By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Raw (Episode 1,463)
Live from Tampa, Florida at Yuengling Center
Aired June 7, 2021 on USA Network
[Hour One] Randy Orton and Riddle made their entrance to Orton’s entrance theme. The broadcast team of Jimmy Smith, Corey Graves, and Byron Saxton checked in from their desk. The other tag team battle royal entrants were already inside the ring.
Raw Tag Team Champions AJ Styles and Omos made their entrance. Styles delivered a promo from the stage. He said WWE will return to the road next month and he and Omos will defend their titles against the very best that WWE has to offer.
Styles said they could have the same match they had at WrestleMania with New Day. Styles pointed out that he and Omos won that match. He said he didn’t know much about Mace and T-Bar, but Omos is bigger than both of them. Styles said Dorado was competing alone because his partner Gran Metalik was hurt.
Styles spoke about the Vikings Raiders briefly, then turned his focus to Orton and Riddle. Styles said it doesn’t make sense to anyone, but the chemistry that Orton and Riddle have together is unbelievable. Styles had Omos help him list positive adjectives for their team. Kingston called them negative names, including booty.
Styles claimed he was trying to be nice. Orton said if he was trying to be nice, he should just shut his damn mouth. Riddle showed off the new RKBro t-shirts. He said he was wearing two because Orton doesn’t wear t-shirts. Riddle started rambling about his Uncle Ron designing the shirt. Orton put his hand over the mic and shushed Riddle, who did the imaginary key bit.
The Miz’s music played and he was wheeled onto the stage in a wheelchair by John Morrison. Miz said he was sorry to interrupt. Morrison said he had nothing to apologize for and called him courageous. Miz said the tag division has become dry. Morrison showed off his “Drip Stick” water stick. Miz said Morrison volunteered to compete on behalf of their team.
Morrison’s music played. The slow motion bit occurred while Miz started rolling down the ramp. Morrison ended up catching him at the bottom of the ramp. Morrison stood at ringside. Orton and Riddle dropped the New Day duos with RKOs. Mace and T-Bar shoved Dorado toward Orton, who put him down with an RKO…
Powell’s POV: Well, at least we didn’t get a full on Miz TV segment. Of course, the night is young.
Bobby Lashley and MVP were shown drinking champagne with women in their backstage dressing room… Graves hyped the contract signing between Lashley and Drew McIntyre for their WWE Championship match at Hell in a Cell…
1. A battle royal for a shot at the Raw Tag Titles. The entrants were Orton and Riddle, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, Mace and T-Bar, “The Viking Raiders” Erik and Ivar, Lince Dorado representing the Lucha House Party tag team, and John Morrison representing his team with Miz. Styles sat in on commentary while Omos stood behind him. Miz watched the match from his wheelchair at ringside.
Morrison eliminated Dorado. Mace and T-Bar approached Morrison. Miz threw Morrison the Drip Stick. Mace eliminated Morrison. Mace and T-Bar tried to eliminate Orton. Riddle tried to help, but they slammed him to the mat. Mace and T-Bar squared off with The Viking Raiders, but the other teams attacked before they could do more than jaw at each other. A group of wrestlers eliminated T-Bar, and then Erik and Woods eliminated Mace. [C]
Woods eliminated Riddle. The broadcast team was quick to point out that Orton was still alive per the rules of the match. Erik eliminated Woods with a clothesline. Erik performed double knees on Kingston, then picked up Ivar and tossed him onto Kingston. Orton ran Ivar through the ropes and into the post. Orton performed a powerslam on Erik.
The Viking Raiders recovered and worked over Orton. Erik picked up Ivar to slam onto Orton, but Kingston came off the top rope with a double stomp that drove Ivar onto Erik. Nice spot. Riddle returned to the ring and shoved Orton out of the way of Trouble in Paradise and took it himself. Orton threw Kingston over the top rope to eliminate him, and then the Viking Raiders immediately eliminated Orton.
