Monday Night Raw Recap
June 21st 2021
Dallas, Texas
American Airlines Centre
We get a rare cold open to start Monday Night Raw as we can see The New Day in their locker room. Kofi Kingston is warming up for his opening match with Randy Orton as Big E and Xavier Woods offer to go out to the ring with him to have his back, plus keep an eye on Orton. Kofi shakes his head and tells the pair that he feels he needs to do this alone, heading to the ring as the pair look on, concerned.
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HOUSE OF MEMORIES - P!ATD
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Match 1: Randy Orton vs Kofi Kingston
Match summary: Neither man waits to feel each other out, as they have become very familiar over the years due to their hatred for one another! Kofi is more aggressive than normal and the commentary wonders if this is a good idea because it leaves him more open to making a mistake. Randy Orton certainly doesn’t need an invite to pounce on an opening and starts to slowly pick apart Kofi Kingston! The crowd gets behind Kofi, but you can tell he is in a ton of pain on the mat.
Randy Orton has a big smile on his face and looks to grind down on the back of Kofi Kingston before starting up the Garvin stomp! Kofi is ready for it and moves just in time as Orton goes for the DOUBLE KNEE DROP TO THE HEAD CAUSING ORTON TO CRASH AND BURN! Kofi takes advantage as he lays into Orton with a series of kicks, keeping the pressure up on the Viper! He even manages to counter an attempt at a R.K.O INTO A S.O.S FOR A CLOSE 2 COUNT!
Kofi Kingston though, keeps up the pressure and looks to go for TROUBLE IN PARADISE… BUT MISSES IT AND ORTON GOES FOR THE R.K.O… BUT KOFI PUSHES HIM OFF! Kofi looks to stay on the attack, but Randy catches him out with an OLYMPIC SLAM TO THE MAT! Randy gets back to his feet with a sick smile on his face… AND THIS TIME CATCHES THE RISING KOFI WITH AN R.K.O! Randy has a smirk as he makes the cover and picks up the win!
Winner via pinfall: Randy Orton (11:46)
The crowd gives Randy a loud mixed reaction as he stands tall in the ring with a smug look on his face. Kofi Kingston meanwhile, is sitting on the mat looking disappointed with another loss on Raw… AS ORTON ATTACKS HIM FROM BEHIND! Orton lays into him with a bunch of clubbing blows as the crowd loudly boos this cheap attack by the Viper! The crowd soon loudly cheers as BIG E RUNS OUT AND CHARGES STRAIGHT FOR ORTON… WHO RUNS AWAY! Big E checks on Kofi for a few seconds before heading up the entrance ramp, looking to get his hands on Orton as we cut to a commercial break.
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Big E comes storming through the back when we return from the commercial break, but is soon stopped in his tracks by Wade Barrett! The Raw commissioner looks to calm down Big E and says he gets that he is angry at Orton, but he needs to keep his Great American Bash main event intact! Big E doesn’t look happy, but Barrett says he has a big announcement for the main event, which Randy Orton will hate. Big E doesn’t smile, saying he will go check on Kofi, but Randy tries anything like that again, he will make sure he doesn’t make it to the Bash!
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We cut to the ring as AJ Styles makes his way out alone to cheers from the live crowd. The commentary team notes that Big Cass will be backstage getting ready for his own Iron Survivor qualifying match later on tonight. AJ steps into the ring with a slight smile on his face as he tells the fans that he feels like he is back to his old self after his win last week. AJ says for too long he has been dealing with his business with The O.C. and not dealing with what matters: the WWE title!
AJ Styles says next week at the Great American Bash, he gets the chance to earn a guaranteed WWE title at the biggest party of the summer and become a 3-time WWE Champion! AJ looks to carry on speaking before he is soon interrupted by Damian Priest, who walks out onto the entrance ramp looking serious. AJ stays on guard as Damian joins him in the ring and both men look at each other on guard before Priest says it is an honour to share a ring with AJ.
AJ is wary, even after the positive words and Priest makes it clear that just because it is an honour to share a ring with him doesn’t mean he doesn’t have his eyes focused on the prize. Priest says they are the first two men in the Iron Survivor and no matter who the other 3 men are, he plans on walking into the biggest party of the summer and walking out as WWE Champion. AJ smirks, saying it is good that Damian has goals, but he is still new around here, so he is going to give him some advice.
Priest raises an eyebrow, a bit annoyed as AJ says he isn’t stepping into the ring with some celebrities but is actually stepping into the ring with some of the best in the business. Priest smirks and makes it clear to AJ that he is not some wet-behind-the-ears rookie. Priest says he has been in this business for many years and if AJ wants to run his mouth, he can give him a preview next week! AJ smiles and gets closer to Damian Priest before saying he accepts his challenge!
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When we return from the commercial break, we can see Sami Zayn walking through the back, saying hello to some of the workers backstage… MUSTAFA ALI ATTACKS HIM FROM BEHIND! Ali lays into the underdog from the underground, who has been taken by complete surprise due to this cheap shot. Mustafa Ali talks a bunch of trash to Sami and asks him how this feels, saying this is a taste of what he went through when Owens powerbombed him onto the ring apron!
Mustafa Ali looks at the production crate next to them and has evil intentions as he smiles, turning back to the in-pain Sami Zayn! Mustafa Ali grabs hold of Sami, laying into Zayn with a few more strikes to the head before lifting him, ready to go for a POWERBOMB ONTO THE CRATE… BUT KEVIN OWENS APPEARS CLUBBING ALI FROM BEHIND! Ali is forced to let go of Sami Zayn, who rolls to the side to recover. Owens looks to do damage to Ali… BUT ALI RAKES HIS EYES AND FLEES FROM THE SCENE! Owens looks annoyed, but instead of chasing Ali, he checks on Zayn as we cut back to the ring.
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Match 2: Intercontinental title match: Andrade Cien Almas © w/Zelina Vega vs The Miz w/Sheamus
Match summary: Andrade comes into this match very cocky, not at all worried about defending his recently won Intercontinental title against The Miz. Sheamus, outside the ring, is noticeably not happy that Miz is getting this title shot instead of him tonight. Miz tries to show Sheamus how he became a 9-time Intercontinental Champion over the years, with the commentary team noting a win tonight would make Miz a record-breaking 10-time champion, but Andrade stays in control nearly the entire time.
At some points, it feels like Andrade is just toying with The Miz and even shows off to Zelina, who looks annoyed, telling Andrade to focus on the job at hand. Sheamus even tells Andrade to wrap things up and that distraction allows Miz to get back into it, nearly stealing a win by grabbing the tights but Andrade overcomes this, hitting a combo of SEEING SHADOWS followed up by his signature HAMMERLOCK DDT to retain his Intercontinental title!
Winner via pinfall and still Intercontinental Champion: Andrade Cien Almas (5:37)
Andrade gets to his feet with a smug smirk on his face as he snatches the Intercontinental title from the referee and lifts it into the air, soaking in the reaction from the crowd. Sheamus looks to charge into the ring, but Zelina Vega stops him, allowing Andrade to back up the entrance ramp, talking trash to the Celtic Warrior! Andrade talks trash all the way up the ramp… UNTIL HE TURNS AROUND INTO AN EUROPEAN UPPERCUT FROM CESARO! The Swiss Superman stands over Andrade Cien Almas before sharing a look with his former tag team partner Sheamus, as Raw goes to a commercial break.
