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WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Aug. 16, 2021) from the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, featuring all the latest build to the upcoming SummerSlam pay-per-view (PPV) set for this coming Saturday night in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Advertised for tonight: Bobby Lashley and Goldberg meet face-to-face for the last time before their WWE championship match, Drew McIntyre takes on Veer and Shanky in a handicap match ahead of his match against Jinder Mahal, Randy Orton takes on Omos with questions swirling around whether or not RK-Bro is back together, 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 AUG. 16
My intentions are not to expose, the depths of her trouble aren’t mine to disclose. But like evening rain on the petal of a rose, it drips down to the earth and begins to compose. And if there’s one thing that remains so crystal clear to us, it’s that the wandering hands of the gods are so goddamn mysterious, and that I have to liveblog this here pro wrestling show for you folks.
The show opens with a recap of last week’s return from Randy Orton.
Randy Orton makes his entrance and gets on the mic.
He says people have been asking him why he hit Matt Riddle with the RKO, saying “aw c’mon he just wants to be your friend,” but the thing is he doesn’t want friends and he didn’t need help to beat AJ Styles. He became a 14-time world champion without anyone’s help and he owes no one an explanation. He says he’s going to put Omos down tonight with the three most dangerous letters—
Enter Matt Riddle.
He says Randy’s right, he doesn’t need to explain, because he knows why he hit him with the RKO last week. It took him a hot second to realize that he was just teaching him how to hit the RKO properly. So he’s learned his lesson and he wants to give the team another chance.
Enter AJ Styles & Omos.
AJ gets on the mic and suggests “RK-NO” before saying he doesn’t think anybody cares why Orton RKO’d Riddle. And hey, RKO yourself, if you can. He claims Matt is the only reason Randy won last week, and he’s sick of hearing everybody say “Bro!” and he wants to break Riddle’s jaw so bad it has to be wired shut, right now in the ring.
Matt accepts the match and says when he has Orton in his corner, he’s unstoppable and tells AJ to come catch this ass-whooping.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, Orton walks out on Riddle before the bell.
AJ Styles vs. Matt Riddle
Styles running hard out the gates, just clobbering Riddle, up and over, a roundhouse lays AJ out and gets some breathing room! Nobody home on the standing moonsault, high jump senton connects, float over into the Karelin lift... only one! Styles with a dragon screw, stepover knee drop shinbreaker, reverse a Calf Killer attempt into a pin for two!
Riddle blocks a powerbomb, triangle turns into a Frankensteiner over the ropes and to the floor! Corkscrew Asai moonsault sends us to break!
Back from commercial, whip across, Riddle sidesteps and lights Styles up with charging forearms! Block the exploder, fireman’s carry, slip out, bridging German suplex for two! AJ gets the Calf Killer on, Matt struggling, crawling... he gets the ropes! Back and forth, Styles gets him up...
AJ Styles wins by pinfall with the Styles Clash.
Nikki ASH is interviewed backstage about how confidence is proof that you can already win, and you just need a
little courage to almost be a superhero.
She makes her entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Olympic gold medalist Keldon Johnson is shown in the crowd.
We get a recap of our opening match, because Raw is three hours long. (Three hours long.)
Matt Riddle is interviewed backstage and says he didn’t give up on RK-BRO, but Orton walking out on him today just made him sad.
Nikki ASH vs. Rhea Ripley
Charlotte Flair joins the commentary team for this one.
Ripley in control early, tossing ASH around, Nikki gets an Acid Drop off, knocks her to the floor, diving crossbody, ASH is fired up and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Ripley with a delayed vertical suplex for a nearfall, shoving ASH into the corner, charging in, nobody home. Tilt-a-whirl headscissors, tornado DDT, Rhea out at one! Clubbing blows, crossbody caught and reversed into a bridging northern lights suplex... NOPE! Ripley follows it up with a big boot, pumphandle...
Rhea Ripley wins by pinfall with Riptide.
Post-match, ASH snaps and attacks Flair on commentary, beating her down and throwing her into the ring where Ripley lays her out with a lariat! Kicks from both of them and they dump Charlotte to the floor!
We get a recap of Drew McIntyre beating Baron Corbin last week and then running Jinder Mahal, Veer, and Shanky off with his sword, a totally normal pro wrestling activity.
Jinder and his pals are backstage.
He says he’s afforded them the opportunity of a thousand lifetimes, and tonight they better beat Drew in a handicap match and take away his sword.
Drew makes his entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial we get a Bobby Lashley video package.
Montel Vontavious Porter is interviewed outside of Bob’s locker room.
He says you have two of the most explosive forces in WWE history coming to blows at SummerSlam, and the last time Goldberg was here, he speared MVP and that’s an insult to both him and the champ and he WILL repay Bill, whether at SummerSlam or sooner.
