Posted on 9/15/126 by Bob Magee
Live! From Mexico City, Mexico.
Joe Tessitore & Wade Barrett were on commentary.
Penta rode into town on a horse, but will he ride out as WWE
World Champion tonight?
Rey Mysterio Started the Show
The crowd is loud and incredibly well mixed for this one.
Rey Mysterio came out with a neck brace selling his injuries
from Friday and wearing an Eddie Guerrero shirt. Adam Pearce
was waiting for him in the ring. Rey welcomed the crowd to
the Raw in Mexico in fifteen years. Rey cut a promo in
Spanish, then in English told Adam Pearce he thought we were
in for a historic night.
But one moment in particular stood out, and it was this past
Saturday when Stephanie Vaquer defeated Liv Morgan with a
Skytwister Press to win the World Women’s championship.
According to Graves, the entire match is available… for
members of Club WWE.
Mysterio brought Vaquer to the ring. The crowd chanted for
Vaquer, who celebrated having her title back. Vaquer cut a
promo in Spanish, too, then said in English that it was the
“joy of her life” to win back her title in her home country
of Chile on Saturday.
But of course, Vaquer’s presence brought out Liv Morgan and
her similarly recently beltless boyfriend, Dominik Mysterio.
Morgan called Vaquer a hypocrite for celebrating with “her”
Women’s title, because she got screwed. But even without the
belt, Liv is still the greatest women’s champion of all
time. Liv then called Rey a deadbeat dad, but even she
didn’t think he’d stoop so low as to hang out with this
“puta.”
Dom insulted Rey, so Rey pulled out the footage from
TripleMania 34 for El Grade Americano defeated Dominik for
the AAA Mega Championship. Dominik challenged Rey to a tag
match, Dom and Liv v. Rey and Stephanie, tonight.
Immediately, Adam Pearce shot that down, because Rey isn’t
cleared because of his neck (although I’ve heard his injury
comes and goes). El Grande Americano then came out (to a
huge pop), and it looks like Vaquer has a partner for this
match.
Dominik Mysterio & Liv Morgan v. El Grande Americano &
Stephanie Vaquer (w/ Rey Mysterio)
After a commercial, we return with Americano and Mysterio
duking it out, and my god the crowd is hot for everything
that Americano does. Liv got the tag and shoved Americano,
but Vaquer came off the top with a crossbody. Morgan missed
an enziguri, and Vaquer blocked a sunset flip. Vaquer tried
to run the ropes, but Dominik pulled the ropes apart and she
(awkwardly) fell to the floor.
Morgan jumped to the floor and attacked Vaquer. She took the
fight back to the ring, and stomped Vaquer in the corner.
Morgan gave Vaquer the Three Amigos and caught her with a
step up enziguri. Vaquer came back with a dropkick.
The men were tagged back in, and Americano took control.
Americano hit Dom with a blockbuster for a near fall.
Mysterio crotched Americano on the top rope and dropkicked
him to the floor.
After another commercial, Americano hit Dom with an air raid
crash for a near fall. Tags were made on both sides, and
Vaquer hit a powerslam, then drove Liv down with an elbow
for near fall. Vaquer went for her package powerbomb, but
Liv escaped.
Vaquer pulled Morgan out of the corner with a Dragon Screw
Leg Whip, then gave Liv the Devil’s Kiss in the center of
the ring. Vaquer hit a meteora in the corner. Dominik
distracted Vaquer, and Liv hit her with a backstabber.
Americano flew into the ring and hit Dom. Dom reversed and
set up Americano for the 619, but Americano reversed that
and set up Dom for the 619. Vaquer slapped Liv, positioning
her for the 619, and Vaquer hit both Liv and Dom with the
619.
Vaquer and Americano started to climb the ropes for the
finish, but the rest of the Judgment Day ran in for the
disqualification.
Match Result: Vaquer & Americano won via disqualification
(joined in progress, 12:02).
I loved this match until the absolute garbage finish. I’m
not sure who needed protecting since Dom’s been doing jobs
for on Raw for like two months.
After the bell rang, Dom yanked Rey up into the ring by his
neckbrace and shook him around. The crowd booed Dom like
crazy for this. Americano tried to make the save, but JD
McDonagh cut him off with his giant head, then hit him with
a moonsault. Dominik squashed Rey with a frog splash off the
top for good measure.
