[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.
[Cole] What a hell of a battle. The fighting champion.
Seth Rollins retains.
[Rollins] After the match, Damian Priest tried to cash in
his Money in the Bank contract on me.
[Cole] Wait a minute, Sami Zayn!
I just wanted to say, "Thank you, Sami."
You have got yourself a World Championship Match.
[Cole] Rollins and Zayn going at one another.
-Suicide dive… -[Wade] Bad back and all.
[Cole] Sami Zayn takes out the champion.
Went for the stomp…
Blue Thunderbomb for the title.
Rollins at two and a half!
-Seth with a pedigree! -One, two…
[Cole] Zayn kicks out at two.
Sami picked him out of the air.
With a bad back on Rollins.
[Wade] As deep as you could ever cinch it.
How on earth did Rollins get out of that?
-[Cole] Rollins rolls up Zayn and got it. -[bell rings]
Seth Rollins survives.
The proverbial agony of defeat for Sami Zayn.
He had Rollins about to tap out.
Wait a minute! Judgment Day attacking Sami Zayn.
[Wade] For every action, there is an opposite reaction.
And you're getting that right now.
Here comes some back up! "Main Event" Jey Uso!
"The American Nightmare!"
Here comes general manager Adam Pearce.
Enough!
I'm tired of the games.
You four wanna play games?
You four want to play games?
We're going to play games in Chicago at Survivor Series.
in WarGames!
[Cole] Hell, yeah!
Two rings surrounded by a steel cage!
Judgment Day, Rhodes, Rollins, Jey Uso, Sami Zayn…
there are bodies going everywhere!
Let the games begin!
♪ Let's go ♪
♪ I got a vision I see in my head ♪
♪ A melody buried deep into my soul ♪
♪ Break the rules, break the laws This is the moment we change it all ♪
♪ Yeah, greatness ♪
♪ Yeah, it feels like greatness ♪
♪ Legendary in the makin' ♪
♪ Reach out and we take it ♪
♪ 'Bout to emerge, we on the verge ♪
♪ And it feels like greatness ♪
♪ Yeah, greatness ♪
♪ Yeah, it feels like greatness… ♪
[fireworks exploding]
♪ 'Bout to emerge, we on the verge ♪
-♪ And it feels like greatness… ♪ -[crowd cheering]
[Cole] With Survivor Series WarGames looming a week from Saturday,
things start to take shape tonight.
You are looking live
at the Capital One Arena in our nation's capital, Washington, D.C.
This is Monday Night Raw.
["Kingdom" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[crowd singing along]
[fireworks exploding]
[announcer] Ladies and gentlemen,
please welcome "The American Nightmare"
Cody Rhodes!
[Cole] Ladies and gentlemen, it is a big night for Cody Rhodes tonight
because in our main event, he will team with "Main Event" Jey Uso
to try to regain the Undisputed Tag Team titles,
as they take on Finn Bálor and Damian Priest of Judgment Day.
[Wade] And last week, a furious Ivar
took out his frustrations on the new Number One Contender
for Gunther's Intercontinental title, The Miz.
This week, will the rage continue or will The Miz bite back
when those two go one-on-one later tonight?
[Cole] And also tonight, the scintillating Shinsuke Nakamura's
path of self-destruction
is put to the test against the Alpha Academy's powerhouse, Otis,
live tonight.
["Kingdom" continues playing]
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting] Cody! Cody! Cody!
So…
Washington, D.C…
What do you guys want to talk about?
[crowd cheering]
I know what we should talk about.
I have a lot of wonderful memories in this arena.
And I want to give you a memory tonight,
and I am going to do so when myself and my tag team partner,
"Main Event" Jey Uso…
[crowd cheering]
I'm telling you here. I'm telling you now.
Everybody watching at home,
we are going to win the Undisputed Tag Team Championships tonight.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting] Cody! Cody! Cody!
Thus is the immediate future.
On the horizon, of course, we have the match beyond…
WarGames.
[crowd cheering]
So without further ado,
allow me to introduce to you my team.
["Main Event Ish" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] They are on their feet for "Main Event" Jey Uso.
The man who teams with Cody later tonight for tag titles.
["Worlds Apart" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[crowd] Let's go!
[Cole] You know, in this year's version of WarGames,
there are only two men who have ever competed in a WarGames match before.
That would be Jey Uso.
And this man, Sami Zayn.
[crowd cheering]
["Visionary" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[crowd singing along]
[Cole] The World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins.
Wade, it is thunderous in here.
[Wade] I have never heard a reaction for four entrances
quite like we heard tonight.
Every lyric of every song being screamed right back at these Superstars.
["Visionary" continues playing]
[song fades]
[crowd vocalizing "Visionary"]
[imperceptible]
You're too kind, D.C.
[crowd cheering]
D.C., we are all in the ring for one reason,
and that reason is The Judgment Day.
[crowd booing]
Whether I have gotten along with you my whole career,
whether I have just recently gotten along with you or…
[crowd jeering]
[speaking indistinctly]
["The Other Side" playing]
[Cole] A lot of history between Cody and Seth, obviously,
but now they have to turn their attention to the group they will face
inside the WarGames structure a week from Saturday, The Judgment Day.
Hey, boys. Boys, boys.
Hey.
Take a look at these four clowns.
[crowd booing]
They can't even look each other in the eye.
How on earth do you think you're going to beat The Judgment Day at WarGames?
Guys, let's be real.
You're a group of randoms thrown together.
This is a family.
I really don't think you all realize
what you're getting yourselves into at WarGames.
When you step in that giant cage,
I promise you, The Judgment Day
will finally be done with each and every one of you.
[Finn laughs]
Hey, Seth "Freakin" Rollins…
How's it feel being World Heavyweight Champion?
But standing next to Cody Rhodes,
the one man that you could never beat?
[Damian Priest laughs]
You know, speaking of Cody.
Hey, Cody…
How does it feel knowing that you can beat these guys in any match you want,
but the one thing you can't do is be a Champion?
[crowd booing]
Hey, Sami Zayn. Sami, you call yourself
a World-Championship-level Superstar?
[Damian Priest laughing]
But after your performance last week, your partners know,
and I know that you're nothing but a loser.
[crowd booing]
Let's not forget about "Main Event" Jey Uso.
[crowd booing]
Let me ask you three a question.
Can you really trust this guy,
knowing that he screwed each and every one of you
in the name of his Bloodline?
The truth is--
[crowd booing loudly]
[imperceptible]
[crowd booing loudly]
-[imperceptible] -[crowd chanting] You suck! You suck!
Hey, Dom, the truth is nobody wants to hear you talk, all right?
[crowd cheering]
You think we don't see what you're doing here?
You're trying to pit us all against each other.
That's not what this is about.
We can put whatever individual issues we have to the side.
Because, let's be honest, this match is about power, isn't it?
Yeah. All you guys talk about is the power,
and I'll give you guys credit.
You guys have managed to get a lot of power
when you've been able to cheat,
and when you've been able to help each other out
and play the numbers game. But guess what?
At Survivor Series, it is WarGames.
[crowd cheering]
And you don't know what you are in for, pal.
Two rings, one cage, and it is going to be
the most brutal match of your lives.
[crowd cheering]
You are going to find out the hard way that the power on Monday Night Raw
lies with the four guys that you are looking at in this ring right now.
[crowd cheering]
Hey, speaking of power…
I'm shocked that you guys figured out
how to even get down here tonight without Mami.
I mean…
She is your leader, right?
-She's not the leader. The Judgment-- -What did you say?
Oh. You're going to say The Judgment Day has no leaders?
Well, when Mami is gone, I assume the orders go to Dom.
-Is Dom the leader? -Dominik's not the leader.
-Because-- -If Dom… I get it, I get it.
Dom is not the leader. Finn is not the leader.
You're not the leader. I guess that makes JD the--
[Damian Priest] Cody!
I'm the leader.
[crowd exclaiming]
[Jey] Hey, Cody. I think you got him hot right now. Yeet.
[crowd chanting] Yeet! Yeet! Yeet!
WarGames…
-The Judgment Day-- -Hey, shut up.
Everybody just shut up. I'm sick of all this talking.
[crowd cheering]
I'm ready for a fight.
Now, four of us got a fight tonight. Four of us don't.
I'm dressed for a fight.
Sami, you're dressed for a fight.
What do you say we slap the taste out of these two bozos?
Come on, JD. Come on, Dom. Let's go.
Let's go. Come on.
Hey, Seth…
-We accept. -Oh, yeah.
Let's get Pearcey out here and make this official.
Let's do it right now.
[Cole] Well, Wade, the leader has spoken.
Damian Priest said, "We accept."
Is Pearce going to make it official?
Seth and Sami against Dom and JD McDonagh, live on Raw.
["Visionary" playing]
[imperceptible]
[Cole] Ladies and gentlemen, match was made official
by general manager Adam Pearce during the commercial break
-here on Monday Night Raw. -[bell rings]
It'll be Rollins, the World Heavyweight Champion, and Sami Zayn
against JD McDonagh and Dominik Mysterio.
Of course, JD McDonagh appears to still be auditioning, Wade,
for a part of The Judgment Day group,
even though he's in the WarGames match a week from Saturday.
[Wade] It's the audition that's seemingly never ending.
Man has put his body on the line time and again for The Judgment Day.
Very little gratitude or thanks coming back in his direction.
[Cole] And Seth Rollins, who successfully defended
the World Heavyweight title last week here on our main event
against his teammate tonight, Sami Zayn.
Joins with Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso to take on common enemies in WarGames.
[Wade] A little effort at a pedigree there from Seth Rollins.
Thankfully, Dominik Mysterio had to save the day.
And now, Rollins--
[Cole] And from behind, a shot to the kidney, JD McDonagh.
And of course the lower back, the issues well-documented
when it comes to the World Heavyweight Champion, Rollins.
[Wade] Dead set on running at 100 miles an hour is Rollins,
ignoring his body and medical staff screaming at him to slow down.
[Cole] Tag made. Here's Dominik Mysterio,
the current North American Champion at NXT,
who's been running into some problems with Wes Lee as of late at NXT.
Mysterio will be entering the WarGames for the first time in his career.
In fact, as I mentioned earlier, only Sami Zayn and Jey Uso
have ever had experience inside the WarGames.
Two rings surrounded by a steel cage
and unique rules in that matchup which we'll get into
a little bit later on tonight on Monday Night Raw.
Sami Zayn makes the tag.
Sami Zayn said it's all about one thing, Wade,
putting our individual issues aside
and trying to take the power away from The Judgment Day.
-[Wade] I thought Judgment Day-- -[crowd] One, two, three,
four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
[Wade] Judgment Day made a great point earlier on tonight
when they mentioned there's very little
holding the rivals of The Judgment Day together,
apart from the fact that they have a united front against a common enemy,
whether that is going to be enough to overcome the challenge
of The Judgment Day is another question entirely.
[Cole] I agreed with a lot of what Judgment Day was saying,
despite the way that they said it.
Rollins is backed into the corner.
JD McDonagh makes the tag.
I think the breaking news tonight
is the fact that Damian Priest has come out
and admitted that he's the leader of The Judgment Day.
He even agreed to this match tonight
and it didn't seem like anybody was too happy about it.
[Wade] Well, I don't know if I fully got on board with that.
That was a hot-headed moment, perhaps, from Damian Priest,
who has had a rough couple of weeks.
Maybe we need to pump the brakes a little on that one
and let a cooler head prevail. We'll see.
[Cole] It may get a lot worse for Damian Priest later on tonight,
as him and Bálor defend the tag titles against Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso.