The Viking Raiders won the tag team battle royal in 10:35 to earn a Raw Tag Title match.
After the match, Styles said this is what they wanted. Styles said they are there to entertain and the match will go the way that they want it to go…
Powell’s POV: I thought this might be Orton and Riddle going over, but they might be saving that match for SummerSlam. I’m still not sure what to make of The Viking Raiders in terms of where they are at from a character standpoint these days because we haven’t heard much from them since they returned. Hopefully they are able to drop the bad comedy in favor of becoming the ass kickers they were in their War Machine days.
The broadcast team narrated highlights of Nikki Cross surviving her two-minute challenge with Charlotte Flair from last week’s show…
Adam Pearce was talking with Sonya Deville backstage when Charlotte Flair interrupted them. Flair said she was pushed into the match with Cross and she’d like the match to be stricken from the record books. They pointed out that she accepted the match. Flair said they are both jealous of her because they didn’t have careers like she’s had. She told them to agree to give her a rematch.
Rhea Ripley showed up and said she respects Cross. She said she deserves the rematch with Cross. Deville suggested Ripley and Flair team to face Cross and a partner of her choosing. Flair said that she could be professional about it, unlike her tag team partner… [C]
An NXT ad aired with Ted DiBiase hyping that he will make a “Priceless Announcement” on Tuesday’s NXT television show…
Backstage, the Viking Raiders were celebrating their win and yelling “raid” repeatedly. Ivar said he was getting hungry. AJ Styles and Omos showed up. Omos was chewing on a turkey leg. Styles said he hoped the Raiders weren’t saving it for something. Styles asked if the Viking Raiders use electricity or deodorant. Erik said the way that he lives honors the vikings who came before him. Styles pointed to the Viking Raiders and told Omos that they are examples of why the vikings don’t exist…
An Alexa Bliss video package aired and recapped some of her demented angles and the introduction of her possessed doll Lily. The broadcast team hyped Shayna Baszler appearing on Alexa’s Playground…
Ring announcer Mike Rome introduced Elias, who strummed his guitar while seated on a stool in the ring. Elias introduced himself and then said there would be no further introductions. He said the fans could be walking with the new tag champions, but that’s Jaxson Ryker’s fault.
Elias said Ryker became unhinged and for the sake of his career and sanity, he had to get away. Footage aired of Elias walking out on Ryker the week before during their Raw Tag Title match. Elias said he looked in Ryker’s cold eyes and saw the ghosts of war. He said he saw a man who would go to battle, but not a man who would go to battle for him.
Jaxson Ryker showed up in the ring with short hair and attacked Elias from behind. Ryker tossed Elias’s guitar out of the ring and then worked him over until a pair of referees entered the ring to stop him… [C]
2. Jaxson Ryker vs. Elias. Elias performed an early spinebuster that led to a two count. A graphic listed Ricochet vs. Humberto Carrillo for a U.S. Title shot for later in the show. Ryker came back and slammed Elias to the mat. Elias rolled out of the ring and headed to the back for the count-out loss.
Jaxson Ryker defeated Elias in 3:00 via count-out.
Ryker yelled something after the match and had a long loogie hanging from his mouth…
Powell’s POV: It looks like the idea is to make Elias the cowardly heel to Ryker’s real American hero given that Elias walked out on their tag match last week and then took the count-out loss in this match. It will be interesting to see how Ryker is received by fans once they go back on the road. Something tells me that it will vary depending on the market.
A video package recapped Drew McIntyre defeating Kofi Kingston to earn the WWE Championship match at Hell in a Cell…
Drew McIntyre made his entrance for the contract signing… [C] McIntyre was seated at the contract signing table that was set up inside the ring. Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville stood next to the table. Deville introduced Bobby Lashley, but he didn’t come out.
