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WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (July 12, 2021) from the ThunderDome at Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida, featuring all the latest build to the upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view (PPV) scheduled for this coming Sunday night in Fort Worth, Texas.
Advertised for tonight: Bobby Lashley vs. Xavier Woods, Nikki Cross vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Asuka vs. Naomi in a Fatal 4-Way match, Sheamus defends the United States championship against Humberto Carrillo, John Morrison vs. Ricochet in a Falls Count Anywhere match, AJ Styles vs. Ivar, Omos vs. Erik, and more!
Come right back here at 8 p.m. ET when the Raw live blog will kick off once the show starts on USA. It will be below this line here. (REMINDER: NO GIFS OR PICS ARE ALLOWED IN THE COMMENTS SECTION. OFFENDERS WILL BE BANNED.)
WWE RAW RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR JULY 12
I’m gonna make you understand, that I’ve seen it all before. I twist your mind and break your heart and you still come back for more, as I liveblog this here pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with a memorial graphic for the late great Mr. Wonderful, Paul Orndorff.
A recap of last week’s tag team match pitting New Day against what’s left of the Hurt Business follows.
We see Montel Vontavious Porter giving Bobby Lashley a pep talk in Gorilla while the champ’s entourage cheers.
Bobby Lashley vs. Xavier Woods
Back and forth in the feeling out, Woods lands a few key kicks into a step-up senton for a nearfall! Lashley military presses him... AND DROPS HIM OVER THE ROPES AND TO THE FLOOR! Bob in control, we go to break.
Back from commercial, Woods is still in the fight, tornado DDT for some breathing room! Tope con giro follows it, back in the ring, arm-trap crossface applied, but Bob fights out of it and lands a huge thrust spinebuster to turn the tide back! Back and forth, Woods thinks fast...
Xavier Woods wins by pinfall with an inside cradle.
Commentary talks a bunch and we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a recap of what we just saw, because Raw is three hours long. (Three hours long.)
Montel Vontavious Porter is interviewed backstage.
He admits that Bobby Lashley has left the building, but it’s not a big deal, he just had to go blow off some steam after a rough evening, and he’ll be back for the VIP Lounge later tonight.
A recap of Jinder Mahal and his goons Shanky and Veer beating Drew McIntyre down and stealing his sword last week follows.
We see Jinder roll up on his motorbike earlier today, and Veer and Shanky meet him with Drew’s sword.
Alexa Bliss is in her playground backstage.
She introduces Eva Marie and Doudrop and giggles a little about how fun Doudrop is to say.
Eva cuts Doudrop off and says her time back on Raw has been Eva-lutionary and Bliss says she asked Doudrop and not her “surprise bonus.” Eva isn’t happy about that and claims to be THE star on the show and storms off.
Jinder Mahal and his boys make their entrance to send us to break.
Back from commercial, we get some hype about Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks at the Espys.
Jinder Mahal is in the ring and on the mic.
He says maybe he acted too hastily taking Drew McIntyre’s sword away from him, and he knows he’s going to have had trouble eating and drinking and training without his sword, and he wants him to come out here, man-to-man, so he can apologize, shake his hand, and return the sword.
Drew appears on the tron and calls Jinder a liar and tells him to cut the crap and get to the point. Mahal says they had his sword refinished, and Shanky and Veer pull the cloth off to reveal that the blade has been broken in half. Jinder apologizes, claiming something must have happened, and Drew says the sword they have is a replica.
McIntyre whips out the real thing and leans it against a door before walking over to Jinder’s bike and saying it’s not a replica and it looks a little delicate. He tears the exhaust off and smashes the front of the bike with it! He tears the seat off and smashes it on the ground, the front fender, the gas tank, before knocking the bike over and leaving.
Matt Riddle rolls up on Nikki ASH in Gorilla and asks why she doesn’t just fly up and pluck the briefcase down at Money in the Bank. Nikki points out that she’s not actually a superhero yet and leaves to make her entrance after Riddle rambles some nonsense about being an astronaut.
Her entrance sends us to break.
Back from commercial, Asuka gets an inset promo where she says she’s going to win Money in the Bank and no champion will be ready for her.
Alexa Bliss vs. Asuka vs. Naomi vs. Nikki ASH
Naomi in with a double dropkick, ramming Bliss into the corner after, shoulder thrusts, Alexa fires back a hard elbow! Whip reversed, Bliss hangs herself in the ropes and explodes out with a crossbody for one! Asuka in, Uraken lays Alexa out, Nikki with a jackknife pin, whip across, wheelbarrow, roll-through, victory roll, not enough!
