WWE Raw Results: Winners, Live Grades and Highlights Before Clash at the Castle
Just days out from Clash at the Castle in Glasgow, Scotland, WWE rolled into the Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio for the go-home edition of WWE Raw.
What did Drew McIntyre have in store for world heavyweight champion Damian Priest after being driven through a table to close out last week's broadcast?
What was next in the budding soap opera involving Dominik Mysterio and new women's world champion Liv Morgan?
Find out with this recap of a show that also featured the latest in the rivalries between Lyra Valkyria and Damage CTRL, Ilja Dragunov and Bron Breakker, and intercontinental champion Sami Zayn and Chad Gable.
Match Card
1 of 10Announced in advance of Monday's show:
- Lyra Valkyria vs. Iyo Sky
- Sami Zayn vs. Otis
- Ilja Dragunov vs. Bron Breakker
Drew McIntyre Kicks Off Raw
2 of 10
Drew McIntyre opened Monday's broadcast and wasted little time diving into his World Heavyweight Championship match with Damian Priest at Clash at the Castle.
The Archer of Infamy almost immediately interrupted and a tense back and forth ensued and intensified when Priest offered up Finn Balor for a match against McIntyre on Monday night, with the added stipulation that a loss for the Irishman meant The Judgment Day would be barred from ringside in Glasgow.
While there was not much substance from the promo segment, it set up a high-stakes main event for the show with implications for the upcoming premium live event.
In that regard, it was a success.
Backstage, Dominik Mysterio entered The Judgment Day's lair, only to find women's world champion Liv Morgan, who offered him her hotel room key. He did not bite...for now.
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
- McIntyre stared into the camera amid chants of "CM Punk," his face painted with smug dismay.
- The look on Balor's face when Priest volunteered him to face The Scottish Warrior on Monday's show only furthered the teased dissension within The Judgment Day.
Lyra Valkyria vs. Iyo Sky
3 of 10
Iyo Sky and Damage CTRL avenged their recent losses to Lyra Valkyria on Monday night as The Goddess of the Sky defeated the former NXT women's champion with a roll-up.
Moments earlier, Valkyria delivered Nightwing and appeared to have Sky beaten, only for Dakota Kai to get involved and break up the pin out of view of the referee. The distraction proved costly and ultimately led to her defeat.
After the match, the heels beat the babyface down until Kayden Carter and Katana Chance made the save, setting the stage for a trios feud in the coming weeks.
There is an argument to be made that Valkyria did not need another loss after her Queen of the Ring defeat at the hands of Nia Jax, but this heats up the feud and makes it less one-sided while introducing fresh faces into it.
A strong contest and a post-match angle that propelled things forward made this a quality segment.
Result
Sky defeated Valkyria
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Sky aggressively attacked The Valkyrie from the opening bell, showing her frustration over the Irish star's recent success against Damage CTRL.
- Valkyria stacked Sky up in a pin attempt, the same finish she defeated The Goddess of the Sky in the Queen of the Ring semifinals, but the heel kicked out.
- Backstage, Mysterio confessed to Balor, JD McDonagh and Carlito that Morgan left her hotel key. "That's cool," Carlito said in a fun callback to his previous character.
LWO and Braun Strowman vs. JD McDonagh, Dominik Mysterio and Carlito
4 of 10
The product of Braun Strowman coming to the aid of the LWO amid a beatdown by The Judgment Day and Carlito on last week's show, The Monster Among Men partnered with Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee to battle JD McDonagh, Dominik Mysterio and Carlito in a six-man tag team match.
The contest was long, with the heels isolating Rey and beating down the Hall of Famer until a hot tag to Strowman turned the tides in the favor of the babyfaces.
In between, Morgan made her presence felt, distracting Dominik until an attack by Zelina Vega on the women's world champion left her straddling the third-generation star in a moment that only further added to the intriguing relationship between the two.
Ultimately, Strowman laid out Carlito, and Lee added a splash off the big man's shoulders to score the hard-fought win.
