WWE Raw Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights From Season Premiere
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Credit: WWE.com
WWE Raw delivered its season premiere Monday night with championship clashes, personal grudge matches and the latest developments in the top red brand storylines.
Who emerged victorious from matches featuring the likes of Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, Rhea Ripley and Shunsuke Nakamura, and what did those wins mean for their momentum entering Crown Jewel on November 4?
Find out now with this recap of the October 16 broadcast from the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.
Lineup
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- Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship: Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso vs. Damian Priest and Finn Bálor
- Intercontinental Championship: Bronson Reed vs. Gunther
- Falls Count Anywhere: Ricochet vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
- Shayna Baszler vs. Rhea Ripley
- Natalya vs. Piper Niven
Announced in advance for Monday's show:
Sami Zayn Promo
2 of 10
- Zayn took the positive route, saying he would turn the dismantling of his team with Owens into an opportunity to prove he is a main event-level Superstar.
- "The last year of my career has been by far the best year of my career," Zayn said.
- Uso came to the aid of Zayn and stood side-by-side with him against The Judgment Day, only for his former Bloodline teammate to exit the ring, still unsure how he feels about the departure of KO.
Credit: WWE.com
Sami Zayn kicked off Monday's show and wasted little time addressing the elephant in the room: The trade of Kevin Owens to SmackDown as part of the deal for Jey Uso.
After he discussed his trepidation and uncertainty about how to feel about Uso at this point, The Judgment Day interrupted. A back-and-forth gave way to a teased beatdown before Main Event Jey made the save.
There was not much to this outside of the tease of tension between Zayn and Uso. There was no hint that The Master Strategist may be involved in the night's main event, but he did express desire to prove himself as a World Heavyweight Championship competitor.
Perhaps he's eying a showdown with Seth Rollins or Drew McIntyre after Crown Jewel? If so, it's a role he can deliver in if his performances against Roman Reigns are any indication.
The segment could have been hotter, but it was still mostly solid work from all involved, most of all the always-great Zayn.
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
Falls Count Anywhere: Ricochet vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
3 of 10
- Backstage, Zayn reiterated how torn he is in relation to Jey Uso but ultimately embraced him, recognizing that he may not have Kevin Owens watching his back but he does have his other friend.
- Ricochet produced a fantastic Shooting Star Press from the stands onto Nakamura and security below.
- Nakamura peppered Ricochet with shots about the body with nunchucks, a spot that brought the crowd to its feet thanks to its uniqueness.
- The Artist sent his opponent crashing through a table at ringside to set up the finish.
Credit: WWE.com
In years past, Shinsuke Nakamura would have lost the World Heavyweight Championship match to Seth Rollins at Fastlane and fell back into obscurity as an also-ran.
Under the creative regime headed by Triple H, he has remained a contender as dangerous as he was at the height of his feud with The Visionary.
Monday, he defeated Ricochet in a Falls Count Anywhere bout that was competitive and featured some cool spots, not least of which was a jaw-dropping shooting star press.
Ricochet looked like a contender himself, as he consistently has under Triple H, but Nakamura winning was a necessity and keeps him strong at a time when Raw needs quality heels.
Result
Nakamura defeated Ricochet
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
Natalya vs. Piper Niven
4 of 10
- Nikki Cross brooding in the background of a backstage confrontation is a commitment to character if nothing else.
- Has anyone managed to come back from some of the awful creative ideas dealt to Natalya?
- Nox is a star in the making. If the creative forces give fans something to care about, they will.
Credit: WWE
Women's tag team champion Piper Niven, accompanied to the ring by partner Chelsea Green, battled Natalya in singles competition.
A competitive, back-and-forth bout concluded with Niven picking up the victory. A post-match attack on The Queen of Harts brought out Tegan Nox, who made the save for the future Hall of Famer and chased the heels to the floor.
It's so refreshing to see even the slightest bit of effort put into the women's tag titles. Niven and Green are too talented to not have something to do, Natalya is a deserved staple of WWE programming, and Nox might be the most undervalued competitor on the roster.
Bringing them together for a series of quality tag matches with the much-maligned titles up for grabs is more than anyone has done for the women's tag division outside of the recent run from Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler.
The reaction for Nox was favorable, as much to do with her recent match with Becky Lynch, and WWE should build on it by letting fans invest in her and Natalya's pursuit of the titles.
Result
Niven defeated Natalya
Grade
C+
Top Moments and Takeaways
Seth Rollins and Drew McIntyre Promo
5 of 10
- "You need to think about how you're going to reinvent yourself for the 53rd time when I beat you and take that title from you at Crown Jewel," McIntyre responded.
Credit: WWE.com
Tensions mounted between world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins and No. 1 contender Drew McIntyre Monday night, with each man taking personal jabs at the other on the microphone.
Rollins then told the Scot to stop blaming everyone but himself for not being world champion.
It was a heated promo that continued to plant the seeds for a McIntyre heel turn while providing fans with an emphasis for this feud.
Crown Jewel will feature a great match between two of the best workers on the planet, but the title match will provide the launching point for a heel McIntyre, a Rollins who could turn a loss into an opportunity to chase the title for a few months, and a much-needed freshening up at the top of Raw.
Good stuff here, especially from McIntyre, who portrayed "seething" extremely well.
Grade
A+
Top Moments and Takeaways
Johnny Gargano vs. Ludwig Kaiser
6 of 10
- Gargano wearing Ciampa's shirt was a nice touch and an ode to his friend.
- The crowd's disappointing lack of reaction for Johnny Wrestling is an indictment of how he has been utilized since returning to WWE in August 2022.
