Damian Priest beats Sami Zayn after JD McDonagh grabs Sami's foot as he goes for the Helluva Kick on Priest. After the match, JD McDonagh gets in the ring and raises Priest's hand, but Priest shoves him away. Priest then walks away, and when JD McDonagh turns around, Sami Zayn is behind him with Kevin Owens, the latter of whom hits McDonagh with the Stunner before Sami gives McDonagh the Helluva Kick.
Backstage, Drew McIntyre is met by Akira Tozawa, who awkwardly tells him that he looks great before walking away. Matt Riddle shows up, and we see that McIntyre has a picture of himself in Matt Riddle's trunks. Riddle then proposes they get front row seats for The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) vs. The Viking Raiders (Ivar and Erik) in order to scout them. McIntyre says he looks forward to seeing The Viking Raiders getting beaten tonight.
We see a video package chronicling the feud between Rhea Ripley and Raquel Rodriguez, with Raquel saying only she is more dominant that Rhea and that she will not let Rhea run the division after what she did to her to Liv Morgan. Raquel says she has waited for weeks to show Rhea what it is like to be at the mercy of someone bigger and stronger, and since every bully has a weakness in their insecurity, she will cut Rhea down to size and take her title.
LA Knight's music hits, but The Miz shows up dressed like LA Knight and heads to the ring. The Miz makes fun of LA Knight as he speaks, and says it takes more than a catchphrase to gain fan support as the fans are smart, sophisticated and discerning and that this is why he brought a bag with him. He says the bag is full of free LA Knight T-shirts and tells the fans to say "Yeah!" if they want free shirts, then tosses a shirt down instead of into the crowd and tosses the bag out of the ring before removing his leather vest and LA Knight shirt. Miz then says that the fans are pathetic and will chant for anything, then says anybody can be LA Knight and that he does not do catchphrases, as when he says he is awesome, it is the truth. He says that when he beats up LA Knight and Knight is battered and broken, it is broken, because everyone will cheer for T-shirts and catchphrases but nobody cheers for losers, and he will show LA Knight whose game it really is.
Drew McIntyre and Matt Riddle watch from ringside for the next match.
The Viking Raiders (Ivar and Erik) beat The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) after Ivar slams Kofi into both Drew McIntyre and Matt Riddle, which causes McIntyre to throw one chair at Ivar and another one at Erik. Ivar avoids the first chair, but the second chair connects with Woods when Erik avoids the chair.
Backstage, Finn Balor tells Damian Priest that they need to get on the same page for Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. Priest agrees, saying they should focus on people who matter and not people like JD McDonagh, whom he admits he does not care about. Rhea Ripley yells at Finn and Priest for arguing again and says she cannot be distracted, and tells them to make it right at Payback and remind everyone that they are a force to be reckoned and can win when it matters, or else there will be some changes around here.
WWE remembers the life and career of Bray Wyatt. A wooden rocking chair is seen on the stage as Bray Wyatt's original entrance theme plays.
Backstage, Kofi Kingston comes out of the trainer's room and tells Matt Riddle and Drew McIntyre that Xavier Woods will be alright, and tells McIntyre not to worry as Xavier Woods understands. McIntyre makes up his mind to take down The Viking Raiders (Ivar and Erik) once and for all.
Before the next match, Gunther says that last week, Chad Gable made history by being the first man to beat him in more than 500 days, albeit by count-out in a championship match. He says that while Chad Gable has gained the victory, he has won nothing, as he still stands as Intercontinental Champion. Gunther then says that Gable has managed to piss him off, and now Gable has his attention and his focus, and if he is the last thing between himself and his rightful legacy, so be it, for next week, Gable will challenge him for the Intercontinental Championship. He then says Gable will not beat him next and that he will not beat Ludwig Kaiser tonight before Alpha Academy show up. Gable says he would normally give Gunther a "shoosh," but Gunther is making some solid points before bragging about beating him last week, then says it will take only three seconds for him to take his title. He then dares Ludwig Kaiser to get in the ring so he can cook him up Memphis-style, leading to the fans chanting "Whoop that trick."
Chad Gable beats Ludwig Kaiser by disqualification after Giovanni Vinci gets physically involved in the match by breaking up a pinfall attempt by Gable. After the match, Otis gets in the ring and makes short work of Vinci, but the numbers game quickly takes over and Vinci and Kaiser drive Otis shoulder-first into the ring post before going to town on Gable. Gunther then shows up and tries to powerbomb Gable, but Gable counters with an ankle lock. Once again, the numbers game catches up to Gable, and Gunther hits Gable with the powerbomb.
