WWE Raw live results: Sami Zayn vs. Cody Rhodes title match
WWE Raw is live from Chicago tonight.
The WWE Championship will be on the line as new champion Sami Zayn defends against former champion Cody Rhodes.
Two other title matches are booked for the show. Sol Ruca will defend her Intercontinental title against Raquel Rodriguez, and the Street Profits put their belts up against former champions Bron Breakker and Austin Theory.
Also tonight, Oba Femi will address his Hell in a Cell match against Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam, and Seth Rollins is scheduled to kick off the show.
The full lineup for the show:
- WWE Champion Sami Zayn defends against Cody Rhodes
- World Tag Team Champions The Street Profits defend against Bron Breakker & Austin Theory
- Women’s Intercontinental Champion Sol Ruca defends against Raquel Rodriguez
- Oba Femi addresses his Hell in a Cell match against Brock Lesnar
- Seth Rollins kicks off the show
Our live coverage kicks off at 8 p.m. Eastern.
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Live! From Chicago.
— Undisputed WWE Champion Sami Zayn drove into the backstage area and got a babyface reaction from the folks backstage. Cody Rhodes showed up and Zayn got in his face and they exchanged heated words. Gunther came out of nowhere and killed Rhodes with a powerbomb through a table. Gunther called Zayn a fluke champion, than kicked the car door into Cody (still on the ground), busting him open.
Will there even be a title match tonight? (During this segment, we got our first “CM Punk!” chants of the night).
Michael Cole & Corey Graves were on commentary.
Seth Rollins Addressed the WWE Universe
After singing Seth’s song, the crowd chanted for “CM Punk!” But Rollins doesn’t really care about CM Punk tonight. He cares about regaining the World title and continuing to “own Roman Reigns.” So the crowd chanted “OTC!” But Roman Reigns isn’t here tonight. Because (according to Rollins) either he didn’t think it mattered for him to be here, or the check wasn’t big enough.
Roman Reigns has always been “the chosen one,” even when The Shield debuted as a trio (back in 2012, fourteen years ago). It didn’t matter if Reigns couldn’t cut a promo or wrestle his way out of a paper bag. This didn’t sit right with Rollins. Because when he was a kid (like kids in the front row tonight), all he wanted to do was be the biggest star in this industry and main event WrestleManias. Seth having to watch those dreams handed off to somebody else broke something in him.
He broke up the Shield to try to catch up to Roman Reigns. When he cashed in at WrestleMania 31 (11 years ago), he did that to catch up to Roman Reigns. Seth recalled a promo (from I think 2022) where Roman said he worked 10 times less than Seth did to make 10 times more money. And Seth hated that “bullsh!t” from Roman; Seth thought the work was the reward. Roman has to beat Rollins at SummerSlam so he can justify what he’s been trying to prove for the last 15 years: that he is not a fraud. But Rollins needs to beat Roman Reigns to prove to all the kids the crowd that you can achieve greatness through hard work and sacrifice.
LA Knight came out to interrupt. Knight wasn’t going to let Rollins bore everyone to death with the “same old trash.” Then he should have come out 10 minutes ago. Knight thought it was a great “cheat code” that all Rollins had to do was talk about how great Roman Reigns was to get a title shot. But didn’t Rollins lose in the first round of the King of the Ring, like Knight did?
Knight then lauched into a hilarious impression of Rollins and Reigns’ promo from last night. Knight pointed out that when business peaked in this company a few years ago, it was Cody Rhodes and LA Knight on top, not Rollins and Reigns. But when Knight was starting to peak, he got cut off by the Bloodline. The only thing Rollins and Reigns are great at is keeping people down, but LA Knight must rise and he will rise.
Rollins asked Knight if he was done. Rollins told Knight that he doesn’t like him, but he respects him because he is someone who is all grind and all hustle. But Rollins can’t waste time with Knight right now, he’s got to win the world title back that he never lost. But after Rollins wins at SummerSlam, Knight can have the first title shot.
That was a lot of talking.
After Rollins left, Jimmy Uso jumped Knight from behind and dropped him with a superkick.
— In the back, Adam Pearce threw Gunther out of the building. And Nick Aldis was also there, to yell about Adam Pearce “poaching his main event.”
There really aren’t enough arguments between middle management types in wrestling.
