WWE Raw live results: AJ Styles vs. Sami Zayn
Date: September 26, 2022
Location: Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB
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Show Recap —
Bianca Belair, Asuka and Alexa Bliss entered to start the show. Belair wanted to defend her title against Bayley right now but she knew that Bayley wouldn’t come alone. Belair wished her luck at Extreme Rules because Asuka and Bliss would ensure that she got Bayley to herself.
Damage CTRL entered. Bayley said Belair was groomed for this — handpicked and trained to be in this position. Bayley has wanted to do this since she was 12 years old and got here on her own.
Belair said nothing has been handed to her. She has been here every day working hard and wondered what took Bayley so long to get back from rehab. Bayley said she wasn’t even able to walk 10 months ago and was still able to pin Belair at Clash at the Castle.
Belair reminded Bayley that she was around when Belair main evented WrestleMania but it took Bayley this long to challenge her because she didn’t want to do it alone. Bayley didn’t want to talk about the past and challenged Belair to a ladder match at Extreme Rules.
Belair accepted and said she was ready to face IYO SKY right now. They called a referee into the ring, the bell rang, Belair dropkicked SKY out of the ring, and they went to break 10 seconds into the match.
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Solo Sikoa and Sami Zayn were shown arriving to the building in a black Chevy Suburban.
Raw Women’s Champion Bianca Belair (w/Asuka & Alexa Bliss) defeated IYO SKY (w/Bayley & Dakota Kai) in a non-title match (18:08)
The match picked up after a second commercial break. Belair caught SKY off a high cross attempt and hit a fallaway slam for two. SKY responded with an arm drag off the middle rope, followed by a double knee strike in the corner.
Belair shoved SKY off the top to the outside but Bayley and Kai broke her fall. Belair wiped out Bayley and Kai with a dive before giving SKY a KOD for the pinfall win.
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Kevin Patrick interviewed Rey Mysterio (who was wearing a Bret Hart t-shirt). Rey told Patrick that he would never fight his son. He didn’t recognize Dominik last week and wondered what happened to the son he raised. He knew that it was the influence of Rhea Ripley.
He also knew how dangerous Seth Rollins was and would not be distracted tonight in their match. He had mercy for his son but would not show any mercy to Rollins.
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The Miz spoke to six security guards backstage. He offered them rewards if they properly protected him tonight and deemed them “Miz Force.” He led them in a “Miz Force” chant and sent them on their way.
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Seth Rollins promo
Rollins said he should be US champion but the only reason he wasn’t was because of Matt Riddle. Rollins mentioned their upcoming fight pit match which led to a “bro” chant but that was eventually drowned out by people humming Rollins’ theme song.
Everyone has been saying that this match is perfect for Riddle but he was Seth “freakin’” Rollins and it didn’t matter what kind of match they were having. Rollins has been in every type of match and he has won them all.
Riddle didn’t have what he had and that was an Einstein-level acumen in the fight game. When their match was over, everyone would be signing his song and calling him the king of the fight pit.
Rollins hoped that Riddle was watching right now when he gives the father of the year Rey Mysterio the beating that he’s too much of a coward to give to his own son.
Seth Rollins defeated Rey Mysterio (17:57)
Mysterio immediately knocked Rollins out of the ring with a dropkick which led to break. This is almost exactly what happened in the opening segment with Belair and SKY. The only difference was that this match hadn’t started yet.
The match was underway after the break and Rollins was bleeding from the forehead. They showed a replay of Rey driving him face-first into the steel steps during the break. Rollins was in control after the break anyway.
Dominik entered with a steel chair and Rollins was cautious of him until Dom patted him on the back. (A QR code flashed on the screen as Dom entered.)
[SECOND HOUR]
Rollins attempted the three amigos suplexes but Rey countered the last one into a DDT. Rey also countered a buckle bomb by sending Rollins into the turnbuckles with a hurricanrana. Rey followed with a seated senton and springboard crossbody for two.
Somebody tried a rollup for two but you couldn’t tell who it was because they were using a camera positioned on the ceiling. Rollins hit a falcon arrow for two before Rey hit a sliding splash to the outside. Rey followed with another splash in the ring for two. (Fans along the front rows chanted “Dom is useless” as he watched from ringside.)
They did the Claudio/Chris Jericho spot where Mysterio avoided a powerbomb and brought Rollins down from the ropes with a hurricanrana.
Dom again dared Rey to hit him with a chair. Rollins distracted the referee as Rhea Ripley shoved Rey into the ring post. Dom pushed Rey back into the ring and Rollins gave Rey a curb stomp. Rollins then applied a Peruvian Necktie for the win (Rey was out so the ref called for the bell).
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Bobby Lashley approached Riddle to discuss strategy for the fight pit. Lashley also warned Riddle to never get involved in his match again.
Elsewhere, Kevin Owens and Johnny Gargano walked through the back and they saw one of Miz’s security guards laid out on the ground. (They didn’t offer to help him.)
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Chad Gable and Otis entered waving big American flags.
A fan had a sign that read “KO Fight My Sign” so Owens punched the sign and ripped it in half.
Kevin Owens & Johnny Gargano defeated Alpha Academy (13:09)
Owens got a hot tag and put Gable in a sharpshooter to the delight of the crowd (Corey Graves, who made a Bret Hart reference moments earlier, made sure to call it a Scorpion Deathlock) but Otis broke up the cover. Gable kicked out of a Swanton Bomb by Owens and followed with a German suplex. Gargano tagged in but Otis and Gable gave him an elevated bulldog.
