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WWE RAW TV REPORT
AUGUST 21, 2023
QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC AT CENTRE VIDEOTRON
AIRED LIVE ON USA
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett
Ring Announcer: Samantha Irvin
[HOUR ONE]
-A video package aired on The Judgment Day and the match last week between Cody Rhodes and Finn Balor.
-Sami Zayn made his entrance in his home market to a massive, sustained ovation. The crowd sang “Olé” and Sami got a bit emotional as he absorbed the cheers. He finally said his first words nine minutes into the show. He welcomed everyone to Raw. He said a few words in French, then The Judgment Day interrupted. They walked to the ring and circled. Sami then asked if they really thought he’d come to Quebec alone. Kevin Owens’ music played and he charged out. Dominik tried to intercept him, but KO beat him up. He then gave Damien Priest a stunner. “The tag team champions are back in force!” said Cole. Sami and KO stood and absorbed cheers mid-ring as The Judgment Day regrouped at ringside. Fans chanted, “Kevin Owens! Kevin Owens!” KO then said it’s been too long since he wrestled on Raw, so he challenged any two members of Judgment Day to face them later. He said something in French and fans cheered. KO threw the mic aside. Cole asked Adam Pearce to make the match official.
(Keller’s Analysis: The crowd was the MVP of that segment. The home market receptions are always a blast, especially when the wrestlers at least seem genuinely moved by sustained ovation.)
-Cole plugged that they’d hear from Shinsuke Nakamura later. Wade Barrett hyped Chad Gable challenging Gunther for the Intercontinental Title later.
-The New Day made their ring entrance. Cole said they’d face “the unconventional team” of Drew McIntyre and Matt Riddle. [c]
-Cole commented on WrestleMania ticket sales, noting sales are now over 92,000.
(1) THE NEW DAY (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) vs. MATT RIDDLE & DREW MCINTYRE
Cole said Xavier said he liked time at home with his wife and kids while he was healing, but he’s excited to be back in action too. The bell rang 23 minutes into the hour. A graphic hyped Rhea Ripley vs. Candice LeRae. Drew got a nice pop when Riddle tagged him in early. Drew tossed Xavier and Kofi around. Riddle was overly excited and hugged Drew, who looked at him and smiled, then overhead tossed Riddle onto Xavier and Kofi at ringside. They cut to an early break at 2:00. [c]
As Drew reached to tag in, Erik from the Viking Raiders appeared suddenly and yanked him off the ring apron to the floor. Riddle went for a tag, but Drew was missing. Kofi, meanwhile, tagged in and caught Riddle with a Trouble in Paradise for the win.
WINNERS: New Day in 9:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: I wasn’t sure what to expect here, and when Riddle began “over-celebrating” an early flurry by Drew, I thought we’d maybe see Drew not amused by him, but instead they worked well together and the match was more about the Raiders’ interfering than anything.)
-The Raiders attacked New Day and Riddle afterward. Drew re-entered the ring and cleared the ring the of the Raiders.
-Jackie Redmond interviewed J.D. McDonagh and Finn Balor. She asked McDonagh if his presence is helping or hurting harmony in The Judgment Day. McDonagh said he just wants what’s best for Balor and he thinks he’s making Judgment Day stronger. Balor accused Redmond of trying to stir the pot. Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio walked in. She said “sorry” to Balor and “not sorry” to McDonagh. She said she wanted to talk to Balor, but McDonagh wasn’t welcome, regarding who would face Sami & KO later. [c]
-A brief vignette aired on Shayna Baszler who said she’s not there to be a hero, but instead it’s to tear everything down. “Let’s the world burn,” he said.
-They went to Cole and Barrett at ringside. Cole said Baszler recently told him that everyone has forgotten what she’s all about, but she’s about to make everyone remember. Barrett said Baszler is a threat to everyone.
-A clip aired of last week’s angle setting up Gunther vs. Gable this week.
-A soundbite aired with Gunther who said the world would witness the glory of the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all-time. He said time is his friend because he keeps building his legacy.
-Byron Saxton interviewed Otis, Gable, and Maxxine backstage. Otis reminisced about being a tag team with Gable, but he said tonight is about Gable doing it on his own. Maxxine said Coach Gable showed her the way and he’s been working toward this moment for ten years. She said if anyone can “do the impossible, it’s Chad Gable.” Gable said there’s only one thing left to say. “Thank you!!!”
(Keller’s Analysis: Gable won’t get beyond where he is if he leans so hard on his two catch phrases this much.)
