WWE Raw Results
November 27, 2023
Nashville, Tennessee (Bridgestone Arena)
Commentary: Michael Cole and Wade Barrett
Results by: Mike Tedesco of Wrestleview.com
“Then. Now. Forever. Together.” The WWE video leads us into the show.
Video: WWE Survivor Series: WarGames 2023 highlights, featuring the return of Randy Orton to help Team Cody Rhodes win the Men’s WarGames Match. After the match, CM Punk made his shocking return to WWE after a nearly 10-year absence.
The Raw video plays, and we go live into the Bridgestone Arena to see a big pyrotechnics display. The crowd is pumped up. Michael Cole welcomes us to the show and says this could be one of the most anticipated episodes of Raw ever.
Tonight, we’ll see CM Punk return to Raw. He’ll have a live microphone in his hand when he returns to the show tonight.
Randy Orton returns to WWE Raw
“I hear voices in my head. They counsel me. They understand. They talk to me.”
Randy Orton makes his way to the ring to a huge ovation. The 14-time World Champion is excited to be back on Raw. Orton has not appeared on Raw in 18 months since undergoing double-fusion spinal surgery. The Viper gets in the ring and climbs to the second rope to strike his trademark pose.
A loud “Randy” chant picks up. Orton is dressed in all black tonight. Orton looks moved by the ovation and shouts, “Thank you!” Orton says it sounds like maybe a few of them missed him. They cheer in the affirmative. Orton says he’s back for as long as he can stay here. Without any further adieu, he wants to cut right to it. Orton says, “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Monday Night Raw!”
Orton says he was gone awhile and chuckles. A “Welcome back” chant fires up. Orton thanks them. That whole time he was gone, it gave him plenty of time to think about all his accomplishments and accolades. They’ve heard all of them before and won’t bore them to death because there are quite a few. There is one thing Orton has never done, which is compete at WarGames. When his dear friend, “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes, gave him a call, he picked up the call and was in. There’s another reason why he wanted to be in the match. WarGames was invented by Cody’s father, the late and great “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes. It was about being part of wrestling history and making moments. Orton got to make a moment on Saturday.
Orton is also back because he has unfinished business to attend to. That unfinished business has to do with the Bloodline. Orton has made a career of putting guys on the shelf, sometimes permanently. Orton can forgive but not forget. Orton has a bagful of receipts for every single member of the Bloodline. When he says “every single member,” he means EVERY single member. Nashville knows what those receipts are going to come in the form of. They’re the three most dangerous letters in all of sports entertainment: R-K-O! The crowd chants, “RKO!”
“THIS IS MY BRUTALITY!”
Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley makes her way to the ring without The Judgment Day. The Eradicator gets in the ring with the Viper. Ripley sarcastically welcomes Orton back. She says she didn’t think he was someone who would do favors for others or team with someone who tried to end his career. She didn’t think he’d have his big return after a year and a half upstaged. The crowd lightly boos. Ripley says Orton looks more dangerous than ever. It would be a shame to have all of that wasted because Orton doesn’t seem to have realized that the landscape has changed. The Bloodline has fallen and the Judgment Day has risen to be the dominant force in WWE. When it comes to WarGames, that was just a bump in the road. The reality is, they’re all dripping in gold. She wiped the floor with Zoey Stark. Her Latino Heat “Dirty” Dom is your NXT North American Champion. When it comes to Finn Bálor and Damian Priest, they hold the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship that Orton nearly lost everything to get. If it weren’t for Orton, Damian Priest would be your World Heavyweight Champion. Orton has come in here and made a lot of enemies who can make his life a living nightmare. Orton needs to stop focusing on the Bloodline. Unlike the Bloodline, the Judgment Day gets the job done and will put him out permanently.
An “RKO” chant fires up. Orton looks knowingly out into the crowd. Orton says he stated that he kept in touch and watched the product while he was gone. Every week, it’s all about Rhea Ripley. Mami this and Mami that. Guess what? Daddy’s back. The crowd roars, and a”Daddy” chant fires up. Orton says a lot of things have changed, which is true… a “Who’s your Daddy” chant picks up. Orton says the one thing that hasn’t changed and never will as long as he is here is nobody tells Randy Orton what to do. Ripley laughs heartily. She sees that Orton made his bed. She tried to warn him and give him an out, but he has made the Judgment Day his enemy now.
JD McDonagh, in a neck brace, and “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio attack Orton from behind! They double-team him in the corner, but Orton fights out. Orton sends McDonagh shoulder-first into the ring post. Orton grabs Mysterio and swings him to the apron for a hanging DDT, but McDonagh cuts him off. Orton drops McDonagh with an RKO. Mysterio escapes the ring and runs to Ripley.