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When we return from the commercial break, we can see Aleister Black doing some kickboxing and he seems to be warming up. The door opens as we can see Kevin Owens walking into the room, getting a look from Aleister Black, who stops his training. Aleister asks where he has been and Owens says he was taking care of some personal business. Black says that Sami can fight his own battles, but Owens steps forward, saying that the only reason Sami is fighting this battle is due to his own actions and it should be himself dealing with it.
Black shakes his head and steps forward, saying it is the softness that he has been talking about within them. He tells Owens they need to stop letting the light hold them back, or they will be destroyed by Bray and Braun. Kevin however, says he strongly disagrees, saying the only thing stopping him from being like them is the light, the help and helping his best friend Sami Zayn. Owens makes it clear he doesn’t want to be the person he used to be and wants to be a man his son can be proud of!
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Match 3: The Blackhearted Witches vs The Riott Squad
Match summary: Both teams come into this match aggressive right from the bell as this rivalry continues to escalate. KiLynn King shows off her superior size and power, whilst Shotzi’s insanity comes into play, giving Ruby and Liv a lot to deal with early on. Liv and Ruby, though gives as good as they get with the betrayal from Shotzi Blackheart still stinging them and the match after the 5-minute mark turns into a brawl outside the ring between all 4 women! The referee tries to get them back in the ring, but it is out of control, so the referee calls for a double countout!
Winners: Double countout (5:58)
The brawl carries on as the crowd goes wild, wanting both teams to carry on fighting. We see a bunch of security appear and try to get the situation under control… BUT THEY ALL FIGHT OFF THE SECURITY GUARDS TO CARRY ON FIGHTING! The two tag teams end up brawling to the back as the commentary team says we are going to a commercial break, but we will try to find out what happens when we come back!
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When we return from the commercial break, we see that finally, security has managed to get the brawl between The Riott Squad and The Blackhearted Witches under control! Wade Barrett comes storming in and tells them that it's enough! He tells the two teams that if they want to brawl like this, they can fight at the Great American Bash in a Falls Count Anywhere tornado tag team match! He also makes it clear that both teams are also banned from contact with each other till the PPV. Both teams stare at each other before heading opposite ways as we cut back to the ring.
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As we return to the ring, we see Rhea Ripley make her way out with a scowl on her face and the Women’s Universal title around her waist. The commentary team hypes up her defending her title next Sunday against Deonna Purrazzo, but Ripley has never been known as someone with patience. Rhea Ripley is still getting huge cheers from the live crowd as she steps into the ring before saying she has come out here for one reason, as she needs to call someone out…
BUT INSTEAD OF DEONNA PURRAZZO BIANCA BELAIR WALKS OUT INSTEAD! The crowd cheers for Bianca Belair as she makes her way down the entrance ramp with Rhea Ripley, saying it’s a couple of months before she needs to deal with her. Belair smiles and says Rhea needs to hold that title tightly because she is the person she wants to beat for the Women’s Universal title however, she is not out here for a fight with her… yet! Belair says she wants her hands on Deonna and Piper, plus she wasn’t planning on waiting in the back for them to beat Rhea up 2-on-1!
Rhea Ripley quips back and tells the Queen of the Ring she can handle herself, reminding Belair that she was the one who ended her NXT title reign. The tension is clear for all to see between the two top women on Raw when they are soon interrupted by Cerebrum et Vires, with Deonna Purrazzo leading the way, with Piper Niven following behind her. Rhea cuts Deonna off before she can speak, demanding a fight with the pair of them, with Piper stepping forward, but Deonna stops her for the moment.
Deonna makes it clear that even after last week’s cheap attack, they will not be giving in to their base emotions and anger like a pair of morons. Neither Belair nor Ripley looks impressed as Deonna carries on and says that she isn’t going to come out here for a brawl unannounced just to please these people getting boos from the fans. Deonna shakes her head and says that every match she has, she wants the time to plan and study her opponent, to think about their weaknesses before taking everything from them!
Belair tells the pair that they come to Raw to wrestle, not listen to Deonna talk, so when is going to get the chance to kick both of their asses! Piper Niven tells Belair to watch her mouth, but Deonna calms down her tag team partner. Deonna says next week, Cerebrum et Vires will prove they are superior, challenging them to a tag team match if they want a fight so bad. Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair both make it clear they accept at the same time, but are out of sync, getting a smile from Deonna as we go to a commercial break.
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When we return from the commercial break, we cut to the backstage area where we can see The New Day hanging out in their locker room. Xavier Woods is warming up ahead of his Cruiserweight title match later tonight, whilst Big E is pacing around looking furious. Kofi Kingston enters the ring with an ice pack on his head and is still wincing after his match with Randy Orton earlier tonight. Big E rushes over to check on him and asks if Kofi is OK, getting a quiet nod from Kingston.
Woods says Kofi came close to beating Orton and just needs to get back into his groove. Kofi takes a moment to sigh before saying that Woods is right and he is just having a rough few weeks, but the look on his face tells a different story. Big E says the only thing keeping him from destroying Randy Orton tonight is the announcement, as The New Day wonders what it is, but Xavier tells Big E to be sensible and not let Randy Orton get to him because that’s what the Viper wants!
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Match 4: Iron Survivor Qualifying match: Seth Rollins vs Jeff Hardy
Match summary: Both former World champions come into this match looking to prove why they belong back in contention for the WWE title. The fans are firmly behind Jeff Hardy and hope for him to pull off an upset, whilst Seth taunts the fans and promises to save the WWE title. Jeff looks to turn back the years and even has Seth set up for the SWANTON BOMB… BUT HE MISSES AND SETH TAKES ADVANTAGE WITH A RIPCORD KNEE! Seth doesn’t stop there and runs the ropes, connecting with a CURB STOMP!
Winner via pinfall: Seth Rollins (6:09)
Seth Rollins gets to his feet with a smug smirk and sticks his arms out in his signature Jesus-like pose as he torments the fans. The commentary team mentions Seth’s most recent Universal title reign over on SmackDown and wonders what could await Monday Night Raw if Seth Rollins manages to become Men’s WWE Champion!
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When we return from the commercial break, we see another brawl underway backstage, but this time it is British Strong Style and Mark Andrews battling with the Grizzled Young Veterans and Trent Seven. The two trios are laying into each other with hard strikes as the security guards are earning their pay tonight as they separate the two trios at the behest of Wade Barrett. The Raw commissioner says he is getting sick of his superstars brawling with everyone and makes a trios match for the Great American Bash pre-show. He also adds that next week we will see Mark Andrews vs Trent Seven!
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When we cut back to the ring, we hear the music of Mickie James as the self-proclaimed fricking legend walks to the ring with a microphone in hand and looks to be in a bad mood. The commentary team brings up what happened last week with Ember Moon making her presence felt and costing Mickie James the number one contender’s match. Mickie James does not look happy as she enters the ring, getting a decent pop from the live crowd, but there are some boos still from the fans in the crowd.
Mickie says she has had to face the last few years, that maybe her skills are fading and that she is close to the end of her career. The crowd is unsure how to react to that, but James gets them on side by saying it is the only reason she worked with a snake like Alexa. Mickie says she knew she needed an ally if she was going to achieve something she never achieved before: the tag team titles and put her stock into Alexa Bliss, which was a huge mistake.
