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.

**********

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).

Paul Heyman In-Ring Interview

No Roman? No Brock? I thought Chicago was an important town. 

Anyway, Paul Heyman was in the ring to speak on behalf of Brock Lesnar. Heyman waxed poetic about the pain Femi felt after getting kicked low by Brock Lesnar, but that pain will be nothing compared to the pain he feels in Hell in the Cell at SummerSlam. Femi has unleashed the beast in Brock Lesnar, and Oba Femi is not coming out of the Cell. “Brock Lesnar will destroy Oba Femi inside Hell in a Cell!” 

Heyman threw down his mic and started to leave, but the lights dropped and “Hands of Fate” played. Did you know “Hands of Fate” is the name of Femi’s song? Well there you go. Femi marched his way to the ring. Heyman stayed in the ring, which was probably pretty foolish but let’s see how it plays out. 

“You love to talk so much, don’t you?” Heyman laid it out for Femi. Femi proved at WrestleMania that Brock Lesnar was beatable. And in Italy, Brock proved Femi was beatable. So at SummerSlam, they will figure out who is really unbeatable. The crowd chanted for Oba, breaking up the promo for a minute. Heyman ran down Brock Lesnar’s résumé in the Cell. Brock beat the Undertaker twice in the Cell, and the Undertaker invented Hell in the Cell (sure, why not?), so you might as well call it the “Brocktagon.” Brock Lesnar is going to remain unbeatable, and the beatable one will be Oba Femi. 

Oba knows that he got under Brock’s skin by calling him out and calling him “every name under the sun” for weeks. He knows that Brock watches the show, and Heyman has been writing checks for Brock that he probably can’t cash. Lesnar’s advocate has been reduced to “a mouth.” Oba Femi said that this is the final chapter, Oba v. Brock at Hell in the Cell at SummerSlam. Femi will beat Brock Lesnar in front of his friends, his family, his wife and his children. Femi now knows you have walked through hell to get to heaven, and at SummerSlam, he will see Brock “in hell.” 

— Jackie Redmond interviewed WWE Undisputed Champion Sami Zayn. Redmond confirmed for Zayn that Cody Rhodes cannot compete tonight. The crowd started chanting for CM Punk at this announcement. Zayn was looking forward to testing himself against QB1, but he never understood why he was defending the title on Raw. Zayn thought it would be better to just move things to Smackdown and figure things out there, but Adam Pearce came along to tell Zayn he promised Chicago a title defense, and they were getting one. “It is official.” 

Dragon Lee & Chad Gable v. Ethan Page & Rusev

The heels jumped the faces before the bell. The crowd chanted for “Rusev Day!” (Is that today? I didn’t even celebrate!) after he hit a series of suplexes on Dragon Lee. Chad Gable got the tag and hit Rusev with some German suplexes, then dumped Page with an overhead throw. He locked Rusev in an ankle lock, then broke the hold to attack Page some more. The heels dropped to the floor to regroup, and Gable launched Lee over the top and onto his opponents. 

Back from a commercial, Michael Cole said that the heels dominated during the three-minute break. Rusev leveled Gable with a series of short-arm clotheslines. Gable fought his way out of the heel corner, but Rusev caught him before he could get the tag. Gable rocked Rusev with a DDT, then got the tag to Lee. 

Lee hit Rusev with a sliding dropkick and caught Page with a tornado DDT. Lee hung Page up in the turnbuckles, then came off the top with a stomp. Rusev got the tag and he and Page went for a suplex, but Gable made the save. He hit Page with an Angle Slam. Rusev caught Gable with a superkick. Lee caught Rusev with a German suplex. He went for a dive on Rusev, who planted him with an uranage. Rusev hit a superkick and then locked in the Accolade and Lee immediately tapped. 

Match Result: Rusev & Page defeated Lee & Gable when Lee tapped out (9:07)

After the match, Rusev refused to release the hold. Gable tried to break it up, but Page jumped Gable. Rusev locked Gable in the Accolade, but Joe Hendry ran in to make the save. But Hendry got overwhelmed by the two-on-one, and he wound up in the Accolade as well. It took the gaggle of geeks to make the save. 

They really jobbed Hendry out here. 

— Jackie Redmond ran down Jimmy Uso on his way out of the arena  to ask why he attacked LA Knight. Jimmy is ready to step up for the Bloodline. LA Knight ran out to get even with Jimmy, but Jakob Fatu and Jey Uso jumped LA Knight. 

Knight needs help against the Bloodline. 

—  Bayley is heartbroken over Lyra Valkyria, who helped keep Bayley level-headed during one of the toughest years of her career. Bayley will give Valkyria one chance to show that she’s not like everyone else and meet her in the ring next week. 

Also next week in Dallas, Texas: 

• Brock Lesnar Appears. 
• The Gauntlet for a Title Match with Penta at SummerSlam 
• Roxanne Perez v. Iyo Sky 
• Roman Reigns Appears. 