-Gable made his entrance. [c]
(2) GUNTHER vs. CHAD GABLE – Intercontinental Championship match
Cole mentioned that Quebec native Pat Patterson was the first-ever IC Champion. The bell rang at 51 minutes. Fans chanted “Let’s Go Gable!” at the start. Barrett wondered if Gable could tap back into the zone he was in training for the Olympics since lately he said he’s dealing with silliness. Gunther overpowered Gable on a lockup. Gable hit a flurry of moves to take Gunther down, which popped the crowd. Gunther lifted and tossed Gable over the top rope to the floor. They cut to an early break. [c]
Back from the break, Gable returned to the ring to avoid being counted out. Gunther stayed on offense. Barrett said you almost start to feel bad for a competitor receiving as much abuse as Gable was.
[HOUR TWO]
Gunther applied a sleeper mid-ring at 9:00. Gable powered himself off the mat. Gunther released the hold and bashed Gable. Gable fired back with a forearm. Cole said Gunther must be getting frustrated. Gable delivered a back suplex. Fans chanted “Gable! Gable!” Gable applied an anklelock at 11:00. Gunther powered out and fired back with a slap. Gable tackled Gunther and punched away at Gunther, who covered up. Barrett said he’s not sure Gunther has ever experienced that before.
Gable landed a German suplex into a bridge for a near fall. Fans chanted, “This is awesome!” Gunther shoved Gable off the top rope to the floor. The ref began counting him out again. Gunther went after him at ringside with chops and yelled, “That’s my ring!” Gunther chopped toward Gable, but Gable ducked so Gunther chopped the ringpost. Gable then suplexed Gunther into the time keeper’s area and returned to the ring where he won by countout.
Barrett said it was just a countout, so Gunther is still champion. Cole said Gable is the first person to beat Gunther in a singles match since he “first arrived at the scene a year and a half ago.” Giovani Vinci and Ludwig Kaiser reacted at ringside.
WINNER: Gable in 13:00 via countout, but Gunther retained the title.
-They showed The Judgement Day backstage discussing who should wrestle later. Balor said it should be him and Dominik. Priest said they’d make a great team, but said because Dom is the North American Champion, they’d make a better team. Priest asked Dom. Dom hemmed and hawed a bit and said both Balor and Priest are amazing. Ripley, showing frustration, said she’s got a match with Candice so it won’t be her, but she wanted them to decide or else she would for them. She told Dom to follow her to the ring for her match.
-Cole hyped the Shinsuke Nakamura explanation coming up where he froze Seth with some words. [c]
-Gunther was raving in German backstage in front of Vinci and Gunther. Gunther walked away. Kaiser told Vinci they need to make this right. He asked Vinci what he’s going to do.
-Byron Saxton interviewed Cody Rhodes backstage. He asked how he felt about the way Raw ended after he beat Balor. Cody said McDonagh’s head is too big for his body and “he looks like a Funko Pop.” Cody then told Saxton to follow him to the ring. The camera followed them through the entrance tunnel onto the stage. Fans began chanting “Cody! Cody!” Cody walked out and spoke some French to the fans. He then welcomed “my friend Wade Barrett and Michael Cole” to Raw. He then talked about how Judgment Day have the numbers game on their side. He asked the fans if they’ll be in the corner of Sami and KO tonight to make up for that numbers game.
(Keller’s Analysis: That was Cody in the role of the leader of the Raw locker room. It suits him – pun intended – but it can make him seem like a “company man” too much, also. It was a sneaky way to promote the main event, though.)
-Cole threw to a video of Nakamura who said in Japanese, with captions, that what he said to Seth filled Seth with fear. He said Seth acts like he has it all, but he knows his weakness. “I whispered to Seth, ‘I know about your back.'” He said he knows he lives in pain and that creates a void in him he cannot fill. He said when he hugs his wife, he’s in pain; when he picks up his child, he feels pain. He said he might be World Champion, but every day of his life is filled with pain. He said his worst fears are now coming true. “He knows that I can break him once and for all,” he said. He said he and Seth aren’t all that different because he has a void, too. He said he lives by a code others do not. He said that code is on Seth’s back. They showed Seth’s back tattoos. He said Seth’s body has crumbled under the pressure of his own vanity. He closed with, “Watch your back!”
(Keller’s Analysis: I liked that. It wasn’t some cheesy scandalous thing. It was a head game by a veteran who sent a message that he knows how to exploit a weakness of his opponent.)
