Post by Slade on Aug 2, 2021 13:25:38 GMT -5
Date: Monday, August 2, 2021
From: Vivent Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah
Commentary Team: Michael Cole, Mauro Ranallo and Tony Schiavone
Backstage Reporting & Interviews: “Mean” Gene Okerlund
Ring Announcer: Howard Finkel
***
BIANCA BELAIR vs. TENILLE DASHWOOD : Bianca Belair was dominant when she took over on offense, but Tenille Dashwood was opportunistic, finding ways to take control after bending or breaking the rules. Dashwood executed a running crossbody to Belair as she was seated in the corner and tried to pin her for the win, but Belair kicked out. Dashwood went to the top rope and attempted a diving crossbody but Belair caught her and countered with a backbreaker. After that, she sent her into the corner and executed a handspring back elbow followed by a northern lights suplex and the K.O.D. for the win. After winning, Belair took the mic and said she had a message for Asuka. Belair is the EST of WWE because she’s the fastest, strongest, toughest, and all-around best athlete in the game and she is ready for Asuka at Summerslam! (12:46) -- Winner by Pinfall: Bianca Belair
Mean Gene interviewed Paul Heyman and Roman Reigns about the WWE Universal Champion’s next title defense, coming up at Summerslam, against the man they call Sting, who cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase for the opportunity two weeks ago on RAW. Heyman said that Sting had to be incredibly stupid to turn in the Money in the Bank briefcase without demanding a match right there on the spot because that was maybe the only way he or anyone else could someone miraculously pull a fast one over on the reigning, defending, WWE Universal Champion. It would be an act of highway robbery and the title reign, while legitimate in the eyes of WWE brass, would no less carry a very big asterisk next to it in the history books because it would note that it was a Money in the Bank cash-in. This is typically the way that inferior WWE superstars have become champions throughout the years and it works about 90% of the time. Those would be good odds for Sting. Instead, he cashed-in the contract for a date four weeks from now basically ensuring that Sting will never get to hear his name and the words WWE Universal Champion ever come out of the mouth of Howard Finkel. Reigns said that he actually respects Sting for having the confidence in himself to wait until Summerslam to win the WWE Universal Championship. The only problem with that plan is that the Tribal Chief shatters the confidence of great men for a living. Reigns thrives on it. It’s what makes him the Head of Table. It is the reason he has the WWE Universal Champion and why everyone else wants what he has. At Summerslam, Sting is going to learn first hand why no one who came before him could take it from him.
WWE CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND MATCH: ORANGE CASSIDY vs. PETE DUNNE : Pete Dunne was dominating until Orange Cassidy got him in a surprise Mouse trap pin but Dunne kicked out at the last moment. Cassidy hit him with an Orange Punch and got a long 2-count. He tried for Beach Break, but Dunne came down and countered with a sunset flip. Cassidy kicked out. He went for a superkick, but Dunne caught his foot and gave him a step-up enzuigiri kick instead. Dunne went to the top rope and attempted a diving double foot stomp. Cassidy moved and Dunne did a somersault. Cassidy went for another Orange Punch. Dunne ducked and executed a snap release German suplex and then applied a kimura lock to force Cassidy to submit. (9:45) -- Winner by Submission: Pete Dunne
“MACHO MAN” RANDY SAVAGE vs. NUNZIO : “Macho Man” Randy Savage had to contend with interference from Johnny the Bull and Chuck Palumbo. In spite of their efforts to ensure that their diminutive leader, Nunzio, would come out on top, it was the “Macho Man” who still took the victory after executing a diving elbow drop off the top rope. (6:02) -- Winner by Pinfall: “Macho Man” Randy Savage
After Savage got the win, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, Jim Cornette, and Paul Heyman all came to the ring to congratulate him. They started bickering and fighting amongst each other over who should represent Savage. Finally, they demanded to know if he had chosen a manager. Savage said he had and told them he would was ready to introduce her. He pointed to the entrance ramp, and out walked Miss Elizabeth. Heyman said it was a poor decision and left it that. Heenan said that Savage would rue the day he didn’t choose him as his representative. Cornette said he was making the greatest mistake of his life and started to berate him, with raised the Macho Man’s temper. However, then, the “Best Man” Miro attacked from behind. He gave him a spinning heel kick and a Miro Kick and then put him Game Over until the ring flooded with security personnel and other WWE officials. Cornette and Miro laughed at Savage as they left the ring.
Returning from the commercial break, we found Mean Gene Okerlund standing by with Imperium. WWE United States Champion WALTER had a message for John Cena. Earning a shot to challenge him for his title was the worst thing that could ever happen to him. He will embarrass this American hero and beat him so bad that his next visit to a Make-a-Wish kid will be made from the hospital bed where they are sharing a room.
