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This week's Monday Night Raw was building towards Fastlane, focused on Jey Uso and how he was getting along with everyone else on the red brand. As Raw kicked off, Cody Rhodes was outnumbered by Judgment Day, but he got help from a few friends. Otis battled Bronson Reed, Natalya had issues with Tegan Knox, Ludwig Kaiser battled Tommaso Ciampa, Dominik had a great match with Dragon Lee, Drew McIntyre inched closer towards a heel turn, and Nia Jax proved her dominance against Zoey Stark.
The highlight of the night was the tag team match. Here are your winners and losers for Raw, September 25, 2023:
Winner: Opening Segment With Cody Rhodes
Rhodes addressed the crowd to start the show and after talking with the crowd was abruptly interrupted by Dominik Mysterio and Judgment Day. Tensions escalated and when it looked like Cody was about to suffer an attack at the hands of the heel group, Jey Uso suddenly appeared in the ring alongside The American Nightmare. Judgment Day still had the numbers, so out came Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens to give the babyfaces a four-on-three advantage. JD McDonagh appeared with steel chairs and it was a brawl that left a hesitant Damian Priest in the ring all by himself.
There was plenty of action in this opening segment and it appears Jey has the trust of at least a few allies on Raw. That Priest was so hesitant to get in the ring and was left to fend for himself is not going to sit well with the Money in the Bank caseholder.
Winner: Otis vs. Bronson Reed
It's not often that just the idea of two men fighting is enticing. The prospect of what Otis vs. Reed might look like when these two behemoths got together was intriguing. The match was solid and these two big men moved really well for men their size. From the get-go, every time these two collided it was a big deal. Both wrestlers showed how strong they were and pulled off impressive power moves during the bout. It wasn't long, but it didn't have to be. Reed picked up the big win with a Tsunami splash that had a bit more meaning than it typically does considering it put Otis away with ease.
Winner/Loser: Tommaso Ciampa Beats Ludwig Kaiser
It's still not entirely clear why Ciampa is getting a push towards the Intercontinental Championship while Chad Gable goes to the back of the line, but WWE is moving forward with Ciampa trying to roll through the rest of Imperium on his way to Gunther. On Monday, it was Ludwig Kaiser. Kaiser initially dominated but it was Ciampa who picked up the win after Giovani Vinci's injury from a knee strike garnered Kaiser's attention. Seizing the opportunity, Ciampa delivered a thunderous knee strike to secure the victory.
This was a big win for Ciampa, who is now a solid contender for the IC Title, but WWE teased more friction between members of Imperium and it's a guarantee that Gunther will not be happy about it.
Loser: Tegan Nox Beats Natalya
Prior to this one-on-one match, Becky Lynch had a conversation with Nox backstage and wanted to know why Nox didn't come out for the Open Challenge last week. Nox said that she stepped aside so the veteran could have her shot, but Lynch said she shouldn't let Nattie just have her way. Nox needs to step on some toes to get what she wants. When Natalya took issue with Nox asking for a title shot from Adam Pearce, the two got into an argument and Pearce made a singles match out of their tension.
The backstage segment was almost longer than the actual match as Nox beat Natalya quickly. Nox showed off her solid wrestling background in the short amount of time these two had. She hit the Shiniest Wizard for the victory. If WWE had given this even two or three more minutes, it would have been a much better segment.
Winner: Dominik Defeats Dragon Lee
In one of Dom's best single showings to date, he had a great one-on-one matchup with Dragon Lee from NXT, successfully defending his North American Championship. This was Lee's first match on the main roster and if this was an opportunity to show what he could, there had to be some higher-ups backstage who were impressed. Lee hit some great high-flying moves and Dom was great as these two had immediate chemistry.
Dom hit a Frog Splash for the win and showed off how good he can be when he doesn't have Judgment Day with him. He's the kind of star who fans love to hate and he generates mega heat while delivering strong in-ring performances. This was an excellent match and title defense that should draw a few more eyeballs to NXT.
Winner: Nia Jax Interview Turned Match
If there's one thing that's clear, the fans do not like Nia Jax. The moment she spoke during her exclusive interview with Michael Cole, she drew immediate heat. She suggested she could destroy anyone in the Women's Division and would if they stood in her way. Zoey Stark came out and dared her to try and prove she was a monster while Stark's back wasn't turned. The two got into a nasty fight that was meant to look like a shoot. When the dust settled, these two had a match.
Jax won when Stark tried to pick her up and the sheer size of Jax was too much to lift. She dragged her to the bottom ropes for a nasty leg drop, then to the corner to hit a Yokozuna bomb for the win.
Winner: Drew McIntyre Is Slowly Turning Heel
If the goal is to turn The Scottish Warrior into a heel, he is well on his way. This was a pretty fun encounter that made McIntyre look like a beast. Ivar attacked Kingston and McIntyre decided not to help.
McIntyre was out for an interview on Miz TV but was called out by New Day for his recent behavior being unlike how they know him as a competitor and a person. McIntyre didn't take too kindly to being called out so he challenged them to get into the ring. It became a one-on-one match between McIntyre and Kofi Kingston. The match was solid and was given lots of time to build up. As things progressed, McIntyre was more and more ruthless. It was when Ivar of the Viking Raiders came out and attacked Xavier Woods that McIntyre used the opening to hit a Claymore for the win
When Ivar attacked a fallen Kofi, McIntyre simply walked to the back and, once again, refused to help. Backstage, Ivar explained that he targeted New Day because they took our Erik.
Winner: Main Event Tag Team Championship Match
A chaotic main event ended as Judgment Day, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens were joined by Dominik, JD McDonagh, Jey Uso, and Cody Rhodes, all of whom got involved in the closing moments. In the mess that was wrestlers all over the ringside area, there was no way for the official to see everything. That allowed McDonagh to blast Zayn with the championship title after Zayn hit a Helluva Kick on Priest. A nearly-unconscious Priest was able to roll over to get the win.
After the match, everyone came back down to the ring and kept fighting as the show went off the air. Judgment Day retained and McDonagh made amends for an earlier mistake in the night. The action was packed to end the night, which always makes for a fun close. Solid match, a solid finish, and a bit of a cliffhanger. Not a bad way to end an otherwise solid night of action.
