[epic music playing]
[Triple H] Then.
Now.
Forever.
Together.
[music concludes]
[Michael] Welcome to Atlanta, and what a weekend.
[TV host 1] This weekend, WWE is absolutely taking over the city.
[TV host 2] Everyone is buzzing about this spectacle.
[TV host 1] Oh my-- The crowd here.
[Big E] They were loud, they were vocal, they were into everything they saw.
Might be one of the loudest crowds we've seen in the States this year.
[Michael] They're on their feet in Atlanta.
Randy Orton and Jelly Roll in front of nearly 12,000.
[arguing indistinctly]
-You're in the wrong arena, buddy. -[energetic rock music playing]
[Michael] Logan Paul dropped by Jelly Roll.
-No! -[fan] Oh my God!
[Michael] A Claymore.
What did you think was gonna happen to me?
Here comes Evolution, why should people be watching?
[Bella] The women constantly are stealing the show.
So, now to give the fans another opportunity
to see all-women matches, it's pure magic.
-[crowd cheering] -[child cheering]
[Big E] Nights like tonight remind you why you watch wrestling.
We built the foundation that they built a skyscraper on.
[Michael] Devil's Kiss, Stephanie Vaquer is going to Paris.
Every woman before us, thank you,
-because now we can make history. -[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Rollins looking for a move, so his knee buckled.
LA Knight, BFT.
[Wade] That is a bleak sight, seeing Rollins down and out.
I'll tell you right now,
this is the coolest pin I have ever seen.
[Lynch] I am the definition of this business
and tonight I proved it once again.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] From a humble beginning to multi world titles in WWE,
this is it, the final time we witness the greatness that is Goldberg.
Now Goldberg, spear, Goldberg hit the spear!
[crowd cheering]
[Wade] Oh my God!
[Michael] Jackhammer! The bad knee,
not allowing Goldberg to go into the cover right away.
And now Gunther with a sleeper.
-Goldberg is out. Gunther retains. -[bell ringing]
I cannot thank you enough from the bottom of my heart.
It's been one hell of a ride.
And there ain't never gonna be another Goldberg.
-[music concludes] -[crowd chanting "Goldberg"]
-["This Is My Kingdom" playing] -[crowd cheering]
♪ And I will defend ♪
♪ This is my kingdom ♪
[Michael] Iyo inadvertently hit the official!
♪ This is my kingdom ♪
♪ This is your last warning ♪
-Oh my God! -[fan] Naomi's here.
It's officially cashed in.
[Michael] It's a Triple Threat match. There are no disqualifications.
Go, go, split legged moonsault.
[intense music playing]
[Naomi] Your new Women's World Champion.
-[bell ringing] -[laughs]
-[Naomi] Proceed with caution. -[crowd cheering]
[music concludes]
[Michael] This is MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
In 19 nights, it'll play host
to an historic first-time ever two-night SummerSlam.
But tonight we're in Birmingham where an opportunity
for a world title match at SummerSlam is on the line.
-["4X4" playing] -[Michael] The champion, it's Gunther,
fresh off a win over Goldberg at Saturday Night's Main Event.
Who will he face next?
Could it be the man he took the championship from?
"Main Event" Jey Uso.
Or maybe The Voice of the Voiceless, CM Punk?
Punk, Jey, LA Knight, Penta, and Bron Breakker.
Someone will run the Gauntlet to SummerSlam tonight.
Bron Breakker is here with Bronson Reed and "The Oracle" Paul Heyman.
However, Seth Rollins isn't here.
He suffered a knee injury at Saturday Night's Main Event.
Paul Heyman will have an update on Seth's health later on tonight.
♪ Ain't no watchin' me No in the scope ♪
♪ Fix your energy, your inner soul… ♪
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] And ladies and gentlemen, you are looking live
inside the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.
Over 10,000 WWE fans are in attendance tonight
for Monday Night Raw.
Live on Netflix!
-["4X4" playing] -[crowd cheering]
♪ Yeah, the sun, find the moon Find some fun ♪
♪ Yeah, hella fumes in the room One-of-none, yeah, yeah, yeah ♪
-["Last Warning" playing] -[crowd cheering]
♪ Caution You better watch out ♪
♪ Watch out ♪
♪ I'm coming ♪
[crowd cheering, applauding]
♪ This is your last warning… ♪
[Alicia] Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome
the new Women's World Champion,
-Naomi! -[Michael] Corey Graves,
it was an absolutely goosebump-inducing moment last night
when Naomi came out with one of the most incredible
Money in the Bank cash-ins we've ever witnessed.
[Corey] On a night where no shortage of history was made,
we witnessed Naomi execute an impeccably timed cash-in.
And now she stands before the WWE Universe
as the new Women's World Champion.
[song fades]
-Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh! -[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting "Naomi"]
Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah. Uh-uh.
Nope, no, no, no.
I don't wanna hear it now. I don't wanna hear it now.
Y'all weren't feeling the glow, but you feeling me now, ain't you?
-[crowd cheering] -Yeah.
And I don't know why y'all sitting up in here
trying to act like y'all saw this coming.
Y'all thought I was gonna cash in my Money in the Bank contract
on Tiffany Stratton.
But I warned you, I warned all of you.
And don't nobody know my next move until I make it.
That's why I'm standing here now as the new Women's World Champion.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
And you know what? I'm so done with that foolishness
that's going on over there on SmackDown.
Bianca.
I want you to take a good, cold, hard look at this.
'Cause I didn't betray you, I outgrew you.
[crowd gasping]
And if I'm keeping it 100,
you and Jade didn't really want me to succeed.
You wanted me as a friend, as a partner, as a third wheel,
as a flunky, as long as it was convenient for you.
As long as you had the upper hand.
-What? -[crowd] What!
-Oh! -[crowd] What!
Who got the upper hand now, [inaudible]?
-[laughs] -[crowd cheering]
Now, "what" that!
[crowd] What!
Jade, you might have got your lick back at Evolution,
but I made the history, baby.
[crowd cheering]
And I might be new around here, Raw again.
[crowd] What!
But all you raggedy heifers back there in the Raw locker room…
[crowd] What!
I strongly advise you
-to proceed with caution. -[crowd] Proceed with caution.
-["Demon In Your Dreams" playing] -[crowd cheering]
♪ I eat, sleep, bleed The demons in your dreams ♪
♪ I eat, sleep, bleed… ♪
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] It is hard not to feel bad for Rhea Ripley tonight.
Last night at Evolution, in one of the greatest matches
that I've ever called, Rhea Ripley had the championship won
on a number of different occasions.
The frustration, the anger, it's been pent up and finally exploded.
Rhea finally had Iyo Sky beat for the first time in her career,
and then Naomi happened.
♪ There's no escaping from me ♪
♪ Do or die ♪
♪ This is my brutality The demon in your dreams ♪
♪ You'll hear me in your screams ♪
♪ Insanity ♪
♪ I am the deadly disease I'll put that soul to sleep ♪
♪ I'll leave you six feet deep ♪
♪ Brutality ♪
♪ Look at my eyеs, look a, look alive ♪
♪ Look at my eyes This is do or die, die ♪
-[song fades] -[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting "Mami"]
One thing you should know about me, I'm not cautious.
I'm reckless and I am pissed.
Because I walked into Evolution with two goals,
to finally beat Iyo Sky
and to get back the Women's World Championship.
[crowd cheering]
[chuckles] And now…
now, all because of you, I still have those two goals.
So, congratulations, Naomi, 'cause you just made it onto my list.
-["Tokyo Shock" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Corey chuckles]
[Michael] Iyo Sky proved to the world last night
that she may be the greatest wrestler on the planet.
[Corey] When you talk about the frustration being felt
by Rhea Ripley, imagine what's going through the mind of Iyo Sky,
who walked into Evolution as Women's World Champion.
And as we can see, no longer has that distinction.
[Michael] Yeah, she was hit in the face by a briefcase.
Which was completely legal because it was a Triple Threat match
at that point when Naomi cashed in.
And then, Naomi with a split-legged moonsault
would pin Iyo to win the championship.
[Corey] It's been a while since Naomi's held singles gold in WWE.
She's being reminded very quickly what it feels like to be a walking target.
-[music concludes] -[crowd chanting "Iyo"]
Rhea, with respect, get in line.
I walked into Evolution, the Women's World Champion.
So, Naomi, I will get back my title from you.
[crowd cheering]
I don't know what you just said.
[crowd laughing]
But you and her can get y'all entitled asses out my face
and to the back of the line.
[crowd cheering]
[inaudible]
All the way in the back.
The backety, back, back, back. [laughs]
Get out of my face.
You get out of our face. First of all, you stepped into our match.
-[overlapping arguing] -[Pearce] Ladies, ladies, ladies, ladies,
ladies, ladies, ladies.
[crowd cheering]
Before this gets out of hand, let's take a breath,
because what I have to say pertains to all three of you.
First things first, Naomi, congratulations.
-Welcome to Monday Night Raw. -[crowd cheering]
You have always made the most out of your moments,
and last night, I gotta say it,
the single biggest moment of your professional life.
You do deserve it. Congratulations.
[crowd cheering]
Iyo and Rhea, I get it. That moment came at your expense,
and I understand why you're pissed off. But I gotta say it,
and I don't wanna speak on behalf of the WWE Universe,
but that match you had at Evolution, was absolute magic.
[crowd cheering]
Ladies, it's simple, in three weeks' time, we're at SummerSlam.
And not just any SummerSlam, the very first two-night SummerSlam
in the history of WWE. And that means it's bigger than ever.
That means the attractions have to be bigger.
The box office has to be bigger. The magic has to be bigger.
And as big as it was last night at Evolution,
we need to blow the proverbial roof off of MetLife Stadium.
And ladies, that's exactly what we're gonna do,
because it will be Iyo Sky versus Rhea Ripley
versus Naomi for the Women's World Championship!
Ladies, you're gonna make magic at SummerSlam.
-[crowd cheering] -["Last Warning" playing]
[Michael] Great call by Raw General Manager Adam Pearce.
No rest for the weary when it comes to new champion Naomi.
Two weeks from Saturday, the epic two-night SummerSlam begins.
And Corey, now we have a Triple Threat match
for the women's world title.
Well, the repercussions, the fallout, if you will,
from the unbelievable event that was Evolution,
now makes its way all the way to SummerSlam.
I think it's a great call by Adam Pearce for the Women's World Championship.
Yeah, we've got a lot of action stemming
from what happened in Evolution here tonight on Monday Night Raw.
For the first time in nearly seven years,
the Hall of Famer Nikki Bella returns to in-ring action on Monday Night Raw.
She takes on the woman she eliminated in the Battle Royal at Evolution,
Chelsea Green, tonight.
[Corey] And last night, the Women's Intercontinental Champion
Becky Lynch was able to leave Atlanta with her gold.
Tonight, Lyra Valkyria and Bayley,
the two women who opposed her at Evolution,
will do battle in a two-out-of-three-falls match,
with the winner earning the right to challenge Lynch at SummerSlam.
-[crowd cheering] -Hey, what's up, champ?
Hey, Dom. Got your title all nice and shined up, mate.
-How are you? -I just-- I can't relax.
AJ's been stalking me, and I never know where he is.
Dom, as long as you have that letter from the doctor
saying you're not medically cleared to compete,
you, my friend, are untouchable. So it's all good.
What we need to focus on is lending our full support
to the two brightest stars from the weekend,
-the Women's Tag Team Champions. -[McDonagh cheers]
Congratulations, ladies, got your titles all nice and clean.
Thank you, I wish I could take the credit, but all glory to Raquel.
-She's the perfect tag partner. -She's great.
[chuckles] Well, Roxanne held her own and she kept her word.