Orton tells Mysterio not to go far. As soon as he leaves this ring, he’s going to find Adam Pearce and make sure he gets Mysterio in the ring tonight!
Backstage Segment
Earlier today, Alpha Academy, The Creed Brothers, and the New Day were talking about Tag Team Turmoil when the singer Jelly Roll walked up. Jelly Roll is excited to be there in his hometown. R-Truth comes up and greets Jelly Roll. Tozawa then does a Jelly Roll dance.
Video: “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes puts over the holiday deals on WWEShop.com.
Some of the headlines garnered by WWE from Survivor Series: WarGames are shown.
Jelly Roll is shown at ringside, and Nashville gives him a big ovation.
#1 Contenders’ Tag Team Turmoil Match
Alpha Academy (Akira Tozawa and Otis) w/ Chad Gable and Maxxine Dupri vs. #DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa)
The winners of Tag Team Turmoil will receive an Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship opportunity against Finn Bálor and Damian Priest of the Judgment Day.
Tommaso Ciampa starts against Akira Tozawa. Ciampa takes it to Tozawa, but Tozawa soon knocks him down and does a nasty dance. Ciampa grabs him, but Tozawa reverses a whip. Johnny Gargano blind tags in and attacks Tozawa. Ciampa clotheslines Tozawa down for a two-count. Gargano does a dance before having a whip to the corner reversed. Gargano boots Tozawa back and comes off the second rope with a cross-body block attempt, but Tozawa gets the knees up. Otis tags in and runs through #DIY before taking them down with a double shoulder tackle. Otis sends Gargano into the ropes for a back elbow. Ciampa is sent into the ropes and also takes a back elbow. Otis avalanches Gargano and Ciampa in the corner. Both members of #DIY are down. Otis rips off his shirt, so Tozawa gets in and tries to rip his own shirt off to no avail. Otis rips Tozawa’s shirt off. Otis and Tozawa do a double Caterpillar Elbow Drop on Gargano and Ciampa. Tozawa tags in, and Otis puts him on his shoulders. Gargano superkicks Otis, and Tozawa falls into a knee from Ciampa, which was mistimed. Gargano pulls the top rope to get Otis out of the ring. #DIY hits Tozawa with Meet in the Middle for the elimination.
Alpha Academy has been eliminated.
#DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) vs. Indus Sher (Veer Mahaan and Sanga) w/ Jinder Mahal
Ciampa and Gargano attack them before they get into the ring. Veer and Santa lift them before driving them into each other. Sanga slams Ciampa into the ring post. Veer gets Gargano in the ring and attacks him. Veer sends Gargano into the ring and takes him down with an avalanche splash. Sanga tags in, and Indus Sher hits Gargano with a double-team shoulder tackle. Sanga big boots Ciampa off the apron. Veer tags in and grabs Gargano. Veer holds Gargano up, and Sanga big boots him. Indus Sher poses. Gargano avoids an avalanche and rolls Veer up for the elimination.
Indus Sher has been eliminated.
#DIY (Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa) vs. The Creed Brothers (Brutus and Julius Creed) w/ Ivy Nile
Julius Creed starts the match against Tommaso Ciampa. Julius takes Ciampa down with a fireman’s carry. Brutus tags in and hits another fireman’s carry slam. Brutus then sends Ciampa into Julius, who hits another fireman’s carry slam. The Creed Brothers then hit a double-team fireman’s carry slam. Julius hooks the arm, but Ciampa punches away. Julius goes for a slam, but Ciampa reverses into a reverse DDT.
Gargano and Brutus tag in. Gargano clotheslines Brutus and htis Julius with an enzuigiri. Gargano hits Brutus with a bulldog while hitting Julius with a clothesline. Gargano is dropped on the apron and kicks Julius away before hitting Brutus with a slingshot spear for a near fall. Ciampa tags back in. #DIY hits an assisted rolling reverse DDT, and Ciampa knees Brutus. Ciampa covers, but Julius breaks it up. Brutus soon fights back and tags Julius in. The Creed Brothers hit a double-team double underhook facebuster, but Gargano breaks up the pin. Gargano hits Brutus with a plancha. Ciampa and Julius exchange punches in the center of the ring. Ciampa rocks him with a punch and rolls him up for a two-count. Gargano tags in and knocks Julius back. Ciampa then kicks Julius down. #DIY goes for Meet in the Middle, but Brutus intercepts. Julius powerbombs Gargano and lifts him up before tagging Brutus in. The Creed Brothers hit the Brutus Ball for the elimination.
#DIY has been eliminated.
