Show Recap —

(Reminder that this show was taped last week.)

Various wrestlers were shown arriving. Because this was
taped last week, the crowd was cut off and there was no
crowd reaction, including for Cody Rhodes. Rhea Ripley’s
reaction was “live,” so she did get a reaction.

The camera followed Ripley as she entered the ring. She
called out Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez but got
Smackdown’s Tiffany Stratton instead. Stratton had a message
from Nia Jax: stay out of her business or else Ripley would
have a big problem. (Morgan is facing Jax at Crown Jewel.)

Ripley told her off and they argued until Morgan and
Rodriguez attacked them both from behind. Morgan and
Rodriguez stood tall.

********

There was a video package for the women’s tag title match.

Ripley approached Adam Pearce demanding a match against
Morgan and Rodriguez. Pearce agreed but said Ripley needed a
partner. Ripley was annoyed and didn’t have anyone in mind,
knowing Damian Priest couldn’t be her partner. Stratton
showed up just in time and Pearce offered her as Ripley’s
partner. Ripley reluctantly accepted.

Lash Legend and Jakara Jackson were shown in the front row.

Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill defeated IYO SKY & Kairi Sane
to retain the Women’s Tag Team Championships (9:45)

Sane wiped out Cargill with a dive ahead of a break and Sky
controlled Belair afterward. Belair speared Sky and they
each tagged out. Each team seemed to be treated as babyfaces
so they didn’t do the usual hot tag sequence. Sane initially
had the edge on Cargill until Cargill powerbombed Sane. Sky
broke up the cover but Belair chucked her out of the ring.

Cargill tried slamming Belair onto Sane but Sane moved out
of the way. Damage CTRL teamed up and Sky hoisted Sane in
the air for an elevated elbow drop on Belair. Cargill saved
Belair from an Insane elbow and they drove Sane into the
barricade.

Belair and Cargill jawed at Legend and Jackson until Sky
wiped them out with a dive. Sky jawed at Legend and Jackson
so Legend nailed her with a forearm. That allowed Belair to
hit Sky with a KOD for the pinfall win.

Belair and Cargill retain, and Belair gets her win back over
Sky—thanks to Jackson and Legend. They teased something to
come with Damage CTRL and Jackson/Legend at NXT.

********

Finn Bálor and JD McDonagh approached Adam Pearce. Bálor
wanted a rematch against Damian Priest but Pearce blew him
off because they needed to defend the tag titles. Morgan,
Dominik Mysterio and Carlito approached. The subtext here
was that Bálor seemed more concerned with Priest than
defending the tag titles. He left. Morgan introduced
McDonagh and Carltio to Rodriguez. Carlito was smitten with
her.


********

There was an American Made video package.

This was followed immediately by a Bron Breakker video promo
on Jey Uso. Bron showed Jey respect but was offended that
Jey didn’t return that respect. Bron said they weren’t the
same. They weren’t a couple of second- and third-generation
wrestlers counting on their family’s legacy.

Bron didn’t need his family. When he surpassed his family
one day, they would be there to give their stamp of approval
—unlike Jey Uso. Jey has been sucking off his family’s
legacy for 14 years. Jey wanted to do things on his own but
he’d take this ass-kicking on his own too. Bron was coming
for his Intercontinental championship. Jey’s family could
not save him.


********

There was yet another video, this time a sit-down interview
Adam Pearce did with Bronson Reed. Reed wanted to show that
he was a top guy in WWE and just wanted a match against Seth
Rollins. If it weren’t for Rollins, Reed would be the last
man standing over Braun Strowman. Pearce wouldn’t agree to
anything until they were on the same page. Reed said all the
carnage he caused was to get to the main event. Pearce said
he would talk to Rollins.

********

The Viking Raiders have returned as The War Raiders. Their
entrance video started with the word “Viking” but it
disappeared and “War Raiders” appeared in its place. This
was probably meant to get a reaction but it didn’t. Ivar has
also seemed to replace Erik as the primary name in the team.

The War Raiders defeated Otis & Akira Tozawa (w/Maxxine
Dupri) (2:25)

Ivar and Erik won quickly by pinning Tozawa. Otis didn’t
even get to do the Caterpillar because he was cut off with a
spinning kick.

This was part of the tag title tournament so the War Raiders
advanced.

(They did that whole angle to break Otis away from Chad
Gable but never really paid it off. It’s mid-October and
Otis has not won a televised match all year.)

