The saga between Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley on WWE RAW has reached explosive levels after the Judgment Day defected and effectively kicked Ripley and Damian Priest out to install Morgan, the current WWE Women’s World Champion, after also costing Priest his WWE Heavyweight Championship to Gunther at the hands of Finn Balor.
On last week’s episode that followed Dominik Mysterio’s and Balor’s betrayal, the Terror Twins wrecked shop against the semi-new look Judgment Day, and it’s time to see what Morgan has up her sleeve as retaliation when Carlito takes on Priest in a singles match.
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But there’s so much more to RAW nowadays, folks.
The Wyatt Sicks 6 enjoyed a sensational in-ring debut against Chad Gable and American Made, and all the world wants to see what’s in store for that feud, and the faction itself, next.
Bronson Reed is on a warpath reminiscent of what Bron Breakker deployed against the Red Brand some weeks back and, in the process, put Seth Rollins on IR for an “unspecified period of time” as he looks for his next victim this week, likely made angrier by the fine levied by general manager Adam Pearce.
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Speaking of Breakker, having taken the WWE Intercontinental Championship off of Sami Zayn at Summerslam, the two had their trilogy match on Aug. 12 in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match to determine who is really superior between the two.
Breakker and Zayn put on an absolute banger, but was it enough to land one of the top-3 moments of the night?
Ask and you shall receive:
3. Poison Ivy
For the first time since becoming a thing, American Made (Chad Gable + the Creed Brothers) were set to face off against the Alpha Academy that defected from Gable due to his abuse.
The match was a banger, yes, but it’s also true that it felt stretched time-wise when it could’ve ended sooner and before the botches began showing up.
American Made took the victory but it’s what happened outside of the ring that mattered most, where Ivy Nile became the latest to betray a close friend by assaulting Maxxine after asking her before the match to not get involved.
It was brutal to watch, and the numbers between the factions are now even.
But, more importantly, we’re about to find out if Maxxine’s in-ring ability has improved, because it’s time for her to finally get her hands dirty again.
Let's see if she's leveled up at all, or if Nile is about to fold her like she's practicing origami.
2. Night Terror
The new moniker of Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest is really beginning to stick after seeing what they were able to do for the second consecutive week, which is to say they’re terrorizing Liv Morgan and the rest of the Judgment Day.
“I’ve had a lot of time to think about exactly what happened at Summerslam,” said Ripley.
She started the show with a scathing promo aimed at Dom first and foremost, and she didn’t pull any punches in letting him know he didn’t … er … um … measure up.
“I’ve relived it in my head every single day … I’ve felt embarrassment. I’ve felt heartbreak. But, right now, the feeling that I’m feeling is — I’m really just pissed the hell off. Dom, you stabbed me in the back, and here’s something you’ve heard before: it just wasn’t deep enough.”
YIKES.
The comments drew Dom out of hiding and by his side was, of course, Morgan but they weren’t anywhere near the ring for fear of Ripley’s wrath. Instead, they attempted to mock her from the top of a staircase in the crowd as they spoke over endless rounds of boo’s and chants of “you suck” and “sloppy seconds”.
“You wanna know why I chose Liv?” Dom said to Ripley. “I am a man and I deserve to be treated like one. You tried to change me instead of letting me be me. A grown man calling you mami?
“Well, I have a woman now that calls me daddy.”
He, a self-proclaimed grown man, then pointed out how Morgan also “gets me tendies whenever I want”, noting his affection for chicken tenders.
Liv Morgan would eventually chime in.
“There’s only one thing you’ve said that is true,” she told Ripley. “And that’s the fact Dominik is a man and he’s all mine. … Your real family that you thought is the Judgment Day? I took them.
“They’re mine.”
It turned out to be a setup by Ripley though, buying time for Priest to find the new couple and then tossing Dom over tables and into walls as Ripley raced up the stairs to get her hands on Morgan before assaulting her on their way out of the range of the broadcast.
The fight for Priest spilled over into the ring and that’s when Carlito appeared to help, but that was more so a segue to their scheduled match; and one that not many really cared about because, I mean, come on.
That includes Dom nearly being the victim of a RipTide.
The brutality continues.
1. Viper Strike
Orton could barely get his promo underway, promising to become a 15-time world champion at the “Bash in Berlin” before he was interrupted by the current WWE Heavyweight Champion, Gunther, dressed to the nines in one of his usual tailored suits that he dons on non-fight occasions.
Though he should be careful because RKOs usually come out of nowhere.
“Ladies and gentlemen, take a picture,” said Orton before throwing a bit of subtle shade at the Blue Brand. “Remember this moment because, in a few short weeks, I’m gonna beat this guy because his Friday nights aren’t gonna be free anymore; because his Friday nights aren’t gonna be free anymore. And Monday nights are gonna belong to me.”
It’s no secret SmackDown is viewed as the little brother to RAW, so Orton was basically telling Gunther he’s gonna lose the belt and then be demoted to Fridays.
Nasty work.
Orton went on to continue eviscerating Gunther on the mic, reminding the champ that while the belt is on his shoulder for the very first time, it’s been on Orton’s a total of 15 times — along with five healthy kids and a “smokeshow of a wife”.
Gunther promised the Legend Killer would never be champion again before crossing some major lines.
“Whenever it matters, you always screw it up,” said Gunther. “... It just comes naturally for you. Your grandfather was a screw up. Your father was a screw up.”
Whoa.
Just as Orton was about to rage and let the voices in his head take over, Drew McIntyre made his way to the ring and it was at that moment that Gunther made his final mistake: he turned his back on The Viper and … RKO out of nowhere.
As McIntyre went to investigate the carcass of Gunther, out ran CM Punk to begin beating him with a belt until he ran out of the arena and while that was admittedly a weird next step in their rivalry, and one that saw Punk not even attempt to reacquire the infamous bracelet, it was at least entertaining to watch.
Though the mic work between Gunther and Orton is really what cooked. That and the fact Gunther got welcomed, officially, to the Viper's pit.
Might wanna go get an injection of anti-venom, Mr. Ring General.
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