Mickie says instead of focusing on both of them succeeding, it was only about what success was there for Alexa Bliss. Mickie says she became a lackey for Alexa and even with a lackey by her side, Alexa still couldn’t win any gold! Mickie says she was happy to leave Bliss in the past after beating her, but she had to get a new person to cling to. Mickie walks to the ropes and says she has some advice for Ember Moon that she might not want to hear, but is calling her out right now!
Mickie doesn’t have to wait too long, as shortly after calling her out, Ember Moon makes her way out to loud boos. Ember has the Money in the Bank briefcase on show, further winding up the fans and is joined by her friend Alexa Bliss. Ember says what she did to Mickie was to show her that this is no longer the past. Mrs. Money in the Bank continues saying Alexa was doing charity work and Ember, as her friend, could no longer let some minion keep acting like she was more than her best friend.
Alexa Bliss says Mickie has all the success in an era where the women were not on the same level as everyone today. Mickie makes it clear that if Bliss were back in her day, she wouldn’t have had a chance, and reminds Alexa that she beat her. Bliss is ready to head to the ring and attack Mickie, but Ember keeps her friend calm. Ember says Mickie’s win the other week was a fluke and instead challenges Mickie to a match next week on Raw, which the veteran accepts. As we cut to a commercial break, the challenge is accepted.
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When we return from the commercial break, we cut to a room where The Street Profits are sitting across from The Good Brothers, and Cathy Kelley is sitting in between the two tag teams. Cathy thanks both teams for agreeing to the interview and says she wanted to start by asking The Good Brothers why they chose to follow the lead of Adam Cole in the absence of Finn Balor and not try to make up with AJ Styles. Karl smirks, saying they have no intention of going backwards and AJ has lost a step, whilst Finn Balor and Adam Cole are ready to take over like they planned to do from day 1!
Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins noticeably shake their heads as they both comment on The Good Brothers switching up on their days ones because they are not the team they used to be. Luke Gallows gets angry at that comment and says they are still the best tag team in the world, having proved themselves all over the globe, winning titles. Karl Anderson fires back and tells the pair that they can talk a bunch of trash, but this is the first time they have ever managed to win gold, calling it a fluke.
Cathy asks The Street Profits for their thoughts on those comments, getting a head shake from Dawkins and a much fierier response from Montez Ford. He says all they had to hear for years was that they were the best team to never win these tag team titles; now they have them, all they get are comments calling it a fluke. Montez brings up War Games, plus defeating The Kingdom and Jeff Jarrett & Heath Slater, showing they are worthy tag team champions ready to beat anyone in their way!
Match 5: Aliyah and Zelina Vega vs Nina Samuels and Lana Austin
Match summary: Aliyah and Zelina do take a while to get on the same page, as they are new to tag teaming with each other. Nina Samuels and Lana Austin from NXT UK would get to show off some of their skills as a unit, but in the end, Aliyah and Zelina pick up the win with Aliyah taking care of Nina whilst Zelina hits Lana Austin with CODE RED!
Winners via pinfall: Aliyah and Zelina Vega (3:41)
Aliyah and Zelina Vega get to their feet both having cocky smiles on their face, having picked up their first-ever win as a tag team. Meanwhile Nina Samuels and Lana Austin start to head to the back with the commentary team wondering if they could be a force in the tag team division and soon become tag team champions!
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When we return from the commercial break, we can see The Miz with an ice pack pressed to his head, whilst a slightly annoyed Sheamus sits across the room from him. Miz says tonight he is this close to winning the Intercontinental title, holding his fingers up as Sheamus does not look convinced. Miz seems like he is about to carry on, but they are interrupted by Cesaro walking into the room! We see Sheamus get to his feet quickly as the former tag team partners come face to face!
Neither man speaks at first due to their issues last year, but Sheamus breaks the tension by telling Cesaro it is good for him to have finally seen sense. Cesaro smiles slightly, saying that he never did like listening to Sheamus, but his old friend was correct. Cesaro says he is not done with Andrade at the moment and that’s why he helped tonight, getting a thanks from Sheamus. Sheamus nods his head but requests that his friend stay out of any Intercontinental title match between himself and Andrade, which Cesaro sighs at but agrees, fist-bumping his friend and leaving the room.
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Match 6: Number one contender’s match for the Cruiserweight title: Ilja Dragunov vs Gran Metalik
Match summary: We cut back to the ring for a number one contender’s match, with a title match for the Cruiserweight title at the Great American Bash on the line. Both men show respect to each other before the bell rings, with both wanting it to be a fair fight. The two men have very different styles as Ilja focuses on hard strikes and aggression, whilst Gran Metalik looks to catch out the Mad Russian with his speed and high-flying ability. The commentary team points out the different skills of both men and it is a true contrast of styles throughout the match.
Gran Metalik feels the pain and winces due to the volume of strikes to the chest from Ilja. He tries to fire back some of his own, but this is a mistake on his part because he can’t fire them off to the level Ilja can. Metalik heads to the ropes and looks to try to catch Ilja out that way, but Ilja catches him on the ropes and counters with a SPAINISH FLY OFF THE ROPES! They crash on the mat as Ilja gets back to his feet and runs the ropes before LANDING THE H-BOMB to become the number one contender for the Cruiserweight title!
Winner via pinfall: Ilja Dragunov (7:10)
The crowd cheers fairly loudly for the Mad Russian, who gets back to his feet with a slight smile on his face, knowing he is one match away from his first singles gold. The commentary team puts him and Metalik over, saying both men showed out tonight. Ilja and Metalik shake hands before the luchador leaves Ilja Dragunov in the ring to celebrate his victory. He doesn’t get to celebrate too long, though as he is soon cut off by Angel Garza making his entrance!
Ilja Dragunov looks annoyed as we see that Angel is not alone, joined by Zelina Vega and his cousin Humberto Carrillo on his way out. There is some clear tension between The Ungovernables and the former member Ilja Dragunov, who leaves the ring. However, as he goes up the entrance ramp, Cruiserweight Champion Xavier Woods makes his way out, coming face to face with Ilja Dragunov. The two men have a stare down and a nod before Woods carries on his entrance as Raw goes into a commercial break ahead of the Cruiserweight title match-up next!
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Match 7: Cruiserweight title match: Xavier Woods © vs Angel Garza w/Humberto Carrillo and Zelina Vega
Match summary: When we return from the commercial break, already into the 3rd hour of the broadcast and we can see Angel Garza working over the Cruiserweight Champion in the middle of the ring. The crowd is clearly behind the New Day member as the commentary team says losing another set of titles to The Ungovernables would be a horrendous blow. Woods looks like he is making a comeback… BUT ZELINA DISTRACTS THE REFEREE ALLOWING HUMBERTO TO GET IN A CHEAP SHOT!
The crowd loudly boos due to the cheap shot, but The Ungovernables are happy to get the gold around their waist by any means necessary! The longer the match goes on, the more cheap tricks and tactics we get from Angel Garza and friends at ringside. In the closing stages of the match, BIG E COMES OUT AND TAKES OUT HUMBERTO CARRILLO! Zelina Vega goes to argue with him, and this allows Woods to hit a TORANDO DDT into LIMIT BREAK to pick up the win and retain his title!
Winner via pinfall and still Cruiserweight Champion: Xavier Woods (9:36)
Woods gets back to his feet and is joined inside the ring by his best friend Big E as they both raise their titles into the air to loud cheers from the crowd! The commentary team says Woods survived one tough challenge thanks to Big E, but now faces a very different one at the Great American Bash. Meanwhile, at the top of the entrance ramp, we would see a furious Ungovernables sulking over the loss as we cut to a commercial break.