And now Dominik Mysterio about to deliver Three Amigos.
Of course, this was made famous by the late, great Eddie Guerrero.
We think about Eddie on this day.
And now Rollins dropping Dominik Mysterio.
And tag made.
And here comes Sami Zayn.
And Zayn with a big right hand knocking McDonagh off the apron.
Dominik Mysterio now runs into Sami Zayn,
who is hell bent on ending The Judgment Day.
-Oh! -[Wade] Sami, absolutely disconsolate
last week, after losing narrowly to Seth "Freakin" Rollins
for the World Heavyweight Championship.
[Cole] And Finn Bálor preyed on that a little earlier tonight
when he said to Sami Zayn, "Hey, you want to be a champion?"
"You're nothing but a loser."
[Wade] True this, Sami has no time to lick his wounds.
And that's probably a good thing.
Right back into the eye of the storm with Judgment Day and WarGames.
[Cole] I really have no idea what McDonagh and Dominik are discussing.
Well, it looks like perhaps they…
No interest in continuing this match and they may have no choice.
Zayn and Rollins out after Dominik and McDonagh.
McDonagh, face first on the barricade.
Sami Zayn with Dominik back in the ring,
and there's the Exploder suplex into the corner.
[Wade] Mysterio and McDonagh had no intention of coming out
and competing tonight. Priest has put them in this position.
It's not going well.
[Cole] And Sami Zayn went for the Helluva Kick,
and Dominik Mysterio moved out of harm's way.
One!
[Cole] And now JD McDonagh,
Seth Rollins drives McDonagh over the top rope
[speaking indistinctly]
Rollins and Sami Zayn seem to be on the same page here.
Look out, Wade! Incoming!
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Well, Wade, JD McDonagh and Dominik Mysterio
have turned things around during the commercial break,
and I'm actually impressed with the way they've been working as a team.
Meanwhile, though, Zayn intercepted.
[Wade] Yeah, no doubt about the capabilities of JD McDonagh
and Dominik Mysterio.
But they are in there with two of the absolute best tonight.
Needs to be firing on all cylinders.
[Cole] Sami Zayn trying to drag himself to the corner.
Makes a tag now to the World Champion Rollins.
Tag made to Dominik,
and now Seth and Dominik…
Long history as well between these two, and Rollins now.
Down goes Mysterio.
And Seth with the Sling Blade.
Now, kick to the midsection
and McDonagh runs into a big clothesline by Rollins.
[Wade] Sami Zayn is down and perhaps out.
Seth Rollins may have to win this one on his own from here.
[Cole] Now Dominik up on Seth's shoulders. Oh!
Knee right to the gut.
Rollins. Down goes Mysterio again.
[crowd cheering]
And the World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins.
Dominik up high into the corner though. JD McDonagh hanging on…
And it allows Dominik--
And now Sami Zayn pounding away on McDonagh!
[Wade] Well, breaking down on the outside, referee losing control,
and poor JD McDonagh got flattened.
[Cole] Dominik watching McDonagh go face first into the ring post.
Meanwhile, Rollins…
hooking Dom, who skirts away from the pedigree.
Nice drop toe hold.
He's got Rollins in position.
[Wade] What a reversal from Dominik.
[Cole] Bang! What a kick by Seth!
Rollins with Dominik up high…
Seth with a buckle bomb.
[crowd vocalizing "Visionary"]
Dominik does not want to be there.
Meanwhile through the crowd, Bálor and Priest.
[bell rings]
And there's Mami. Rhea Ripley, the Women's World Champion,
barking orders as Priest and Bálor just maul Seth Rollins.
[Wade] When things look bleak,
expect the numbers game from The Judgment Day.
[Cole] And now McDonagh and Dominik into the fray.
It's four on two, but not for long.
Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso.
[Wade] Just a tad late, boys.
[Cole] And all eight men who will be a part of the WarGames match
a week from Saturday are out here in a fierce brawl,
just like we ended Monday Night Raw last week.
Officials are rushing down to the ring to try to separate everybody.
[Wade] This was just inevitable, Cole.
[Cole] And what's going to happen, Wade, when they're locked inside a cage?
[Wade] It's all legal then.
No one's going to try and stop it.
[Cole] And now more than a dozen security,
along with the officials, have come out here
to separate these teams.
The fight continues!
JD McDonagh just took the bullet for Priest.
[Wade] Once again, JD McDonagh putting his body on the line,
yet he is the fringe member of the group.
[Cole] Jey Uso went to spear Priest.
Enough! Enough!
I told you I'm sick of the games.
Another night, another ruined match.
Well, the Championship Match tonight's too important,
and they deserve better.
[crowd cheering]
So here's what we're going to do
to make sure it doesn't happen again tonight.
Every one of you involved in WarGames, you're banned from ringside.
[Cole] Good.
Actually, that's not good enough.
By the time we get to that main event,
I want you out of the building because you're banned from the arena.
[Wade] Tonight's Tag Team Championship will be even!
-[Cole] Rhea is irate! -[indistinct argument]
No, this is absolute crap, Pearce.
Monday Night Raw, it needs The Judgment Day.
You can't just ban us from this arena.
-Are you saying you don't like it? -Yes, of course.
Frankly, my dear, I do not give a damn.
[crowd cheering]
You do not run Monday Night Raw.
Judgment Day does not run Monday Night Raw.
I run Monday Night Raw.
And you may not like it, but you better not show your pretty little face
during that main event either, because you too, my dear, are--
-["Cut Above The Rest" playing] -[Cole] Adam Pearce going all Clark Gable.
-Meanwhile, Rhea did not want to see this. -[Rhea Ripley] You're kidding me.
What the hell does she want now?
-Number One Contender for Rhea's title. -Rhea… Rhea…
I know you're not as dumb as you look,
but we all know exactly what I'm doing out here right now.
[Pearce] Ladies, we've had enough drama.
I am up here-- Shush. That's enough from you.
I actually want to hear what Zoey has to say.
Fine.
We all know, Rhea, that I am inside of your head.
See, you're spread too thin.
You're worried about too many things.
WarGames, hmm?
You're worried about the tag title match, right?
You're always worried about little Dom Dom.
And now, Rhea, you are worried about that title.
See, I went through all of the women last week on Raw to earn this opportunity.
And if you think for one little second that you are going to overlook Zoey--
No, no. No, Zoey, that's where you're wrong.
I'm not overlooking you.
I've actually been watching you since you were in NXT,
and I knew that it was just a matter of time
before we'd be standing in this ring, face to face.
I mean, you've accomplished a lot here within your first year.
You sent the WWE Hall of Famer Trish Stratus packing.
You beat "The Man" Becky Lynch.
And you've actually cemented yourself
as one of the top women here within the WWE, Zoey.
It's funny though, because now that I think about it,
you sort of remind me of myself.
Zoey you're a future champion.
But the only way that you're going to win a championship here within this company
is if you are on the opposite brand to me
because Mami is always on top.
[crowd cheering]
-So no, Zoe. -[crowd chanting] Mami! Mami! Mami!
Yeah, you can chant "Mami," that's fine, because, Zoe, I'm not overlooking you
and I'm not spreading myself too thin.
I can handle The Judgment Day, the Tag Team Championships,
WarGames, Dom Dom,
backstage politics, my Women's World Championship,
because I'm Rhea bloody Ripley!
[crowd cheering]
So now that you've come in here and you've said your piece,
it's time for you to get out of my ring and let me continue handling
Judgment Day business.
-[microphone thuds] -[speaking indistinctly]
Well, Rhea, let me just say this.
I nearly took that title from you at Crown Jewel.
And I will become champion
-at Survivor Series. -[microphone thuds]
[Cole] Oh, Rhea tried to attack Zoe from behind and paid for it.
[speaking indistinctly]
Rhea, I just need the one, two, three.
["Cut Above The Rest" playing]
[Cole] Think about Zoey Stark, Wade.
Not intimidated in the least by Rhea Ripley.
[Wade] Stark just pulled the thread and Ripley completely unraveled.
[Cole] Is Zoey Stark in Rhea's head?
Will she win her first major championship
a week from Saturday at Survivor Series?
[speaking indistinctly]
[speaking in Japanese]
["Shoooosh" playing]
[Cole] Wait, who is Shinsuke Nakamura targeting?
[Wade] I have been trying for weeks to figure out the reason or the rhyme,
the meaning behind the riddle,
but if I was anybody in the Raw locker room right now, I'd be very wary.
[Cole] Otis is up next for the dangerous yet scintillating Shinsuke Nakamura.
Nakamura took out Tozawa of the Alpha Academy last week.
Can he do the same to the mammoth Otis?
We'll find out live next on Monday Night Raw.
-You're beautiful. -I'm feeling beautiful.
-You ready? -Yes.
[Cole] WrestleMania is in Philadelphia in April
at Lincoln Financial Field,
but all other events surrounding WrestleMania
-will take place at Wells Fargo Arena. -[Wade] Yes, indeed.
This includes SmackDown and the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony
on Friday, where Legends will be inducted.
And of course, NXT Stand & Deliver, live, Saturday afternoon.
[Cole] And, Wade, we have the honor and the privilege of being ringside
for one of the most exciting nights of the year,
the Raw after WrestleMania, live that Monday.
Get ready. Combo tickets are on sale this coming Friday.
Banned from the arena, that's a new one.
I know, I know, we gotta do something.
But they're not gonna, they're not--
Sami, if you could just give me a moment with Seth, please.
-You guys good? -We're good.
All right, man.
Can we talk?
Come on, what do you want?
Don't you have a tag title match you gotta worry about tonight?
Absolutely, and winning the tag titles
is just step one to dismantling The Judgment Day.
Cut it, cut it, that's not why you're here.
So quit the foreplay and just ask.
Okay, Seth, I need you for one night…
Three hundred and sixty four days in the year,
we can hate each other, but at the WarGames,
I need you and the team needs you.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?
[exhales]
I don't like you.
I don't know if I'm ever gonna like you.
But I respect you.
You need me for one night? You need us to be good for one night?
At WarGames, I promise you, we're good.
-We're good. -Now go win them damn titles.
[Cole] A smart strategy by Cody Rhodes.
["The Rising Sun" playing]
[bell rings]
[announcer] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Making his way to the ring from Kyoto, Japan,
weighing in at 220 pounds, Shinsuke Nakamura!
[Cole] Well, tonight Nakamura gets Otis, but last week he had Tozawa,
who was trying to prove himself to the Alpha Academy,
so he challenged Shinsuke Nakamura, but it didn't go too well.
[Wade] It was a superb effort from Tozawa, but flattened with a Kinshasa.
Inevitable.
One, two, three, victory for the King of Strong Style.
And after getting his arm raised,
Chad Gable got a little extra for his money.
Blissfully unaware with Shinsuke Nakamura that something had stirred up inside Otis.
[Cole] Yeah, well, Otis will try to silence
Shinsuke Nakamura here tonight.
Otis coming off a victory over Drew Gulak this past Tuesday on NXT.
Meanwhile, the Alpha Academy tomorrow night
on NXT finds themselves guests on the Supernova Sessions.
[Wade] No pinky, no party.
-[Cole] Otis, the 330-pounder… -[bell rings]
…against Shinsuke Nakamura.
Nakamura, extremely different as of late, very dangerous and more cryptic than ever.
You mentioned it briefly before the break, Wade, that Shinsuke with these…
comments, obviously targeting someone over the past number of weeks.
-And who that is, we have no clue. -Yeah, good luck figuring that out.