The Creed Brothers (Brutus and Julius Creed) w/ Ivy Nile vs. The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods)
Kofi Kingston takes it to Julius Creed. Xavier Woods joins in the attack. Kingston dropkicks Julius down for a two-count. Woods tags in and attacks the arm. Kingston tags back in and comes off the top rope with a double stomp to the arm for a one-count. Kingston hits a snapmare and tags Woods in. Kingston kicks Julius, and Woods hits a sliding clothesline. Kingston hits a slingshot splash, and Woods connects with a diving elbow drop for a two-count. Woods punches away at Julius in the corner, but Julius fights back. Woods trips him, and Kingston CRUSHES Julius with a splash for a near fall. Kingston applies a rear chin lock, but Julius fights up with Kingston on his back. Kingston gets off the back and punches Julius. Kingston catches him with an inside cradle for a two-count. Julius rolls through and powers Kingston up in a vertical suplex position before slamming him down.
Woods and Brutus tag in. Woods rocks him with a rolling forearm, but Brutus fights back with an exploder that sends Woods to the apron. Brutus grabs Woods by the hair and pulls him to his feet. Brutus stands on the bottom rope and powers Woods into the ring with a suplex for a two-count. Julius tags in and slams Woods. Brutus hits a standing moonsault, and Julius follows up with a standing shooting star press for a two-count. Julius knees Woods and tags Brutus back in. Woods fights back and knocks Julius out of the ring before hitting Brutus with a DDT for a near fall. A “New Day rocks” chant picks up. Kingston tags in. Woods hits a backbreaker, and Kingston comes off the top rope with a diving double stomp. 1… 2… Julius breaks it up.
Julius sends Woods out of the ring, and Kingston dumps Julius out of the ring. Kingston sizes Brutus up, but he rolls under Trouble in Paradise. Julius tags in, but Kingston picks the ankle to take him down. Kingston comes off the top rope with a diving cross-body block, but Julius rolls through and powers him up. Julius swings Kingston into Woods to knock him out of the ring. Julius hits a fallaway slam. Brutus takes Woods out at ringside with a dive off the apron. Julius powers Kingston up, and The Creed Brothers hit the Brutus Ball to eliminate the New Day.
The New Day has been eliminated.
The Creed Brothers (Brutus and Julius Creed) w/ Ivy Nile vs. Imperium (Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci)
Kaiser and Vinci get in the ring and viciously attack the Creed Brothers. Vinci stays in the ring and takes it to Julius. Kaiser sends Brutus into the commentary table. Vinci hits a springboard cross-body block on Julius and punches him down. Kaiser tags in and shoves Julius. Julius tries to fight back, but Imperium double-teams him. Vinci hits a spinebuster, and Kaiser follows up with a running kick to the chest. Vinci tags in. Imperium hits the Imperium Bomb, but Brutus breaks up the pin.
Kaiser tags in, and he shouts an order to Vinci. Vinci charges Julius, but Julius pulls the top rope down to get him out of the ring. Julius kicks Kaiser out of the ring. Vinci charges, but Julius rolls under and tags Brutus in. Kaiser also tags in. Brutus takes Kaiser and Vinci down. Brutus slams Vinci down and smashes away at him. Brutus powers Vinci up, but Kaiser chop blocks the knee. Kaiser punches away at Brutus. Kaiser puts Brutus in the corner and blocks a boot. Kaiser uppercuts Brutus down and tags Vinci in. Vinci hits a backbreaker for a two-count. Vinci applies a double nerve hold to the shoulders. Brutus powers out, and they take each other out with stereo big boots.
Juilus and Kaiser tag in. Julius hits Imperium with overhead belly-to-belly suplexes. Julius then hits a double northern lights suplex, which brings the crowd back into it. Julius slams Kaiser down for a near fall. Vinci is knocked out of the ring and lands on the floor hard. Kaiser soon smacks Julius in the face and lifts him. Julius gets out and powers Kaiser up for a powerbomb. The back of Kaiser’s head bounces off the mat. Brutus tags in. Kaiser rakes the eyes, and Vinci knocks Brutus off the top rope. Kaiser sends Julius shoulder-first into the ring post and hits Brutus with a discus clothesline. Imperium sets up for an Imperium Bomb, but Julius leapfrogs over and slips on the top rope. Julius immediately rebounds. Brutus hits Vinci with a fisherman’s slam, and Julius hits Kaiser with a top-rope superplex. The Creed Brothers then hit Vinci with the Brutus Bomb for the win.
Winners by Pinfall: The Creed Brothers
The Creed Brothers are the #1 Contenders for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship.