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When we return from the commercial break, we see Wade Barrett in his office looking through some paperwork. He is soon disturbed by the Ungovernables faction bursting into his office with Zelina Vega looking furious! She asks Wade Barrett where Big E gets off getting involved in her client’s matches. Barrett raises an eyebrow and points out that Humberto was getting involved in the Cruiserweight title match, so Big E got involved to stop him. Humberto steps forward, saying Angel is his family, so any match his cousin has is his family’s business!
Wade says that’s fine, in that case on next week’s Raw, he can fight Big E in a non-title match! Humberto goes to argue, but Zelina whispers in his ear. Zelina says her client agrees as long as he gets a WWE title match if he wins. Wade agrees before telling Zelina he also has another match for her clients, making a trios match for Andrade, Angel and Nakamura to take on The Bar and The Miz! Zelina looks annoyed but signals for her clients to leave after telling Wade that as long as she gets another tag match next week, her clients will be there.
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We then cut to the Firefly Funhouse and we are welcomed as usual by Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman who each are wearing red Mr. Rodgers-style jumpers and creepy smiles on their faces. The kids in the Funhouse cheer for them, but the crowd in the arena gives them a much more mixed reaction. Bray finishes waving as he tells the fans that since Braun has come to the Funhouse, he has noticed some changes. Braun looks at him and fakes being worried, but Braun says now that he is back in the family, he has changed for the better!
Bray says that when someone wants to be changed for the better, they welcome Bray in with open arms. He sees the suffering people have and that’s why he is here to help the future, pointing to the kids sitting in the front row of the Funhouse as they start to clap. Braun says he learned over the years that friends and family can fight, but that leads to disaster, as we see clips of the arguments between Owens and Black. Bray wraps up the segment, saying that we will all soon learn why they need to be on the same page, bringing the segment to a close as we cut to a commercial break.
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When we return from the commercial break, we can see Zelina Vega on the phone, ranting in Spanish to someone as Shinsuke follows after her. As she carries on her rent, we can see The Twisted Sisters approach, laughing to each other, which pisses off Vega! Vega confronts Isla and asks what she finds funny, getting a puzzled look from the witch. Isla says it is a private joke she wouldn’t get, but that doesn’t impress Zelina, who tells them that she will see them in the ring next week! Nikki goes forward, saying she wants to play with a wild smile, but Zelina storms off, shaking her head, saying she has somewhere to be.
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Match 8: Iron Survivor qualifying match: Cesaro vs Shinsuke Nakamura w/Zelina Vega
Match summary: Cesaro comes into this match angry but focused, knowing he has the chance to earn a rematch for the WWE title. Meanwhile, Shinsuke is looking to get a shot at a title he has never won. The commentary team notes he is one of three Royal Rumble winners who have never won the WWE or World or Universal title, a record Shinsuke will be looking to correct if he can make it to Summerslam. Zelina is once again at ringside to support her client, but is still in a bad mood after the events of tonight.
The ring action early on sees both men exchanging strikes as Shinsuke looks like he is going to be able to match Cesaro with this… until the power of Cesaro takes over and he starts to give Nakamura a beating, forcing him to regroup outside the ring with Zelina. She gives her client some encouragement as he goes back into the ring and looks for a different tactic as she shows off some of his former MMA experience by looking to work over Cesaro with a series of submissions.
This causes Cesaro some difficulties at first, but what makes Cesaro so great as a competitor is his ability to wrestle multiple different styles and he finds a counter to this plan too, even locking Shinsuke in a SHARPSHOOTER for a close near fall! Shinsuke gets desperate at this point and even seems to drone out Zelina, ignoring her advice as he hammers Cesaro with kicks in a frantic fashion… BUT CESARO SENDS HIM FLYING INTO THE AIR WITH SWISS DEATH! Cesaro then grabs hold of Nakamura, locking eyes with Zelina as he hits the RICOLA BOMB for the victory!
Winner via pinfall: Cesaro (10:34)
Cesaro gets to his feet with a serious, focused look on his face, having picked up the victory tonight and advancing to the Iron Survivor match at The Great American Bash! The commentary team says Cesaro might be one of the favourites, having one of the best years of his career, but they wonder if he is too focused on revenge on Andrade. Back in the ring, we can see a furious Zelina Vega glaring at Cesaro in the ring as we cut to a commercial break.
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When we return from the commercial break, we see Gran Metalik walking through the back, and he is stopped for an interview by Tom Phillips. He asks Metalik how he is feeling, as the Mexican luchador brings up the pain in his chest, but that fighting like tonight is why he does this. He says he loves fighting great warriors, and Ilja Dragunov is one of them. Metalik is about to be asked what is next, but the interview is interrupted by Karrion Kross and Nathan Frazer!
Nathan says Metalik is hiding how he feels, prompting the luchador to quip back, “Because I wear a mask” but Nathan shakes his head. He tells the luchador he can tell he is angry about losing and the Church can help with that. Metalik makes it clear there is only one church he would follow, prompting Karrion Kross to step forward, telling Metalik he would be happy to show him the error of his ways, smirking sinisterly. Gran Metalik says they can settle this in the ring next week then and walks off, bringing the promo to an end.
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Match 9: Iron Survivor qualifying match: Adam Cole vs Big Cass
Match summary: In the final match of the night, ahead of the main event, Adam Cole enters this match cautiously, knowing Big Cass holds a significant size and power advantage. Cole, however, is one of the smartest wrestlers in the WWE today, and he plays a very tactical game of staying out of Cass’s way, which winds up getting under the big man's skin. Cole makes a point to target the right leg of Cass, knowing that it will be the best way to ground him and keep him down… BUT MID-WAY THROUGH CASS GETS HOLD OF COLE!
The crowd loudly cheers as Big Cass starts to batter Adam Cole, who has no answer now that the bigger man has him in his grasp! Cole shows his grit and survivability, managing to stay alive in this match. In the closing stages, it looks like Big Cass is going to score a huge win over a former NXT Champion… BUT COLE RAKES THE EYES OF BIG CASS! The referee argues with him about it… BUT COLE USES THAT TO DO A SNEAKY LOW BLOW! Cole then runs the ropes, hitting not 1 BUT 2 LAST SHOTS! Big Cass falls to the mat and Cole hooks the leg, stealing the victory!
Winner via pinfall: Adam Cole (7:17)
Adam Cole gets to his feet with a smug smirk and taunts the live crowd, now being one match away from a WWE title shot at Summerslam. The crowd rains down heat on the former NXT Champion, but he doesn’t care, with a smug smirk on his face. The commentary team also wonders how the rivalry between AJ Styles and Adam Cole will factor into the match before we cut to the backstage scene to see.
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We see Randy Orton walking towards the ring with a smug smirk on his face before being stopped by Cathy Kelley, looking for an interview. He has a smug look on his face as she asks him why he tried to punt Kofi Kingston in the head earlier tonight. Randy says he was sending a message to Big E, making it clear that his friends are not safe and he isn’t safe. He tells Cathy that Big E thinks friendship is what gets you to the top, but he is wrong. Randy says being ruthless does and that’s why he is taking his title at the Great American Bash before walking off, bringing the interview to an end ahead of our main event segment.