This continued rivalry between LWO and The Judgment Day, saw Morgan and Dom's issues intensify, introduced a potential new challenger for Morgan in the form of Vega, and allowed Michael Cole and Pat McAfee to poke fun at McDonagh's Funko Pop-sized head.
Another quality part of the show.
Result
Rey Mysterio, Lee and Strowman defeated McDonagh, Dominik Mysterio and Carlito
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Otis mentioned former tag team partner Tucker and love interest Mandy Rose while telling Sami Zayn that he was nothing before Chad Gable found him. Zayn immediately denounced that idea and told him he could be so special if he realized how great he is.
- Carlito flinched when The Judgment Day's concussion blast went off during their entrance, another fun spot from a guy who has had a few of them this week.
- Cole mixed up Mysterio and Lee early in the match, only to laugh it off with a "my bad." The freeness for the commentary team not to be so rigid under the new regime in WWE has been one of the most welcome changes for viewers.
Sami Zayn vs. Otis
5 of 10
Sami Zayn and Chad Gable exchanged words for the final time ahead of Saturday's Intercontinental Championship match. Moments later, the titleholder battled Otis in one-on-one action.
The big man dominated the action late, but he could not put his opponent away. This drew Gable onto the apron, and he berated Otis. The distraction allowed Zayn to rush across the ring and deliver a Helluva Kick for the win.
After the match, Gable slapped Otis twice but the powerlifter unleashed his fury on Zayn, laying him out. When he looked like he might finally give Gable what he deserved, Otis backed down.
There is going to come a moment when Otis finally does lay into Gable, perhaps as soon as Saturday's show in Glasgow. When that time comes, the crowd is going to erupt with one of the biggest pops in recent memory and it will be completely earned.
This has been great storytelling, with superb performances from all involved. Zayn as the protagonist is great, Gable is even better as the antagonist, and the power of Otis' ability to get fans to buy into and love him is on full display.
More great stuff, even if this week's segment did not hit quite like last week.
Result
Zayn defeated Otis
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Gable continued to intimidate his proteges, ordering them to fake happiness as Zayn questioned whether they were content being by the Olympian's side. He vowed to unleash the dangerous Otis on Zayn in Monday's match.
- Otis has done an exceptional job of using his facial expressions and body language to tell his story without ever having to utter a word.
Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark vs. Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn
6 of 10
If you did not believe Unholy Union's Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn had zero chance of winning the women's tag team titles Saturday in Glasgow, you do now.
Despite attacking Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark prior to the bell, even targeting the injured knee of the former, they found themselves beaten as The Queen of Spades choked out Fyre for the submission victory.
All while the even more seemingly unbeatable Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair watched from ringside.
This did nothing to make the Triple Threat match at the PLE suspenseful in any way and was a rare misfire from Triple H and Co. in recent weeks.
Result
Baszler and Stark defeated Unholy Union
Grade
D
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Backstage, The Miz caught up with R-Truth, who informed him that they have a tag team title defense on Monday night. It was revealed that the match is against Final Testament's AOP.
- Fyre and Dawn attacked Baszler at the bell, targeting the knee injury suffered 24 hours earlier at NXT Battleground in her Underground match with Lola Vice.
- A video package highlighted Bron Breakker ahead of his match with Ilja Dragunov.
Ilja Dragunov vs. Bron Breakker
7 of 10
Ilja Dragunov and Bron Breakker rekindled their rivalry from NXT with a brutal and hard-hitting match Monday night.
The best on the show to that point, they beat the life out of each other in pursuit of victory.
Late in the match, the fight spilled to the arena floor, where Breakker delivered a front suplex on the announce table, driving his opponent ribs-first into the edge of it. He added a Spear in the ring and then one on the arena floor.
A third, back in the ring, earned Breakker the win.
The second-generation badass looks even stronger than he did entering the match, an unstoppable force who proved he could absorb tremendous punishment and still score the victory.
In Dragunov's case, he did what no other Superstar could: He took Breakker to the brink of defeat, proving he is every bit his equal.
