has no answer to this right now.
[Ricochet exclaims]
[Cole] Nakamura neutralizing Ricochet,
not allowing him to use his speed
or his high-flying ability. Really grounded Ricochet at this point.
[Shinsuke yells]
[Wade] Very difficult to be The Highlight of the Night
when you're not allowed to leave the mat.
[Ricochet grunts]
[Cole] Seth Rollins is here, saw him earlier on dragged out of the arena.
World Heavyweight Champion
just being pushed to the limit by Shinsuke Nakamura.
Nakamura has a plan, there's no doubt about it,
as he continues to push Rollins' buttons.
[Wade] Psychological warfare.
[Cole] Standing moonsault by Ricochet.
Cover now to put Nakamura away, and a kick out at two.
Nakamura took a chance a couple of weeks ago.
Seth Rollins said, "Listen, you want another Championship Match,
I'll give it to you right now,"
as you take another look at the beauty of Ricochet.
But Nakamura said, "No, I want the Championship Match on my terms."
Was that a smart move?
[Wade] That is the art of war.
Only fight battles on your own terms.
Seth's back is only going to continue to degrade
and degenerate as the weeks go by.
Seth, he's already in a physically-weakened state.
Now he's mentally weakened.
[Cole] Look at Nakamura. The quick strikes just like that,
he turns the match around.
[Ricochet grunts]
[Cole] Chop drops Ricochet to the mat.
[Wade] We have seen time and time again the resilience of Ricochet.
Shinsuke is a smart cat.
He's cunning in that ring and he knows
it's going to take something very special to soften up The Highlight of the Night.
[Cole] Ricochet, grimacing
after what is now a third shot by Nakamura,
and now Nakamura unloading chops. Forearms.
[Wade] Ricochet is just a human punch bag right now.
[referee] Hey, knock it off.
[Cole] Are you impressed with this new style of… I should say,
old-becomes-new-again style of Shinsuke Nakamura?
[Wade] Here's what I'm interested in.
Shinsuke doesn't really appear, at the moment,
to be trying to win this match.
This is all messages that are being sent to Seth Rollins.
"This is what I'm going to do to you," and straight onto that back.
[Cole] He went for the sliding German, and Ricochet,
able to skip out of harm's way.
And now moonsault off the second rope. Takes out Nakamura.
Ricochet has turned things around.
[crowd cheering]
Let's go, Monday Night Raw.
[Cole] Ladies and gentlemen, we are live tonight
at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Capacity crowd looking on as Shinsuke Nakamura
takes on Ricochet one-on-one here tonight.
It has been a physical battle.
Shinsuke Nakamura has been, for the most part, dominating.
[Wade] Shinsuke is having it all his own way.
[exclaims] But perhaps enjoying himself a little bit too much.
[Cole] Let's show you what happened during the commercial break.
Nakamura, just so physical about collapsing the face of Ricochet.
[Wade] But it has been noticeable how little Shinsuke
has been trying to put this match away.
Now out here to punish Ricochet.
[Cole] That's a really good point.
As you take a look at Ricochet's knee from moments ago.
[Wade] But the tide may be turning before our eyes.
Shinsuke might regret those lack of covers.
[Cole] Yeah. Ricochet starting to come back now.
Fighting back hard against Shinsuke.
[Wade] Out to prove he's a pawn in nobody else's war.
[Cole] Ricochet. Wow!
Springboard takes down Nakamura.
And now Ricochet firing up.
[crowd cheering]
[Wade] And this is panic mode for Shinsuke.
Now, this is when Ricochet gets that second win.
[Cole] That Shooting Star, cover now.
Is it enough? Almost had him.
Kick at two by Nakamura.
[Wade] And how quickly things change.
Seconds ago, Shinsuke Nakamura dancing around the ring.
Now he's the victim of a standing Shooting Star press.
[Cole] Ricochet took a bit too much time.
Nakamura, the veteran, capitalizes.
He's got Ricochet where he wants him,
on the top rope, Ricochet able to step underneath,
knee to the turnbuckle and now Ricochet's opportunity.
Kick to the turnbuckle off the face of Nakamura.
Ricochet is going to fly off the top rope, crossbody lateral press
on Nakamura for the win on Raw.
Kick--
I thought he had it.
[Wade] Oh, that was a late, late kick out.
[Cole] A late call by the official as well.
[Wade] Saw that shoulder just about rising off the mat.
-[Cole] That was-- -Right on the button there.
[Cole] And Ricochet, upset. Watch this.
This crossbody, a high crossbody by Ricochet,
into the lateral press.
There's one.
There's two, and up, Ricochet, barely…
I should say, Shin barely getting the shoulder up.
[Wade] I'll tell you this.
A star with the capabilities of Shinsuke, I would expect…
-[Cole] Oh! -…a move like that.
It's almost a dismissive kick out by Shinsuke.
Again, perhaps playing mind games with Ricochet, now.
[Cole] That is one way to stop the momentum.
Ricochet bouncing…
neck first off the apron.
[referee] One!
-Two! -[Cole] And Nakamura…
[referee] Three!
[Cole] Ricochet meets Nakamura with a kick and a step-up enzuigiri.
Nakamura now down on the barricade.
Four!
The official on the count-- Nakamura with a steel chair.
[Wade] Ricochet just about saving himself there.
[crowd exclaims]
[Cole] Ricochet with the steel chair in hand. You got to put it down.
-Oh, no. -[bell rings]
[Cole] That's going to force the official to disqualify Ricochet.
[announcer] Here is your winner, as a result of a disqualification,
Shinsuke Nakamura!
[crowd booing]
[Cole] Ricochet's point was Nakamura was going to use the chair on me,
I was defending myself.
[Wade] Nakamura didn't connect with the chair, though.
That is the difference.
And now the ankle may well have just snapped.
[Cole] Yeah, and Nakamura, connected there.
[Wade] Is that Nakamura playing mind games once again?
This time with Ricochet goading him,
baiting him, getting him disqualified.
[Cole] Wade, you said it earlier…
Oh, and a Kinshasa to the back of the neck.
You said it earlier on.
Nakamura, throughout this entire match,
didn't seem like he had any interest at all
in winning the match up.
He didn't go for it.
He went for very few covers in the match.
It was more about punishing Ricochet,
sending a message to the World Heavyweight Champion.
As he's doing now.
[Wade] This is coming your way, Seth Rollins.
[referee] Shin, get out of here, it's over.
[Cole] Oh, and wrapping Ricochet's leg around the post.
[crowd booing]
[Wade] Shinsuke Nakamura, no remorse.
[Cole] No! He's got to try to break Ricochet's leg!
Teeing off on the ankle of Ricochet.
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] And now, Rollins.
Rollins is here.
Seth Rollins is here.
And Rollins going after Nakamura.
[Wade] Well, after weeks of torment,
perhaps now is the time for payback.
[Cole] An irate Seth Rollins.
Nakamura…
Counters. Oh, no!
Back drop onto the steel chair.
Again, the focus on the bad back of Rollins.
[Wade] I don't know if that was the focus or just good fortune
for Shinsuke Nakamura.
[Cole] Yeah, but the story here, Wade,
is Nakamura suckered Rollins in again.
He made Seth Rollins get to the point where he put himself in danger,
and now he's going back after Rollins…
after Nakamura, and the fight continues
right here at ringside at the announce table.
But Nakamura again, back first into the announce table now.
[indistinct shouting]
[Seth exclaims in pain]
[Wade] We are witnessing the mental and the physical destruction
of the World Heavyweight Champion.
[Cole] Everything Nakamura is doing right now,
is shrewd, it's wise.
Nakamura is a vicious, vicious man.
As Seth Rollins is unraveling like we've never seen him before.
[crowd booing]
[Cole] It's the first premium live event of the New Year.
And officially kicks off the road to WrestleMania
with the two most unpredictable matches of the WrestleMania season.
It's the Royal Rumble on the last Saturday of January,
the Royal Rumble is headed to Tampa Bay.
Get ready, WWE Universe, for an entire weekend of great action.
It all starts on Saturday night
as the Royal Rumble returns to Tropicana Field
in beautiful St. Petersburg, Florida.
And just two nights later, Monday Night Raw
will be coming to you, live, from the Amalie Arena in Tampa.
[Wade] There is no better place in January
than the beautiful beaches of St. Petersburg and Clearwater, Florida.
Cole, I can't think of a more perfect place
to kick off the Road to WrestleMania.
[Cole] I think Ricochet would rather be on a beach right now,
after what happened moments ago.
Shinsuke Nakamura unloading on Ricochet
with a steel chair before the World Heavyweight Champion,
Seth Rollins would rush to the ring, coming to Ricochet's aid
and attacking his nemesis, Shinsuke Nakamura.
