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WWE Monday Night Raw comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (Oct. 16, 2023) from the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, featuring all the latest build to the upcoming Crown Jewel premium live event scheduled for early next month in Saudi Arabia.
Advertised for tonight: Cody Rhodes & Jey Uso will defend their undisputed tag team titles in a rematch against The Judgment Day, GUNTHER puts his Intercontinental championship on the line against Big Bronson Reed, Rhea Ripley battles Shayna Baszler in a non-title match that could have title implications, Ricochet vs. Shinsuke Nakamura in a Falls Count Anywhere match, and a whole lot more.
Come right back here at 8 pm ET when the Raw live blog will kick off once the show starts on USA Network. It will be below this line here. Reminder: GIFs and pics allowed, but no links to illegal streams, please.
WWE RAW RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR OCT. 16
Hear me now! Bearing down upon a path we choose, chosen from the start living different rules, and now liveblogging this here pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with commentary hyping tonight’s festivities up.
Sami Zayn makes his entrance.
He welcomes us to the show and says it’s weird to be out here alone with Kevin Owens moved to SmackDown, but he knows what he’s always known, and that’s that he’s a World Heavyweight Championship level superstar.
He talks about how he and Kevin have been struggling against Judgment Day and now they’re on the show tonight and they’re the ones getting the tag title shot, but what he knows is that the last year of his career has been the best and it’s entirely because of the fans.
Enter the Judgment Day.
They cut a promo at Sami and say they’re gonna take the tag titles back and Rhea Ripley couldn’t help but see that Zayn is looking kind of lost. They used to recruit lost superstars and give them direction, but when it comes to Sami, they have a different plan. They want to get rid of him, permanently.
They advance on the ring but Jey Uso makes the save with a couple chairs and Judgment Day beat a hasty retreat!
Shinsuke Nakamura cuts a subtitled promo about how Ricochet is like a bug that he’s going to crush underfoot.
Ricochet makes his entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Jey Uso checks on Sami Zayn backstage.
Zayn says he just needs some space, Uso asks if they’re good and Sami says he wants them to be good and he wants to be happy for him and he’s certainly grateful for the save, but all he can think is that it shouldn’t be Jey having his back, it should be Kevin, and it’s all Uso’s fault.
Jey says he didn’t know he felt like that, he still has him, and it is what it is, and he walks off. Sami is frustrated and knocks a ladder over and chases after Uso and tells him to forget all of that, he’s sorry, it’s just been a tough week and he’s sorry.
Jey forgives him and they embrace.
Ricochet vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (Falls Count Anywhere Match)
Ricochet attacking out the gates, the brawl goes back into the bowels and through Gorilla back to the stage, Rick flips off the LED screen, goes for a moonsault but Nakamura gets the knees up! Go 2 Sleep countered into a dragon screw! Standing shooting star press connects and we go to break!
Back from commercial... RICOCHET SHOOTING STAR PRESS OFF A BALCONY AND TO THE CONGRETE BELOW! Fighting back over to the announce desk, Shinsuke strips it clean, fighting over a table set up nearby, Ricochet puts him on it and punches him a bunch, headed up top, Nakamura gets up!
Suplexes back inside, Shinsuke hits the Go 2 Sleep... NOPE! Laying in wait, Rick counters and lands a kick! Charging in, enzuigiri from the apron, the One and Only springboards, 450 splash... STILL NO! To the floor, Nakamura lines him up...
Shinsuke Nakamura wins by pinfall with Kinshasa.
Backstage, Chelsea Green and Piper Niven confront Tegan Nox, hanging out with Katana Chance and Kayden Carter. Nox asks her how fast she can hide behind Piper and Chelsea decides discretion is the better part of valor.
Chelsea and Piper make their entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get an Imperium vignette.
Natalya vs. Piper Niven
Niven well in control in the feeling out and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Natalya rolls away from a senton, crucifix pin for a nearfall, dropkick comes up empty, roll away from a freight train crossbody! Solebutt, cradle into a discus lariat, only two! Piper finishes her off...