But let's keep that same energy tonight, chiquita.
Yeah, speaking about tonight, I've had a couple concerns
about Asuka and Kairi recently.
They've been causing a little extra trouble,
so I think we need to get you guys some protection.
So, from one champ to the champs,
to another champ,
Dom, how about escorting the ladies to ringside tonight?
Make sure everything goes okay.
-I think that'd be a great idea. -Right?
-Yeah. -Me, why me?
Well, think about it. We get an opportunity to show the world
just how strong a united Judgment Day can be.
Plus, we all know how much Liv loves those titles.
We need to do everything in our power to make sure they are here
in the clubhouse when she returns. Huh?
-For Liv. -For Liv.
Bet. Good luck, ladies.
-Go get him. -Got that all shined up for me?
-Of course I do. -Come on, you want a game?
-Yeah, set it up. -All right, all right.
For Liv.
[Michael] Well, no denying that Judgment Day has all the gold.
["Reigning Warriors" playing]
[bell ringing]
[Alicia] The following contest is a tag team match
scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, the team of Kairi Sane and Asuka,
The Kabuki Warriors!
[Michael] Big matchup for the Kabuki Warriors tonight
as they hope to perhaps earn a future Tag Team Championship opportunity.
The Kabuki Warriors versus Roxanne and Raquel
happens live on Netflix.
["Rulers Of The World" playing]
♪ We about to put the pain on 'em ♪
♪ What they think they guarding? ♪
♪ We break it apart and From the startin' ♪
♪ Better than all 'em! ♪
♪ Comin’ back to put the pain on ‘em ♪
[song fades]
[Michael] So, Raquel Rodriguez will start things off
-against Kairi Sane in this matchup. -[bell ringing]
Again, Corey, big match for the Kabuki Warriors tonight.
[Corey] Yeah, this is an opportunity essentially to jump the line once again.
We've got Roxanne and Raquel as the Tag Team Champions.
They're always gonna be looking for competition.
What better way to establish yourself again
than to beat the champs tonight?
[Michael] Yeah, the first time these two teams have gone head to head
in a traditional Tag Team matchup.
The power now of Raquel Rodriguez,
who's really come into her own as of late.
Oh! What a big shoulder tackle.
A lot to dissect when it comes to The Judgment Day,
as Asuka now makes the tag.
The first question I have is, what does Liv Morgan think about this,
well, new team of Raquel and Roxanne that seem to be getting along?
The fact that The Judgment Day have all the gold
since she's been gone out with a shoulder injury
that was caused in a match with Kairi.
[Corey] Well, since you seem hell-bent on sowing seeds of dissension, Cole,
I'm gonna answer your question with another question.
What could Liv Morgan possibly have to be upset about?
Everything within The Judgment Day right now is coming up gold.
[Michael] And now Asuka with a sleeper,
and Raquel tries to bury her in the corner.
Yeah, it's coming up gold,
and perhaps that wasn't quite the case when Liv was around,
at least for part of the group.
And here's Roxanne Perez, who Liv Morgan may think--
Nice side Russian leg sweep.
Here's a cover now, hook to the leg.
You think Liv thinks that Roxanne swooped in
and made her way into The Judgment Day?
[Corey] Well, it's easy to assume that was what Liv felt initially,
look, Roxanne Perez continues to prove herself worthy
of the Tag Team Championship, of being a member of The Judgment Day,
being alongside "Dirty" Dom.
Roxanne shouldn't need to prove anything else to anybody.
[Michael] Roxanne Perez who's had a hell of a year here in 2025
and Asuka now unloading, The Empress of Tomorrow.
Multi-time World Champion. And Asuka having her way!
[Corey] A lot of kicks right to the bridge of Roxanne Perez's nose.
Curious to see what The Empress and The Pirate Princess have learned
in the last 24 hours since they last encountered the champs.
[Michael] It's the first match together on…
you know, over a year and a half on Monday Night Raw.
-Remember the last time-- -[Corey] Oh!
[Michael] A traditional Tag Team match, that is.
They of course won the Fatal 4-Way last night.
Kairi now cover, last time they held the tag titles back at Backlash
in Lyon, France, in 2024,
the night Asuka injured her knee and missed 13 months of action.
[Corey] The Empress thus far seems to have returned to form.
[Michael] What about Dominik Mysterio,
who's out here in support of Raquel and Roxanne?
What do you think Liv thinks about that,
that her boyfriend is out here hanging out with Roxanne and company?
[Corey] Well, listen, I don't appreciate you implying
any sort of infidelity on behalf of "Dirty" Dom.
[Michael] Are you kidding? Here's a cover by Kairi Sane.
[Corey] "Dirty" Dom is out here to offer protection
and to display unity amongst The Judgment Day.
[Michael] "Dirty" Dom has cheated on how many people here at WWE?
[Corey] Hey, hey, just 'cause you're on a diet
doesn't mean you can't look at the menu, Cole, all right?
You need to take it easy.
[Michael] And Kairi out to the apron as Roxanne misses wildly.
Kairi Sane looking for a cover here, Roxanne trying to hang on.
-Unable to, tag made, here's Raquel. -[Corey] What do you expect Dom to do,
just get his animal magnetism under control?
You think he can just turn that off?
[Michael] Dude, Liv Morgan is watching this.
-I guarantee you she is. -[Corey] I'm sure she understands.
[Michael] And now look at this.
Kairi Sane trying to wrestle Raquel down to the mat.
Asuka getting involved as well. Asuka rolled through, now armbar!
Double submission here!
[Corey] This could be trouble for the champs.
[Michael] And Raquel trying to power out of this!
And look at this, with one arm,
Raquel Rodriguez landing Sane on Asuka.
[Corey laughs] No, but with Kairi hanging on.
[Michael] Maybe not for long.
And Raquel so powerful.
-Yeah, we see it Dom, we see it. -[crowd booing]
[Corey] It was good.
[Michael] I thought you were supposed to be in the hospital.
[Corey] He's not cleared.
[Michael] Monday Night Raw live tonight, Birmingham, Alabama,
over 10,000 in attendance
for Raquel Rodriguez, Roxanne Perez of The Judgment Day
against The Kabuki Warriors.
-Tag, here comes Roxanne. -[Corey] Unique counter by Kairi Sane,
seems to have jacked the jaw momentarily of Raquel.
And Roxanne came in immediately, thwarting the attempt at the tag.
[Michael] Enziguri caught her in the, it looked like the mouth.
[crowd chanting "Dom, you suck"]
[Michael] And now Asuka makes the tag, and here she comes!
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] The kicks and strikes of The Empress of Tomorrow,
Asuka blocks Raquel.
[Corey] Running hip attack, takes Raquel down to the floor.
Watch out, Roxanne!
[Michael] Now Asuka's fired up.
[Corey] Empress with a big kick in the corner.
[Michael] Now, Raquel runs into a kick as well, driven out of the ring.
-Ooh! What a knee. -[screams]
[Michael] Now, sliding knee there, the shining wizard. Cover now by Asuka,
hooks the leg, and Roxanne's got a kick-out.
[Corey] Gotta give credit where it's due to Roxanne Perez
who's proven herself to be double tough recently.
[Michael] And speaking about credit, does Finn Bálor deserve credit?
The de facto leader of The Judgment Day
seems to have them working on all cylinders.
[Corey] Absolutely, I think Finn definitely deserves some credit,
-perhaps a few thank-yous. -[crowd cheering]
[Michael] You don't think that he's…
manipulating the rest of the group, perhaps?
And now Kairi Sane! Cover for the win!
And Raquel Rodriguez breaking things up.
[Corey] Cole, you and your conspiracy theories get worse by the week.
Next week you're gonna try to tell me the Earth's flat. This is ridiculous.
[Michael] You think Finn really cares about Liv?
Raquel up over the top to the floor.
[Corey] I think Finn cares about The Judgment Day as a whole.
[Michael] Tag.
[Corey] And The Judgment Day as a whole right now, draped in gold.
[Michael] No denying that. Dominik, the Intercontinental Champion.
Judgement Day, both the Women and Men's Tag Team Champions.
And now the Kabuki Warriors starting to work well as a team.
[crowd chanting "Dom, you suck"]
-[Corey] Kairi once again-- -[Michael] Look at this!
[crowd booing]
[Michael] Dominik's up on the apron over here,
arguing with the official,
trying to cause a distraction, which he's done!
The cover now by Kairi Sane!
And Raquel Rodriguez…
pulling Kairi Sane off the tag.
That would have been a huge win for The Warriors to get them back
in Tag Team title contention.
[Corey] Well, "Dirty" Dom paying big time dividends on the outside.
[Michael] Well, he didn't look like anything was bothering him
from an injury standpoint when he jumped up on the apron that quick.
Raquel was leveled.
[Corey] Face first into the ring post, tag made,
Asuka once again legal making the climb to the top turnbuckle.
[Michael] Asuka gonna fly, missile dropkick, caught Roxanne.
[Corey] Roxanne tried to step out of the way,
but Asuka still made enough contact to count.
-Oh! What a backhand. -[crowd chanting "Let's go, Asuka"]
[Michael] Asuka's so quick, so effective with those strikes.
[Corey] One of the most lethal strikers in the game,
German suplex takes down Perez.
And once again, "Dirty" Dom, who apparently has rib injuries,
-but he seems pretty limber to me. -[crowd booing]
-[Michael] Oh! -[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Well, he may be out a few more weeks after that backhand,
-cover now by Perez! -[crowd counting]
-[Michael] And a win for The Judgment Day! -[bell ringing]
["Rulers Of The World" playing]
[Alicia] Here are your winners, the Women's Tag Team Champion,
Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez!
[Michael] So, for somebody that isn't medically clear,
Dominik Mysterio's running around, looks like he isn't hurt at all.
[Corey] Well, it's a fight or flight response, Cole.
Adrenaline can make a man do amazing things
when someone he cares about is in jeopardy,
as was the case for Raquel and Roxanne.
Here we see Kairi and Asuka
delivering a spectacular double team maneuver.
The Insane Elbow, you could have counted to seven!
But once again, "Dirty" Dom living up to his assignment,
offering protection for his Judgment Day familia.
-[Michael] Protection? -[Corey] That's right.
-Raquel with a little insurance! -[bell ringing]
[Michael] All is wonderful in Judgment Day.
[Corey] This calls for some celebratory tenders.
See this? Best ever. Best ever.
[Michael] Let's head over to Jackie Redmond.
Cole, thank you so much. I'm here with Paul Heyman.
Paul, I appreciate the time.
Yesterday at the Evolution press conference,
we learned that Seth "Freakin" Rollins would be in Birmingham, Alabama,
getting evaluated.
Could you please share the results of that evaluation with us?
First of all…
I don't have that information yet. It's too soon.
And come on.
Seth Rollins has until next June
to cash in the Money in the Bank agreement.
Okay? So until he's crashing into that deadline,
Seth Rollins' health is not a relevant subject.
What is a relevant subject tonight is the fact that tonight,
Bron Breakker runs the Gauntlet.
Tonight, Bron Breakker goes through everything
and everyone in his way.
Tonight, Bron Breakker emerges as the number one contender.
Tonight, Bron Breakker punches his stamp to SummerSlam.
Bron Breakker goes on to SummerSlam.
Bron Breakker defeats Gunther at SummerSlam.
Ladies and gentlemen,
your next heavyweight champion of the world…
Bron Breakker.
[Michael] Well, for that to happen,
Bron has to run the Gauntlet first tonight.
[crowd barking]
I'm backstage with Lyra Valkyria.
Lyra, tonight you take on Bayley in a two-out-of-three-falls match
with the winner going on to face Becky Lynch at SummerSlam
for the Intercontinental Championship.