But how wise was this?
[Wade] Well, genius here from Shinsuke Nakamura
continuing to goad Seth Rollins,
the Champ, who's already in a physically-weakened state.
It just gets worse every time he comes into contact with Nakamura.
[Cole] And again, Nakamura made it clear over a month ago
that Rollins has a bad back, an injury he's been suffering from
for over four years.
And again, the attack on the back.
Rollins being helped out.
Nakamura just looking to pick his spot
for when he can take on an injured Rollins
for the World Heavyweight Championship.
I don't need your help, I'm fine!
I got it. I got it.
[exclaims in pain]
Please. Please let me help you, Seth.
-[panting] -Seth, please. Come on.
Let me just help you, Seth
Get me… Get me in the room. [groans]
Let me sit. Just let me sit.
I admire the grit and the guts of Seth Rollins,
but Shinsuke Nakamura has him physically unraveling before our eyes.
Yeah, it's been great strategy from Nakamura.
So let's take a deep breath.
It has been a wild night.
Let's settle things down a little bit,
because in just a couple of moments,
we're going to see the Women's Tag Team Champions
of Chelsea Green and Piper Niven
in a match against the new team of Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark.
Last week it was Shayna, one-on-one with Chelsea Green.
Let's take a look.
[man] Stronger Together is brought to you by Progressive.
Get even more savings when you bundle your boat,
RV, or motorcycle with Progressive.
[Cole] Shayna Baszler said that she is going to show Chelsea Green
limb by limb how large the gap is for us as peers.
[Wade] Baszler respects almost nobody in that ring.
[Cole] Piper's back. She's now medically cleared.
Stay out of my business.
[Cole] Baszler calls that The Exterminatus as she takes out Chelsea Green.
And now Baszler going right after Piper Niven, exchanging blows.
And Zoey Stark comes in, a kick to the face drops Piper Niven.
[Wade] This is a permanent alliance.
Women's division, beware.
Right now, I'd like to welcome on in the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions,
Piper Niven and Chelsea Green.
[crowd cheering]
Piper, Chelsea, what are your thoughts
on facing the formidable new tag team of Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark?
Formidable?
Brian, Shayna and Zoey aren't even a real team.
They fought each other.
They like each other.
They respect each other. Oh, blah, blah, blah.
That is not what makes a real team, is it, Brian? [chuckles]
No. What makes a real team is friendship.
And that's what Piper and I are,
-best friends. -Wait, wait, wait.
Did you just say "friends"?
Do you think we're friends?
Yeah, of course we are, bestie.
Okay.
If we are such "friends,"
what country am I from?
What country are you from?
Engl… Ireland.
Florida. Definitely Florida.
Florida.
Piper?
Uh, Chelsea.
The answer is actually Scotland.
I know it is, Brian.
Oh, my gosh. You think I don't know where my tag partner is from?
Tonight, we are going to show Shayna and Zoey
what a real team is like, okay?
Piper, come back. It's Scotland. I meant to say Scotland.
[Cole, sarcastically] Come on, Brian.
["Loyalty Is Everything" playing]
[bell rings]
[announcer] The following is a Tag Team Match
scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first from Sioux Falls, South Dakota,
Shayna Baszler!
[Cole] You know, earlier today, I had the opportunity
to talk to both Shayna Baszler and her tag team partner, Zoey Stark.
I asked about this new team and they said,
"Listen, we want to prove to each other
who is the new, baddest woman on the planet
since I got rid of Ronda Rousey."
"So we figured why not team up and show each other in the ring?"
"Whatever you can do, I can do better."
[Wade] Well, I would argue that Baszler did actually beat Zoey Stark
a couple of weeks ago, so technically…
I think Baszler is the baddest woman in WWE.
-However… -["Cut Above The Rest" playing]
[announcer] And her tag team partner from Las Vegas, Nevada,
Zoey Stark!
[Wade] Maybe Zoey Stark isn't quite ready to accept that.
But I will say this, Zoey Stark learned a ton
from former mentor Trish Stratus.
Learned the politics of this industry, learned how to be a star.
If you're going to switch hanging out with someone else,
getting an induction,
on how to be more of a killer in that ring,
there's no one finer than Shayna Baszler to learn from.
[Cole] Interesting tag team as well.
And an opportunity to knock off the Champs tonight.
Maybe earn a future title opportunity.
["Taste the Jealousy" playing]
[announcer] And their opponents,
first, she is one half of the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions,
Piper Niven!
[Cole] She's from Scotland.
[Wade] Is that it?
[Cole] She's from Scotland.
I want to make sure everybody is very understanding of that.
["Hot Mess" playing]
[announcer] And her tag team partner,
she is one half of the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions,
Chelsea Green!
[Cole] Because I'm not sure that Chelsea understands
that Florida's not a country.
[Wade] I mean, the clue is in the outfit of Piper Niven,
it's covered in tartan right now.
[Cole] Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
Chelsea can't figure out Florida is not a country,
and you expect her to understand what tartan is.
[Wade] Good point.
Should have followed that thread.
[Cole] Nonetheless, Chelsea and Piper are the Women's Tag Team Champions.
And Chelsea sort of lucked her way into having
the powerhouse of the women's division, Piper Niven,
become her tag team partner
when Sonya Deville was injured a few weeks back.
[Wade] I like the way Piper Niven has basically installed herself
as the leader of this team,
and there's absolutely nothing that Chelsea can do about it.
-Chelsea, for once, has been smart… -[bell rings]
…in keeping her mouth closed around Piper Niven.
[Cole] So it looks like Zoey Stark will start things off for her team.
And it'll be Chelsea Green for the Tag Team Champions.
And, Chelsea, with a kick.
And we're underway.
[Wade] Chelsea is as good as they come in that ring
when she can stay laser focused.
My question, how long she's capable of doing that for?
That is the issue.
[Cole] Ooh, what an uppercut by Zoey.
Nice Snapmare.
And Stark…
Ooh.
Trash talk toward Piper Niven.
The sliding clothesline and Zoey Stark now
going to launch herself up over the top rope.
The Springboard Senton by Zoey.
Cover, hook of the leg and a kick out.
A little glance back at Shayna saying, "Hey, I wonder if you can pull that off."
[Wade] Shayna said, "Hey, you're doing it all wrong."
"Let me tag you and I'll show you how it's done, kiddo."
[Cole] Tag made.
And here comes The Submission Magician,
"The Queen of Spades" Shayna Baszler.
Shayna is so dangerous. A third degree black belt.
The woman who kicked Ronda Rousey out of WWE at SummerSlam,
at least those were the words of Shayna.
But she did knock off Ronda in the match.
[Wade] Complete disregard for human suffering.
[Cole] Chelsea with a slap. Now she wants to make a tag.
[Cole] Chelsea… Oh! Goodness, wow!
[Wade] I mean, Baszler absolutely annihilated Chelsea Green last week
in singles competition, and things
-are going no better now… for Chelsea. -[Cole] Hey, Baszler is a former…
Former Tag Team Champion as well, as she tags in Zoey. Zoey, too.
And Zoey Stark, in off the tag.
And now, she's going to do damage on Chelsea Green,
who has become a punching bag now
for this back-and-forth between tag partners, Stark and Baszler.
[Wade] If Chelsea's got some smarts about it, go tag Piper in.
[crowd exclaims faintly]
Niven, saving Chelsea there.
-That was nice of Piper. -[Cole] Yeah, very… Very nice of her.
-Chelsea now, top rope. -[Chelsea yells]
[Cole] And… Oh! Missile dropkick, pretty by Green,
who's got an opportunity. Instead of going for the tag,
she goes for the cover, hooks the leg, kick-out by Zoey.
[Wade] Well, Chelsea wants the glory for herself, apparently.
Although, this will be the ideal moment to tag Piper Niven in.
[Cole] There… There we go. "Tag team," correct?
[Wade] Well, still working on the "team" part, perhaps.
-[Cole] Not surprised that… -[Zoey groans]
…you would have that take.
Big splash in the corner by Niven.
[Wade] This is what I like from Niven. Just nothing fancy. Good old-fashioned,
-bone-crushing offense. -Oh! And shoulderbreaker by Piper.
Cover now, to put away Zoey Stark…
-Two! -…who gets her shoulder up.
[Wade] Just effortless power from Niven, throwing Stark around with abandon.
Instant game-changer. You think how easy Stark
and Baszler had the early go into this match-up.
Once Niven gets in there, complete 180.
[Cole] Chelsea now, in off the tag. And now, the double team by the Champs.
