WWE Raw Recap, Grades & Opinion: September 23, 2019 -

WWE Raw Recap: September 23, 2019

A.K.A. The One Where The Fiend Came To The Rescue

Results:

Viking Raiders def. Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows
Rusev def. EC3
Sasha Banks def. Nikki Cross
Lacey Evans def. Ember Moon
Carmella def. R-Truth to win the 24/7 Championship
Chad Gable def. King Baron Corbin by disqualification
Rey Mysterio wins a five-way elimination match for a Universal Championship match next week.
- Shinsuke Nakamura eliminated Ricochet
- AJ Styles eliminated Nakamura
- Robert Roode eliminated Styles
- Rey Mysterio eliminated Roode
Braun Strowman def. Seth Rollins by disqualification when The Fiend interferes.

Latest Wrestling News

Match of the Night: Rey Mysterio wins a five-way elimination match for a Universal Championship match next week.

It is a pretty simple formula. Take five of the best professional wrestlers you can find, put them in a match with stakes, and give them time. The result is going to be a great Number One Contenders match. Mysterio winning continues to give him reason to delay the retirement he has considered. Plus, a Mysterio-Rollins title match sounds like a great title defense for Rollins to have under his belt.

Three Thoughts:

Fiend or Friend?

What an interesting turn of events for the Universal Championship feud. One of the most exciting parts of the night, as usual, was the Firefly Funhouse. There, Bray Wyatt broke up a fight between Huskus and Ramblin’ Rabbit. He said The Fiend may want to protect Seth Rollins, not hurt him. Another telling line there was that he knows what it is like to be “abandoned by those you care about the most.” That seemed to be a message to his former follower, Braun Strowman.

Sure enough, in the main event The Fiend did strike. He attacked Strowman and seemed to protect a downed Rollins. It is unclear what his intentions really are, and that’s the best way to present The Fiend. The audience should never know whether he is there to hurt or heal. It is a huge part of his appeal.

#TheFiend @WWEBrayWyatt LAYS WASTE to @BraunStrowman on #RAW! pic.twitter.com/NHefHCj4z5

Ep 114: Aaron Rodgers, OBJ, and The New York Jets
by Full Press Coverage on March 25, 2023 at 12:09 am

— WWE (@WWE) September 24, 2019

All Hail, I Guess?

It is only week two of the “King” gimmick for Baron Corbin, and it could go either way at this point. Before his match with Gable, Corbin made a decree that he no longer had to face anyone under 5’5”. He had the full King regalia, and it actually looked pretty cool. Corbin will constantly get heat because it’s what he does best. WWE will have to work to keep the King gimmick relevant and give it value. Also here’s hoping Chad Gable’s push remains after this feud with Corbin.

ALL HAIL KING @BaronCorbinWWE. #RAW pic.twitter.com/jd7VROXJW6

— WWE (@WWE) September 24, 2019

Bad, Bad, Banks

Sasha Banks has really been dialling up her evil in the build-up for her Hell in a Cell match versus Becky Lynch. Monday night on Raw she was ruthless in fighting Nikki Cross. She looked to continue the damage by attacking Alexa Bliss after the bell. Next week Banks will face Bliss, and will likely get another win to continue her momentum towards Hell in a Cell. While it isn’t great to see the Women’s Tag Team Champions lose and not be booked as threats, Banks is a star and losing to her isn’t as bad as some others.

Message SENT. #TheBoss @SashaBanksWWE UNLEASHES on @NikkiCrossWWE & @AlexaBliss_WWE! #RAW @itsBayleyWWE pic.twitter.com/8PzYmwFYe9

— WWE (@WWE) September 24, 2019

Grade: B

An enjoyable show overall, especially watching the development of The Fiend. The Number One Contender match and Rollins-Strowman matches were both entertaining, as was the Gable-Corbin battle. Not much objectionable on this show, so a solid grade for the show before the “season premiere” next week.