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The main event segment begins with Wade Barrett standing in the middle of the ring, a table in front of him, and the contract for the main event of the Great American Bash. Wade Barrett does his usual speech whilst also running down the card for next week’s go-home show before confirming he wants Randy Orton and Big E to make their way out now! Randy Orton comes out first as the challenger for the WWE title, getting a loud mixed reaction from the live crowd.
Randy Orton comes face-to-face with Wade Barrett as the tension between the two men becomes clear once again. Randy takes a seat with a smug smirk before Wade Barrett introduces the WWE Champion Big E, who makes his way out, getting a loud pop from the fans. He lifts the WWE title into the air before heading to the ring, ready to sign the contract to make the Great American Bash official. Big E glares at Orton before shaking hands with Barrett and taking a seat.
Wade Barrett would tell both men to read the contract before signing it. Big E would take the contract and briefly look at it before signing it and passing it to Orton. The challenge smirked, prompting a response from Orton that he is too quick to rush into things. Big E shakes his head, saying he doesn’t need to check the fine points because the important thing is him getting to kick Orton’s ass when he steps into the ring with him at the Great American Bash!
Orton shakes his head, saying maybe Big E will learn, but if he is not careful, this business will chew him up and spit him out just like numerous superstars and so-called legends over the years. Orton says he didn’t get to the position of being a legend after killing so many by not being careful. He takes a look at the contract, and he looks slightly confused, prompting a big smile on the face of Wade Barrett. The challenger glares at the Raw commissioner and asks why it says there is a special guest referee for his WWE title match.
Wade Barrett says since we are going to be in Texas for the Great American Bash, what would be better to have in Texas than an appearance from Stone Cold Steve Austin and that the Rattlesnake will be the special guest referee for the main event! The crowd goes wild knowing Austin will be there as Orton gets to his feet, furious saying Wade is trying to screw him… BUT BIG E ATTACKS ORTON FROM BEHIND AND THEN HITS THE BOOTY DROP SENDING ORTON THROUGH THE TABLE! Big E then grabs the hand of Orton and signs the contract for him as Raw comes to a close with Big E standing tall over the challenger as we fade to black!
Confirmed matches for next week:
Singles match:
Big E vs Humberto Carrillo
Singles match:
AJ Styles vs Damian Priest
Singles match:
Ember Moon vs Mickie James
Singles match:
Gran Metalik vs Karrion Kross
Singles match:
Angelo Dawkins vs Luke Gallows
Singles match:
Mark Andrews vs Trent Seven
Tag team match:
Bianca Belair and Rhea Ripley vs Cerebrum et corpus
Tag team match:
Aliyah and Zelina Vega vs The Twisted Sisters
Trios match:
The Ungovernables (Andrade, Garza and Nakamura) vs Cesaro, Sheamus and The Miz
Matchcard for The Great American Bash
Fort Worth, Texas
July 4th 2021
THE WEEKND – TAKE MY BREATH
WWE title match:
Special guest referee: Stone Cold Steve Austin
Big E © vs Randy Orton
Women’s Universal title match:
Rhea Ripley © vs Deonna Purrazzo
World tag team titles match:
The Street Profits © vs The Good Brothers
Cruiserweight title match:
Xavier Woods © vs Ilja Dragunov
Iron Survivor number one contender’s match for the WWE title at Summerslam:
Damian Priest vs AJ Styles vs Cesaro vs Seth Rollins vs Adam Cole
Singles match:
Bianca Belair vs Piper Niven
Singles match:
Mustafa Ali vs Sami Zayn
Tag team match:
Aleister Black and Kevin Owens vs Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman
Falls count anywhere tornado tag team match:
The Riott Squad vs The Blackhearted Witches
Pre-show:
Trios match:
British Strong Style and Mark Andrews vs The Grizzled Young Veterans and Trent Seven
EWR Rating:
71%
Stevie Turner is out for an undisclosed amount of time
The young British superstar will be out of action for the time being due to an injury sustained on a house show. It is unknown when she will return to but she is seen as a key part of the brand and the women’s division on NXT UK!
More budget cuts happen within WWE:
The following superstars have been let go from the WWE as part of the most recent budgets cuts:
- Akam
- Ariya Daivari
- Arturo Roas
- August Grey
- Curt Stallion
- EJ Nduka
- Eva Marie
- Fandango
- Kurt Angle
- Rezar
- Ric Flair
- Samir Singh
- Sunil Singh
- Tony Nese
SmackDown Live Recap
June 25th 2021
Austin, Texas
Frank Erwin Centre
We start SmackDown with the signature cold open and it shows Shawn Michaels in his office not looking happy as he is making a phone call. He asks for an update on Kurt’s condition before the door slams open as Chad Gable leads the rest of Alpha Academy into the room, looking absolutely furious! Shawn tells the person on the phone to keep him updated before turning to Chad Gable. Shawn tries to calm the former United States Champion down, but Gable makes it clear they want revenge on not just The Bloodline but Tommaso Ciampa and The War Raiders for their help in taking out his mentor!
Daniel Garcia and Buddy Murphy both make it clear they don’t want to wait for payback, but Shawn Michaels sighs and says that Paul Heyman has gone above his head to make sure there can be no contact between Alpha Academy and The Bloodline! They look furious as Daniel Bryan says this is Roman hiding behind loopholes and lawyers to get away with his attack on Angle. Shawn doesn’t disagree, but the best he can do is make sure the Bloodline is banned from ringside for tonight’s main event and signs off on Alpha Academy vs Tommaso Ciampa and The War Raiders next week on SmackDown, ending the opening segment.
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MAYHEM – HALESTORM
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Match 1: WWE Women’s title match: Taynara Conti © w/Xia Li vs Natalya w/The MMA Horsewomen
Match summary: SmackDown Live starts with the WWE Women’s title on the line. Conti takes her time early on, wary that Natalya is a submission specialist and doesn’t want to get caught out. Natalya is happy to keep the match at a slower pace, but soon gets met with a flurry of kicks and strikes as Conti looks to ramp up the pressure on the Queen of Harts! Natalya though, gets her opening by targeting the damaged left arm of Conti and starts to work over it as Shayna and Marina cheer her on from the outside.
Xia Li is keeping her eye out to make sure the group doesn’t try cheap tricks again, but unlike normal, the MMA Horsewomen largely choose to stay out of this encounter. Conti gets the crowd behind her and starts to fight through the pain, even managing to get out of the SHARPSHOOTER as we reach the closing stages of the match. Conti has a flurry and lays into Natalya with a series of hard kicks and strikes before bringing her back towards the middle of the ring and planting her with the DD-TAY! Conti makes the cover 1 2 3 The Brazilian Badass retains her title!
Winner via pinfall and still WWE Women’s Champion: Taynara Conti (10:19)
The crowd loudly cheers as Conti gets back to her feet and celebrates another successful title defence, but she doesn’t get to celebrate for too long as SHAYNA BASZLER ATTACKS HER FROM BEHIND! Marina makes sure Xia Li can’t stop the beatdown and even Sonya Deville falls to the attack as Natalya, once she recovers, helps her allies. Shayna demands a microphone from someone at ringside and tells Conti that the clock is ticking. She tells the champion the only reason her arm stays intact tonight is that she wants a title match at World’s End!
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We return from the commercial break and get a video confirming that John Cena will be returning to SmackDown Live next week! The commentary team hypes this up and wonders what the 16-time champion will have to say when he appears and why he is coming back now.