-[crowd exclaims] -[Wade] Oh… [chuckles]
-[Cole] Premature celebration-- -[Zoey grunts]
…by Miss Green.
[Wade] This will break you down in a hurry.
[Cole] Chelsea, across the ring. Big kick now to Stark.
And Chelsea, with a step-up enzuigiri,
and it stuns Zoey.
Oh, and that kick will knock Chelsea down.
Falls into the cover.
Is it enough to knock off the Tag Champs? As Piper Niven said, "Uh-uh."
[Wade] May well have been it right there, if not for the smarts of Piper… Uh-oh.
[Cole] And now, Baszler going to drive Piper out of the ring.
[Wade] Knee straight to the jaw, has completely rocked…
[Cole] And now, the… Oh! Headbutt by Piper.
-The brawl now, outside the ring. -[Piper strains]
[Cole] The power of Piper Niven, slamming Baszler.
[Cole] Oh, no! No, no, no, no!
-Nia Jax is back! -[thuds]
-[bell rings] -Nia Jax is back!
-[crowd booing] -She took out the champion, Rhea Ripley.
She took out Raquel Rodriguez last week. And now,
-Nia Jax has wiped out Piper Niven! -[crowd booing]
[Wade] Well, the match is over. But the destruction certainly--
-[Cole] Samoan Drop! -[crowd booing]
[Cole] Decimating Zoey Stark!
Follow that up with a senton!
[Wade] Stay down! Stay down, Chelsea!
[Cole] Chelsea Green has no idea she's about to be…
-[Chelsea shrieks] -…obliterated.
[shrieking] No, no, no, no!
[whimpering and pleading indistinctly]
[Cole] Chelsea pleading and begging, and… Oh! Nia, with a…
-halfway across the ring! And now… -[Nia yells]
-[crowd exclaims] -[Cole] …backing up into Green!
Shayna Baszler may have went…
-She should have stayed outside the ring. -[Nia yelling]
[Cole] And remember, Nia Jax with a little bit of revenge on Shayna,
because Shayna broke Nia Jax's arm once.
They used to be a tag team.
-And Nia is going to enjoy this. -[crowd cheers]
[Wade] Baszler takes a step back from nobody,
but she has no choice here. Oh, no.
[Cole] Nia Jax did this to Rhea last week. It's gonna be Shayna tonight.
-The Annihilator! -[Nia yells]
-[Wade exclaims] -[Cole] By Nia Jax!
-Absolutely slaughtering Shayna Baszler! -[mixed cheers and boos]
-[Wade] Well, that is a crushed sternum… -[crowd booing]
…to go with the rest of the damage
-Nia Jax caused this evening. -[Shayna coughs]
[Cole] Good luck stopping her.
[crowd continues booing]
[exclaims in contentment]
[crowd booing and jeering]
It's open season.
-I'll take out anybody that I want. -[crowd jeering]
The division is on notice.
["Not Like Most Girls" playing]
[Cole] You heard it from Nia Jax.
The Irresistible Force is back.
And no one, I mean, no one on Monday Night Raw is safe.
[Wade] Four women had zero answer…
-[bell rings] -…to the carnage and chaos caused
-by Nia Jax. -[crowd booing]
-[Nia yells] -She did whatever she wanted
in that ring, and had fun the entire time.
-[Nia exclaims] -[Cole] And Nia, with the Annihilator.
She bruised Rhea Ripley's ribs
with that move last week.
I can only imagine…
what she plans to do to the entire women's division
on Monday Night Raw.
["Not Like Most Girls" continues playing]
Yet, this is another thing I have to deal with on Monday.
Yes. I'm gonna go talk to her about that as soon as I get off the phone with you.
Yes. Seth is being evaluated as…
Let me… Let me call you right back. Thank you.
-Gabes? -Look… How's Seth?
[crowd cheering]
He's hurting, man.
But more than that, the man is angry. And then, you've got the Nia Jax stuff
-which I need to go deal with. -I know you're busy.
Look, just give me one second, okay?
I beat Ludwig last week, kept my momentum going.
What do I got to do to get one more opportunity at Gunther?
Just one more.
Look, I'll shoot you straight, okay? That was a career-making performance.
Everybody was in awe of what you did. But the fact is,
Gunther won. So, I just can't slide you back
into the Intercontinental Championship picture.
-You have to earn your way in. -[Bronson] That's right.
-That's right, Pearcey. -[crowd boos]
Back of the line for you, little man.
Shoooosh!
-"Big" Bronson Reed, huh? -Yeah. Yeah.
I made a name for myself suplexing big boys
-just like you. -[scoffs]
So, if you want to be next in line, brother,
it'll be my pleasure.
-You can't suplex me. I'm too big. -Put my hands around you. Easy.
-No way. -No problem. I'll do it right now!
Guys! I've had enough tonight.
So, if you guys want to fight, take it to the ring,
and you can have a match next.
-All right. Let's go. -I'm good with that.
Yeah. You watch it.
[snickers]
Gable and Reed?
Whoa, that match is going to be electric.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, speaking of "electric,"
Wade, did you know…
that this past Friday night on SmackDown,
The Rock's surprise appearance, along with Pat McAfee,
drew over 100 million, 103 million views,
to be precise, for The Rocks' return to Friday Night SmackDown,
the most socially-viewed video of the entire year.
Let's take you back to this special moment
this past Friday night in Denver.
["Electrifying" playing]
[crowd cheering loudly]
[cheering continues]
[Theory] It's been a long time, Rock.
-But let me go ahead and tell you-- -Shut your bitch-ass up!
[crowd cheering loudly]
You clearly don't know how all this works.
Finally…
-The Rock has come back… -[crowd repeating]
…to Denver!
[crowd cheering loudly]
Maybe I should try.
-Finally… -[crowd booing]
…the ignorant people…
-[booing continues] -…get to see The Rock
and Austin back in the ring again one last time.
[loud booing]
Well, The Rock says--
[yelling] It doesn't matter what The Rock says!
[crowd booing and exclaiming]
-[mouthing] It doesn't matter. -You see, it actually does matter
what The Rock says.
In about three seconds,
The Rock is gonna whoop your candy-ass
-all over Denver. -[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Oh, The Rock with the spinebuster!
[crowd cheering loudly]
[Cole] And here it comes!
Here it comes!
The most electrifying move in all of entertainment!
People's Elbow!
[crowd continues cheering]
[Cole] And now, McAfee with the opportunity!
[Corey] Are you kidding me?
[Cole] What a star-studded night!
[crowd cheering]
-Welcome home. -Come on.
[crowd chanting] Rocky! Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!
Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!
[chanting fades]
["Shoooosh" playing]
[Cole] I was so honored to be a part of that moment
this past Friday night on SmackDown.
It was great to see McAfee and, of course,
what a wonderful moment for the return
of "The Brahma Bull" The Rock.
[crowd cheering]
-[imperceptible] -[bell rings]
[announcer] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, accompanied to the ring by Otis and Maxxine Dupri,
representing Alpha Academy,
-Chad Gable! -[shouting] Thank you!
[Cole] The question, Wade, is this.
-[crowd cheering] -Can he, will he?
Can Chad Gable actually suplex the 300-pound Bronson Reed?
[Wade] Well, I've given up writing him off.
-[crowd cheering] -But, it's up next.
Chad Gable versus "Big" Bronson Reed.
[Cole] Right here, live, on Monday Night Raw.
["Shoooosh" playing]
[shouting] Thank you!
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to Monday Night Raw.
Please welcome my guest, "Main Event" Jey Uso.
-Yeah. Yo. What up, Jackie? -[chuckles]
-[crowd cheering] -What's up, Jey? Listen, uh,
earlier tonight, Kevin Owens had some pretty stinging remarks
about your return to Mondays. [nervous chuckle] And, uh,
I mean, Drew McIntyre doesn't seem to appreciate your presence much, either.
How have you been handling this not-so-warm welcome back?
It's all good, Jackie. I… I know I got a lot of eyes on me right… Um…
-Big red target on my back, right? -Right.
As far as me and Drew go,
I'm about to go out there and get real physical.
I've got history with him.
-[Priest] Yo, Jey. -So, I know what they expect at--
[crowd booing]
Jackie, do you mind giving us a second?
Gentlemen.
I don't know how you view me, dawg.
But actually, I'm here to ask you for a favor, man.
The Judgment Day, we're…
-They're looking for an Uso. -[scoffs softly]
Now, the crew is really pushing hard for Jimmy.
-[scoffs] -But I'm standing here, looking at you.
I want "Main Event" Jey Uso in The Judgment Day.
I can't make that decision, though.
It's not a dictatorship.
-We're a family. -[scoffs] Hey.