It is a huge opportunity tonight with so many layers.
So I have to ask, how much of this is about the title
and how much of it is personal with you and Bayley?
Are you serious? I am so sick of being asked about Bayley.
This match is gonna put the Bayley talk to bed
and put it back the way it always should have been,
about me and Becky. And then after tonight,
you can ask me how I feel about my upcoming match
-at SummerSlam for my title. -All right, well, listen, I know…
Tonight, whoever loses tonight,
they go to the back of the line, all right?
So as much as you might want this, I need this.
Yeah, about yourself, like you always have been.
I respect that. I'll see you out there.
All right, and just so you know,
maybe what's best for you is to stay the hell out of my way.
-["Role Model" playing] -[crowd cheering]
♪ Role Model ♪
-[bell ringing] -[Alicia] The following
is a two-out-of-three-falls match
where the winner will face Becky Lynch
for the Women's Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam.
Introducing first from San Jose, California,
Bayley!
[Michael] You know, Bayley has accomplished
just about everything in her career.
However, this is the first time she's ever competed
in WWE in a two-out-of-three-falls matchup.
[Corey] I know Bayley expected to be basking in the afterglow
of Evolution all day today,
but there is more work to be done should she still
have designs on becoming Intercontinental Champion.
[Corey] I think it's a very valid question to ask of both Bayley and Lyra Valkyria.
What sort of physical condition are these two women in after that
grueling Triple Threat last night to kick off Evolution?
[Michael] What a great matchup it was, WWE fans on their feet throughout.
Becky Lynch picking up the victory to retain the Intercontinental title.
[crowd cheering]
-["Triumph" playing] -[crowd chanting "Whoo!"]
[Alicia] And her opponent, from Dublin, Ireland,
Lyra Valkyria!
[Michael] Lyra admitted to me today when I was talking to her earlier on
that, yeah, she has a chip on her shoulder.
That everybody's talking about Bayley and Becky
and somehow people seem to have forgotten
about the inaugural Women's Intercontinental Champion, Lyra Valkyria.
[Corey] It's just a testament to how deep
and how talented the women's division is throughout WWE
from Raw to SmackDown to NXT.
It's all about what have you done for me lately?
Sure, Lyra did it first, but right now,
Becky Lynch is the name on the lips of the WWE Universe.
Lyra can take a big step in the direction of changing that here tonight.
[Michael] Lyra Valkyria looking to earn her first ever SummerSlam match
with a victory tonight.
This has developed into quite the rivalry between these two.
End of June, they had a double pin in their matchup,
which led to the Triple Threat at Evolution.
Back in April, Lyra beat Bayley in an Intercontinental Championship match.
In February, Bayley beat Lyra…
-[bell ringing] -…to qualify for the Elimination Chamber.
So a rubber match, so to speak, here tonight with a lot on the line.
Best two-out-of-three-falls is underway.
[Corey] Side headlock takeover by Valkyria to start things off.
And it's interesting to me
that this relationship between these two almost began as Bayley
trying to look out for Lyra Valkyrie, trying to prevent Lyra
from making some of the mistakes, experiencing the same pitfalls Bayley did
when she was trying to make a name for herself.
But it's really become full circle
where Bayley almost finds herself on the outside looking in these things.
[Michael] And everything changed for Bayley
when the frustration started to set in. Now remember, she was taken out
of her opportunity at WrestleMania, caused by Becky Lynch assaulting her.
Bayley has not won a match since before she left WWE with injury
and that is weighing on her.
[Bayley mockingly] Whoo!
[Corey] It's shocking to hear it said out loud.
Bayley has been a workhorse in WWE since she arrived on the scene,
even predating back to her time in NXT.
But the fact that Bayley has not tasted success
in that long just feels dirty.
[Michael] Lyra Valkyrie with a leapfrog as Bayley…
ends up on the outside of the ring.
Bayley would love to return to SummerSlam and avenge what was a loss
of her WWE Women's Championship last year to Nia Jax.
Oh! And a nice hip toss by Lyra Valkyria. I love the growth of this young woman.
[crowd chanting "Let's go Bayley, let's go Lyra"]
[Michael] And she's standing up for herself
in the face of Bayley,
not afraid to trash talk.
And Bayley with a slap across the face, roll up here!
-Got her! Bayley wins the first fall! -[Corey] She did it!
[Alicia] Bayley has scored the first fall!
[Michael] Lyra let her emotions get the best of her.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Two-out-of-three-falls match is underway in front of over 10,000
in Birmingham, Alabama tonight for Monday Night Raw live on Netflix.
Bayley with a quick fall has a 1-0 lead
in what is the 15th two-out-of-three-falls matchup in the history
of Monday Night Raw.
The first one in nearly a year
where we saw Bron Breakker and Sami Zayn do battle.
Breakker will be in action in a Gauntlet match
with SummerSlam implications later tonight.
And now Lyra starting to fire up.
[Corey] Step-up enzuigiri might have been the tide turner
that Lyra Valkyrie was looking for. Kick to the body.
Bayley trying her best to avoid the strikes.
[Michael] Oh! And a big kick to the side of the head.
Went for the tornado DDT and Bayley able to sling her away.
Leapfrog by Lyra, Bayley slipped and Lyra takes advantage
and Bayley hit the corner hard.
[Corey] Bayley certainly experiencing some sort of whiplash on the impact there.
-Now, here we go. -[Michael] There's the tornado DDT
by Valkyria.
[Corey] Lyra rolling through, maintaining her grip.
[Michael] Fisherman suplex.
Bridging cover, Bayley with a shoulder up.
[Corey] Again, as this match progresses,
you have to wonder what sort of physical condition
both of these women are in
less than 24 hours after competing at Evolution.
[Michael] Yeah, and what was a banger of a matchup to kick things off
with Becky Lynch retaining the Intercontinental Championship.
But a couple of occasions I thought Lyra was gonna win or Bayley was gonna win.
[Corey] I agree with you wholeheartedly.
In the end, it would be The Man swooping in at the perfect opportunity
to retain the gold.
[Michael] Valkyria, again, the inaugural
Women's Intercontinental Champion before Becky Lynch beat her back
in Los Angeles in June at Money in the Bank.
[Corey] Like anything in this business, it's not necessarily who did it first,
but who did it best.
Yes, Lyra was the first Women's Intercontinental Champion,
but the world is talking about The Man.
[Michael] And Lyra's in deep, deep trouble.
She hit the corner hard, and Bayley,
almost a bit hesitant here as she saw Lyra rolling around in pain.
[Corey] Take another look at this bone rattling impact, spine first.
And now Bayley on the attack!
[Michael] Yeah, no hesitation right to the back, cover on Valkyria.
This forces her to kick out.
[Corey] And this is what Bayley needs to do.
Bayley needs to keep her foot on the gas pedal.
She has Lyra down here.
We take another look at this attack from behind that flattened Valkyria.
You can see almost a smile washing over the face of The Role Model.
[Michael] Yeah, Bayley a fall away from heading to SummerSlam.
Lyra whipped into the corner again, and Lyra doubled over in pain.
That back is becoming an issue.
[Corey] Yeah, Lyra was barely able to get her feet underneath her
to run toward the turnbuckle.
You know as well as anybody, Cole, you get the right shot to your lower back,
your legs don't cooperate. Your whole game is thrown off.
That's what we're seeing out of Valkyria, who's somehow trying to fight out of this.
[Michael] We're gonna learn a lot about Lyra now in this matchup.
Talk a lot about her grit and determination.
Can she fight through pain now? Bayley driven to the floor.
Come on!
-[Michael] Lyra getting fired up. -[crowd cheering]
[Corey] Lyra looking for that little boost from the WWE Universe
in addition to the adrenaline to keep her in this battle.
What is Valkyria thinking about here?
[Michael] Bayley realizes it can't be good, fighting out of it.
-Now Bayley looking to turn things around. -[Corey] No, no, no, no.
-[Michael] Oh my goodness. -[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Dropping Lyra on the already injured back on the apron.
And Bayley with the killer instinct.
[Corey] This could prove to be the beginning of the end
for Lyra Valkyria's SummerSlam dreams.
Brutal, belly to back suplex on the apron, no forgiveness there.
And now Bayley looking to finish the job.
-[crowd cheering] -[Michael] Bayley with Lyra up top.
Oh! And down goes Lyra.
-Bayley hooks the leg, cover for the win. -[crowd counting]
[Michael] Lyra gets the shoulder up.
[Michael] But again, I'm impressed with this killer instinct
that Bayley is showing in this match.
[Corey] I'm honestly a little surprised it took this long to show itself.
We've seen the killer instinct inside of Bayley in the past.
You want that so bad? Huh? You want it so bad?
[Corey] Does enough to remain to punch Bayley's ticket?
[Michael] It's for SummerSlam.
Rivalries become so emotional between these two.
Once great friends, as Corey documented earlier.
-Now Bayley steps through. -[Corey] La Magistral Cradle.
-[Michael] And great counter by Lyra. -[crowd counting]
[Michael] And Lyra got it. Lyra caught Bayley. What a counter!
[Alicia] Lyra Valkyria has scored the second fall.
[Michael] We are tied at a fall apiece. What a counter by Valkyria.
-[Corey] Great ring awareness by Valkyria. -Get up! Get up!
[Corey] Utilizing her grappling skills to great effect.
-But how much does Lyra have left? -[Michael] Oh no!
Cover by Bayley, looking to put her away.
Somehow Lyra, maybe on instinct alone,
gets the shoulder up. Bayley can't believe it.
What impact.
[Michael] We are tied at a fall apiece, Bayley-Valkyria.
Winner goes to SummerSlam
for the Intercontinental Championship against Becky Lynch.
[crowd chanting "Let's go Bayley, let's go Lyra"]
[Corey] And another brutal dragon screw in the corner from Valkyria.
[Michael] Yeah, this has been the story now
of the last few minutes of this matchup.
Lyra focusing on the knee of Bayley
after Bayley focused on the back of Valkyria.
Now Bayley sends Lyra out to the apron. Bayley hangs her up on the second rope.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] And what a brutal match, as you mentioned, coming off Evolution
and the Triple Threat last night.
[Corey] Bayley now trying to summon the will
to finish the job at hand. An elusive second fall.
Downer by Valkyria.
[Michael] Bayley able to roll through, caught her with a knee.
Lyra may be out, can Bayley take advantage?
[Corey] I think in normal circumstances the answer would be yes,
but Bayley obviously in agonizing pain
after the attacks from Valkyria to her knee.
[Michael] Now really on one leg, Bayley makes her way toward the corner.
Lyra trying to hang on now, critical moment in this match.
[Corey] Looking for the Bayley-to-Belly suplex,
Valkyria did her homework, one step ahead.
[Michael] Couple of well placed elbows to the back of the neck.
Lyra into the corner now.
[Corey] Tables turned. Boot right between the eyes of Bayley.
[Michael] Now Valkyria top rope, says she feels alive when she flies.
Bayley caught her though, Bayley-to-Belly, cover by Bayley!
-To advance to SummerSlam… -[crowd counting]
…and a kick-out at two by Valkyria.
Bayley knows that may have been her big opportunity.
[Corey] This has gotta be a heartbreaker for Bayley,
the Bayley-to-Belly suplex, and Valkyria stays alive.
With SummerSlam on the line.
[Michael] Does doubt start to set in if you're Bayley now,
after everything she's been through
-over the past few months? -[crowd chanting "This is awesome"]
[Corey] With most superstars, I would say yes,
but we're talking about Bayley, a woman who has seen and done it all.
She has experienced pretty much every scenario possible.
[Michael] And Bayley climbing up to the top rope,
Valkyrie back to her feet, will catch Bayley there,
shot right to the knee.
