Raw 04.12.2023

Whoo-Hoo! The RadiantGame Team is now in your city - Albany, NY! Tonight, we have some great matches: Drew McIntyre vs Sami Zayn, a championship match between Seth Rollins and Jey Uso. For sure, we will also see Gunther and Imperium, and possibly Judgment Day. So many exciting things to come, I just can't wait. Let's get into it

Drew - Master of Blaming

As we all know, in recent months Drew's character has changed. The brave and lonely warrior with strong principles is gone. Now we see a darker and badder version of McIntyre who prefers blaming others for his own failures. Since he opened tonight's Raw, Drew mentioned CM Punk, Randy, Jey, Seth, and of course, Sami, and every person got something to blame for. Meh, Drew speaks more than he actually does. But at least we see his new personality. If someone told me a year ago that Sami would stand against Drew without any fear, I would have laughed. I remember those days when Zayn dodged matches with Drew for three weeks, and the Scottish warrior didn't forget those days either. But nowadays, Sami is a different man who can stand toe-to-toe with the strongest guys in the industry. The only mistake Sami made was mentioning Drew's family, asking him about their attitude toward his actions today. Drew promised that only one of them would leave this ring on foot.

Raw 04.12.2023 - Â "We are not the same, you're absolutely right, Drew." - Sami Zayn.

Drew McIntyre vs Sami Zayn

As you may understand, that match was competitive, but Sami mostly tried to defend himself, avoid damage, and counterattack his opponent. Drew was like a tank, just moving forward and seeing no obstacles in his way. However, Zayn managed to surprise the Scottish Warrior several times. After the Sitout Powerbomb, some people might have even thought that Zayn would win, but unfortunately, McIntyre is not an easy target to defeat. At one moment, Zayn suffered a leg injury, and Drew, without any mercy, exploited it to his advantage, delivering a Claymore to Sami and securing the win. Well, he promised that only one would stand tall.

Raw 04.12.2023 - Drew finishes Sami with Claymore

Nia Jax Targeting Becky Lynch

Just before the match, Jax had a short talk with The Man. You may forget that Nia was the reason why Becky lost her title - The Man, smashing her nose to make her bleed. Lynch remembers that episode and promised that she has some unpaid bills to Jax. Right now, Jax is like a big tank from a classic MOBA or MMORPG, and Becky is a DD. Not too sure that she can handle Nia right now, but time will show us

Raw 04.12.2023 - The Man measuring Irresistible force

Nia Jax vs Shayna Baszler 

What can I say about this match - Nia absorbed tons of damage from Shayna. Kicks, punches, submission moves, and even a German suplex from the second rope. At one moment, she was able to lock in the Kirifuda Clutch on Jax, but still, that wasn't enough for victory.

Raw 04.12.2023 - Nia choking Shayna

I don't understand how a year ago Baszler decimated Nia and broke her arm because tonight she tried everything she had but still failed. After an Annihilator, Jax was victorious, but the taste of victory was spoiled by Becky Lynch.

Raw 04.12.2023 - Becky is ready to face Nia

The Man was ready to settle her problems with Jax, but she wasn't ready and preferred to leave the ring without physical confrontation. Well, I could say - fear your wishes, Becky. I have bad feelings about her chances against Jax. Maybe I just overvalue the Irresistible Force.

DIY vs Imperium in 2 out of 3 Falls Match

Today, Imperium faces a significant challenge. With the Ring General backing them, they cannot afford another failure. In front of them stands DIY, formidable competitors. Last week, Ludwig and Giovanni struggled against the Creed Brothers, but they still have a chance to impress Gunther.

Did you ever notice how Samantha Irvin announces Imperium? It's music to my ears, with such passion and precision. The Europeans start the match impressively, active and in dominant positions. Tommaso had a hard time until Johnny got involved. In a short time, he managed to set up a situation for Meeting in the Middle on Kaiser, but Vinci was in the right place at the right time to grab Gargano outside the ring, and Ludwig rolled up Tommaso. First fall for Imperium.

Raw 04.12.2023 - Tommaso dealing with both opponents

DIY quickly answered back. Imperium attempted a tag team move, but Tomasso grabbed Kaiser's leg, and Gargano executed a roll-up on Vinci - instant karma.

In the third round, both teams showed their determination and gave it their all. The pace intensified, and the initiative shifted back and forth. Vinci performed a very impressive move - a Moonsault from the third rope. Tommaso responded with his own Air Crush from the third rope on Ludwig, followed by Meeting in the Middle. DIY emerges victorious.

Raw 04.12.2023 - Meeting in the middle

Very bad news for Imperium. I guess Gunther will make some decimations among his subordinates.

The Judgment Day Seems to Be Separated?