Priest, I know all about family, Uce.
[snickers] All due respect,
you know about your Bloodline.
That right there, makes them relatives.
What we got is something special.
If you're willing, and if you want,
we can be the family…
you've been looking for your whole life.
The only thing I'm asking from you is,
don't make me look bad in front of my family.
Yes or no?
Give us an answer by the end of the night.
[Cole] A lot for Jey Uso to think about as he heads into a match
with Drew McIntyre later on tonight, on Monday Night Raw.
Meanwhile, Chad Gable of the Alpha Academy, set for action.
Come on, big boy!
["Battle Tested" playing]
[announcer] And his opponent, from Black Forest, South Australia,
weighing in at 330 pounds,
Bronson Reed!
[Cole] Wade, Chad Gable wants yet another opportunity at Gunther
and the Intercontinental Championship. Bronson Reed said, "Hey,
it's time for somebody else to get an opportunity."
"Back of the line, Mr. Gable."
[Wade] Yeah, and I've got to agree with "Big" Bronson Reed on that one.
I admire everything Chad Gable has done over the past few weeks.
But the truth is, he's had two solid-gold opportunities
to dethrone the Intercontinental Champ, Gunther, and essentially, failed twice.
I admit, he did win one of those matches, but he didn't win the gold.
It's somebody else's turn, but I have no doubt that we are looking
at an in-ring machine in Chad Gable.
-The class clown act is gone for good… -[bell rings]
…and he will be back at some point.
[Cole] Gunther, of course, celebrating his reign
as the longest Intercontinental Champion of all time.
[Wade] The greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time.
[Cole] Ooh, and there's the power of "Big" Bronson Reed, and…
The winner of this match, you have to believe, could be…
-[crowd chants] Gable! Gable! -…taking the next step up the ladder.
[Wade] Yeah, if you ask me, it's about time
big boy Bronson Reed started making some real waves here in WWE.
It's been too long that he's just been floating around,
not close enough to gold. This man is money.
-[Chad grunts] -[Cole] Oh! And there's Chad Gable.
In order to have success, you've got to win, Wade.
You want championship opportunities, you got to win matches.
[Wade] Well, right now, Chad Gable is the man of the moment here
on Raw, so, take him out, then, yeah,
people are going to really sit up and take notice.
[Cole] Gable, up to the top rope now,
and there's a missile dropkick. Bronson Reed, still on his feet.
And Gable said he could suplex Reed, attempting to do that here.
-[crowd cheers] -[Cole] And Bronson Reed,
-not going to allow it to happen. -[Wade] Well, he suplexed big Gunther.
But this man, Bronson, is even bigger--
[Cole] Oh! What a powerslam by Bronson Reed,
-the burly bruiser of a man. -[crowd booing]
[Wade] Three hundred and thirty pounds of danger bounces around the ring,
and has technique like that?
Maybe unstoppable!
[Cole] Who does Bronson Reed remind you of when you watch him in the ring?
[Wade] I mean, you dig deep… Uh, there really is no one nowadays.
Did you see, again, that brilliant technique from Bronson?
There's nobody nowadays who is anything like Bronson Reed.
He's a one-off. If I had to dig deep into history, maybe someone like
-Bam Bam Bigelow, who I know… -[Cole] Exactly,
-that's who I was thinking. -…Bronson Reed was a huge admirer of.
-[Cole] Oh! -Bron's outfit is a tribute
to Bam Bam.
-[Cole] Gable, whipped into the corner. -I'm just too big.
[Cole] Bronson, clearly stating,
-"I'm too big." -Come on, Gable!
You're next in line?
[Chad grunts]
[Cole] Reed has said, on a number of occasions,
that bigger is better.
[Wade] I mean, I will say a lot of people dismissed Chad Gable against Gunther
because of that size difference.
Gunther found out that Gable has the technique, the conditioning,
and the drive to combat that size,
but it ain't going well tonight.
[Cole] Well, Gable, telling Reed earlier that "I've suplexed men
as big as you my whole life."
-[Otis] Yeah! -[Bronson grunts]
[Cole] Maybe not quite as big as Bronson Reed.
[Wade] Yeah, they don't make many
as big as Bronson Reed. I'd like to meet some of these people.
[Cole] Now, Chad sent into the corner.
[Cole] Ooh. Kick to the face by Gable.
Chad Gable, who… Oh, look at Reed, though.
Ah, just pressing Gable high above his head.
And Bronson Reed said he-- Oh, my goodness!
-Off the… -[Bronson grunts]
…top of the ring post, driving him out of the ring!
"Big" Bronson Reed dominating.
-[crowd booing] -[imperceptible]
[Cole] Been a great night of action in front of a great crowd here tonight
in Salt Lake City, Utah, for Monday Night Raw.
Chad Gable is in the ring with 300-pound-plus "Big" Bronson Reed.
And Chad trying, somehow, to fight back into this match.
[Wade] Three hundred and thirty pounds of danger that can move
at breakneck speed.
-You need something special tonight, Chad. -[Cole] Oh! And Gable went
for the chop block to the back of the knee. Oh!
And Bronson Reed, about decapitated Gable.
[Wade] As soon as Gable builds up any momentum,
he is completely shot down by "Big" Bronson.
-[Cole] Watch this. Bang! Impact by Reed. -[crowd exclaims]
[Wade] Gable has had no answer to this onslaught of offense,
heading in his direction for the past five minutes.
-[Chad yelling] -[Cole] Well, Gable, though,
grabbing the arm into an armbar.
He's got five to break.
But the damage may have been done to Bronson Reed.
[Wade] Bought himself a little respite there.
Is it going to be enough to turn the tide?
[Cole] Also, take out the arm, take out the power,
perhaps, of Bronson Reed.
Reed, down to one knee.
Gable now, teeing off.
[Chad grunting]
[Cole] Bringing the big man down to size. Oh! And that overhead kick
right to the back of the neck by Gable.
And Gable now, going up to the top rope
as Otis and Maxxine of the Alpha Academy look on.
Big head-butt splash to Reed.
Cover, hooks that tree trunk-like leg,
as Reed, though, able to get the shoulder up.
Watch the impact here, Wade, of Chad Gable.
[Wade] Superb hang time and precision,
landing right to the cranium of big boy. Not quite enough to put
-the big Aussie away, though. -Looking for Chaos Theory!
But Bronson Reed, just plowing through, bulldozing over Chad Gable.
And there's that running-- Gable got the knees up!
Gable got the knees up, into the spine of Reed.
But Gable may have injured himself as he countered.
And now, looking for a German suplex on Bronson Reed,
-and Gable's knee gave out. -[crowd groans]
[Wade] Wow. Well, that is a defense that will work against 95%…
-[Cole] Oh, my goodness. -…of the locker room,
but not against someone like Bronson Reed.
[Cole] Oh, no, bring out the mop,
-bring out the broom and dustpan. -I've been waiting long time
for this, Michael Cole! Is everybody ready at home?
-[boisterously] Tsunami! -[crowd exclaiming]
[crowd] One, two, three!
-[bell rings] -[Cole] Reed, with the win!
["Battle Tested" playing]
[announcer] Here is your winner,
-Bronson Reed! -[mix of cheers and boos]
[Cole] So, this is a great counter by Gable, right to the senton.
You get the knees up, you go to the spine, try to take the big man out.
Problem is, all that weight, 330 pounds, injured the knee of Chad Gable.
[Wade] Yeah. And then, it was one-way traffic from there.
And then we look at the meeting of beauty and disaster.
-The greatest move in WWE… -[crowd exclaims]
…unless you're on the receiving end.
The Tsunami. Big win for Bronson.
-[imperceptible] -[theme song continues]
[Cole] As Bronson Reed likes to say, "Bigger is better."
I would like to think that I'm a patient man,
an observer at times.
So, when I came to Monday Night Raw, I made an internal agreement with myself.
"Play the long game. Be patient."
"Eventually, my number would be called."
So, I waited.
And I waited…
and I waited.
You know what I found out?
That in this universe, patience is not a virtue, it is a crutch.
In this universe, if you want something done,
you create your own opportunities.
So, if you didn't learn last week, well, tonight,
Giovanni taps again.
And then, what?
Ludwig.
And then, what?
Imperium, you did not choose me. I chose you.
And we don't got to play a long game of mystery to find out why.
Gunther,
you have…
what I want.
[chair clattering]
Uh, Tommaso Ciampa is not a man who wastes his words.
If he wants opportunities,
-Tommaso Ciampa will get opportunities. -Well, Ciampa is a former NXT Champion.
And speaking of NXT we have a new NXT Women's Champion.