Asuka and Naomi lighting ASH up with kicks, tag partners laying into each other, stereo roundhouse kicks and both women are down and out! Nikki and Alexa face-to-face, Bliss goes for Sister Abigail, ducked, throat thrust into a dropkick and Eva Marie and Doudrop walk out onto the ramp! Naomi with a leg lariat, Asuka with an Axe Bomber, Alexa with a snap DDT... NO!
Bliss goes to the floor and squares up with Doudrop, patting her on her shoulder and walking right past her. Eva takes one of her heels off and threatens to use it, Alexa advances but Doudrop turns her around and beats her up! Fireman’s carry, she runs Bliss into the barricade and drops her over it! Eva Marie goes looking for her but Alexa is gone and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Asuka is holding court with kicks and knees! Naomi fends one off, Asuka ducks under her, snap German suplex! Fired up, the Empress charges in for the running hip attack! Roundhouse kick fends ASH off, running Ace Crusher, cover... NO! Naomi with the fireman’s carry jawbreaker on Nikki, back suplex on Asuka, off the ropes, splits leg drop on both... STILL NO!
Springboard roundhouse takes Asuka down, cover for two! Setting Nikki up top, she counters with a tornado DDT but Asuka breaks it up! Off the ropes, ASH wants a tilt-a-whirl Casita but Naomi counters to a sunset flip before applying the Spider Twist! Asuka comes back to break it up, cross armbar but Naomi has her hands clasped!
Nikki runs in and breaks it up with a seated senton! Diving crossbody, Naomi breaks up the pin! ASH throws Naomi to the apron, gets caught with a roundhouse, Asuka in with a Codebreaker, Nikki looking for covers...
Nikki ASH wins by pinfall with a victory roll on Asuka.
Viking Raiders are interviewed backstage about their singles matches against the tag champions tonight.
Ivar says AJ Styles has insulted his way of life, but vikings are actually great and quite hygienic, so tonight he’ll learn respect for viking culture. Erik talks about his tall task of toppling the colossus Omos who would have given even Bjorn Ironside a fight for the ages, but this is his first singles match and he’s going to use that inexperience to find a crack in his armor to carve out victory.
They say they’re gonna win the tag titles and walk off chanting about the raid.
AJ Styles and Omos make their entrance to send us to break.
Back from commercial, AJ Styles gets on the mic.
Before the tag champs put on an absolute clinic, he has something to get off his chest. He said some things about vikings that maybe Erik and Ivar found offensive and he wants to apologize. He shouldn’t have called them barbarians, he should have called them hairy, uneducated, and salmonella-infested barbarians.
He complains about the Viking Raiders sticking their nose in his business and costing him a chance to be in Money in the Bank, so tonight he’s going to take Ivar’s leg and break it in the Calf Killer and force him to tap. And after that, Omos will have his first-ever singles match and he’ll destroy Erik so badly that he’ll wish he never took off his ridiculous horned helmet.
And then at Money in the Bank, they take on the Viking Raiders and tear them limb from limb.
AJ Styles vs. Ivar
Styles right in with punches, whip reversed, backflip over the viking, lay in a chop, Ivar does his own backflip over and stares him down! Catch a kick, right hands, beating AJ down in the corner! Big Banzai Drop... NOPE! Omos runs interference, Styles with a kick from behind, putting boots to Warbeard in the corner, sidestep, hamstring kick, DDT follows... STILL NO!
Reverse chinlock applied, grinding him down, Ivar fights out with a slam, big crossbody and the viking is fired up! Float over a suplex, shove off, cartwheel evasion into a lariat... STYLES KICKS OUT! Jockeying for position, Styles gets the Pele Kick but Ivar is fast...
Ivar wins by pinfall with a Banzai Drop.
And so we go to break.
Erik vs. Omos
Erik with a go-behind, but he can’t budge the big man and gets thrown aside! Off the ropes, Omos hosses him up, Erik slips out, leg kicks to try and cut the big man down! Leaping in, Omos catches him in a bear hug! I can hardly bear it! Bieling the viking across the ring, Erik turns him around, hammering him with punches, flying forearms, duck a lariat, shotgun knees!
Omos bowls him over and lifts him up...