*******

Pearce approached Seth Rollins. Rollins wanted to know if
he’d make the match. Pearce was concerned because Rollins
has had six matches this year and has been injured for all
of them. Rollins said injuries were part of the game. Young
guys tried to take advantage of the injuries and Reed was no
different. Rollins needed this fight and Pearce needed the
fight if Pearce wanted the best version of Rollins for his
show. Rollins told him to think about it.

[SECOND HOUR]

Cody Rhodes and Gunther segment

Rhodes entered. He considered himself a “wrestling and
sports entertainment traditionalist,” so he was proud to
stand in a city with such a rich pro wrestling history. This
was also the city that changed his life for the better
because it was the first city to start the “We want Cody”
chants. He thanked them very, very, very much.

Gunther interrupted. Gunther admitted he would normally
enter and dress down his opponent’s uncomfortable truths but
the truth was that the business was booming thanks to
Rhodes. Rhodes made every town in every continent and he was
their quarterback. There weren’t many that Gunther respected
but he did respect Rhodes.

However, Gunther did have one thing to say. Rhodes loved
being everyone’s darling. Rhodes was even at odds with his
own friend Kevin. (Gunther was purposely vague because this
show was taped before the footage aired but shown after the
footage was aired on Smackdown.)

Rhodes respected Gunther but saw at WrestleMania that he
could be broken. Rhodes warned that Gunther has never been
in the ring with him. Gunther called Rhodes a true secondary
champion. Rhodes thought that was funny considering he beat
the most dominating champion in history—and he beat another
frightening beast (Brock Lesnar).

Rhodes offered his hand and Gunther shook it. Gunther said,
“Good luck to me—the champ.”

(This segment was just ok. It felt odd knowing there was
nothing real on the line and, because this was taped, there
were a bunch of fake crowd reactions.)

********

There was a Dragon Lee video package.

Bron Breakker defeated Kofi Kingston (8:25)

Bron controlled through a break but Kingston made a comeback
and hit an SOS for two. Bron caught him off the ropes with a
suplex and followed with a spear for the pinfall win.

— Bron went to attack Kingston post-match but Xavier Woods
ran in to chase him away. Bron attacked Woods as soon as his
back was turned but before he could go for a spear, Jey Uso
entered and speared Bron. Jey checked on New Day and
superkicked Bron off the apron before he could get back in.

(Jey got a good reaction here even though this was the
second time they would have seen him on his taped show, and
really, this was the most alive the crowd has seemed so far
tonight.)

********

Priest approached Ripley and asked if she wanted him out
there for her tag match. She said she was good on her own.
Ripley said it was Tiffy’s time to stand on the apron and
look pretty. (They piped in fake crowd laughter but they
piped it in before the punchline.)

Ripley moved on to Judgment Day. She basically advised him
to move on from them but he had a beef with them as long as
she did. He did agree it was time for him to be champion
again. They hugged.

********

R-Truth defeated The Miz (1:04)

Karrion Kross and Final Testament walked down during the
match and the distraction allowed Truth to roll up Miz for
the quick win. Truth, an idiot, hugged Miz in celebration
before leaving the ring. Kross had AOP send Truth back into
the ring where Miz gave him a Skull Crushing Finale. (The
Wyatt Sicks graphics appeared during this match.)

*******

Jimmy Uso found Jey backstage. He pleaded with Jey but Jey
wanted nothing to do with him.


********

Next week on Raw in Philadelphia, PA:

Jey Uso vs. Bron Breakker for the IC title
New Day vs. AOP – tag title tournament
Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee vs. Creed Brothers – tag title
tournament

********

Rhea Ripley & Tiffany Stratton defeated Raquel Rodriguez &
Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan via disqualification
(8:34)

Ripley and Stratton argued outside the ring so Rodriguez
powerbombed Morgan onto them. Again, they went to break two
minutes into the match as they did for every match that was
longer than two minutes.

Morgan and Rodriguez worked over Stratton until she made a
tag to Ripley who hit Morgan with a Rip-tide but Rodriguez
broke up the cover. Ripley tagged in Stratton while Ripley
went after Rodriguez. Stratton went for the PME but Morgan
moved.


Nia Jax attacked Ripley and the referee called for the bell.
(Another thing that has continued from the Vince McMahon era
is that they do not announce the match result when there’s a
stupid DQ finish.)

— Jax checked on Stratton after the match. Ripley went after
Jax but Morgan attacked Ripley from behind. Jax laid out
Morgan (her opponent at Crown Jewel) and hit an Annihilator.

Jax encouraged Stratton to cash in her MITB briefcase on
Morgan but Dom ran out and pulled Morgan to safety. The show
ended.

(This was a taped show and boy, did it ever feel like one.)

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