Tonight’s WWE Monday Night Raw season premiere episode live from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. WWE didn’t announce any matches but hypes the new ear following the WWE Draft, which come into effect from this week’s episode of Raw and also who will step up to challenge Big E for WWE Title.
– Tonight’s WWE Raw opened with WWE champion Big E making his way to the ring. Big E welcomes everyone to the WWE Raw season premiere and gives a few shout-outs to the city of Houston. Fans pop big time for the local love and chant “let’s go Astros!” as the Houston Astros continue on their road to the MLB World Series. Big E wishes good luck to the Astros.
Now, Big E brings up the new WWE King of the Ring – King Xavier Woods. Then, talks about Drew McIntyre for pushing him and making him a better man than he was one week ago in their match at WWE Crown Jewel 2021. Big E says there is no rest for the weary, and as we have this influx of new talent on the roster, he asks, who? Then, music interrupts and here comes Seth Rollins.
Rollins makes his way to the ring. He takes the mic and starts laughing, saying Big E already knows why he’s out here. Then, Big E brings up Seth Rollins loss in the Hell In a Cell match against WWE Hall of Famer Edge at Crown Jewel. Rollins says Edge isn’t here, and he is, and he wants the WWE Title as soon as possible. But Big E says Rollins lost to Edge so he goes to the back of the line.
Seth Rollins says he had a long week, he went through hell on Thursday, and has earned his stripes on SmackDown for the past year, but the WWE Universal Champion, Roman Reigns, is too afraid to give him his opportunity and asks if Big E wants to be like Reigns, or be a fighting champion. Rollins asks what better way to kick off the Raw season premiere than with Seth Rollins vs. Big E for the WWE title. But music interrupts and here comes Rey Mysterio.
Rey Mysterio taunts Seth Rollins and says if anyone deserves to get a title shot, it’s him. Rey goes on about his accomplishments and how it speaks for itself. Rey says he’s willing to do whatever it takes to win the WWE Title one more time. Now, music interrupts and here comes Finn Balor. Finn says he has nothing but love for Rey, but with all due respect, Balor names some of his own accomplishments and says there’s one title he’s never held, but now he’s here on Raw he wants that WWE Title.
Rollins tells Big E to ignore Rey and Balor, and understand Rollins is easily the most qualified. But again music interrupts and here comes Kevin Owens. Owens doesn’t want to be “that guy” but if we’re going to talk about accolades, he wants to play too. Owens goes about his titles wins and how he won two big titles here in Houston. Owens says the perfect he pinned Seth Rollins for the Universal Title in this building.
Suddenly Seth Rollins attacks Owens, then, Rey Mysterio. Now, Finn and Rollins into the brawl and, Finn hits kick to Rollins, then, Owens goes for Stunner. But Rollins quickly retreats up the ramp and Owens follows him and stops on the ramp. Now, Sonya Deville comes out and announces a Fatal 4 Way with Rollins, Mysterio, Balor and Owens, with the winner getting a WWE Title shot. Rollins seethes. Deville says we should up and raise the stakes since this is the Raw season premiere and announces that this will be a Fatal 4 Way Ladder Match now. Rollins yells about it and other Superstars look on.
– Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler defeated The Street Profits and The Alpha Academy via pinfall and earned future title shot against Raw Tag Team Champions RK-Bro for titles.
– The ring is being set up for Queen Zelina’s official royal coronation ceremony now. Music hits and Mike Rome does the introduction, and Queen Zelina Vega comes out with her robe and scepter. Vega says she will stand for this disrespect no longer and calls out Rome for introduction and tells him to try again with some actual bravado like they rehearsed. Rome tries again and introduces her as our majesty, the one and only queen of WWE, Queen Zelina. Vega puts on her crown and takes a seat on the throne now.
We see more of the female Raw Superstars watching in the back as Vega goes on about how she is the only woman in WWE fit to be a queen. Vega goes on and wonders what kind of queen will she be – a generous queen, a beautiful queen, a cruel queen, a queen to be loved, or a queen to be feared? The answer is simple – all of the above. Vega taunts Doudrop and says how she will beat her again. The crown means Vega is the best of the best, and we will talk about her reign for years to come. She goes on and calls on everyone to hail Queen Zelina. But music interrupts and here comes Doudrop.
– Queen Zelina Vega defeated Doudrop via pinfall.
– The new Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch makes her way to the ring. The announcers note that the Women’s Title Exchange segment between Becky Lynch and SmackDown Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair on SmackDown was a little contentious. Lynch hits the ring and raises the title in the air.
Becky Lynch declares that The Man, the new Raw Women’s Champion, and the new face of Raw, has come around to Houston. Becky says it feels good to have the title back that she never lost and intends on picking up exactly where she left off. She came back at Summer Slam and has been making headlines ever since. She also goes on about beating Bianca Belair, and how no one wants to see Belair get close to the title, especially how there are a number of new talents to challenge for the title.
Becky Lynch says fans want to see her beat people like Liv Morgan and WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Rhea Ripley. She says they will learn, like Belair and Sasha Banks learned, that Becky always gets what she wants. She goes but suddenly, interrupts and her comes Bianca Belair. Belair on the ramp and accuses Lynch of cheating at WWE Crown Jewel and says Lynch should be ashamed.
