‘WWE Raw’ Review (Aug 21st 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: The New Day def. Drew McIntyre & Matt Riddle
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
In only their second match as a team, Drew McIntyre and Matt Riddle took on the seasoned New Day. After a huge top-rope fisherman’s suplex, Riddle and McIntyre were rolling, contending well with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods’ tag team chemistry. Before they were able to get going, however, The Viking Raiders clobbered McIntyre, which opened the way for The New Day to gain the victory after a Trouble in Paradise connected with Riddle.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: Chad Gable def. Gunther (Count-out)
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
With just two weeks left until breaking Honky Tonk Man’s record Intercontinental Championship reign, Gunther had to withstand the Alpha Academy’s Chad Gable. The Ring General punished Gable from the onset, dumping Gable on the outside in an attempt to win by count-out. With Gable locked in Gunther’s sleeper hold, the master of Alpha Academy was stunningly able to get back up, showcasing his unnerving strength. As the two were fighting on the outside, Gunther went for the chop one too many times, with Gable ducking the attempt that sent The Ring General’s hand straight into the ring post. As the referee’s count increased, Gable threw Gunther over the timekeeper’s area with an almighty German Suplex. At the last second, Gable snuck back into the ring as the count hit 10, collecting the count-out victory. A furious Gunther demanded Samantha Irvin announced that he still held the title.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: Rhea Ripley def. Candice LeRae
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Rhea Ripley tried to make short work of Candice LeRae, but The Poison Pixie was able to evade a Riptide with a DDT counter. Despite the moxie shown from LeRae, Ripley locked in the Prism Trap, forcing LeRae to tap out.
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #4: Akira Tozawa def. The Miz
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Even with LA Knight watching from ringside, The Miz thought he had a victory over Akira Tozawa in the bag. Unfortunately for The Awesome One, he was too distracted by the megastar’s presence, allowing Tozawa to roll up The Miz for the huge upset win! Knight made Miz’s night worse by hitting him with the BFT after the match.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #5: Chelsea Green & Piper Niven def. Kayden Carter & Katana Chance
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
In their first match as WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, Chelsea Green and new partner Piper Niven took on the electric Kayden Carter and Katana Chance. Despite some nice tag team maneuvers from Carter and Chance, Niven clobbered Chance with the crossbody to earn the win, the first for the new team.
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #6: The Judgment Day def. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn (DQ)
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
KO and Sami Zayn were a house of fire, lighting up Damian Priest and Finn Bálor until JD McDonagh made his way down to ringside to attempt to hand The Prince the Money in the Bank briefcase. The plan backfired, however, as Owens caught it and used it to blast Bálor in the face with it, drawing the disqualification.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #7: Cody Rhodes, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn def. The Judgment Day
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
After The Judgment Day’s disqualification win over Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, The American Nightmare came down to help KO and Sami, turning the tag team main event into a Six-Man Tag Team Match. All six competitors went back-and-forth with momentum shifts as The Judgment Day looked to be back on the same page. The American Nightmare gained some payback of his own on the devious group, hitting a double Cody Cutter on Bálor and “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio before nailing both with the Cross Rhodes. With Mysterio down in the corner, Zayn hit the Helluva Kick followed by a Stunner from KO to give the Six-Man Tag team victory to Owens, Zayn and Rhodes.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
This week’s Raw was all about building feuds and storylines for the WWE’s next pay-per-view and had a heavy focus on the Judgement Day – who are more and more feeling like Raw’s version of the Bloodline, only their storyline(s) don’t feel quite so stale! Also nice to see a decent amount of matches on this week’s show rather than a 50/50 split of matches and promos/vignettes!