I'm sure it all makes complete sense to Shinsuke Nakamura, but the--
Well, of course it does. He's the one saying it.
[Wade] …Japanese Superstar, hard man to figure out, Cole.
You're a journalist. What are you laughing at?
You figure it out. That's your job, isn't it?
[Cole] Well, of course Shinsuke knows who he's targeting.
[Wade] Do you actually believe? Maybe he doesn't.
[Cole] He's not making it up as he goes along.
[Wade] He's a little out.
[Cole] Nakamura now with a couple of kicks to Otis.
Trying to knock the big man off his feet. Not quite.
Otis still standing strong.
[Wade] Otis caught with a knee to the temple there.
Such is the size of the big man of the Alpha Academy.
Takes a hell of a lot to knock him down.
[Cole] And look at the power now of Otis.
[Wade] Into a one-arm body slam attempt.
[Cole] Oh, and just slinging Nakamura to the mat.
[Wade] Throwing a bag of coal down.
[Cole] Chad Gable looking on, of course, the coach of the Alpha Academy,
Maxxine out there, as is Tozawa,
as Otis backs his 300-pound frame into Nakamura in the corner.
Nakamura does a version of this. He calls it Good Vibrations.
I'm not quite sure what you would call this by Otis.
Not So Good Vibrations?
[Wade] Not something I ever want to see again. Let's put it that way.
[Cole] And Otis now, splash to Nakamura.
[Wade] Nakamura barely getting out of the blocks in this one.
So enraged is Otis after the disrespect shown
to his teammates in the Alpha Academy last week.
[Cole] Now, the clubbing blows by Otis dropping Nakamura to the mat.
[Wade] He's feeling it, Cole. This is your favorite bit.
Yeah, it's called the Caterpillar.
[Wade] I'd like to close my eyes at this moment.
[Cole] Nakamura thinks twice about it, scoots out of harm's way.
-And Otis just plowing through Nakamura. -Oh, yeah!
-Otis in control. -Sorry, Shin-Shin.
Shoooosh!
[Cole] We're back live on Monday Night Raw,
nation's capital, Washington, D.C.
Capacity crowd tonight as Shinsuke Nakamura
takes on Otis of the Alpha Academy, and Nakamura is taking control
during the commercial break.
[Wade] Yeah, Nakamura completely flattened just before we went to commercial,
but the durability of the man is something to behold, as is the raw power of Otis.
[Cole exclaims]
[Cole] Otis just slamming Nakamura to the mat.
[Wade] Yeah, things were starting to look bleak there
for the Alpha Academy member, but that show of pure strength,
pure instinctive strength,
has bought him a window back into this one.
[Cole] It's been an uphill battle for Nakamura,
just trying to chop down a big old Sequoia here tonight.
And Otis just ran through that attempted clothesline and elbow by Nakamura.
Missed with the kick, Otis showing some agility.
Shoulder tackle takes down Shinsuke.
[Wade] 350-pound bowling ball. How the hell do you fight that?
[Cole] Couple of back elbows by Otis.
Nakamura whipped into the corner and then the impact--
Oh, and a clothesline.
[crowd cheering]
[Wade] Otis fired up with a Caterpillar.
[Otis] Hello, Shin!
[Wade] And this time it connects!
-Cover! -[crowd] One, two…
[crowd exclaiming]
[Cole] Caterpillar struggling to get out of his cocoon, but it's effective.
[Wade] Well, that is ultimate frustration there for Otis after dropping
that sternum-crushing elbow to the chest of Shinsuke Nakamura.
What on earth will it take to put him away?
[Cole] And now Shinsuke Nakamura,
all on the top rope, able to slip underneath.
Otis caught on the turnbuckle.
And Nakamura caught him on the other side. Down goes Otis.
[Wade] Cogs always whirring in the mind of Nakamura.
And this looks bleak, Cole.
[Cole] Oh, went for the Kinshasha.
Otis with the World's Strongest Slam. Cover now! Kick out by Nakamura at two.
[Wade] Late, late kick out from Nakamura.
If Otis had hooked the leg there, he may have got the victory.
But it might be academic, watch again.
Lining up for the Kinshasa, that instinctive power of Otis,
something to behold, and now the big man is going up high.
[Cole] And Shinsuke Nakamura about to go splat,
but able to move out of harm's way.
Now for the second rope, Nakamura, Kinshasa, but Otis still on his feet.
-Nakamura can't believe it. -That's not running now.
[Cole] Now to the back of the knee of Otis, who is down.
Nakamura with a kick. Kinshasha to the back of the neck.
-[Gable] Otis. Otis… -[Cole] Otis is still stirring.
Nakamura can't believe it. And a third Kinshasha.
[Wade] That'll do it.
-Cover by Nakamura for the win. -One, two, three!
-[bell rings] -["The Rising Sun" playing]
[announcer] Here is your winner,
Shinsuke Nakamura!
[Cole] It took not one Kinshasa…
It took not two Kinshasas…
But it took a hat trick of Kinshasas
for Shinsuke Nakamura to put Otis away.
[Wade] Otis must have a steel jaw and a steel back of the head.
But whatever the job done for Shinsuke Nakamura,
he is prepared to do it.
Yeah, and who's Shinsuke Nakamura targeting next?
[Wade] Maybe about to find out.
[Cole] Maybe the leader.
[indistinct shouting]
Nakamura just taunting Chad Gable.
[Wade] Chad Gable does not back down to a challenge.
[Cole] But Shinsuke Nakamura in a place I don't think I've ever seen him before.
[Wade] Say what you want about the poison-filled mind
of Shinsuke Nakamura.
No doubt about it, he is as dangerous as he's ever been right now.
Well, you know, folks, a week from Saturday,
it is a Thanksgiving weekend tradition.
It is Survivor Series WarGames.
We got a taste last week. We got a taste earlier tonight
of what's going to happen inside that steel structure.
Here's an inside look at WarGames.
["War Pigs" by Black Sabbath playing]
[man] Some cages are built to keep things out.
Some cages are built to keep things in.
But our cage is built for war.
♪ Generals gathered in their masses ♪
[announcer] WarGames!
♪ Just like witches at black masses Oh, Lord, yeah ♪
[Cole] Two rings inside a cage. Now, two men are going to start
at equally timed intervals. Another Superstar will enter the ring,
the match actually doesn't start until all members are in the ring.
The first team to gain pinfall or submission will win WarGames.
-[man] Two teams… -And it's chaos here.
-…two rings… -Absolute carnage laid out through
-two rings. -One cage.
[Wade] Destruction, bedlam everywhere you look.
[man] WarGames.
[Cole] WarGames is a different animal.
Intensity is an all-time high.
Let the WarGames begin.
And it's an interesting concept, this match.
Two rings inside a cage.
Now, two men are going to start at equally timed intervals.
Another Superstar will enter the ring.
Now, one team will always have the advantage until everyone
is in the ring.
When that happens, the match actually officially begins
at that point, and then the first team to gain pinfall
or submission will be declared the winner of one of the most
brutal matches in WWE today, WarGames.
You know, you told me if I lost at Crown Jewel,
I'd have nobody to blame but myself.
You were right.
You also told me it may be the best thing that ever happens to me.
And you might be right about that too.
There's something I've been wanting to give you since last Saturday.
You represent that title the way a World Champion should.
Congratulations, and I'm gonna do what I always do.
I'm gonna work my arse off, I'm gonna fight my way back,
and I'm gonna get that rematch.
I know you will, big man, I know you will.
[Cole] Great show of respect from Drew McIntyre
for the World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins.
Speaking of champions…
["Taste The Jealousy" playing]
[bell rings]
[announcer] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, accompanied to the ring by Chelsea Green,
she is one half of the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions,
Piper Niven!
[Cole] Well, tonight, Piper Niven goes it alone.
The powerhouse will take on…
none other than Tegan Nox, who's been under the guidance
of the legendary Natalya.
She's fresh off injury, and she's got Piper Niven on her mind.
They go one-on-one, live, next.
Oh, stop, stop!
[Niven] For a long time, I've been defined by an injury.
She tore her ACL along with tearing both her medial and her lateral meniscus.
[Niven] And let me tell you, no one wants to be known
for a bunch of videos of them crying.
But the last year of my career has been the craziest of my life.
I've stepped in the ring with some of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time.
And you know what?
[Cole] Known as the World's Shiniest Wizard.
I learned that I can hang with the best of them.
[Wade] The Welsh Firecracker is a contender.
Tegan Nox, your favorite WWE Superstar.
It's got a nice ring to it, doesn't it?
[Cole] We are back live on Monday Night Raw.
-["Blue Marvel" playing] -Big opportunity for Tegan Nox.
[announcer] And her opponent, accompanied to the ring by Natalya,
from the Welsh Valleys, Tegan Nox!
You know, Wade, I have been a big fan
of Tegan Nox since she arrived here in WWE.
In fact, back to the Mae Young Classic a number of years ago,
I actually picked her to win that tournament before she suffered
one of those crucial knee injuries.
But Tegan is on her way back here on Monday Night Raw.
[Wade] No doubt about it.
Go back five years, everybody was talking about the Tegan Nox
that we saw in NXT, how she was going to be this big breakout star.
I feel like so many people completely forgot that
that Tegan Nox exists.
I even think Tegan Nox forgot that that Tegan Nox lives inside her,
but she had a star maker performance several weeks ago
against "The Man" Becky Lynch and she's back on the map.
-[Cole] She's got Natalya backing her up. -[bell rings]
She can learn a lot from Natalya.
Tegan comes right out of the blocks with a dropkick to Piper Niven.
Big matchup here tonight for Tegan.
One thing I've noticed as well, Wade, over the past number of weeks here,
Tegan Nox, her confidence continues to grow.
There's some of that high-octane offense from Nox.
Cover now on Piper Niven, one half of the tag champs in a kick-out.
[Wade] You're not wrong on the confidence.
I think it was Becky Lynch and Natalya, between them kind of
challenged Tegan Nox to step out of her comfort zone,
stop walking around on eggshells, remember who you are,
get back to that girl you used to be, and she's finally there.
[Cole] Oh, and Piper with a headbutt driving Tegan down.
One of the other things about Tegan,
she was injured a number of weeks ago in NXT, missed a few weeks of action.
And in the past, injuries like that would really kill her confidence.
Oh! And that didn't seem to be the case this time around.
[Wade] No chance. I mean, she's got that bit between her teeth.
-The problem is-- -Oh, no!
[Cole] Piper with that running senton, Tegan may be down and out,
she could have a busted rib.
-Cover now, kick out by Nox in two. -One, two…
[Wade] Yeah, showing some nice durability there, Tegan Nox.
But you're right, you come out of the blocks hot
against someone like Piper Niven and you really have to,
because one slip up and you're on the receiving end
of that kind of bone-crushing offense.
[Cole] Well, Tegan Nox said she wants to take care of Piper Niven tonight
because she wants to shut up the woman who is yelling at ringside.
The other half of the tag champs, Chelsea Green, who may be one of
the most annoying individuals that I've ever been near.
[Wade] Well, I'll tell you this, Chelsea Green is an--
[Cole] Oh, goodness!
[Wade] Chelsea Green is an absolute pest at ringside,
but it is so helpful when you're someone like Piper Niven
competing in that ring, having that distraction for your opponent.
[Cole] And now Piper is just punishing Tegan Nox,
using the power to her advantage.
[Wade] It's an intolerable amount of force being applied to the neck,
to the clavicle, to the collarbone of Tegan Nox,
desperately trying to find a way out. Easier said than done.