The heat for all this was absolutely unreal.
— Penta told Dragon Lee he has “no fear” going into his WWE
World Title match tonight.
Je’Von Evans v. Big Cass v. Austin Theory (w/ Maxxine Dupri)
a Men’s Money in the Bank Qualifying Match
The contract briefcases hung above the ring to help
illustrate the stakes for this match. It looked like Theory
and Evans would double-team Cass to start, but Theory turned
on Evans. Cass then attacked Theory. Evans jumped on Cass,
and it was every man for himself.
Cass tried for a chokeslam on Evans, but Evans countered
with a head scissors and eventually sent Cass to the floor.
Evans dumped Theory, then hit Cass with a crossbody on the
floor.
Evans dumped Theory into the ring announcer’s area. He ran
around the ring to do his dive into Theory, but Cass cut him
off, grabbed him by the throat, and chokeslammed him into
Theory.
After a commercial, Theory pulled Cass off the top rope into
a torture rack, then spun him into a sit-out powerbomb in
what was objectively the coolest set I’ve ever seen him do.
Evans immediately hit Theory with a frog splash. Theory
dropped to the floor, and Evans followed him out with a
dive.
Back in the ring, Cass drove Evans into the mat with a Black
Hole Slam. Dupri yanked Theory out of the ring before Cass
could kill him with a boot. Cass knocked Evans out of the
air a couple of times. Cass killed Evans with a boot, but
Theory dumped Cass and went for the pin. Cass pulled Theory
out of the ring.
On the floor, Dupri got in Cass’s face. Theory tried to jump
him, but Cass swatted him down. Evans tried for another dive
on Cass, but Cass knocked him away.
Back in the ring, Theory hit Cass with a forearm. Evans flew
in and took down Theory with a reverse cutter where they
both landed onto Cass, and Theory dropped to the floor.
Evans avoided the boot, Cass avoided the OG Cutter, but Eans
avoided Cass again and hit the OG Cutter for a pinfall.
Match Result: Je’Von Evans pinned Big Cass to win a Triple
Threat match also involving Austin Theory to advance to the
Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder match (9:44).
This was pretty mid, and honestly of the three guys
involved, Evans made the most sense to go into the ladder
match.
— A recap of last week’s Raw, where Royce Keys and his crew
(the 946) beat up some security guys and set fire to the
Uso’s rental. As if the Uso’s didn’t have enough trouble
getting rentals. I don’t remember the fire looking that
spectacular last week, but maybe that’s just me.
The Usos were in fact discussing Jimmy’s rental. Jacob Fatu
thinks the play is for the Bloodline to stick together
tonight; otherwise the 946 will pick them off one by one.
Chad Gable v. Dragon Lee for the WWE Intercontinental
Championship
Lee hit Gable in the corner with a dropkick. Gable dropped
to the floor, and Lee followed him out with a tope con hilo.
Back in the ring, Gable caught Lee with an overhead belly to
belly.
Lee tried a springboard, but Gable caught him with a
Northern Lights suplex for a near fall. Gable went to work
on Lee’s leg. The crowd chanted “this is wrestling” in
Spanish as Lee caught Gable with a tornado DDT out of the
corner.
Gable went to the floor, Lee mule-kicked Gable to position
him onto the commentary table. Lee then dove through the
ropes and hit a tope con hilo on Gable, who was kneeling on
the commentary table.
After a commercial, we return to Gable and Lee crashing from
the top rope to the mat with an Olympic Slam. Gable and Lee
exchanged “Boo!/Yay!” punches. Gable caught Lee with a sit
out powerbomb for a near fall.
Gable went for a moonsault, but Lee got his feet up. Lee hit
a flying elbow for a near fall. Lee went for Operation
Dragon, but Gable countered into an ankle lock, which Lee
escaped. Lee tried to go to the top, but Gable cut him off.
Gable set Lee up for a superplex onto the floor, but Lee
fought out of that cause nobody’s crazy enough to take that.
Gable got hung up in the corner (hanging outside of the
ring), and Lee came off the top with a double stomp, sending
both guys to the floor… and injuring Dragon Lee’s ankle.
Both guys just barely beat the count back in. Lee hit Gable
with a superkick. Lee charged at Gable, who tossed him in
the corner with a release belly to belly suplex. Gable hit a
top rope moonsault for a near fall.
