WWE Raw Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights From October 21
WWE Raw Results: Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights From October 210 of 7
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Amid a push by Jimmy Uso to get him to reunite with him and Roman Reigns against the revamped Bloodline, intercontinental champion Jey Uso, ironically, rolled into the City of Brotherly Love Monday night for WWE Raw and a title defense against Bron Breakker.
Did Jey successfully defend his belt against his explosive opponent or did the weight of outside pressures prove too much for the champion?
Find out with this recap of the October 21 show, which also featured the continuation of the No. 1 Contenders’ Tag Team Tournament, including grades and analysis for each segment.
Match Card1 of 7
Announced in advance of Monday’s show at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia:
Intercontinental Championship: Jey Uso (c) vs. Bron BreakkerSeth Rollins and Bronson Reed are in the same buildingNo. 1 Contenders Tag Team Tournament: Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee vs. The Creed BrothersNo. 1 Contenders Tag Team Tournament: The New Day vs. Authors of Pain  Seth Rollins and Bronson Reed Kick Off Raw2 of 7
Credit: WWE.com
The rivalry between Seth Rollins and Bronson Reed reared its head early Monday night as The Visionary attacked his rival as he entered the squared circle.
A fired-up Rollins called out the man who attempted to end his career two months earlier and a brawl ensued, with security and referees attempting to pull them apart.
The intense confrontation continued until they were separated and dragged in different directions.
WWE @WWEthis dude is INSANE#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/sfmVvmmUCt
This was a hot start to the show that ensured viewers would not tune out. Rollins and Reed brought the intensity, and the result was a high-energy opening segment.
From there, women’s world champion Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez interrupted a promo featuring Damage CTRL’s Kairi Sane and Iyo Sky, setting up a tag team match between them for later in the night.
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
“You wanna be famous? Get your ass out here and I’ll make you famous,” Rollins told Reed.Reed missed a Tsunami and crashed through the announce table.Tag Team No. 1 Contenders’ Tournament: The New Day vs. Authors of Pain3 of 7
Credit: WWE.com
The New Day cashed their ticket to the next round of the Tag Team No. 1 Contenders’ Tournament by defeating The Final Testament’s Authors of Pain, though not without a little help.
Late in the match, as Akam and Rezar appeared to seize back control of the contest, R-Truth appeared at ringside and attacked The Miz and then Karrion Kross, providing a distraction that allowed Kingston to score a roll-up and the win.
The match was fine for what it was, but the meat of this segment was in the closing moments. Truth got a measure of revenge, Miz continued to tease an allegiance with the heels, and The New Day moved a step closer to the redemption of winning tag team gold.
WWE @WWETHEYrrrrE
HERrrrE pic.twitter.com/QlEMphHBNM
Oh, and The Wyatt Sicks returned, fighting off The Final Testament until it appeared as though Miz would be left to suffer at the hands of Uncle Howdy. Instead, Paul Ellering shoved the former WWE champion out of the way and endured the mandible claw to close out the segment.
The Wyatt Sicks vs. Final Testament feud appears to be on tap and given the crowd’s eruption for the return of former, it’s one the WWE Universe is ready to embrace.
Result
The New Day defeated AOP
Grade
C+
Top Moments and Takeaways
Kross at ringside, ominously staring at Woods, made for a story in itself.Dressed in black, The Miz appeared at ringside and watched from the edge of the commentary table, the final piece in Kross’ puzzle of the last three months.Truth’s appearance drew a big pop from the fans in Philly. He is perpetually over.Damage CTRL vs. Raquel Rodriguez and Liv Morgan4 of 7
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Born of a backstage confrontation, Kairi Sane and Iyo Sky squared off with Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez in tag team action.
The heels seized control of the match entering the commercial break following a massive clothesline from Rodriguez to Sane. Several minutes of heel domination gave way to a hot tag to Sky and a babyface comeback.
Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson, watching from ringside ahead of their match against Sane and Sky on Tuesday’s NXT, delivered a cheap shot that drew a disqualification.
From there, the NXT heels beat down Damage CTRL and stood tall before Morgan and Rodriguez confronted them.
Rhea Ripley arrived to a thunderous ovation and laid out the heels before trapping Morgan in the Prism Lock.
WWE @WWEMAMI vs. Latino Cheat!#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/Mwzh7413E3
Before she could down the women’s world champion, Dominik Mysterio made the save, rescuing his love interest from the grasp of his former Mami.
Ripley stood tall to the delight of the fans.