Bianca Belair says Becky Lynch really hasn’t faced any adversity, and continues to slip by when they get in the ring, but that all is about to change. Belair brings up her recent wins and says this means she has earned a rematch with the Raw Women’s Champion, who just so happens to be Becky. Belair declares that she is the new face of Raw, not Becky. But Becky Lynch shows us a photo of her face, happy and smiling after the match at Crown Jewel, then a photo of a sad and disappointed Belair after the match. Becky says that’s the face of a loser, not the face of Raw.
Becky Lynch goes on and says Belair’s wins were only possible because Becky wasn’t around to stop her in her tracks, but it’s been nothing but disappointment for Belair since Becky has been back. Belair is only disappointed that she hasn’t smacked the goofy look off Becky’s face to show everyone who she really is. Belair goes on about how Becky is bothered by how people still root for her.
Belair says Becky has nothing behind her forced smile and catchphrases. Belair goes on and says Becky is nothing without the title, we all know it. Belair says she’s proved she is still The EST without the title, and she sees right through Becky. Belair tells Becky to shut up or run up because she wants her title shot now. Becky says Belair is just acting tough and tells Belair to get to the back of the line. Then, Belair hits Becky with a shot to the face. Becky charges but Belair delivered a Spinebuster to her.
Becky stumbles to the floor and Belair follows and put her over the announce table. Belair starts swinging her hair at ringside but from behind Becky tries to hit her with a kendo stick but Belair catches it. Belair fights back on her and Becky went into the ring. Belair follows her and unloads on her with a kendo stick. Becky counters and kicks her in the gut.
Becky goes for the kendo stick but Belair stops her and goes for KOD. But Becky Lynch escapes from that and hits Bianca with her title and Belair goes down on mat. Becky retreats to the stage with her Raw Women’s title and Belair stands tall in the ring. Becky says Belair has got her match if she wants it but not tonight. Becky music hits and she goes to backstage.
– Finn Balor and Kevin Owens are at backstage now. Owens talks about the mutual respect between them and says he has to win this tonight, it will be every man for himself. Balor says that’s the way he likes it and says he will see Owens out there and walks off. Owens agrees. The announcers hype tonight’s main event.
– WWE United States Champion Damian Priest defeated T-BAR via disqualification in non-title match. At the closing moments, T-BAR hits Priest with steel chair and causes disqualification. After the match, Priest stood at ringside and attacks T-BAR. Priest destroys T-BAR at ringside, launching him into the barrier and the ring post. Priest brings T-BAR back to the ring and delivered The Reckoning. Priest stands tall over T-BAR and raises his title in the air.
– Carmella at backstage with her custom face mask now. She calls herself the diamond of WWE – so precious, rare and expensive, which makes her the perfect fit for the red brand. She can’t help other women like Liv Morgan are jealous of her, and says Liv has followed her to Raw to go after her face but luckily she has plans of her own, she always has a plan, and with this mask protecting her face, no one will be able to stop her influence as being the most beautiful woman in all of WWE.
– Carmella defeated Liv Morgan via pinfall.
– Keith ‘Bearcat’ Lee defeated Cedric Alexander via pinfall. After the match, Lee stood tall and Shelton Benjamin tries to attack Lee but Lee stares him down and he backs off, helping Cedric out. Lee looks on as Shelton and Cedric heads to backstage.
– We got the footage from earlier tonight of Rey Mysterio and Dominik Mysterio in the locker room. Austin Theory walked in and insulted them both, then had words with Dominik. Then, Austin Theory proposed they take a selfie together in the ring tonight and Dominik accepted his challenge and Theory walked off. Rey gave Dominik props for standing up and said if he wants, he will be in Dominik’s corner tonight but Dominik says he will handle it by himself because he knows Rey has a lot going on.
– Austin Theory defeated Dominik Mysterio via pinfall. After the match, Theory sits up with Dominik on the mat and takes a selfie and makes exits the ring while talking trash.
– RK-Bro at backstage now and Riddle ranting about Halloween costumes, annoying everyone as usual. Randy Orton looks a bit upset and promises Riddle that they will talk about Halloween all night but first they have to retain their titles over Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler, who came from SmackDown to win gold. Riddle understands and promises they will clean those Dirty Dawgs up.
– Randy Orton and Riddle defeated Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode via pinfall and successfully retained their Raw Tag Team Titles.
– Kevin Patrick stops Seth Rollins at backstage and asks if he feels like he has a target on his back. Seth says, of course there is a target on his back, he says, because he is the biggest threat to the WWE Title, which everyone is aware of. Now, Rollins gets intense, and declares that he is the next WWE Champion and walks off while laughing.
– Seth Rollins defeated Finn Balor, Rey Mysterio and Kevin Owens in Fatal-Four Way Ladder Match and became the new #1 contender for Big E’s WWE Championship. After the match, Rollins stood tall with the contract and other competitors laid out at ringside. Rollins continues celebrating but the music hits and here comes WWE Champion Big E.
Seth Rollins and Big E meet on the ramp and Rollins brags about the win, taunting Big E with the contract. Rollins warns Big E that he won’t do anything right now and walks past Big E and heads to the entrance, still bragging about the win and showing off the contract. Big E talks some trash as Rollins heads to the backstage.
Seth Rollins at backstage with Sarah Schreiber now. Rollins says he called this show Monday Night Rollins because it’s his show, he’s back baby, and better than ever, and more importantly, he is the visionary, the revolutionary, he is Seth frickin’ Rollins. Rollins laughs some more and Raw season premiere goes off the air.