McIntyre said they didn’t need to wait for Lashley. He said he knew how it would go. He ran through a scenario and said Lashley would tell everyone that it’s time to come aboard the Lashley train. Funny. McIntyre told a story about the man who led Scotland to its freedom after hiding out in a cave for months.
McIntyre called for the contract so that he could sign it. MVP appeared on the big screen and was accompanied by Lashley and his ladies. MVP said they had things to discuss and apologized for being fashionably late.
[Hour Two] Bobby Lashley, MVP, and their ladies made their entrance. MVP taunted the authority figures by asking if it was okay if they were there. He asked if they were going to threaten another 90-day suspension without pay. MVP asked how they would reward Lashley’s compliance.
Lashley said he wanted the stipulation to be that once he beats McIntyre at Hell in a Cell, he won’t get another title shot against him ever again. McIntyre stopped MVP from talking and accepted the stipulation. However, he said he needed something from Lashley. McIntyre looked at MVP and said he wanted a match without any outside interference.
McIntyre called for his match with Lashley to be a Hell in a Cell match. MVP conferred with Lashley, then announced that Lashley accepted the terms. McIntyre signed the contract. Lashley picked up the contract and said that McIntyre failed to tell the proper story earlier. He said that if first you don’t succeed, you just don’t win against The All Mighty. Lashley said the story would end with McIntyre walking away in shame. Lashley signed the contract.
McIntyre said he’s been inside Hell in a Cell, and Lashley hasn’t been. McIntyre recalled being told that he would never be the same after competing in HIAC. McIntyre said he hasn’t been. He recalled falling from the side of the cage and going through a table. McIntyre spoke of what he would do to Lashley and told him that he should start praying.
McIntyre said Lashley would beg for mercy and he would get it in the form of a Claymore Kick. McIntyre told Lashley that he would see him in hell. Lashley said he would beat McIntyre there too. Lashley stood up and was hanging with MVP and the ladies when McIntyre used the sword from his entrance to break the table…
Powell’s POV: A solid segment that set the expected Hell in a Cell match and the needed stipulation that this is McIntyre’s last shot at Lashley during his title reign. I enjoy their matches and all, but it’s time for the final chapter.
Sarah Schreiber stood backstage and interviewed Nikki Cross, who said she would regret not taking the chance on the tag match. Cross introduced Asuka as her tag team partner…
U.S. Champion Sheamus made his entrance wearing a face mask over his broken nose. Smith hyped the Ricochet vs. Carrillo match for after the break… An ad for Smackdown focused on Roman Reigns and The Usos, and the beatdown that Reigns gave Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio… [C]
Saxton hyped WWE going back on the road in July…
Ricochet and Humberto Carrillo made their entrances. Footage aired of Carrillo breaking Sheamus’s nose as well as the photos of Sheamus in the hospital. Sheamus stood up and complained about both men getting a chance to earn a title shot after what happened to his face.
Carrillo teased diving onto Sheamus, then Ricochet did the same. Sheamus flinched both times. Ricochet hit Carrillo from behind and knocked him off the apron, then dropkicked him through the ropes. Ricochet and Sheamus bickered at one another at ringside… [C] An ad aired for NXT Takeover In Your House…
3. Humberto Carrillo vs. Ricochet for a shot at the U.S. Championship. The match was joined in progress. Sheamus complained on commentary that “they ruined me beautiful face” and said he was the best looking person in the company. Carrillo performed a sit-out powerbomb for a near fall.
Carrillo knocked Ricochet off the apron with a kick, then performed a suicide dive onto him. Back in the ring, Carrillo threw a nice missile dropkick for another near fall. Ricochet came back with a clothesline that turned Carrillo inside out. Ricochet performed a suplex into a bridge for a two count.
Both men ended up trading strikes on the ring apron. Ricochet performed a Spanish Fly from the apron to the floor. Sheamus laughed. The referee counted out both men. Sheamus said they both dodged a bullet…
Humberto Carrillo fought Ricochet to a double count-out in a match to earn a shot at the U.S. Championship.