-Ripley made her entrance with Dom by her side. She whispered something to Dominik that made him smile. (Will there be a video explaining that next week?) [c]
(3) RHEA RIPLEY vs. CANDICE LARAE
During LaRae’s entrance, Cole narrated a clip of Ripley beating Indi Hartwell last week. Barrett said LaRae needs a miracle to win because it’s “a massive physical mismatch.” He added that LaRae hasn’t faced top competition lately. The bell rang 26 minutes into the hour. LeRae scored a one count with an early roll-up. She climbed to the top rope, but Dom jumped onto the ring apron and distracted her. When she finally leaped at Ripley, Ripley caught her. LaRae countered Riptide with a DDT and then landed a moonsault for a near fall. Ripley then finished her off with a suspended sharpshooter type hold. Cole called it “a new wrinkle in Ripley’s playbook.”
WINNER: Ripley in 1:30.
-Afterward, Raquel Rodriguez walked out on a crutch and threw the crutch at Ripley. Then she charged at Ripley, kicking her in the chest. Barrett said Rodriguez is maybe the only physical threat to Ripley on the roster, and Ripley knows it. Rodriguez then revealed that she is medically cleared and has a match against her at Payback.
-A clip aired of Austin Theory beating L.A. Knight after a Miz distraction last week.
-Miz made his ring entrance. Cole said Miz has been talking up his hand-chosen opponent to show off against this week. [c]
-Cole hyped upcoming Undertaker one-man shows.
-Tommaso Ciampa sat backstage and said he returned to Raw nine weeks ago and he’s been reflecting on what kind of man he wants to be. He said he’s happy for Gable, but he’d be lying if he didn’t say he wanted to be in his position getting an IC Title shot. He said he has been champion and on top before and he likes that feeling. He said he nearly had Nakamura defeated and now Nakamura is challenging for the World Title. He said he’s there to be thee guy because he has been there before. He said he is going to be the change he wants. He said he’s going to “do it yourself.” (DIY!). He stood up and kicked the chair out of the way.
-Miz came out and talked about Knight being a blip on the radar 20 years from now, “a human fidget spinner.” He said he’s not on his level. He said he evolves and keeps getting better. He said he picked someone stronger, bigger, and more dominant than anyone Knight has ever faced. Akira Tozawa then walked out. Cole talked up Tozawa’s background, but said he doesn’t really match the hype Miz spewed all week.
Miz said it’s sad the 24/7 Title doesn’t exist anymore, because it’s perfect for Knight, “a watered down throwback of the Attitude Era, just like him.” He asked Tozawa if this is the biggest match of his career. Tozawa grunted “Yeah!” Miz didn’t like him saying that. Tozawa said, “Say what?” Tozawa kept saying “Yeah!” Miz said, “This is stupid!” He said this is an opportunity of a lifetime for him and it’s not funny. He kicked Tozawa. Cole called it a cheap shot. Miz called for the ref to ring the bell. The ref made Miz back away first. The bell rang.
(4) THE MIZ vs. AKIRA TOZAWA
Right after the bell rang, L.A. Knight’s music played and he walked out. Tozawa dropkicked a distracted Miz out of the ring. Cole said Knight knocked Miz off his game. Tozawa leaped through the ropes and tackled Miz at ringside. They cut to a break as Knight yelled “Yeah!” at him. [c]
Knight joined in commentary. Knight said he’ll be a trend in ten years. He said Miz was background player to The Rock and Stone Cold in the Attitude Era. Barrett said fans can be fickle and so Miz is speaking some truth. Knight said a fan had a sign that said they drove four hours to see him. He said some fans have driven four hours to not see Miz. At ringside, Tozawa head scissored Miz who redirected himself into the ringside steps. Miz set up a Skull Crushing Finale, but Tozawa rolled out of it and leveraged Miz’s shoulders down for the three count.
WINNER: Miz in 7:00.
-Afterward, Knight gave Miz his Blunt Force Trauma in the ring, then left Miz in the ring.
-Backstage, Riddle talked to Drew about their success. Drew said he appreciates his enthusiasm, but he’s had enough drama lately in his life and is focused on singles. He said being a team won’t work out. The New Day walked in and told them they have potential as a team and shouldn’t give up. Xavier said they have a team name for them – McRiddle. Drew wasn’t thrilled with it. Kofi thanked them for having their back out there. He said they face the Raiders next week, but after that, they’d love to do a rematch. They fist-bumped, but Riddle covered their hands and said, “Paper covers rock!”
(Keller’s Analysis: I’m still not sure if we’re heading toward Drew turning heel on Riddle, Riddle sensing Drew is judging him and thus turning heel on Drew, or the two going on a longer journey as a team similar to RK-Bro.)