Let's take you back to last Tuesday night, right here on USA.
[upbeat rap music playing]
[Vic] The NXT Women's Championship is ready to main-event now.
[crowd cheering]
[Vic] The Man is back!
[crowd continues cheering]
[Vic] No doubt, for Tiffany Stratton,
-this is her biggest match of her career. -[crowd booing]
And for Becky Lynch,
she is looking for the one title she has never held…
[crowd cheers]
…the NXT Women's Championship.
[Lynch grunting]
[crowd cheering]
[crowd exclaims]
-[Stratton grunts] -[crowd exclaims]
[crowd cheering]
[crowd exclaiming and cheering]
[crowd exclaims]
[crowd] One, two, three! [cheering]
-[bell rings] -[Vic] She's done it!
Becky Lynch has captured the NXT Women's Championship.
-[crowd continues cheering] -[Vic] Big Time Becks is now The Man
in NXT!
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] It was a star-making moment for Tiffany Stratton,
but you are now looking at the Grand Slam Man.
Becky Lynch, the new NXT Women's Champion is here.
She's going to have a match. Who will face her? Live, next.
-I'm not saying you're wrong. -You've seen this before.
I'm just saying you have to give--
But I do. I did. I did last week. And look, you kicked me in the face.
-And now, you saw Jey. -You saw that it was an accident.
You saw Jey talking to Damian Priest.
-Okay. It doesn't mean-- -Okay? Did he…
Yo, KO, you got something to say, say it to my face, Uce.
-You think I'm talking behind your back? -Yeah.
I'll tell it to your face. I think you're with Judgment Day.
And if you're not now, soon enough, you will be with Judgment Day.
-Last week was an accident. -Sure. Fine. But what about this week?
What about months? With The Bloodline on SmackDown, you couldn't do anything
by yourself. Same thing's gonna happen here. Before long,
you're gonna run to Judgment Day. Just--
-Kev. -What? What?
Can we all… just take a deep breath here?
-Okay? Seriously. -[exhales]
-Bring things down a little. -You know what? Fine.
You're right. Okay? I'll take a deep breath.
'Cause… I'm cool. You know what? Because I don't care, Jey.
I don't care if you join Judgment Day or not. I don't trust you either way.
Makes no difference to me. Do whatever you got to.
We don't have a match. I'm done.
-We're done. I'm out of here. -Okay.
-Are you coming? Yeah? -Yeah, I'm coming.
-I'll be in the car. All right. -I'll be there, now run.
-Man, talk to your boy, man. -Hey, man. You gotta listen.
You gotta understand. He needs time to come around too. All right? Just…
Just chill. All right? Just chill.
Look, this stuff tonight with Judgment Day, I don't know…
I don't know what's going on. Okay?
But it seems to me like you've got a decision to make tonight, a big one.
So, good luck with that, though.
-All right? -Thanks, man.
[Cole] Jey Uso has until the end of tonight
to determine whether or not he will join Judgment Day.
He's also having problems at every turn, not only with Kevin Owens,
but with this man, Drew McIntyre "The Scottish Warrior,"
who has an old score to settle with Jey Uso,
who was once part of The Bloodline.
It'll happen. They clash in our main event, live tonight.
["Celtic Invasion" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[bell rings]
[commentator] The following contest is scheduled for one fall,
and it is for the NXT Women's Championship!
Introducing first, she is the NXT Women's Champion!
"The Man" Becky Lynch!
[Cole] I would call her the show-stealer as well,
because that's what she did this past Tuesday night on NXT.
And what a performance
by the former Women's Champion, Tiffany Stratton.
[Wade] Yeah, we're going to be seeing a lot more of Tiffany Stratton
over the next few years. Incredibly bright future,
a woman who goes from strength to strength.
But this woman, Becky Lynch,
someone who has never once paid attention to barriers.
So, why should she pay any attention to the barrier of a brand?
Go wherever you want, Big Time Becks.
[theme song fades]
[crowd cheering loudly]
[crowd chanting] Becky! Becky! Becky!
The Man has come around to Salt Lake City!
[crowd cheers loudly]
And The Man is the new NXT Women's Champion.
[crowd cheering]
And while I will admit that winning the NXT Women's Title wasn't exactly
on my bingo card this year,
if I have learned anything
over the last few weeks,
it is that you have to take the chances and the opportunities while you can.
[faint cheers from crowd]
And so, I didn't want to just win this title and put it on my mantel.
I didn't want to just win this title,
so that I could say that I am a Grand Slam Champion.
[crowd cheering]
Though, that is pretty nice.
I wanted to defend this title.
I want to elevate this title to heights it has never seen before.
Because NXT quite literally represents the future of this business.
It represents hope. It represents hunger.
It represents passion. It represents progress.
And I want to test myself
against the very best the future has to offer.
[crowd cheering]
Which is why I will be at NXT tomorrow night. But tonight…
Tonight, I'm in Utah.
[crowd cheering loudly]
And I know there are a whole lot of women in the back
that worked their asses off, that haven't gotten an opportunity,
that want to step up to the plate.
So tonight, tonight is the night for somebody new,
because I am issuing an open challenge.
[crowd cheering and applauding]
And I can't think of a better place than now.
And I can't think of a better time than--
-["New Foundation" playing] -I messed that up.
-[theme song fades] -Becky… Becky.
With all due respect, I'd like you to tell me another woman
who's worked their ass off more than me for an opportunity.
[crowd cheering and booing]
After all, it was eight weeks ago that I took the Raw Women's Champion
-Rhea Ripley, to her limits. -[crowd murmuring]
And I have been sitting backstage ever since, waiting patiently…
for my chance.
So, yes, Becky, yes.
Yes, I do accept.
Uh, uh…
Nattie, Nattie, you know I have…
I've got nothing…
but respect for you. I mean, we go all the way back
to when we were wrestling in Japan as teenagers.
But when I… When I issued this challenge,
I meant it to be for somebody new,
somebody who hasn't had any opportunities and, well… Look, you've been here
-for 15 years, and-- -15 years of dedicating
my life to this. And you want to say that I'm taking
an opportunity away from somebody else?
You went down to NXT and you stepped all over every single one of those women,
that was waiting patiently for their chance.
[man] Yeah!
You are nothing but a hypocritical ginger witch!
[crowd exclaiming]
-[Cole] Oh! -[Wade laughs]
[microphone thuds]
-[crowd cheering] -[crowd murmuring]
[Lynch] Okay, okay. All right.
All right. You want to go? Then I accept.
You better ring that bell.
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Well, here's the thing,
-Wade, in an odd sort of way… -[bell rings]
…both of these women have points.
[Wade] I knew when an open challenge was issued,
it would only be answered by a veteran such as Natalya…
-[Cole] Oh, goodness! -…'cause Natalya would be
the only one sat in the locker room, in her gear, ready to pounce.
Now, she has her opportunity.
-This match continues. -[Cole] Can she win the title?
[Cole] This is an NXT Women's Championship Match.
The new champion, Becky Lynch, taking on Natalya,
who accepted a challenge of it earlier on,
-as Becky Lynch takes down Natalya. -[crowd cheers]
[Lynch grunts]
[Cole] And Becky Lynch, who is a former six-time World Champion…
-Bexploder, cover, hook of the leg. -[referee] One, two…
[Cole] And a kick-out. Seven-time, if you count NXT now.
Also, a one-time Tag Champ and a Royal Rumble winner,
as we take another look at the Bexploder.
[Wade] Yeah, and as great as Natalya has been in the past,
it has been a little while since she's been regularly competing
against people at the the level of a Becky Lynch.
And that, essentially, that rust of this main-event level competitor
may come into play in this match-up.
[Cole] Yeah, and this is for the NXT Women's Championship.
Looked like Becky was going for the Manhandle Slam.
Natalya blocked and turned it into a released German suplex.
[Wade] Natalya needs all 20-plus years of her experience tonight
-to pull out of the-- -[Cole] Sharpshooter, Becky Lynch…
with a great counter, almost pulled it off.
Becky sent out to the apron, nobody home.
Kick into Natalya.
Natalya, caught her in the ear.
And now, Becky, we're gonna head up to the top rope.
And Natalya meets the Champion there.
Natalya, a former two-time World Champion in her own right,
also a Tag Team Champion, would love to add the NXT Women's Title
to her resume tonight.
Superplex!
Both women down, cover by Natalya to win the championship.
Becky kicks at two.
[Wade] Natalya throwing all of her heavy artillery
at The Man, but it's not been enough thus far.
The Man, Becky Lynch's perhaps ripe for the pickings, now though.
[Cole] Becky Lynch says she's going to provide
a lot of opportunities to the young women down at NXT.