The Judgment Day’s Locker Room
Finn Bálor comes in and says they cannot take the Creed Brothers lightly. Damian Priest isn’t listening, but he says he heard him. Priest says he can see on their faces that they appointed him the leader of WarGames, but they lost, and he let them down. Rhea Ripley says that Judgment Day is a family. They rise and fall together. Bálor says they’re still the Tag Team Champions. It’s all good. Ripley says just because they made Priest the leader of WarGames and it didn’t turn out in their favor, they’re not going to blame him. Priest says he appreciates it. Priest asks how JD McDonagh is doing. Bálor says he’s still being checked out and suggests they check on him. Priest agrees.
Coming up next, we’ll hear from “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes.
-Commercial Break-
“The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes talks about Survivor Series
“Wrestling has more than one royal family.”
“The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes makes his way to the ring to a HUGE ovation. Rhodes is fired up and signs an autograph on the way to the ring. Rhodes says, “So, Nashville, what do you wanna talk about?” There are so many stories from this weekend, but Rhodes has one of gratitude. His team was victorious inside WarGames, and he wants to thank his team Sami Zayn, “Main Event” Jey Uso, our champion Seth “Freakin” Rollins, and “The Legend Killer” Randy Orton. Orton was a mentor to him early on and remains that. Orton has given him many memories, but he gave him one more on Saturday. He threw Damian Priest to Rhodes to let him pick up the victory in his Dad’s match. Rhodes gets emotional as a “Dusty” chant picks up.
The other story is the return of CM Punk. Nobody knew it was going to happen, so everyone is going to tune in tonight to hear what he has to say. Rhodes welcomes CM Punk back. With all this news being made and stories, he’d like to make some news himself and do it right here. At this point, the crowd truly knows him. That means there is only one destination for him. That’s why, with the authority of Adam Pearce, he is the first to declare himself in the 2024 Royal Rumble! The crowd cheers.
The lights go out, and Rhodes looks worried. Shinsuke Nakamura appears on the screen. Nakamura says Rhodes is a brave hero who won his battle. Now Rhodes says he needs to continue his story. Nakamura needs Rhodes to set him free, to awaken him, and to evolve. Nakamura was patient with Rhodes week after week, but he is done waiting. Nakamura will bring chaos to Rhodes.
The lights come back on, and Nakamura is standing behind Rhodes. Rhodes turns around, and Nakamura spits blood red mist into Rhodes’s eyes! Rhodes drops to the mat in pain. Nakamura takes a bow as Rhodes writhes in pain on the mat. A referee gets in the ring with a towel to help Rhodes. Rhodes’s bleach-blonde hair is stained red.
-Commercial Break-
Replays are shown of Shinsuke Nakamura spitting mist into Cody Rhodes’s eyes.
WWE thanks Living Color for the use of their song, “Cult of Personality,” the official theme song of CM Punk. We’ll hear from CM Punk later tonight.
“Big” Bronson Reed vs. Ivar w/ Valhalla
The bell rings, and they lock up. Ivar shoves Reed off. They charge for a clothesline, but each man absorbs it. Ivar knees Reed and knocks him back with a shoulder tackle, but Reed rebounds with a clothesline. Reed drops an elbow, and Ivar retreats to the corner. Reed charges, but Ivar comes out of the corner with a seated senton. Ivar gets Reed to his feet and goes for a suplex, but Reed won’t go up. Reed powers Ivar up for a textbook vertical suplex. Reed gets on the apron, but Valhalla shoves Ivar out of the way. Ivar pulls Reed off the apron and hits a spin kick. Reed is seated against the LED ring apron, and Ivar splashes him against it. The LED screen blinks and goes static.
-Commercial Break-
Picture-in-Picture Commercial Break: Ivar gets Reed in the ring and attacks him in the corner. Ivar hits a back elbow and punches Reed down for a two-count. Ivar applies a nerve pinch, but Reed fights out. Ivar punches him to the corner. Reed reverses a whip, and Ivar is turned inside out when he hits the turnbuckles! Reed head-butts Ivar and shoulders him in the corner. Reed head-butts Ivar down and chokes him on the middle rope. Reed applies a rear chin lock, but Ivar powers up and punches out. Reed rocks him with a forearm to the head and sends him into the ropes. Ivar ducks a clothesline. They then take each other out with stereo clotheslines. Both men slowly get to their feet and exchange punches.
We come back from the break to see Reed knock Ivar to the corner and hit an avalanche. Reed chops away at Ivar’s chest. Ivar ducks another chop and knocks him into the corner. Ivar wildly elbows away at Reed’s face. Ivar goes for a spin kick, but Reed blocks it and hits a superkick. Ivar quickly boots Reed back and charges, but Reed crushes him with a Samoan Drop, followed by a senton splash for a near fall.