-Becky Lynch made her ring entrance. [c]
[HOUR THREE]
-Backstage, Ripley asked Priest if they worked things out. Priest said Balor wanted to talk to McDonagh about it. He asked what else he could do. Ripley said she gave them a chance to work things out, but now they’re going to do things her way. She shook her head and walked away. Dom looked scared.
-Cole hyped the main event tag.
-Becky stood mid-ring and shouted, “The man has come back to Quebec City!” Fans cheered. She said her feud with Trish comes down to legacy. She talked about focusing on what she is control of and not in control of. She asked how you can take lemons and turn them into lemonade. (Helpful Note: Slice the lemons, squeeze them, add water, add sugar). She said her legacy won’t be defined by wins and losses or championships, but by survival. She said it’s not that she’s unbeatle, but rather she’s unstoppable. She said she will face Trish Stratus in a cage, but she still has business with Zoey Stark too. Trish’s music interrupted her.
Trish walked out with Stark. She talked about being back in her home country, rather than south of the border dealing with those “U-S-A-holes.) Some tentatively cheered. She patted her heart. She spoke in French. Scattered cheers. She said being in Quebec City means absolutely nothing to her. “I mean, it’s not like this is Montreal,” she said. “You’re not even Toronto.” Boos. She said at least the Maple Leafs made the playoffs.
Trish entered the ring and said she wouldn’t even be there if Becky wasn’t running her mouth. She entered the ring as fans pelted her with a chant in French. Trish giggled and said doesn’t understand their French chant. She said she is the best of her generation and every generation. She said she has been thrown into fires before and has succeeded. She said she will do so again in the first cage match of her career against Becky “and stand tall.” Becky will see a side of her she has never seen before and she should be very scared. “You won’t survive this one, bitch,” Trish said. Becky said in two weeks she will face Trish in a cage, but next week she will face Stark in a “falls count anywhere match.” Zoey held Trish back as Becky taunted her.
(Keller’s Analysis: Maybe my expectations were so low when Trish turned heel, but I still seem to enjoy her heel persona and mic work more than most. Her cadence is still weird and sometimes drags a bit, but her snide delivery works for me. Becky is trying to frame what she’s doing as important even if it’s not for a title and she wasn’t part of Summerslam.)
-They went to Cole and Barrett who reacted to the segment. Cole threw to a clip of Piper Niven bullying her way into being Chelsea Green’s new parter.
-Saxton interviewed Chelsea and Piper backstage. Green said she had to authorize WWE management to make them tag champions after Sonya Deville’s injury. Piper looked perplexed and irritated. Green said their chemistry is off the charts. Piper wasn’t amused by her and told her to get moving. Green headed through the curtain.
(Keller’s Analysis: I suppose if “Freebirds Rules” were a thing, and if WWE champions can lose titles in Triple Threat matches where they aren’t involved in the finish, having Piper just magically “become” champion isn’t that big of an affront to pro wrestling title integrity. It’s a quick way to just move past the Deville injury. If the early dynamic between Piper and Green didn’t look like such fun, maybe I’d be more upset.) [c]
-A vignette aired with Piper Niven decimating opponents.
(5) CHELSEA GREEN & PIPER NIVEN vs. KAYDEN CARTER & KATANA CHANCE
Carter and Chance hit a double-team finisher on Green, but Green had tagged out to Piper already so the ref didn’t count. Cole and Barrett weren’t aware of what was planned as they had concluded prior that the ref didn’t see the tag. Piper yanked Carter out of the ring and threw her into the announce desk, then entered the ring and landed her turning splash on Chance for the win. Piper carried Green on her shoulders to the back.
WINNERS: Green & Niven in 1:30.
-They showed KO and Sami chatting backstage as Cole plugged their tag match later.
-A commercial aired for the Kurt Angle documentary on Peacock. [c]
-They showed postcard shots of Quebec City.
-Redmond interviewed Seth backstage. Seth asked Redmond first to let the fans sing. Fans sang. Seth’s tone changed as he said Nakamura caught him off guard. He said he typically doesn’t like to talk about the injuries to his back, but he said Nakamura is right about his back. He said he has two fractures in his lumbar spine dating back four years and it gets worse, not better, over time. He choked up a bit and said he’s not sure how much longer he can wrestle at the level he has been. He said it’s part of the gig, though. He got more intense as he said Nakamura better be prepared to face him man-to-man if he’s going to bring up his family. He said Nakamura isn’t even there tonight, though, but instead hid in a TV studio a 1,000 miles away. He said next week, he will give him one more chance to play his little mind games and show the world he’s an honorable warrior. He said he’ll repeat what he told him last week, which is that he’s not hard to find and he’ll be in the ring with the world title around his waist, dressed impeccably, with the whole world singing his song. Fans began singing his song.