[Cole] That short arm clothesline just drops Nox.
Cover now by Piper, and a kick out at two, and again,
just a little peek at the guts of Tegan Nox as she stays in this matchup.
[Wade] Yeah, struggling to stay in, understandably.
[Cole] Does she ever take a breath? Does Chelsea ever take a breath?
[Chelsea] I know you love her, no, no? I'm sorry, I…
[Cole] Seriously, does she take a breath?
[Wade] Taking a breath is overrated when you're Chelsea Green
because it prevents you from speaking, and that really is her specialty.
[Wade] Now Tegan trying to fight back against Piper.
[Wade] It has been a game effort here from Tegan Nox,
but she is showing the wounds of war.
[Cole] Tegan just caught by Piper.
-Oh, goodness. -Shoulder breaker.
[Cole] And here's the cover.
And Tegan again able to fight out at two.
And Piper realized that it's gonna take a little bit more
than that to keep Tegan Nox down.
[Wade] Piper Niven has been apparently studying Papa Shango,
but that kick may have caught Piper Niven in the temple.
[crowd chanting] Tegan! Tegan!
-[Cole] Is she into voodoo? -[Wade] Something like that.
-Shoulder breaker, come on. -[Cole] I know.
And now Tegan trying to hang on.
Dragging Tegan up is Piper and again, the powerhouse Piper Niven
has Tegan up high. Tegan able to roll through,
shoulders down now by Piper and a kick out at two
and Tegan caught her. Cover!
Hook of the leg and-- Oh, she got most of it,
but not enough as Piper got the shoulder up at two.
[Wade] Tegan Nox, a former football player,
that's soccer for you Americans from Wales.
-[Cole] Chelsea causing a distraction. -There you go.
There's the pest once again, and straight into that clothesline
was Tegan Nox.
The distraction was all it took, and now Natalya, perhaps,
wants to even the odds here.
[Cole] Natalya's heard enough.
-Whoa! -[Wade] Defend yourself, Chelsea.
[Cole] Now, Piper blasting Natalya off the apron.
Well, Chelsea, I don't think can talk. Thank goodness.
And Piper now, went for the running crossbody.
Tegan moved out of harm's way.
World's Shiniest Wizard!
-Caught Piper, hooks the inside leg. -One, two…
And Piper got the leg on the bottom rope.
[Wade] I have no idea how much Piper Niven actually knew about that
fortuitous landing after that World's Shiniest Wizard to the temple.
Still alive in this matchup, but complete jelly at this point.
[Cole] It's gotta be total frustration for Tegan,
who thought she had put Piper away.
Tegan now up over the top looking for a Sunset Flip.
Piper, though, able to hang on.
And Tegan moving out of harm's way.
Shoulders down, got Piper wrapped up.
-[crowd] One, two, three. -Nox got her!
-[bell rings] -["Blue Marvel" playing]
[announcer] Here is your winner, Tegan Nox!
[Wade] Well, it was speed of thought from Tegan Nox that really won
her that matchup. An epic performance.
Just beat one half of the Tag Team Champions in the women's division.
[Cole] And Tegan Nox, she said that if I knock off Piper Niven,
I want Chelsea Green because I want to finally shut Chelsea Green up.
Impressive win here tonight by Tegan Nox.
Tegan Nox continuing to show WWE management
she is a big time player in the women's division.
Talking about impressive, let's take you back to last week
on Monday Night Raw and the Fatal 4-Way to determine who faces Gunther
a week from Saturday at Survivor Series for the Intercontinental title.
The big man Bronson Reed and Ivar coming off the top rope.
[Wade] One of those missed tsunamis, double pin,
it was Ricochet who got his shoulder up.
Bronson Reed did not, meaning the winner
and new Number One Contender for Gunther was The Miz.
[Cole] And Ivar was irate to say the least.
Just punishing The Miz.
[Wade] Bloodthirsty rage emitting from The Viking.
And then ultimately this.
The world's biggest moonsault crashing down upon The Miz.
No time to celebrate.
[yells]
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the Number One Contender
to the Intercontinental Championship, The Miz.
[crowd cheering]
Miz, with pressure mounting for you to become a nine-time
Intercontinental Champion, what's driving you to dethrone
"The Ring General" Gunther?
A bus.
Took me a long time, finally got myself a bus.
You mean the match? Respect.
To restore the respect of my legacy as the Intercontinental Champion
that Gunther has been trying to diminish by name calling.
Calling me…
[imitates Arnold Schwarzenegger] "…a sports entertainer."
"He's a clown. He's a joke."
-"Get to the chopper." -[Ivar] You are a clown.
Miz, you're a joke.
And you think you can look past me tonight?
You're not making it to Survivor Series.
Everyone's just pouring on the--
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
-Hi, Bronson. -Hi, Miz.
-You're interrupting? -Yeah, because I need to let you both know
you're lucky to even be standing right now.
The only person luckier than you two is Gunther for escaping me.
-Escaping you? -Yeah.
Escaping you?
You had your title match, and I don't see the Intercontinental Title
-over your shoulder. -Ooh.
Stand down, big fella, before I send you back a failure to your "Viking gods."
Valhalla, smarten your man up.
-Why don't you smarten me up, huh? -I can smarten you up.
-I can smarten you up right now. -Go ahead, smarten me up.
-Come on! -[grunts]
["It's Our Moment" playing]
[Cole] Ivar better refocus on The Miz who he meets later on tonight.
[bell rings]
[announcer] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, accompanied by Johnny Gargano,
representing DIY,
Tommaso Ciampa!
[Cole] Well, DIY's successful reunion hit a major roadblock against
The Creed Brothers last week, thanks to the conniving Ludwig Kaiser.
Well, tonight, Tommaso Ciampa with an opportunity to shut Kaiser up.
And Ciampa and Kaiser, they go one-on-one live next on Monday Night Raw.
["It's Our Moment" continues playing]
[Cole] Survivor Series is presented by Credit One Bank.
Get cashback rewards and live large.
Well, Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano, DIY, were living large
until they hit a roadblock last week.
We'll show you what happened here in just a moment
as Ciampa gets set to take on Ludwig Kaiser.
["Symphony No. 9 in E Minor" playing]
[announcer] And his opponent, accompanied to the ring by Giovanni Vinci,
representing Imperium, Ludwig Kaiser!
-[Cole] Kaiser, stuck up much? -[imperceptible]
[Wade] You're jealous of his good looks, Cole. Don't be a hater.
[Cole] Last week on Monday Night Raw, DIY versus The Creed Brothers
in just their second only match.
DIY was going for Meat in the Middle until Brutus Creed
made sure Ciampa was no longer involved.
And off that distraction, Ludwig Kaiser comes into play.
[Wade] Yeah, Ludwig Kaiser has been in the doghouse in Imperium
as has Giovanni Vinci of late.
But you have to think, Gunther would have loved
what he was seeing there. Victory for the Creeds.
[bell rings]
[Cole] And the official doing what he can to separate these two teams.
A lot of bad blood.
[Wade] Telling me, this has been going back a couple of months,
in fact before that, these two teams clashed several times
over the years in NXT, Imperium are fully aware of just how good DIY are
-and were trying to snuff out that threat… -[bell rings]
…before they really got started here on Raw.
[Cole] Long-standing rivalry between these two.
And Ciampa now in pursuit of Ludwig Kaiser.
And again for Imperium,
a lot of pressure on their shoulders as well.
Gunther, of course, the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion of all time,
and he's been trying with all his might
to get Kaiser and Vinci on the same page.
[Wade] At times Kaiser and Vinci have been completely…
-…disrupted. -[Cole] Oh!
[Wade] This has not started at all well for Ludwig Kaiser.
[Cole] And Ciampa now taking the fight, what a shock, to our announce table.
[Wade] Our announce table, eh?
[Cole] As Kaiser is bounced off the announce table face first
and back into the ring.
And a big chop by Tommaso Ciampa who, when he is focused, Wade,
he can be unbeatable.
[Wade] Yeah, verging on some sort of competitive psychosis is Ciampa.
Very difficult to stop when in full flow.
But right there, a thumb to the eye might have aided…
[Cole] Oh!
[Wade] …what Ludwig Kaiser is trying to achieve tonight.
[Cole] And walk me through Kaiser now. What makes him so dangerous?
[Wade] Well, first of all, let's just admire
the masterpiece that this man is, Cole.
This man is straight out of The Louvre in Paris.
He really is something to behold, a treat for the eyes,
but technical prowess
coming out of his ears and a vicious turn in a heartbeat
which is what Tommaso Ciampa is tasting now.
-[Cole] Where in Paris? -Louvre.
-[Cole] So-- -I speak French.
[Cole] Have you been to The Louvre?
[Wade] The Louvre. Yes, I have been there.
[Cole] It's not all that impressive, but nonetheless.
[Wade] If you're not particularly sophisticated, Michael Cole, you won't--
[Cole] Bang! Ciampa with a big clothesline.
Cover now on Kaiser, hook of the leg and a kick out.
[Wade] You like comic books, right? That's your level of art.
Let's get back to the match, Michael Cole,
because we are witnessing a masterpiece between these two.
And this is Tommaso Ciampa giving it everything he's got
to decapitate Ludwig Kaiser.
[Cole] DIY, of course, the team,
and the reason they are called that, "Do It Yourself", is really manufactured
to turn themselves in a top-ranked competitors here in WWE.
[Wade] They're used to being stepped on, they're used to being disrespected,
being told they've not got what it takes to make it in WWE.
However, consistently proved the doubters wrong.
[Cole] Kaiser telegraphed that and paid for it.
-And Vinci grabbing the leg of Ciampa. -Come on!
And Kaiser makes him pay.
Ludwig Kaiser, Giovanni Vinci,
of course Gunther, they looked down their noses at the likes of DIY.
[Wade] Yeah, here's the crazy thing. In my eyes-- Oh, wait.
[indistinct shouting]
-[Wade] Ooh! -[Cole] The official…
[Cole] …going to send Vinci back to the locker room.
[indistinct shouting]
[Wade] Kaiser's going to go it alone.
[Kaiser] He didn't see it!
[indistinct shouting]
[Cole] Despite the fact that Giovanni Vinci
has been sent back to the showers,
Ludwig Kaiser is in control of Tommaso Ciampa.
Johnny Gargano, Ciampa's partner, still hanging out at ringside.
Let's see what happened during the commercial break,
and how Kaiser really took over.
[Wade] Yeah, he shows the abilities of Ludwig Kaiser,
technical proficiency, aerial ability,
at his absolute militant, rapacious best tonight.
And Tommaso Ciampa is hurting.
[Cole] Tommaso Ciampa, though, will dig down deep.
He'll fight back that blue-collar style of the former NXT champion.
And Ciampa now.
Oh! the Thesz press takes down Kaiser,
and now unloads with right hands by Ciampa.
[Wade] This is that explosive rage
that Tommaso Ciampa is known for, that second wind.
[Cole] That's what Kaiser is trying to prevent.
That's why he had grounded Ciampa.
But now Ciampa, building momentum.
[Cole] There's that inverted DDT.
-Cover now. -[referee] One, two…
[Cole] Almost had him. Kick out at two.
[Wade] Anyone who has ever stepped in the ring with Tommaso Ciampa
comes away respecting the man's grit and the man's drive.
[Cole] And still to come tonight,
our main event is for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team titles.
Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso look to regain the gold
from Bálor and Priest of The Judgment Day.
Ludwig Kaiser caught Ciampa and then followed up with a clothesline.
Ciampa still on his feet, however.