KAIENTAI vs. FTR : After Dax Harwood pulled Taka Michinoku off the ring apron to prevent Sho Funaki from making the hot tag, he gave him a snap suplex on the floor. Not long after, he was back on his side of the ring making a tag with Cash Wheeler. Together, they executed the Shatter Machine on Funaki and Harwood pinned him for the win. After they won, Harwood and Wheeler cut a promo on how they are the class of the tag team division. They said it was just a matter of time before they would become the WWE Tag Team Champions, but before that day comes, their first order of business is showing the door to past-their-prime nostalgia acts like the Hart Foundation. Bret “The Hitman” Hart and Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart came out after they heard their names, addressed the cowardly attack leveled against them by FTR and challenged them to a match any time, any place, just to show them how easily it would be for a past-their-prime nostalgia act to defeat a brash, big-mouthed act that never was. After the commercial break, it was confirmed by Mauro Ranallo, Michael Cole and Tony Schiavone that the match will take place at Summerslam. (7:53) -- Winners by Pinfall: FTR
Mean Gene interviewed WWE Tag Team Champions Stevie Ray & Booker T, the Harlem Heat, about last week’s tag team number contender match. They told Mean Gene that last week’s match didn’t decide anything but it doesn’t matter which team of jabronies gets the title shot because they are prepared to take on all comers! Mean Gene tells them he’s just received word that Vince McMahon has decided that at Summerslam, Harlem Heat will defend the titles against the Dudley Boyz… and the World’s Greatest Tag Team… and the Lucha Brothers… in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match! Again, Stevie Ray and Booker T say that it doesn’t matter that they have to defend their titles against three teams. They said they were ready to take on all comers and they meant it. It could be 1 team, 2 teams, 3 teams, 10 teams, or a 100 teams, it just doesn’t matter because these titles mean they are the best in the world and there isn’t another team on the motherflippin’ planet that can hang in the ring with them. So bring on all the teams, and bring on the tables, and the ladders, and the chairs, and they will use them all and still walk out of the ring at Summerslam as your WWE Tag Team Champions of the World! Now can you dig that? Sucka!
KEVIN OWENS vs. BRIAN CAGE : Brian Cage gave Kevin Owens a bucklebomb followed by a superkick and then a sidewalk slam. The combination was only good enough for a 2-count. He picked him up and executed a Cage Breaker jackknife powerbomb. Owens kicked out. He lifted him up to go for the Drill Claw piledriver, but Owens slipped free, executed a full-nelson slam and then a standing moonsault to get a 2-count. He whipped Cage into the ropes and executed a pop-up powerbomb. Cage kicked out. Owens picked up Cage, kicked him in the abdomen and turned to give him the stunner, but Cage pushed him away and he went through the ropes and out to the floor. Cage went to the outside where they brawled even after the referee had counted them both out. Once the match was over, Cage used a chair as a weapon. He cleared off the play-by-play announce team’s table and set up for a powerbomb, but Owens countered with a back body drop. The table didn’t break, so Owens climbed onto the nearby barricade and performed a splash onto Cage to break the table. (15:26) -- Match Ended in a Double Countout
Tony Schiavone entered the ring for an interview with the Phenom, The Undertaker, to get his first public statement about challenging Samoa Joe for the Mash-Up Wrestling Men’s World Championship at Summerslam. Before he can even talk about it, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase and John Bardshaw Layfield showed up to protest The Undertaker just walking out to the ring and claiming the title shot without doing anything at all to merit the opportunity. If anyone can do that, then they are here to say that they also want shots at the title and now it’s a fatal fourway! The Undertaker offered to give them both a chance to step in the ring with him to show him why they deserve it more. They said sure. The Undertaker readied himself for a fight but both men came in. He fought them both off as best as he could. When he grabbed DiBiase in a chokehold, JBL hit him in the back with a chair. The Undertaker no sold it and turned around. JBL swung it again. The Undertaker blocked it with his forearm. DiBiase gave him a chopblock him and the two-on-one beat down was a go! However, that’s when Sting descended from the rafters with his black bat. DiBiase and JBL fled from the ring and complained about Sting sticking his nose where it didn’t belong. Sting proposed a tag team match for next week – DiBiase and JBL versus Sting and The Undertaker. They agreed only if both of them put their title shots at Wrestlemania on the line. Sting accepted and looked to The Undertaker, who said he would put his up, too. Sting and The Undertaker team together for the first time versus The Million Dollar Man and the Wrestling God next week on RAW!
