WWE Raw Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from October 1

WWE is heading overseas with its Super Show-Down on Saturday, which made this October 1 edition of Raw in Seattle the go-home show for the highly anticipated event in Melbourne, Australia.

The expectation was that every major Raw match at Super Show-Down would get time to shine with a few major promises for the night going in. Ronda Rousey was set to wrestle Ruby Riott for the first time, with both looking to gain momentum before their six-woman tag team match.

Shawn Michaels promised to make an appearance before the final match ever between The Undertaker and Triple H, with the expectation that both The Deadman and The Game could be in the building as well.

Bobby Lashley was given the opportunity to finally get his hands on Kevin Owens after weeks of KO attacking and insulting The Dominator. There was also no doubt The Shield would be in the building with rivals Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre not far behind.

With so many potentially exciting clashes rapidly approaching, Raw was expected to be the night when tensions finally boiled over and the action started early.

Dean Ambrose vs. Braun Strowman

Dean Ambrose was interviewed about his mentality at the start the night, and he admitted he had considered walking out on The Shield. However, it was impossible because The Shield was not a brand but a brotherhood.

Acting general manager Baron Corbin interrupted to offer The Lunatic Fringe a choice. He could face Seth Rollins or Roman Reigns for their championships, or he could face Braun Strowman. When Ambrose tried to fight Corbin instead, the GM decided Ambrose vs. Strowman was next.

The Lunatic pulled out every trick he had to wear down The Monster Among Men, but he often could not find sustained success. Even connecting with Dirty Deeds was not enough. After a suicide dive and sending Strowman into the steps, Ambrose walked into a powerslam.

The Monster could have ended it after a second running powerslam, but he chose to keep inflicting punishment, which sent Reigns and Rollins to the ring. The Big Dog hit a Superman Punch to cause a disqualification.

As Strowman retreated up the ramp, Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre joined him. Corbin stopped a fight before it could start, announcing Reigns vs. Ziggler as well as Rollins vs. McIntyre for later.

Sent backstage, Ambrose showed frustration, telling Rollins he could be intercontinental champion right now.

Result

Strowman def. Ambrose by DQ

Grade

B+

Analysis

Ambrose cut a strong promo, finally speaking for himself. He hinted at the potential heat that could cause a divide in the group but reaffirmed the idea The Hounds of Justice are here to stay. It also transitioned nicely into a strong opening match.

Despite a Seattle crowd that seemed confusingly uninterested in this segment, the match still came off well. Ambrose continued to add more psychology and nuance to his performances following his clash with McIntyre two weeks back, and it was clear he could take Strowman to the limit.

Roman Reigns vs. Dolph Ziggler

With their teammates out of the way, Reigns and Ziggler prepared to fight for the Universal Championship, but Corbin made clear this was a non-title clash, refusing to let the champion defend his belt before WWE Crown Jewel on Nov. 2.

The Showoff wore down The Big Dog, who was noticeably unprepared early on. After raking his opponent's eyes to avoid a Samoan drop, The heel hit the Zig Zag for a near-fall. He called for Sweet Chin Music, which Reigns blocked with a Superman Punch for another near-fall.

Ziggler rolled through a Spear and then went for the Zig Zag, only to be thrown off into a quick Spear for the win.

Result

Reigns def. Ziggler by pinfall

Grade

B

Analysis

Starting off the show with back-to-back main event-level matches was welcome, even if it was odd to force this much of The Shield into the first hour of Raw. Reigns and Ziggler are great individual performers who struggled at times to find complete chemistry.

Their contest was occasionally sloppy but always exciting. The ending sequence showed that these two could steal the show together down the line with more time to prepare.

Ronda Rousey vs. Ruby Riott

Before the match, The Riott Squad's pretaped promo was aired, in which its members talked about how the team is completely unique.

Ruby Riott dominated this match, physically dominating Ronda Rousey with aggressive striking and smart tactics.

The Baddest Woman on the Planet refused to stay down, fighting back with a flurry of adrenaline-fueled strikes. She hit a gutwrench side slam and the Reverse Kata Guruma before locking in the armbar for a quick tapout while The Bella Twins made sure Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan stayed out of the action.

Result

Rousey def. Riott by submission

Grade

B

Analysis

This was a showcase of what Rousey can do with better competitors, as Riott gave the champion her best match since she fought Nia Jax. This was a fluid contest from start to finish with only the gutwrench side slam slowing the action.

It was a shame Riott had to lose so completely just days before the trio fight the former UFC star and The Bellas. It could be a hint that the heels will win on Saturday, but even if Nikki Bella is going to turn on Rousey, it still seems unlikely the champ's undefeated streak would end this early.

Bobby Roode vs. Konnor

Bobby Roode overcame his power disadvantage to begin to take over this match, but Viktor knocked Chad Gable off the apron. This distracted Roode enough that Konnor could knock him down and hit Fall of Man for the win.

Result

Konnor def. Roode by pinfall

Grade

D

Analysis

After a series of strong matches between top stars, this bout stuck out like a sore thumb. Konnor looked like a man who had never won a match, barely functioning when he was on offense. Roode could not do anything to make this work.

