WWE RAW
Episode 1375
#RAW
Original Air Date: September 30, 2019
Event Date: September 30, 2019
(aired live)
City: Phoenix, AZ
Venue: Talking Stick Resort Arena
Commentary: Vic Joseph, Dio Maddin, Jerry Lawler
Ring Announcer: Mike Rome
Intro Video
“Legendary” by Skillet
Ring Area
Vic Joseph, Dio Maddin, and Jerry Lawler welcome us to the season premiere of RAW.
Ring Area
Rey Mysterio heads to the ring, and his son Dominic is in the front row. Rey says he owes his Universal Title match tonight to his son. Rey has barely gotten started talking before Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman interrupt and head to the ring.
In the ring, Lesnar snatches the mic from Rey and hands it to Heyman. Heyman begins to speak, but Rey snatches the mic back. Rey starts to speak, but Lesnar attacks him with an F5. Lesnar hits another F5 as Dominic looks on. Lesnar spots Dominic in the crowd. Lesnar smiles as he slowly approaches Dominic. After a few seconds, Lesnar grabs Dominic, throws him over the barricade, and smashes him into the ring post. Lesnar hits Dominic with a German suplex, then he hits Rey with another F5.
Heyman begs for Lesnar to stop as referees start to surround the ring. Lesnar leaves the ring, but he quickly returns to hit both Rey and Dominic with huge vertical suplexes. Lesnar leaves and returns a second time, attacking two officials (including Fit Finlay) before throwing Rey and Dominic out of the ring. Finally, Lesnar leaves with Heyman.
Ring Area
During the commercial break, Dominic was stretchered out of the arena as Rey apologized to him.
Match 1
Sasha Banks vs Alexa Bliss (Women’s Tag Champ)
(referee: Rod Zapata; guest commentary: Becky Lynch)
Result: Sasha Banks wins via pinfall after distracting Alexa Bliss and kicking her in the knee
Time: 4:23
Match Thoughts
Pretty good match. I think it was kind of unwinnable for Bliss given that Sasha is in a RAW title match on Sunday, but the action was still good for the match’s short duration.
Ring Area
Immediately after the match, Becky Lynch walks down to the ring. Lynch and Banks brawl for a few moments, but Sasha escapes out into the crowd. Becky gets on the mic and tells Sasha that she won’t be able to run on Sunday.
Video
Last week, The Fiend put down Braun Strowman and intimidated Seth Rollins after the main event match.
Backstage
Charly Caruso welcomes Seth Rollins. Rollins is pissed about what Lesnar did to Rey Mysterio and Dominic at the start of the show. As for Hell in a Cell, he’s not sure how to prepare for the match, but he’s going to survive, prevail, and leave as champ. Tonight, Rey might not be able to compete, but Rollins plans to defend his title against someone before the show is over.
Match 2
RAW Tag Team Title Match
Heavy Machinery vs Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler (RAW Tag Champs)
(referee: Darrick Moore)
Result: Robert Roode pins Tucker Knight after the Glorious DDT
Time: 7:49 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Good match. Ziggler and Roode hada difficult time dealing with the size and power (and surprising agility) of Heavy Machinery at first, but late in the match they started to figure things out. It felt like Heavy Machinery got too comfortable or were just having too much fun, and that’s when the teamwork of Roode and Ziggler took center stage. This was a nice title match, and the finish was very well done.
Backstage
In a split-screen, Hulk Hogan walks with Jimmy Hart while Ric Flair walks alone.
Ring Area
The Miz heads to the ring for Miz TV. Miz starts the show by sending his thoughts out to Rey and Dominic. As a father, Miz doesn’t know what he would do if anyone ever put their hands on his children. Moving on, Miz introduces his first guest, Ric Flair. Flair heads to the ring, then Miz introduces his next guests, Jimmy Hart and Hulk Hogan. Hogan and Hart head to the ring.
Flair says he loves Miz, but he’s tired of hearing Hulk’s music. Miz tries to change the subject, but Flair keeps making things awkward. Hulk goes into his Hulkamania routine as he talks about how great it is to be in the ring with his friend Ric Flair. Flair says he is the greatest, and he won’t take second billing to Hogan. Hogan flexes in front of Flair, so Flair takes off his jacket. Flair hits the ropes, and Hogan points.
The crowd chants “one more match” as Hogan says he and Flair aren’t spring chickens anymore. Hogan goes on to say that it not too late to add one more chapter to their legacy, so Jerry Lawler asks on commentary, “are they gonna’ have a chicken fight?” Miz announces Team Hogan vs Team Flair at Crown Jewel at the end of October, and the crowd sort of cheers.
Seth Rollins comes out and heads to the ring. The commentators say he will captain Team Hogan, and Rollins says he’s proud to be part of the team. Ric Flair starts to make his pick, but he barely gets a word out before Randy Orton heads to the ring. Orton says he and Rollins get to pick their teams in the weeks leading up to the match, but tonight, Orton wants to fight Rollins one on one. Rollins accepts.
Referee Rod Zapata runs down to the ring, and the carpet for Miz TV is rolled out. Rollins and Orton are ready to fight, but King Corbin interrupts. As Corbin enters the ring, Orton attacks Rollins. Corbin joins in beating up Rollins, but Rusev runs out to even the odds for Rollins. Rollins and Rusev clear Orton and Corbin from the ring.