[Corey] But unfortunately for Bayley,
it seems as though her brain not able to move any faster than Valkyria's body
at this juncture in the matchup.
Lyra like a terminator, continuing to move forward.
[Michael] Oh, drop to the mat, again favoring her back.
Gonna meet Bayley yet again.
The determination in both of these women tonight.
[Corey] Lyra trying to rip Bayley off the top.
-[Michael] Oh! Good night! -[Corey] Wow.
[Michael] And now Lyra has Bayley in the Nightwing.
Shoulders are down,
and a kick-out by Bayley!
[Corey] Now that's doubt, Michael Cole, on the face of Lyra Valkyrie
as we look again at this gutwrench sit-out powerbomb.
Lyra didn't land Bayley clean.
Lyra almost dropped her opponent on her own leg,
which could have made all the difference, not maximizing the impact on Bayley.
[Michael] Well, she couldn't quite get her to the shoulders,
which would have set that up into her move, the Nightwing.
[Corey] For sure, could be exhaustion playing a factor.
[Michael] And now Bayley trying to fight out of this now.
And you mentioned it, Valkyria realizes that was her chance.
Both women have had great moments,
great opportunities to put this final fall away.
Neither have been able to do it.
[Corey] Now we find out if Lyra Valkyria
has the mental fortitude to finish the job.
Bayley ripping at the hair of Lyra from the outside.
Both competitors on the apron once again.
[Michael] What's Bayley gonna do here?
Lyra trying to hang on, desperately hanging on.
Now it's Valkyria going after the injured leg of Bayley.
[Bayley grunting]
[Michael] And Bayley fighting back.
Ooh! What a shot. And another one to the back of the knee.
-And now on the apron. -[Corey] Wow!
-[crowd cheering] -[Corey] Fisherman's suplex on the apron.
[crowd chanting "Bayley"]
[Michael] What a match. Tied at a fall apiece.
Corey mentioned it earlier, this is sudden death. We're in overtime.
-Next fall, winner heads to SummerSlam. -Two!
[Michael] And Bayley gonna beat the count back into the ring.
Four!
[Michael] And Lyra driven back to the floor again by Bayley.
She's trying to buy herself some time.
[Corey] That's exactly what Bayley's doing, and it's brilliant.
Keep the opposition on the outside, try to recover as much as possible.
And once again, The Role Model
looking to grab the advantage of this match.
[Michael] Lyra, look at this, Bayley roll-through now, shoulders down.
-Is it enough here? Kick-out by Valkyria. -[crowd counting]
[Michael] Lyra now, jackknife cover.
Bayley able to kick out.
Near fall after near fall, exhaustion setting in,
physically and mentally.
Who can dig down deep to put this match away?
Nobody home.
Valkyria moves out of harm's way,
catches Bayley with a forearm.
Bam! Lyra bounced off the apron again.
Man, this has been brutal.
[Corey] Very resourceful offense from Bayley.
[Michael] Bayley tried this once earlier, got caught, got caught again.
Lyra Valkyria intercepting Bayley once again.
[Corey] But shame on Bayley for almost making the same exact mistake
on two separate occasions.
[Michael] That time with a bad leg.
[Corey] You're not gonna make it to the top of the division
if you keep making the same error.
-Here comes Bayley. Oh! No, no! -[Michael] Look for the sunset--
-[Michael] Into the steps! -[Corey] That's gotta do it.
There's no way Lyra's getting up.
[Michael] And Bayley sending Lyra back into the ring.
[Corey] Bayley feeling the urgency of the moment.
Looking to make the climb to the top once again
-for a date with The Man at SummerSlam. -[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Elbow to the bad back. Elbow to the bad back.
-[crowd counting] -[Michael] Cover now by Bayley,
-and a kick-out by Valkyria. -[crowd cheering]
[Michael] And now into a crossface, into a crossface.
Valkyria trying to hang on, is she gonna tap out?
Valkyria with a crossface locked in by Bayley.
Look at Bayley, trying to do everything she can
to tap Valkyria here and head to SummerSlam.
[Corey] Bayley applying maximum torque to the neck
and the lower back of Lyra Valkyria,
who's desperate for a way out.
[Michael] Lyra's a long way away from the ropes,
trying to pull her body, trying to drag Bayley's body as well.
She's almost there.
Bayley now gonna push herself off the ropes, a roll through.
Valkyria though, with Bayley on her shoulders, Nightwing!
-Nightwing, Lyra's going to SummerSlam! -[crowd counting]
-[bell ringing] -[crowd cheering]
["Triumph" playing]
[Alicia] Here is your winner, Lyra Valkyria!
[Michael] What a match!
[Corey] Silence the doubters, make them become believers.
[crowd chanting "Whoo"]
[Corey] What an effort by both of these women
on the heels of an epic Triple Threat at Evolution,
but it is Lyra Valkyria who has earned the right once again
to challenge for the Intercontinental Championship
after enduring this type of brutality from the outset.
Bayley with the elbow to the small of the back
which had been bothering Lyra for the majority of the match,
right into this crossface submission.
Bayley looking to roll both herself and Lyra back to mid-ring.
But the grappling background of the Irish woman…
proves to be all the difference.
Congratulations, Lyra Valkyria. You earned it, my friend.
[Michael] What a match, a devastated Bayley.
-The losing streak continues. -["Celtic Invasion" playing]
[Michael] And Lyra Valkyria now gonna go face to face
with her SummerSlam opponent.
Man, what a performance tonight by Valkyria.
That's a career-making performance
with everything she had to battle through to win this match.
[Corey] A career-making effort, no doubt, but the work is just beginning.
MetLife Stadium, Intercontinental Championship on the line.
Lynch and Valkyria are gonna run it back.
[Michael] Two weeks from Saturday, the epic two-night event begins.
Valkyria wants her title back.
Big Time Becks says, "Uh-uh, I'll see you at SummerSlam."
[inaudible]
[Corey] Cole, I gotta ask you,
how incredible, how amazing, how badass,
-is our women's division. -["4X4" playing]
I'll tell you, I love women's professional wrestling.
Absolutely incredible. Evolution last night,
Lyra and Bayley with an unbelievable match tonight on Raw.
And what about at Evolution last night?
Twenty women battling it out in an over-the-top-rope Battle Royal
with a world title opportunity on the line.
[Corey] The best of the best leaving it all in the ring.
Stars from Raw, SmackDown, NXT, and the Hall of Fame as well.
You see Nikki Bella putting in the work, spearing Chelsea Green out of her boots
and ending the night of Ms. Green. Lash Legend representing NXT.
It was an unbelievable effort by all women involved,
but the Devil's Kiss would prove to be the difference maker.
La Primera, Stephanie Vaquer standing tall at Evolution.
[Michael] Let's head back to Jackie Redmond.
Cole, thank you so much. I'm here with Stephanie Vaquer.
Stephanie, congratulations,
not just on winning the Women's Battle Royal at Evolution,
but also on earning yourself a title shot. You must be so excited.
[speaking Spanish]
I came to WWE to be champion.
In Paris, La Primera will be champion.
All right, well, since we're talking about Paris,
we can confirm that at Clash in Paris,
you'll compete for the Women's World Championship.
So I'm curious if you have any thoughts on the announcement
-from earlier tonight… -[fake coughing]
Oh. Excusez-moi, Jacqueline, I have a thought.
I think I should represent WWE in Paris.
I mean, who would you rather
in the… [speaks French] …and Boulevard of Paris representing WWE?
La Primavera, which I believe in Spanish means "loser."
Or La Chelsea Green, which in Canadian means "winner."
If you really want to know what La Primera means,
take your best shot.
-Uh-uh-uh. -[giggles]
I would love to take my best shot, Stephanie.
But I'm actually taking my best shot against a WWE Hall of Famer tonight.
So for now,
you can look, but you can't touch.
["You Can Look But You Can't Touch" playing]
♪ You keep dreaming on the stars above… ♪
[crowd cheering]
[bell rings]
[Alicia] The following contest is scheduled for one fall.
Introducing first, from Scottsdale, Arizona,
WWE Hall of Famer,
Nikki Bella!
[Michael] For the first time in nearly seven years,
Nikki Bella in a match on Raw takes on Chelsea Green live on Netflix.
[crowd cheering]
[energetic hip-hop music playing]
[Michael] No rest for the weary this coming Friday on SmackDown,
because take a look at this.
Ahead of SummerSlam, The American Nightmare will be
under the same roof as the Undisputed WWE Champion,
John Cena.
I assure you, Cody has not forgiven
nor forgotten Las Vegas earlier this year.
You are not gonna wanna miss this showdown.
[ominous music plays]
Good people of the world,
your favorite bad guys are now here to save the day.
And where is Sami Zayn?
He's not here.
Sami Zayn is "hurt."
Scarlett, do you believe that?
He's a liar.
I think so too.
All this big talk a few weeks ago about who's a coward,
who shows up every single week, falls flat on their face,
gets up and tries again.
And here we are, Sami Zayn is nowhere to be found.
Sami Zayn is hurt. My ass!
I'm gonna tell you what I actually think.
I think I gave Sami Zayn an ultimatum last week that he didn't like,
and now he's folded.
So guess what, Sami?
You stay home and don't come back to work until you are ready
to tell the world the truth and say the words that Kross told the truth.
[bell rings]
[Michael] Well, the truth is Sami Zayn is hurt,
thanks to Karrion Kross and Bron Breakker, out indefinitely.
So here we go, Nikki Bella, one-on-one with Chelsea Green,
Nikki's first matchup on Monday Night Raw in nearly seven years.
It's been an interesting 24 hours. At the Battle Royal last night, Corey.
Nikki Bella eliminated Chelsea Green, eliminated Alba Fyre,
and, with the help of Stephanie Vaquer, eliminated Piper Niven.
So they all have a score to settle, I guess, with Nikki tonight.
[Corey] Those facts, unfortunately for Nikki,
still fresh on the minds of Ms. Green and The Secret Hervice.
By the way, Cole, I was told by Alba earlier today that you are,
in fact, forbidden from making-- whoa, shoulders down--
direct eye contact from here on out with Chelsea Green.
Is that true?
[Michael] I've never tried to make eye contact with her.
In fact, I can't stand her, but nonetheless.
Oh! That's no way to treat a Hall of Famer.
And Nikki Bella chasing Chelsea toward the corner.
[Corey] Listen, if Chelsea Green wants to make headlines, she wants to be
-the name on everybody's lips… -[Michael] Oh, and a cheap shot!
[Corey] …that's exactly how you treat a Hall of Famer.
That's your girl.
[Corey] Chelsea Green told me that
once upon a time she was inspired by Nikki Bella.
[Michael] A nice takedown by Nikki.
[Corey] She's looking forward to the chance of sending Nikki packing
once and for all tonight.
[Michael] She's gonna be inspired tonight, I believe.
A slap from Nikki back to Chelsea in a mocking salute.
And Nikki now, nice snap suplex.
-By Nikki Bella. -[Corey] Bella always a powerhouse.
Chelsea taking a timeout.
[Michael] There's no timeouts, Chelsea, sorry.
-[crowd booing] -Shut up!
[Michael] The Secret Hervice out here.
-And, uh… -Hey, hey, hey!
-Doing their job, I guess. -Come on, ladies. You can't get involved.
-Let's go! -We didn't touch her!
One!
[Michael] Interesting interview Nikki Bella did
with the Today Show last week,
talking about how this is the era of me.
Finally gonna do things for herself around here,
wants her son Mateo to be able to see her perform.
[Corey] That's all well and good, might be downright inspiring to some,
but the fact of the matter is the game has changed.
The landscape is really different than that, which--
-[Michael] Nikki! -[Corey] Backstabber.
Years ago, the competition is tougher.