Ricochet attacked Breakker after the match, stopping any further assault on Dragunov and standing tall to close out the segment.
Result
Breakker defeated Dragunov
Grade
A
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Cole put over both competitors, reminding fans that they are among the only Superstars on the roster to hold victories over Gunther.
- Dragunov got more offense in on Breakker than expected, dominating the opening minutes of the match before being sent face-first into the middle ropes and knocked to the arena floor.
- Dragunov went coast-to-coast and then added a senton, but Breakker still kicked out at two.
- Backstage, Balor picked up Morgan's hotel key card and slid it into his jacket pocket, seemingly unbeknown to his Judgment Day teammates. Remember that time a few weeks ago when the Irishman was spotted getting out of the same car as Morgan?
World Tag Team Championship: Awesome Truth vs. AOP
8 of 10
World tag team champions The Awesome Truth took a backseat to The New Day and Final Testament's ongoing rivalry Monday night.
A rare defense by the champions was overshadowed as Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods arrived at ringside, taking the fight to Karrion Kross as payback for the recent mind games played by the heel.
Back in the ring, Miz and Truth's hijinx led to a roll-up victory.
There is a reason The Final Testament has failed to connect with audiences the way some would have hoped and at least a major part of it is inconsistent booking that sees the heels lose far more than they should.
Case in point, this match, which in no way needed to be a championship encounter. More importantly, it did not need to happen at all as no one benefited in any measurable way.
Result
The Awesome Truth defeated AOP
Grade
C-
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Truth sparked the babyface comeback off the tag from Miz, but the crowd was not having it. The lack of heat from the audience in Toledo was disappointing given how hot WWE crowds have been lately.
- The New Day hit the ring, jumping Kross in the aisleway to continue their rivalry.
Drew McIntyre vs. Finn Balor
9 of 10
Before the main event, Breakker sought to avenge Ricochet saving Dragunov earlier in the night, brutally attacking him and driving him through the windshield of a car in the parking lot.
After the commercial break, announcer Samantha Irvin joined her fiance as he headed to a local hospital.
This could be WWE's attempt to write Ricochet out of the show amid reports of his departure from the company.
In the main event, McIntyre and Balor battled in an uber-competitive match that saw both men have the upper hand at different points.
The Prince worked over the injured right elbow while McIntyre fired up late, obliterating McDonagh and Carlito as they attempted to interfere and then laying his opponent out with a Claymore for the win.
The victory ensures that The Judgment Day will not be involved Saturday at Clash at the Castle, meaning Priest must defend his World Heavyweight Championship against The Scottish Warrior on his own.
Given how vital Balor, McDonagh and Dom were in his victory over Jey Uso at Backlash, it will be interesting to see if The Archer of Infamy can win without the assistance of his teammates.
Result
McIntyre defeated Balor
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
- Pat McAfee filled in for Irvin as ring announcer.
- Balor targeted the injured right arm of his opponent, wisely looking to exploit it in an attempt to score a high-stakes victory.
- The former NXT champions have strong in-ring chemistry. A full feud and a PLE match between the two would be more than welcome, once Balor heats back up as a legitimate main event star, as the Judgment Day story seems to be aiming at.
Overall Grade
10 of 10The storyline involving Mysterio and Morgan has been extraordinary to this point, engaging the audience and creating a "is he-isn't he" element to it all.
Add to that the fact that Balor was caught getting out of the same car as Morgan a few weeks back and picked up the hotel key card and put it in his pocket on Monday, and you have plenty of intrigue to keep the audience invested.
Priest's mounting frustration with The Judgment Day, Breaker's path of rage and the plight of Otis have all been stories that have been presented to near-perfection over the last month and Monday's show continued them nicely.
There were a few rough spots, particularly in the form of the women's tag team segment that accomplished nothing and benefited no one, but it was hardly enough to erase all of the positivity elsewhere.
That Monday's Raw built solidly to Clash at the Castle only enhanced the quality of the show.
Grade: B
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