Omos wins by pinfall with a chokebomb.
Commentary recaps Sheamus’ broken nose for us.
Sheamus is backstage with five-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville.
He’s upset that Pearce sent him an email telling him he had to defend the title or vacate it, but here he is, ready to defend his title.
Everybody’s on the same page and we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a recap of our opening match.
New Day run into Lucha House Party backstage. They chat amiably before LHP leave and an interview rolls up.
Kofi Kingston puts Xavier Woods over for beating Bobby Lashley tonight and Xavier says Kofi’s gonna keep the wins rolling and get the title back.
We get a video package about the history of Money in the Bank.
Backstage, Sheamus is beating Humberto Carrillo up and he takes swings at the road agents who show up to break the fight! Throwing Carrillo into a stack of ladders, he decides he’s done enough and stalks off, running into Damian Priest on his way out as we go to break.
Back from commercial we get an ad for WWE’s return to touring shows.
A recap of Sheamus beating Humberto Carrillo up follows.
Sheamus makes his entrance and five-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville try to talk Humberto Carrillo into taking the night off but he refuses, saying if he can stand, he can fight, and fight for the United States Championship. Damian Priest helps him walk to the ring.
Humberto Carrillo vs. Sheamus (c) (WWE United States Championship)
Carrillo has trouble standing and Sheamus takes advantage...
Sheamus wins by pinfall with the Brogue Kick, retaining the WWE United States Championship.
Post-match, Sheamus puts boots to Carrillo and threatens to break his nose— DAMIAN PRIEST MAKES THE SAVE AND SHEAMUS RUNS AWAY!
Ricochet is walking backstage when Matt Riddle scoots up behind him and nearly runs him over. Riddle apologizes and Ricochet says he’s excited for Sunday. Matt says he is too and he’s gonna make his world-famous western spaghetti burrito. They chat about Money in the Bank and Ricochet’s plans for John Morrison tonight.
Miz and Morrison roll up and spray them with drip sticks before running over Riddle’s injured foot.
They make their entrance and we go to break.
John Morrison vs. Ricochet (Falls Count Anywhere Match)
Fast-paced feeling out, back body drop puts Ricochet on the apron, hung up in the ropes... NECKBREAKER ON THE APRON! Pressing the attack on the floor, Morrison beating him down, hammering him with a knee against the barricade, a kick into the barricade, cover on the floor... NOPE! Ricky plucks him out of the corner with a German suplex for two of his own!
John takes him to the floor, cartwheel kick, action over the barricade and Ricochet puts Morrison into the LED boards of the ThunderDome! Back over the barricade, John lands on his feet, roundhouse kick, perched on the barricade, Ricky manages to slip out! 450 splash off the barricade... SO CLOSE! Back inside, Morrison rolls away... RICOCHET STEP-UP OFF THE POST SHOOTING STAR PRESS SENDS US TO BREAK!
Back from commercial, Morrison is getting a ladder out and stretching it between the ring and the commentary desk! Ricochet slides under the ladder, punches over it, steps up off the apron, diving crossbody! On the other side of the ring, tope con giro over the Miz... NO GOOD! Ricky beating him down on the stage, John firing back, scoop lift, float out, front kick, jockeying for position over a suplex.
Ricochet shoves him off, tijeras on the stage, Morrison blocks himself from getting put into a swinging LED panel, a superkick in Gorilla, setting a chair up, chest kicks put Ricky into it, sliding knee... NO! Back out to the stage, Miz jawing at Ricochet and he gets wheeled down the ramp and into the apron! Ricky throwing John back inside, shoulder thrust, smashing his face into the turnbuckles.
Front kick sets him up, Miz spritzes him with a drip stick, Morrison with a schoolboy and feet on the ropes but Ricochet still kicks out! Moonlight Drive... NOPE! Matt Riddle scoots down and grabs Miz’s wheelchair, tilting him back and turtling him! Springboard, Ricochet snaps off Recoil but he can’t capitalize!
Morrison heads to the apron, a kick knocks him down onto the ladder stretched to the table, Ricochet goes up top... CROSSBODY THROUGH THE DAMN LADDER! Crawling to the cover...
Ricochet wins by pinfall with a lateral press.
Natalya and Tamina are hanging out backstage when an interview rolls up.