Looking to step through to the sharpshooter again,
the submission move by Natalya. Becky able to fight out.
Becky Lynch, now driving Natalya.
Just caught the base of her skull on the turnbuckle.
[Wade] What nice technique and ring awareness by Becky Lynch.
[Cole] And Becky, now up to the top rope.
Gonna fly, it's a dropkick.
[Wade] Pinpoint accuracy from the Champ.
[Cole] Natalya tries to roll out of harm's way.
Becky makes her pay with a baseball slide.
[Wade] Natalya just getting rag-dolled all over the arena at this point.
-[Cole] And now, Natalya in trouble. -The end is nigh.
[Cole] Becky, top rope, here comes the NXT Champ.
Nobody home. Becky's got to roll through.
Natalya with a discus clothesline, shades of her dad.
The late, great Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart.
Cover now for the Championship, and Becky kicks at two.
[Wade] The frustration starting to build on the face of Natalya.
Expertly ducking out of the way here and connecting the discus clothesline.
Beaten many in her past.
Now going for that sharpshooter.
[Cole] And again, Becky, able to counter looking for the Dis-arm-her.
Has it locked in, Natalya nowhere to go.
Natalya, will she tap to the Dis-arm-her?
But Natalya knows how to counter submissions.
Did well there. Kick out at two by Becky.
[Wade] Years of training in a dungeon will do that for you.
[Cole] Went for the Manhandle Slam, standing switch.
Natalya driven into the corner.
Becky, able to roll through, stacks her up.
-Natalya, a switch there. -One--
-[Cole] Becky, a cover as well. -One, two, three.
[Cole] Got her!
-[bell rings] -[crowd cheering]
-["Celtic Invasion" playing] -[announcer] Here is your winner,
and still…
the NXT Women's Champion,
"The Man" Becky Lynch!
[Cole] Becky Lynch successfully defends the NXT Women's Championship
against Natalya here tonight, but who will be next in line?
[Wade] Hats off to Natalya for being ready for this one,
a real back and forth affair.
[Cole] But Becky Lynch…
still your NXT Women's Champion.
Huge match next week. NXT World Championship.
Pearce, I just lost to Cody Rhodes.
You know why?
I was distracted that Mami isn't here and she's hurt.
She wasn't by my side.
-Do you know why she isn't by my side? -Why?
Because you weren't doing your job
punishing Nia Jax for what she did to her last week.
Instead, you're standing here talking to this guy.
I don't like guys with masks.
-They remind me of my deadbeat dad. -Whoa.
And next week I will remain
the NXT North American Champion.
Dominik…
I have no idea what's Rhea sees in you.
But what she won't see after next week, is a tee, without that title.
Porque, Dragon Lee is leaving Raw,
the new NXT North American Champion.
-Señor, gracias. -De nada.
[in Spanish] I'm always going to be the champion
[Cole] Tomorrow night, on NXT,
Dominik against the NXT Champion, Carmelo Hayes.
But next week, here on Monday Night Raw
Dominik Mysterio will defend the NXT North American Championship
against the scintillating, the dynamic, Dragon Lee.
["Symphony No. 9 In E Minor" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[bell rings]
[announcer] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first,
accompanied to the ring by Ludwig Kaiser,
representing Imperium,
Giovanni Vinci!
[Cole] Well, Tommaso Ciampa made it pretty clear,
Wade, that he has a mission.
And that mission is to step all over Imperium,
to finally get an opportunity at Gunther in the Intercontinental Championship.
It's Ciampa and Vinci.
One on one live next, on Monday Night Raw.
[Cole] We're back live on Monday Night Raw,
Giovanni Vinci of the Imperium set for action
against Tommaso Ciampa.
As that man Ludwig Kaiser looks on.
["No One Will Survive" playing]
[announcer] And his opponent from Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
weighing in, at 201 pounds,
Tommaso Ciampa!
[Cole] Wade, one thing we've learned over the years
about Tommaso Ciampa is that,
he is very possessive.
He gets something in his mind.
He wants to grab hold of it and not let go.
And right now, he has tunnel vision
on the Intercontinental Championship
held by Imperium member, Gunther.
He understands he's going to have to get through Imperium first
to get that opportunity.
[Wade] Yeah, but when the locker room starts chirping,
Gunther sends his finest troops to the front line
with a simple instruction,
Put out this fire for me.
It is Giovanni Vinci's job tonight,
to snuff out the dreams of Tommaso Ciampa.
[Cole] Let's see what Ciampa can do against Vinci.
With Ludwig Kaiser looking on at ringside.
This should be a very a physical match-up.
Ciampa, a short fuse, very explosive
and a very, very strong individual as well, as is Vinci.
[Wade] We've got two of the most well conditioned athletes
on Raw in the ring together right now.
Two cardio machines.
[Cole] And Kaiser, already inserting himself in this match-up.
And we knew from the get go this was going to be a two-on-one affair
for Ciampa.
[Wade] Inevitable, only a matter of time before Kaiser got himself
involved in the match and Tommaso Ciampa
has been around long enough to realize that.
[Cole] That big uppercut
-dropped Ciampa. -Let's go.
-Huh? -Let's go.
-Come on. -[Vinci] Most of us…
Watch the beard!
[Kaiser chuckling]
[Cole] Now, Ciampa trying to fight back.
I'd love to see a match between Ciampa and Gunther.
-Hard hitting affair. -[Wade] Yeah, who wouldn't?
[Cole] Oh, my goodness! Speaking of hard hitting.
[Wade] A baseball bat across the throat.
Surprised Ciampa is staying down, referee, taking a very close look.
Ciampa's world just got rocked.
-And I admire-- Oh, as we see… -There's the Champ.
…the Intercontinental Champion, Gunther, staring on.
[Cole] The longest reigning Intercontinental Champion of all time.
[Wade] Hey, the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time, Cole.
-[Cole] He may well be. -Superlatives can keep coming
for that man.
[Cole exclaims]
[Cole] Dropping Ciampa right on the back of his neck.
Cover now by Vinci. Is it enough to put him away? And a kick out at two.
[Wade] And how good has Vinci been?
Ever since Ludwig Kaiser got involved in this match-up
Ciampa has not got a single shot in.
[Cole] Well, how good is this group in general, of Imperium?
[Wade] Just perfectly well-drilled.
They've got it all figured out, all the tactics, all the strategies.
They know what they do well,
and they know what everyone's weaknesses are.
[Cole] Exactly, they complement each other so well.
[Wade] But enraging Tommaso Ciampa is not the smartest thing you can do.
[Cole] Ciampa caught by Vinci, again, the power of Vinci, so deceiving.
[Wade] I'll say, Vinci is pound for pound the strongest--
-[Cole] Thesz press. -And on Raw,
but that is what Ciampa has made his name off.
Bouncing back when everyone writes him off.
[Cole] A clothesline again and Ciampa picking up the pace, getting fired up.
[Wade] Ciampa looks fresh as a daisy.
[Cole] Vinci lifts him up on his shoulders.
Ciampa able to slip from underneath, and down goes Vinci.
[Wade] Two absolute studs.
Battling it out, barely even breaking a sweat.
Up, Giovanni, up!
[Cole] Kaiser trying to will Vinci on.
Ciampa now, as Kaiser again,
with the distraction, roll up now by Vinci for the win,
Ciampa able to kick at two.
Ciampa with a straight right hand and then a boot to the face.
Vinci able to block the thunderous chop.
[Wade] Technical to pugilism in the blink of an eye.
[Cole] Oh, goodness, knee caught Vinci.
And now, Ciampa promised to make Vinci tap out again
to the Sicilian Stretch.
Vinci trying to hang on, trying to hang on.
[indistinct shouting]
-Vinci taps to the Sicilian Stretch… -[bell rings]
of Tommaso Ciampa.
[announcer] Here is your winner, by submission,
Tommaso Ciampa!
[Cole] Gunther cannot be pleased with Vinci.
And the question is, is Ludwig Kaiser next,
on Ciampa's hitlist?
[Wade] Did you see that knee to the jaw?
At the time, it was unreal.
[Kaiser shouting indistinctly]
[Wade] The wobble of Giovanni Vinci.
[Cole] No clue where he's at. Ciampa, victorious.
[speaking in German]
[Cole] That man, Drew McIntyre is focused.
Because he has some scores to settle, here tonight.
And it all starts, with "Main Event" Jey Uso.
McIntyre has blamed The Bloodline
for costing him the Undisputed Championship.
For Jey Uso, he's got a decision to make.
Will he join The Judgment Day?
It's McIntyre, Uso.
It's our main event.
Live next, on Monday Night Raw.