[Michael] Chelsea Green with a great backstabber, has taken over
as Nikki collapses to the floor.
Chelsea, a former United States Women's Champion.
[crowd jeering]
[Michael] Still hasn't gotten over the fact that she lost the title.
Saw her earlier today,
she said that I still have to refer to her as champ.
I thought she said "chump," but she said "champ."
[Corey] You say that a little bit louder
and I guarantee you're gonna have Ms. Niven all over your case.
[Michael] And now Nikki Bella driven into the barricade
by Chelsea Green who has taken over.
I thought the Secret Hervice were supposed to be stoic and stuff like that,
not laughing and making fun of the opponents.
[Corey] This is a new era of security, Cole.
[Michael] Oh, okay.
[Corey] Are you implying that Piper Niven and Alba Fyre should be seen
and not heard?
[Michael] Well, I thought maybe they went to the Jimmy Kelly School of Security.
[Corey] Then nothing would get accomplished. [chuckles]
[Michael] Chelsea Green-- Oh!
Down face first goes Nikki.
For the win, hook of the leg here,
and a kick-out by Nikki Bella.
[Corey] The Secret Hervice are more than just personal protection
for Chelsea Green, they're great motivators.
They take care of odds and ends and various tasks.
[Michael] Like what kind of odds and ends?
[Corey] Dry cleaning, driving.
[Michael] You want me to ask Piper if she actually picks up Chelsea's dry cleaning?
[Corey] I think you go for it.
I can't be held responsible
for how many teeth you have left at the end of the conversation.
[Michael] You're the one who brought it up.
I'm just relaying information that's been relayed to me.
-[Michale] Oh, and Nikki… -[Corey] I'm a conduit.
[Michael] Taken down again. You're an it.
[Michael] Chelsea continues to control Nikki Bella here.
[crowd chanting "Let's go Nikki, let's go Chelsea]
[Michael] Nikki chants from the WWE fans here in Birmingham, Alabama.
[Corey] Kind of like a press secretary.
-[Michael] You? -[Corey] Yeah.
-Wish I had a podium. -[Michael] Ooh!
[Corey] Maybe I could break the coal mine out of the warehouse.
[Michael] Can I have your attention please?
And Chelsea now, she had her face bounced off the knee of Nikki Bella.
Nikki, we're gonna fight back into this.
[Corey] I hate to be the one to bring up ring rust,
but I had mentioned earlier just the fact
that the competition is so much tougher these days in WWE
than the WWE that Nikki Bella left.
Again, no disrespect to any women of that time period.
It's just the fact that the game changes, the game evolves.
[Michael] Yeah, the revolution into the evolution.
Now Nikki Bella.
She was a member of the first ever Evolution main event matchup.
[Corey] And think about this, when you're a veteran as celebrated
as Nikki Bella is, a WWE Hall of Famer,
I would-- Oh wow!
I'd be willing to bet most of the roster has studied Nikki.
[Michael] Great kick by Nikki, is it enough?
Chelsea kicks out at two.
[Corey] And I think the onus is on Nikki Bella
to show the roster something new, maybe something they haven't studied.
Maybe not the greatest hits out of the Nikki Bella playbook.
[Michael] And Nikki's been training,
she knows what she's getting into.
Now with Chelsea up on her shoulders, Chelsea fighting back.
[Michael] Going for a neckbreaker perhaps, there it is.
Chelsea into the cover for the win.
Nikki kicks out at two.
[Chelsea screams]
[Corey] Piper Niven extremely upset at ringside.
[Corey] Take another look at this perfect Salute
from Ms. Green into the neckbreaker on Nikki Bella.
[Michael] Yeah, but Chelsea may be getting frustrated
after Nikki continually kicks out here.
And now, perhaps looking for the Unprettier
to put Nikki away.
Nikki though, face first, Bella Buster.
[Corey] And Piper Niven drawing the attention of official Jessika Carr.
-Look at Alba Fyre! -[Michael] Ooh!
Alba driven into the ring post!
Piper knocked to the floor.
[Corey] Keep your eyes on Chelsea.
Here it comes again.
[Michael] Roll up by Nikki, Chelsea rolls through.
Nikki's got her.
[Corey] Can Nikki muscle up Chelsea?
[Michael] Trying to get her up, Chelsea not allowing it to happen.
[Corey] Great attempt to counter, to block.
Now Nikki's got her up.
[Michael] Is it enough? Down goes Chelsea Green.
The cover off the Rack Attack 2.0.
-[bell rings] -[Michael] Nikki with the win.
["You Can Look But You Can't Touch" playing]
[Alicia] Here is your winner, Nikki Bella!
[Michael] Now Piper Niven bulldozing through Nikki Bella.
[crowd booing]
[Corey] It was Nikki who put her hands on The Secret Hervice first.
And now the Hall of Famer's gonna have to pay the price.
[Michael] They tried to get involved in the matchup, and now the double team
to Nikki Bella with that side slam by Piper Niven.
The Secret Hervice destroying Nikki here.
And a moral victory for Chelsea.
-[Michael] Maybe not. -[Corey] No, no, no!
-["Bury Me" playing] -[Corey] The Dark Angel!
[Michael] La Primera, Stephanie Vaquer is here.
The winner of the Battle Royal.
[Corey] Vaquer has her sights set on the Clash in Paris,
but looks all too eager to make a detour through The Secret Hervice.
Ooh!
[Michael] Vaquer cleaning house
of Alba Fyre and Piper Niven, showing respect here tonight
to the Hall of Famer Nikki Bella.
[crowd cheering]
["Bury Me" playing]
[Michael] Nikki successful tonight in her return to Monday Night Raw.
We're still grieving the death of the tag team division.
What, grieving?
In the third stage of grieving, which we're now in, bargaining.
So we wanna bargain for our rematch with this gift.
Show them, Waller, say it with the accent.
For you, Adam Pearce, two perfectly cut, grain-fed toupees
for your bald head, sir.
It's human hair, it's very hard to come by.
-So, when do we get our rematch? -Rematch?
You guys didn't give rematches, you just don't get one.
But don't worry, next week,
we will figure out who the new challengers
for the tag team titles are.
And yes, you will have an opportunity to earn that.
So do not flip your wigs.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
-Somebody help! Toupee! -Hey, Judgment Day!
Ah! That's who I was looking for.
Ladies, congratulations on your victory. Dom, you must be feeling great.
Athletic, nimble, spry, hopping around down there. How are you?
I mean, it was the adrenaline in… in my soul.
-Adrenaline in your soul. -But also, I'm tender.
And you know, I'm not actually cleared, so…
-So, that's your doctor's note? -Yeah, it's my doctor's note.
You know what's funny about that is after your little episode earlier,
yes, it is funny, I called WWE Medical,
and next week you are scheduled to be reevaluated.
But don't worry, if you're not clear
and you have a doctor's note that says that,
you have nothing to worry about.
But if you are medically clear, as fast as I can,
I'm gonna write a contract for you
to defend this Intercontinental Championship
at SummerSlam against AJ Styles.
[crowd cheering]
Hey, Dom, don't worry about what Pearce says, okay?
You're hurt. There's no way a doctor's gonna medically clear you.
-Let's go, let's go. -Of course not.
I'm not even cleared, this is crazy.
Dominik Mysterio… [speaks indistinctly]
[crowd cheering]
I'm not cleared, AJ. God, please don't let him do this to me.
-I'm not clear. I'm not clear… -Don't listen to him, God.
[Michael] You better pay off the doctor, Dom.
Well, there's Penta. Can Penta run the Gauntlet?
If he does, he has an opportunity against that man,
Gunther, for the World Championship at SummerSlam.
Gunther's here live!
I'm backstage with Rusev.
Rusev, I haven't had a chance to congratulate you.
I mean, a couple of weeks ago,
you and Sheamus put on one of the hardest hitting matches
we've seen in recent memory and it was you that came out on top.
So I guess my question is, where do you hope to go from here?
People call me God,
but maybe I'm just a saint killing off Irish snakes.
But now the world knows what you know, what I know,
what Sheamus already knew, that I'm better than him,
tougher than him, and superior to him. That's why he was happy to see me go last.
[crowd cheering]
[chuckles] Easy there, St. Patrick. I'm not here to ambush you.
That's not how I do things in my world.
But I did speak to Pearce and he saw how you stole our match
-by crushing my neck in. And guess what? -[chuckles]
He agrees that you're a dirty, cheating bastard.
-So guess what? We're having a rematch. -Hmm?
Rematch?
[scoffs] You didn't think we were done after that, did you?
That little banger was just the appetizer. You have to save room for the main course.
It's like you haven't even heard my catchphrase.
Let me remind you, it goes a little like this, right?
Banger, after banger, after banger,
after banger, after banger!
I came to dominate gold, not gingers.
If Sheamus wants to run that back and produce another banger, sign me up.
That was one of the most fun matches to watch.
Couldn't have paid me enough to get involved.
I cannot believe that it's two weeks from Saturday,
the start of a historic weekend, an epic two-night SummerSlam
at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
[Corey] The Undisputed WWE Championship is on the line as former champion,
The American Nightmare, Cody Rhodes, will challenge the greatest of all time,
the reigning champion, John Cena.
[Michael] We heard the news from Adam Pearce earlier tonight.
The Women's World Title will be on the line in a Triple Threat match.
Naomi, the brand-new champion,
defends against Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky at SummerSlam.
[Corey] And we know the Man, Becky Lynch,
looking forward to defending her Women's Intercontinental Championship.
Well, earlier tonight, it was Lyra Valkyria who outlasted Bayley
in a Two-out-of-Three Falls matchup to earn that right.
Lyra, Lynch at SummerSlam.
[Michael] WWE Women's Championship will be on the line.
Tiffany Stratton fresh off a win over Trish Stratus
will take on the Queen of the Ring, Jade Cargill.
They battle for the Women's Championship,
the WWE Women's Championship at SummerSlam.
[Corey] And after a wild turn of events this past Saturday
at Saturday Night's Main Event, How is this for tag team action?
As "The Viper" Randy Orton joins forces with recording superstar Jelly Roll
to battle Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul.
-[crowd cheering] -["Prepare to Fight" playing]
♪ Gunther! ♪
[Alicia] Ladies and gentlemen,
please welcome the World Heavyweight Champion,
The Ring General, Gunther!
[Michael] The Main Event of Saturday Night's Main Event,
the World Champion, Gunther, defending the title against the icon,
Goldberg, in Goldberg's final match.
What a match it was.
[Corey] All due respect to the Hall of Famer,
an unforgettable night for Goldberg.
But The Ring General proved to be who he says he is,
the absolute best professional wrestler on the planet Earth.
[Michael] And he will defend the World Heavyweight Championship
two weeks from Saturday in the epic two-night event, SummerSlam,
against the winner of the upcoming Gauntlet match.
-[music fades] -[crowd cheering]
[crowd jeering]
Well, I don't get the issue because I am in a great mood today.
[chuckles]
Because past Saturday Night's Main Event,
I, The Ring General, Gunther,
retired Bill Goldberg.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting, "Goldberg"]
Well, I know you guys down here are not the brightest,
but once again for you, Bill Goldberg is not here tonight.
He's not coming.
Because I held every promise that I made before that match.
I bullied him, I humiliated him, I pushed him around, I blew him up,
I choked him out, and I ended the myth of Bill Goldberg!
[crowd chanting "You tapped out"]
But there's only one question to raise right now…
who's next?
Who is next for The Ring General?
Well, don't worry guys, because we're gonna have an answer soon.
Because in the next moments, I'm gonna take a seat,
have a nice suite up there.
And five of the finest competitors in WWE today
are going to compete for my amusement.
