WWE Raw live results: Backlash fallout

Date: June 15, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center in Orlando, FL 

The Big Takeaway — 

Christian returned to action in an “unsanctioned match” against Randy Orton. Ric Flair gave Christian a low-blow as the match started, then Orton punted him for the win. They played it up like Christian was seriously hurt. 

Drew McIntyre retained his WWE Championship in a tag match and Asuka retained her Women’s Championship after the referee did a fast-count. 

Raw was a very talk-heavy show, especially the first two hours. They kept the matches involving the top-level wrestlers for the third hour. 

Aleister Black and Humberto Carrillo were among those not on tonight’s show (which may mean nothing).

Show Recap — 

They announced Drew McIntyre and R-Truth against Bobby Lashley and MVP, Asuka against Nia Jax for the title, and an appearance from Dominick Mysterio. 

Randy Orton came out to start the show. Tom Phillips said “many” considered last night the greatest wrestling match ever. Phillips confirmed that Edge suffered a torn triceps and had surgery this morning. They showed a graphic picture from the surgery without any sort of warning. 

Orton said he humiliated and embarrassed Edge, wrote the final chapter in his story (somebody was clapping for this) and gave him closure. He knew Edge wouldn’t be able to return to his past form and Orton needed to save him the way he saved Orton years ago. 

Orton said he won the greatest wrestling match ever which made him the greatest ever and he didn’t need the WWE title to prove it. Orton thanked Edge for reigniting the fire inside him because he was reminded of what it was like to be the legend killer. 

He wished Edge was here to tell him but he wasn’t. Not only because he punted Edge in the head but because he tore his triceps right off the bone. Orton said he knew exactly when Edge got injured in the match but he kept going because Edge needed to go home to his wife and kids. Edge had another mountain to climb and Orton hoped that he did. 

Orton said Edge was likely to get cleared in July — July of 2029. People booed and Orton smirked. 

Christian interrupted. Christian asked what kind of man Orton was. He called Orton cold, calculated, and a son-of-a-bitch. Orton smiled. Christian said Edge’s career wasn’t over. He didn’t quit before and he wasn’t going to quit now. Christian said Edge would get closure on his own terms and not Orton’s. 

Orton said this wasn’t about Christian because it’s never about Christian. He called Christian jealous. Orton saw it in Christian’s face — he knew he wanted one more match. Christian said no but Orton wasn’t buying it. Christian was just like Edge in that his career was taken from him before he wanted. 

Orton said Christian wasn’t cleared to compete so he challenged him to an unsanctioned match. Christian appeared worried. Orton said the offer expired at the end of the night and Christian would prove that he’s nothing more than a coward. 

The announcers talked about Christian’s “medical history” but didn’t say a word about concussions. 

Charly Caruso asked Zelina Vega and Angel Garza if Garza’s actions may have cost Andrade the title last night. Garza said Andrade was heartbroken and felt sorry for him. He didn’t seem all that sincere. 

Garza also felt sorry for Kevin Owens. He asked Caruso if she wanted to do an interview in the ring after his match. Vega wasn’t amused. Andrade appeared and shook Garza’s hand. Andrade wished him luck against Owens tonight but if he lost, he hoped Garza would get over it. (Basically, they’re not getting along anymore.) 

Kevin Owens defeated Angel Garza (w/Zelina Vega) (6:42) 

Andrade entered to his music just ten seconds into the match. Owens was chopping Garza in the corner but stopped abruptly upon hearing the music. Garza was even more distracted by the entrance so Owens attacked him again. Garza was knocked out of the ring and got into a mild argument with Andrade. Vega told them she was sick of this and left. 

Garza was somehow in control after a break, working over Owens’ leg. Near the finish of the match, Andrade distracted the referee. Garza waited for Owens to turn around to attack him. He kicked him once in the gut before trying to get the referee’s attention away from Andrade. This allowed Owens to catch Garza with a stunner for the pinfall win. 

Vega marched out after the match. She told Andrade and Garza to stop fighting. She said they wanted the same things and needed to fight together. She got them to leave with her. 

MVP and Lashley were speaking backstage when Sarah Schrieber approached them for an interview. MVP said they were having a private conversation and told her to go back to journalism school. Lashley said they were trying to discuss strategy for their tag match tonight. 