[Wade] Perfect timing there from Ludwig Kaiser,
and it had to be because this match was almost over.
[Kaiser grunts]
-[Tommaso] Yeah. -[Kaiser] Yup.
[Cole] Maybe over now.
-[Kaiser yells] -[Cole] And a big kick.
Cover by Kaiser.
Is it enough?
Kick out by Ciampa at two.
[Wade] Really nice rolling driver there from Ludwig Kaiser, softening up.
[Cole] Watch the impact here.
[Wade] Here we go. Softening up Tommaso Ciampa
with this boot to the jaw.
[Cole] One other thing I do want to mention about Judgment Day,
as they get set to defend the tag titles later tonight,
is I still want to see what's going to happen
with the fallout of Damian Priest coming out here earlier and calling himself
the leader of the group.
[Wade] Stop stirring the pot. That's what you always do.
Wait, we've seen this before from Kaiser, this DDT.
[Cole] Ciampa able to counter.
Waistlock now.
Kaiser, well-placed elbow to the ear and Ciampa with a right hand.
And now both men exchanging blows.
[crowd cheering]
[Wade] Slugfest like this has to favor Ciampa.
[Cole] And is well documented.
These two men do not like each other.
[crowd cheering]
[Wade] Bile and hatred between the two.
And right now Tommaso Ciampa is getting the best of this war.
[Cole] Ciampa doesn't like the way that Kaiser carries himself,
And he's going to make Kaiser pay.
[Wade] Look at this, as intense competitors,
they are incredibly similar,
but personalities miles apart.
[Cole] Now Kaiser trying to hook Ciampa or is it Ciampa trying to hook Kaiser?
[crowd cheering]
Kaiser trying to slide down. Lands on his feet.
Ciampa trying to hang on.
[Tommaso grunting]
[Wade] Kaiser going for that powerbomb attempt,
crumbling at the fist of Ciampa-- Oh!
[Cole] Ciampa face first now off the top turnbuckle.
And Ciampa now-- Oh! What a right.
Stunning Kaiser.
[referee] Ludwig.
[Cole] Big uppercut.
Kaiser now, second rope. Oh!
Ciampa caught him with the knee.
Is it enough to put him away?
Ciampa…
[Wade] Ciampa taking no risk, didn't go for the pin.
[Cole] And now Giovanni Vinci comes back into fray.
He was kicked out of this match-up.
Kaiser from behind.
-Shoulders down. -[referee] One, two, three!
-[Cole] Kaiser with the win. -[bell rings]
What?
-["Symphony No. 9 in E Minor" playing] -[announcer] Here is your winner,
Ludwig Kaiser.
[Cole] I'm actually shocked the ref counted,
since he had kicked out Vinci earlier,
but nonetheless, Kaiser picks up the win
after a drive-by by Giovanni Vinci on Johnny Gargano.
[Wade] While Ludwig Kaiser was about to lose the match,
Ciampa in complete control, but that drive-by by Giovanni Vinci.
Watch again.
[Cole] And you know what's important about this, Wade,
is Vinci has been, for weeks,
on the cusp of an implosion with Imperium
because of numerous backfires.
But tonight, Giovanni Vinci pays dividends for Ludwig Kaiser.
[Wade] No doubt about it.
Kaiser has been putting charge in Vinci in recent weeks,
and perhaps his influence is paying off.
…pay for trying to embarrass you out there.
-Who does she thinks she is? -It's fine. It's fine.
You know, I'm going to handle Zoey when it comes to Survivor Series.
But since you and JD are banned from the arena,
we really need to focus on Finn and Damian defending their Tag Team Championships.
So maybe,
we should see what our fearless leader's thoughts are.
Hey, man, I thought we didn't make matches for each other.
All right, guys, take it easy.
Look, I got hot.
I said what I said, but you know I didn't mean it.
It sounds like it does.
But I have to admit, it does,
does sound good for WarGames.
So, if you guys are okay with it,
I think Priest is the man for the job.
Cool about it.
I'm cool with it.
All right, we're good.
Sounds like a plan.
Priest, you're in charge of WarGames.
Rhea, how about that other thing we need to take care of?
[Rhea Ripley chuckles]
-JD. -We're doing this right now?
Yes.
Yes, we are doing this right now,
because JD is in medical at the moment,
because he took a shot for you.
That could be you sitting there in medical.
And then what would happen to the Tag Team titles?
Come on, big man.
He's proven himself time and time and time again.
Come on.
It's time to make him a full member of The Judgment Day.
Fine.
All right.
Let's go give JD the good news.
Let me handle this one myself.
-All right. -He earned that.
[Cole] Finally.
["Fighting Spirit" playing]
[yelling]
[bell rings]
[announcer] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first from Chongqing, China,
Xia Li!
[Cole] Xia Li has been taking out everybody in her path
as of late.
Xia Li has taken out Candice LeRae and "The Man" Becky Lynch
with vicious kicks.
Indi Hartwell stands in her way.
They go one-on-one, live next on Monday Night Raw.
[Cole] Tonight, Monday Night Raw is presented by Golden Corral.
Golden Corral is proud to support the hiring of veterans.
Here's a woman who is
really making a name for herself as of late, Xia Li.
[Wade] No doubt about it.
Kind of stayed in the shadows over the past year,
surveying the landscape in the women's division
but now ready to launch an assault.
[announcer] And her opponent,
accompanied to the ring by Candice LeRae,
from Melbourne, Australia,
Indi Hartwell!
[Cole] Well Candice LeRae was Xia Li's first victim
a couple of weeks ago,
but want to show you what happened last week.
It was the women's Battle Royal to determine the Number One Contender
to face Rhea Ripley at Survivor Series.
Becky Lynch about to enter the fray
when she was assaulted, ambushed, attacked from behind
by Xia Li.
And Xia Li was not done there.
Watch this kick. Bang!
It knocked Becky Lynch loopy
to the point where she couldn't compete in the match.
[Pearce] Are you kidding me right now?
You are out of here!
[Cole] And because of that attack, general manager Adam Pearce
didn't allow Xia Li to participate in the Battle Royal either.
[Wade] Yeah. Completely backfiring, but it just shows
how lethal those kicks from Xia Li truly are.
[Cole] Well, Xia Li, tomorrow night on NXT,
has what is being called a "warrior tea ceremony"
with the NXT Women's Champion,
-Lyra Valkyria. -[bell rings]
[Cole] A week from tomorrow, Xia Li will battle Valkyria
for the Championship.
Cover now! Indi Hartwell quickly in this match-up as she looks
to avenge the assault on Candice LeRae a couple of weeks ago,
her longtime friend.
[Wade] Hartwell using that elongated frame of hers to her advantage.
[Cole] Indi Hartwell, who had a great NXT Championship Match
against Becky Lynch on Raw a few weeks ago.
[Wade] Another one who had a star-making performance against Lynch,
but this assault in the early goings against Xia Li
may have slowed down after that collision with the steps.
[Cole] Yeah, hip first into the steel steps
and now Xia Li…
goes on the assault.
[Wade] This is the problem when you're on defense
against someone like Xia Li,
and need to keep your guard up at all times
because one of those kicks is proven,
it will take you down in a heartbeat.
[Cole] Xia Li also driven by the fact that she believes
she has to prove something here, believes that, for a number of years,
she's been held down, wasn't given the opportunity
she thought that she deserves.
[Wade] It took her a while to start making waves,
but she has corrected that in recent weeks.
And everybody is watching this woman and the damage she can do.
[Cole] Yeah, high octane offensive style from Xia Li, of course,
the martial arts background.
Nice suplex by Xia.
Into the cover now on Indi Hartwell and a kick out by Hartwell.
[Wade] Merciless nature to Xia Li.
And Indi Hartwell really struggling as Candice LeRae looks on
shouting words of encouragement,
perhaps falling on deaf ears at this point.
-[Xia yells] -[grunts]
[Cole] Into the corner again, Xia Li catches it with a running knee.
[Wade] After that initial flurry, Indi Hartwell has very little answer,
but that might turn the tide somewhat.
[Cole] Yeah, remember, Indi is a former NXT Women's Champion.
Never lost the title, had to relinquish when she was drafted to Monday Night Raw.
Oh, big clothesline by Hartwell.
[Wade] This is nice from Hartwell.
If you want to get back to the top of the card,
you have-- Nice spinebuster.
[Cole] Cover on Xia Li for the win. Kick out by Xia.
[Wade] You have to be prepared to go toe-to-toe
with some of the more ruthless women in the division,
such as Xia Li.
-[Cole] Xia… Bam! -An example of a ruthlessness…
[Wade] Spinning heel kick, completely knocking Indi Hartwell loopy.
[Cole] Again and Indi just…
collapsed into the mat.
-[Xia] Come on. -[LeRae] Keep her back.
[crowd booing]
-[man] Stand up! -[Xia] What--
-Ring the bell. -[bell rings]
[Cole] Referee Eddie Orengo had no choice but to stop this match.
Indi Hartwell could not continue.
[announcer] The referee has determined
that Indi Hartwell can no longer compete in this match.
Therefore, your winner is Xia Li!
[Cole] Again, that sudden impact by Xia Li has ended this match quickly.
Here's the problem, Wade. Xia is dangerous,
she's explosive, but she's got a chip on her shoulder.
[Wade] And to be clear, that was a different type of kick
to the one that put Becky Lynch and Candice LeRae down in previous weeks.
It shows the versatility of strikes that Xia Li has in her arsenal.
[imperceptible]
[Cole] Xia--
["Celtic Invasion" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Well, here comes "The Man" Becky Lynch.
Xia, Xia, Xia, Xia.
I want to thank you for hitting me in the head last week.
Because now…
we're not going to wait to do it on your time.
We're going to do it on my time.
[crowd cheers and applauds]
And, well,
The Man has come around to Washington, D.C.
[crowd cheering]
And I came here looking for a fight.
-[microphone thuds] -[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Xia Li quickly going after Becky Lynch,
and Becky going for the Manhandle Slam and Xia Li retreating.
[crowd booing]
[Wade] You cheap shot, Becky Lynch.
You better expect some consequences.
[crowd booing]
My time. I told you!
[shouting indistinctly]
That's the kind of fighter you want to be, Xia.
You want to run away? You want to keep running?
Well, you only got seven more days to run because I've made it official.
Next week it's going to be Xia Li versus "The Man" Becky Lynch.
Welcome to the Big Time.
[Cole] Well, it is step up or shut up time
for Xia Li next week on Monday Night Raw.
-I'll take you on next week? -[speaking indistinctly]
[Cole] Could be a great opportunity.
Could be a nightmare.
[both speaking indistinctly]
[exhales]
Congratulations, Mike.
To the surprise of absolutely everybody,
you won last week.
And even though it wasn't the most decisive victory, I would say,
let's face the facts.
Fun and games are over.
Because you're now the rightful challenger to what's rightfully mine.
Watch my match tonight.
Because I don't think you understand who you're dealing with.
I do whatever it takes to win.
I do what everyone else won't do to capitalize on moment after moment
after moment for 20 years.
There's a reason I've held that title eight times.
So at Survivor Series…
you're going to learn the difference
between longest-reigning and greatest Intercontinental Champion
of all time.
I know exactly who I'm dealing with.
Good luck for tonight,
because whatever happens out there will not compare
to the beating of a lifetime you will receive
at Survivor Series.
["Vicious" playing]
[Cole] The Miz has got a little less than two weeks
before he's got to worry about Gunther.
Right now, he better worry about this man.
[female voice] Valhalla is here.
