WWE Raw 16th of October 2023

In-Ring Segment: Sami Zayn
Zayn welcomes the crowd to the season premiere of Monday Night Raw. The crowd cheers. Zayn notes that his partner, Kevin Owens, is on SmackDown now. He’s sad their team is over, but excited for Owens. Zayn now gets to do something he’s wanted to for a long time: prove he’s a world championship-level superstar. Zayn can’t ignore the elephant in the room. The fact that Owens is on SmackDown because Jey Uso was traded to Raw. He’s not 100% okay with that.
Zayn has a lot of mixed emotions. The Judgement are getting a tag title shot and that doesn’t sit well with him. The Judgement Day interrupts. Finn Bálor says no one should be kicking off the season premiere of Raw but them. The entire group gloats over Zayn being alone now. Priest goes on a rant about removing Rhodes and Uso, and he wants to remove Drew McIntyre. Rhea Ripley tells Priest to forget about McIntyre for now. Dominik speaks but gets drowned out.
Ripley tells Priest that he needs to focus on the tag titles tonight. Ripley tells Zayn normally they would try to recruit someone like him, but no. They are going to take him out permanently. The Judgement Day surrounds the ring. Jey Uso hits the ring with two steel chairs. The Judgement Day slinks away. Zayn tosses the chair Jey hands him down and leaves the ring. Zayn isn’t feeling Jey at this point.

Falls Count Anywhere Match: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Ricochet
Ricochet attacks Nakamura before he can take off his robe. Nakamura surprises Ricochet with a spin kick. Running knee in the corner by Nakamura. Inverted Exploder suplex by Naamura. Ricochet kicks out. A triangle dropkick by Ricochet sends Nakamura careening out of the ring. Fosbury flop by Ricochet. Ricochet goes for a pin. Nakamura kicks out. The fight travels up the ramp. Nakamura sends Ricochet into the LED board on the stage. Ricochet and Nakamura fight into the Gorilla Position. Ricochet floors Nakamura with a big kick. Nakamura kicks out.
Both men end up back on the stage. Nakamura sends Ricochet into the LED board again, but Ricochet does a backflip off of the ‘Tron. After a series of reversals, Ricochet lands a standing shooting star on the stage. After the break, Ricochet hits a shooting star off the stands’ upper deck. Nakamura and Ricochet fight their way back to the barricade. Nakamura Kinshasas Ricochet off of the barricade. Ricochet hits the floor with a thud. Nakamura pulls some nunchucks from under the ring. Nakamura lands a few shots with the nunchucks.
Ricochet clobbers Nakamura from behind and lays him on a table. Ricochet goes up top. Nakamura rolls off the table. Nakamura and Ricochet try to put each other through a table. Ricochet flips out of Nakamura’s suplex. GTS by Nakamura. Ricochet does a backflip to avoid the Kinshasa. Headkick by Ricochet. Springboard 450 by Ricochet. Nakamura kicks out. Ricochet goes up top. Nakamura cuts him off. Nakamura kicks Ricochet off the top, and he goes through a table.

Natalya vs. Piper Niven w/Chelsea Green
Niven immediately knocks Natalya down. Natalya slaps Niven and lands a flurry of punches. Niven misses a tackle in the corner. Natalya and Niven trade pin attempts. Basement dropkick by Natalya. Niven knocks Natalya off the apron. After the break, Niven misses her basement crossbody. Natalya floors Niven with a discus lariat. Niven kicks out. Green gets on the apron. Natalya sets up the Sharpshooter. Niven kicks Natalya away, and she knocks Green off the apron. Niven runs over Natalya and hits the basement crossbody for the win.
Winner- Piper Niven
After the match, Niven and Green beat down Natalya. Tegan Nox makes the save.

Backstage, Damian Preist tries to convince Dominik and Finn Bálor to take out McIntyre. Ripley walks in and tells them to leave McIntyre alone. She has a plan.

In-Ring Segment: WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth “Freakin” Rollins
Rollins notes that the new number one contender is Drew McIntyre. McIntyre said he wants Rollins at 100% for their Crown Jewel title match. He said that, but when Rollins was getting attacked by The Judgement Day, McIntyre did nothing. McIntyre leaped into action as soon as Damian Priest tried to cash in. Rollins has questions; the only person who can answer them is McIntyre. McIntyre smiles on his way to the ring. McIntyre tells Rollins he isn’t going to babysit him for the next couple of weeks.
Rollins says he can handle his business on his own. The question Rollins for McIntyre is if he is handling his business on his own. Rollins shows footage of McIntyre talking to Rhea Ripley backstage last week. McIntyre says what they talked about is none of Rollins business. The only thing Rollins should be worried about is McIntyre taking the title from him. Rollins says nobody is taking the title off of him, especially McIntyre. Rollins notes that McIntyre has failed in all of his recent opportunities, so he’s relying on The Judgement Day to handle his business.
McIntyre reminds Rollins that the last time they had a match, he beat Rollins’ ass. McIntyre notes that The Bloodline got in the way of his previous title opportunities. Rollins tells McIntyre he needs to get over it. The Bloodline has moved on from him. He needs to do the same. McIntyre reminds Rollins that when this company needed him, he stepped up. McIntyre tells Rollins how he’s going to reinvent himself for the 50th time after he takes his title at Crown Jewel.
Rollins says he understands where McIntyre is coming from. It took him four years to crawl back to the world title. All McIntyre is doing is making excuses. He’s going to beat McIntyre at Crown Jewel, and he promises this will be the best thing for him. For the first time in a long time, McIntyre will have no one to blame but himself. Rollins drops the mic and walks away.