— In the back, Nick Aldis let Adam Pearce know while Pearce was leaving people voicemails that went unanswered, he’s secured a replacement for the main event. There were more CM Punk chants from the crowd. 

— JD McDonagh and Dominik Mysterio cut a promo on Danhausen to set up the Danhausen v. McDonagh match on Saturday Night’s Main Event. 

The World Title Match Revealed

Very muted reaction for Zayn on his way out here. Cole tried to paint Zayn sound like some kind of whiner for complaining that he’s got to defend his championship against someone he doesn’t know. Zayn stood in the ring waiting while the crowd chanted for “CM Punk!” 

Because of course it was Punk. 

Sami Zayn v. CM Punk for the WWE Undisputed Championship 

I guess if you’re going to play bait and switch with the world title match in Chicago, there’s no better person to do it with than Punk. 

“The WWE Champion Sami Zayn appears shocked!” said Cole, while the camera panned over to a completely emotionless Zayn. Graves said that Punk was the last person Zayn was expecting, which would have to make him the dumbest person alive. 

The bell rang and the crowd chanted for Punk. The atmosphere was pretty electric as the match started and Punk worked a headlock. Punk took Zayn down with a shoulder block. 

Punk backed Zayn into the corner and hit him with a chop. Zayn backed Punk into the corner with shoulder blocks, then mounted middle rope for some punches. Punk pulled Zayn out of the corner and gave him a reverse atomic drop.

Punk maneuvered Zayn to the floor, then caught him with a dive through the ropes. 

Back from a commercial, Zayn was driving elbows down into Punk’s head. Zayn drove a knee into Punk’s head. Zayn came off the middle rope with an axehandle for a near fall. Zayn went to a chinlock. 

Punk escaped the chinlock and hit a series of clotheslines. Punk hit a leg lariat. Punk hit the running knee in the corner. He tried for the bulldog, but Zayn escaped that. Punk hit a neckbreaker for a near fall. 

Punk went for the GTS, but Zayn escaped and went for a Blue Thunder Bomb. Punk escaped that with elbows, then hit a clothesline for a near fall. 

The crowd continued to chant for Punk as he went to the top rope. Zayn caught Punk and crotched him on the top. Zayn hit a superplex off the top rope, and both men were down. 

After a second commercial, both guys were on their knees exchanging “Boo!/Yay!” punches. Punk eventually got the advantage. He went for the GTS again, Zayn escaped and went for the Blue Thunder Bomb again, but Punk caught him with a kick. Punk caught Zayn with the knee in the corner and went for the bulldog, but Zayn (barely) got Punk up for the Blue Thunder Bomb and got a near fall. 

Zayn went for an exploder, but Punk fought out with knees. Punk hit a bulldog out of the corner, then dropped an elbow off the top. Punk went for the cover, but Zayn kicked out. Punk then went to the Anaconda Vice. Zayn teased tapping out but eventually broke the hold with a head scissors. Punk tried to counter into a Sharpshooter, but Zayn escaped. 

Punk went for the GTS again, but Zayn rolled him into the same cradle he used to beat Cody Rhodes, but Punk kicked out at two. 

Zayn escaped another GTS from Punk, and delivered one of his own for a near fall. 

Both guys just look completely gassed here and I’m not convinced it’s all selling. 

Punk stumbled in the corner. Zayn charged for the Helluva Kick, but Punk caught Zayn with an exploder in the corner. Punk went for the Helluva Kick, but Zayn caught him, hit another GTS, followed that up with a Blue Thunder Bomb, but Punk still kicked out at two. 

The crowd was really chanting for Punk now. 

Zayn slapped Punk, then gave him a headbutt. Zayn really unloaded with slaps and punches. Punk got up to his feet, and finally started to fight back with punches and chops. Punk hit another running knee in the corner, dodged the Helluva Kick and hit Zayn with a Helluva Kick of his own. Punk then hit the GTS and got the pinfall. 

Match Result: CM Punk pinned Sami Zayn to win the WWE Undisputed Championship (20:27). 

This is the 8th WWE/World/Undisputed whatever you want to call it championship for Punk. But that also includes the WWECW one so I’d actually say seven. Sami’s reign ends at nine days, which according to Cole is the shortest reign in 5 years. That is going back to Miz’s second reign during the pandemic shows.

Punk bragged into the camera about going 20 minutes. Yeah, I’m not sure about bragging about that performace.  

Punk left the Allstate Arena exactly same way he did in 2011, blowing a kiss to the camera and leaving through the crowd. “CM Punk can do whatever the hell he wants to do” according to Michael Cole. 

So last week’s show was all about the Shield drama (started in 2012). This year, it’s about trying to relive the Summer of Punk (started in 2011). So I guess next week, we’re getting an attack from a revitalized Nexus?

Anyway, at least Sami got his big moment and had fun with the belt for 9 days. That’s as good as Stan Stasiak did.