Otis cleared the announce table but Owens superkicked him and put him through it with an elbow drop off the barricade. That drew a “holy shit” chant.
Austin Theory grabbed Gargano’s leg and the distraction allowed Gable to hit a Cliffhanger DDT for a close nearfall. Theory tried to attack Gargano with the briefcase but Gargano ducked and superkicked him. Gargano gave Gable the One Final Beat for the pinfall win.
Fun match and the crowd loved Owens.
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Finn Bálor approached AJ Styles in the back. Bálor tried to act sincere and offered Styles an olive branch. Styles said he could watch his own back. (There was another fallen security guard in the hallway.)
There was a clip of Steve Austin winning the 1998 Royal Rumble.
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A disappointed Theory spoke with Gable and Otis in the back. Gable blamed the loss on having to deal with the idiot Braun Strowman on Smackdown. Someone suddenly called Theory’s cellphone and the call was for Gable. It was Strowman (on speakerphone).
Strowman informed Gable that he was coming to Raw next week in Gable’s hometown of Saint Paul, Minnesota. Strowman wanted to face him there so they wouldn’t have to fly Gable’s body home for the funeral. Gable was very concerned. Theory told Otis that he’d face Gargano and put an end to him. Otis was excited, Gable was not.
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1-on-2 handicap match: Omos (w/MVP) defeated two guys (1:42)
Omos won and beat up both guys after the match.
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Miz walked through the back only to find his entire security squad laid out. A man in full Edmonton Oilers gear appeared behind him. It was Dexter Lumis. Lumis broke a hockey stick over his back and put him to sleep (as the crowd chanted for the Oilers).
(The announcers plugged Edmonton and Jimmy Smith called Rogers Place the house that Gretzky built. Of course, Wayne Gretzky stopped playing for the Oilers 28 years before this arena was built.)
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Candice LeRae defeated Nikki A.S.H. (1:42)
LeRae made her debut and won with a swinging neckbreaker off the middle rope.
LeRae received a nice reaction on the way out and for the win but the crowd was quiet for the match itself.
Nikki was dejected and ditched her mask.
[THIRD HOUR]
Bálor assured the rest of Judgment Day that Styles would come around. Patrick approached and asked Damian Priest if he would hold back at all on his old friend Riddle. Ripley called that a dumb-ass question. Priest had no plans of taking it easy on his former friend.
Sami Zayn (w/Solo Sikoa) defeated AJ Styles (20:03)
Styles was paying too much attention to Sikoa so Zayn nailed a boot and Blue Thunder Bomb for two. Zayn tried to win by countout after shoving Styles into the ring post and throwing him into the timekeeper’s area but Styles made it back in. Styles nailed a Pelé kick which led to the second commercial break of the match.
Zayn hit an Exploder into the turnbuckles but Styles caught him in a Calf Crusher until he got a rope break. Zayn grabbed Styles by the hair and wouldn’t let go so the ref got in his face.
The distraction allowed Sikoa to slam Styles onto the ring apron. Zayn followed with Helluva Kick for the pinfall win.
(Zayn showed off his new t-shirt throughout the match and broke out a few old moves too.)
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Judgment Day entered with Styles still in the ring. Bálor got in the ring as the rest of Judgment Day surrounded it. Bálor offered Styles a spot in Judgment Day.
Bálor put up the ‘too sweet’ sign and Styles responded by flipping him off. Bálor and Judgment Day attacked him. Ripley grabbed a chair and they put it around his neck. Bálor was about to hit a stomp but he stopped short. Bálor told Styles that he could have ended him right there but that’s not what friends do. Judgment Day posed.
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They congratulated John Cena on entering the Guinness Booker of World Records for granting 650 wishes for Make-A-Wish.
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LeRae approached Belair, Asuka, and Bliss in the back. LeRae hoped that Belair would shut Bayley up at Extreme Rules. Bayley and friends happened to be nearby and she confronted LeRae. They all got into each other’s faces until they peeled off and went their separate ways.
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Matt Riddle defeated Damian Priest (w/Judgment Day) (19:21)
Riddle hit Bálor with a PK but that allowed Priest to slam him onto the edge of the barricade to take control into a break. Riddle made a comeback which included a springboard dive and knee strike for two. Priest shoved him off the top and Riddle landed on the barricade. Priest shoved him into the barricade again leading to another break.
Riddle hit an avalanche fisherman suplex after the break for two. They exchanged counters until Riddle hit Bro Derek for a nearfall.
Riddle went to the top but Ripley distracted him long enough for Priest to hit a clothesline and flatliner for two. Priest went for a springboard kick but Riddle caught him in mid-air with a knee strike.
Riddle got distracted again, this time by Bálor. However, Riddle managed to catch Priest in a small package for the pinfall win.
— Judgment Day beat down Riddle post-match.
Edge came out to his music and the building erupted. Edge speared Priest and stared down Dominik until Ripley pulled Dom out of the ring. Edge also speared Bálor.
Edge said they keep trying to finish him but he keeps coming back because he doesn’t quit. Edge challenged Bálor for the first time ever at Extreme Rules — in an “I Quit” match.