Piper Niven wins by pinfall.
Post-match, Chelsea and Piper beat Natalya down but Tegan Nox makes the save!
Backstage, Judgment Day are chatting and Damian Priest wants to take Drew McIntyre out and show the world what they’re made of. Rhea rolls up, Damian asks what she’s been up to and she says she was taking a phone call and handling Judgment Day business.
She says she has Drew handled and they just need to focus on winning the tag titles back. Finn Balor asks if she’s focused on her match against Shayna Baszler, she says she is and tells Dominik Mysterio she doesn’t need him at ringside to defend her title and show everyone exactly who runs Monday Night Raw.
Seth Rollins makes his entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Seth Rollins gets on the mic and talks about finding himself a new number one contender in Drew McIntyre.
Hell of a guy, coming out here and challenging him and saying he wants him at a hundred percent, but he’s a little confused by him refusing to help when Judgment Day attacked him.
Enter Drew McIntyre.
He says he’s not gonna babysit Rollins, so he’d do well to not stand in the middle of the ring inviting attacks, but Seth says he can handle his business, but is Drew handling his business on his own or has he enlisted a little help? McIntyre tells him to get to it and Rollins runs footage of Drew chatting with Rhea Ripley in the background of last week’s episode.
He says Rhea came to him and it meant nothing anyway, and Seth points out that Drew has had a lot of big successes over the last years but also big failures in big moments, and enlisting the Judgment Day isn’t gonna work out how he wants it. McIntyre says he’s rattled and reminds him of how he beat him the last time they had a world title match.
Drew makes a bunch of excuses and Rollins tells him to get over the Bloodline. McIntyre talks about how nobody was there when he beat Brock Lesnar in five minutes and he stepped up during the pandemic, and by the time everyone was back, the moment was past but he captured lightning in a bottle a second time when he was screwed over, so sorry if he’s not over it just yet.
This is the third time and Seth has to think long and hard how he’s gonna reinvent himself when Drew beats him and takes the title at Crown Jewel. Rollins says he spent four years fighting back to the top of the mountain and all he’s hearing is excuses. He’s pointing fingers and he promises Drew it won’t get him where he wants to go.
He’ll beat him at Crown Jewel and it’ll be the best thing that ever happened to McIntyre, because he’ll have no one to blame but himself.
We get a hype reel for Bronson Reed.
Imperium make their entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a media hype reel for Logan Paul beating Dillon Danis and then challenging Rey Mysterio and Rey’s response.
Johnny Gargano vs. Ludwig Kaiser
Gargano hot out the gates, tijeras sends Kaiser to the floor, off the ropes, suicide dive connects! Johnny ducks a lariat, his knee comes up lame and Ludwig goes to work, putting him shoulder-first into the post and landing a basement dropkick in the Tree of Woe!
Boot up gets a gamengiri, Gargano catches the kick, up and over... CAN OPENER IN THE ROPES! Springboard countered with a hard right hand, another one lays Johnny out and Ludwig draws him up on the apron and runs the ropes for an uppercut to the back that sends Gargano sprawling into the barricade and us to break!
Back from commercial, Kaiser has Gargano in a Cobra Clutch but Johnny fights to his feet and clobbers him with forearms! Hard whip into the turnbuckles, roll-through kick connects and Gargano is fired up! Whip across, charging in, back body drop to the apron, enzuigiri connects, Superman Spear follows it up!
Trapping Kaiser in the corner, Cheeky Nando’s and a sunset flip powerbomb... NOPE! John putting boots to him in the corner, Kaiser back with an elbow and a California Roll, Penalty Kick, only two! Gargano hits Willow’s Bell and lines him up, One Final Beat... GIOVANNI VINCI WITH A RAKE OF THE EYES TO BREAK IT UP!
Ludwig squares him up...
Ludwig Kaiser wins by pinfall with a Square Hammer DDT.