[Cole] The impressive Ivar…
who is upset that he didn't win the Fatal 4-Way Match last week
for an Intercontinental Championship opportunity.
[Wade] Not a man you want to upset.
["Vicious" continues playing]
[bell rings]
[announcer] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, accompanied by Valhalla,
representing The Viking Raiders,
Ivar!
[Cole] Coming up next,
an angry Ivar sets his sight on Miz.
Ivar, Miz, one-on-one live on Monday Night Raw.
[Cole] Ladies and gentlemen, tonight, Monday Night Raw is live
in our nation's capital of Washington, D.C.
In a matter of moments, The Miz is going to go one-on-one
with Ivar of The Viking Raiders.
But still to come tonight, it is our main event
and it is for the Undisputed Tag Team titles.
Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso
look to win back the gold against Damian Priest and Finn Bálor
live tonight on Monday Night Raw.
Of course, Wade,
this match-up will go a long way to building momentum
to the WarGames match a week from Saturday at Survivor Series,
where also Rhea Ripley will defend her Women's World Championship
against the winner of last week's Battle Royal.
Let's take you back to the final two allies,
Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark, going at it.
[Wade] Yeah, and this was Baszler
attempting to Kirifuda Clutch on the apron.
These last two in the Battle, realizing she would eliminate herself
if Zoey Stark went out,
and then we entered a slugfest
between two of the baddest women on Raw.
[Cole] And Zoey Stark and Shayna Baszler going at one another,
and with that DDT,
Zoey Stark would celebrate one of the biggest wins of her career.
She's getting an opportunity with Rhea Ripley at Survivor Series.
[roars]
Rhea has no idea what's coming to her after the Battle Royal.
-I'm feeling unstoppable right now. -Unstoppable?
-Yeah. -Come on. I should be champ right now.
First of all, you know I had that finish at Crown Jewel.
Second of all,
you know, I almost had your number last week.
Mmm-mmm. No.
I'll admit it, though, you've been on a roll.
So I'd be lying if I didn't say
I'm looking forward to seeing you beat Rhea at Survivor Series.
Hey, dude. Thank you. I know that was hard for you to say.
-Thank you. -[Raquel] Ah, chicas.
I'm still feeling some kind of way about the two of you teaming up
to eject me last week.
But Zoey,
you have been showing out,
and I just wanted to come wish you good luck, too.
I think Rhea is going to have her hands full.
Thank you. That means a lot.
Wow!
Oh, my gosh.
You are all so pathetic.
[mockingly] "Zoey, best of luck."
"Oh, my goodness."
"Rhea's going to have her hands full."
Zoey, I've already squashed you.
You all know that it should be me against Rhea in Survivor Series.
If all of you cowards didn't gang up
to throw me over the top rope, it would be me.
And you all know
that none of you can beat me one-on-one.
You know what, Nia?
If you're so tough, then why aren't you Champion?
Oh… [giggles]
It's because nobody's really tested you.
Nobody's really pushed you.
[speaking in Spanish]
[in English] I'm not scared of you.
And when we fight… [chuckles]
I know I'll beat you.
Keep thinking that.
I will.
[Cole] I'd love to see that collision, Wade. Raquel and Nia Jax.
Meanwhile, The Viking Raiders, Ivar, angry as all hell,
set to take on The Miz.
["I Came To Play" playing]
[announcer] And his opponent,
from Hollywood, California, weighing in at 221 pounds
The Miz!
[Cole] In a week from Saturday at Survivor Series,
at the Allstate Arena in Chicago,
The Miz has an opportunity to make history
and tied for the longest Intercontinental Championship reign,
uh, reigns, I should say, ever at nine
when he takes on the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion ever in Gunther.
[Wade] Might be the biggest mountain The Miz has ever had to climb
when it comes to that Championship.
But what a war he is in for tonight before he even gets there
against an Ivar with bloodlust in his eyes.
[Cole] Ivar, whose partner, Erik, is on the shelf
recovering from neck surgery.
There looking on is Valhalla. Ivar has been doing
-very well as singles competitor. -[bell rings]
Big match-up against The Miz. The Miz and Gunther
playing mind games with one another.
Gunther calls Miz a good "sports entertainer,"
but does not deserve
to be in the ring with Gunther. I beg to differ
when you look at the resume and credentials of The Miz.
[Wade] Yeah, The Miz has absolutely done it all in this industry.
He scaled heights in this industry
that even the great Gunther has yet to get to,
although I suspect, one day he may well do so.
[Cole] Miz, a two-time WWE champion,
eight-time Intercontinental Champion,
won the United States Championship a couple of times,
and also the Money in the Bank contract,
but right now, being pummeled by Ivar.
[Wade] Yeah, Ivar came out here tonight with a crown made of raven skulls.
If you noticed that, I had to look it up.
That is a sign of the Viking god Odin. Oh!
[Cole] Oh, great move by The Miz, pulling out all the stops.
[Wade] Most powerful of all the gods, but it's not helping him right now.
[Cole] If you're The Miz, this is a great test
against men physical like Ivar.
Because you get in the ring with Gunther,
it's going to be one of the most physical matches of your career.
[Wade] Yeah, it's the kind of match
where I hope Miz brought his work boots and his hard hat,
because he's going to have to put in a shift tonight.
[Cole] Now he finally gets Ivar over the top rope.
And Miz is fired up.
[Wade] And you sense this might be Miz tapping back
into that main event competitor
we have seen in years past.
[Cole] It's always been there, I believe, Wade.
I think the problem is,
Miz just didn't quite get the opportunities,
or at least he felt that way.
As Ivar just drives him now into the apron, and--
-[Valhalla screams] -What the hell was that?
[Wade] It's all about-- Oh, no!
It's all about focus for Miz.
[Cole] How can you focus
when you got that Valhalla over there screaming in your face?
[Wade] The initial distraction from Valhalla is what turned the tide here.
And then this is rib-breaking offense of Ivar
that this-- There's just nothing you can do
to prevent the damage that's going to cause.
[Cole] Where the horns, by the way?
[Wade] I dread to think maybe they've been replaced
with the raven skulls, which is far more ominous in my book.
[Cole] Ivar now dominating The Miz.
When we mentioned Gunther,
the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion of all time,
today marks day number 521 of that reign.
[Wade] Just become ridiculous at this point.
The way Gunther's disrespect really kicks in
is that Miz is someone who explores every avenue
in the entertainment world.
Whereas Gunther has devoted his entire life
exclusively to the pursuit of in-ring excellence.
[Cole] Miz lands on his feet.
Big boot to the face of Ivar, looking to fight back in this match.
[Wade] You know what? Lesser men would have been flattened by now.
Hats off to Miz digging deep, rediscovering peak Miz.
[Cole] He's been in the ring with the best of them in his career.
Oh, great move by Miz.
DDT!
Cover on Ivar, who kicks at two.
[Wade] Catching Ivar by surprise.
It's been a long time since we've seen Miz dig as deep as he's had to dig here.
Go as far back into his playbook and catch the big man by surprise.
Almost scoring the victory.
[Cole] Yeah, the past couple of weeks we've seen Miz do moves
he hasn't done in a decade.
[Cole] Now looking for a Skull-Crushing Finale, but Ivar--
[Wade] Turned it into a rib-crushing finale.
[Cole] Oh, Miz got a little overzealous.
That spinning side slam by Ivar.
Cover now, kick out by Miz at two.
[Wade] The Viking gods apparently told Ivar they wanted gold last week.
He did not give them what they asked for,
but he is making up for it with wanton destruction.
And now a man who faced off with Ivar earlier this evening.
[Cole] "Big" Bronson Reed, and Miz looking to take advantage.
Tornado DDT.
Cover by Miz for the win.
Kick out by Ivar.
Bronson Reed was not happy that he did not win that Fatal 4-Way last week.
He believes that he should have had a rematch with Gunther.
[Wade] Pie-faced by Ivar a little earlier in the night.
[Cole] Well, he's upset with Ivar, and obviously he's upset
that Miz pinned him to win the opportunity last week.
So, Reed just not a happy man.
Sit-down by Ivar!
Splat goes Miz.
[referee] Bronson, get out of--
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Bronson Reed with a steel chair in hand.
[Wade] Referee keeping a close eye on this.
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Reed just wants to take a seat. Ivar and Miz continues, live.
[crowd booing]
[Cole] We're back live on Monday Night Raw.
The Miz and Ivar are going one-on-one.
And Miz is rallying and…
We're like… Well, he was rallying.
Ivar intercepted Miz and just took him out.
[Wade] Well, hats off to The Miz for giving it a valiant try
after the abuse he suffered, but that might be it.
[Cole] Sit-out powerbomb to The Miz,
and a kick out at two.
"Big" Bronson Reed looking on.
[Wade] He's enjoying the destruction he is witnessing from both men,
but right now it is The Miz who is very much getting the worst of it
as Ivar continues to drop the hammer.
[Cole] I have to watch my monitor because I cannot see the ring.
[Wade] Such is the massive Bronson Reed. Oh!
[Cole] Ivar, Miz moved out of harm's way and face first goes Ivar.
Miz looking to pick up the win.
Hook of the leg now. Is it enough?
-Kick out at two. -[crowd booing]
[Wade] Just showing shades of that resilience once again
that took him all the way
to the WWE Championship in the past.
This is gold caliber Miz.
[Cole] Yeah, but this is a territory Miz never been in before.
He's got the WWE Universe firmly behind him.
[Wade] Yeah, did not have that on my bingo card for 2023.
[crowd] Yes! Yes! Yes!
[Cole] Kick after kick after kick.
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Right to the side of the face
-and then another one. -[Wade] Oh!
[Cole] Miz better not get too cute here.
Oh, and Valhalla with a cheap shot.
Raccoon tails and all. Cover now…
by Ivar. Hook of the leg.
Two count. Almost had him and a kick out.
[Wade] Well, hats off to The Miz.
Continuing to impress with his durability, his resilience.
But he needs to start throwing something back
in the opposite direction.
[Cole] Ivar perched now on the second rope,
300-plus pounds.
[Wade] The Beard of Prey.
Stopped in his tracks.
Miz has tasted that before, wanted no part of it once again.
And what is he cooking up here?
[crowd cheering]
-Oh! -[Cole] Ivar, though…
Well-placed elbows. now it's Miz who finds himself in trouble.
[Wade] Miz was looking for that elevated--
[Cole] From up there… Oh, my goodness!
Cover, for the win, on The Miz,
who kicks out at two after that ring-rattling slam by Ivar.
[Wade] Well, Miz went big.
He went for broke, it backfired,
as Ivar just had the raw power to muscle Miz up,
crush his body from such height.
How the hell Miz kicked out from here, I'll never know.
But it was a weak kick-out.
It was late.
And Miz right now, is there for the taking.
[Cole] Ivar now, getting frustrated.
-Meanwhile, "Big" Bronson Reed-- -Should I drop you right now?
-[Bronson] Hell, yeah. -[Ivar] Watch this, baby.
This is how I do it, right here.
[Cole] Ivar telling Reed to watch this.
Meanwhile, Miz looking to capitalize.
Down goes Ivar, Miz stacks him up,
-uses the ropes to his advantage, -[bell rings]
And Miz picks up the win.
-["I Came To Play" playing] -[announcer] Here is your winner,
The Miz!
[Wade] Big, big assist from Bronson Reed.
Just when Ivar was going in for the kill.
Slipped on a banana peel,
and The Miz gets the W once again.
[Cole] And now Bronson Reed…
Just plows right through Ivar.
[Wade] Well, that might be the last guy in the locker room
I'd want to pie-face, but I want to see this, Cole!