Powell’s POV: I assume this is leading to a Triple Threat match once Sheamus is healthy.
Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods were talking backstage when MVP approached Kingston and asked if he could have a word with him. Woods left the room. Kingston asked if Lashley let him off his leash. MVP said he was impressed by Kingston’s matches earlier and last week.
MVP said he represents Lashley now, but he was a Kingston fan prior to that. He recalled watching KofiMania take over the world. He spoke about how proud he was of Kingston and how they go back. MVP said Kingston triggered him to come back because WWE had something he could relate to and be proud of.
MVP noted that it ended abruptly. He said that’s because Kingston isn’t Bobby Lashley. MVP took issue with Kingston shaking McIntyre’s hand after he last last week and said that means he’s comfortable with losing. MVP said KofiMania ended because Kingston allowed it to end.
Kingston told MVP to watch his mouth. He said he didn’t need his advice. Kingston said there were kids watching the show because they believe in him. Kingston assumed that Lashley fights for money. MVP said Lashley fights for the WWE Championship and all the honor, prestige, and the accoutrements that go with it…
Powell’s POV: A compelling segment. Kingston played it like he was left thinking about what was said after MVP walked away. I am looking forward to seeing where this goes. I hope it’s something bigger than just Lashley beating Kingston in a match. Could the end of New Day be near?
An Eva Marie “Eva-lution” video aired. She said the fans waited long enough and she is coming back to Raw. A graphic listed her as appearing on next week’s Raw…
The broadcast team spoke at ringside. Graves was giddy about Eva Marie returning. They also recapped the tag team battle royal… Saxton hyped Kofi Kingston vs. Riddle for later in the show…
Mansoor was smiling while he was warming up backstage. Mustafa Ali showed up and said he heard that Mansoor had a match with Drew Gulak. Ali asked if Mansoor was ready. Mansoor said he was, but Ali told him that he thinks he’s ready but he’s not. Ali said Mansoor is ready for a fair and square fight, but he’s not ready for Gulak cutting corners to beat him…
Jeff Hardy made his entrance for a match against Cedric Alexander. A Hardy pre-tape aired. He said veterans used to be respected in the WWE locker room, but it’s been polluted by inflated egos. Hardy said Alexander expects everything to be given to him, but he would teach him a lesson in humility… [C]
The broadcast team spoke about Triple H ringing the ceremonial bell before the Philadelphia 76ers game…
Alexander made his entrance. A pre-taped promo aired. Alexander said out with the old and in with the new and spoke about how he would beat Hardy. He worked in a jab by saying that he would be able to have a toast…
4. Cedric Alexander vs. Jeff Hardy. Alexander threw a nice dropkick and went on the offensive early on. Alexander jawed at Hardy to show him something. Alexander stood over Hardy and rubbed his boot on his face. Hardy came back and picked up a near fall.
Alexander regained offensive control and then went to the ropes. Alexander mocked Hardy’s mannerisms, then jumped into a kick. Hardy put Alexander down with a Twist of Fate and then hit a Swanton Bomb for the win…
Jeff Hardy beat Cedric Alexander in 6:00.
Powell’s POV: This was Hardy’s first singles match win via pinfall since he beat Elias on the January 11 Raw, according to Cagematch.net. I suspect that he’ll ultimately put over Alexander, but at least he can do some good in that role as opposed to some of the worthless losses he took to Jinder Mahal and Jaxson Ryker since his last win.
Backstage, Charlotte Flair told Rhea Ripley to follow her lead since she’s more the more professional and experienced of the two. She said she would take care of Asuka while Ripley could take care of Cross since she respects her so much. Ripley said she’d be glad to follow her straight to hell in two weeks. She said her championship makes up for Flair’s experience and said Flair should follow her lead…
Nikki Cross made her entrance for the tag team match… [C] Asuka made her entrance coming out of the break. Rhea Ripley made her entrance while the broadcast team hyped her title match with Flair for the HIAC pay-per-view.