The Street Profits v. Austin Theory & Bron Breakker (w/ Logan Paul) for the World Tag Team Championship
Jackie Redmond was backstage with the remnants of the Vision for an interview before the match started, but Paul Heyman showed up and sent her away. Heyman scolded Breakker for failing to eliminate Rollins, and was even more disappointed that Austin Theory couldn’t even beat Joe Hendry last week. “Bring back something worthy of your wiseman!”
Breakker hit an astonishingly athletic standing moonsault on Montez Ford. Theory ate a great dropkick from Ford. Angelo Dawkins hit a flying back elbow for a near fall. Breakker got the tag and caught him with a dropkick. Breakker hit the ropes and broke Dawkins in half with his superspeed clothesline.
After a commercial, Montez Ford got the tag and hit a gamengiri on Breakker. Ford came off the top with a crossbody for a near fall. Breakker came back with a pop-up powerslam. Theory got the tag and tried for a rolling clothesline, but Ford caught him with a knee. Dawkins and Ford combined for the Doomsday Blockbuster, but Breakker broke that up.
Breakker dumped Ford to the floor. Dawkins caught Theory with a spinning neckbreaker. Logan Paul tried to pass the brass knuckles to Theory, but the ref caught him. But it was a decoy set, and Paul passed the knuckles to Breakker. Dawkins got the knuckles, and was about to use them on Theory… until Maxxine Dupri ran in and low-blowed Dawkins. Theory went for the cover and got the pinfall.
Match Result: Austin Theory & Bron Breakker defeated The Street Profits to win the World Tag Team Titles (8:47).
After the match, Theory and Dupri made out. I can’t believe the Vision getting the tag titles back is all about Theory and Dupri, with Breakker and Logan Paul tagging along.
— The doctor in the back can’t clear Cody for the title match tonight.
— In the back, Paul Heyman approved, but it’s only the first step. Heyman was most impressed with Maxxine’s efforts. The Vision drove off, just as Otis and Tozawa came on the scene. The crowd reacted great to the scene of Dupri and the Vision literally leaving Otis and Tozawa in their dust.
— Liv Morgan hyped up Raquel Rodriguez in the Judgment Day clubhouse in advance of her Intercontinental title match, next.
— Next week, Dragon Lee v. Chad Gable v. Joe Hendry v. Je’Von Evans v. Dominik Mysterio v. Ethan Page v. Rusev in a Guantlet to get a shot a Penta’s Intercontinental Championship. Jackie Redmond tried to interview Penta. Ethan Page and Rusev chased her off to brag about taking out Rey Mysterio. Chad Gable and Dragon Lee came out to even the odds, and this will likely lead to a tag match later in the show.
Sol Ruca v. Raquel Rodriguez for the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship
Rodriguez didn’t even get a televised ring entrance. Rodriguez powered Ruca down and got multiple pin attempts. Ruca dove into Rodriguez arms and got driven face-first into the turnbuckles. Rodriguez tried to repeat the move, but Ruca slipped down her back and shoved her into the turnbuckles. Ruca miised a moonsault on the floor (but landed on her feet). Ruca caught Rodriguez with a kick from the apron, then hit a springboard twisting body press on the floor to finally get a reaction from the crowd.
Back in the ring, Ruca dove right into a choke from Rodriguez. Ruca flipped out of a chokeslam attempt, then walked right into a clothesline from Rodriguez.
After a commercial, Ruca caught Rodriguez out of the corner with a sunset flip. Ruca did a springboard off the ropes again for a near fall. Ruca flopped into the corner, then came off the middle ropes with a dropkick. Ruca hit Rodriguez with a running knee for a near fall.
Ruca went for a springboard dive, but Rodriguez got her knees up. Rodriguez folded up Ruca for a near fall as Roxanne Perez made her way to the ring. Perez got up on the apron to distract the ref, and Morgan tripped up Ruca on the Soul Snatcher attempt. Rodriguez dropped Ruca with a side slam for a near fall.
Iyo Sky’s music played, and she came from the crowd to take out Perez and Morgan. She got Rodriguez’s attention from the apron, and when Rodriguez charged at her, Sky hit Perez and Morgan with an Asai Moonsault. Ruca came out of nowhere with Soul Snatcher to snatch the victory.
Match Result: Sol Ruca pinned Raquel Rodriguez to retain the Women’s Intercontinental Championship (10:16).
TV recapper for the Observer website, starting in 2021 with AEW Dark. Currently covering the Monday Night Raw beat.