(Keller’s Analysis: Seth is typically so in character and over-the-top, it was striking to see him shift into more grounded human emotions and show a vulnerability here. It seems mostly this is just to create some doubt that it’s a foregone conclusion that Seth will retain against Nakamura, plus put some heel heat on Nakamura for “going there” by revealing Seth’s back issue and bringing his family into it. A side benefit is that Seth showed a more relatable human slide of himself that isn’t typically on display in this incarnation of him.)
-Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn made their ring entrance. [c]
-Cole hyped that Raw Talk would feature Tozawa, the Raiders, and Green & Niven. Then he hyped next week’s Raw: Becky vs. Stark in a Falls Count Anywhere match and Gable vs. Kaiser.
(6) KEVIN OWENS & SAMI ZAYN vs. DAMIAN PRIEST & FINN BALOR (w/Rhea Ripley, Dominik Mysterio)
Priest walked out. Ripley dragged Balor out and shoved Priest and Balor and told them that they’re tagging and to “get it done.” She yelled that she’s sick of the bickering and yelled, “Get ’em!” Barrett said she was reading them the riot act. The bell rang 35 minutes into the hour. As the two teams opened with a wild brawl at ringside, Dominik joined Ripley and walked to ringside. The crowd chanted “Sami!” at the start. he clotheslined Priest over the top rope to the floor. Balor went after Sami, but Sami got the better of him against the announce desk. Priest then punched Sami and threw him into the ring to take control of the match.
When Sami tagged in Owens, he beat up Balor and kicked him to the floor. The crowd roared. KO charged at Balor at ringside and clotheslined him. He kept running and took Priest down with a clothesline. He then landed a cannonball on Priest. Back int he ring, he landed a top rope swanton on Balor. Balor blocked a Stunner and hit a Slingblade. That quieted the crowd like a puck was just cleared on a key powerplay in hockey. Priest teased shoving the briefcase to Balor, but Sami jumped him at ringside. McDonagh arrived at rinsgide and tossed a briefcase to Balor, but KO intercepted it and hit Balor with it. The ref DQ’d KO & Sami.
WINNERS: Priest & Balor via DQ in 3:00.
-Priest yelled at McDonagh and said if he doesn’t stay out of his business, he’s going to tear his head off. Sami hit McDonagh. Dom attacked Sami. Priest joined in. Fans chanted “Cody!” Cody, conveniently no longer in the suit he was wearing earlier, ran out to even the odds. Cody cleared the ring, but challenged the retreating Judgment Day to make it three on three. [c]
(7) CODY RHODES & KEVIN OWENS & SAMI ZAYN vs. THE JUDGMENT DAY (w/Rhea Ripley)
Back from the break, the six-man tag was in progress 43 minutes into the hour. KO landed a Russian leg sweep and a senton on Balor, then turned to Priest and Dominik and crotch-chopped them. Balor hit Owens and then Dominik tagged in and battled KO mid-ring. Dom threw KO to the floor and then gloated. At 4:00 tagged out to Balor who swept KO on the ring apron. Priest threw Owens into the barricade. Ripley then bodyslammed him and returned a crotch chop at him. Cole said The Judgment Day comes at you from every direction. Owens fought back, but Priest clotheslined him and scored a two count. They cut to a break. [c]
Back from the break, KO fought back at ringside against Balor, throwing him onto the announce desk. Cole said Ripley has been shouting to Priest and Balor, “Same page! Same page!” Cole said that’s been the case most of the match. The screen noted Raw was the no. 1 trend on FKA-Twitter. At 11:00 Sami got the hot-tag from KO to a nice ovation, but nothing crazy. Sami landed a tornado DDT and scored a near fall. They showed Ripley stressing out at ringside. Ripley knocked Sami off the top rope as Balor distracted the ref. Priest then landed South of Heaven. KO broke up the cover and tossed Balor out of the ring.
Sami hot-tagged in Cody at 13:00 and he gave Dom a Disaster Kick and then a double Cody Cutter to both Priest and Dom leading to a near fall on Dom. Cody gave an interfering Priest a Crossroads. Dom rolled him up from behind for a two count. Cody hit Crossroads and then tagged in Sami who gave Dom a Helluva Kick. KO then gave Dom a stunner and scored the three count. The ref checked on KO who seemed to be legit pain afterward, but he might have just been selling too.
WINNERS: Cody & KO & Sami in 15:00.
-Sami spoke in French afterward and fans cheered.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Good, but not great, episode. The Gunther vs. Gable match was the in-ring highlight, although the main event six-man tag was right there.
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