This was a perfectly executed segment in that the creative team was able to focus on two different programs without shorting either. We know Damage CTRL and Meta-Four have an issue that will be resolved Tuesday and Ripley again came oh-so-close to revenge on Morgan, Mysterio and Rodriguez.
Did it further anything? No, but with reduced television time, it got everyone on screen in a manner that did not feel forced and highlighted the women’s division in a significant segment of the two-hour broadcast.
Result
No-contest
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
Rodriguez cut a promo in a pretaped vignette explaining her actions against Ripley. This was well-produced and something overdue by a week or so.WWE @WWEShe HAS NOT forgotten…#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/AO3PwjDJon
Jackson and Legend getting the TV time they have in recent weeks is promising for them and suggests their call-up to the main roster is a given.The crowd’s reaction to Ripley tossing Mysterio around was enormous. That is the money match, not The Eradicator vs. Morgan. WWE @WWEOur #WWERaw GM just LOST IT backstage and made a match official for #WWECrownJewel! pic.twitter.com/WayhTey2ka
After another backstage brawl, Raw general manager Adam Pearce announced Rollins vs. Reed for Crown Jewel.Tag Team No. 1 Contenders’ Tournament: LWO vs. American Made5 of 7
Credit: WWE.com
Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee joined The War Raiders and The New Day in the finals of the Tag Team No. 1 Contenders’ Tournament by way of their victory over Julius and Brutus Creed Monday night.
The competitive contest came down to the involvement of Zelina Vega, Chad Gable and Ivy Nile at ringside as their confrontation provided enough of a distraction for Mysterio to deliver the 619 and Lee added a frog splash for the victory.
The action was strong and, more importantly, proved that giving four guys with the talent level of Mysterio, Lee and the Creeds will result in a great match.
One of the downsides of the two-hour format for Raw is that the longer matches fans had grown accustomed to on Monday nights are no more, meaning the talent involved has to maximize their minutes.
All four competitors did that here. The result was the best match of the night so far.
Result
Mysterio and Lee defeated American Made
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
Backstage, Finn Bálor reiterated his concern over Damian Priest laying claim to a World Heavyweight Championship opportunity, to which Dominik Mysterio asked: “What if I became champion?” The group laughed and Carlito vowed to fix everything.For the love of Terry Funk, can we please find something more for Vega to do?American Made is in a rut and has fallen off significantly since Gable’s Intercontinental Championship pursuit ended unsuccessfully.
Intercontinental Championship: Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker6 of 7
Credit: WWE.com
The Intercontinental Championship clash pitting Jey Uso against Bron Breakker was marred by interference late as The Bloodline made its presence felt.
After Uso fended off Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa at different points, it appeared as though he may hang on and retain his title. He downed Breakker and delivered his top rope splash, only for The Badass to kick out at two.
From there, Fatu caught Uso with a superkick and delivered a Samoan Drop through the commentary table, setting him up for a Super Spear from Breakker, who scored the win and his second Intercontinental Championship to the dismay of the fans in Philadelphia.
The match was beyond overbooked late, but it furthered the story of Uso and his impending realignment with brother Jimmy, Roman Reigns and a fourth person against The Bloodline at Survivor Series: WarGames.
Breakker also regained a title that many believed he never should have lost.
That it was Fatu, who was on the receiving end of Uso’s threats Friday night, who cost Jey the title made plenty of sense and sets up that program as a secondary rivalry to Reigns vs. Sikoa.
Result
Breakker defeated Uso to win the title
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
Backstage, Damian Priest interrupted world heavyweight champion Gunther and reiterated his intention to challenge him and again become El Campeon.Breakker and Uso executed a trading of suplexes spot on the ring apron that did not garner the reaction they had hoped for and instead came across as awkward.The Breakker-Fatu staredown was magic and should have Triple H and the creative team scurrying to find a way to get them together in the ring.The false finish off of Uso’s superkick and top-tope splash was done fantastically.Overall Show7 of 7
The biggest takeaway from Monday’s Raw may have been the escalation of the Bloodline saga, but the rest of the show featured some quality stuff along the way.
We saw the reemergence of The Wyatt Sicks and the instigation of their rivalry with The Final Testament, the intensification of Damage CTRL’s battle with Meta-Four, the latest in the tag tournament and the reintroduction of Damian Priest’s pursuit of Gunther for the world title.
There was a lot happening over the course of the two hours and almost nothing to do with the upcoming Crown Jewel event, outside of the never-ending Rollins vs. Reed brawl.
That suggests next week’s show will be a harder sell for the premium live event.
For now, this was a solid episode that did a lot right, limited the missteps and had a hot finish that will lead to a Survivor Series main event.
Grade: B+