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MVP makes his way out, joined by the two currently healthy members of the Hurt Business, Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander. All 3 men are in crisp suits as they head towards the ring, getting a mixed reaction from the crowd, but it is leaning slightly towards cheers. MVP, once in the ring, says they have as few pieces of business as they need to take care of and a few people who might need a reminder where they stand. Shelton asks for the microphone before telling Lio and Lashley he has no problems with them.
Shelton says he saw the chance to make sure Dynasty did not walk out with tag team gold, but also take out a huge threat in the match. Cedric borrows the microphone and says that whilst their main goal was to make sure Dynasty didn’t win the tag team belts, it didn’t mean The Hurt Business didn’t want to be tag team champions again. MVP says he can see why Lashley might be mad, but at the end of the day, they need to be focused on who the real enemy is: Swerve Strickland!
Lio Rush and Bobby Lashley make their way out with microphones in hand as they get cheers from the live crowd. Rush speaks first, telling MVP that they get where he is coming from, they saw the chance to get revenge and they took it. MVP nods with a smile, but Lashley then asks why he shouldn’t get payback from them for costing him the tag team titles. MVP fires back, saying the way Lashley is wording it makes it seem like they screwed them when Shelton took him out of the match fair and square.
Lashley says he thought there was some unspoken code between them, but Shelton makes it clear that for there to be a code, it needs to be spoken. MVP says he did offer the chance to do business with Bobby, but the main man had turned it down. Lashley says that is due to him not trusting MVP with Lio Rush reminding them that he has recently been booted out of the Hurt Business. MVP holds his hands up and admits it was a mistake, but until they get something in writing, this is no alliance.
MVP says he has offered terms to both of them, but they have turned him down several times. Lio steps forward and asks why he would go back to a group that kicked him out! MVP looks to speak, but before they can, they are interrupted by Prince Nana standing at the top of the ramp with a microphone and coffee in hand. The crowd loudly boos the manager of Mogul Embassy as he tells the men in the ring that all this bickering is exactly why his boss moved on from the Hurt Business.
Lio Rush tells him that he wants Swerve to show his face, but Nana smirk saying be careful what you wish for as MOGUL EMBASSY SNEAKS INTO THE RING AND ATTACKS THE HURT BUSINESS, LIO RUSH AND BOBBY LASHLEY! There is a numbers disadvantage with MVP there, but the sneak attack works to give Mogul Embassy an edge in this brawl, laying everyone out, including an impressive nightmare pendulum on Bobby Lashley from Hammerstone. Swerve takes a microphone and says he warned them before the Mogul Embassy took their leave, having sent a message to their rivals.
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We return from the commercial break as we see Paul Heyman leaving a locker room that is not the Bloodline’s when he bumps into Drew McIntyre! Paul looks a bit worried as Drew puts a hand on the shoulder of Heyman and tells him to relax. He just wanted to check in with Heyman and make sure Roman Reigns heard his message last week. Paul stammers and says he would have to check in with the Tribal Chief as Drew grabs him by the tie and tells Paul to make sure Roman did hear it because sooner rather than later, he is coming to dethrone Roman one more time!
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Match 2: Franky Monet and Charlotte Flair vs Emma and Toni Storm vs The Bloodline
Match summary: All 3 teams come into the match knowing they have the chance to get a Women’s tag team title match at World’s End. The commentary team mentions that Flair is teaming with Monet tonight, as in the Queen’s words, she wants gold back around her waist, whilst Franky says a star teaming with a Queen is a perfect fit. Nia Jax and Naomi, meanwhile are teaming up for the first time and it is clear there are some teething issues, whilst Emma and Toni Storm are a cohesive unit due to their time in NXT together.
As the match goes on, we see Charlotte Flair and Toni Storm collide in the middle of the ring, throwing chops at each other as the commentary team is impressed with how well Toni Storm is doing against a 9-time Women’s Champion. In the closing stages, the match breaks down with Charlotte and Toni brawling outside the ring. The Bloodline works together to take out Emma before Franky gets hit with the REAR VIEW into a Nia Jax RUNNING LEG DROP meaning the Bloodline advances to next week!
Winners via pinfall: The Bloodline (7:25)
The crowd boos, but Naomi just has a look on her face of relief, knowing a loss tonight could have put her position in the Bloodline in greater danger. Outside the ring, we can see Charlotte Flair angry and shouting at Toni Storm, with the fiery Aussie more than happy to argue back with the Queen. Both their tag team partners step in, though Charlotte Flair storms away from Franky as we cut to a commercial break.
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When we return from the commercial break, we see Emma and Toni Storm talking to each other after the loss earlier tonight. Both are disappointed but plan to refocus and get themselves back into tag team title contention. However, as they are chatting to each other, Charlotte Flair comes over and gets right in Toni Storm’s face! She says the young superstar knew that the only way to stop her was to make sure she was out of the ring and her weaker partner wouldn’t be able to get the job done! Toni looks baffled by this and asks who talks about someone they are meant to be a partner with like that.
Charlotte tells Toni that when she has achieved a fraction of what she has, she would understand knowing your superiority and maybe teaming with someone who’s actually won something, looking directly at Emma. Toni looks furious, but Emma steps in, saying she will handle this. Emma says Charlotte has always been arrogant, but since coming back to the WWE, Emma has seen that Charlotte’s ego has only increased. Emma says someone needs to take her down a size and challenges her to a match next week. Charlotte accepts the challenge and snidely remarks that it would be a good learning experience for Toni!
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Match 3: L.A Knight vs Zack Ryder w/Curt Hawkins
Match summary: L.A. Knight comes into this match not just cocky but annoyed, feeling he's above a match with Zack Ryder. However, the former United States and Intercontinental Champion catches him off-guard, forcing L.A. Knight to powder a couple of times and he slams the ring apron in anger. In the end, however, L.A. Knight is too good for Ryder and hits him with the BFT to pick up the victory!
Winner via pinfall: L.A. Knight (5:26)
The crowd boos but L.A. Knight gloats in the ring as the commentary team points out, he has now gotten 3 wins in a row since debuting on SmackDown Live. Curt Hawkins looks to get revenge for the previous week, but soon also gets planted with a BFT! L.A. Knight stands tall in the middle of the ring and taunts the fans who start to loudly cheer… EDGE CATCHES HIM WITH A SPEAR! The veteran gets back to his feet with a slight smile, leaving Knight clutching his midsection as we go to a commercial break.
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When we return from the commercial break, we can see the ring set up with a bunch of balloons and a cake as the Mysterios make their way to the ring with the WWE Tag Team titles around their waists. Rey Mysterio has probably the biggest smile he has ever had in his career as he walks to the ring with his son. The commentary team once again focuses on the fact that they are the first-ever father and son tag team to hold the tag team titles. They get into the ring, getting a loud pop from the fans and the smile on their faces gets even bigger.
Rey starts the celebration by saying he has achieved many things over the years. He has been a Cruiserweight, United States, Intercontinental and even a World Champion before. He then turns to his son and says that being a father was the greatest achievement of them all. Dominik smiles and looks on the verge of happy tears as Rey says he has held the tag team titles many times, but this is the one that means the most to him, because he did it with his son!