[Hour Three] Charlotte Flair made her entrance at the top of the third hour…
5. Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka and Nikki Cross. Ripley and Flair bickered while Saxton noted that Asuka and Cross were acting more like a team. Ripley tagged herself in. Asuka hit her with a Hip Attack that knocked her off the apron. Flair approached Ripley, who shoved her. When Ripley tried to return to the ring, Flair pulled her down and hit her with a forearm to the face. [C]
Flair picked up Cross and brought her to her corner where Cross’s feet hit Ripley. Cross bulldogged Ripley and then Asuka tagged in and hit her with a knee strike that led to a two count. Asuka knocked Ripley down again with a double knee strike, but Flair grabbed Asuka’s foot from the floor. Ripley performed a Northern Lights Supex for a two count.
Asuka came back with a belly to back suplex and a Hip Attack that led to another two count. Cross tagged in and went up top for a cross body block. Flair pulled Cross off of Ripley to break the pin and then threw Cross to ringside. Flair barked at Ripley, who then spun her around and hit her. Flair and Ripley traded blows. Ripley went for her finisher, but Flair raked her eyes and ended up performing the Natural Selection. Cross covered Ripley and got the pin.
Asuka and Nikki Cross beat Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair in 13:25.
Afterward, Asuka and Cross danced on the broadcast table to celebrate their win…
Powell’s POV: At this point, I actually hope they are adding Cross to the title match at Hell in a Cell. I like Cross, but I assume she’d be there just to take the loss. But all of these television losses for Ripley and Flair have been counterproductive when it comes to making their singles showdown feel special.
Alexa Bliss sat on her swing set with her doll Lily. Bliss recalled Shayna Baszler saying that Lily is just a stupid doll while covering Lily’s ears. Bliss said Baszler was wrong. She encouraged viewers to find out what happens when Baszler comes to play with them. Bliss promised that it would be a real scream… [C]
The broadcast team hyped Lashley vs. McIntyre for HIAC and emphasized that it’s McIntyre’s final shot while Lashley is champion…
6. Mansoor vs. Drew Gulak. A portion of Mansoor’s entrance was televised while Gulak’s entrance was not televised. Mustafa Ali was shown watching the match on a backstage monitor. Gulak tried to pin Mansoor while holding his tights, but Mansoor countered into a pin of his own and got the three count…
Mansoor beat Drew Gulak in 2:20.
Riddle was sitting silently backstage. Orton showed up and gave him the imaginary key to unlock his mouth. Riddle talked about being hungry and wanting a Whopper. He spoke about being road buddies with Orton and worked in another Burger King reference. Orton eventually asked for silence. Riddle asked if Orton would come out for his match. Orton said he wasn’t sure yet. Orton had him lock his lips again and then dropped the imaginary key in the trash…
Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods made their entrance for Kingston’s match against Riddle… [C] Riddle made his entrance…
7. Kofi Kingston (w/Xavier Woods) vs. Riddle. Graves made a fuss about Randy Orton not being at ringside to start the match. Riddle went on the offensive and then became distracted by Woods playing his trombone. Kingston performed a jaw jacker and took offensive control.
Randy Orton’s entrance music played and he headed to the ring. Orton walked toward Woods, but Kinston dropkicked Orton through the ropes. Kingston sent Riddle to ringside. Woods played the trombone to taunt Riddle. Orton picked up Woods and slammed him onto the broadcast table. Kingston performed a Trust Fall dive onto Riddle and Orton. [C]
Riddle sent Kingston to ringside near Orton. Riddle followed and hit Kingston with a forearm to the face. Riddle threw a flurry of punches. Back in the ring, Riddle hit Kingston with a knee to the head while Kingston was on the apron. Riddle performed a Draping DDT. Orton encouraged Riddle to “give it to him.”
