Tag: RAW

Rhea Ripley Returns On WWE Raw, Confronts Dominik Mysterio While Liv Morgan Flees

Former Women’s World Champion Rhea Ripley returned to “WWE Raw” on Monday following Dominik Mysterio and champion Liv Morgan’s mixed tag team victory over the LWO’s Rey Mysterio and Zelina Vega. Ripley had been out of action due to injury at the hands of Morgan, and was forced to vacate her championship. Prior to Ripley’s departure, Morgan declared her “Revenge Tour,” and after she won the championship from Becky Lynch at Crown Jewel, she set her sights on Ripley’s boyfriend, Dominik. Earlier in the night, Judgment Day’s Damian Priest was seen backstage taking a phone call, and asked whoever was on the line (presumably Ripley) where they were, foreshadowing her return to TV.

Dominik was initially reluctant to team with Morgan, who once again got him into compromising positions through the show, but they managed to pick up the win after Morgan threw a chair in the ring to distract the referee, then helped Dominik knock Rey from the top rope, allowing Dominik to hit the frog splash and get the pin, his first victory over his father. Dominik impulsively hugged Morgan in the ring before pushing the women’s champion away, but Morgan jumped into his arms, knocking them both down with Dominik on top. At long last, Dominik seemed about to give in to Morgan’s seduction efforts — which was when Ripley’s music hit, causing both Dominik and Morgan to go wide-eyed with terror.

Ripley stormed down the ramp while Morgan scurried off through the crowd, leaving Dominik in the ring to face “Mami.” The USA Network feed cut off before the segment could be resolved, but footage from after the cameras went dark show Ripley speaking angrily to Dominik before storming right back out of the ring and up the ramp, while a hapless Dominik attempts to follow her and explain himself. Interestingly, a video posted to WWE’s social media afterward shows Morgan watching the confrontation from behind the curtain before turning away with a smile on her face.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE RAW Preview 7/8/2024

WWE Raw airs live tonight on the USA Network from the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

  • Fallout from Money In The Bank
  • Jey Uso vs. Chad Gable
  • Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai, Kairi Sane, IYO SKY) vs. Lyra Valykria, Kayden Carter, Katana Chance
  • The Miz, R-Truth & Braun Strowman vs. The Judgment Day (Finn Balor, JD McDonagh, Carlito)
  • Dominik Mysterio & Liv Morgan vs. Rey Mysterio & Zelina Vega

Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque Teases Upcoming Changes In WWE

WWE will be transitioning through various programming changes in the near future, with “WWE Raw” heading to Netflix come January 2025 as well as “WWE Smackdown” moving to the USA Network and “WWE NXT” going to CW in October. However, according to Chief Content Officer and Head of Creative Paul “Triple H” Levesque, “NXT” leaving the USA Network will not be the only change coming to the gold brand later this year. 

Speaking at the Money in the Bank 2024 post press conference, “The Game” went into detail about WWE planning ahead toward making more changes to “NXT” in the fall. He also explained that, over time, the audience will see various differences to “Raw” and “SmackDown” as we inch closer to December. 

“We are just getting started. I really feel like that. We got a whole fall thing coming up with CW for NXT. Which by the way Shawn is just killing it right… Whether that’s talent development, recruitment, NXT in general. I can’t say enough good stuff about it. I’m in awe of what they’re doing down there… When they move to CW, when SmackDown makes the move to USA, when Raw makes the move to Netflix. We’re just getting rolling. We’re lining up all this stuff that’s gonna happen. A lot of the changes you see now, we are slow rolling things out. When we get to the fall, when we get to the winter, there’s gonna be a lot.”

Triple H also expressed how excited he is about John Cena returning to the ring for a full year after announcing his retirement at Money in the Bank. Furthermore, he stated how grateful he is to be running creative with the current talent on the WWE roster.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Wyatt Sicks Return To Haunt Chad Gable, Deliver More Of Bo Dallas’ Story On WWE Raw

The Wyatt Sicks continues to scare Chad Gable and make fans question their motives after appearing in the opening segment of Monday’s episode of “WWE Raw.” Money in the Bank ladder match contender Jey Uso opened up the show, but was interrupted by Gable and the pair faced off, arguing about their respective families and stables, as well as the Wyatt Sicks, before beating each other down.

Gable rolled out of the ring before Uso could hit his signature splash, but the lights in the arena went dark and the familiar piano tune signaling the Wyatt Sicks’ arrival began. The camera swung around and revealed that Uso was no longer in the ring, and smoke began filling the area. Gable hopped the barricade and started backing away into the crowd, but encountered the former Joe Gacy as Huskus the Pig, Dexter Lumis as Mercy the Buzzard, and Erick Rowan as Ramblin’ Rabbit, all backlit and menacing as Gable continued to attempt to escape. He jumped another barricade and ran up the steps of the arena, as the broadcast cut down to ringside, avoiding another implied beatdown by the stable.

