Post by Slade on Aug 10, 2021 8:52:02 GMT -5
Date: Monday, August 9, 2021
From: Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington
Commentary Team: Michael Cole, Mauro Ranallo and Tony Schiavone
Backstage Reporting & Interviews: “Mean” Gene Okerlund
Ring Announcer: Howard Finkel
***
WWE Intercontinental Champion Ricky Steamboat came to the ring to start the show. He asked for Daniel Bryan to come down to the ring because he had something important to talk to him about. Bryan, who is from just down the road in Aberdeen, received a large standing ovation. Steamboat wanted Bryan to know that he had no hard feelings about what happened last week when they teamed together and lost to Eddie Guerrero and AJ Styles. Bryan thanked him but wondered if that was all he called him out here for. Steamboat said it wasn’t. He said that it was no secret that he now has to defend the Intercontinental Championship against three-men instead of one, lowering his odds of retaining the strap. Bryan noted that it lowers his odds of winning it from, too. Be that as it may, Vince McMahon called him into his office this afternoon and said that he wanted to give him the opportunity to increase his odds of retaining the title so tonight he will go one-on-one with Daniel Bryan, and if he wins, Bryan will be out of the match at Summerslam. Bryan accused Steamboat of a cheap attempt at retaliation for getting pinned last week. Steamboat said he didn’t ask Vince for anything and even told him he didn’t want to do that, but Vince threatened to strip him of the title if he didn’t compete tonight, so they’re going to have the match. Steamboat adds that friendship or not, he takes being a competitor seriously, so he’s going to give it everything he has and he’s going to win. Bryan told Steamboat to prepare for a preview of what will happen at Summerslam when he beats him later tonight.
WWE CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT QUARTER FINALS MATCH: PAC vs. ADAM COLE : PAC went to the top turnbuckle and attempted a 450-degree splash. Adam Cole roled out of the way and PAC landed hard on the mat. As he was getting up, Adam Cole tried to give him a Last Shot. PAC was able to duck out of the way and pull him into a school-boy roll-up for a count of two. Cole connected with a superkick and then executed a kneecap brainbuster and made the cover. PAC kicked out at two, so Cole climbed up to the second rope. He leapt off, attempting a Panama Sunrise, but PAC got his handsprung out of it and hit Cole with a basement dropkick. He executed a corkscrew standing moonsault and made the cover but Cole kicked out. PAC tried to apply the Brutalizer but Cole scramble towards the rope and got a toe on the bottom rope just as PAC got both his arms locked in. Upon getting up with the help of the ropes, Cole was given a clothesline out to the floor. PAC went for an over-the-top-rope moonsault plancha, but Cole moved out of the way. PAC landed on his feet but fell backwards and hit his head on the barricade. It hit the barricade hard a second time with Cole hit him with a Last Shot, sandwiching PAC’s head between it and Cole’s knee. Cole rolled PAC into the ring and pinned him to get the 3-count and the win. (16:27) -- Winner by Pinfall: Adam Cole
Mean Gene interviewed John Cena who said that is a mark of a weak man to make fun of sick children. Cena said he has met more champs in children’s hospitals across this country than you could ever imagine. They’re all greater fighters than WALTER could ever hope to be. Their strength gives him the fire to never give up. He is going to go to Summerslam and win the WWE United States Champion – not for himself but for all of them – the sick and the poor, the bravest young fighters in the world and the men and women in uniform – and he will bring that title back home to America the beautiful and he will go to the children’s hospitals and the veteran’s hospitals and visit all the bravest warriors in the world so each and every one of them can put their championship – the WWE United States Championship – around their waists.