Riddle struck the Viper’s Pose and then went for the RKO, but Kingston shoved him off. Riddle ducked a Trouble in Paradise kick. Kingston avoided another move and then hit the Trouble in Paradise kick and scored the pin.
Kofi Kingston defeated Riddle in 12:20.
After the match, Riddle rolled to ringside. Orton looked down at Riddle and appeared to start walking off without him, but the show cut to highlights of Reginald beating Shayna Baszler last week. They also showed footage of Baszler on Alexa’s Playground later in the show…
Backstage, Nia Jax approached Shayna Baszler and said she knew things had been tense between them. Baszler said it’s because of Bliss sticking her nose in their business and Reginald costing them the tag titles. She sarcastically asked where Reginald was. Jax said he was at home recovering. Jax said she’s known Bliss for a long time and has never seen her more dangerous. Baszler called her a little girl with a stupid doll and said she would show her what happens when you cross the Queen of Spades…
A video hyped WWE returning to the road in July… [C]
Powell’s POV: So our main event this week is essentially Alexa’s Playground? Wow.
An ad aired for SummerSlam on Saturday, August 21 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Saxton noted that the announcement of the location was made during NBC’s coverage of the Belmont Stakes horse race…
Alexa Bliss’s “Alexa’s Playground” set was in the ring. Bliss sat on a swing with Lily and said it was normally a place for friends. She said that maybe they could be friends after tonight. She encouraged Lily to be a little more open.
Shayna Baszler’s entrance music interrupted Bliss’s conversation with her doll. Baszler entered the ring where there was also a slide and a hobby horse. Baszler knocked over the hobby horse. Bliss said that what Baszler did wasn’t very nice.
Bliss told Baszler that they could be friends if she just apologized to Lily. Baszler called Bliss delusional. She said Bliss is the cause behind Reginald’s accident and the reason why she and Jax are no longer tag team champions. Bliss laughed and said she would never do such a thing.
Bliss listened to Lily and then told Baszler that it’s in her best interests to apologize to Lily. Baszler grabbed the doll. “Lily, I’m sorry,” Baszler said. “I”m sorry that you’re just a stupid doll.” Bliss stood up and knocked Baszler down with a forearm. Bliss climbed on top of Baszler and threw punches at her, but Baszler shoved her off and Bliss fell to ringside.
Baszler stood up and stood on Lily, then stomped the doll with her foot. The lighting changed and the demented “Firefly Funhouse” theme played. Baszler got spooked and went to the stage where pyro shot off multiple times, causing Baszler to run backstage.
The camera followed Baszler backstage where the lights flickered. Something fell from above Baszler and a small scaffold fell sideways. Baszler ran away and tried to leave through various locked doors. The lights continued to flicker. Baszler found an unlocked door and entered a room, then locked the door behind her and put a couch and a chair behind the door to barricade it.
The lights flickered again. Baszler turned and looked in a mirror, which showed Lily sitting on a shelf inside the room. Baszler turned and looked at the shelf, but Lily wasn’t there. When she looked back at the mirror, she saw Lily again. Baszler kicked the mirror. Lily could still be seen in what was left of the mirror. Baszler screamed and the screen went black to close the show…
Powell’s POV: To quote the great wordsmith Randal K Orton, this was “stupid, stupid, stupid.” I tuned in for a WWE show and a shitty horror movie broke out. They have that huge production budget and the best they could come up with was pyro, flickering lights, and mirror tricks? Hocus pocus in pro wrestling does nothing for me, but it’s hard to imagine how fans who do enjoy this type of sports entertainment silliness could have actually enjoyed this segment.
Aside from the awful final segment, this was an average show by recent Raw standards, which isn’t saying a lot. They mostly filled the time again. I sure hope things get better in a hurry once they go back on the road next month. I will be back shortly with my weekly same night audio review of Raw for Dot Net Members. Let me know what you thought of the show by assigning it a letter grade below.
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