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WWE RAW TV REPORT
NOVEMBER 13, 2023
WASHINGTON D.C. AT CAPITAL ONE ARENA
AIRED LIVE ON USA
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett
Ring Announcer: Samantha Irvin
[HOUR ONE]
-A three minute video package aired on last week’s Raw main event and the aftermath where Adam Pearce announced War Games for Survivor Series.
-Michael Cole introduced the show as the camera panned the audience.
-Cody Rhodes, wearing a suit, made his ring entrance. Cole talked about the scheduled tag title match later with Cody & Jey Uso. Wade Barrett hyped The Miz vs. Ivar. Cole hyped Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Otis. Cody looked at the crowd. They aired a wide shot of the well-lit arena with the last row occupied in the area opposite the hard camera.
Cody asked D.C. what they wanted to talk about. He said he has a lot of wonderful memories in that arena. (AEW Dynamite’s first episode was there.) He talked about creating a new memory with Jey later. He said they’d win the tag titles tonight. He then threw to the stage so his War Games partners could make their entrances. Jey, Sami, and Seth made their entrances one at a time.
Cody said he’s been friends with Sami for a long time, Jey for a short time, and then he stared at Seth. Before he said anything, The Judgment Day made their entrance. Finn Balor said, “Take a look at these four clowns.” He said they’re not on the same page and have no chance against The Judgment Day. Damian Priest called them “a bunch of randoms thrown together.” Priest, Balor, J.D. McDonagh, and Dominik Mysterio stood on the ring apron and continued to talk to their opponents in War Games.
Priest asked Cody what it’s like to beat his partners in any match, but he can’t be a champion. Balor said Sami considers himself a world champion level superstar, but after last week, he and his partners know he’s nothing but a loser. Priest said Jey cannot be trusted since he screwed each of them in the name of loyalty to The Bloodline. When Dom began talking, boos rang out. A “You suck!” chant broke out.
Sami said the truth is, no one wants to hear Dom talk. Sami said they can put their issues to the side because the War Games match is about power. Cody said he’s surprised The Judgment Day was able to make it to the ring without Mami, whom he called their leader. Priest said she isn’t the leader and they don’t have a leader. Cody said when Mami is gone, is Dom the leader or it is J.D.? Priest snapped, “Cody! I’m the leader!” Balor shot Priest a look.
As Priest began talking back, Seth yelled for everyone to shut up. Seth said he’s ready for a fight. He challenged Dom & J.D. to a match against him and Sami. Priest said they accept. Dom and J.D. shot Priest a look.
-Cole said the leader has spoken and Pearce will make it official and it would be up next. [c]
(1) SETH ROLLINS & SAMI ZAYN vs. J.D. MCDONAGH & DOMINIK MYSTERIO
The bell rang 23 minutes into the hour. A few minutes in, Seth and Sami leaped side by side onto Dom and McDonagh at ringside. As they celebrated, the show cut to a break. [c]
Back from the break, McDonagh had control of Sami. Cole said he was impressed with how McDonagh and Dom turned things around during the break. Sami managed to hot-tag Seth at 31:00. Seth set up a powerbomb on Dom, but McDonagh intervened. Sami threw McDonagh into the ringpost. Dom sent Seth into the middle rope, but when he went for a 619, Seth kicked him and then gave him a Bucklebomb. As Seth set up a stomp, Balor and Priest ran up to him through the crowd and attacked Seth. Rhea Ripley was with them, applauding and cheering them on. Jey and Cody ran out to even the odds.
WINNER: Sami & Seth in 10:00.
-Jey superkicked Priest and speared McDonagh in the ring. Pearce went into a rage and said he’s sick of this. He said there’s a championship match tonight and the fans deserve better. He banned everyone involved in War Games other than those in the tag title match from ringside. He said he actually is banning them from the arena. (Does that include Ripley?) Ripley got in Pearce’s face and yelled. [c]
-Back live in the ring, Pearce yelled at Ripley, “You do not run Monday Night Raw.” He then banned her also. (Asked and answered.) Zoey Stark walked out. Ripley asked what the hell she wanted. Stark entered the ring and said everyone knows she’s inside Ripley’s head. She said she’s worried about War Games, the tag title match later, Dom Dom, and her title. She said Ripley cannot overlook her and keep her title. Ripley said she’s not overlooking her. She said she’s watched her since she was in NXT and she knew it was just a matter of time before they stood in the ring face-to-face.