Rey and Dom share a hug in the middle of the ring, with the crowd delighted by this celebration in the ring. Dominik then takes the microphone, saying he spent years growing up and watching his dad winning titles all over the world. Dominik Mysterio says he dreamed of one day stepping into this ring and competing, but he never dreamed he would get the chance to win tag team gold with his dad. He says he doesn’t know how long this will last, but he is going to enjoy every moment of this…
TUCKER KNIGHT COMES OUT! The crowd loudly boo one-half of Heavy Machinery, but he ignores the fans instead saying that this is not the place for a father-son love-in. He gets even louder boos, but Tucker tells the crowd this is exactly what he tells Otis: you need to keep your personal life out of this ring and focus on business when it comes to the WWE. Rey and Dom disagree as Tucker calls this a nice moment, but the honest truth is that Dominik Mysterio's elimination of him was a fluke!
The boos get even louder, but Tucker says he is out here right now to issue a challenge for the WWE Tag Team titles at World’s End. Before we can hear the answer, Otis Dozovic comes out and immediately confronts his tag team partner. He asks what Tucker is doing and that they discussed asking for this match differently. Tucker, though, shakes his head and says Otis didn’t want to hear it because he is too busy mixing business with pleasure.
Tucker says Otis has his eyes set on Mandy too much and that’s why they don’t have the tag team titles back around their waist. Rey Mysterio at this point, has had enough of this interruption, telling Tucker that maybe he needs to follow his own advice and keep this in the back! Dominik then steps forward and says if Tucker wants a title match at World’s End, they have got it but he and his father will prove why a united family will always defeat a divided one. Tucker looks annoyed, but got the tag title match he wanted, but will Otis even want to team with him if he carries on like Tucker is about Mandy?
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Match 4: Team Kick vs The Medusa Complex vs House of Couture
Match summary: When we return from the commercial break, we get our 2nd women’s tag team titles qualifying match. Team Kick comes into this match not with their usual smiles, but instead looks focused on getting one more match with the Boss ’N Hug Connection. The Medusa Complex and The House of Couture, by contrast, seem in a much more relaxed mood, though The House of Couture is happy to try to stay out of the action as much as possible and sneak a pin when an opportunity presents itself.
As the match goes on, we see Millie McKenzie showing off her array of suplexes, tossing women around the ring. Charli Evans also as well shows her ability to brawl outside the ring, getting into a proper fight with Tegan Nox. As the match reaches the closing stages, Jinny, Evans and Nox are taken out, leaving Kai and McKenzie in the ring. Kai wins out hitting GO TO KICK on Millie… AMALE TRIES TO TOSS HER FROM THE RING… BUT KAI SEES IT COMING AND HITS A GO TO KICK ON HER TOO! She hooks the leg and Team Kick advances to next week!
Winners via pinfall: Team Kick (7:23)
Team Kick get back to their feet, but there is no big celebration from them; they feel they have still got a job to do and won’t rest until they get the Women’s Tag Team titles from the Boss ‘N’ Connection. They stand tall in the middle of the ring before we cut elsewhere backstage to see…
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The Boss ‘N’ Hug Connection is watching the match on the monitor and you can see a look of concern on Bayley’s face. Sasha Banks gives her a look that makes Bayley quickly hide it as Kayla Braxton appears. She says it has been confirmed that they will face the winner of Team Kick and The Bloodline at World’s End, wondering who they would prefer to face at the PPV. Sasha says she speaks for both of them, saying they hold no fear when it comes to facing any tag team.
Bayley says for anyone who didn’t see NXT this week, go check out what they did to the Birds of Prey. She says when you step up to two role models, you get shown the standard you need to meet. Kayla asks about the fact that Team Kick is looking for revenge, prompting Bayley to say they can look for it all they want, but if they fight them at World’s End, they are not going to be so nice next time. Sasha makes it clear they feel they have proven they are better than them and if they have to fight them at World’s End, they might break both their ACLs for good!
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When we return from the commercial break, we see Byron Saxton ready for an interview with Killian Dain and Drake Maverick. He welcomes the duo to SmackDown Live, which gets a thank you from Drake Maverick. He says it is good to make it here after his time as general manager of 205 Live. He turns to his tag team partner Killian and says he couldn’t have made it here without the help of the big man. Killian tells his friend to stop getting soft and they are here to become tag team champions.
Byron looks like he is about to carry on the interview, but they are interrupted by Tucker Knight. He says the only people who should be talking about becoming future WWE tag team champions are him and Otis! Drake asks who he thinks he is interrupting their interview, but he tells the pipsqueak to go away. Killian steps forward, warning Tucker not to call his friend that again. Tucker scoffs at that and challenges him to a match next week, which Killian quickly accepts.
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We then cut to Tucker’s tag team partner Otis Dozovic, as he is hanging out backstage with Mandy Rose, who is still wincing in pain due to the broken arm that she is healing from. Otis holds her and says he doesn’t know what to do about Tucker, saying he has never been like this before. Mandy says she questions whether Tucker is the same person Tucker originally tagged with and points out how Tucker was acting during the Mysterios celebration.
Otis nods but says Tucker has been there his whole career and they are best friends. He says Tucker has always supported him and always been there, even meeting his mama when she was in the hospital. Mandy looks at Otis and says he has the kindest heart of anyone she knows, saying she trusts him to make the right decision. She gives him a big kiss and says if anyone can find the good still in Tucker Knight, it is him before we cut back to the ring for a match.
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Match 5: Keith Lee w/Dominik Dijakovic vs Jeff Jarrett w/Heath Slater
Match summary: The commentary team confirms Jeff Jarrett asked for this match after being eliminated from the battle royal last week by Keith Lee and Dijakovic. Jeff tries every trick he can think of, but Keith overcomes it in quick fashion with Dijakovic taking care of Heath Slater outside the ring and Keith picks up the win with a STANDING MOONSAULT!
Winner via pinfall: Keith Lee (3:39)
Keith Lee gets to his feet with a smile on his face and is soon joined inside the ring by his tag team partner, Dominik Dijakovic who passes Keith his Money in the Bank briefcase. The commentary team talks about this being a good way for Mr. Money in the Bank to get back on track after the loss in last week’s battle royal. They do wonder if Fatu eliminating Keith Lee might speed up Mr. Money in the Bank going after Roman Reigns, but before we can speculate some more… THE WAR RAIDERS ATTACK DIJAKOVIC AND KEITH LEE IN THE RING!
The two men get loud boos from the crowd for this attack, but they don’t care, laying into the two big men. Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic look like they might be about to fight back… BUT CIMAPA RUNS INTO THE RING WITH A STEEL CHAIR CLOCKING BOTH OF THEM IN THE BACK! The boos have gotten even louder as Hanson and Rowe use this to take both men out of the ring with Ciampa helping set up a ladder BEFORE THEY DIVE OFF SPLASHING THEM AND SENDING THEM THROUGH THE TABLES!
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When we return from the commercial break, Tommaso Ciampa and The War Raiders are walking through the back, and they can be seen talking to each other as Kayla Braxton stops them for an interview. She asks not only why they just attacked Keith Lee and Dominik Dijakovic, but also attacked Alpha Academy last week and put Kurt Angle in the hospital. Ciampa responds by laughing and asks Kayla if she has been listening to anything he has said since he came to SmackDown Live!
