‘WWE Raw’ Review (Aug 14th 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: Sami Zayn def. JD McDonagh
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Despite a surprise distraction from The Judgment Day’s Finn Bálor, one-half of the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Sami Zayn fought through an excruciating elbow injury to pick up a victory of retribution on JD McDonagh with the Helluva Kick.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: Chad Gable def Giovanni Vinci
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
One week after earning the right to challenge Gunther for the Intercontinental Title in a Fatal 4-Way Match, Chad Gable geared up for The Ring General by besting Imperium’s Giovanni Vinci with a textbook perfect German Suplex.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #3: Gunther def. Otis
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Moments after Chad Gable embarrassed Imperium by defeating Ludwig Kaiser, Intercontinental Champion Gunther made a statement of his own by hitting an earth-shattering Powerbomb on Alpha Academy’s Otis to reign supreme over the mammoth Superstar in an impromptu matchup.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #4: Drew McIntyre & Matt Riddle def. The Viking Raiders
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
After Drew McIntyre accepted Matt Riddle’s invitation to join forces against The Viking Raiders, The Original Bro took down both of his opponents outside the ring with the Floating Bro. This set up The Scottish Warrior to hit Erik with the Claymore Kick for the three-count.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #5: Rhea Ripley def. Indi Hartwell
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
In the wake last week’s brawl against the still injured Raquel Rodriguez, Indi Hartwell with Candice LeRae, Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley dominated her up-and-coming opponent before finishing her off with the Riptide. In the aftermath, The Poison Pixie and Hartwell launched a 2-on-1 post-match attack and barely escaped with the advantage.
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #6: Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus (Double Count-Out)
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
The long-awaited rematch pitting The Man against Trish Stratus ended in a double count-out when the bitter adversaries battled through the arena and eventually ignited a 2-on-1 attack by the WWE Hall of Famer and Zoey Stark.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #7: Cody Rhodes def. Finn Bálor
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
In the final moments of an explosive main event match pitting Cody Rhodes against Finn Bálor of The Judgment Day, chaos took over and allowed Señor Money in the Bank Damian Priest to pass The Prince his prized briefcase to use as a weapon. It backfired, however, when the implement slid through Bálor’s legs and into the arms on The American Nightmare. With the official distracted, Rhodes hit his opponent with the briefcase before finishing him off with the Cross Rhodes. In the aftermath, however, the full force of The Judgment Day and JD McDonagh was unleashed on The American Nightmare and emerging Sami Zayn in a vicious post-match assault.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
I have one question about this week’s Raw… Why the hell would you seemingly build a show around JD McDonagh? Seriously, he’s NOT a guy to feature heavily in your promotion. Even if he was a former NXT champ. Other than that quandary, this week’s Raw was thoroughly unremarkable, with only the main event really delivering anything close to a great match, Even the much anticipated Trish/Becky match was a letdown, with some clear stumbling blocks getting in the way of what should have been the highlight of the night. Oh well, there’s always next week…