Drew McIntyre vs. Shanky & Veer (Handicap Match)
Veer to start, beating on McIntyre with punches, whip across, Drew turns the tide and beats him up. Shanky comes in, using his size advantage but McIntyre fights back with forearms and chops. Tag to Veer, big senton, Drew fires up and starts throwing ‘em around! Jumping neckbreaker sends Veer packing, Shanky comes in but gets sidestepped into the turnbuckles, big Michinoku Driver!
3... 2... 1...
Drew McIntyre wins by pinfall with the Claymore on Shanky, banning both him and Veer from ringside at SummerSlam and ensuring that Drew will be allowed to bring his sword.
Post-match, Drew cuts a promo and mockingly relays a “message” “from Shanky”, apologizing that he’s not as sexy or badass as McIntyre. Drew says he knows where to hurt Jinder and he’s going to embarrass and humiliate him in a moment that will live forever. He polls the crowd as to who will win and tells Mahal that he’s screwed.
Backstage Charlotte Flair goes to complain to five-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville to complain about getting stomped by Nikki ASH and Rhea Ripley.
They offer a tag match, she doesn’t want it and storms off.
John Morrison makes his entrance to send us to break.
Back from commercial we get another “Elias burns his guitar” vignette.
John Morrison welcomes us to his new talk show, Moist TV.
Sigh.
Anyway, Miz is his guest.
John softballs him a question about his acting career but follows it up by asking if he faked the injury. Miz asks if he’s ever lied to him and doubles down on it after Morrison suggests that, even though he believes Miz has always been honest with him, that he might actually fake an injury. The A-Lister asks repeatedly if he thinks he’s a liar—
Enter Damian Priest.
He says everyone knows Miz is lying, they bicker and eventually Miz admits that he’s been cleared for a couple weeks now. John is upset but Miz manages to rally him. Morrison proposes match... Priest vs. the Miz! Damian’s all about it, Miz begs off, Priest knocks him into a kiddie pool, and we go to break.
Damian Priest vs. the Miz
The Miz begs off, not wanting to wrestle in his street clothes or in a hick town like San Antonio.
Sheamus makes his entrance, Miz rolls out of the ring to try and tag him in, but the Celtic Warrior is sitting in on commentary for this one. Priest goes out and throws Miz back in, he begs off like his knee’s injured again but it’s a ruse! Damian catches the forearm, whip across, Miz goes lame but snaps Priest’s neck over the ropes!
Off the top, double axehandle, off the ropes, big boot and the A-Lister is fired up! Chest kicks, Damian blocks one and fires kicks of his own off, rolling elbow, spinning wheel kick connects! Miz wants a drip stick but Morrison won’t give it to him and walks away! The A-Lister walks into an elbow, Damian follows it up...
Damian Priest wins by pinfall with a Brogue Kick to send a message to Sheamus.
Post-match, Sheamus gets on the mic and calls Priest a disrespectful scumbag for stealing his move. Enjoy the moment he says, because it’ll be his last moment in the spotlight, and the gold around his waist is his.
Backstage Eva Marie tells Doudrop she really blew it last week.
Doudrop tries to beg off and explain it was Lilly but Eva tells her not to talk and the Eva-lution is all about second chances, so she should take a trip to the playground and handle their doll problem. Doudrop hesitates and Eva spells it out, telling her to collect the doll.
Cut to Alexa Bliss hanging out backstage and telling Lilly that someone’s going to come play and she’d better be on her best behavior.
And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a recap of Miz’s loss.
Miz confronts John Morrison walking backstage and John says he was hurt and just wanted Miz to know what it’s like when somebody you’re counting on turns on you. Miz says he gets it and asks if they can move on. John says it’s water under the bridge, and the A-Lister talks up what they can do at SummerSlam, the wetter the better.
(All through that, New Day were chilling in the background and selling their merch.)
We go to the playground with Alexa Bliss and Lilly.
Bliss says they’re excited for SummerSlam and putting an end to Eva Marie and her Eva-lution.
Doudrop appears and grabs Lilly, disregarding a warning from Alexa. She stares at the doll in dismay and hands her back before walking off.
Mace and T-BAR make their entrance to send us to break.
Back from commercial we get an inset promo where Mustafa Ali gives Mansoor a pep talk and promises to watch his back.
Mace vs. Mansoor
Mace throwing Mansoor around, chokeslam lift into a wheelbarrow half nelson suplex! Following it with a Camel Clutch, Mansoor breaks free but Mace clubs him down. Big crescent kick lays him out, elbow drop off the second comes up empty! Mansoor with a back elbow, forearms and chops, duck a leg lariat, flying forearm! Acid Drop blocked, sidestep the charge, off the second, sunset flip countered but Ali comes in with a dropkick...
Mansoor wins by pinfall with a sunset flip.
AJ Styles and Omos are interviewed backstage.
Omos says he’s going to kill Randy Orton’s legend.