WWE CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND MATCH: TRENT vs. SANTOS ESCOBAR : After Trent executed a springboard tornado DDT on Santos Escobar and got a very long 2-count pinfall after it, Raul Mendoza climbed onto the ring apron to try to create a distraction. Chuck Taylor ran around the ring and pulled him off the ring apron. Chuck got into a fight on the floor with Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde. Trent saved his Best Friend by executing a springboard moonsault onto them. After he helped his best friend up, he was taken out with an Arrow Straight From the Depths of Hell by Escobar, who then brought Trent back into the ring where he gave him a slingshot leg drop and then the Thrill of the Hunt before pinning him for the win. (7:14) -- Winner by Pinfall: Santos Escobar
LIV MORGAN vs. RAQUEL GONZALEZ : Raquel Gonzalez blocked Liv Morgan’s attempt at Oblivion, hooking her left arm around the top rope and using her superior power to stay upright. Then she lifted her up into a ura-nage slam. Next, she picked up Morgan and gave her the one-arm powerbomb and pinned her for the win. (4:15) -- Winner by Pinfall: Raquel Gonzalez
Mean Gene Okerlund interviewed Toni Storm and Ember Moon about their win over the Bella Twins the week before and asked them what was next for both women. Storm and Moon both indicated that they had their sights set on winning the WWE Women’s Championship. Raquel Gonzalez interrupted. She said that her dominant win over Liv Morgan just moments ago showed why she should be next in line for a shot at the WWE Women’s Championship and challenged either one of Storm or Moon to prove her wrong. They were both willing, and they settled on holding a triple threat match next week to see who most deserved a shot at Rhea Ripley’s title.
RICKY STEAMBOAT & DANIEL BRYAN vs. EDDIE GUERRERO & AJ STYLES : AJ Styles attempted a Phenomenal Forearm on Ricky Steamboat but he ducked it and Styles hit his teammate Eddie Guerrero instead. Steamboat grabbed Styles from behind and executed a bridging German suplex but Styles kicked out. Steamboat quickly gave Styles a sit-out piledriver and pinned him. Guerrero made the save. Bryan came in and fought off Guerrero. Steamboat went to the top rope and waited for Styles to get up. Guerrero held onto Steamboat’s leg, preventing him from flying off. Steamboat kicked Guerrero away, but then Styles leapt onto the top rope and quickly executed the springboard Spanish fly. A couple of hot tags were made. Bryan hit Guerrero with a running front dropkick. He went for a cross corner whip but Guerrero reversed it. Bryan ran right into the turnbuckles and flipped backwards over top of Guerrero and then took him down with a running clothesline. He connected with Yes! Kicks and after hitting the last one he went for the cover. Guerrero kicked out and Bryan applied the Yes! Lock until Styles broke it up. Steamboat came in and lit his chest up with chops, backing him into the ropes. Steamboat charged at him and he ducked his head, dumping him onto the ring apron. Bryan went for a running clothesline, but Styles did a somersault evasion and Bryan hit Steamboat, sending him into the barricade. When Bryan turned around, Styles gave him a hurricanrana followed by an ushigoroshi. Guerrero came off the top rope with the frog splash and made the pin. 1…2…3! With the win, Guerrero and Styles have turned Summerslam’s Intercontinental Championship title match into a fatal fourway. As soon as the referee let go of the winners’ hands, Guerrero clotheslined Styles from behind and then gave him a brainbuster. Guerrero ran up the entrance aisle to celebrate as Steamboat, holding the back of his neck, and Bryan, clutching his ribs, looked on. (18:39) -- Winners by Pinfall: Eddie Guerrero & AJ Styles
***
Matches Already Confirmed for Next Week’s Monday Night RAW
Date: Monday, August 9, 2021
From: Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington
Sting & The Undertaker vs. “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase & John Bradshaw Layfield
Women’s Championship #1 Contender Match: Ember Moon vs. Raquel Gonzalez vs. Toni Storm
WWE Cruiserweight Championship Quarterfinal: Chad Gable vs. Pete Dunne
WWE Cruiserweight Championship Quarterfinal: PAC vs. Adam Cole
Date: Monday, August 9, 2021
From: Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington
Sting & The Undertaker vs. “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase & John Bradshaw Layfield
Women’s Championship #1 Contender Match: Ember Moon vs. Raquel Gonzalez vs. Toni Storm
WWE Cruiserweight Championship Quarterfinal: Chad Gable vs. Pete Dunne
WWE Cruiserweight Championship Quarterfinal: PAC vs. Adam Cole