Video
We see footage from earlier tonight when Rey watched as his son Dominic was loaded into an ambulance.
Backstage
Charly Caruso asks Rusev, “where’s Lana?” Rusev says nothing. Caruso moves on and asks Rusev why he’s back on RAW. Rusev says Rollins owes him a debt after what just happened, so Rusev challenges Rollins to a Universal Title match tonight.
Video
The Authors of Pain misinterpret the phrase, “he who lives by the sword, dies by the sword.
Match 3
Viking Raiders vs The Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows
(referee: John Cone)
Result: Ivar pins Luke Gallows after a diving splash
Time: 6:57 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Good match. I’m glad that the Viviking Riaders are having actual matches, but I’m a little disappointed that The OC seems to not be winning anymore. I think that’s mostly just a matter of The OC and the Viking Raiders being paired up right now, but I just hope The OC can get back to the very brief few weeks of dominance they had recently.
Backstage
Charly Caruso reports that Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman are still in the building, and they’d like to address their actions which “some people” are calling criminal. Cesaro walks up and says he doesn’t care what people think. He enjoyed what Lesnar did. The only criminal thing Lesnar did was to steal Cesaro’s chance to beat up Dominic himself. Ricochet walks up and says he isn’t half the man Rey Mysterio is. Cesaro disagrees, so Ricochet suggests that they have a match.
Match 4
Ricochet vs Cesaro
(referee: Chad Patton)
Result: Ricochet wins via pinfall with a springboard dragonrana
Time: 2:47
Match Thoughts
Good match. It was too short for my tastes, but Ricochet and Cesaro did a lot in under three minutes. I especially liked the finish.
Firefly Fun House
Bray Wyatt’s friends are all scared, and Rambling Rabbit is scared to death. Bray Wyatt checks on Rabbit and laughs when he sees that the rabbit has died. Wyatt wonders what’s wrong with all his other friends. They say they’re scared about what will happen to Seth Rollins in Hell in a Cell. Wyatt says it’s okay to be scared, then he describes what happens in Hell in a Cell.
Wyatt is scared for Rollins too. Wyatt thinks that “He” can’t wait to hurt Seth Rollins, so Wyatt goes to find Rollins and warn him… Just kidding!
Match 5
United States Title Match
Cedric Alexander vs AJ Styles (US Champ)
(referee: Drake Wuertz)
Result: AJ Styles wins via pinfall after the Styles Clash
Time: 6:13 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Very good match. The action was practically non-stop right from the opening bell. I really though Alexander had a chance to surprise Styles tonight, but I’m not at all upset with the result. This has been a good feud for Alexander, and hopefully he can use these matches to propel himself into something good over the next few months. Right now, it feels like his chapter with AJ Styles is over.
Backstage
The Street Profits address when people will be able to see them in action. They will have an NXT Tag Team Title match this Wednesday on NXT. Dawkins starts stalking about Hell in a Cell, and when he get to Rollins versus The Fiend, Ford stops him. Ford says he heard that if you say The Fiend’s name three times, he’ll appear. Dawkins is dubious.
Match 6
Lacey Evans vs Natalya
(referee: Eddie Orengo)
Result: Lacey Evans wins via pinfall with an O’Connor Roll (and a rake of the eyes)
Time: 3:49
Match Thoughts
Pretty good match. I’m not sure what the point was, and I didn’t think the finish was great, but it was fine.
Backstage
Paul Heyman tells Sarah Schreiber that he speaks for Brock Lesnar. On behalf of Lesnar, he apologizes to Rey Mysterio and his family. However, Heyman says the person to blame for what Lesnar did to Rey and Dominic is Vince McMahon for allowing Heyman to book Lesnar while he was in fight mode. Moving on, as a spoiler, Heyman says Brock Lesnar will be announced as the new WWE Champ on Friday Night SmackDown.
Backstage
Charly Caruso welcomes Maria Kanellis. Maria says Rusev is not the father of her child. Maria walks away, then Sasha Banks walks up. Sasha says she’s going to make Becky beg, cry, and tap out at Hell in a Cell. No man will win Sasha’s match.
Backstage
A limo shows up right before a commercial break.
Match 7
Universal Title Match
Rusev vs Seth Rollins (Universal Champ)
(referee: Rod Zapata; watching from the stage: Randy Orton, Baron Corbin)
Result: the match ends in a No Contest after Bobby Lashley kisses Lana on the stage and The Fiend attacks Seth Rollins
Time: 7:53 (1 break)
Match Thoughts
Pretty good match. It was ultimately kind of pointless considering the double-shenanigans going on at the end, but the action in the match was pretty good. Both men could have done better, but it was fine. This show ended on spectacle rather than with a big, serious title match.
Show Impressions
This was a fun show. I was excited when it started. A lot of that had to do with the new look and the promise of new stuff to see, but as the show went on that excitement dipped somewhat. We saw matches we’ve seen before with results we’ve seen before, and we didn’t get Rollins versus Mysterio which I was very much looking forward to. Also, I wish the season premiere included cutting an hour from RAW, but alas, is did not.
That said, I did enjoy large portions of the show. So it was a mixed bag for sure.
Match of the Night
Cedric Alexander vs AJ Styles
Sure, we’ve seen it before, but it was still a fun match to watch.
Official Results: https://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2019-09-30