Randy makes his entrance and we go to break.
Omos vs. Randy Orton
Bigtime staredown, Omos gets him up for a slam and spins him around a few revelations before dropping him! Orton with punches, Omos clubs him down, Randy ends up on the floor, AJ with a cheap shot but referee Rod Zapata catches him...
Randy Orton wins by disqualification.
Post-match, Omos launches Orton over the barricade, one-armed! Drawing him back up, the big man takes him to the ring and throws him inside. Styles is ready to attack, Riddle makes the save and Omos takes his tag partner and walks to the back.
Orton gets on the mic and tells Riddle that respect isn’t handed out for free, it’s earned, and just because he respected you in the past it doesn’t mean he respects you today, but after everything he’s done and Riddle still has his back? Guess what kid, you’ve earned his respect! They shake hands and hug! RK-BRO is back!
Matt gets on the mic and officially challenges Styles and Omos for the tag titles at SummerSlam!
Jeff Hardy is interviewed in Gorilla.
He says he prayed on it and Karrion Kross made a big mistake attacking him after the match and he better check his little hourglass because his fifteen minutes are almost up!
Kross blindsides Hardy and leaves him lying!
Karrion makes his entrance and we go to break.
Jeff Hardy vs. Karrion Kross
Hardy in with strikes, Manhattan Drop to the double leg drop to the basement dropkick to the elbow drop, fired up! Twist of Fate blocked, Krossjacket attempt, falling back and he’s got it...
Karrion Kross wins by submission with the Krossjacket.
Backstage, Doudrop rolls up on Eva Marie.
Eva yells at her for not bringing Lilly back and says it’s like she just slapped her in the face, and then slaps her in the face to show her what it feels like. She does it again and storms off to send us to break.
Back from commercial, we get footage of Reggie going to the park earlier today.
He tells the story of doing his very first backflip as a referee and some kind of swamp monster skulk up behind him. He backflips away as R-Truth (the swamp monster) and Akira Tozawa both rush him, and continues to duck and dodge before getting in his car and driving off.
Commentary hypes up the SummerSlam card as it stands.
Rhea Ripley makes her entrance to send us to break.
Back from commercial we get another Elias vignette.
He carries a gravestone while talking about his music career, explaining that it didn’t fail him, it simply wasn’t enough. He places the gravestone and we see that it says “Elias 2017-2021” on it and he again tells us that Elias is dead.
Charlotte’s tag partner is... Nia Jax!
Charlotte Flair & Nia Jax vs. Nikki ASH & Rhea Ripley
Jax and ASH to start, Nia piefaces her but Nikki comes right back with forearms! Jax shrugs her off, scoops her up, but ASH reverses to a sleeper hold! Nia shrugs her off and does a hip attack before grinding her bottom into Nikki’s face! Tag to Flair, she nails Nikki with a boot on the floor and we go to break!
Back from commercial, Flair in control of ASH but she gets a bulldog and the tag! Ripley in hot, short-arm lariats, ripcord blocked, headbutt connects! Snapmare, clear the apron, dropkick, big boots, Rhea up top, nobody home on the missile dropkick! Jax in, Samoan Drop, headed up top, spanking herself but Charlotte tags in! Boot takes Nikki off the apron...
Charlotte Flair & Nia Jax win by pinfall with Natural Selection from Flair on Rhea Ripley.
AJ Styles is interviewed backstage and says he and Omos have outlasted everybody that’s been put against them and it’s five days until SummerSlam, and surely Randy Orton will remember that he hates Matt Riddle before SummerSlam.
Bill Goldberg makes his entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Goldberg gets on the mic.
Before he talks about SummerSlam, there’s something important he has to address. Bobby Lashley and MVP talked all day about fatherhood and brought his son into this for the second time in a row, so he figures what the hell, less than two years since he moved to Texas so why not beat him at his own game. He formally introduces Gage Goldberg to the crowd.
He says Gage is why he came out of retirement, because seeing who Goldberg was isn’t good enough for him to experience who Goldberg IS.
Enter the Hurt Business.
Porter says Goldberg’s been talking a lot and that’s not like him, usually he lets his actions do the talking. So he can’t help but wonder if Bill is overcompensating for something, like he knows he’s outmatched. Finally he’s met someone more explosive, more powerful, and that can run him down. Lashley tells Goldberg he gave him every opportunity to back down gracefully, but now he’s gotta play by the house rules, and around here the house always wins.
He’s gonna give him a SummerSlam moment, leave him with just enough to go home and tell everyone he had the privilege of having his career finally ended by the All Mighty WWE Champion. Bill tells him that’s bullshit, Bob attacks, duck a lariat... SPEAR! Goldberg is fired up and collects Gage from ringside as he exits.
Bill warns Lashley to never touch his son while the All Mighty fumes in the ring.
That’s the show, folks.