WWE Raw live results: United States title open challenge
Date: August 30, 2021
Location: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK
The Big Takeaway —
Raw was highlighted by an excellent triple threat match that saw Damian Priest retain his US title over Drew McIntyre and Sheamus — by pinning McIntyre.
Unfortunately, the most memorable thing about tonight’s show will end up being the exceptionally bad match between Nia Jax and Charlotte Flair.
The three matches they advertised last week did not happen. The Miz was not on the show, so newly turned babyface John Morrison got squashed by Omos.
Show Recap —
Damian Priest entered to a good reaction. He spoke about winning the United States championship and received a “you deserve it” chant. He wanted to respect the US title the way past champions did, including Rey Mysterio, Jeff Hardy and John Cena. Priest didn’t want to be like Bobby Lashley, who ran away from a challenge last week.
Priest issued an open challenge and awaited a challenger. Sheamus entered. He wanted to knock the smile off Priest’s face and take his title back.
Drew McIntyre interrupted. He would love to see Priest beat up Sheamus for the 500th time but it was probably time for something new. McIntyre noted that he has never won the US title and challenged Priest to a match tonight. Sheamus was pissed.
Lashley and MVP interrupted. They were booed and greeted with “Goldberg” chants. MVP said they dealt with Goldberg already and there was no reason for Lashley to issue an open challenge for his belt because he’s already beaten everybody. MVP suggested Lashley beat Priest and become a double champion.
Randy Orton and Riddle interrupted (to Orton’s music). They received a big reaction. Orton said MVP sucks and Lashley was a greedy son of a bitch. Riddle wondered how you would even hold two belts. He audibly struggled with the idea until Orton stopped him from talking.
Lashley said he did want two belts, but it didn’t have to be the US title. Lashley wanted the tag titles. Riddle challenged Lashley and MVP to an open challenge. Orton told him that’s not really how open challenges work. MVP accepted.
Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville entered. Pearce made a US title triple match with Priest against Sheamus and McIntyre. Deville made the tag title match official as well.
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If there wasn’t enough talking already, Rhea Ripley grabbed the mic to introduce Nikki ASH (who didn’t get much of a reaction). Nia Jax also grabbed the mic and threatened to flatten both Ripley and Nikki before doing the same to Charlotte Flair later tonight.
Rhea Ripley (w/Nikki A.S.H.) defeated Shayna Baszler (w/Nia Jax) (10:30)
Baszler completely dominated for the first seven minutes (which went through a break). Ripley got to her knees and dared Baszler to come after her. Ripley mounted her comeback from there, hitting a dropkick and Northern Lights suplex for two. Baszler tried applying an armbar but Ripley blocked it and got a rope break.
Baszler applied the Kirifuda Clutch for a moment but Ripley quickly countered it. At that moment, Jax ran over Nikki and gave her a Samoan drop outside the ring (Ripley and Baszler basically stopped wrestling as this happened). Ripley was distracted so Baszler tried rolling her up but Ripley reversed into a rollup of her own for the pinfall win.
Jax laid out Ripley with a Samoan drop after the match. The crowd liked Ripley and Jax was booed for laying her out.
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The Viking Raiders did a quick backstage promo. The raid is on.
The Viking Raiders defeated Jinder Mahal & Veer (w/Shanky) (4:48)
As Erik made his comeback, Ivar wiped out Veer and Shanky with a senton off the apron. Mahal tried attacking from behind but they gave him the Viking Experience for the pinfall win.
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McIntyre was shown getting ready in the back.
Triple threat match: Damian Priest defeated Drew McIntyre and Sheamus to retain the United States Championship (21:29)
McIntyre and Priest worked together to take out Sheamus. Priest sent him over the barricade into the timekeeper’s area. McIntyre and Priest were left standing as they went to break two minutes into the match.
[Second hour]
After the break, Sheamus was back and nailed Priest with a flying clothesline for two. Sheamus also sent McIntyre into the ring post. Priest fought back but Sheamus cut him off with a backbreaker. Sheamus clubbed Priest’s chest and posed until McIntyre went after him with overhead suplexes and a neckbreaker.
Sheamus avoided a charge and McIntyre went into the post again. Priest knocked down Sheamus with a spinning heel kick. Priest hit McIntyre with a series of strikes but McIntyre booted him and knocked him out of the ring.
McIntyre followed with a big flip dive to wipe out both opponents. He followed that with a Michinoku Driver on Priest for a nearfall. This led to another big spot where Sheamus hung McIntyre upside down on the turnbuckles and set up Priest for a superplex, but McIntyre sat up and sent them both down with a big suplex.
After a break, McIntyre and Sheamus traded strikes until Sheamus hit an Alabama Slam for two. Sheamus applied a Cloverleaf but Priest kicked him in the head and hit a chokeslam but McIntyre broke up the cover. Priest set up McIntyre for the Reckoning but Sheamus Brogue kicked him. Priest fell out of the ring so Sheamus couldn’t make a cover.