You know what's about to happen,
Tsunami!
Yeah!
[Cole] "Big" Bronson Reed, flattening Ivar.
[Wade] I almost fainted on that one.
-[Cole] You okay? -What a thing of beauty
this is, Michael Cole,
providing you're not in Ivar's position of being on the receiving end.
That is a retort for a pie-face.
[Cole] Wow.
[Wade] And I'll tell you this, Michael Cole,
no matter how big you are, no matter how bad you are,
it is simply foolish to start any form of trouble
with somebody quite like Bronson Reed.
Meanwhile, The Miz survived with a win over Ivar
as he focuses on the Intercontinental Championship Match with Gunther,
a week from Saturday at Survivor Series.
Also at Survivor Series, it is WarGames,
and here is a look at the rules of engagement.
["War Pigs" by Black Sabbath playing]
[man] Some cages are built to keep things out.
Some cages are built to keep things in.
But our cage is built for war.
♪ Generals gathered in their masses ♪
[announcer] WarGames!
♪ Just like witches at black masses Oh, Lord, yeah ♪
[Cole] Two rings inside a cage, two men are going to start.
At equally timed intervals,
another Superstar will enter the ring.
The match actually doesn't start until all members are in the ring.
The first team to gain pinfall or submission
will win WarGames.
-[man] Two teams… -[Cole] It is chaos here!
[man] Two rings…
[Cole] Absolute carnage laid out through two rings.
-[man] One cage… -[Wade] Destruction,
bedlam everywhere you look.
[man] WarGames.
[Saxton] WarGames is a different animal.
[Corey] Intensity is at an all-time high.
[Jimmy] Let the WarGames begin.
[siren wailing]
[Damian Priest] JD.
Look, man, I've been debating this with the crew for a while now.
A part of me doesn't think you're ready yet.
A bigger part of me still gets really annoyed by you.
But tonight, you took one for the team.
Tonight, you took one for me.
And that's somebody that I can stand with.
That's somebody I can go to war with.
Welcome to The Judgment Day,
[crowd cheering]
-Thanks, Priest. -You got it. You earned this.
-Whoa, whoa! What's going on here, boys? -Check it out.
Your boy's in the crew.
-Oh, finally, Damian. Finally. -Finally.
-Yeah, yeah, yeah. -Well, JD, congratulations.
-But the celebration has to wait. -I gotta go.
Find Dom and get out of here, before Pearce goes nuts.
-All right. Good luck. -Damian.
Me and you, let's go show everyone
why we are the Undisputed Tag Team Champions of the world.
[both speaking in Spanish]
[Cole] So JD McDonagh finally gets his cut.
He's in The Judgment Day and coming up next.
Can Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso regain the tag team gold?
They take on Priest, Bálor, of The Judgment Day. Live on Raw.
[Cole] WrestleMania is in Philadelphia in April at Lincoln Financial Field.
But all other events surrounding WrestleMania
will take place at Wells Fargo Center.
[Wade] That includes SmackDown and the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony
on Friday, where Legends will be inducted.
And of course, NXT Stand & Deliver, live, Saturday afternoon.
[Cole] And, Wade, we have the honor of being ringside.
The Raw after WrestleMania, live, on Monday,
one of the most exciting weeks of the year.
Get ready. Combo tickets are on sale, Friday.
[bell tolls]
[speaking in German]
[in English] Well done tonight.
Thank you. Thank you so very much. I appreciate it.
You know, to me, it's just another Monday night.
Just another time, walking out there to show the entire universe
what Ludwig Kaiser is all about.
I appreciate it, though. Thank you.
I didn't talk about you.
Giovanni…
-[speaking in Italian] -Grazie.
[in English] That was great thinking today.
You got yourself ejected.
And obviously those two goofs are not going to realize that you come back.
You won that match tonight, for Imperium.
[speaking in German]
[chuckles]
-[speaking in German] -[chuckles]
[in English] Don't you even…
What's your problem?
We don't have any problem.
We're just gonna go see Adam Pearce.
But I strongly suggest you choose your next move wisely.
Sorry, Coach, I let you down again.
Hey, you don't need to apologize to me.
You're my number one guy. I'm proud of you.
As for Shinsuke, don't worry about him.
-I'll take care of him next week. -Shin-Shin.
Get Alpha Academy their groove back.
Hey, Coach, maybe you guys just need some new training partners?
Maybe you're like the rest of the Raw tag team division,
and you gotta need for Creed.
-Oh, great. -[Gable laughs]
And abandon the Gable method?
No, thank you!
Come on, man. We're undefeated since our debut.
-It's true. -Undefeated.
And after tonight, my brother and I, we could go for those tag team titles.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
You don't talk about the tag team titles unless you're talking about your boys,
The New Day. [laughs]
But, didn't you guys lose last week?
[indistinct arguing]
Come on, man, we're 11-time Tag Team Champions.
[arguing indistinctly]
It's always some competition with them.
Yep, but they're aren't the only ones that can be champions.
I mean, you almost won the Battle Royal last week.
And you didn't do so bad yourself.
You eliminated a champion, Piper Niven.
I know. And that basically makes me, a Champion.
Sure does, girl math.
You know girl math? Ivy, I think we got off on the wrong foot.
-Have you ever considered modeling? -Like a fitness model?
[imperceptible]
Shoooosh!
I want to be…
WWE…
Tag Team Champion!
Ooh, Tozawa!
[all sniffing]
That's nasty.
-That smells. -Tozawa!
Where did you even get that?
[all] Ooh, ooh, ooh.
I'll tell you what, Cole, the locker room has changed a lot since back in my day.
Well, we actually have a Tag Team Championship Match
coming up in a matter of moments.
But first, want to talk about what happens next week
on Monday Night Raw, when we are live in Grand Rapids, Michigan,
the final Monday Night Raw before Survivor Series.
And we will figure out who will have the advantage
in the WarGames match.
Which two men will battle for the opportunity
to give their team the advantage at WarGames?
We find out live next week.
[Wade] Not only that, because time has run out for Xia Li.
"The Man" Becky Lynch has come around looking for a fight.
And a fight she gets, next week on Raw
against the dangerous Xia Li and her knockout kick.
[Cole] And two of the most powerful women in WWE
will collide next week on Raw.
Raquel Rodriguez, "The Irresistible Force" Nia Jax.
One-on-one, live.
["Kingdom" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[imperceptible]
[crowd singing along]
[fireworks exploding]
[Cole] There's been a lot of history for Cody Rhodes,
here at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
When he returned to WWE, he had his first SmackDown ever in this building.
He did some other stuff here as well,
and also tonight, he's hoping to make history once again.
When Cody Rhodes, hopes to win back the Undisputed Tag Team titles.
[Wade] All the great things, he may or may not have done here,
this would top the lot if he could get his hands back
on WWE Tag Championship gold.
[Cole] And also help build momentum towards Survivor Series,
WarGames.
["Kingdom" continues playing]
[crowd singing along]
[fireworks exploding]
[crowd cheering]
["Kingdom" fades]
["Main Event Ish" playing]
[crowd cheering]
[Cole] Jey Uso's brother, Jimmy Uso,
is the reason
that Cody Rhodes and Jey are no longer the tag team titles…
They hope to rectify that situation.
Coming up next.
The Judgment Day's Finn Bálor and Damian Priest defend.
Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso,
hope to regain the Undisputed Tag Team gold.
It's live and it's next.
It is our main event!
On Monday Night Raw.
["Main Event Ish" continues playing]
[narrator reading]
[man] It's a New Day. Yes, it is.
["New Day, New Way" playing]
[Cole] They're the Undisputed Tag Team Champions.
Finn Bálor and Damian Priest of The Judgment Day,
defending those titles here tonight,
against Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso.
But a week from Saturday, it is Survivor Series, WarGames,
where these two teams collide.
You know, it was back in 1987,
where Cody Rhodes' father, the late, great, "American Dream"
Dusty Rhodes invented the WarGames concept.
Cody has never participated in that type of match-up in his career.
He will to be part of his first one.
At Survivor Series.
So this match tonight could go a long way
towards building momentum for that night, in Chicago.
[Wade] Yes and all ancillary members of these two respective groups
for WarGames, have been banned from this arena.
We're going clean tonight. May the best two men win.
[bell rings]
The following contest is scheduled for one fall,
and it is for the Undisputed,
WWE Tag Team Championship.
-[crowd cheering] -[imperceptible]
Introducing the challengers,
the team of "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes,
and "Main Event" Jey Uso!
[crowd cheering]
And their opponents representing The Judgment Day.
They are the Undisputed
WWE Tag Team Champions.
The team of Finn Bálor
and Señor Money in the Bank,
Damian Priest!
[crowd booing]
[Cole] So The Judgment Day has smoothed things out
after Damian Priest declared himself the leader of the group earlier tonight.
Rhea Ripley making the decision to make Damian Priest the leader
of the WarGames match.
And now they turn their attention to Rhodes and Jey Uso,
for the tag team titles.
The situation in the past couple of weeks has been volatile
between The Judgment Day, Rhodes and company.
[Wade] And I would say that was a superb act of diplomacy,
from Rhea Ripley, calling Damian Priest the "leader of the group for WarGames."
Give the man a little, satiate him somewhat.
The man has been a real powder keg of late. You don't want to set him off.
You need him focused. He seems happy for now.
[Cole] Damian Priest, taking some shots at both
[bell rings]
…Jey Uso and Cody Rhodes earlier on tonight.
[Wade] I mean, that was incredibly smart, I thought.
Twist the knife. Bring some of those old wounds back to the surface.
Sow division against your opponents.
[Cole] Priest, reminding the people on Jey Uso's team,
that he was once part of The Bloodline, and he screwed over each person.
On his WarGames team at some point in the past.
[speaking indistinctly]
[Wade] Jey Uso, understands more than anyone
the dangers of The Judgment Day.
And the numbers game that they often employ,
he was one of the biggest beneficiaries of The Bloodline
using that tactic.
[Cole] The brawl underway. It's gonna be a rough night
for the official Chad Patton in this match-up
to try to keep these teams separated
as this match continues.
[Wade] We still have rules in this kind of match-up,
but WarGames, those rules kind of go out of the window
once all competitors are in that giant cage.
[Cole] There won't be disqualifications or count-outs in WarGames.
Unlike tonight, where the Tag Champs have the advantage
because, Uso and Rhodes must pin or submit the Champs to win the titles.
-[Wade] Despite just being so volatile… -[Cole exclaims]
…both teams really have to tread
a fine line with the referee keeping an eye on everything.
[Cole] I mentioned earlier tonight that Sami Zayn and this man, Jey Uso,
the only members of that match-up who've had WarGames experience,
coming up a week from Saturday.
And here comes Cody Rhodes, The American Nightmare.
Cody Rhodes from the top rope off the tag.
Right after Finn Bálor.
[Wade] There's been a cohesion here already between Jey and Cody.
They've got to the mountaintop once before,
it was a short-lived trip up there.
Can they return for a second bite at the cherry?
[Cole] Nice vertical suplex by Cody Rhodes.
Planting Finn Bálor, cover by Rhodes, who's made a lot about finishing the story
over the past number of months.
Damian Priest took a shot at that earlier tonight
and said, "Cody, you can beat all these guys,
but you can't beat the champion." And that had to sting for Cody Rhodes.
[Wade] Sure it did. But it's vital for Jey and Cody
to remove those Tag Championships from Judgment Day.
Sami Zayn said it last week.
The concentration of gold in The Judgment Day
is getting as close to Bloodline 2.0,
and that's the last thing this locker room wants.