Reed sizes Ivar up for a short-arm clothesline, but Ivar gets out and lifts him for a spinning slam to pick up a two-count. Ivar heads to the top rope for a moonsault, but Reed rolls out of the way. Ivar crashes and burns. Reed heads to the top rope, but Valhalla jumps on the apron to distract him. The referee then ejects Valhalla from ringside. The crowd cheers, and Valhalla is livid. In the ring, Ivar ducks a clothesline and clotheslines Reed down. Reed was supposed to go over the top rope, but he didn’t get enough lift. Reed rolls under the bottom rope. Ivar dives off the apron. Reed catches him, but he loses his grip and sort of just drops him. Reed then sends Ivar into the timekeeper’s area. Ivar kicks Reed in the face and pulls him into the timekeeper’s area. Ivar stands on the barricade, but Reed punches him and puts him on his shoulders. Reed hits a scary Death Valley Driver into the wall of the timekeeper’s area. Both men are counted out.
Double Count-Out
Ivar soon gets up with a steel chair and cracks Reed in the spine with it. They begin to brawl into the crowd. Reed charges, but Ivar sends him into one of the WWE crew. Ivar punches Reed back, and security runs up to help. Ivar punches one guy down, and he takes a flat back bump on the floor. Reed lifts another guard and sends him into Ivar. Reed poses before turning around to see Ivar on the road case. Ivar comes off the case with a somersault cannonball on Reed and the security guards. Raw General Manager Adam Pearce comes out with WWE producers. They pull Ivar and Reed apart.
Backstage Segment
Earlier today, Zoey Stark was telling Shayna Baszler she was close to beating Rhea Ripley to win the Women’s World Champion. Baszler says she’s only been around six months. There will be more opportunities. Nia Jax walks up and says Stark came up short. It should have been her at Survivor Series. Baszler tells her to shut up before she’s put on the shelf again. Stark says she wants to face Jax tonight. Jax is happy about that.
In the arena, Nia Jax makes her entrance. She’ll face Zoey Stark next.
-Commercial Break-
CM Punk’s return is the most social moment in WWE history.
The Judgment Day’s Locker Room
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Finn Balor and Damian Priest walk into their locker room with JD McDonagh, who is still in a neck brace. They are not happy to see R-Truth sitting on their couch eating jelly rolls and covered in sugar. R-Truth offers to be the fifth member of their team in WarGames. They remind him that WarGames already happened. R-Truth asks how they did and how he did. Priest says they lost and thanks him for rubbing it in. R-Truth says that’s okay because Randy Orton is back. They kick him out of their clubhouse. McDonagh says he’ll get even with R-Truth.
Nia Jax vs. Zoey Stark
The bell rings, and Stark takes it to Jax with kicks. Jax forearms her, but Stark fights back. Jax catches her and slams her down. Jax throws her to the corner and avalanches her down. Jax charges, but Stark gets the top rope down to get her out of the ring. Stark jumps to the top rope and hits a diving clothesline at ringside.
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break to see Jax applying a torture rack. Stark elbows out and hits a jawbreaker. Stark hits the ropes, but Jax takes her down with a back elbow. Jax pulls Stark to her feet and goes for a powerbomb, but Stark fights it. Stark goes for a hurricanrana, but Jax powers her up and slings her into the middle turnbuckle headfirst. Jax stands over her and slams her down a few times. Jax lifts Stark, but Stark slides out and kicks away at her. Jax drops to a knee. Stark hits the ropes, but Jax shoulder tackles her down. Jax charges, but she hits the ring post shoulder-first when Stark moves. Stark hits a slingshot corkscrew senton to the legs and kicks her for a two-count. Jax soon fights her off and avalanches her in the corner. Jax hits a running hip attack and climbs to the second rope. Stark kicks the legs out and covers for a near fall. Stark hits a springboard missile dropkick for another near fall.
Stark superkicks Jax down and climbs to the top rope. Jax hits the ropes to make Stark lose her footing. Jax crushes her with a Samoan Drop and hits a senton splash. Jax drags her to the corner and hits an Annihilator for the win.
Winner by Pinfall: Nia Jax
Video Package: Gunther defeated The Miz to retain the WWE Intercontinental Championship this past Saturday at Survivor Series: WarGames.
Backstage Segment
Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci are arguing backstage. WWE Intercontinental Champion “The Ring General” Gunther tells them to go to Adam Pearce and straighten out the #DIY situation. Vinci starts to talk, but Kaiser cuts him off and promises to get it done. Kaiser and Vinci walk off.