And to identify who's going to be the official challenger
for The Ring General at SummerSlam.
The winner of that match, I really don't care because for me,
when that bell rings, they're all the sa…
["Breakk and Destroy" playing]
[crowd cheering]
♪ Yaow ♪
[crowd barking]
♪ But if I fade away, then that shall go ♪
♪ Will I find salvation? ♪
♪ These demons in my head I can't avoid ♪
♪ Will they evade when I fade away?
♪ Never falling under ♪
♪ Now take it away… ♪
[Michael] It could perhaps be Bron Breakker,
who could be the number one contender for the world heavyweight title
if he can run the Gauntlet tonight.
♪ It stops when you bend, oh ♪
[Corey] What a showdown this will be.
[Michael] Gunther looks like he would welcome it.
[Corey] The Ring General has never been afraid of a challenge,
which no doubt Bron Breakker would pose to the World Heavyweight Champion.
[song fades]
[crowd cheering]
[crowd member barking]
[crowd barking]
Ladies and gentlemen…
[crowd cheering]
-…my name is Paul Heyman. -[crowd] Paul Heyman!
-Ton-- -Mr. Heyman…
[crowd booing]
…I'm very aware of what your name is.
I made my points
and I'm really not interested in listening to what you have to say.
So I'm going to leave now.
-[crowd barking] -[inaudible]
Oh, stick around a moment, Gunther.
This applies to you.
Tonight, Bron Breakker runs the Gauntlet,
becomes number one contender, goes on to the main event of SummerSlam
where he's going to beat you for the World Heavyweight Championship.
Now, I understand that's no easy task.
I saw how you beat Goldberg on Saturday Night's Main Event.
But you haven't been speared
until you've been speared by Bron Breakker.
[crowd cheering]
Let me make this perfectly clear,
Bron Breakker is the next big thing.
Bron Breakker is the big dog.
And this, well, this is Bron Breakker's yard.
You're not looking at just another contender.
He's a Steiner.
[crowd cheering]
So you know what that means?
He's gonna break through every barrier that's put in front of him.
He's gonna break through the glass ceiling in WWE,
and he's gonna break your ass at SummerSlam.
[crowd cheering]
There's going to be a new World Heavyweight Champion,
a long-term World Heavyweight Champion at SummerSlam,
and his name is Bron Breakker.
[crowd barking]
[Corey] Oh, far be it from me to ever bet against The Ring General
under any circumstance,
but we know Paul Heyman does have a strong history
of prognostications coming to fruition.
["Breakk And Destroy" playing]
[bell ringing]
[Alicia] The following Gauntlet match will determine
the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship
at SummerSlam.
In this match,
superstars can only be eliminated by pinball or submission.
[Michael] Entrances were determined by a random draw earlier today.
Who does Breakker start off the Gauntlet match against
live on Netflix?
[Michael] Tonight, Monday Night Raw live on Netflix,
emanates from Birmingham, Alabama.
It is time for our main event, the Gauntlet match,
to determine who faces Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship
-at SummerSlam. -["Zero Miedo" playing]
[Michael] Could it be Penta? Could it be Bron Breakker?
Well, they draw the first two slots in the running of the gauntlet.
[Corey] These two Superstars certainly with no shortage of juice
to provide tonight.
Stakes at an all time high.
[Michael] The 38th Gauntlet match
in the long and illustrious history of Monday Night Raw.
The first in well over a year and so much at stake.
[Corey] I'm extremely curious to see
what sort of strategy Bron Breakker employs
in this Gauntlet match.
This is a young man who utilizes his explosivity,
his power game, to his advantage regularly.
But, how does Bron fare in the endurance department?
We haven't really seen Breakker tested in a long term match
-like tonight could be. -[Michael] Great point.
Bron Breakker who beat Sami Zayn last week,
put him on the injured list,
trying to earn his first World title opportunity here
on Monday Night Raw.
Last year, of course, at SummerSlam,
Bron Breakker won his first Championship here,
the Intercontinental title.
Hopes to get to another title match this year,
as Penta starts things off against Bron Breakker.
Probably a wise decision here by Penta.
[Corey] Yeah, you wanna grab the upper hand against Bron Breakker
by any means necessary.
-Smart strategy by Penta. -[crowd cheers]
[Corey] But again, I'm curious to see
what sort of strategy is employed by Penta,
who loves to push the pace.
But let's be realistic,
the sort of pace that benefits Penta is not sustainable in a Gauntlet match.
[Michael] And the power of Breakker.
[Corey] I think for both of these guys, the answer is to try to get through
this first fall as quickly as possible.
Whether it be a quick flash pin, a knockout shot, whatever it is,
you wanna get out of here as fast as possible and see who's next.
[Michael] Do you think that the injury to Seth Rollins,
and again, we don't know the severity of it yet,
do you think that injury is weighing on the mind
of Bron Breakker at all as he heads into this Gauntlet match?
[Corey] Absolutely not. You heard Paul Heyman earlier,
it's too quick to provide any sort of detail.
But what Heyman holds in his hands is a guarantee.
It is a surefire thing.
The Money in the Bank contract belongs to Rollins until next June.
I think Heyman said, "Bron, the chance is yours."
"SummerSlam is yours for the taking," and that's all Breakker's focused on.
[Michael] Yeah, but Penta wants to head into his first SummerSlam
with a Championship opportunity. Crossbody by Penta.
And Penta burst on the scene in spectacular fashion here in WWE.
[Corey] A world-traveled Superstar,
dreamt of making his presence known on the grandest stage,
that is WWE, and Penta has absolutely not disappointed.
-[Michael] And as that initiating… -[Corey] Uh-oh, uh-oh!
[Michael] Oh, and there's that breakneck speed!
We talk about it all the time.
Twenty-three miles per hour, Bron Breakker hits the ropes.
[Corey] And that's akin to being run over by a Mack truck
in the center of the ring.
[Michael] And the other thing I've noticed about Breakker as of late,
especially after joining Heyman and company, is the confidence.
The confidence is just growing.
-And Penta now gonna fly up over the top! -[crowd cheers]
[Michael] Down goes Breakker, Penta in control!
[Corey] No fear.
[Michael] Well, the frightening thing for Penta
is Breakker is starting to let loose.
We heard Heyman barking orders just a few moments ago,
and Bron Breakker-- and I'm telling you, Breakker's crazy.
Like, I said it before, he's got a screw loose.
He enjoys this.
[Corey] Well, you're not gonna get any disagreement from me.
I mean, he's the son of a dog-faced gremlin,
-for God's sake. -[Michael] Oh, my God!
[Corey] You don't earn that sort of nickname
by utilizing your brain cells.
[Michael] Oh, and a press slam onto the steps!
[Corey] And just a few feet away from us, The Oracle grinning from ear to ear.
Paul Heyman can already taste SummerSlam.
[Michael] How many nicknames can a guy have in his career?
[Corey] How many dollars can a man have in his bank account, Cole?
It's endless.
By being great in this business, Heyman's already a Hall of Famer.
Now he's just padding his resume and his bank account.
[Michael] And now Breakker has slowed the pace down
to the way he likes it.
[Corey] Breakker prefers this methodical pace in these instances,
knowing full well that in the blink of an eye,
he can flip that switch.
He can explode out of the gates and through an opponent,
turn Penta's lights out,
cut somebody clean in half with one of those spears.
-Right now, Breakker… -[Michael] Suplex, floats into the cover.
And now Breakker gonna do push-ups. Now this is an issue, however.
He should have taken the opportunity to beat Penta there.
[Corey] I might agree with you more often than not,
but this is Bron Breakker we're talking about.
And as we've learned in his short tenure in WWE,
Breakker has broken all of the molds. He has defied all of the odds.
We have never seen a Superstar quite like Bron Breakker before.
[Michael] No, I agree. He's got everything.
In baseball, you'd call him a five-tool player.
[Breakker groans]
[Michael] Checks off every single box.
And now under the tutelage of Heyman and Rollins,
God knows what the future holds for Breakker.
[Corey] A desperate Penta
dragging Breakker's neck across the top rope and it's…
[Michael] What a throw by Breakker, with ease!
[Corey] And that's disheartening for an opponent.
-[Michael] Cover! -[referee counting]
[Michael] Penta kicks at two.
[Corey] When you're someone who's world-traveled
and successful as Penta, and you are throwing the best you have,
as we take a look at the World Heavyweight Champion, Gunther,
enjoying this Gauntlet match from his skybox.
But when you're Penta and you're hitting Bron Breakker
with some of your best shots, and Breakker just eats them and smiles,
and keeps moving forward, that will crush the soul of a competitor.
[Michael] And now Penta trying to fight back.
A lot of guts in this young man as we've learned.
And another throw by Breakker,
he's tossing Penta around like he's a child.
[Corey] And Penta is the personification of cero miedo, zero fear.
[Michael] But look at… He's manhandling him, Corey!
[Corey] I agree, I think Penta's best bet in this circumstance
-is to try to take to the skies. -[Michael] Maybe tap out.
[Corey chuckles] Hey, maybe, that's the next best thing.
[Corey] Well, things are about to go from bad to worse for Penta.
[Michael] And a kick by Penta!
And Penta looking to rally! Went for the knee, smart move by Penta.
Sling blade, face first goes Bron Breakker.
[Corey] Enzuigiri in the corner, rocks the brain of Breakker.
[Michael] Ooh! Right to the chest.
[Corey] Drive all the wind out of the lungs of Bron Breakker.
And in a Gauntlet matchup where exhaustion is almost always a factor.
Oh! And you need your full lung capacity.
[Michael] Cover, to advance in the Gauntlet match!
Breakker kicks at two!
[Michael] And the World Champion, Gunther looks on, doesn't seem impressed.
[Corey] When have you ever known Gunther to be impressed by any other Superstars?
We look yet again at the offensive Penta, that backstabber.
Impressive to us, impressive to the WWE Universe,
just not to Gunther.
[Michael] Penta…
And Breakker with a knee, an explosive knee.
The sudden impact of Bron Breakker.
[Corey] Got Penta right under the chin, but Penta able to fight his way out.
[Michael] Yeah, Penta not giving up.
Looked like he was gonna go for the Penta Driver there.
Breakker was able to counter.
Springboard… Spear! Oh my God!
Springboard and a spear just split him in half!
-[bell rings] -[crowd exclaims]
[Alicia] Penta has been eliminated.
[Michael] When you can impress "The Icon" Goldberg
-with the way you deliver a spear… -["Welcome to LA" playing]
-…it's saying something. -[crowd cheers]
[Corey] Well, unfortunately for Bron Breakker,
I guarantee you, this megastar ain't impressed.
[Michael] That is why it was not the luck of the draw for Bron Breakker.
He's gotta go from start to finish to win this entire Gauntlet match.
And now a man who has a major issue with Rollins and company, LA Knight.
[Corey] We heard from LA Knight by his own admission earlier,
he is not 100% after his grueling battle with Rollins
at Saturday Night's Main Event.
But LA Knight's gonna have to figure out a way to rally
if he wants any chance of getting past Breakker.
[Michael] Yeah, the win over Rollins at Saturday Night's Main Event.
He's never competed, LA Knight,
for the World Heavyweight Championship that Gunther has.
Has an opportunity if he wins the Gauntlet.
[Corey] Listen, in a Gauntlet match,
it can't hurt to have that little something extra,
a little something secret in your pocket.
Tonight, for LA Knight, that's the WWE Universe.
-[Michael] Yeah, the sixth man. -[Corey] Listen to this place.
[Michael] Knight whipped across the corner.
And explodes out with a clothesline!
LA Knight is not gonna be intimidated by a man like Breakker.
And a block by Breakker.
-Look at the power. -[Corey] Oh my God, oh, my…
[Michael] LA Knight though lands on his feet, into a neckbreaker!