Abby the Witch, formerly known as Nikki Cross, appeared in the fog and gave Michael Cole another VHS tape that was revealed to say “play me” on the side when the commentator revealed it later to the audience. Last week’s tape featured Bo Dallas seemingly holding a therapy session with himself, speaking to his Uncle Howdy character about his late brother, Bray Wyatt, whose ideas the Wyatt Sicks stable was based on.

When the taped was played on “Raw,” it showed Uncle Howdy and Dallas once again seated across from each other in what appeared to be the Firefly Funhouse. Dallas asked Howdy how much longer they were going to keep “doing this,” and why they were even there. Howdy then Dallas if he honestly believed he brought him to life, to which Dallas responded he was “destined to do this.” He told Howdy that they are the ones that “everybody wanted to forget about.”

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The most important part of the interaction came when Dallas said the other members of the Wyatt Sicks weren’t chosen, just willing, and they’ve become a family. Dallas seemed to imply that the faction is going after Gable for a reason.

“Even now, the false prophets parade, belittling their family for their own gain,” Dallas said. “It’s disgusting. They must pay for their sins.”

Howdy asked Dallas why he thought it was his responsibility, to which Dallas replied, “I am the voice of the reckoning,” and Howdy quickly responded, “I am the reckoning.”

The video then cut to Howdy and Dallas seemingly forming together, repeating the phrases, “I am nobody,” “I am all of us,” “I freed them from the cave,” and “I gave them family.” As they chanted, Howdy disappeared and fans only saw Dallas sitting in the Funhouse by himself. Howdy then reappeared and Dallas was then gone. “There you are,” Dallas’ voice said to end the video tape.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

WWE RAW Preview 7/1/2024

Tonight’s WWE RAW live on USA Network from the TD Garden in Boston, MA.

  • Women’s World Championship: Liv Morgan (c) vs. Zelina Vega
  • Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio
  • Xavier Woods vs. Karrion Kross
  • Men’s Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus vs. Ilja Dargunov
  • Women’s Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Zoey Stark vs. Dakota Kai vs. Ivy Nile

Ludwig Kaiser Reportedly Injured On WWE RAW

Ludwig Kaiser reportedly suffered an injury on the June 24 episode of WWE RAW, and it prompted WWE to change plans.

Kaiser faced Bron Breakker on Monday’s show, and the referee checked on him during the bout. Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer stated that he heard that Kaiser was hurt. However, he noted that he did not know how serious the injury was. (H/t Ian Carey of F4WOnline.com)

Likewise, WrestleVotes reported that they heard that Ludwig Kaiser suffered an injury during the match. The report noted that Kaiser was scheduled to compete in the Money in the Bank qualifying match with Drew McIntyre and Sheamus on the July 1 episode of WWE RAW. WWE announced that Ilja Dragunov would be the third participant in that match.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful reported that there was concern that Kaiser was injured backstage on Monday.

Source: WrestleZone

Bo Dallas Explains Motivation Behind Wyatt Sicks To Uncle Howdy Alter Ego On WWE Raw

The Wyatt Sicks’ resident Abby the Witch, formerly known as Nikki Cross, delivered a message to the WWE Universe from Uncle Howdy and Bo Dallas on “WWE Raw,” all while giving Chad Gable another scare. Gable was taken out backstage in an attack by the Wyatt Sicks during their debut on “Raw” last week, but was cleared to compete after suffering what looked like a head injury from the debuting faction, ultimately qualifying for the Money in the Bank ladder match by defeating “Big” Bronson Reed and Braun Strowman.

Gable — whose digital graphics could be seen glitching as he approached and entered the ring — was celebrating his victory in the ring when the lights in the arena shut off, a chilling piano tune began, and fog filled the ring. Cross crawled into the ring behind Gable, who fell down, and was backed into a corner before making his escape.

Cross then made her way out of the ring and grabbed a package ringside. She handed it off to Michael Cole, who was the only person on commentary. When the broadcast came back from commercial, Cole opened the package, which he said was addressed to his co-commentator Pat McAfee, who was not present after receiving another Wyatt Sicks scare on an episode of his ESPN show earlier in the day. The package contained a VHS tape that said “play me” on the side.

Later in the show (after somebody in production found a VCR, per Cole) the video was played for the audience. The same piano music played to start off the footage, and Uncle Howdy was shown, as the tape flashed to show the entire Wyatt Sicks faction.