Gunther turns and sees The Miz. Miz says he saw Gunther’s press conference where he said his next opponent needs to challenge him to his face. Miz is here to do that. Gunther asks if he’s sure about that. Miz says he’s sure he can beat Gunther. Gunther says Miz is not a threat to his record-breaking title reign, but he stood up for himself and proved he belongs in the ring… just not with Gunther. Gunther smirks and walks off.
In the arena, World Heavyweight Champion Seth “Freakin” Rollins makes his way to the ring. We’ll hear from Rollins next.
-Commercial Break-
More mainstream headlines are shown from Survivor Series: WarGames.
Seth “Freakin” Rollins addresses Survivor Series: WarGames
World Heavyweight Champion Seth “Freakin” Rollins stands in the ring, listening to the crowd singing his song. Rollins welcomes them to Monday Night Rollins. The crowd sings to him again, but a “CM Punk” chant breaks through. Rollins does not look happy. Rollins is upset, but he encourages them to continue with the CM Punk chant. Rollins tells them to get it out of their systems because he doesn’t want to spend on more second or ounce of energy on that hypocrite. Instead of talking about somebody who doesn’t matter at all, they can talk about the thing that matters the most: the World Heavyweight Championship he has built into the most important championship in this industry.
Two days out from WarGames, he’s not feeling too good, but he starting to get the itch again. Rollins is starting to get the itch to be a fighting champion again. Rollins saw Adam Pearce earlier this afternoon. They sat in his office for a while.
Drew McIntyre’s music hits to interrupt him. McIntyre doesn’t look happy and gets in the ring. McIntyre says it’s been a crazy 48 hours around here. People are talking about a lot of things and what happened outside the ring, but what happens in the ring is most important. McIntyre wants to shake hands with Rollins and congratulate him on winning at WarGames. Rollins shakes his hand. The Judgment Day claimed to have a master plan and give him Jey Uso on a silver platter. McIntrye didn’t get Jey Uso, and the master plan involved losing. McIntyre says he’s got to get focused and put Jey on the back burner. McIntyre has to focus on what’s most important, which is the World Heavyweight Championship. McIntyre asks if Rollins remembers what he told him before their match at Crown Jewel. Rollins says he does remember. He told McIntyre that when he beats him, he’ll have no one to blame but himself, but it would also be the best thing that ever happened to him. McIntyre says Rollins was right. There was a point where he had Rollins on the steps. Rollins was finished, and he could have hit him with the Claymore Kick. McIntyre was overwhelmed with sympathy and compassion. McIntyre wanted to tell him that he did a great job as champion, but it was over. Rollins slapped him in the face. McIntyre deserved it. McIntyre realized that Rollins is a shark, so to beat him, he has to become a bigger shark. Screw Jey Uso. He wants a rematch for the title.
Rollins believes that McIntyre deserves a rematch. The problem is there might be a couple of people who deserve the opportunity more than McIntyre. That’s why he’s out here. Rollins met with Adam Pearce. Next week on Raw, he’ll be defending the World Heavyweight Championship live. McIntyre says Rollins is the champion and calls the shots. He just wants to know who it’s against. Rollins says he’s defending the World Heavyweight Championship next week against Jey Uso. “YEET” chants fire up.
McIntyre is irate. Rollins tries to talk to him, but McIntyre flattens him with a Glasgow Kiss. McIntyre hit him so hard that he busted his own forehead open! McIntyre drives him into the corner and hits an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. McIntyre shouts that this is personal. McIntyre beat Jey Uso a week ago and is ahead of him in line.
“Main Event” Jey Uso makes his way to the ring for the save. Jey ducks a clothesline and punches away at McIntyre. Jey superkicks McIntyre. Rollins and Jey then hit McIntyre with stereo superkicks to knock him out of the ring. Jey picks up the World Heavyweight Championship and hands it to Rollins. Jey celebrates big time with the crowd. A bleeding and furious McIntyre watches on.
Later tonight, we’ll hear from CM Punk for the first time in nearly 10 years. Randy Orton also returns to singles action against NXT North American Champion “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio.
Tegan Nox and Natalya make their way to the ring. They’ll face Chelsea Green and Piper Niven for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship next.