Johnny Gargano vs. Ludwig Kaiser w/Giovanni Vinci
Gargano tries to go after Kaiser before the bell but is held back by the referee. The bell rings, and Gargano lands a flurry of offense. Kaiser kicks Gargano in the knee to take control. After the break, Kaiser gets tossed out of the ring. Vinci tries to help Kaiser up, but Kaiser pushes him away. Kaiser tries to get back in the ring, but Gargano hits Williow’s Bell, followed by One Final Beat. Vinci puts Kaiser’s foot on the rope. Gargano attacks Vinci outside the ring. In the confusion, Kaiser hits the Dream DT for the win.
Winner- Ludwig Kaiser

Backstage, Drew McIntyre runs into Sami Zayn. McIntyre gives Zayn faint phrase for proving he has changed his ways. Zayn thanks McIntyre. McIntyre tells Zayn to let him finish. Zayn did all that, but Jey Uso hasn’t. Zayn has been way too quick to forgive Jey. McIntyre calls Zayn naive for trusting Jey. McIntyre tells Zayn he’ll never be a world champion because of that. Zayn challenges McIntyre to a match next week.

In-Ring Segment: Rhea Ripley
Ripley says she’s back and will put the women’s locker room back in check. Mami is always on top.

Rhea Ripley vs. Shayna Baszler
Ripley and Baszler trade takedowns. Baszler almost locks in an ankle lock. Ripley fights her way out of it. Baszler stomps on Ripley’s elbow. Ripley screams in pain. Baszler lays in a few kicks. Ripley trips Baszler and lands a basement dropkick for a near fall. Baszler misses a running knee. Ripley clotheslines Baszler. Baszler escapes an electric chair drop. Spinning back elbow by Ripley. Both women are down. Baszler and Ripley trade strikes. German suplex by Baszler. Headkick by Baszler. Ripley kicks out. Baszler sets up a superplex.
Ripley knocks Baszler off the top and hits a missile dropkick. Baszler gets to her feet. Ripley tries Riptide, but Baszler reverses it into an armbar. Ripley powerbomb her way out of it. Nia Jax power walks to the ring, only to get cut off by Raquel Rodriguez. Zoey Stark appears out of nowhere and hits a senton off the apron onto Jax. Rodrigez destroys Jax with a big boot. Jax avoids a charging Rodriguez. Rodriguez runs into the ring steps. Stark gets in the ring and causes a no contest. After the match, everyone brawls.
No Contest

Intercontinental Championship Match: Gunther (c) w/IMPERIUM vs. Bronson Reed
Gunther lights Reed up with several chops. Gunther hits the ropes and runs right into a body block by Reed. Reed knocks Gunther out of the ring. Reed tries a dive off the apron. Gunther catches him in midair with a chop. Gunther tries a powerbomb. Reed puts on the brakes. Reed crushes Gunther in the corner. Gunther chops Reed in the back of the head and locks in a sleeper. Reed falls backward and lands on Gunther. Reed goes up top. Gunther knocks Reed off the top with a chop. Reed and Gunther fight on the apron. Gunther tries another powerbomb and gets back body dropped on the apron.
Reed blasts Gunther with a shoulder block off the apron. After the break, Reed and Gunther trade strikes. Reed superkicks Gunther and hits a ripcord powerslam. Kick out by Gunther. Gunther hits the ropes and runs right into a DVD from Reed. Gunther kicks out. Lariat by Gunther. Reed kicks out. Reed hits a superplex. Gunther kicks out. Reed misses the Tsunami. Shotgun dropkick by Gunther. Gunther lands a splash off the top. Reed kicks out. Gunther is livid. Reed stirs. Gunther lifts Reed in the air and hits a massive powerbomb for the win.
Winner and STILL Intercontinental Champion, Gunther!

Backstage, Ripley burst into Adam Pearce’s office to complain about her matches being interrupted. Pearce books her to defend the WWE World Women’s Championship at Crown Jewel against Zoey Stark, Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, and Raquel Rodriguez.

Backstage, Kaiser and Vinci give Gunther a round of applause as he comes backstage after his match. Gunther tells Kaiser he accomplished his goal tonight, but Vinci didn’t. Vinici says he helped Kaiser win the match. Gunther doesn’t care. Gunther gets in Kaiser’s face and tells him Gargano better not be walking after next week.

Undisputed Tag Team Championship Match: Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso (c) vs. The Judgement Day
Bálor hits the ropes and gets caught in a reverses rack gut buster. Jey tags in and tries to hit the ropes, but Priest pulls the top rope down. Priest works over Jey outside the ring. Priest and Bálor work over Jey. Jey tags in Rhodes, who clears the ring. Disaster kick to Priest. Priest kicks out. Dominik Mysterio runs down to ringside and distracts Rhodes. Rhodes drops Priest with Crossroads. Dominik puts Priest’s foot on the ropes. Rhodes chases Dominik, only to get taken out by Bálor.
After the break, Rhodes manages to tag in Jey. Jey lands a flurry of offense. Jey counters a Woo dropkick with a superkick. Rhodes and Jey hit the Cody-1D. Bálor kicks out. Rhodes tries a dive but gets caught by Priest. Priest chokeslams Rhodes on the apron. Jey goes up top, but after distractions from Dominik and Priest, he miffs a splash off the top. Dominik gets on the apron. Sami Zayn runs down to ringside and pulls Dominik off the apron. Zayn and Dominik fight.
Priest low blows Rhodes outside the ring. Priest puts Rhodes through the commentary desk with a Razor’s Edge. Back in the ring, Bálor misses the double stomp off the top. Jey Spears Bálor and goes up top. Priest tries to break it up but gets Speared. Jey tries to go back up top, but Jimmy Uso hops the barricade and superkicks Jey. Bálor hits the Coup de Grais for the win.
Winners and NEW Undisputed Tag Team Champions, The Judgement Day!