- Backstage, Indi Hartwell approached Becky Lynch about a shot at the NXT Women's Championship. From there, The Man found herself face-to-face with Rhea Ripley as WWE continued the steady teases for a showdown between them.
Credit: WWE.com
The battle between Imperium and the reunited DIY continued Monday as Johnny Gargano, forced to go it alone with Tommaso Ciampa being injured, battled Ludwig Kaiser.
It was Giovanni Vinci who would prove the difference-maker, interjecting himself in the match late and setting Kaiser up to score the win.
The match continues the idea that Imperium will always triumph as long as Gargano and Ciampa are apart. As DIY they can defeat anyone, and we'll likely see that in the near future.
It was interesting to see Kaiser confront Vinci at ringside at one point. Given last week's video package highlighting the former, it appears WWE could be poised to push him as a singles star.
NoDQ.com: WWE and AEW news @nodqdotcomLudwig Kaiser singles run teased on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWERAW?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWERAW</a> <a href="https://t.co/HN94XepGCl">pic.twitter.com/HN94XepGCl</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WWE?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WWE</a>
If that is the case, a split from Vinci would be a necessity. And based one what we saw Monday night, it could be underway already.
Result
Kaiser defeated Gargano
Grade
C+
Top Moments and Takeaways
Shayna Baszler vs. Rhea Ripley
7 of 10
- Wade Barrett asked if Ripley may be overdoing it of late. The comment was likely intended to encompass all of her business dealings with The Judgment Day, but it highlighted how infrequently she is actually defending the women's world title.
- Rodriguez, Stark and Rodriguez battled at ringside as the loaded Raw women's division took center stage.
- Stark's involvement resulted in a disqualification decision.
Credit: WWE.com
The match between Rhea Ripley and Shayna Baszler was less about settling their differences and more about spotlighting the Raw women's division, which features an array of talent capable of stepping up to Mami for the Women's World Championship.
Zoey Stark, Nia Jax and Raquel Rodriguez all made their presence felt, with Stark really standing out as a woman who can take out any of her peers and capture gold.
It was the latest in a concerted effort by Triple H and the Raw creative team to get as many Superstars on the show as possible and reintroduce the audience to them after weeks of inconsistent appearances.
Sure, the execution of the booking got a bit messy and fans are still debating who to support in this battle for supremacy, but it's a step in the right direction after a year of subpar storytelling involving one of the most talented areas of the roster.
Result
Ripley defeated Baszler via disqualification
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
Intercontinental Championship: "Big" Bronson Reed vs. Gunther
8 of 10
- Backstage, Adam Pearce announced Rhea Ripley will defend her Women's World Championship against Nia Jax, Zoey Stark, Raquel Rodriguez and Shayna Baszler in a Fatal 5-Way Match at Crown Jewel.
- Elsewhere, The New Day interrupted a training session involving Alpha Academy. A first-time match between the two teams was announced for next week.
- Also announced for next week: Logan Paul returns, Becky Lynch defends the NXT Women's Championship against Indi Hartwell, and Drew McIntyre takes on Sami Zayn.
Credit: WWE.com
Monday's Intercontinental Championship defense by Gunther against "Big" Bronson Reed would make former WWE champion Big E happy in that it was a battle of big meaty men slappin' meat.
The hard-hitting battle concluded with a physically spent champion pulling out one last powerbomb and driving his 330-pound opponent into the mat and scoring the three-count.
The match was every bit the grueling physical battle fans hoped it would be, if not more so. Gunther welted the chest of Reed, and the challenger nearly upset The Ring General on more than one occasion.
Reed looked great, and Gunther continues to be the best active champion in professional wrestling. This match rocked hard.
Result
Gunther defeated Reed to retain his title
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship: Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso vs. The Judgment Day
9 of 10
- The crowd was red-hot for Jey, whose pop mayhave been on par with Rhodes.
- Commentator Kevin Patrick accidentally referred to Wade Barrett as "Stu," and there was a noticeable silence from the announce table. No harm, no foul, but it made it on air during Uso's entrance.
- Sami Zayn hit the ring in an attempt to even up the numbers and wiped out Dominik Mysterio at ringside, only to be sent into the ring post by Priest.
- The Archer of Infamy drove Rhodes through the announce table with a Razor's Edge.
- Jimmy Uso appeared and then flattened Jey, and Bálor delivered the Coup de Grace for the win.
Credit: WWE.com
Jimmy Uso's involvement in the closing minutes of Raw led to a major championship change in the main event as The Judgment Day's Finn Bálor and Damian Priest defeated Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso to regain the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship.
The finish followed up on Jimmy's promise to Roman Reigns that he would handle the situation with Jey and Rhodes as champions, which he did by directly influencing their downfall.
This is all clearly leading to Jimmy vs. Jey, presumably at WrestleMania 40, but it also keeps Rhodes directly involved with The Bloodline ahead of an expected rematch with The Tribal Chief in Philadelphia in April.
The Judgment Day are back on track to dominate Raw, and with Sami Zayn failing to prevent their rise back to power, it will be interesting to see how things take shape next week.
Result
Bálor and Priest defeated Rhodes and Uso to win the titles
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
Overall Grade
10 of 10
The season premiere of Raw saw the introduction of Sami Zayn to the Cody Rhodes-Jey Uso-Judgment Day story, featured Jimmy Uso interfering in the main event and highlighted the loaded women's division for the first time in what felt like an eternity.
Throw in a brilliantly physical match between Gunther and Bronson Reed, and you have a show that delivered where it had to and introduced enough interesting story threads to get fans to tune in moving forward.
A strong show on a night of stiff competition in the form of the MLB postseason and Monday Night Football.
Grade: A