Schrieber pressed them for a comment about Lana and her involvement last night. MVP told her that Lashley was cheated out of his opportunity last night due to circumstances outside of his control. MVP said they would address this right now. 

MVP and Bobby Lashley promo 

MVP and Lashley came out. MVP said Lashley’s night was ruined by Lana, and Drew McIntyre had the audacity to take advantage. He called it exclusively Lana’s fault that Lashley isn’t the champion right now and if McIntyre had any integrity he would have given him a rematch on the spot. He claimed McIntyre was hiding behind another man’s wife. 

Lana entered. She said it was Lashley’s stupid idea to banish her from ringside. She would never do anything to hurt him and would do anything for him. She put his career over his. She dyed her hair brown and got a divorce. Lashley prospered with her but he faltered with MVP. He called her a “THOT” (I think) and she told him not to talk to her that way. 

MVP said Lashley was nowhere near the title before he showed up. Lana tried to reason with Lashley and called them a good team. Lashley asked when the last time was that she laced up a pair of boots. He said she was more concerned with getting likes on Instagram. She only used him to get more famous and even publicized their sex life. 

She said if she was just using him for that she would have slept with someone more famous, like Drew. Lashley said he wanted a divorce. He left with MVP, who smiled at Lana before exiting. Lana acted upset. 

Schrieber interviewed the Street Profits and Viking Raiders, who are all friendly now. They were interrupted by Akira Tozawa and his ninjas. Tozawa wanted a sequel. The big tall guy (Jordan Omogbehin under a mask) showed up again with Tozawa. Montez Ford told his friends he had an idea on how to handle this. This was dumb. 

Eight-man tag match: The Street Profits & Viking Raiders defeated Akira Tozawa & three ninjas (w/tall ninja) (1:14) 

The Street Profits went around the plexiglass and danced among the audience during their entrance, which seems to defeat the purpose of the plexiglass. 

The Viking Profits won quickly after Ford and Ivar each hit splashes. (Ford picked up the pinfall.) Tozawa never got in the ring. 

Tozawa entered the ring with his tall friend after the match. The Viking Profits huddled and Ford raised a glass. That brought out the Big Show, who was their back-up (even though they didn’t appear to need it). Show knocked out all of the ninjas as Tozawa and his friend backed away. 

Caruso asked Seth Rollins about Dominick coming to Raw. Rollins was glad but noted that no one has actually seen him yet. Rollins felt Dominick’s presence, though, and had a message for him and Rey tonight. 

[Second hour] 

(If you don’t watch WWE programming, they do this thing where they show images of the city they’re in and shots of the arena. They’ve aired images of the Performance Centre every single week since they started filming there months ago. I think we get it now.) 

Christian was on the phone backstage reassuring whoever he was talking to that he knew the risks. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do. 

Seth Rollins promo 

Rollins said Rey declined his invitation but Dominick accepted on his family’s behalf. Rey showed up on the screen. He didn’t know Dominick was headed to Raw and was too late to stop him. Rey knew what Rollins was capable of and began warning him. Rollins said he wouldn’t hurt Dominick, he wanted to help him. 

Rollins said Dominick was part of the future and wanted Rey to encourage him to join his stable. Rey called him crazy and said Dominick would never join him. Rollins didn’t want to make things difficult and said Murphy and Austin Theory were looking for Dominick right now. He said if Dominick was a problem then he must be sacrificed. 

Rey said if Rollins or his goons touched his son, he would end him. Rollins recalled hearing Dominick saying the words, “eye for an eye.” He said Dominick was an adult who could make his own choices. He could choose to be on the right side of history or he can be a sacrifice. Rollins got to his knees as he spoke and began thanking Rey. 

Dominick appeared from behind, attacked Rollins and chucked him into the steel steps. Murphy and Theory ran out as Rey implored Dominick to run. Dominick managed to escape them and bailed. I liked this segment (except for Rollins’ repetitive speech.) 

Backstage, R-Truth insincerely offered his condolences to Lashley and MVP. Lashley noted that McIntyre wasn’t here right now. Truth abruptly left. 

