‘WWE Raw’ Review (Sept 18th 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. “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
In a rematch from WWE Money in the Bank, “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes took on “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio. Mysterio tried to change the result from their previous fight, but Rhodes gained the victory once more after a Cross Rhodes.
My Score: 1.5 out of 5
Match #2: Kofi Kingston def. Ivar
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
As Erik was unable to be medically cleared, Kofi Kingston took on Ivar in lieu of the 2-out-of-3 Falls Match that was originally scheduled. Kingston had a rough go, his innards going splat after Ivar leaped onto him with a huge splash outside of the ring. Kingston’s resolve kept getting tested after he was hit with a beautiful double under hook powerbomb. In a jaw-dropping moment, Ivar hit a scintillating top-rope moonsault that almost put Kingston away, but the former WWE Champion kept fighting. Kingston eventually sealed the win with Trouble in Paradise.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: Shinsuke Nakamura def. Ricochet (DQ)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Before the match, World Heavyweight Champion Seth “Freakin” Rollins made a beeline for Shinsuke Nakamura, fed up over weeks of his rival’s ambushes. Ricochet proved to be a match for Nakamura, lighting up Salt Lake City with aerial dives. With Ricochet providing blitzing offense, Nakamura went for a steel chair. The One and Only managed to take the weapon from Nakamura, however, before blasting his adversary in the back. Because of this, the victory was given to Nakamura via disqualification.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: “Big” Bronson Reed def. Chad Gable
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Could Chad Gable suplex the massive “Big” Bronson Reed? That was the question heading into this first time matchup between Gable and Reed. Despite Gable’s best efforts, he could not get his hands around Reed, and The Aus-Zilla capped off the win with a Tsunami.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #5: NXT Women’s Title – Becky Lynch def. Natalya
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The Grand Slam Man came around to Raw with her new NXT Women’s Title to issue an Open Challenge. Natalya answered the challenge, as the two veterans combined for a show-stopping match with the title on the line. Becky Lynch remained NXT Women’s Champion after catching Natalya with a rollup.
My Score: 1.5 out of 5
Match #6: Tommaso Ciampa def. Giovanni Vinci
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Looking to earn his way into a match with Intercontinental Champion Gunther, Tommaso Ciampa took on The Ring General’s fellow Imperium member Giovanni Vinci. With Gunther watching, Ciampa looked to be like his former NXT Champion self, dispatching of Vinci with the Sicilian Stretch.
My Score: 1.5 out of 5
Match #7: Drew McIntyre def. Jey Uso
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Competing in his first main event on Raw since coming over from SmackDown, Jey Uso took on Drew McIntyre, a man who is not a fan of the former Bloodline member. Compounding issues for Jey was the ultimatum given to him by The Judgment Day as they needed an answer by the end of the night as to whether or not he would join their fold. As the two fan favorites battled, The Judgment Day sauntered their way down to ringside, appearing to cheer on Uso. With Damian Priest continuing to prod Jey Uso into joining them, Uso gave them his answer: a resounding “no!” as he superkicked all three members of The Judgment Day who were ringside. Unfortunately for Jey, the fracas allowed McIntyre to recover and hit a huge Claymore to earn the victory.
My Score: 3 out of 5
News of the Night:
- There was a Women’s tag match in the middle of this show, with Nia Jax turning up and beating everyone involved down so the match didn’t “end”. But even the WWE don’t acknowledge it as an actual match so I’m certainly not going to!
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
This was a pretty poor episode of Raw this week, with only 3 matches worth your time. Kingston versus Ivar featured surprisingly great work from both men, whose differing stylers still managed to complement each other; Shinsuke Nakamura versus Ricochet was always going to be good and this match didn’t disappoint; the main event saw Jey Uso taking on Drew McIntyre in another great match, though the match felt overshadowed by the storytelling that followed, which was a huge mistake. I’d stick to watching highlights of this week’s show if I’m honest.
