WWE RAW
Episode 1363
#RAW
Original Air Date: July 8, 2019
Event Date: July 8, 2019
(aired live)
City: Newark, NJ
Venue: Prudential Center
Commentary: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Renee Young
Ring Announcer: Mike Rome
Match 1
Mixed Tag Team Elimination Match
Becky Lynch (RAW Women’s Champ) & Seth Rollins (Universal Champ) vs Zelina Vega & Andrade
(referee: Shawn Bennett)
Result: Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins win 2 falls to 0
1. Becky Lynch submits Zelina Vega with Disarm Her (4:54)
2. Seth Rollins pins Andrade after a curb stomp (5:22)
Time: 10:16 (plus 1 rest period)
Match Thoughts
This was a fun match, but it made zero sense. Since this was a mixed tag match, the men could only legally fight the men and the women could only legally fight the women. That’s fine, but this was also an elimination match. So what happens if the man from one team gets a fall but the woman from the other team gets the fall? Is it a draw? Does it become a one on one intergender match? Of course that never came up in this particular match, but creating something that is possibly unwinnable even if all the rules are followed is really, really dumb.
Besides the stupidity of the match stipulation (which was only made because of the equally dumb rule of not having wrestling during commercial breaks), I liked most of the action in the match. Zelina Vega looked surprisingly good against Lynch early in the match. Vega got a nice string of moves on the champ which I was happy to see. Lacey Evans came out to ringside at one point and annoyed Lynch during the commercial break, but there weren’t really any shenanigans from her in the match itself. Andrade looked good against Rollins, but of course we knew who was going to win this right from the start. So, the action was fun, but the match was dumb.
Ring Area
Rollins and Lynch head up the ramp after the match. On the stage, Baron Corbin emerges from the back and attacks Rollins. Lacey Evans quickly joins Corbin and attacks Lynch. Corbin and Evans make a quick getaway as Rollins and Lynch are getting back to their feet. As they rise, Paul Heyman comes out and passes by the two champs on his way to the ring.
Backstage
Baron Corbin laughs about his and Lacey’s attack. Lacey says Rollins and Lynch’s relationship is a liability rather than an asset. Corbin laughs again.
Ring Area
Paul Heyman says that Brock Lesnar will cash in on Sunday at Extreme Rules. He also says that he’s never lied about his “spoilers,” so if he was going to lie, this would be a great time. Perhaps he’s just messing with Rollins and Kingston. Perhaps not.
Video
Clips of Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley crashing through the LED board on the stage last week on RAW.
Backstage
Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre ask Tony the garbage man if he’d like to be Roman Reigns’ tag partner tonight. Tony is speechless.
Match 2
Two out of Three Falls Six Man Tag Match
The Miz & The Usos vs Elias & The Revival (RAW Tag Champs)
(referee: Darrick Moore)
Result: The Miz and The Usos win 2 falls to 1
1. Dash Wilder pins Jimmy Uso after Shatter Machine (3:02)
2. The Miz pins Scott Dawson after a Skull Crushing Finale (4:22)
3. Jey Uso pins Scott Dawson after a Samoan splash (0:19)
Time: 7:43 (plus two rest periods)
Match Thoughts
This was fine for what it was. If they’re going to keep doing these matches though, they need to be consistent with how they handle them. There were three falls in this match with two brief rest periods in between. However, the first rest period was during a commercial break. So that rest period was for a few minutes. The second rest period lasted all of a few seconds and the action never stopped. So realistically, how is it fair that one team got a chance to somewhat recover while the other team had absolutely no chance to reset? It’s not fair. It’s dumb.
Video
From Twitter, Drake Maverick and Renee Michelle enjoy their honeymoon. Drake seems to be enjoying his time with the 24/7 Title as much or more than his time with his new wife.
Backstage
Drake Maverick promises to give Renee Michelle the honeymoon she deserves after they leave RAW tonight. Renee says they can finally consummate their marriage, so Drake gets really excited and yells about it. That alerts a bunch of people down the hallway. Drake runs away as the Lucha House Party, Titus O’Neil, Heath Slater, Mojo Rawley, Curt Hawkins, Zack Ryder, Eric Young, and EC3 chase him.
Backstage
Rey Mysterio walks.
Backstage
Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre consider making a beer guy Reigns’s tag partner.
Ring Area
Rey Mysterio heads to the ring. Mysterio talks about how hard it was to give up the US Title, and he talks about how hard he rehabbed so he could get back to competition. He’s ready for a fight, so Mysterio issues an open challenge to anyone in the back. Bobby Lashley answers the challenge.