You see the World Heavyweight Champion Seth "Freakin" Rollins behind me.
Seth, I know you tried to bring the fight to Shinsuke Nakamura earlier on tonight.
Obviously, the outcome was not what you wanted.
But right now, how are you feeling?
I'm tired.
I'm in a lot of pain.
And I'm trying… I'm trying to keep it together.
But I am losing my mind!
I'm so sick of Shinsuke Nakamura's games.
I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get that son of a bitch in the ring.
He's pushing me to a place, Saxton… [chuckles]
…I don't want to go!
I don't want to go, but I've got to go.
So he wants to do things on his terms.
He wants to do things on his terms.
So maybe, maybe I've been going about this all wrong.
Maybe I just-- I take my hands off the wheel.
[breathes deeply]
Shinsuke.
The ball's in your court.
You name the time.
You name the place.
[chuckles] You can even name the stipulation if you want.
But you gotta remember.
Our destinies are very intertwined at this point.
So ask yourself,
will you to be the one to define your legacy…
or will it be me?
[snarls]
Well, it sounds to me like Seth Rollins has been broken down
to the point where he's now lost all leverage
in negotiating a rematch,
with Shinsuke Nakamura.
The thing about Seth is he has now been driven
to the point of needing retribution.
Speaking of retribution, Drew McIntyre
hopes to get just that, coming up next
against the newest member, of the Monday Night Raw roster.
[Jey] It feels good to be out of The Bloodline, to be on my own.
But most importantly, to be right here
on Monday Night Raw.
I did some things in the past.
Might have created some enemies.
But you know where to find me.
[Wade] Drew McIntyre has a long memory.
May one day forgive, but I promise you he will never forget.
I want to look you in the eye and tell you right now,
that I do not trust you one bit.
With your brother for your whole life and career.
Then you move into The Bloodline.
[Cole] The Usos are loose now. They have Roman Reign's back.
[Cole] McIntyre believed he had Roman Reigns defeated.
If it wasn't for Jey Uso, who the hell knows what would've happened?
[McIntyre] Actions, of consequences.
I don't think you can stand on your own two feet.
I've got one last piece of business with you.
It sounds like you want to right some wrongs, Uce.
So how about this?
Go ahead and pull up.
McIntyre, Jey Uso, you're on.
I'm going to enjoy every single second of what I do to Jey Uso.
["Main Event Ish" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[bell rings]
[announcer] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first from San Francisco, California,
weighing in at 242 pounds,
"Main Event" Jey Uso!
[Cole] Wade, here's the problem if you're Jey Uso.
Not only do you got to worry about an angry Scottish Warrior
coming your way.
But you also have to make a decision.
The Judgment Day told Jey Uso,
"We want a decision before the end of the night tonight."
"Are you with us?"
"Or are you against us?"
[Wade] Well, if you ask KO, that decision has already been made
and Jey Uso, regardless of what he's telling everyone,
is already a member of The Judgment Day.
[Cole] You can't ask Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn anything
because they left the arena to, well, cool down
after the confrontation with Jey Uso earlier tonight.
Coming up, next.
"Main Event" Jey Uso,
against an angry "Scottish Warrior" Drew McIntyre.
They go one on one live, next.
On Monday Night Raw.
-[theme song continues] -[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Ladies and gentlemen, next week, Monday Night Raw
comes to you from Ontario, California.
And what a match-up for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles.
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.
Look to get their titles back from Priest and Bálor
of The Judgment Day, live.
[Wade] "Big" Bronson Reed put away one half of the Alpha Academy tonight.
Can he complete the set next week?
When he meets his physical match in the form of the "Tree Trunk" Otis.
Reinforce the ring when the big lads collide.
Next week, on Raw.
[Cole] And Shinsuke Nakamura.
How will he respond?
Seth Rollins has been pushed to the point
where he says, " Name the time, the place, the environment."
What will Shinsuke Nakamura do,
with the World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins' challenge,
next week?
"Main Event" Jey Uso, will he join The Judgment Day?
Can he knock off Drew McIntyre? All those questions,
to be answered, right now on Monday Night Raw.
["Gallantry" playing]
[announcer] And his opponent, from Ayr, Scotland,
weighing in at 275 pounds,
Drew McIntyre!
-[fireworks exploding] -[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Drew McIntyre admits there is a lot of conflict swirling around him.
He said there are a lot of wrongs that he needs to make right.
And that this isn't the Monday Night Raw
that he was a champion over.
He said he didn't enjoy what he had to do to Xavier Woods, last week.
But he will enjoy what he has to do to Jey Uso, tonight.
[Wade] Well, Drew McIntyre has been livid with Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods,
The Viking Raiders, Adam Pearce, even Cody Rhodes,
and anyone else who has crossed his path in recent weeks.
But especially perhaps, none more so
than the man who made his life a living hell
for three straight years, costing him opportunity after opportunity.
Giving him a beatdown after beatdown.
The man he squares up against tonight, Jey Uso.
[Cole] You know, you look back, Wade, and things really started to fester right?
They started to poison a little bit, for Drew McIntyre, about a year ago
at Clash at the Castle at Cardiff, Wales.
The night that Drew McIntyre had an opportunity
to knock off the Undisputed Champion Roman Reigns.
The Bloodline interfered, and the rest is history.
And I think since that moment, Drew McIntyre
just has not had the chance to climb to the top of the mountain.
And that's eating at him inside.
And he understands that he's got to try to right that wrong, in his words.
[Wade] As a Brit, that was supposed to be his career highlight.
-[bell rings] -[Wade] His moment that he didn't get.
When he won the WWE Championship at a crowd less WrestleMania.
It was all supposed to made good at Clash at the Castle,
and Jey Uso is one of the men responsible
for preventing Drew from achieving that destiny.
[Cole] So let's talk about Jey Uso and what he's facing here.
[Jey speaking indistinctly]
Right now!
[imperceptible]
Let's go.
[Cole] Jey Uso is not finding life all that pleasant since he's come back
to Monday Night Raw. After Cody Rhodes worked some things behind the scenes
to get Jey Uso back into the fold.
He's made a lot of enemies over the years as part of The Bloodline,
and Roman Reigns' group.
He understands he has to prove his trust to people, to get them to believe in him.
That's all you've got, this is going to be quick.
Kevin Owens doesn't trust Jey Uso.
Drew McIntyre clearly does not trust Jey Uso.
I'm sure there are many others that don't.
And now you've got coming from the other side,
Damian Priest and Judgment Day,
who were trying to offer, you know, sort of an oasis
for Jey Uso, an opportunity to become part of a family once again.
To have backup, where there is no leader at the rank of Roman Reigns.
Where it's a big-time family.
And what does Uso do?
Because he has to make a decision tonight.
[Wade] Well, you're right. First of all, Jey Uso's body
is covered in bullseyes right now,
as far as the entire Raw locker room is concerned.
The other thing you have to remember, for Jey's entire life
he's always had, at minimum,
one person having his back at all times.
Right now, he really has nobody.
I know. Sami Zayn is like, "I'm okay with you."
Cody's, "I'm okay with you." They ain't out here helping him.
They're not here protecting him. This is alien territory for Jey Uso.
Jey Uso needs friends right now.
And those friends are going to be The Judgment Day.
[Cole] I look at what's happened on Friday Night SmackDown
with Jey's brother Jimmy.
Jimmy understood that, it was a rough go, trying to go it alone,
and now he's trying to butter up once again
to Solo Sikoa, Roman, and Paul, The Bloodline.
And now McIntyre, just pounding away on Jey Uso.
[Wade] What are Jimmy and Jey used to?
They're used to tag team dominance.
They are each 50% of the greatest tag team in history.
So, to suddenly go from that to flying solo, sounds great.
Reads great on paper, but the reality is very different.
Standing on your own two feet with no backup.
[Cole] And Uso with a big right hand.
Again, you know, McIntyre has been a part of groups and tag teams in his career.
He really has had the most successes alone, and that's what McIntyre is.
He likes to work alone.
And he's going to take names and make them pay
as he's doing tonight with Jey Uso.
Nice suplex by McIntyre.
Gonna flow it into the cover, hook to the leg now.
And a kick out by "Main Event" Jey Uso.
[Wade] Listen, I've known Drew for about 20 years,
but it has been a long time since I've seen Drew McIntyre
with a chip on his shoulder as big as the one he has, right now.
That puts McIntyre back in the red zone.
And I don't care if you're Rey Mysterio,
you're Gunther, you're Seth,
you're Roman,
those guys all need to be looking over their shoulder right now.
Because Drew McIntyre will be coming for one of you.
[Cole] We tried to speak to Drew a bit, earlier on.