Gable hit Lee with rolling Germans. Lee escaped the third
one by flipping over Gable and hit Operation Dragon for a
near fall.
The crowd heat was nuts for this one, too.
Lee set up Gable for the Styles Clash, but Gable countered
into an ankle lock. Lee tried to flip out, but Gable held
on. Lee kicked Gable in the face a bunch, but Gable refused
to let go. Lee finally rolled through and hit the Styles
Clash and again only got TWO!
Lee tried to get back to his feet, but Gable had caught onto
Lee’s ankle again. Lee tried to fight out, but Gable locked
in the knee bar and cranked away, and Lee had no choice but
to tap out.
Match Result: Chad Gable defeated Dragon Lee by submission
(15:40).
Drop what you are doing, subscribe to Netflix and go watch
this match.
After the match, Gable helped Lee to his feet and held his
up his hand in victory. Gable celebrated with the fans and
Lee looked dejected in the corner.
— In a pretaped package, Bayley said she would show Lyra
that she’s the standard of women’s wrestling.
— Oscar Maydon (a musician) and Inaki Godoy (star of a
Netflix show) were in the crowd. And WWE has drawn 49,107
people to Mexico City for their events this weekend.
NXT Women’s Champion Kelani Jordan v. WWE Women’s
Intercontiental Champion Raquel Rodriguez v. Lola Vice in a
Women’s Money in the Bank Qualifying Match
The crowd was chanting for Lola before the match started.
Rodriguez chased Jordan out of the ring. Jordan watched from
the floor while Vice and Rodriguez squared off. Vice hit
some kicks on Rodriguez and went for an armbar. Jordan dove
in and hit Vice with a dropkick. Jordan escaped a chokeslam
with a flip, and soon both Vice and Jordan were double-
teaming Rodriguez with kicks. Vice and Jordan clotheslined
Rodriguez to the floor.
Rodriguez pulled Jordan to the floor. Jordan hit Rodriguez
with an Asai moonsault. Vice followed with a bombs away off
the apron onto Jordan. Rodriguez then hit them with a
running crossbody.
After a commercial, Vice hit Jordan with a series of kicks.
Vice then backed Rodriguez into the corner with another
series of kicks. With both her opponents laid out in
opposite corners, Vice hit running hip attacks back and
forth on both.
Vice hit Jordan with a spinning back suplex for a near fall.
Rodriguez swatted Vice out of the air with a lariat. Jordan
came off the top with a rana on Rodriguez, but Rodriguez
blocked it. Jordan managed to reverse that into a sunset
flip for a near fall. Jordan hit Rodriguez with a frog
splash. Vice hit Jordan with a kick and went for a pin, but
Rodriguez broke it up.
Rodriguez dumped Vice with a fall away slam. She charged at
Jordan, who avoided her. Jordan went for a 450 on Vice, but
Vice caught her with a triangle choke, which was broken up
by Rodriguez.
Rodriguez tried to go for the Tejana bomb, but Vice reversed
that into a sleeper. Rodriguez escaped, and Vice sent her
colliding into Jordan, then rolled up Rodriguez for the
quick three count.
Match Result: Lola Vice pinned Raquel Rodriguez to win a
triple threat match also involving Kelani Jordan to advance
to the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match (11:41).
— The 946 sent in a promo via FaceTime (or maybe it was
Zoom) to imply they’d be burning some more things and wish
Roman Reigns luck. They mentioned they were in Mexico City
tonight.
— A teaser music video from Joe Hendry’s album was shown.
— In the parking lot, Becky Lynch ran into Stephanie Vaquer
to make her case for getting the first title shot.
Penta v. Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight
Championship
Penta made a spectacular entrance, wearing a five foot tall
Mexican headdress. An impressive, PLE-level pyrotechnics
display was part of his presentation tonight as well. The
crowd went absolutely crazy for him, giving him a hero’s
welcome as he posed around the ring. The crowd sang “Ole,
ole, ole, Penta, Penta!” The crowd chanted “Si! Si! Si!” and
(according to Graves) “Yes we can!”
Then Roman’s music hit, and the crowd booed. He got a bit of
a face pop when he appeared, but then it was right back to
booing. When he got to the ring and raised his finger, he
was met with another cascade of boos.
The ring announcer made the “championship ring
introductions” and they stared each other down before a
three minute break.
This was all just tremendous pageantry. They really put the
“entertainment” in sports entertainment in these ten
minutes.