Bray Wyatt appears on Smackdown this week and Mandy Rose appears on MizTV. 

Lashley and Truth walked around the PC looking for Truth. They heard Truth yelling and struggling underneath a ring. Truth popped out from under the ring and said they have a ninja problem. 

Before they could do anything to him, McIntyre appeared. They argued for a bit, then MVP challenged them to a winner-take-all tag match with the WWE Championship and 24/7 Championship on the line. Truth accepted on McIntyre’s behalf. McIntyre was annoyed at first but then agreed to the stipulation. Truth didn’t appear to understand what he agreed to. 

The IIconics defeated Liv Morgan & Natalya (2:29) 

Morgan was going to start for her team but Natalya immediately tagged herself in and ensured her that she had this. The IIconics attacked her right away and took over. Natalya managed to tag in Morgan who gave Billie Kay a diving dropkick but Peyton Royce broke up the cover. 

Natalya tried to throw Royce from the ring but Royce chucked her out instead. As the ref was distracted by Royce, Morgan put Kay in a schoolgirl. When the ref finally noticed, Kay kicked out. Royce blind tagged in and they gave Morgan their tag finisher for the quick pinfall win. 

After the match, the IIconics challenged Bayley and Sasha Banks to a tag title match on Raw next week. If they don’t accept, the IIconics knew somebody who would make the match official. 

Big Show approached Christian. Show warned him that Orton didn’t pick an unsanctioned match just because it’s the only way he can compete, it was so Orton could do anything he wanted. Christian figured Show was telling him not to do it. Show warned “Jay” that he’s never seen Orton this dangerous, but if it were him, he’d want to punch Orton in the face. Christian said he knew what he had to do. 

Elsewhere, Natalya was mad at Morgan. She placed blame on Morgan and said she made rookie mistakes. She could see why Ruby Riott left her. Morgan left. Natalya continued to rant even though nobody was listening. Lana appeared and said she felt her pain. She thought she’d be married to a WWE champion right now. Instead, she’s getting a divorce. Natalya knew how she felt. 

Christian was on the stage and Caruso approached him for an update. Christian was proud of his career and had nothing else to prove. However, he wasn’t going to be disrespected. Christian accepted Orton’s challenge. The audience cheered. 

MVP approached Apollo Crews backstage. MVP basically told him to work smart, not hard. MVP noted that he was one of the longest-reigning US Champions in history and advised Crews to listen to him. Crews said he wanted to be a fight champion. He thanked him for the offer but declined. MVP warned Crews that the only way he would keep the title is with him in his corner. 

Charlotte was backstage with her dad, Ric Flair. He wanted to know if someone was getting under her skin, I think. She said a lot of people get under her skin. She said, “woo.” I don’t know what this was supposed to be. 

About 100 minutes into the show, there have been 10 and a half minutes of wrestling. 

US Champion Apollo Crews defeated Shelton Benjamin in a non-title match (2:06) 

There was an in-set promo where Benjamin advised Crews to take MVP’s offer. 

Benjamin tried a schoolboy with his feet on the rope but the ref saw it. As Benjamin argued with the ref, Crews used a schoolboy and grabbed the ropes, which the ref did not see, for the pinfall win. Benjamin was not happy. 

Tozawa and his stable approached Truth in the back. Truth threatened to kick all of them. They left. McIntyre showed up and begged Truth to understand the gravity of the situation. McIntyre said Truth’s title was on the line as well as his own life’s work. Truth got serious and said he understood. 

There was a long video recap of the Asuka-Nia Jax storyline. Caruso interviewed Asuka. She asked her if Jax was a too menacing and dominant challenger (their match ended in a double countout and Asuka was doing just fine.) Asuka said Jax started this fight but she would end it. 

Truth approached McIntyre. Truth spoke to the right people (who?) and now only one of their titles will be on the line — the WWE Championship. McIntyre realized that meant if Truth got pinned, he’d lose the WWE title. Truth was back in comedy mode. He said he knew what it was like to lose a title and told him to trust him. 

[Third hour] 

The Profits and Raiders discussed their competition. Show appeared. They thanked him for his help earlier. Show had an idea how to end their competition. Ivar suggested carpool karaoke. Show said no karaoke ever again. Show suggested a tag title match next week. They all liked the idea and acted surprised like they had never thought of such a thing. Show led a “we want the smoke” dance. 

