‘WWE Raw’ Review (Sept 2nd 2024)
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: American Made def. Alpha Academy
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Ivy Nile and The Creed Brothers of American Made took on Maxxine Dupri, Otis and Akira Tozawa of Alpha Academy in a highly personal Six-Person Mixed Tag Team Match. Alpha Academy looked strong in the early goings, as Maxxine Dupri soared through the air to take out American Made at ringside. Otis hit the Caterpillar and a cannonball but it was not enough to put down The Creed Brothers. Brutus Creed took Otis out with the Brutus Bomb as Julius Creed knocked out Tozawa at ringside. This left Dupri and Nile inside the ring to duke it out. Just as Dupri was about to hit the reverse Caterpillar, Chad Gable interfered to give Nile the chance to lock in the Dragon Sleeper, leaving Dupri no choice but to tap out.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Shayna Baszler def. Zelina Vega
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Zelina Vega looked to gain some retribution on the faction that injured her arm a month ago. Vega took control early on but Baszler used the numbers game to her advantage. As Vega took out Sonya Deville at ringside, Baszler utilized the distraction to her benefit, leveling Vega with an awesome knee strike to gain the win over Vega. After the match, Lyra Valkyria attempted to even the odds for Vega but the Pure Fusion Collective were able to whether the storm, standing tall over Vega and Valkyira.
My Score: 1.5 out of 5
Match #3: Intercontinental Title No. 1 Contender’s Tournament – Ilja Dragunov def. Dragon Lee & “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Ilja Dragunov took the next step to potentially facing Bron Breakker for the Intercontinental Title as he bested Dragon Lee and “Dirty” Dominik Mysterio in an electrifying Triple Threat Match. Mysterio had Carlito interfere on his behalf but Damian Priest was there to thwart The Judgment Day’s plans. Priest chased Mysterio out of the building, leading to Lee and Dragunov in a one-on-one contest. Lee and Dragunov gave everything to each other before The Mad Dragon nailed the Torpedo Moscow to gain the win.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: WWE Women’s Tag Team Title No. 1 Contender’s Match – The Unholy Union def. Damage CTRL
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Just days after losing their WWE Women’s Tag Team Title to Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill, The Unholy Union looked to earn a bounce-back win against Damage CTRL in a No. 1 Contender’s Match. Kairi Sane flew the sky to hit Isla Dawn but Dawn pulled Belair in front of her as Sane clattered into The EST at ringside from the top turnbuckle. Jade Cargill, frustrated with Sane, laid her out leaving IYO SKY by her lonesome. The Unholy Union capitalized on this, hitting the Gory Special/Facebuster combo to become the No. 1 Contender’s.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #5: Intercontinental Title No. 1 Contender’s Tournament – Braun Strowman def. Sheamus & Ludwig Kaiser
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
As soon as the bell rang, Sheamus took it straight to Ludwig Kaiser, allowing Strowman to take out the pair of them. As Strowman was about to run through Kaiser again, Kaiser leaped out of the way, sending Strowman straight through the barricade, aggravating the injured ribs sustained by the hands of Bronson Reed last week. Kaiser thought Strowman was down and out but The Monster Among Monsters chucked a desk chair straight at Kaiser’s head. Sheamus and Strowman duked it out, with Sheamus gaining the upper hand. Pete Dunne, however, took out The Celtic Warrior with a Shillelagh. Strowman took advantage of the interference, leveling Kaiser with a Running Powerslam to book his ticket to next week’s Fatal Four-Way Match.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #6: Damian Priest & Jey Uso def. Finn Bálor & JD McDonagh
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Damian Priest teamed with former rival Jey Uso as they took on the World Tag Team Champions Finn Bálor and JD McDonagh. As Uso was readying for an Uso Splash, Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan appeared to stop Uso in his tracks. The set back allowed Bálor and McDonagh to hit a Coup de Grace and moonsault but Priest broke up the pinfall. Shocking everyone, Rhea Ripley emerged with a crutch, feigning injury before laying into Morgan with the weapon. Ripley’s arrival sparked a fire in Priest and Uso, as Priest hit a Razor’s Edge followed by an Uso Splash onto McDonagh to give the win to Priest and Uso.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Final Verdict: 2.75/5
An OK episode of Raw this week, even if it felt like nothing much really mattered – at least in terms of in-ring action. I was disappointed to see the Punk/McIntyre thing STILL going on… Seriously, put it to bed now please! In terms of matches, apart from the main event everything felt like it was thrown together, as if plans changed and matches were put together because they could. Don’t get me wrong, the tournament stuff has been working for the WWE but sometimes the choices of participants does seem rather random. Not an essential watch, but not a waster of your time either.
