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Welcome to this week's Raw coverage. I am again filling in for Richard Trionfo!
Raw, taped this past Friday in Cleveland, in the parking lot as an SUV pulled up and spun around. Royce Keys and OTM jumped out of the vehicle and executed a brutal beatdown on Jimmy and Jey Uso, leaving one of the Usos bloodied in the process. Jacob Fatu arrived on the scene carrying a lead pipe, forcing OTM to scramble back into their vehicle and speed off. A furious Fatu watched them retreat.taped
Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett checked in to open the broadcast. During the opening match entrances, picture-in-picture footage showed referees and medical personnel tending to the Usos.
Jacob Fatu grabbed a microphone, vented his frustration over the attack and declared war on OTM while tearing apart ringside barricades and equipment.
WWE Women's Intercontinental Champion Raquel Rodriguez vs. Sol Ruca
Ruca displayed her agility early by countering Irish whips with handstands and taking Rodriguez down at ringside with reverse flip. Rodriguez eventually slowed the pace, controlling the action with a heavy-hitting offense and a powerful Pounce. Ruca fought back after the commercial break with running axe handles, a missile dropkick, and a soaring corkscrew plancha that took out both Rodriguez and an interfering Roxanne Perez. However, as Ruca prepared for the Sol Snatcher, Liv Morgan ran down to distract the referee while Lyra Valkyria intervened to disrupt Ruca's momentum. The distraction allowed Rodriguez to plant Ruca with the Tejana Bomb to secure the pinfall victory.
Your winner and still Champion, Raquel Rodriguez!
WWE Intercontinental Champion Chad Gable made his way to the ring. Gable reflected on his title reign and expressed his gratitude for his time in AAA as El Grande Americano, crediting the fans in Mexico for shaping his career. He announced that with Raw returning to Mexico City for the first time in 15 years, he intended to defend his title there and introduced Dragon Lee as his chosen opponent. Their moment of mutual respect was interrupted by Ethan Page, who mocked Gable for handing out title shots to undeserving competitors. When Dragon Lee challenged Page to step up and fight him on the spot, Gable announced that if General Manager Adam Pearce approved, the winner would earn the championship match in Mexico City.
Ethan Page vs. Dragon Lee
Page controlled the early goings with a physical, methodical attack before Dragon Lee turned the tide with a slingshot wrecking ball kick and a spectacular huracanrana over the announce table. Page retaliated by shoving Lee into Gable at ringside, taking advantage of the referee's distraction to expose the top turnbuckle pad. Page sent Lee headfirst into the exposed steel, but the referee spotted the damage and refused to count Page's pinfall attempt. As Page argued with Gable on the floor, Dragon Lee capitalized on the confusion by rolling back into the ring and landing Operation Dragon to score the pinfall victory and secure his title shot in two weeks.
Your winner, Dragon Lee!
Roman Reigns arrived via SUV and was met by Jacob Fatu, who gave him a rundown of OTM's attack on the Usos. Reigns cut him off, asserting that OTM was now Fatu's problem to solve while Roman focused on his own business.
Reigns made his way to the ring, demanding the crowd acknowledge him and addressing the burden of being the World Heavyweight Champion. He called out Solo Sikoa for siding with LA Knight, prompting Knight to enter the arena and mock Reigns for avoiding confrontation the previous week. As the two squared off, the big screen cut backstage to show a severely bloodied Solo Sikoa laid out near medical staff, with Fatu standing by. Knight rushed to the back to check on the situation, where officials had to separate him from Fatu. Reigns leveled Knight with a devastating Superman Punch before ordering Fatu to handle OTM while he kept Knight under control.
Dominik Mysterio vs. Je'Von Evans
Mysterio ambushed Evans before the bell, but Evans recovered to dominate for some time with his agility and athleticism. JD McDonagh's interference at ringside allowed Mysterio to take control, but Evans fought back and tossed Mysterio into the no man's land known to mere mortals as the timekeeper's area. As Evans built up speed to run around the ring, McDonagh leveled him with a clothesline. DQ city.
Your winner by DQ, Je'Von Evans!
They assaulted Evans until Joe Hendry made a surprise appearance to clear the ring. Adam Pearce then marched out and ordered the referee to restart the bout as a tag team match, playa....
Dominik Mysterio & JD McDonagh vs. Joe Hendry & Je'Von Evans
Hendry and Evans took early control, with Evans landing a diving plancha into the timekeeper's area and Hendry showcasing his strength with delayed suplexes and fallaway slams. Mysterio managed to turn the tide with a blind tag, isolating Evans in their corner for a stretch. After Evans made a hot tag to Hendry, Hendry flattened Mysterio with a discus lariat. However, as Hendry was distracted, McDonagh connected with a sharp headbutt from the apron, allowing Mysterio to capitalize with a top rope Frog Splash to pick up the pinfall victory for The Judgment Day.
Your winners, Dominik Mysterio & JD McDonagh!
Backstage, Stephanie Vaquer rejected Becky Lynch's offer of an alliance against The Judgment Day, stating she didn't need Lynch's help to win the title.
Cathy Kelley interviewed Paul Heyman about Sunday's Oba Femi vs. Bron Breakker match. Heyman praised both men's incredible athleticism but refused to give a spoiler, er, prediction.
The announcers said The Usos and Solo were all taken to the hospital. How wild would it be if it was Haku taking everyone out?
Rey Fenix vs. Penta for a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match in Mexico City
They opened the main event with a respectful handshake before immediately unleashing a barrage of heavy chest slaps on one another. Fenix gained early momentum, landing a step-up huracanrana followed by a second huracanrana off the ropes to drop Penta to the mat. Fenix attempted a handspring off the ropes, but Penta cut him off with a crisp dropkick that sent Fenix tumbling to the floor, where Penta immediately followed up with a big plancha.
Penta established firm control in the ring and picked up a close near-fall. Fenix broke the momentum with a leaping kick before sprinting across the ropes to deliver another kick to Penta’s head. Fenix drilled Penta on the floor with a tornillo. Fenix attempted a rolling cutter, but Penta met him mid-motion with a stiff superkick. Fenix quickly answered with a diving attack of his own for a close cover. Penta came back with a spin kick and a springboard slingblade, but Fenix immediately fired back with a pair of spinning hook kicks that left both brothers laid out as the referee counted them down.
Fenix recovered first to secure another near fall. Fenix went to the top but was blasted him with a superkick that sent Fenix crashing to the floor. Back in the ring, Penta yanked Fenix out of the corner into a backstabber for a two count. Penta tried to set up a Mexican Destroyer on the ring apron, but Fenix blocked it and hit a massive moonsault for a two count. Fenix drilled him with a series of kicks but Penta shocked him by snatching him for a powerbomb.
Penta went for a Canadian Destroyer, but Fenix drilled him and went for a superplex. Penta blocked that and went for the Destroyer but Fenix landed on his feet. He tried to set up for a muscle buster but Penta slipped out and caught him with a driver for a two count. They battled to the floor, where Penta nailed a driver through the announcer's table. Brotherly Love! Fenix was tossed back into the ring but still kicked up at the last second. Penta attacked the arm. Fenix dared his brother to finish him. Penta charged but Fenix leapt into a rana and almost pinned Penta. Penta finally caught him with a Mexican Destroyer winning a hard earned match.
Your winner, Penta!
Roman Reigns and Penta faced off to close the show.
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