Backstage, Becky Lynch runs into Indi Hartwell and Candice LeRae.
Indi asks when she’s gonna get a title shot, seeing as she never lost the title, and Lynch says she’s gonna go to Adam Pearce and make it official.
She turns around and runs right into Rhea Ripley, who gives her a smug look and walks away wordlessly to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Drew McIntyre confronts Sami Zayn and berates him about Jey Uso, reminding him the struggles he had against the Right Hand Man Jey Uso.
Sami says he knows it’s hard to put it behind himself but Jey has turned everybody around. Drew chooses to tell him he’s never gonna be world champion trusting everybody like this. Zayn says if there’s any doubt in his mind as to what level he’s at, he can find out in the ring next week.
Drew accepts the challenge and says he’ll see him next week.
Rhea Ripley makes her entrance and gets on the mic.
She says everybody wants a part of Monday Night Mami, but it didn’t work out so well for Nia Jax, did it? In her absence the women’s division has tried to prove how tough they are, but the reality is that this is her division and Mami will always be on top.
Shayna Baszler makes her entrance and we go to break.
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Shayna Baszler
Waistlock, standing switch, Ripley with a takedown, broken, into the corner, windmill strikes until referee Eddie Orengo breaks it up! Baszler clobbers her, stomp the arm, Rhea comes back with a dropkick but her arm is bothering her! Shayna with kicks, Ripley sidesteps, hits a facebreaker and follows it with a lariat!
Baszler with some kicks and a knee into a cover, only two! Drawing her up, fireman’s carry, slips out, rising knee, Shayna sets her up and they both end up down and out as Nia Jax comes to the ring but Raquel Rodriguez neutralizes her at ringside! Zoey Stark cannonballs into Nia and the brawl goes three-way!
Zoey goes into the ring...
The match goes to a no-contest, presumably.
Rhea jaws at Nia and tells her to get in the ring if she wants some! Jax gets up on the apron and Stark sends her packing!
Backstage, Becky Lynch is talking with Adam Pearce, and he books a match against Hartwell for next week’s show, pending Shawn Michaels’ approval.
Xia Li rolls up to complain that Becky is ducking her. Lynch says she’ll fight her, Li says on her own time and walks off.
Jade Cargill rolls up and Becky tells her to get in line.
Cargill says she’s funny and Pearce tells her to get a red one of the fur shrug she’s wearing.
Bronson Reed makes his entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso are interviewed backstage.
Jey says Sami Zayn is going through a lot but he’s got his back, always. Cody says Judgment Day are the utmost perfect challengers for tonight and he’s gonna uphold the legacy of these titles with Uso tonight.
Bronson Reed vs. GUNTHER (c) (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
Collar and elbow, struggling against each other, turned around, off the ropes and Reed freight trains him! Corner body avalanche, GUNTHER bails to the floor and Bronson follows, diving off the apron and right into a chop to the jaw! The Ring General smashes him into the apron, more chops, hossing him back into the ring!
Gojira Clutch applied, Reed backs him into the corner to break it but GUNTHER grabs it right back! Bronson trying to leverage his arm, fireman’s carry attempt, broken with elbows and right back to the Gojira Clutch! Reed breaks away and goes up top but the Ring General cuts him off with a chop!
To the apron, boots and chops, Bronson with a back body drop sending GUNTHER to the floor! Diving forearm smash follows and we go to break!
Back from commercial, GUNTHER throwing chops, Reed fires back with a headbutt, lariat gets a superkick, snap scoop powerslam from Bronson... NOPE! Powerbomb reversed, more chops, lariats, off the ropes, Reed gets a Death Valley Driver... SO CLOSE! Lariats ensue, Ring General up top, jockeying for position, superplex from Bronson... STILL NO!
Knees up on the 747 Splash, GUNTHER off the top himself with a splash... REED KICKS OUT! GUNTHER hoists him up...
GUNTHER wins by pinfall with a powerbomb, retaining the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
Backstage, the Miz is interviewed.