Once again, R-Truth sneaked into Judgment Day's locker room. Priest asked Truth to leave, but our merry fellow thought that this was addressed to JD. Eventually, he left, advising Damian to hire security and close doors. After that, Priest gave direct orders to Dom and McDonagh to deal with the Creed Brothers. Well, I am not sure that they have any chances against the Creeds, but still, young blood can show itself.

Raw 04.12.2023 - R-Truth gave advice to Judgment day. 

Kayden Carter & Katana Chance vs Tegan Nox & Natalya

Once again, we see Tegan and Natalya. Still, I have no idea why Raw continues to promote these two individuals. Their opponents are much more interesting and skillful as a team. I still don't understand why uniting Natalya and Tegan seems to be a good idea since their team is more than average, nothing special. On the other hand, Kayden and Katana were NXT Tag Team Champions and have perfect synergy in their in-ring performance. That's why these two young ladies win this match without any significant problems. I was pleased that the young team was victorious at last, and perhaps they will get a title shot for the Tag Team titles. I think Tegan should try herself in solo competitions; the tag team division is just not for her.

Raw 04.12.2023 - Katana and Kayden tag team move

Shinske's Revelations

The American Nightmare is in the house. Since Cody is in fighting form, he is ready to deal with Nakamura right now. The crowd still loves this guy and offers all their support. In a short promo, he admitted that he was blind and didn't pay attention to Shinsuke's words, but now he is ready to listen or fight, it doesn't matter. The Japanese fighter answers in his usual manner using the screen. He said that Cody's story is the same story Shinsuke had several years ago - the story of the Royal Rumble winner and then falling to despair and emptiness. Also, Shinsuke told us about his desires to take Rhodes' place and finish his own story. Well, I see some sense in his words because their stories truly look similar, but as you may know, Cody is a modern version of John Cena, and I am sure he will overcome all his battles and successfully reach the Royal Rumble.

Raw 04.12.2023 -Shinsuke sending message to Cody

The Creed Brothers vs "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio & JD McDonagh

The match was supposed to showcase the might and skill of the Creeds. I have no doubts about their victory. Moreover, I have strong feelings that they will take the tag team championships from Judgment Day. The youngsters tried to do something, using tricks and dirty moves. At one moment, even R-Truth came to the ring, supporting Judgment Day members. I have no idea why he wants to hang around with them, but who can tell what's going on in Truth's head. Anyways, Brutus and Julius ended the match with their finisher, and now nothing stands between the champions and contenders. After the match, JD tried to make R-Truth feel guilty for the loss, but Dominic reasonably objected that this was not the problem and that the Creeds are simply very strong guys. I am interested to see whether R-Truth will join Judgment Day or not. This is the most interesting question.

Raw 04.12.2023 - Belly to Belly suplex by Julius Creed

Jey Uso vs Seth Rollins for the Heavyweight Title

It's time for the main event of the evening, where Jey Uso aims to take the title from our proud champion, Seth Rollins. The past year has been a year of evolution for Jey. From tag team champion and Right Hand, he has grown to become the top contender for Roman's title, and now he once again has the chance to win another world title. Seth acknowledges that Uso is worthy and has given him a chance, though the only person who seemed unhappy about it was Drew. And Drew is the main threat for tonight's main event, as he may spoil this great match and steal this moment from Jey.

Raw 04.12.2023 - Samoan Splash by Jey Uso

Both men are bold and capable of putting on a great performance, and they certainly did not disappoint. Throughout almost the entire match, a clear winner couldn't be determined. Seth survived two Spears and Samoan Splashes, while Jey overcame a Pedigree and Superkicks. Sadly for Uso, after the second Pedigree, Rollins was able to end the match with his Stomp.

Raw 04.12.2023 - Drew ambushed Jey after the match

A show of respect was demonstrated by both competitors after the match. However, one angry and dangerous man just can't stop his vendetta against Uso. Drew delivered a Claymore from the side and threw away Seth, who tried to help Uso. After that loss, I believe Jey should set aside his title dreams and deal with the reality of Drew's challenge. I anticipate that we'll see this match next week.

What's next for Rollins? Well, Adam announced that CM Punk will be here next week, and Pearce will try to sign Punk for Raw. That will be awesome.

Ranking and Opinion

Another episode of Raw has been discussed and summarized for you. We're growing steadily, and I hope this momentum continues. As for tonight's show, I would rate it a solid 7 out of 10. We had a strong main event and a great fight in the opener. Katana and Kayden are likely the number one contenders for the tag team titles, and R-Truth never fails to make me laugh while also raising questions about his future. I'm eagerly anticipating the next episode of Raw to see how Jey will respond to the Claymore and what CM Punk will bring with him next week. See you soon, and don't miss it! :)