Match 3
Rey Mysterio vs Bobby Lashley
(referee: Dan Engler)
Result: Bobby Lashley wins via pinfall after a spear
Time: 0:57
Match Thoughts
Squash. I didn’t like this. I understand that they’re trying to build Lashley up as some inhuman, unbeatable monster, but to take Rey’s real injury and make it seem like it doesn’t matter when compared to Lashley’s fake injury is kind of dumb in my opinion.
Ring Area
After the match, Lashley throws Rey out of the ring. Lashley drags Rey up to the stage, lifts Rey over his head, and motions like he’s going to throw Rey into the LED board. Referees stop Lashley, so Lashley just throws Rey onto the referees. Lashley gets on the mic and says he was the only man standing after RAW last week, and he will be the last man standing in his match with Strowman at Extreme Rules.
Backstage
Charly Caruso asks AJ Styles why The Club attacked Ricochet last week. Styles says he doesn’t owe anyone an explanation, and he tells Charly to get out of his face.
Match 4
No Way Jose vs Cesaro
(referee: Rod Zapata)
Result: Cesaro wins via submission with a sharpshooter
Time: 1:11
Match Thoughts
This was pretty much a squash. Cesaro chased the conga line away from the ring before the match, so Jose attacked Cesaro before the opening bell. Cesaro had no trouble with Jose once the bell rang though.
Backstage
The Street Profits advertise Extreme Rules by talking about the Shane and McIntyre versus Reigns and Undertaker match.
Backstage
Bayley and Nikki Cross get ready to talk.
Backstage
Mike Kanellis brings Maria flowers and apologizes for his reaction last week. Mike tells Maria that he loves her. Maria says she loves Mike, and she also loves ice cream. Ice cream and pickles. Mike takes the hint and goes to get ice cream and pickles for Maria. Maria wonders out loud, “what kind of man taps out to a woman?”
Ring Area
The commentators ask Bayley and Nikki Cross via video about their Beat the Clock Challenge tonight. Nikki feels like she has to win tonight for Alexa so she can choose the stipulation for her title match. Bayley is frustrated that Nikki can’t see that Alexa is a jerk. Nikki is tired of Bayley talking bad about Alexa.
Bayley is confident that she’ll beat the clock tonight. Nikki is also confident.
Backstage
The Viking Raiders get ready in a red hallway.
Backstage
R-Truth and Carmella search for Drake Maverick. As R-Truth talks about how much he wants his baby back, Maverick is chased down the hallway. R-Truth puts Carmella on his back and heads in the opposite direction.
Match 5
The Viking Raiders vs Colin Justin & Devin Justin
(referee: John Cone)
Result: Erik pins Devin Justin after the Viking Experience
Time: 1:24
Match Thoughts
Squash.
Ring Area
After the match, Drake Maverick leads the 24/7 chase into the ring. The Viking Raiders beat up a few guys. R-Truth gets into the ring but quickly leaves when he’s confronted by Erik and Ivar. Maverick gets away with his title.
Backstage
Ricochet walks as Huskus the Pig Boy watches from the background.
Backstage
Charly Caruso asks Roman Reigns about who Shane might pick for his partner tonight. Reigns doesn’t know, but he knows who his partner will be on Sunday.
Ring Area
Ricochet heads to the ring. Ricochet says he was looking forward to facing AJ Styles after respecting and looking up to him for so long, but Styles, Anderson, and Gallows gave him one of the biggest beatings of his life after their match last week. Ricochet knows that he’s going to have to fight all three men at Extreme Rules during his title match against Styles. AJ Styles heads to the ring with Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows.
Styles gives Ricochet some advice: slow down and enjoy the moment. Styles appreciates the moment The Club had last week when they beat up Ricochet.
Match 6
Ricochet (US Champ) vs Luke Gallows w/ AJ Styles, Karl Anderson
(referee: Dan Engler)
Result: Ricochet wins with a sunset flip
Time: 3:01
Match Thoughts
Gallows beat up Ricochet for nearly three minutes, then the match ended suddenly. It was fun watching Gallows actually do well in a match for the first time in a long time.
Ring Area
After the match, AJ Styles gets on the mic and tells Ricochet that since he said he’d have to fight all three men anyway, why doesn’t he fight Karl Anderson right now?
Match 7
Ricochet (US Champ) vs Karl Anderson w/ AJ Styles, Luke Gallows
(referee: Dan Engler)
Result: Ricochet wins via pinfall after a 630 senton
Time: 4:30
Match Thoughts
This was pretty good. I don’t think the outcomes was a surprise, but it does make Ricochet look resilient and resourceful.
Ring Area
After the match, Styles slides into the ring and attacks Ricochet. Gallows takes a turn beating on Ricochet, then Styles hits Ricochet with a brainbuster. Gallows and Anderson hit Ricochet with Magic Killer. Styles teases a Styles Clash from the second rope, but he doesn’t do it. Styles says he’s going to leave a little bit of Ricochet left (as long as he stays down) so he has no excuses when he loses on Sunday.