We look back on the late Bob Barker's guest host appearance on Raw in 2009.
Seth "Freakin'" Rollins heads to the ring. Rollins tells Shinsuke Nakamura that this Saturday at Payback, he will give him a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship. Rollins then demands that Nakamura give him what he wants, as he has more mind games to play and mean things to say and he wants him to do them to his face. When Nakamura fails to show, Rollins proposes heading down to Beale Street, but Nakamura is seen on the TitanTron stating that he does not want to just defeat Seth Rollins the champion, but dismantle Seth Rollins the man. He says he wants his wife to know he is the reason she has to help Rollins out of bed and why he won't be able to walk his daughter down the aisle on her wedding day. He says he will break Rollins he is already broken and his body has betrayed him, and that he will break his back and put him out of his misery. he says Rollins has no honor or code, and that he has no future. Rollins is unimpressed that he only got a video package out of Nakamura, and wants to know what happened to the Nakamura that headlined the Tokyo Dome or set the world on fire when he came to NXT. He says he would have given the shirt off his broken back to Nakamura a month ago, then says his broken back did not stand in the way of becoming champion and it will not stand in the way of him beating Nakamura's ass at Payback. He says that he will beat Nakamura down until someone pulls him off of Nakamura, and when Nakamura lies defeated, he will know better than to take anything from him, be it his title, his future or his family. Suddenly, Rollins is attacked from behind by Nakamura, who tells Rollins that he told him to watch his back before kicking him in the face.
Backstage, Sami Zayn says he is sick and tired of having to deal with The Judgment Day (Finn Balor, Damian Priest, Rhea Ripley, "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio) again and again as they keep coming back and playing the numbers game. He says that if The Judgment Day want to do this one more time, that is fine with him, then Kevin Owens says that the rules will not play in their favor because they went to WWE official Adam Pearce and made their match a Steel City Street Fight. Owens says that what has happened to him before in Pittsburgh will be nothing compared to what happens in Payback because he and Sami will end this once and for all.
Before the next match, "Big" Bronson Reed attacks Tommaso Ciampa from behind, but Ciampa is able to get back up and fight back against Bronson.
Tommaso Ciampa barely beats "Big" Bronson Reed with a crucifix bomb.
Backstage, Jackie Redmond interviews Becky Lynch, who admits that she has had second thought and that they are all about whipping Zoey Stark all over the arena. She says she has been hounded by Zoey and Trish Stratus, but she is not taking the easy way out and she is bringing a lot of chaos with her.
Tiffany Stratton is seen in the front row.
Rhea Ripley and "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio head to the ring. Rhea Ripley calls Raquel Rodriguez out for outsmarting her and says this is the last time that this will happen as her resume speaks for itself and the championship around her waist proves absolutely everything. She says Raquel is an idiot if she thinks she will take her title from her, for even if she is big and tough, she is not Rhea Ripley. Rhea says Raquel can talk all she wants, but at Payback, she is walking out champion. As she says that Raquel does not learn her lesson, Raquel shows up. Raquel slides into the ring and brawls with Rhea, and she soon gets the other hand before Dominik gets in the ring. Raquel turns around and spots Dominik, but that gives Rhea Ripley the opportunity to headbutt Raquel and hit her with Riptide. Raquel is able to counter Riptide, however, and she soon overpowers Rhea again. This time, Rhea and Dominik retreat.
Backstage, we hear from Trish Stratus and Zoey Stark. Trish calls Becky Lynch an idiot for wanting tonight's falls count anywhere match, and Zoey says that when she is done with Becky tonight, she will leave plenty of Becky for Trish at Payback.
It is announced that WWE and NFL are teaming up for a line of legacy championship belts for all NFL teams.
WWE celebrates the life and career of Terry Funk.
Tiffany Stratton is seen in the front row again. (Local independent wrestler "The Goddess of the Night" Nyxx is seen to the immediate right of Tiffany on both occasions.)
Becky Lynch beats Zoey Stark in a Falls Count Anywhere Match after Zoey Stark inadvertently pushes Trish Stratus off a stack of crates and through a table. (After the match, "The Goddess of the Night" Nyxx is seen again behind Becky, but so is fellow local independent wrestler Tim Bosby.)
This week on Raw Talk: Raquel Rodriguez! Tommaso Ciampa! Matt Riddle and Drew McIntyre!
Here's the top ten moments from tonight's show!
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