Raw needs more capable teams, so The Ascension picking up steam makes sense. It is awkward, though, to have Roode and Gable's story derailing so quickly. It would be far more interesting to have them pick up steam before they fail. Utilize their talent as a team before having them fall apart.

The Revival vs. The B-Team

Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder managed to quickly isolate Curtis Axel in this match, targeting Axel's left arm with a series of submission holds. Axel, though, sent Wilder into the turnbuckle and got the hot tag to Bo Dallas.

Dawson finally cut off Dallas with a spinebuster. Surprise and a bit of luck, though, were enough for Dallas to get his knees up to block Wilder's dive and roll him up for three.

The Authors of Pain ruined The B-Team's celebration, punishing Axel and Dallas and hitting the Super Collider.

Result

The B-Team def. The Revival by pinfall

Grade

C+

Analysis

This felt like a step backward, returning to The B-Team cheaply winning over The Revival. This story has run its course, and it would have been better for both teams to stay away from each other. The match itself was fine but forgettable.

AOP's attack added some needed direction to the Raw tag team division. The B-Team trying its best to pull off the ultimate upset against Akam and Rezar is a perfect match of character stories. With the Raw tag team champions preoccupied, the division needs feuds like this.

Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre

Credit: WWE.com

Before McIntyre headed out for his match, Strowman demanded victory, refusing to have weak links on the team with the insinuation he was talking about Ziggler.

The Scottish Psychopath punished The Architect early and often in this match, hitting a sidewalk slam onto the apron. Rollins escaped a second-rope White Noise to hit a buckle bomb and low superkick, but Ziggler ran in to distract the intercontinental champion for a Claymore and the three-count.

The Showoff assaulted his former rival after the bell until Reigns ran in to even the odds. Strowman, though, un-evened the odds, and Ambrose was too slow to help, running down with a kendo stick only to face a three-on-one beatdown. The heels mocked The Shield and stood tall.

Result

McIntyre def. Rollins by pinfall

Grade

B

Analysis

This match felt somewhat rushed, with Rollins and McIntyre competing in far better matches together earlier in the year. This may just come down to these two getting the short end of the stick on a night when this feud got over an hour of airtime on Raw.

The finish and post-match beatdown felt like the biggest moments of the feud to date, as the heels finally stood tall when it mattered most. They managed to divide the trio just enough to conquer and look like a real threat to the top stars on Raw.

Bobby Lashley (w/ Lio Rush) vs. Kevin Owens (w/ Elias)

Credit: WWE.com

After some frustration with backstage catering involving cashews, Elias and Kevin Owens talked down to the crowd, starting an unstoppable wave of boos. They shouldered through to insult John Cena until Lio Rush came out to pop the crowd and bring out his man, Bobby Lashley.

After wearing down Lashley, KO looked poised to win, only for the big man to find a second wind and run over Owens.

The Drifter attacked Lashley's manager as a distraction, setting up Owens to roll up The Dominator for three. Afterward, they beat down The Dominator and injured Rush.

Result

Owens def. Lashley by pinfall

Grade

A

Analysis

The best moment of the night was hearing the crowd react to Elias and KO, who got more heat than any heel has gotten in WWE in years. The Seattle crowd kept booing for several straight minutes, and the heels were forced to just roll with it. It was pro wrestling at its best—pure energy.

The match that followed was good enough not to take away from the moment, but it was the segment preceding the match that made this special.

Bayley (w/ Finn Balor) vs. Alicia Fox (w/ Jinder Mahal)

Credit: WWE.com

Constantly playing to Finn Balor in her corner, Bayley looked dominant against Alicia Fox, with Jinder Mahal not able to give that same support to his teammate.

Balor took out Mahal with a Slingblade, and then Bayley caught Fox with a Bayley-to-Belly for the win.

Result

Bayley def. Fox by pinfall

Grade

C-

Analysis

It's nice to see Mixed Match Challenge not purely isolated to Facebook Live, but that show's silliness does not translate well to Raw. This just came off as a lazy use of all four wrestlers. The match didn't go anywhere.

It is especially frustrating that this is all that Raw can give Balor, who seems to have forgotten his feud with Corbin.

The Brothers of Destruction Take Out Triple H and Shawn Michaels

Credit: WWE.com

Shawn Michaels came to the ring to talk about how personal this all had gotten. Kane interrupted, taking out HBK with an uppercut. The Undertaker appeared to join his brother and hit a Tombstone, but Triple H ran down to save his friend.

He was ineffective. The Brother of Destruction dominated and hit double chokeslams on the former D-Generation X duo. The Deadman then planted Hunter with a Tombstone Piledriver.

Grade

B-

Analysis

This was a fine nostalgia moment that clearly indicated the plan is eventually to have DX vs. The Brothers of Destruction.

It did not add much to the immediate match, making Taker vs. Triple H feel more ordinary, but it clearly excited the crowd and showed Michaels can still take some bumps.