[Cole] And that's just the tip of the iceberg, here tonight,
because that's what WarGames is all about.
The control and the power here on Monday Night Raw.
[Wade] Who does the power truly lie with?
We will find out at WarGames.
[Cole] Now, Damian Priest,
and using his power, to take control of the match.
Jey Uso does not want to be in that corner.
Two-time Tag Champs, Bálor and Priest.
[crowd booing]
Damian Priest has really come into his own over the past 12 months here.
[Wade] For me, it started with that match-up
he had with Bad Bunny in Puerto Rico.
That was the moment Damian Priest knew he was a star,
destined for the absolute top in this industry.
And he's been up and up ever since.
[Cole] Booker T-like on that kick by Finn Bálor,
almost putting Uso away.
[Wade] Careful, he'll subpoena you. I've had problems with him before.
[Cole] Again, let's take a look
at the double team by The Judgment Day.
[Wade] And Priest somewhat has to kind of play babysitter
to an extent, Damian Priest,
at the moment with his hotheaded nature.
[Cole] And this is for the Undisputed Tag Team titles here live tonight
on Monday Night Raw. The Judgment Day, the Champs,
the challengers, Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso.
And Jey Uso now, mounting Finn Bálor and pounding away.
[Wade] Ground and pound, but it's backfired on Jey.
Had that flurry of attacks, but so well scored, so well experienced is Bálor.
And now Cody wants to slice of the action.
[Cole] Cody Rhodes and Damian Priest had some big time problems
and remember their battle at Crown Jewel a couple of weeks back.
[Wade] Things were resolved, but Damian Priest did not appreciate
the loss on that night.
[Cole] Rhodes and Uso are in control. Can they win the tag titles?
There goes our table again.
[Cole] Championship night, here tonight on Monday Night Raw.
In our main event, Undisputed Tag Team titles,
Judgment Day defending against Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso.
And Jey Uso trying to fight back against Finn Bálor.
Judgment Day has dominated much of this match-up.
[Wade] It's been an absolute disaster thus far for Jey Uso.
But what a tide turner that is.
Adrenaline is spiking right now.
[Cole] And now, Cody Rhodes in off the tag looking to turn things around.
Cody, with a nice knee to the midsection of Bálor.
-Get up, Get up! -[Finn] No, no.
Get up!
[Cole] Again, you can just feel the tension,
the pressure as we get ready for WarGames,
a week from Saturday, in Chicago.
[Wade] Tag Championship is huge,
but there is so much more riding on this match-up.
-[Cole] Finn Bálor-- -Oh!
[Cole] Rake of the eyes, Priest had referee Chad Patton
distracted, and Finn Bálor took advantage.
You can just see the growth, in Judgment Day
over the past number of months as a team, Wade.
[Wade] Yeah, the synchronization in mindsets
between Damian Priest and Finn Bálor grows week upon week,
and they've already held that Tag Championship
for a significant amount of time.
[Cole] You've got to give Damian Priest credit.
Earlier tonight, he delivered The Judgment Day cut
to JD McDonagh.
[Wade] How about that? After about six months of trying, dedicating himself,
JD McDonagh is in.
Damian Priest wouldn't even give him a free T-shirt last week.
[Cole] Well, JD McDonagh took a bullet for Priest earlier tonight.
He also will be representing Judgment Day in the WarGames match.
[Wade] Well, the addition of JD McDonagh,
makes this unit stronger and more dangerous than ever.
[crowd chanting] Let's go, Cody!
[Cole] "Let's go, Cody," chants ringing through the Capital One Arena,
as Cody tries to fight back in this.
But Priest just does such a good job.
He's just a punishing man.
[Wade] I admire the stride,
the use of those long limbs to keep opponents at bay.
[Cole] Oh, what a chop!
You could see Cody grimace.
[crowd exclaiming]
And Finn now, off a chop and a right hand.
Cody set hard across the ring, able to kick his way out of the corner.
Bálor, with an abdominal stretch.
[Wade] Bálor about pulled away from that kick
in the nick of time, didn't catch the worst of it.
A glancing blow. Cody, I don't think was aware,
pouncing back into action and getting back on top.
[Cole] Jey realizes Cody's in trouble, would love to make a tag
and get in this match.
Uso is one of the most prolific Tag Team Champions
in WWE history.
[Wade] Fifty percent of the greatest team in history.
But it's a very different equation now,
with a relatively new partner in Cody Rhodes.
Against a team like The Judgment Day.
[Cole] You see how Bálor, he had Rhodes in the abdominal stretch.
As soon as Rhodes started to rally a little bit,
he quickly made the tag to Priest.
And now, Cody fighting back yet again.
[Priest speaking indistinctly]
[Cole] Priest sends Rhodes across the ring,
telegraphed that, Cody made him pay.
Damian though, lifts Cody up high.
Oh, and Priest, oh, my goodness!
Cody done, kick out at two.
[Wade] The ever-expanding playbook of The Judgment Day.
Specifically, Damian Priest.
Don't know what he was going for here.
Tombstone flattened out Cody,
again, softening up the entire body of Rhodes,
who is really starting to struggle in this one.
[Cole] And Priest realizes that, wants to isolate Cody from his corner.
Right to the kidneys again.
A solid blow by Priest.
Going to continue to work on the back of Rhodes,
was going for a back suplex. Rhodes though, able to land on his feet.
Ducks underneath, tag, here comes Jey.
And Jey Uso now the legal man taking the fight to Damian Priest.
[crowd chanting] Yeet! Yeet!
[Cole] Uso, kick to the midsection.
The "Yeet" chants.
[Wade] Jey, looking fresh as a daisy.
[crowd] Yeet!
[Cole] Jey, launched out to the apron.
No respite for Priest, though.
Listen to the "Yeet" chants, every time Jey Uso connects.
[Wade] Doesn't sound cool when you say it, though, Cole.
[crowd exclaiming]
[Cole] Step-up enzuigiri caught Priest.
Tag made, Bálor's legal, I don't think Jey Uso saw the tag.
[Wade] Jey is absolutely clueless to Bálor.
Something's coming, here you go.
[Cole] Well, he knows now.
Bálor tripping Jey up and Damian Priest sends him over the top rope to the floor.
[Finn yelling]
[Cole] And what a collision.
Oh, yeah!
[crowd booing]
-Here's your boy now. -[Cole] Jey Uso wiped out by Finn Bálor.
Judgment Day, dominating.
[Wade] Time and again, Judgment Day baiting the trap, springing it.
[Cole] Judgment Day in control.
Will they retain the Tag Team titles…
here tonight? Wait a minute.
Jey sent over the announced table into the floor.
Who can stop The Judgment Day?
[speaking indistinctly]
[Cole] Chase U's got a hard bar situation on their hands down at NXT.
Meanwhile, tonight we've got a Tag Team Championship Match.
Cody and Jey trying to win the tag titles from The Judgment Day, in our main event.
[Wade] And up until now, it really has been
The Judgment Day in full control.
Jey and Cody caught in that vise grip,
but the vise grip has loosened, this may…
-[Cole] Tag. -…give them the opportunity.
[Cole] Bálor, Rhodes, both legal.
And here comes Cody Rhodes.
Rhodes…
Down goes Bálor, Cody Rhodes, up over the top.
Nice powerslam by Cody.
[Wade] Something special pumping through the veins…
[both] Disaster Kick!
[Cody roars]
[Cole] And you're right, Cody's pumped up. Priest into the fray.
[Wade] When he gets in this mode, he's almost unstoppable.
[Cole] Speaking of the Dream.
Bang! The Bionic Elbow.
Bálor rolls up Cody.
Went for the Cody Cutter, Finn, able to counter.
-Cody turns it around. -[crowd cheering]
Looking for Cross Rhodes.
Bálor with a kick to the face, tag made to Priest.
[Wade] Bálor just has everything so well-scouted.
One of the best veterans we have.
[Cole] These teams know each other so well.
Tag made, Jey Uso is legal.
Kick to Bálor.
[Wade] Really is up for grabs now.
[Cole] Crossbody, lateral press for the tag team gold
and a kick out at two by Priest.
[Wade] Judgment Day are hurting.
The tables have completely turned in this one.
[Cole] Look at the height of Jey Uso. And the collision of the crossbody,
lateral press almost put Priest away.
[Wade] Priest had to kick out there.
Finn Bálor had already been obliterated. Priest was on his own.
[crowd chanting] Uso! Uso!
[Cole] And Finn Bálor trying to intercept Jey Uso.
Kick in the face for-- And now one to Priest.
Jey didn't get all of it, but he got all that one.
[Wade] Cleaning the clock of The Judgment Day
and going up high.
[Cole] Jey up top, Uso Splash,
to win the Tag Team titles,
in our main event!
Priest kicks at two!
[Wade] The gold, slipping away from Judgment Day,
thanks to this move, from Jey Uso,
put away, many, many opponents in the past.
Just not quite enough tonight.
Not when that gold is tantalizingly close,
to Jey and Cody.
[crowd applauding]
[Cole] This is for the WWE's Undisputed Tag Team titles.
Judgment Day versus Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso.
[Wade] What a barn burner we're getting here tonight in the main event.
[Cole] Now, Priest…
[Wade] So many twists and turns in this one.
Meandering match-up, the momentum now back with the champs.
[Cole] Priest looking for the South of Heaven chokeslam.
Jey Uso, though…
Able to work his way out of it.
Cody Rhodes now, Cody's got Priest.
-Cross Rhodes! -[crowd cheering]
Spear!
[crowd cheering]
Face him that way, ready.
[Cole] Double team coming.
The Cody…
Cover!
[crowd] One, two…
[Cole] Damian Priest saving the match-up.
[Wade] Timing of a champion and it had to be.
[Cole] And Cody with a suicide dive.
[Wade] What a crushing blow for the challengers.
But they're still in this one.
[Cole] Cody was in this one.
Face-first, destroying the ring post.
[Wade] Such is the impact of the head against steel.
[Cole] And now this, South of Heaven chokeslam
on the apron.
[Wade] And that might be Cody done for good this evening.
It's on you now, Jey.
[Cole] And now Priest, Bálor, trying to regroup.
Jey Uso now, Uso up over the top.
Down goes Judgment Day.
[Wade] Heavy landing for Jey Uso.
But he has that engine.
He's still revving.
He still wants that gold.
[Cole] Oh, my goodness.
Drew McIntyre is out here.
-[Wade] The ghost of Christmas past. -Claymore!
A Claymore to Uso!
[crowd booing]
Obviously, McIntyre…
still will not give up blaming The Bloodline
for the reason he's not the…
Undisputed Champion today.
Finn Bálor going to take advantage.
[bell rings]
["The Other Side" playing]
[announcer] Here are your winners,
and still
the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions,
The Judgment Day!
[Cole] Well, so much for letting bygones be bygones.
Well, we thought Cody Rhodes,
had actually won the match-up right here.
The Cody 1D by Rhodes to Bálor.
[Wade] Just simply cannot count out Damian Priest.
Just has that extra gear that most men simply do not have.
[Cole] And then Drew McIntyre with a Claymore kick to Jey Uso.
Remember, McIntyre blames The Bloodline
for the reason he isn't the Undisputed Champion today.
From all the way back, a year ago.
[Wade] Came back to haunt Jey Uso
at the most inopportune moment tonight.
[referee] One, two, three!
[Cole] And Bálor and Priest retain
and keep the momentum heading to WarGames,
a week from Saturday.
["The Other Side" continues playing]
[crowd cheering] continues playing]