–

“Are you happy?” Howdy said in a distorted voice. “How have you been since the loss? Do you feel as though you have been forgotten?”

The late Bray Wyatt’s brother, Bo Dallas, who plays the Uncle Howdy character, was then shown, appearing maskless on WWE TV for the first time since he was released from the company in 2021. He told his alter ego he was “nobody.” Uncle Howdy then asked Dallas how he felt when his brother died.

“Like the most important thing in my life was taken away from me,” Dallas said. “Like nothing was ever going to matter again.”

Uncle Howdy then asked the mourning talent if he thought he was exploiting his brother’s legacy, echoing concerns expressed by many fans in the wake of the Wyatt Sicks’ debut last Monday. Dallas said that all he ever wanted his entire life was to be like his brother. He said he looked up to him and worked his entire career so he could be next to him.

“We were going to rule together. We were there. We had it,” Dallas said. “And then it was taken away from me. There is no one on this earth that feels more hurt than me from his loss. Not one person on this earth feels what I feel. What am I supposed to do? … let everyone forget about what he stood for? What he fought for? What he believed in?” 

Dallas said that they made them “all remember,” to which Uncle Howdy agreed. “Yes, we did,” he told Dallas, and the camera panned to show that Dallas and his alter ego seated across from each other as the footage ended.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Update On Rhea Ripley’s Status

On the April 8th episode of WWE RAW, Liv Morgan attacked Rhea Ripley in a backstage segment which resulted in Ripley suffering a legitimate shoulder injury. She later relinquished the Women’s World Title and was written off WWE television, with an expected return timeframe of around four months.

According to a report from Fightful Select, Ripley has opted to undergo shoulder rehabilitation instead of surgery. Due to this, she may not make it back as early as expected.

With that being said, several preparations have been made so Ripley can return whenever she’s needed. It’s also possible that she could return in a non-wrestling capacity if creative decides to go that route.

While Ripley is expected to continue feuding with Liv Morgan when she returns, the specific story available at the time of her return will determine her creative direction.

Finally, it was added that the hope is that she will make an on-screen appearance in some capacity before SummerSlam 2024.

Source: eWn

Reason Pat McAfee Missed Monday Night’s WWE Raw (Updated)

Pat McAfee missed last night’s WWE Raw due to a reported family emergency.

Raw took place in Indianapolis, where McAfee lives and hosts The Pat McAfee Show. Despite this, McAfee was absent from the commentary team. The Miz filled in briefly alongside Michael Cole, who handled most of the commentary alone.

According to PWTorch, McAfee’s absence was due to a “legitimate last-second family emergency.” McAfee has not yet commented publicly on the situation.

Speculation arose that the storyline might explain McAfee’s absence as being caused by the Wyatt Sicks. This group, which debuted on Raw last week, had caused disruptions on The Pat McAfee Show, leading some to connect the dots.

“My normal broadcast colleague Pat McAfee, not here tonight,” Cole announced at the start of Raw. “I’m not going to read too much into that.”

It’s unclear if McAfee’s absence will be integrated into the Wyatt Sicks storyline. During Raw, a mysterious box was delivered to the commentary desk, containing a VHS tape featuring Bo Dallas/Uncle Howdy talking about Bray Wyatt’s death.

After covering for McAfee, The Miz competed in the main event, where he and R-Truth lost the World Tag Team titles to Finn Balor and JD McDonagh of Judgment Day.

Source: WrestlingHeadlines

UPDATE

Yesterday on The Pat McAfee Show, Pat announced that his Father-In-Law had passed away.

“… Yesterday was a day that is obviously a day that will be remembered forever in our family because my father-in-law passed away unexpectedly after the [talk] show ended yesterday in a hospital here in Indianapolis, Indiana,” McAfee explained on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “He had been in the hospital fighting an infection, and on Friday, we were told that he was probably going to be discharged by Sunday. They had figured it out, and he was going to be okay. So we are all in high hopes with incredible optimism, and then yesterday, literally as the show is ending, my wife calls me and says that I have to get to the hospital because there had been an emergency.”

WWE RAW Preview 6/24/2024

Tonight’s WWE Raw come live on the USA Network from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

  • Men’s Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Braun Strowman vs. Chad Gable vs. Bronson Reed
  • Women’s Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Lyra Valkyria vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Kairi Sane
  • Karrion Kross vs. Kofi Kingston
  • Bronson Reed vs. Ludwig Kaiser
  • Isla Dawn & Alba Fyre vs. Katana Chance & Kayden Carter
  • Will we see another creepy appearance from Uncle Howdy and his group The Wyatt Sick6