The crowd chanted “No Fear! (in Spanish)” for Penta. They
locked up, and Roman backed Penta in the corner and stuck
his finger in the air. Penta refused to back down. Roman
took Penta down with a shoulder tackle and taunted the
crowd. Penta hit a chop, which Roman didn’t sell. Penta
dodged an attack from Roman, then hit him with kicks,
tripped him up in the corner, then did the handstand in the
corner into a dropkick onto the champion.
Penta hit Roman in the corner with some headbutts, but Roman
fought out and leveled Penta with his own headbutt. Roman
sent Penta into the corner headfirst. On commentary, Graves
said what the crowd was chanting “wasn’t good.” I’ll take
his word for it. Penta dumped Roman to the floor, and Penta
followed him out with the tope con hilo, and both guys were
down on the floor.
After a commercial, Roman was in control and he whipped
Penta into the turnbuckles. Roman taunted the crowd, and
they taunted him back with chants. Roman whipped Penta into
the other corner and walked around the ring, taunting the
crowd some more. Penta fought back with chops, but Roman
sent him to the mat with a right hand.
Roman charged into a boot from Penta. Roman telegraphed a
backdrop, and Penta met him with a kick, then sent him down
to the mat with facebuster. Penta yanked Roman out of the
corner with a backstabber for a near fall.
Penta sprang off the ropes and hit a tornado DDT for a near
fall. Penta tied up Roman’s arms and snapped Roman’s arm
back. Roman was selling his arm, and Penta tried for the
Penta driver. But Roman fought out of that and drove Penta
down with a uranage for a near fall. Roman tried to bring
the feeling back into his arm.
During a split-screen commercial break, Roman hit Penta on
the floor with a drive by. Back in the ring, Roman tried to
clothesline Penta in the corner with his bad arm, so he had
to switch to his other arm. Roman then hit Penta with a
boot. Roman put his one finger up for acknowledgement and
got booed by the crowd.
Roman punched the mat (as he likes to do before the spear),
but his arm was injured and this hurt him more. Roman rolled
to the apron. Penta tried for a springboard Mexican
Destroyer, but Roman backdropped out of that. Roman then
powerbombed Penta onto the commentator’s table, which broke
after Roman pulled Penta off of it.
Back in the ring, Penta blocked the Superman Punch and hit
the Penta Driver for a two count.
Penta went for the Mexican Destroyer, but Roman punched him
out of the air with the Superman Punch for a near fall.
The crowd chanted “Vamos Penta!” (according to my closed
captioning). Penta leapt over Roman when he went for a spear
and hit the Mexican Destroyer, but Roman popped back up and
hit the spear, but Roman only got a near fall!
Roman laid into Penta with punches and shouted to the crowd
that “He [Penta] can’t hang with me!” He grabbed the house
mic, stomped Penta, and demanded the crowd acknowledge him.
Instead, they booed him like crazy.
Roman ran the ropes for a spear, but Penta caught him with a
superkick. Penta hit another Mexican Destroyer, and
Tessitore screamed “HE DID IT!” on commentary as Penta went
for the cover. So of course, Roman kicked out at two.
Both men made it up to their knees and started exchanging
“Boo!/Yay!” punches. They got to their feet, still punching,
and Penta eventually won the exchange with kicks to the legs
and chops. Penta charged into a right from Roman, then Roman
charged into a superkick, then another superkick and then a
third superkick. Penta went for a springboard and Roman
punched him out of the air again with another Superman
Punch. Roman hit another spear, and that was it.
Match Result: Roman Reigns pinned Penta to retain the WWE
World Heavyweight Championship (22:29).
The outcome was never I doubt, but this was my favorite
Roman Reigns match in a while.
After replaying the finish, they showed some fans dejected
over the result. Penta left the ring, and Roman eventually
got back to his feet. Roman held up the belt and taunted the
crowd.
Roman shouted “I don’t hear sh!t now” as the show ended.
Roman was very much playing the heel as the show ended.
Tonight’s show breezed by, and was almost better than some
of this year’s PLE’s. The two title matches are worth going
out of your way to see. I do think they should have given
Dragon Lee the IC belt since the World title was definitely
not changing hangs so there was a nice feel good for the
fans in the arena. But I would definitely check this show
out for the title matches. And honestly, the opener was
great until the finish.