As The Club leaves, Ricochet stands up. The Club returns to the ring, and Styles hits Ricochet with the Phenomenal Forearm.
Video
A quick advertisement for the Evolve 10th anniversary show airing in the WWE Network this weekend.
Backstage
Drake Maverick runs up to Renee Michelle. Drake celebrates that he survived RAW with the 24/7 Title. R-Truth then emerges from a crate with referee Rod Zapata. Carmella emerges from another crate and tells R-Truth to get Maverick. Maverick and Michelle run, so R-Truth puts Rod Zapata on his back and chases Drake. Carmella follows them. As they disappear from view, Bayley walks by and smiles.
Backstage
A man walks by with a mop and bucket. Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre watch, and Shane says, “that’s our guy.”
Backstage
Shane asks Gary the mop guy if he’d like to be Roman Reigns’s tag partner for $5,000, That sounds good to Gary. Shane and Drew says Gary should wear a mask for some reason though.
Match 8
Beat the Clock Challenge
Bayley (SD Women’s Champ) vs Sarah Logan
(referee: John Cone)
Result: Bayley wins via pinfall after a sunset flip powerbomb into the bottom turnbuckle
Time: 4:32
Match Thoughts
This was pretty good. It was a near-certainty that Bayley would win given the beat-the-clock stipulation, so as Sarah Logan dominated most of this match, I knew it was going to turn around quickly and end suddenly. And it did. Logan looked good though.
Match 9
Beat the Clock Challenge
Nikki Cross vs Dana Brooke
(referee: John Cone; at ringside: Bayley; stipulation: Nikki must beat Dana Brooke in less time than Bayley beat Sarah Logan, if Nikki succeeds then Alexa Bliss gets to choose the stipulation for the SmackDown Women’s Title match at Extreme Rules, if Nikki fails then Bayley gets to choose the stipulation)
Result: Nikki Cross wins via pinfall after a swinging neck breaker and she beats Bayley’s time
Time: 2:42
Match Thoughts
This was fine. It was understandably short and Brooke didn’t get much offense, but it was fine.
Ring Area
After the match, Nikki Cross calls Bayley into the ring. Nikki says Bayley doesn’t understand what a real friendship means. Nikki will show Bayley what friendship means when Alexa makes her title match a two on one handicap match at Extreme Rules. Nikki gives Bayley some advice: go find a friend as loyal as Alexa Bliss.
Bayley slaps Nikki as she talks. Nikki tries to respond, but Bayley hits her with a Bayley to Belly suplex. Bayley then spikes the ball by hitting Nikki with a diving elbow drop.
Backstage
Mike Kanellis finally arrives with ice cream and pickles for Maria. Maria says she can’t eat that because it’ll make her fat. Maria then asks Mike if she weren’t pregnant, would he impregnate her. He says “yes.” Maria says she’s not even sure if Mike did impregnate her. Mike is confused.
Backstage
Corey Graves welcomes Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch. Graves asks how their personal relationship will affect their mixed tag match on Sunday. Lynch says she and Rollins have both backed up everything they’ve said, so they’re both going to leave Extreme Rules as champs. Graves isn’t convinced.
Backstage
The Street Profits advertise Extreme Rules by talking about Samoa Joe and Kofi Kingston.
Ring Area
Roman Reigns heads to the ring for a match. Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre come out to the stage. Drew says he’s going to beat some respect into Reigns. Shane introduces Reigns’s tag partner for tonight: Gary.
Match 10
Roman Reigns & Gary “The Goat” Garbutt vs Shane McMahon & Drew McIntyre
(referee: Shawn Bennett)
Result: Shane McMahon pins Gary after a Claymore Kick from Drew McIntyre
Time: 2:10
Match Thoughts
This match was built around a joke. Reigns got beat up then thrown out of the ring. Gary was tagged when Reigns ran into him in the corner, so Shane came in to beat up Gary. It turns out Gary could wrestle, but Shane and Drew beat him up anyway. That’s all.
Ring Area
After the match, Reigns helps Gary get to his feet. Gary removes his mask to reveal he’s actually Cedric Alexander. Reigns smiles a little, Alexander checks for blood in his mouth, and Shane and Drew celebrate on the stage.
Show Impressions
I got aggravated with this show. The stipulations and match shenanigans were too much tonight. Despite enjoying the fact that Cedric Alexander sort of got a big role on RAW for one night, I did not enjoy this show.
Match of the Night
I’m not picking a match of the night tonight. None of them deserve it.
Official Results: https://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2019-07-08