Ripley said Stark sent Trish Stratus packing and beat Becky Lynch. “You kind of remind me of myself,” she said. She predicted she’s a future champion. She said it won’t happen for her until she’s on an opposite brand as her “because Mami is always on top.” She said she can handle everything on her plate. Some fans cheered. Ripley told Stark to get out of her ring. Stark said she will become champion at Survivor Series. She threw the mic down. There were boos. Stark climbed to the top rope as Ripley retreated. Stark yelled that she only need a count of three. Cole said Stark is not the least bit intimidated by Ripley.
-A vignette aired with Shinsuke Nakamura who said he is frustrated. He said distractions haven’t taken the focus off of “him.” He said he will wait, for now. “Because I know it all ends up in my hands,” he concluded.
-Barrett said he’s been trying for weeks to find out the meaning behind Nakamura’s riddles.
-Otis made his ring entrance accompanied by Chad Gable, Akira Tozawa, and Maxxine. [c]
-Cole plugged the WrestleMania weekend schedule.
-The camera was filming Seth and Sami walking backstage. Cody approached and asked for a moment with Seth. Cody said he needs Seth for one night. He said they can hate each other the rest of the days of the year, but at Survivor Series, he needs him. Seth said, “I don’t like you and I don’t know if I’ll ever like you, but I respect you.” He said he can be good for one night. He promised him they’re good. Seth told Cody, “Now go win your damn titles.”
(Keller’s Analysis: They’re being true to the history of Cody and Seth rather than ignoring it or brush it off. It’ll likely lead to some sort of misunderstanding after a miscue, but maybe not. Maybe they just want to explain why these rivals are able to coexist for one night.)
(2) SHINSUKE NAKAMURA vs. OTIS (w/Chad Gable, Maxxine, Aikira Tozawa)
The bell rang 53 minutes into the hour. At 2:00 Otis got the better of Nakamura at ringside. Gable, Maxxine, and Tozawa danced over Nakamura as they cut to a break. [c]
Back from the break, Otis blocked a Nakamura kick and then powerbombed him. Otis rallied and got cheers from the crowd. He landed his Caterpillar elbow for a near fall at 7:00.
[HOUR TWO]
It took three Kinshasas to take Otis down for the pin. As Gable checked on Otis afterward, Nakamura palmed him in the head. Maxxine and Tozawa held Gable back as Nakamura moved to ringside and celebrated his win.
WINNER: Nakamura in 8:00.
-They went to Cole and Barrett on camera. Cole threw to “an inside look at War Games.” The video showed the double cage lowering over two rings, clips from past matches, and a list of rules.
-Backstage Seth and Drew McIntyre crossed paths. Drew said Seth told him that if he lost at Crown Jewel, he’d have no one to blame but himself. He said he was right. He said Seth also told him it could be the best thing that ever happened to him. He said there is something he’s been wanting to give him since last Saturday. He offered his hand. Seth paused, but shook it. He told Seth he represents the title well. He said he’ll fight his way back to earn a rematch. Seth he knows he will and then walked away.
-Piper Niven made her entrance with Chelsea Green. [c]
-A video package aired on Tegan Nox’s history of knee injuries. She said her career has often been defined based on her knee injuries. She said the last year has been crazy and she has proven she can hang with the best of them.
(3) PIPER NIVEN (w/Chelsea Green) vs. TEGAN NOX (w/Natalya)
The bell rang 13 minutes into the hour. Piper dominated early. Nox made a comeback and landed a kick and scored a two count at 3:00. Green distracted Nox, giving Piper a chance to recover and catch Nox with a clothesline as Nox turned her attention back to the match. Natalya knocked Green off the ring apron. Niven the knocked Natalya off the ring apron. When Niven leaped at Nox, Nox ducked and then hit the Shiniest Wizard for a near fall. Niven put her leg on the bottom rope to stop the count.