Tommaso says he has one goal when it comes to this place: to win gold and to make money for his family. He isn’t here to make friends or to care about the careers of legends; if putting them in the hospital means more money for him and his daughter, he will gladly do it again to every single legend of this business. Kayla points out that it has made him a prime target for Alpha Academy, but he says he doesn’t care, gladly accepting the chance to fight them and he is sure The War Raiders relish the chance too.
Kayla asks Rowe if he feels that way, but she tells her not to call him that anymore. Rowe says he is now Erik and Hanson is now Ivar. Kayla asks why they have changed their name, with Erik responding to shed their old image and be reborn again. Erik says that whilst Ivar was gone, he floundered trying to be a good person and a warrior for justice. He tried to help people like Kevin Owens and fight for the fans, but soon he was fighting no one, sat at home waiting for Ivar to get better.
Ivar says that when he was cleared, he made a pact with Erik that when they came back, they would do whatever it took to make an impact. That’s why they have taken the blood money from Roman Reigns. Ivar says they will keep hurting everyone until they get back to the tag team titles… ALPHA ACADEMY APPEARS AND ATTACKS ALL 3 MEN! Chad Gable, Buddy Murphy and Daniel Garcia end up brawling with Ciampa and War Raiders as we cut elsewhere backstage.
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We see Taynara Conti having her left arm checked over by the medical team and she is clearly in a decent amount of pain before she looks at the camera. Conti makes it clear that she has heard people underestimating her at every turn since she won the WWE Women’s title from Asuka. She chuckles slightly to herself as she says that every single time she puts the title on the line, people would expect her to lose it. Whether it was Naomi or Deonna Purrazzo or Natalya or even Ember Moon lurking with her briefcase.
She smiles, saying she has proved people wrong time and time again, but now she faces another challenge people say she can’t beat. Conti touches the damaged left arm and sighs, saying the smart thing to do would be to decline the challenge, make Shayna earn the title shot. She looks at her WWE Women’s title, but she promised herself, her family and the fans that she would be a fighting champion, so she will see Shayna Baszler at World’s End to prove people wrong one more time!
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We then cut to the inside of the Bloodline’s locker room with Roman Reigns sitting at the head of the table. We can see Naomi and Nia Jax chatting to each other in the corner, going over plans for next week’s number one contender’s match. We see Jacob Fatu warming up whilst Jey Uso is sitting by himself before the Wiseman enters the room and sits next to Roman. He apologises about the delay, saying he was interrupted by someone. Roman turns his head and asks who, as Heyman confirms it was Drew McIntyre!
Roman clenches his jaw as Heyman tries to calm him down and say he handled it, but Roman cuts him off, asking if Drew touched him. Heyman pauses at first, but then nods, leading to Roman punching his fist on the table in anger. He says Drew McIntyre thinks that he can disrespect him after what he did to Roman, throwing him off Hell in a Cell. He looks at Heyman and says that was the moment that made him go away to reassess everything, to become the Tribal Chief his family needed.
He says they will need to handle Drew McIntyre soon, which makes Jey Uso perk his head up, but he stays silent for the time being. Instead, Roman walks over to Jacob Fatu, who still has the United States title around his waist and puts his arm on the shoulder of the Samoan Werewolf. He says tonight is about breaking Daniel Bryan and showing him that his time is over. He tells Jacob not to let him down like Jey as Fatu nods and says I love you, Roman before heading to the ring and we go to the final commercial break of the evening.
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Main event: Jacob Fatu vs Daniel Bryan
Match summary: Jacob Fatu makes his way out first for this main event with a serious look on his face, knowing Roman has sent him to the ring with a big job tonight: defeat Daniel Bryan. The commentary team mentions no one has been able to defeat Jacob Fatu in a singles match since he came to SmackDown Live and joined the Bloodline. Daniel Bryan makes his way out next, getting a huge pop from the fans and hypes the fans up by doing the yes chant on the way to the ring!
Early on in the match, Bryan is smart enough not to go charging in against a powerhouse like Jacob Fatu and instead looks to pick his spots, targeting the right leg of Jacob at first. Fatu’s power and freakish agility come into play as he manages to power out of the submissions. Jacob seems to be almost toying with Bryan in the first 5 minutes as the commentary wonders if Jacob wasn’t given the goal of winning this match but instead injuring Daniel Bryan!
Bryan changes his tactic as the match goes on and starts to target the back of Fatu, getting a lot more progress as the Samoan Werewolf noticeably has more trouble lifting up Bryan and tossing him around, but the United States Champion stays in control the longer this encounter goes. Bryan gets the crowd loudly behind him when he finally gets the chance to pull off the YES kicks, but as he goes for the ROUNDHOUSE KICK TO THE HEAD… JACOB FATU RISES RIGHT BACK UP!
The crowd is in shock, as is Bryan, who tries to overwhelm him with kicks and strikes, but Fatu overpowers him, slamming him to the mat! Jacob heads to the corner of the ring, going for the MIGHTY MOONSAULT… BRYAN GETS HIS KNEES UP AND THEN LOCKS IN THE YES LOCK! Bryan wrenches back on the hold with everything he has, hoping Fatu either taps out or passes out… BUT THE MONSTER REFUSES AND CRAWLS TO THE ROPES… BRYAN BREAKS IT AND DRAGS HIM BACK TO THE MIDDLE OF THE RING!
Bryan is pulling with everything he has as he tries to force the tap out or pass out still! Fatu looks like he is going to fade… BUT HE POWERS TO HIS FEET AND HITS A SAMOAN DROP! He slams Bryan to the mat before dragging him up, looking for a SAMOAN SPIKE… BRYAN FIGHTS OUT WITH A HEADBUTT! Bryan then runs the ropes and looks for the BUSAIKU KNEE… FATU CATCHES BRYAN AND POWERBOMBS HIM! Fatu then heads up top and hits the MIGTHY MOONSAULT! Fatu makes the cover 1 2 3! FATU HAS DEFEATED DANIEL BRYAN!
Winner via pinfall: Jacob Fatu (14:57)
Fatu gets back to his feet as the crowd looks on in almost shock. Most cannot believe Daniel Bryan was unable to do it and now he has no clear path back to a rematch with Roman Reigns for the Men’s Universal title. The commentary put over how big a win for Jacob Fatu this is, with him celebrating at the top of the entrance ramp, raising his United States title into the air as SmackDown comes to a close with a dejected Bryan in the ring, wondering what is next as we fade to black.
Confirmed matches for next week:
WWE Women’s tag team titles series final:
The Bloodline vs Team Kick
Trios match:
Alpha Academy vs Tommaso Ciampa and The War Raiders
Singles match:
Charlotte Flair vs Emma
Singles match:
Killian Dain vs Tucker Knight
Worlds End
Tacoma, Washington
July 18th 2021
LAST GOODBYE – BATTLE BEAST
Women’s WWE title match:
Taynara Conti © vs Shayna Baszler
United States title match:
Jacob Fatu © vs Buddy Murphy
WWE tag team titles match:
The Mysterios © vs Heavy Machinery
WWE Women’s tag team titles match:
Boss ‘N’ Hug Connection © vs The Bloodline or Team Kick
EWR Rating:
67%
Main event:
Dani Luna defeated Mia Yim via submission (9:45)
Jinder Mahal defeated Elias via pinfall (4:44)
Lince Dorado defeated Noam Dar via pinfall (7:26)
Dolph Ziggler defeated Apollo Crews via pinfall (10:58)
Main event: Jordan Devlin defeated Akira Tozawa via pinfall (6:49)