BUBBA RAY DUDLEY vs. CHARLIE HAAS vs. PENTA EL 0M vs. STEVIE RAY : Stevie Ray shook the ring when he gave Bubba Ray Dudley a flapjack. He followed that up by giving him the Slapjack. When he got up from knees, he was pulled into a bridging German suplex by Charlie Haas. 1…2… a diving double foot stomp off the top rope by Pelta El 0M broke it up. Penta and Stevie Ray traded blows. Haas tried to attack Penta but he ducked and Haas ended up sending Stevie Ray over the top rope with a clothesline. Penta took Haas down with a slingblade and then gave him the Fear Factor package piledriver. 1…2…3! (9:41) -- Winner by Pinfall: Penta El 0M
WWE CRUISERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT QUARTER FINALS MATCH: CHAD GABLE vs. PETE DUNNE : Chad Gable gave Pete Dunne a dropkick out of mid-air and then picked him up off the mat to execute a deadlift bridging German suplex. 1…2… kick out! Gable picked up Dunne and went for an Olympic slam, but Dunne broke free and executed a quick superkick, then a running step-up enzuigiri kick, an x-plex, and a penalty kick to the chest. He folded him up for the pin, but Gable managed to kick out. Dunne decided to go to the top rope. Gable met him up there and executed a northern lights suplex off the turnbuckles. He pinned Dunne but he kicked out, so he went straight into an ankle lock. Dunne refused to quit, turned over and kicked Gable in the face to break free. Gable charged at him but got a stiff forearm to the jaw that turned him around. Dunne capitalized by giving him the Bitter End. 1…2…3! (9:20) -- Winner by Pinfall: Pete Dunne
Mean Gene Okerlund attempt to interview the lovely Miss Elizabeth, the new manager of the “Macho Man” Randy Savage. He failed to get a word from her as Savage hijacked the interview by walking on set with a large mop in his hands. Mean Gene wanted to know what he was doing with the mop and he said he was looking for the Best Man – oh, yeah, he’s the best man, alright, THE BEST MAN FOR ME TO CLEAN THE FLOOR WITH! Oooh yeah, Miro, he said, was like this mop because the moments he gets his hands on it, he’s going to clean the floor with him. Oooh yeah!
WWE WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP #1 CONTENDER’S MATCH : TONI STORM vs. EMBER MOON vs. RAQUEL GONZALEZ : Raquel Gonzalez held Toni Storm up in an elevated two-handed chokehold when Ember Moon climbed the turnbuckle and delivered a missile dropkick into the small of Storm’s back, causing her to topple over onto Gonzalez. When Storm popped up to her feet, Moon took her down with a headscissors and then scooped her up and gave her a fallaway slam. When Moon got up, she received a big lariat from Gonzalez, who then lifted her off the mat and executed a sidewalk slam. She went for the pin but Toni Storm broke it up. Storm gave Gonzalez a series of kicks and tried setting Gonzalez up for Storm Zero but Gonzalez reversed with a back body drop. She hit Storm with a running big boot then picked her up and gave her the Tequila Shot (fireman’s carry cutter). Before she could go for the pin, she saw Moon charging at her. She countered her attack with a flapjack and them gave her the one-arm powerbomb and pinned her for the win and the right to challenge Rhea Ripley at Summerslam. (12:57) -- Winner by Pinfall: Raquel Gonzalez
Mean Gene was keeping busy backstage. His next guest was the holder of the women’s Money in the Bank briefcase/contract, Bayley. He asked her for a comment concerning her actions two weeks ago, when she hit Becky Lynch with her MITB briefcase, adding that it wasn’t the sort of thing a role model would do. Bayley admonished Mean Gene for editorializing. The press, she said, had been very unfair to her lately. They like to build you up to be their hero – a role model for all – and then tear you down. As for what happened to Becky Lynch, well, she had it coming. It was an important lesson that when you pointlessly attack a model citizen, there will be retaliation. Payback will happen and payback is a five-letter word that Becky Lynch knows all too well because it’s what she’s been all her life.
RICKY STEAMBOAT vs. DANIEL BRYAN : Ricky Steamboat reversed a whip and ran into the corner, connecting with a big chop to the forehead. He whipped Daniel Bryan to the opposite corner and followed in for another big chop but Bryan reverse leapt over him with and Steamboat hit the turnbuckles instead. Bryan ran to the ropes and came back with the running clothesline. He hit Steamboat with the Yes! Kicks. Steamboat ducked the last one , kipped up and executed a pop-up hurricanrana and got a 2-count off it. Steamboat went for a vertical suplex. Bryan slipped free and went for a release German suplex. Steamboat flipped through and landed on his feet then landed a picture-perfect dropkick to Bryan’s face. Bryan rolled to the floor and Steamboat took him down with a slingshot plancha. After sending Bryan back into the ring, Steamboat climbed the turnbuckle. Bryan lunged into the ropes to crotch him on the top turnbuckle. Bryan went up and gave Steamboat a frankensteiner. He sized up Steamboat for the running high-knee, but Steamboat did a somersault evasion and then a tilt-a-whirl headscissors takedown. Steamboat set up for a sit-out piledriver, but Bryan counter with a back body drop. Steamboat landed on his feet on the ring apron and climbed the top turnbuckle. He went for a the diving crossbody. Bryan turned to the side and pulled Steamboat down into the Yes! Lock. It took everything the Intercontinental Champion had to get to the ropes to force a break. Bryan gave him space and once he was on his feet, Bryan hit him with the running high-knee. He made the pin. 1…2…3! (19:07) -- Winner by Pinfall: Daniel Bryan
Returning from commercial break, we had a pre-recorded interview from Mash-Up Wrestling Women’s World Champion Asuka who addressed comments made by Bianca Belair one week ago by saying that she wasn’t afraid of Bianca Belair. She may think she’s ready for Asuka, but she isn’t ready for Asuka. For over two years now, women keep thinking they’re ready for Asuka, and they keep being wrong. None of them were ready for Asuka. No one is ready for Asuka!