-Commercial Break-
Backstage Segment
A bleeding Drew McIntyre is furiously walking backstage when he’s approached by Sami Zayn. Zayn yells at him for attacking Seth “Freakin” Rollins when he wasn’t ready. McIntyre says has no idea what he’s feeling. Every disappointment McIntyre has had, Zayn has had it times ten. Zayn lost to Roman Reigns in front of his family, just like McIntyre. Still, Zayn gets up and keeps moving forward because his destination is the World Heavyweight Championship. McIntyre has everything going for him, but he’s acting like a spoiled little brat. McIntyre is better than that. McIntyre says Zayn may have a few points. Maybe he needs to start working up the ladder. He’s going to Adam Pearce to make a match for next week… against Zayn.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship
Tegan Nox and Natalya vs. Chelsea Green and Piper Niven (c’s)
Natalya and Chelsea Green lock up before the bell rings, so the referee separates them and calls for the bell. Natalya takes her down, but Green quickly gets up. Natalya soon connects with a Discus Clothesline. Green kicks away from a Sharpshooter. Piper Niven tags in. Natalya goes for a takedown, but Niven doesn’t budge. Niven head-butts her and charges, but she hits the ring post shoulder-first when Natalya moves. Tegan Nox tags in and hits a wheelbarrow stunner. Nox kicks her and tags Natalya in. Natalya hits a diving cross-body block and celebrates.
-Commercial Break-
Picture-in-Picture Commercial Break: Natalya goes for a Sharpshooter on Niven. Niven fights out and takes Natalya down. Green tags in and hits a missile dropkick for a two-count. Green continues to attack her and taunts the crowd. Niven tags back in and slams Natalya. Niven gives Green a scoop slam on Natalya. Niven grabs Green and hits another scoop slam onto Natalya. Green tries to slam Niven onto her, but she cannot lift her. Niven then scoops Green up and slams her onto Natalya for a third time. Niven covers for a two-count. Niven slams Natalya and puts her in the corner for some shoulder thrusts. Green tags in and punches Natalya before tagging Niven back in.
We come back from the break to see Niven take Natalya down. Green is tagged back in, and she puts Natalya on the top rope. Green climbs the ropes and clubs Natalya. Natalya punches Niven off the apron and knocks Green back. Natalya hits Green with a sit-out powerbomb for a near fall. Nox tags in and takes it to Green. Green slaps her in the face, so Nox head-butts her before hitting a front suplex. Nox knees Niven off the apron and kicks Green in the head. Nox goes to the top rope and hits a Molly-Go-Round, but Niven breaks up the pin. Niven tags in. Green hits a Codebreaker, and Niven splashes Nox. 1… 2… Natalya breaks up the pin. Natalya grabs Niven, but Niven sends her out of the ring. Green tags back in and grabs Nox. Nox pushes Green off, and Green sends her to ringside. Niven blind tagged in. Green dives at Natalya and Nox. They catch her and hit a double-team suplex into the barricade. Niven then wipes Nox and Natalya out with a cannonball off the apron. Niven hits a basement cross-body splash on Nox for the win.
Winners by Pinfall and still WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions: Chelsea Green and Piper Niven
Next week on Raw, Seth “Freakin” Rollins will defend the World Heavyweight Championship against “Main Event” Jey Uso. Drew McIntyre will also face Sami Zayn.
Backstage Segment
Randy Orton is warming up when “Main Event” Jey Uso walks up to him. Jey Uso says he wanted to find Orton before Orton found him. Jey apologizes for what happened back in the day. Cody Rhodes gave him a second chance and hopes they can leave the past in the past. Orton says he’s seen how Jey Uso has had Cody’s back. A lot of people trust him. Orton will let bygones be bygones, but he will handle some unfinished business with the Bloodline. As long as Jey Uso is out of the Bloodline, they’re good. Jey says he’s out. They shake hands.
NXT North American Champion “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio makes his way to the ring alongside JD McDonagh. Mysterio will face Randy Orton next.
-Commercial Break-
CM Punk’s return has been viewed over 71 million times over all WWE social media platforms.
Backstage Interview
Jackie Redmond is backstage with “The Man” Becky Lynch. She asks how Lynch is doing after going through war. Lynch says she feels like she went through a war and looks like she went through a war. Still, it feels good. Tonight, The Man has come around to Nashville. Lynch has multiple fights on the horizon, one more pressing than the other. Lynch walks off.
Non-Title Match
NXT North American Champion “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio w/ JD McDonagh vs. Randy Orton
This is Randy Orton’s first televised singles match since February 14, 2022, when he lost a match on WWE Raw to Seth Rollins.
The bell rings, and they circle the ring. The crowd chants, “Randy.” They lock up, and Orton powers Mysterio to the corner. The referee pulls Orton back. Mysterio gets a cheap shot in and hits the ropes, but Orton easily shoulder tackles him down. Mysterio gets out of the ring and consults with JD McDonagh. Mysterio gets back in the ring. Orton punches away at Mysterio and uppercuts him. Orton sends Mysterio into the ropes and hits a big back body drop.
