WWE Raw live results: CM Punk & Jey Uso face-to-face
With their title match at Saturday Night’s Main Event approaching, CM Punk and Jey Uso will meet on WWE Raw tonight for a face-to-face confrontation.
A new World Heavyweight Champion will be crowned this Saturday when Punk and Uso face off at SNME. The championship — which Punk had already earned a shot at — was vacated by Seth Rollins due to a shoulder injury. Uso claimed the spot opposite Punk at SNME by winning a battle royal last week.
The next challenger for Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio will be determined tonight in a matchup between Penta and Rusev. The past few weeks have seen Penta and Rusev interfere in each other’s title bouts looking to get their hands on Dominik.
WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella is set for action tonight, taking on Roxanne Perez after recently saving Stephanie Vaquer from a Judgment Day attack.
Our live coverage begins at 8 p.m. Eastern.
**********
Live in front of a sell-out crowd in Anaheim, California.
CM Punk & Jey Uso Face to Face.
The vacant World Championship belt is sitting it ring. Can I make the bold suggestion that while the crowd really digs the entrance, it’s kind of death for the viewer at home with nothing happening. As I typed that, Jey “ran it back” so between that the recaps to start the show nothing really happened for almost ten minutes. Jey finally welcomed us to “Mon-Jey Night Raw.” Jey complained about having “everybody in my ear:” Jimmy, Roman, his mama, your mama. But he’s only listening to himself now and focused on winning the World Title.
Cue “Cult of Personality” and CM Punk he here to talk. Punk and Uso circled the ring with the World Championship belt between them. Punk asked the fans if they wanted him to run his music back, and he actually started to but cut it off after only a few bars. “Sorry for stealing your stuff… four letters, one word, PUNK.” Punk’s happy that Jey is finally listening to himself. It’s no secret Punk and Jey are friends (I literally did not know that) and that makes it harder for Punk to face Jey.
When Punk mentioned Jey tossing Jimmy out of the battle royal, the crowd boos and Punk admonished them for booing since that was well within the rules. Punk asked Uso how far he’s willing to go to be champion, because Punk needs to be champion “like he needs air in his lungs.” How far is Uso willing to go, Punk asks, when Punk has knocked Uso’s grill out of his mouth and he’s “in a situation [he] can’t Yeet [his] way out of?”
“Screw you, Punk!” Punk is trying to turn things around to make Uso the bad guy, but Uso will show Punk who the best in the world is on Saturday Night. Uso left, and Punk looked longingly at the championship belt.
— In the back, Dominik Mysterio complained about Adam Pearce setting up a contender’s match for his Intercontinental title. Dom wanted some help, but Finn Balor and JD McDonough were going to try and get their tag team titles back. Roxanne Perez wanted to help, but Raquel Rodriguez wanted her to focus on Nikki Bella. Dom walked off talking on his phone, alluding to getting help from someone else.
— O’Shea Jackston and members of the LA Galaxy were shown in the Anaheim crowd.
Penta v. Rusev in a #1 Contender’s Match for the Intercontinental Championship
Winner gets a title match with Dominik at Saturday Night’s Main event. I feel like the chances of a disputed finishes leading to a three-way are quite high. Penta knocked Rusev to the floor and hit a tope con hilo. Back in the ring, Penta hit a springboard tornado DDT for a near fall. Rusev dropped to the floor to regroup, and caught Penta with a right hand when he followed him out.
Back in the ring, Rusev squashed Penta in the corner with an avalanche. Penta came back with a back stabber for another near fall. A sliding dropkick sent Rusev to the floor. Penta followed again, and Rusev flap-jacked him into the post.
After a commercial, Rusev was going after Penta’s mask. Penta jumped into a bearhug, but fought his way out of it. Penta dodged a charged in the corner and caught him with the “corner handstand kick” for a third near fall. Penta kicked at Rusev who was out on his knees. The crowd was solidly behind Penta.
Penta dove into a superkick from Rusev for a near fall. Rusev went for the Accolade, but Penta countered with the Penta Diver for a near fall. The crowd screamed “ref you suck!”
Rayo and Bravo Americano, along with El Grande Americano, ran in and attacked both Rusev and Penta. So this ends the match, I guess it’s a no-contest. After the match, Rusev dumped Rayo and Bravo. Penta went after El Grande, but he got away.
Match Result: Rusev and Penta ends in a no-contest (10:01).
— Jackie Redmond interviewed LA Knight in the back, and he wants whoever wins the world title belt on Saturday.
— Bron Breakker still doesn’t understand why he and Bronson Reed didn’t just go destroy everyone in the battle royal, since that’s the clearest path to the world title. Paul Heyman answer is that 20 is less than 1, and if Bron takes out the one guy who is in the way of getting the next title shot, Bron’s path to the world title is clear. And so tonight, it’s LA Knight and Bron Breakker, YEAH.
— A video package on a decade of Asuka in WWE. Highlights of Asuka tearing through NXT and WWE, highlighting her undefeated streak, Royal Rumble win, Money in the Bank win, Elimination Chamber win and other wins were shown.