Nox went for a sunset flip. Piper held on and sat down, but Nox moved. Nox then leveraged Niven’s shoulders down for the win.
WINNER: Nox in 5:00.
-The announcers replayed the finish of last week’s four-way where Miz got the win, but afterward Ivar landed a moonsault on him.
-Jackie Redmond interviewed Miz backstage. She said pressure is mounting for him to become a nine-time IC Champion. She asked what’s driving him to dethrone Gunther. Miz quipped, “A bus. It took me a long time, but I finally got myself a bus.” He then shifted to being serious and said he’s after respect. Ivar walked in and called Miz a clown and a joke. He said he won’t make it to Survivor Series. Bronson Reed walked in and said they’re both lucky to be standing there. He said Gunther is lucky that he escaped having to face him. Ivar and Reed began arguing and Miz snuck away. Valhala stared down Reed.
-Tommaso Ciampa made his ring entrance, accompanied by Johnny Gargano. [c]
(4) TOMMASO CIAMPA (w/Johnny Gargano) vs. LUDWIG KAISER (w/Giovani Vinci)
The bell rang 27 minutes into the hour. The ref booted Vinci from ringside at 3:00. [c]
Vinci returned to ringside and kicked Gargano. The ref saw him at ringside and yelled down at him. Kaiser then rolled up Ciampa for the three count.
WINNER: Kaiser in 10:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: What’s the point of kicking someone out of ringside if they can come back and affect the finish?)
-Ripley sarcastically told Dom that maybe they should ask their “fearless leader” thinks. Dom looked at Priest and said, “I thought we didn’t make matches for each other.” Priest said he got hot and said what he said, but they knew what he meant. Ripley said it sounds good for WarGames. Balor and Dom agreed to put Priest in charge. Ripley said McDonagh is getting medical help backstage. Balor said he’s helped them time after time after time. Ripley said she’d delver the good news. Priest said he wanted to instead.
-Xia Li made her ring entrance. [c]
(5) XIA LI vs. INDI HARTWELL (w/Candice LeRae)
Indi’s entrance took place after the break. The bell rang 46 minutes into the hour. Cole said Xia feels she has been held down for years and wants to prove herself. Barrett said she has made waves in recent weeks. Indi avoided a charging knee from Xia and took over. At 2:00 Xia struck Indi in the throat and landed a spinning wheel kick. Indi went down and seemed out of it. The ref called for the bell. Xia seemed perplexed, but then shifted to celebrating.
WINNER: Xia Li in 2:00.
-Becky made her way down the ramp afterward. She said they’re not going to wait to fight on Xia’s time. She said she has come around to Washington D.C. looking for a fight. She entered the ring and ducked Xia. When Becky went for the Manhandle Slam, Xia ducked out of the ring and retreated, shouting at Becky in the process. Becky said she’s only got seven more days to run because next week on Raw, she’ll face her on Raw. “Welcome to the big time!” she said, throwing down the mic.
-Gunther congratulated Miz for winning last week. He said fun and games are over for him. Miz said Gunther will find out at Survivor Series the difference between longest running and greatest IC Champion ever. Gunther vowed to give him the biggest beating he’s ever received.
-Ivar made his ring entrance with Valhala. [c]
[HOUR THREE]
-Stark told Shayna Baszler she should be getting the title shot, but she’s always looking forward to her beating Ripley. Stark smiled. Raquel Rodriguez walked in and said Ripley will have her hands full. Nia Jax walked in and said she already squashed Stark and it should be her against Ripley at Survivor Series. She said they ganged up on her in a battle royal, but none of them can beat her one-on-one. Rodriguez said if she’s so tough, she should be champion. She said nobody has really tested or pushed her. She told Jax she’s not scared of her
(6) IVAR vs. MIZ
The bell rang two minutes into the hour. At 4:00 Bronson walked out. Miz gave a DDT to a distracted Ivar. A “Let’s Go Miz!” chant started. Ivar landed on Miz after Miz charged him in the corner. Bronson sat on a chair at ringside and invited Ivar to continue attacking Miz as they cut to a break at 3:00. [c]
Ivar powerbombed Miz after the break for a near fall. Ivar stayed on offense and scored more two counts. Miz set up a Skull Crushing Finale off the second rope, but Ivar got out of it and then powerslammed Miz for a very near fall at 10:00. When Ivar got preoccupied with Bronson standing at ringside, Miz powerbombed him and put his boots on the top rope for extra leverage to get a three count.