They plugged Christian vs. Orton. 

Two hours into the show, less than 13 minutes of wrestling. 

WWE Champion Drew McIntyre & 24/7 Champion R-Truth defeated Bobby Lashley & MVP — McIntyre retained the WWE Championship (9:10) 

McIntyre was in control and set up MVP for the Claymore Kick. However, Truth tagged himself in and was immediately suplexed by MVP. Lashley chucked him in the barricade and they remained in control through a commercial break. 

MVP booted Truth for two as McIntyre watched nervously. Truth ducked a boot by doing the splits and nailed a kick. McIntyre tagged in and hit Lashley with clotheslines and an overhead suplex but Lashley managed to tag out. McIntyre went after MVP and gave him a Future Shock DDT but Lashley broke up the cover. 

Truth tried to help but Lashley tossed him from the ring. Lashley tried a spear but Truth dropped him into the steel steps. McIntyre gave MVP a Claymore Kick but instead of going for the cover, he tagged in Truth. Truth hit an assisted splash and pinned MVP. McIntyre retains the title. Truth and McIntyre posed together. 

Ric Flair approached Christian who was getting ready. Flair warned him about Orton. Flair said his family wouldn’t care if he backed down and the locker room would forget about it. Christian appreciated the advice but he wasn’t going to regret going after Orton. This was good. 

Bayley & Sasha Banks promo 

Bayley put over their successful title defense last night. She then announced it was her birthday. She said it would be a birthday week and their next step was Wednesday where they would beat Shotzi Blackheart and Tegan Nox before returning home to Smackdown. 

Banks told the IIconics that they don’t get to call the shots. The IIconics interrupted. They were tired of hearing from Banks and Bayley and just wanted an answer. Bayley reminded them that they lost last night. Kay reminded them (again) that they beat them at last year’s WrestleMania which caused them each to have separate breakdowns. 

The IIconics mocked them and said they couldn’t handle the pressure. Banks got in their face so Royce slapped her. Bayley freaked out and said they ruined her day, which was funny. Bayley accepted their challenge. 

Rey Mysterio returns to Raw next week. 

Asuka defeated Nia Jax to retain the Raw Women’s Championship (8:53)  

Jax cut an in-set promo where she called Asuka a joke who got lucky last night. 

There was some miscommunication early in the match. They fought in the ropes/on the apron, then after Asuka let go of a submission, Jax took a while to get back in the ring. Jax clocked Asuka with a right hand upon re-entering the ring, then raised her arms up at the referee in frustration. Moments later, Jax powerbombed Asuka on the outside which led to a break. 

After the break, Asuka got her knees up on Jax and hit a shining wizard for two. With Jax standing on the buckle, Asuka kicked her leg out of her leg and followed with a stomp for two. Asuka used Yes Kicks but Jax blocked the last one, hit a headbutt and Samoan drop but Asuka got her foot under the rope. 

Jax freaked out and pushed the referee down. She immediately regretted it and tried to plead with him. The ref was mad and was about to call for the bell, but Asuka applied a schoolgirl. The ref noticed and counted the pinfall for three. He even did a fast count, which the announcers acknowledged. This was dumb. 

Orton asked Caruso if she thought Christian was a legend. She said yes. He agreed. He explained what an unsanctioned match was. He said Christian’s legend would be destroyed by an RKO. 

Unsanctioned match: Randy Orton defeated Christian (1:00) 

Christian wore street clothes with his fists taped. Orton wore his wrestling gear. There were five minutes left in the show after each guy entered. 

Mike Rome was about to introduce the match but Ric Flair interrupted. Flair said he spoke to Edge. He said Christian didn’t need to prove anything to anybody. Christian told Flair he had to do this. 

The opening bell rang. Flair gave Christian a low-blow. 

Orton punted Christian. Orton took a brief moment before pinning him for the win. 

Orton got in Christian’s lifeless face and apologized before blaming Christian for putting him in this position. Trainers checked on Christian as Orton backed off. Orton encouraged them to take care of him. Orton yelled at Christian again as the trainers got him ready for the stretcher.