After the interview, Mean Gene Okerlund was standing by with Bianca Belair, who issued a challenge to Asuka. Come to RAW next week and Belair will show you that the EST for WWE is ready for Asuka!
ELIAS vs. “THE BEST MAN” MIRO : We may never again see anyone walk with Elias as Miro connected with a Miro Kick and stretched his spine in a way it isn’t meant to be stretched when he placed him in Game Over. Elias tapped out quickly and Miro held him in the hold one second less than was necessary to have the decision reversed by disqualification. After the match, when Miro had his hand raise and Jim Cornette gloated about his man’s victory, “Macho Man” Randy Savage ran to the ring and attacked Miro, eventually clotheslining him over the top rope. Miro tripped over himself to get away from Savage and ran up the entrance ramp and out of view with the Macho Man in hot pursuit. (5:32) -- Winner by Pinfall: “The Best Man” Miro
Mean Gene Okerlund interviewed Keith Lee to get his reaction to the announcement that he will face Mash-Up Wrestling Men’s World Champion Samoa Joe next week on RAW. Lee said that he was honoured for the opportunity to face the biggest name in the industry today. He understands that people will view this as Joe’s tune up match, an opportunity for the champ to get a little work in and put himself over before Summerslam. Lee is ready to prove everyone wrong. He views this is another golden opportunity to show the world why he is known as “Limitless” because there is no challenge he can’t overcome. Samoa Joe had better take this match seriously or he’ll find himself quickly looking up at the lights and making up phony excuses to the press about why Keith Lee didn’t and doesn’t deserve a shot at his championship.
STING & THE UNDERTAKER vs. “MILLION DOLLAR MAN” TED DIBIASE & JOHN BRADSHAW LAYFIELD : “Glorious” Bobby Roode and “Cowboy” James Storm came down to the ring to try to help their stablemates. Sting fought them both off. They ran off in the direction of the entrance ramp. Sting stopped near the bottom of the ramp and Roman Reigns came running out from the small space between the ramp and the barricade and nailed Sting with a spear! Back in the ring, The Undertaker had JBL in a chokehold when DiBiase entered the ring and clipped the back of his knee with a chopblock. JBL and DiBiase gave The Undertaker a two-on-one beatdown. JBL set up for a powerbomb, but The Undertaker countered with a back body drop. DiBiase tried to attack but The Undertaker got him with a big boot. He took JBL with the running jump clothesline. A chokeslam for DiBiase and then a chokeslam for JBL set things up nicely for The Undertaker to give JBL a Tombstone for the win. (15:21) -- Winners by Pinfall: Sting & The Undertaker
***
Matches Already Confirmed for Next Week’s Monday Night RAW
Date: Monday, August 16, 2021
From: Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta
MUW Men's World Champion: Samoa Joe vs. "Limitless" Keith Lee
Bret "The Hitman" Hart vs. Cash Wheeler
WWE Cruiserweight Championship Quarterfinal: Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa
WWE Cruiserweight Championship Quarterfinal: Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Santos Escobar
Date: Monday, August 16, 2021
From: Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta
MUW Men's World Champion: Samoa Joe vs. "Limitless" Keith Lee
Bret "The Hitman" Hart vs. Cash Wheeler
WWE Cruiserweight Championship Quarterfinal: Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa
WWE Cruiserweight Championship Quarterfinal: Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Santos Escobar