WINNER: Miz in 11:00.
-Afterward, Bronson charged at Ivar in the ring. He then hit a Tsunami. Fans had no idea how to react. Valhala entered to check on Ivar and give Bronson an evil-eye. [c]
-Priest gave McDonagh an official jacket to welcome him to Judgment Day. McDonagh was thrilled. Priest said he still can’t stand him a lot of the time, but he’s earned it. Balor walked in and congratulated McDonagh, but told him to leave the arena before Pearce goes nuts. Balor told Priest they are going to go show people why they’re champions.
-Cole hyped the main event tag match. [c]
-Cole and Barrett hyped the WrestleMania weekend tickets.
-Gunther told Kaiser and Vinci they did a good job tonight. Kaiser said he showed everyone what he is all about. Gunther said he was talking about Vinci, not Kaiser. He said he won the match for Kaiser by sneaking back after being kicked out of ringside. He turned back to Kaiser and glared at him. Kaiser was speechless while Vinci laughed. He then turned and asked Jinder Mahal what his problem is. Jinder said he was there to see Pearce, but he should choose his next move wisely.
-The Creeds approached Alpha Academy backstage. They said maybe the Academy needs new training partners. Gable said they won’t abandon the Gable Method. The Creeds said they are aiming for the tag titles and they’re undefeated so far. In walked The New Day and said no one talks about those tag titles without them. In the background, Ivey Nile told Maxxine she did well last week, including eliminating Piper Niven. Maxxine said that makes her a champion. Niles agreed and called it “girl math.” They bonded. The camera panned back to New Day and the Creeds and Alpha Academy. Tozawa then gyrated like New Day and held a Washington Commanders replica belt.
-They went to Cole and Barrett at ringside who plugged next week’s Raw. They announced an advantage match to determine who will get to enter War Games first. Also, Xia vs. Becky and Jax vs. Rodriguez.
-Cody made his ring entrance for the main event. Then Jey made his entrance. [c]
(7) DAMIAN PRIEST & FINN BALOR vs. CODY RHODES & JEY USO – WWE Tag Team Title match
Cole noted that Cody has never participated in a WarGames even though it was his father who invented the match. The bell rang 35 minutes into the hour. They cut to a break at 4:00 after a four-way brawl broke out and Cody and Jey cleared the ring of the two heels and then Cody smashed Priest’s head into the table. [c]
Jey rallied after a tag and the crowd chanted “Yeet!” after each of his strikes. They cut to another break at 14:00. [c]
Back from the break Jey hot-tagged in Cody and he went after Balor. He landed a Disaster Kick. Priest intervened and Cody hit him with a bionic elbow. Balor rolled up Cody for a two count. Cody went for a Cody Cutter, but Balor blocked it. Cody went for Crossroads, but Balor countered. Jey snuck a tag to become legal and surprised Balor with a top rope crossbody for a two count. Jey landed a top rope splash a minute later for a near fall.
Priest took over and battered Jey until Jey ducked and speared Balor mid-ring. Cody then hit a Cody Cutter with an assist from Jey. Priest broke up Jey’s cover at two. Priest threw Cody into the ringpost. The post cover fell off. Priest slammed Cody on the ring apron. Back in the ring, Jey stood and flip-dove onto Priest and Balor at ringside. Jey then noticed that Drew had showed up. He gave Jey a Claymore Kick and then rolled Jey into the ring. Cole said Drew is still blaming The Bloodline for not being Universal Champion today. Balor then scored the pin. Drew walked away. “So much for letting bygones be bygones,” Cole said.
Cody checked on Jey and then glared at Drew on the stage. Ripley walked out and offered a handshake to Drew. Drew shook her hand. Fans booed.
WINNERS: Priest & Balor in 19:00 to retain the WWE Tag Team Titles.
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