Great move by Knight!
[Corey] Now LA Knight taking a second to mock The Badass.
-Cover by Knight! -[Michael] Breakker gets the shoulder up.
Knight so explosive.
[Corey] Well, LA Knight certainly has no shortage of personal issues
with Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, Seth "Freakin" Rollins,
all of the above have made Knight's life hell recently.
What an opportunity for catharsis this could be for The Megastar.
[Michael] I'm surprised Heyman didn't rig the random drawing
-so Breakker got a better spot. -[Corey] Cole, are you--
[Michael] Knight up over the top to the floor.
[Corey] Well, LA Knight gonna drag Breakker to the outside with him.
[Michael] And Breakker driven shoulder first
into the post.
[Michael] Great offensive strategy here by Knight.
-[Corey] Trying to take… -[Michael] And again.
[Corey] Take the arm away from Bron Breakker.
[Michael] And Breakker now rolling back into the ring.
[Corey] This is a strategy Penta really wasn't able to employ,
trying to pick apart a body part from Bron Breakker.
-[Michael] Look at the power. -[Corey] Yep! Oh! It's paying off.
[Michael] LA Knight… Breakker didn't have any power left
in the arm after the repeated blows to the post.
Breakker up over the top right into our announce table!
[Corey] Great strategy by the veteran, LA Knight.
[Michael] LA Knight looking to pull out all the stops here.
Both men bounce off the announce table.
Breakker's down, golden opportunity here for Knight.
[Corey] Now Bron Breakker's skull being dribbled off the cowl
of our announce desk. I'm getting out of the way, Cole.
I have a feeling it's gonna get even uglier.
[Michael] I mean, I love the way that Knight has been aggressive
since the start of this match with Breakker.
[Corey] Well, this isn't LA Knight's first day of school.
Backbreaker!
The Megastar understands the assignment. He knows what he's dealing with.
LA Knight knows what he needs to do to head to SummerSlam.
[Michael] Oh, now LA Knight driven ribs first.
Now remember, ribs have been an issue for Knight over the last few weeks.
Tsunami, spears, not a 100%.
And now Breakker dropping him on the ribs yet again.
[Corey] Those ribs are about to become a full blown subscription.
The issue is gonna get even worse, courtesy of Bron Breakker.
[Michael] And now it's Bron Breakker… back on top here in control of this match.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] And LA Knight-- Breakker smart here.
Go for the midsection, the Achilles' heel of LA Knight.
-[groans] -[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Paul Heyman realizes that he has a diamond in his mitt.
Bron Breakker, who eliminated Penta in the Gauntlet match,
and is now completely dominating LA Knight.
[Corey] I'll do you one better, Cole, it's not a diamond,
it's the freaking Hope Diamond.
Bron Breakker is the future of this business,
and I don't know anybody that even disputes that.
-[Michael] Oh, I don't. -[Corey] The scariest part about it
is he is under the control of The Oracle.
[Michael] We've seen what Heyman has done to so many badasses
in their careers here at WWE, able to take them to the next level.
And Breakker now-- Oh! Knee right to the midsection again.
This is a brilliant strategy.
[crowd counting]
[Michael] LA able to kick out.
[Corey] Again, tried and true by Bron Breakker.
Nothing fancy, nothing risky, just an answer
for everything LA Knight is attempting.
[Michael] One thing I've noticed too,
since Breakker has come into the Heyman fold,
he's much more in control in the ring.
Not trying to do too many high risk things here and there
like he was early on in his career.
Realizes he's a powerhouse,
just beating the hell out of your opponents.
[Corey] Rely on your strengths, lean into what works best for you.
And I guarantee you, Heyman and certainly Rollins,
veterans of the game, have explained that to Bron.
"Protect your investment." "If you're gonna be the future,
you wanna be the future at a 100% of yourself."
[Michael] LA Knight though, he's not gonna give up,
fighting back, elbows to the face.
-Breakker misses wildly. Collision! -[Corey] Oh!
[Michael] Both men are down, center of the ring.
-Who got the worst of it? -[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Corey] This is the best opportunity LA Knight has had in…
seemingly minutes to recover,
as we take another look
at the double clothesline that dropped both athletes.
[crowd chanting "This is awesome"]
[Michael] This is a critical point in this match.
[crowd chanting "This is awesome"]
[Michael] Breakker beat Penta, looking to beat LA Knight in advance.
Knight looking to advance in the Gauntlet. Left hand from the southpaw.
And then a big clothesline by Knight.
[Corey] You can hear the WWE Universe here in Birmingham has woken up,
and so has LA Knight…
-[Michael] Neckbreaker! -…rallying behind The Megastar.
Looking to push LA for the next round of this Gauntlet.
DDT.
[Michael] And this is what Breakker was hoping to avoid.
This rally.
This big fourth quarter comeback by Knight.
[crowd chanting "LA Knight, yeah"]
[Michael] Off the top rope, elbow delivered. Knight's got a chance.
-Hooks the leg. -[crowd counting]
[Michael] Breakker kicks at two. Paul Heyman rushing to the ring.
[Corey] Let's take another look
at this double jump flying elbow from LA Knight,
right to the heart of Bron Breakker, so close that it did force The Oracle,
Paul Heyman, off of his seat on our announce table on ringside.
[Michael] Wish he'd stay over there.
Knight now went for another neckbreaker, for a BFT perhaps.
-[Corey] Oh, no! -[Michael] Bron Breakker, my goodness!
-What a counter by Knight into the cover! -[crowd counting]
[Michael] Somehow Breakker kicked out.
-[Corey] My goodness! -[Michael] What a counter by LA Knight.
[Corey] You can see the befuddled look on the face of the Oracle.
That's the same expression we're all wearing.
How the hell did Bron Breakker survive being stacked up like that by LA Knight?
[Michael] Breakker trying to fight out of this, lands on his feet.
LA Knight, again, the midsection given out.
Knight just doesn't have any core strength right now
with the possible rib injuries.
[Corey] But I think LA Knight hurt Bron Breakker.
Breakker has almost a glazed over look in his eyes.
[Michael] Yeah, trying to fight out of this.
I think he raked the eyes and the official didn't see it,
but it didn't matter.
There's no disqualifications in the match tonight.
And the knees right to the ribs.
[Corey] That gut buster could be the prelude to something very bad
for The Megastar.
[Michael] Remember, you can only win via pinfall or submission.
Breakker, spear!
[crowd counting]
[Michael] Who's next for Breakker in the Gauntlet?
-Great effort by LA Knight. -[Alicia] LA Knight has been eliminated.
[Corey] Unfortunately for The Megastar, he can give his best regards to Penta
-as the second to fall… -["Main Event Ish" playing]
…in this Gauntlet match.
[Michael] Now Bron Breakker showing the physical
and perhaps mental exhaustion of the first two matches.
But now he's gotta go up against the former World Heavyweight Champion,
a man he knows extremely well, Jey Uso.
♪ It's Jey, I line 'em all up And knock 'em down like this ♪
♪ Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! ♪
[Michael] Jey Uso won the Royal Rumble this year.
For the fourth time in his career, he enters a Gauntlet match,
but the first time he's ever been in a singles Gauntlet match.
[Corey] Yeah, but the difference here is Jey Uso is fresh as a daisy,
Michael Cole, and Bron Breakker has been pushed to the limit twice,
first by Penta, then by LA Knight.
But that Unpredictable Badass now realizes what he must do.
-♪ Let's go! ♪ -♪ Uso! ♪
[song fades]
[Michael] And now Jey Uso goes right after Breakker. Smart move by Jey.
Take advantage of Bron Breakker,
perhaps showing the wear and tear of the first two matches.
[crowd chanting "Oh, yeet"]
[Michael] Uso would love another opportunity
at Gunther at SummerSlam.
[Corey] Jey Uso uncorking a heavy right, sending Breakker crashing to the outside.
And here he comes!
[Michael] Uso, suicide dive, wipes out Breakker.
The fresh Jey Uso wants to run it back.
["Main Event Ish" playing]
-♪ It's just me, uce ♪ -♪ Day one ish… ♪
[Michael] Jey Uso celebrating. Hopefully it's not premature.
[Corey] I don't like this at all.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Michael] Suddenly, Bron Breakker has regained control
after an early rally… by Jey Uso.
[crowd cheering, applauding]
[Corey] Uso in all types of trouble here, needs to find an escape route in a hurry.
Shot to the body of Bron Breakker.
And now a headbutt from the former World Heavyweight Champion.
[Michael] Jey Uso now, top rope. Urgency now.
Jey Uso's face, crossbody, lateral press…
-[crowd counting] -…hook of the leg, Breakker at two.
[Corey] Let's take another look at this as Gunther looks on from the sky box.
Jey Uso takes to the sky, flying crossbody on the money.
But Bron Breakker still has too much left in the tank.
[Michael] I'm not sure how much more he has left in the tank though,
as he collapses in the corner. This is the third match…
-[Jey] U… -[crowd] …so!
[Michael] …for Breakker, against three top superstars here in WWE.
[Corey] Jey Uso backing it up into the cover.
[Michael] Hook of the leg, Breakker kicks out again.
Corey described how grueling it is
to have three back-to-back matches like this
against world class competitors, former champions.
[Corey] I've never tasted anything resembling success quite like this
as we look again at Jey Uso backing it up.
But it doesn't matter what you've done, it comes down to endurance,
cardiovascular conditioning, guts, grit, and will.
And so far we've seen Bron Breakker has that in spades.
-[crowd chanting "Let's go, Uso"] -[Michael] Jey Uso to the top rope.
Bron Breakker gonna meet him there though.
[Corey] And these aren't just random five superstars, Cole.
These are five main event caliber, world championship caliber competitors.
[Michael] And guess who awaits the winner of this match?
None other than CM Punk.
[Corey] And if you somehow miraculously survived the Gauntlet,
-your gift, a date with The Ring General… -[Michael laughs]
-Gunther. -…at SummerSlam.
[Michael] Yeah, one of the most dangerous men I've ever seen.
[Corey] The man who retired Goldberg this past weekend.
[Michael] And Breakker can still do that? You gotta be kidding me.
The Frankensteiner.
Cover now by Breakker.
Jey kicks out!
How the hell did Breakker have anything left to do that?
[Corey] That is a psyche destroyer, if you're Jey Uso.
You've thrown your best at a man who's already been through two opponents.
And Bron Breakker busts out a Frankensteiner
this deep into the match-up, that is terrifying.
[Michael] We saw Gunther looking on.
He has not looked at all impressed with anyone here tonight.
[Corey] Well, that's the stoicism of a champion.
Right now, Gunther is studying each competitor, each movement.
[Michael] Breakker, breakneck speed, Jey catches him with a kick.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] And another one, Breakker into the ropes.
-Oh! -[Corey] Oh! [laughs]
[Michael] Jey with an opportunity to advance to the gauntlet.
-Delivers a spear to Breakker. Cover now. -[crowd counting]
-[Michael] Near fall by Jey Uso. -[crowd cheering]
[Corey] How poetic would it have been to take out Breakker with a spear,
-but Main Event Jey making the climb. -[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Oh, no, damn it!
-[Corey] "Big" Bronson Reed. -[Michael] Come on now.
There's no disqualifications, but come on.
[crowd booing]
[Michael] "Big" Bronson Reed saving the damn match. Spear by Breakker.
-[crowd counting] -[bell ringing]
[Michael] Give the assist to The Aus-zilla.
[Alicia] Jey Uso has been eliminated.
[Corey] "Big" Bronson Reed set the table for Bron Breakker, and Breakker feasted.
-["Cult of Personality" playing] -[Michael] And so now, Gunther settles in.