Nattie says she’s a standard-bearer in WWE but she wakes up every day wanting to be better, and she has a plan to hold all main roster three women’s titles in WWE at once. Tamina gets distracted by Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke, who are laughing and carrying on in the next room.
Mandy says she doesn’t love Neidhart’s chances of winning Money in the Bank or beating Rhea Ripley tonight, and Dana doesn’t like the odds of them retaining the tag titles. Snuka says she loves the idea of kicking their teeth down their throat, and she shoves Brooke!
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial we get a recap of the Drew/Jinder segment, because nothing fills time like weirdly petty babyface violence.
Drew McIntyre is interviewed backstage and he has another of his history lessons, this one about Icarus, because why not.
Commentary hypes up the Money in the Bank card for us.
A recap of the Charlotte Flair / Rhea Ripley bit from last week follows. Honestly I don’t really mind because I’ve got a migraine and I’m kinda bombed out on meds but jeez, lotta recaps tonight.
Rhea Ripley is interviewed at Gorilla.
She says Natalya challenged her and she doesn’t back down from challenges. As for Sunday, Charlotte isn’t gonna have a crutch to hide behind, and after she beats her, she’s gonna give her a reason to need some crutches.
Rhea Ripley makes her entrance to send us to break.
Natalya vs. Rhea Ripley
Collar and elbow, Ripley right into a wristlock, chainsawing at Natalya’s face with her free arm. Wringing the wristlock back in, Nattie rolls through into a schoolboy for two, waistlock, standing switch, reversed to a wristlock. Rhea double legs her, Neidhart rolls through to a sunset flip, whip reversed, up and over, drop down, stalemate!
Trading nearfall attempts, pumphandle, Riptide denied, schoolboy, shift into a Sharpshooter attempt but Rhea kicks her out of the ring! Following after, charging over, dropkick lays Tamina out! Discus lariat from Neidhart lays Ripley out and we go to break!
Back from commercial, jockeying for position in the turnbuckles, Ripley with a missile dropkick! Whip across, boots up, cover for two. Rhea hammering her, inverted cloverleaf applied, reversed to a victory roll for two! Wheelbarrow into the Sharpshooter, stepping over and locking it on! Rhea fights out, pumphandle...
Rhea Ripley wins by pinfall with Riptide.
Post-match, Charlotte Flair shows up and chop blocks her before stomping out the back of her knee! Spinning toehold into the figure four, dragging her over... FIGURE FOUR OFF THE APRON!
Charlotte stands tall.
Montel Vontavious Porter is backstage with his entourage.
He tells the assembled ladies they need to make this special so Bobby Lashley knows life is still good. If he needs a backrub or a refill, he gets it.
They all walk off and we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a recap of what we just saw, because this is the last show in the ThunderDome and everybody’s gotta make sacrifices.
Charlotte Flair is walking backstage when she runs into an interview.
She says it’s not about the pieces in the game but rather the player, and everyone’s gonna realize it’s game over for Rhea at Money in the Bank.
Montel Vontavious Porter and his entourage are in the ring for the VIP Lounge.
He says tonight’s edition is bittersweet because this is the last Raw in the ThunderDome, where we watched the rise of the All Mighty.
It takes him a couple tries to call Bobby Lashley down, but he makes his way to ringside, disheveled and slightly stumbling.
Bob waves off the girls and gets on the mic and says the more he thinks about it, the more he thinks Kofi Kingston was right about MVP making him lose his edge and get soft. He lost to Xavier Woods, what happened? He should have dismantled that twerp and stacked him up with Kofi Kingston in a pile of broken bones, and he’s furious right now.
Porter wants to try and cheer him up with champagne and women? Nah. He appreciates everything MVP has done for him in his career, but this bullshit needs to stop now and they need to get back to business. The only enjoyment he wants to have now is destroying every single soul who shows up to try and claim his title.
Lashley destroys the VIP Lounge set, throwing couches and smashing bottles, before addressing Kofi directly. He says he’s gonna do what he should have done weeks ago at Money in the Bank and tear him in half before leaving as WWE Champion. He hopes Kingston brings his family and friends and the whole damn WWE Universe to have his back, because he’s gonna dismantle him and do everything that he said that he was gonna do.
He hopes Kofi is ready to fight, not just for the title, but for his life, because he’s gonna cave his skull in, wring his little neck, and fold him in a box to send him to the circus with the rest of the clowns. The circus is dead and so is Kingston’s career.
That’s the show, folks.