— JD McDonough and Finn Balor went to Adam Pearce, looking for their tag team title rematch, but instead JD got a match with Sheamus. Pearce also had some news for Dominik Mysterio, but that’s a plot thread to be resolved later.
Nikki Bella v. Roxanne Perez (w/ Raquel Rodriguez)
Perez mock-worshipped Bella, which earned her a slap. Perez then got caught with a shot that might have legit stunned her for a bit. Perez dropped to the floor after a face buster and Bella tossed her about the ringside area.
Back in the ring, Rodriguez snapped Bella’s neck against the ring rope while Perez distracted the ref. Bella gave Perez nothing during the opening few minutes.
After a break, Perez hit a running uppercut on Bella while she was against the ropes. Perez hit a double jump moonsault off the middle rope for a near fall. Perez cranked away at Bella’s neck in a neck vice. Perez went after the back of Bella’s neck with forearms, then did push-ups to taught the former Diva’s champion.
Bella double-legged Perez and caught her with a running boot. Bella drove Perez’s face into the mat, which Perez sold liked crazy. After both women struggled back to the their feet, Bella hit a series of clotheslines and a dropkick. Bella hit a version of the Disaster Kick for a near fall.
Bella went for the Rack Attack 2.0, but Perez countered with a sleeper. Bella escaped, but Perez tripped her up into the ropes. Beella hit a spinebuster for a near fall. Rodriguez jumped up on the apron, so Bella knocked her down. Perez caught Bella with a cradle for two, Bella caught Perez with a cradle for two. Bella went for charge in the corner, but Perez ducked and Bella hit the middle buckle, jarring her neck. Perez hit the Pop Rocks out of the corner for the victory. Rodriguez hit Bella after the match, and Stephanie Vaquer ran in to make the save. Vaquer and Rodriguez had a bit of a stare down. Bella tried to interject herself into the stare down, but it didn’t work for me. I think the message was supposed to be Nikki and Steph standing up to Rodriguez, but it camme off more like Nikki seeking attention.
Match Result: Roxanne Perez defeated Nikki Bella (11:16)
— Bayley and Lyra Valkyra psyched each other up for their title match, but the Kabuki Warriors think they’re the ones that deserve a title shot.
— Jimmy Uso yelled at Jey Uso for following the rules of the battle royal last week. Jimmy also suggested that Jey was afraid to find out what would happen if they went one-on-one again. The crowd will be bored again like at WrestleMania 41?
Bron Breakker (w/ Bronson Reed & Paul Heyman) v. LA Knight
Knight held up a fan’s sign: “We Want LA Knight not Jey Uso.” Wade Barrett laid out the stakes for the match: “whoever loses will not be in line for a title shot.”
After giving Knight a little bit of office, Bron ran through Knight with a clothesline. Bron legitimately looked like a blur while he ran the ropes. Knight came back with a crossbody, but Breakker buried a knee in his midsection. Knight caught Bron with some left handed jabs and stomped him in the corner. Knight caught Bron with a running knee and Breakker dropped down to the floor to regroup.
Knight hit Bron with a dropkick to the floor heading into a break. During the break, Reed distracted Knight which allowed Bron to press-slam Knight onto the table.
Bron was back in control after the break, hitting an avalanche knee in the corner and suplexing Knight over the ropes to the floor. Bron ran halfway around the ring and hit Knight on the floor with a flying tackle.
Back in the ring, Knight fought his way out of a chinlock and hit a flying clothesline of his own. Knight caught Breakker with a jumping neckbreaker, pop-up powerslam and a jumping elbow. Knight went for the BFT, but Breakker escaped and hit Knight with a knee. Breakker went for the top-rope Frankensteiner, but Knight slipped off the buckles and sent Breakker tumbling down to the mat in an ugly way.
Knight set up Breakker for a superplex. Bron pushed him down, so Knight ran up the ropes and superplexed Bron off the top rope for a near fall! Knight went for the BFT again, but Breakker escaped. Bronson Reed distracted Knight, giving Bron the opening for the spear. But Knight ducked and Bron went to the floor. Knight went after Reed on the floor, then sent Breakker headfirst into the commentator’s table.
Back in the ring, Breakker tried for a gorilla press, but Knight escaped and hit a reverse DDT. Knight went up top for an elbow, but Breakker kipped up as Knight jumped. Knight rolled through, jumped up and ran into a spear from Breakker, who got the pinfall. Honestly it felt like Bron gave Knight too much.
Math Result: Bron Breakker pinned LA Knight (13:32)
— Adam Pearce found Dominik Mysterio talking to the Americano Familia. Pearce made Dom v. Rusev v. Penta for the Intercontinental title at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
— Jey confronted Jimmy about him winning about the battle royal, and they seemingly make amends.
JD McDonough (w/ Finn Balor) v. Sheamus
Coverage of AEW TV shows for the Wrestling Observer website. Also fills in on other shows when needed.