He's gonna face Breakker or CM Punk at SummerSlam.
-Who's it gonna be? -[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting "CM Punk"]
[Michael] If you're Paul Heyman, what are you telling your charge now?
He's been through a number of matches already,
now he's got the best in the world.
[Corey] Well, if there's a benefit to having Paul Heyman
in Breakker's Corner,
no one knows The Second City Saint quite like The Oracle.
You see Heyman telling Bron, catch your breath,
try to compose yourself,
because the task doesn't get any easier against the best in the world.
-[crowd cheering] -It's clobberin' time!
[Michael] CM Punk has a score to settle
after Seth Rollins again cost him a championship, the WWE Championship,
back at Night of Champions.
[Corey] Well, I don't know, too many people who would disagree
with that assessment, Michael Cole.
For all intents and purposes, Punk should have the gold right now.
[Michael] And there's the veteran, CM Punk,
understanding what's his take here. Take advantage of Breakker.
Don't allow him to get back into the match
Don't allow him to recuperate. Delivers a knee.
-Here's a running Bulldog by Punk. -[crowd chanting "CM Punk"]
[Michael] He hasn't even taken off his ring jacket yet.
[Corey] But Bron Breakker's on the ropes, sent to the outside
CM Punk came to fight and punch his ticket to SummerSlam.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] And Punk may yet break Gunther at SummerSlam.
If he can knock off Breakker here.
The final match in the gauntlet match,
Breakker started, he knocked off Penta. Here's the cover.
-[crowd counting] -[Michael] Breakker kicks out,
he knocked off Penta, he knocked off LA Knight,
then he beat Jey Uso.
As Gunther looks on, one of these two men will face Gunther
two weeks from either Saturday or Sunday
at SummerSlam for the World Heavyweight title.
[Corey] Forgive me for stating the obvious,
but obviously, CM Punk, the fresher of the two competitors.
But make no mistake about it, CM Punk has a gas tank.
When it comes to cardio, when it comes to going 20, 30, 40 minutes if necessary,
CM Punk can be that guy. Can Bron Breakker?
He's made it this far, but does Breakker have what it takes
to make it down the next stretch of this gauntlet match?
[crowd chanting "This is awesome"]
[Corey] The final lap, if you will, as we head to MetLife Stadium.
[Michael] Inverted atomic drop delivered to Breakker.
[Corey] In the shadows of New York City.
Making the climb once again to the top, the best in the world, target acquired.
[Michael] Now, this time Breakker caught him, what a throw by Breakker.
And Breakker now has a chance.
[Corey] Punk has been extremely deliberate with all of his movements to this point.
Sometimes you just can't plan ahead for raw power
like that possessed by Bron Breakker.
[Michael] Burying his shoulders into the midsection of Punk,
and now Bron Breakker on the attack.
Man, this has been a hell of a performance by Bron Breakker.
I mean, Bronson Reed figured into the match earlier on, but--
-[Corey] But you still can't take away. -[Michael] No, not at all.
-I mean, it's been a… -CM Punk!
…hell of a performance by Breakker.
Seth Rollins, I'm sure, watching,
he's gotta be proud of what Breakker's accomplishing.
What time is it, Stu?
Is it… is it clobbering time?
I don't think so.
[Corey] There's that aforementioned confidence call.
That might be the scariest thing about Bron Breakker these days.
[Michael] Especially this deep into the gauntlet match.
[inaudible]
[Michael] Punk!
[Corey] Catapulted into the bottom rope, throat first.
And that's a great maneuver to utilize in this sort of situation,
because it makes it tougher for CM Punk to breathe.
Again, Punk's the fresher of the two competitors,
but if you can't breathe, you can't fight.
[Michael] Just gotta note that Bron Breakker has been in this match
for over 35 minutes.
-[Corey] That's wild. -[crowd chanting "CM Punk"]
-[Michael] And that's Royal Rumble time. -[Corey] And look at that,
still able to execute feats of power like that, almost effortlessly.
[Michael] Well, he's, no doubt, he's Superman, right? He--
Unbelievable shape.
He's got everything.
[Corey] And he's got The Oracle…
-[Michael] Got a bad attitude though. -…behind the wheel.
[Michael] Oh, another great suplex by Breakker.
Again into the cover up, Punk who kicks out at one.
[Corey] I happen to find Bron Breakker to be quite enjoyable, Cole.
Perhaps it's because you spend week after week after week.
talking smack about the Oracle, about the man
who's made all the difference in Bron Breakker's career.
Maybe that's why he's not nice.
[Michael] I spent nearly 30 years of my life with that man.
-He's made it miserable a lot of times. -[crowd applauding]
[Michael] Punk back to his feet, Breakker.
A little Punk breaking the hold now. Now, CM Punk gets him up.
-[Corey] Wait for the GTS. -[Michael] Breakker now, to--
Going to allow Punk to have that happen,
and now Bron Breakker with a backbreaker, knee to the spine.
Cover now by Bron, kick-out by Punk at two.
[Corey] Notice Bron Breakker keeping CM Punk within an arm's reach
at all times, not letting The Second City Saint
-build up any sort of momentum. -[Breakker] You're not gonna win.
[inaudible]
-You're not gonna win. -[Michael] This deep into the match.
-So, I'm sure there is a better solution… -[Michael] Thirty-seven minutes.
-…then what you're doing. -[Michael] He's still talking trash
And now Punk sent across the ring, ripped into the corner again.
Punk caught him with a boot to the face. CM Punk now…
Oh, look at Breakker, up top again. going for the Frankensteiner.
Oh, Punk rolls through for the win, almost had him.
[Corey] And that was the rare instance where the confidence of Bron Breakker
almost proved to be his undoing.
[Michael] It's almost like Punk suckered him in, isn't it?
[Corey] Yeah, that and you can't get cute with a veteran like CM Punk.
Punk has forgotten more about this business
than most superstars will ever learn.
-[Michael] So close for Punk, a near fall. -[crowd chanting "CM Punk"]
[Michael] Trying to get an opportunity at a world title at SummerSlam.
[Corey] And a live crowd in Birmingham.
[Michael] Been his goal since he returned to WWE,
win a world championship again.
-Punk with a kick. -[crowd cheering]
[Corey] That just rocked Breakker,
but Punk unfortunately didn't have enough left to capitalize.
[Michael] Both men are down.
CM Punk in his second career Gauntlet match in WWE,
but his first in 14 years.
And Punk hasn't had an opportunity at a World Heavyweight Championship
since 2010, 15 years ago, has a chance tonight.
[Corey] Many would still argue, including Punk himself,
that had it not been for Seth Rollins and company,
he would be the Undisputed WWE Champion.
[Michael] And Punk with a block now,
Breakker, punches don't have quite the crispness they did earlier.
-[Corey] At this point, I mean… -[Michael] Oh!
…a lesser athlete would feel like they're running through mud
if you're Bron Breakker.
Your legs get heavy, your muscles burn, your lungs burn.
But Breakker's still hanging tough in this one.
[Michael] Neckbreaker by Punk, CM Punk now across the ring,
delivers the running knee, and Breakker's in trouble.
-And Punk now with a-- -[Corey] Short-arm clothesline.
[Michael] And now back out to the apron again,
-and Punk gonna climb high. -[Corey] Wow.
[Michael] What a shock, I was wondering when this was gonna happen.
Bronson Reed up on the apron, trying to get involved,
forcing Punk now to fight back, drops Bronson Reed.
[Corey] We were wondering, but so was Punk.
CM Punk was ready, now perched on top once again.
[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Oh, yeah! The elbow by Punk to Breakker.
-[crowd counting] -[Michael] Almost had it.
-Breakker kicked out. -[Corey] Oh, wait a minute.
-[Michael] Anaconda Vice, Anaconda Vice. -[Corey] Seamless transition,
Anaconda Vice looking to squeeze the breath out of Bron Breakker.
[Michael] Breakker somehow Trying to hang on, Punk's got the Vice.
[Corey] Oh, wait a minute, wait a minute, watch "Big" Bronson Reed.
[Michael] And Reed now with an elbow to Punk.
Again, there are no disqualifications. Reed can do whatever the hell he wants.
Tsunami!
[Corey] Oh, no, Bronson just called for it.
[Michael] Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no.
-["Main Event Ish" playing] -[crowd cheering]
-[inaudible] -[Michael] Punk's got some backup.
Main Event Jey Uso beaten and battered, coming down to get himself some.
[Corey] Bad ribs and all, looking to come to the aid…
-[crowd chanting "Yeet"] -…of The Second City Saint.
Jey Uso getting himself a "Big" Bronson.
-[Michael] Uso taking out The Aus-zilla. -[crowd cheering]
[Michael] Meanwhile, back in the ring, the match continues.
-[screams] -[Corey] Oh, no! Punk, don't turn around.
[Michael] Breakker went for the Spear, Punk intercepted him.
-He's got Breakker up top, going to sleep. -[crowd cheering]
-[Michael] GTS, Punk into the corner. -[crowd counting]
-[Michael] Punk's going to SummerSlam. -[bell ringing]
-[crowd cheering] -["Cult of Personality" playing]
[Alicia] Here is your winner,
CM Punk!
[Michael] Gunther, Punk for the world title,
two weeks from this weekend at SummerSlam.
[Corey] A few weeks ago, it was CM Punk who told Gunther,
"Stay out of my way."
Well, these two gentlemen are on a collision course
at MetLife Stadium for the biggest party of the summer
with the World Heavyweight Championship on the line.
-[inaudible] -[Michael] Punk had one goal, Corey,
since his return to WWE, and that is to win a world title.
He has another chance at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Two weeks from this coming weekend against that man, Gunther,
-for the World Championship. -[inaudible]
-[Michael] Oh! -[Corey] Oh! Goodness.
[Michael] Bronson Reed elbows CM Punk,
as Punk had his attention turned to Gunther.
And now, Jey Uso trying to come to his aid.
[Corey] Punk earned the championship opportunity,
but Bronson Reed and company looking for the last laugh.
[crowd chanting "Yeet"]
[Corey] Jey Uso coming to the aid of CM Punk.
[Michael] Bron Breakker with a Spear.
Bron Breakker somehow had enough left in him to hit a Spear,
and now Reed and Breakker…
-[crowd chanting "OTC"] …double teaming Punk.
And a Spear now to Punk. Decimating Punk and Uso.
And Heyman looks on as his charges continue to destroy everything that moves.
[Corey] No, and if it continues to go this way, Cole,
CM Punk isn't gonna make it to SummerSlam, neither is Jey Uso.
This is gonna be a massacre.
[Michael] Stacking Uso and Punk up for what would be a Double Tsunami
by the 330 pounder.
-["I Am Greatness" playing] -[crowd cheering]
[Michael] The OTC is back!
Superman Punch!
And now Reigns beating the hell out of Bron Breakker.
[Corey] Look at the power.
[Michael] Thanks for coming, Bronson Reed.
Superman Punch.
This place has come unglued!
-Ooh-Aah! -[crowd chanting "Ooh-Aah!"]
-[Michael] Spear! -[crowd cheering]
[Michael] We haven't seen Roman Reigns since the night after WrestleMania,
when Bron Breakker speared him
and aligned himself with Rollins and Heyman.
[crowd chanting "OTC"]
-[Michael] Helping his cousin Jey. -[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting "OTC"]
[inaudible]
[crowd chanting "OTC"]
[crowd chanting "Roman, Roman Reigns"]
[inaudible]
-[crowd cheering] -["I Am Greatness" playing]
[Michael] The sins of Paul Heyman are about to haunt him.
-Roman Reigns has never forgotten. -[inaudible]
[Michael] The Original Tribal Chief is back.
[inaudible] e Original Tribal Chief is back.