McIntyre gave Sheamus a Future Shock DDT and went for the Claymore Kick but Sheamus caught him with a knee strike for a close nearfall. Sheamus hit a White Noise off the middle rope but McIntyre kicked out (as Priest also dove in to break it up).
McIntyre knocked Sheamus out of the ring with a Claymore. McIntyre and Priest had an exchange that led to Priest hitting Reckoning for the pinfall win. Priest pins McIntyre.
McIntyre shook hands with Priest after the match.
Excellent match and a big win for Priest.
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(The announcers said we’d get footage of Goldberg after a break. The live crowd only saw “Goldberg up next” on the screen so they cheered thinking he’d be there live.)
They showed footage of Goldberg telling a cameraperson that he needed surgery on his knee. He was pissed about what Lashley did to his son. He wasn’t coming back for the WWE championship, he was coming for Lashley’s soul and planned on ripping it from his chest.
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Reginald was at yet another park. Truth was behind him playing with Akira Tozawa in a dog costume. Reginald saw them and managed to escape.
WWE congratulated themselves on having 25 million followers on Instagram.
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Eva Marie vs. Doudrop
The match didn’t happen. Marie deliberately had her back turned as Doudrop made her entrance so Doudrop attacked her from behind, beat her up and laid her out. Doudrop pinned her and counted to three herself. The referee told Mike Rome to announce that Marie was now unable to compete tonight. Doudrop grabbed the mic and announced herself as the winner.
(This might read like Doudrop is a heel but she isn’t.)
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Sarah Schreiber interviewed Charlotte Flair about Nia Jax. Charlotte wasn’t worried about Jax.
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Karrion Kross defeated Humberto Carrillo (4:16)
This was a four-minute match that felt way longer. Carrillo mounted a brief comeback but Kross gave him a Saito suplex and put him in the Kross Jacket for the submission win.
Kross wore his dumb outfit again. The crowd’s been hot but they did not care about this at all.
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Jax told Schrieber that she was going to crush anyone that comes in her way. She wanted to shove Charlotte’s imaginary crown up her royal behind.
[Third hour]
Riddle and Orton discussed their match in the back. Riddle listed all of his skills and went on long enough that Orton just walked away.
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Nia Jax defeated Raw Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair in a non-title match (13:43)
They fought back-and-forth until Charlotte hit a dive which led to break. Jax hit an ugly-looking spinebuster before the break and an even worse-looking backdrop after the break. Charlotte tried a moonsault but Jax got her knees up (sort of). Jax hit a Samoan Drop but missed a leg drop.
They began shoving each other and maybe got mixed up on what they wanted to do next. (Or they were pissed at each other.) Jax eventually hit a hard chokebomb for the pinfall win. This was a mess.
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John Morrison told Omos he was supposed to have a match against the Miz but he went back to Hollywood. Morrison wanted to impress his acting coach so he challenged Omos to a match. Omos said, “sucks to be you” and walked off. Morrison responded, “Yeah, I guess it does.”
Omos (w/AJ Styles) defeated John Morrison (2:03)
Morrison flew around trying to avoid Omos but Omos knocked him down with a clothesline and won with a tree slam.
AJ Styles (w/Omos) defeated Xavier Woods (7:11)
Styles won clean, making Woods tap out to the Calf Crusher. (Woods was crawling to the ropes and almost got there but tapped out, which was a bit odd.)
They had a pretty good match but the crowd wasn’t that into it, probably after being brought down by the previous two matches.
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AJ Styles joined commentary for the next match. He seemed surprised to learn that it was a title match and buried MVP as a partner for Lashley.
Riddle & Randy Orton defeated WWE Champion Bobby Lashley & MVP to retain the Raw Tag Team Championships (11:55)
Riddle wiped out MVP and Lashley with a dive which led to break. Despite that, the heels worked over Riddle following the break.
Orton made the hot tag and hit MVP with clotheslines, punches in the corner, and a powerslam. Orton set up for the RKO but decided to give Lashley a draping DDT instead. MVP booted Orton and sent him into the post.
Lashley tagged in and worked over Orton until Riddle tagged himself in. Riddle hit (missed) a Pelé kick, ripcord knee strike and floating bro but MVP broke up the cover by stomping on Riddle’s foot.
Lashley went after Orton on the outside but Orton shoved him into the post. Omos put his hands on Orton but Riddle saved him by dropkicking Omos. Styles went after Orton but Orton dropped him on the announce table.
Riddle gave MVP the floating bro for the pinfall win. Crowd popped for the win.
As Riddle celebrated, Lashley speared him. Lashley was about to do more but Orton gave him an RKO. Orton stood with Riddle as the show ended.