And he really didn't want to talk to us either.
He said he'll let his actions in the ring do the talking tonight.
[Wade] He's doing exactly that before our eyes.
[Cole] And I think too, you know, we discussed this a little last week.
Wade, the fact that Drew, I think,
I think he's hurt a bit, right?
He's sort of, the forgotten man, and he was WWE Champion
during a really dark period in the history of the world, right?
And he really carried WWE throughout all of that.
I think, it bothers him a bit.
[Wade] A bit? I guarantee you it bothers him a bit.
It's like we're all torn about this with Drew.
Carry WWE through the dark ages, of no crowds.
Won it all, and then the second the world opens back up again,
the real star takes center stage.
Leaving Drew McIntyre in the wings.
I think that's--
[Cole] Not to say that Drew McIntyre isn't a real star, of course he is.
-[Wade] But that's how, it seems. -I get your point.
[Wade] "Everyone else stay home. Let me carry the load."
"Come back when the crowds are here chanting your name."
It shouldn't work like that.
[Cole] Jey Uso taking out McIntyre understands he's gotta keep the Scotsman
off his feet. And he's going to do that with another suicide dive.
[Wade] McIntyre's world getting rocked all of a sudden.
Had it all his own way in the early goings of this one.
[Cole] Look who's here.
[crowd booing]
Damian Priest said, "Don't make me look bad."
"Give me your decision tonight."
"Are you with us or aren't you?"
[Bálor] Good stuff. Stay on him.
[crowd booing]
[Cole] We're live on Monday Night Raw.
Drew McIntyre has got Jey Uso in trouble.
The Judgment Day has wandered down to ringside.
Waiting for a decision to be made by "Main Event" Jey Uso here tonight.
[Wade] And I thought I saw a wink shared between Finn Bálor and Jey Uso
a couple of minutes ago.
[Cole] Jey was getting sweat out of his eyes.
[Wade] Rather convenient, isn't it?
[Cole] Bálor looks on and now the headbutts from McIntyre.
Ooh, what a right hand.
[Wade] Bull Hammer-esque. I like that, Drew.
[Cole] McIntyre, up to the top rope.
Will he take Jey Uso for a ride here?
High risk maneuver, Superplex!
-Bending both men in half. -Come on, Jey.
[Wade] McIntyre, just the one-man band of destruction.
Pulling out all the stops, tonight.
Which means punishing the man who has made his life hell,
over and over again.
McIntyre earlier today shared a video on social media
of Jey, giving him a savage beatdown with a chair
a few days before Clash at the Castle, last year.
[Cole] And that is why we have our main event here today.
The jam-packed crowd in Salt Lake City.
Drew McIntyre versus "Main Event" Jey Uso.
Judgement Day's at ringside here live on Monday Night Raw.
Both of these men, trying to prove themselves here,
in different ways, Uso that he belongs,
McIntyre wants to get back to the top of the mountain.
[Wade] Drew looks ready to fight to the death.
[Cole] Uso trying to clear his head, and he's staying in this match-up as well.
We all know about the resilience of Jey Uso.
[Wade] You stand toe-to-toe, slugging it out with McIntyre
and get the upper hand?
That's impressive.
[Cole] McIntyre stunned. Oh, Glasgow Kiss.
And now, enzuigiri caught Drew on the shoulder.
[Wade] Still staying on his feet though.
[Cole] McIntyre, Samoan Drop by Uso.
Cover, for the win, over McIntyre. Who kicks out.
-Come on, Uce. -[Cole] Now The Judgment Day, looking on.
Trying to show support for Uso, who could possibly join their group.
-[referee] One, two… -[crowd chanting] Uso! Uso!
[Wade] Jey Uso is persona non grata in the Raw locker room, right now.
And those Judgment Day faces at ringside must look incredibly friendly to him.
[Cole] McIntyre…
Sheesh, Damian Priest, showing his support in the background.
McIntyre, with a right hand to Jey Uso.
[Wade] Uso barely moving.
McIntyre like a tightly coiled spring.
[Cole] At 6'5", 270, up in the top rope.
Uso, back to his feet.
McIntyre rolls through.
Spinebuster. Jackknife cover by McIntyre.
Uso gets the shoulder up at two.
[Wade] And McIntyre carefully trying to keep an eye on The Judgment Day
at all times, trust nobody.
[Cole] McIntyre, perhaps a bit frustrated
that he hasn't been able to put Jey Uso away.
[Wade] It's no surprise. This is exactly why Raw management
wanted to bring Jey Uso into the fold.
Even with all the problems, that he brings along with him.
They know this guy is textbook A-plus.
[Cole] The reason he's called "Main Event" Jey Uso.
This has been a punishing, grueling battle between these two men.
Jey, kick to the face.
McIntyre. There's the neckbreaker.
[Wade] That is that surprise in rapid movement and agility
of The Scottish Warrior.
[Cole] And a kip-up by McIntyre.
[Wade] This is why he's been to the very top of this industry.
[Cole] McIntyre measuring Uso.
[crowd] Three, two, one!
[Cole] And now, Damian Priest grabbing McIntyre
as Dominik was distracting the official.
And Jey Uso takes advantage.
-[Wade] Yeah, the fix is in. -Uso!
Cover for the win, McIntyre kicks out.
And what if Uso had picked up the win there
after the aid of The Judgment Day?
[Wade] Well, that was the plan, presumably.
[Cole] But I don't think Jey Uso was in on it.
I'm not sure he even understood what happened.
[Wade] Well, you're more naive than most, Michael Cole.
[Bálor] Do it for The Judgment Day. Finish it for The Judgment Day.
Hey, it's our time.
-It's our time, Uce. It's our time. -We got you.
-[Bálor] You gotta do it. -[Dominik] Come on, Uce.
[Dominik] Come on.
[speaking indistinctly]
Listen to me, man.
There's nothing you can't do with family on your side.
This ain't no Bloodline, this is the real family.
-[Cole] Oh, no! -[Priest] Yeah!
-[Wade] It's our time. -[Cole] Jey Uso--
Superkick to Damian Priest!
And now to Finn Bálor.
And another one to Dominik.
And ladies and gentlemen, Claymore!
From McIntyre.
Uso made his decision.
-McIntyre capitalized with a win. -[bell rings]
[announcer] Here is your winner,
Drew McIntyre!
[Cole] Jey Uso with an emphatic no, to The Judgment Day.
But Drew McIntyre with a Claymore.
[Wade] I take it all back.
Heart of gold, that Jey Uso.
What a victory for McIntyre.
But this is where it all went south,
between Jey Uso and The Judgment Day.
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] First to Damian, then to Finn.
And then to "Dirty" Dom. McIntyre took advantage
of the situation.
Right place, right time, Claymore.
[bell rings]
[Wade] Well, with all the best intent in the world.
The recruiting tactics of The Judgment Day
simply did not work out when it comes to Jey Uso.
[Cole] Yeah, and I believe things are gonna get…
Be very bad now for Jey Uso.
[Wade] Well, he's just increased the number of bullseyes
on his body by at least three.
[Cole] Wade, the problem is he's embarrassed Judgment Day.
Judgment Day offered Jey into the group, and he embarrassed them by the assault.
Now a three-on-one attack.
McIntyre looking on. Uso getting assaulted now by the Judgment Day.
[indistinct shouting]
[Cole] And the assault isn't over yet.
[Wade] Do you really feel bad for Jey Uso?
How many of these beatdowns has he perpetrated?
[Cole] McIntyre is in a crisis of conscience.
[Wade] Between a rock and a hard place.
[Cole] McIntyre walking away.
Listen, he could help Uso if he wanted--
-[Wade] Why should he? -Perhaps-- Is he?
[Wade] He doesn't owe Jey Uso anything.
[Cole] Maybe he does.
-Or perhaps, too much bad blood. -["Kingdom" playing]
And here's the man who brought,
helped bring Jey Uso back in the first place.
Cody Rhodes, The American Nightmare.
Going after The Judgment Day and coming to the aid of Jey Uso.
[Wade] Jey Uso's one friend on planet Earth.
[Cole] I'm not sure if it's friend.
But at least for now-- Cross Rhodes to Dominik.
And Judgment Day in retreat.
Uso said no.
Judgment Day, embarrassed, they attacked Jey Uso.
McIntyre decided not to get involved.
Cody Rhodes came to the aid of Jey Uso.
[Wade] Right now, anybody not punching Jey Uso in the face,
pretty much qualifies as a friend, Cole.
["Kingdom" continues]
[Cole] Cody Rhodes, standing tall,
here tonight on Monday Night Raw.
-[crowd cheering] -[imperceptible] Cole.