‘WWE Raw’ Review (Jun 12th 2023)
Welcome to this review of this past Monday’s episode of WWE Raw, right here on Nerdly… Let’s see what went down on this week’s show!
Match #1: Cody Rhodes def. The Miz
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
After humiliating The Miz last week on “Miz TV,” Cody Rhodes took on The A-Lister. Rhodes reached deep into his bag of tricks, hitting a Side Effect on The Awesome One that rocked the former WWE Champion. The Miz kept up the resolve, hitting spiked DDTs, but Miz could not put away Rhodes. In the closing stages, Rhodes put away Miz with a Cody Cutter followed by the Cross Rhodes.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: Becky Lynch def. Chelsea Green
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
In a bid to show her why she’s famous, Becky Lynch faced Chelsea Green in front of Zoey Stark. Despite some nice counters from Green, Lynch locked on the Dis-arm-her for the submission victory.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #3: Damian Priest def. Matt Riddle
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Matt Riddle looked to book another Money in the Bank appearance as he pulled out all the stops against The Judgment Day’s Damian Priest. Early on, The Original Bro locked on the Kimura, but Priest was able to power out. Riddle took to the sky to ground the powerful Archer of Infamy, hitting a beautiful Floating Bro on Priest on the outside of the ring. Riddle continued to use his submission expertise, slapping on a triangle hold and using the ring ropes as leverage. Priest kept fighting out, however, hitting a headlock driver to quell Riddle. Riddle almost had Priest’s number after a huge fisherman’s superplex, but Priest would not go down. As Riddle tried to hit the Floating Bro, Priest moved out of the way. Riddle once again went to the top rope, but Priest caught him with the Razor’s Edge to cap off a big win over The Original Bro.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #4: Bronson Reed def. Ricochet (DQ)
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
After dismantling Shinsuke Nakamura and Ricochet last week, The Aus-Zilla attempted to dismantle Ricochet yet again. Early in the match, Reed’s fellow victim of pain, Nakamura, came out to ringside. After a back-and-forth battle between agility and brute strength, Reed threw Ricochet into Nakamura. Nakamura attacked Reed, giving The Aus-Zilla the disqualification win over Ricochet.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #5: Shayna Baszler def. Raquel Rodriguez
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
In a test of strength versus submission specialty, Raquel Rodriguez looked to stop her downward spiral against Shayna Baszler. Despite putting up a great fight, Rodriguez was no match against the numbers game as Ronda Rousey helped Baszler pin Rodriguez.
My Score: 1.5 out of 5
Match #6: Chad Gable def. Erik
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Maxxine Dupri’s training with The Alpha Academy paid off as she was able to counter Valhalla’s attack at ringside. This allowed Chad Gable to take advantage of the fracas, pinning Erik for the win.
My Score: 1.5 out of 5
Match #7: Undisputed WWE Tag Team Title Match – Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn def. Gunther & Ludwig Kaiser
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Kevin Owens’ anger earlier in the evening turned this non-title matchup into a tag team title defense. Intercontinental Champion Gunther looked to add to his already impressive trophy case, and he and his associate Ludwig Kaiser were poised at the start. KO and Sami Zayn were able to stand the initial Imperium onslaught, with KO hitting a Senton and Zayn connecting with a gorgeous sunset flip powerbomb. Zayn tried to connect with the Helluva Kick on Kaiser, but Kaiser was able to evade, allowing Gunther to explode on Zayn with a huge lariat. Somehow Zayn was able to kick out at 2.999. An Imperial Bomb from Gunther and Kaiser almost had the match won for Imperium, but KO kept the match alive. With the match reaching the final stages, Matt Riddle made his way down to the ring to provide KO a chance to plant Gunther with a DDT on the ramp. With Gunther indisposed, Zayn landed the Blue Thunder Bomb on Kaiser to retain the tag team titles.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
A decent episode of Raw this week, with some great storytelling IN the matches, which is surprising given how much the WWE’s product relies on promos and various segments. That’s not to say this episode didn’t have those, it’s just that the matches felt like they were telling a story too. The show opened well with the match between The Miz and Cody Rhodes – continuing their feud. Although I think, given how strongly COdy Rhodes has been booked, I think The Miz got in a bit too much offence in. Damian Priest and Matt Riddle put on a great match too, as did all those involved in the main event. Some of the matches felt a bit short, especially given that this is a three hour show but the good outweighted the bad this week!