-Commercial Break-
Picture-in-Picture Commercial Break: Randy Orton poses on the turnbuckles as Mysterio complains at ringside. Mysterio grabs a microphone and gets some heat from the crowd, but we can’t hear what he’s saying. I can only imagine the boos he’s getting. Orton chuckles at what Mysterio is saying. Mysterio continues to pace at ringside. Orton goes outside and clotheslines him down. Orton chases McDonagh and makes fun of his injured neck. Orton attacks Mysterio and bounces him off the commentary table. Orton puts Mysterio in the ring and sweeps the feet. Orton stomps the midsection and stomps the ankle. Orton whips Mysterio hard into the opposite corner and covers, but the picture-in-picture cuts out.
We return from the break to see Orton pulling Mysterio to his feet and throwing him out of the ring. McDonagh runs away from Orton. Orton goes for a back suplex on the commentary table, but Mysterio flips through and clubs Orton in his surgically repaired back. Mysterio sends Orton shoulder-first into the ring steps. Mysterio gets Orton in the ring and covers for a two-count. Mysterio argues the count with the referee. Mysterio takes it to Orton and whips him to the corner, but Orton pops out with a clothesline. Orton hits a second clothesline before executing a picture-perfect snap powerslam. The crowd comes to their feet as Orton slings Mysterio to the apron and hangs him on the second rope. Orton hits a hanging DDT and drops down to stalk Mysterio. McDonagh pulls Mysterio out of the ring to save him.
McDonagh sees Jelly Roll at ringside and gets in his face. Jelly Roll gets to his feet and shoves McDonagh down. Mysterio gets in Jelly Roll’s face, so Jelly Roll shoves him back. Orton shakes hands with Jelly Roll. Orton grabs Mysterio and hits a back suplex on the commentary table. The crowd chants, “One more time,” so Orton obliges them with another back suplex on the commentary table! Orton gets Mysterio in the ring. McDonagh goes after him, but Orton hits him with a hanging DDT. Mysterio dropkicks Orton into the ropes and hits a 619. Mysterio heads to the top rope and goes for a Frog Splash, but Orton rolls out of the way. Orton then drops Mysterio with an RKO for the win.
Winner by Pinfall: Randy Orton
We see CM Punk’s dressing room. We’ll hear from him next.
-Commercial Break-
WWE Bash in Berlin is coming in August 2024.
CM Punk addresses the WWE Universe for the first time in nearly 10 years
CM Punk’s music hits, and he comes out to a HUGE ovation. The crowd waited all night to see and hear from him. We’ve got 6 minutes until Raw comes to an end. A “CM Punk” chant fires up. Punk says, “It looks like hell froze over, and when I mean ‘hell froze over,’ I mean this is me standing in a WWE ring with a live microphone in my hand.” He doesn’t mean that Blackhawks fan is loved inside the Predators’ barn. Punk says he’s been feeling more like himself lately. Saturday was a career highlight for him. Punk has been trying to come up with the words to explain exactly how he feels. Punk has come up with two words that he’s afraid to say. It’s not because they’re not true. Punk is scared of how true they actually are. It’s a little corny and cheesy. It won’t sound like him, but he’s changed. Once upon a time, an American Dream told him if you speak from the heart, you cannot go wrong. This is the truth: “I’m home.” The crowd erupts!
A “CM Punk chant fires up. Punk came back to a familiar place, but he feels like his old self. This is where he belongs. This is home. He’s been gone for ten years. For over ten years, the people never forgot him, even when he wanted to forget himself. That is powerful. They are powerful. Countless arenas around the world never stopped chanting his name. The voiceless found their voice. Punk heard them. Punk is back because he loves the fans. Punk misses them and wishes he could say he never had to leave, but once upon a time, a Wise Man told him to get everything he needs out of this place is to leave and come back. He’d hate to say that the Wise Man is right. He’s back for the fans because this is home. Saturday night was an amazing moment. Monday night is an amazing moment. In front of and behind the camera has been nothing but hugs. Everyone is happy to have him back. Everyone embraced him and asked about AJ. AJ Lee is fine and send her regards.
Everyone has welcomed him back with open arms… well, almost everybody. Some people are afraid of the truth. They’re afraid of what they don’t understand. Punk understands. Everyone competes to be the Best in the World, but the Best in the World has not been here for almost 10 years. Punk understands being afraid. They’re afraid he’s set the bar too high and that the brass ring is in his back pocket. They’re afraid that the most feared man in the industry just walked through the front door and there’s nothing they can do about it. Some people are afraid that they’ll have to come to terms that their best efforts to be the Best in the World in the ring, on the microphone, and even on commentary is a lie. The Best in the World is live and in living color in Nashville, Tennessee, and his name is CM Punk! Punk’s music hits, and he looks into the camera to say, “I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to make money.” The show comes to an end.