He’s upset Adam Pearce waited until the third hour to make time for him to appear on the season premiere, and says he should have opened the show, not some Sami Zayn pity party. He claims Adam should be fired and Nick Aldis should be general manager of both shows.
Nia Jax rolls up and grabs the mic.
She asks if we see what’s going on here and says everybody hit her with their best shot, but she’s still standing and looking pretty. She hasn’t hit anyone with her best shot, because they’d stay down, and on Raw, she does the squashing.
Miz wants to continue talking but he’s informed we’re out of time.
Judgment Day are shown warming up backstage as we go to break.
Back from commercial, Adam Pearce is on the phone making a deal with someone.
Rhea Ripley rolls up to demand he get the women’s division in order or she will. Pearce says she doesn’t get to roll up and make demands and if she wants to make a statement, she can defend against Nia, Zoey, Shayna, and Raquel in a five-way at Crown Jewel.
Indus Sher roll up to chat and Adam is game to see them.
Alpha Academy are working out, with Akira Tozawa in tow, when New Day roll up to say if they’re talking about the tag titles they should be talking about them. Chad Gable books Alpha Academy vs. New Day next week to find out who has the best hips in the biz.
Commentary hypes up next week’s show.
Judgment Day make their entrance and we go to break.
Back from commercial, we get a hype reel for one of Kofi Kingston’s visits to Ghana.
GUNTHER is walking backstage when he runs into the rest of Imperium, who give him a round of applause. The Ring General congratulates Ludwig Kaiser on winning his match and gives Giovanni Vinci crap for not doing enough and says he saw Johnny Gargano walking around backstage so next week Vinci better have him stretchered out after their match.
We get entrances for our main event and go to break before it can actually begin.
Cody Rhodes & Jey Uso (c) vs. Judgment Day (Damian Priest & Finn Balor) (WWE Undisputed Tag Team Championship)
Back from commercial, match is in progress, backbreaker rack drop from Rhodes on Balor and Uso makes a tag. Side headlock, blind tag, shot off, Priest low-bridges Jey to the floor and stalks after him! Working Uso over, laying kicks in, he ducks a rolling elbow, front kick sets up an enzuigiri!
Tag to Cody, in hot with right hands! Whip reversed, slide under, drop down slap, another one, up and over, snap scoop powerslam connects! One for Balor too, springboard... BEAUTIFUL DISASTER FOR TWO! Finn looking for the inverted headlock elbow, drop, Jey breaks it up, superkick, Cross Rhodes on Damian... DOMINIK MYSTERIO PUTS PRIEST’S FOOT ON THE ROPES!
Cody gives chase around ringside and Finn blasts him with a lariat and we go to break!
Back from commercial, Rhodes with a little Flip, Flop, & Fly but Priest cuts him off before the Bionic Elbow! Back body drop, kick to the midsection, Pedigree connects but Cody can’t capitalize! Tag to Uso, Samoan Drop connects, back body drop puts him on the apron but he rocks Finn with an enzuigiri, diving crossbody, only two!
They set up the flapjack / Cody Cutter combination... FINN KICKS OUT! Uso up top, Dom runs interference, he fights him off, diving splash, knees are up! Balor with a cradle, only two! Sami Zayn runs in to equalize Mysterio, Priest bowls him over, Cody dumps Damian out into the crowd!
Priest with a low blow on the floor, he puts Rhodes into the announce desk with a Razor’s Edge! Uso goes to check on him, comes back in to a Sling Blade, Finn follows it with the shotgun dropkick, nobody home on the Coup de Grace! Spear connects, Jey is fired up and goes up top but Priest cuts him off and eats a spear himself!
Uso drags Balor into position and goes to go back up top but Jimmy Uso is here and lays him out with a superkick! Finn goes up top...
Judgment Day win by pinfall with Coup de Grace from Finn Balor on Jey Uso, becoming your new WWE Undisputed Tag Team Champions.
Judgment Day celebrate in the ramp.
That’s the show, folks.
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