Raw recap & reactions (Oct. 24, 2022): Rhea Ripley is everyone’s daddy - Cageside Seats

We’re 1 week distant from Crown Jewel, which is inactive a thing. What did Raw person successful store for us? Read beneath the fold to find out. Oh, but first, work Claire’s blog due to the fact that she’s dope and the blog is magic. Not Daddy Magic, but much similar David Copperfield.

Let’s speech Raw!

You Know Her Name

Shoutout to the instrumentality with the “Eddie is your existent father” sign. I spot you, sir, and salute your disrespect. The 2nd MVP of Raw’s opening conception was Rhea Ripley. She owned everything the 2nd the Judgment Day deed the ring. Whether it was the looks, her assemblage language, oregon her broadside comments (emphatically backing up Dom’s remark astir being built differently), she killed it. That continued during Finn Balor’s lucifer with Karl Anderson. Even with this communicative astir Finn feeling betrayed by the nine that helium started, Rhea steals the show. Even with a bully lucifer betwixt Karl and Finn, Rhea is the star. Which happens erstwhile she powerfulness slams Luke Gallows. Not lone did she powerfulness slam a antheral that large, but she talked her ish erstwhile helium deed the ground.

Rhea’s kept the symptom bid going erstwhile she deed the ringing and deed Anderson harder wherever the prima doesn’t radiance erstwhile the ref turned his back. That achy stroke was conscionable capable for Finn to get the W.

I don’t similar this communicative arsenic overmuch arsenic the 1 with Rey Mysterio, and I bash anticipation this detour is purely for Crown Royal Jewel reasons. But it’s inactive entertaining mostly due to the fact that of everything Rhea does oregon doesn’t do.

Extracurriculars

For the Love of Mac and Cheese

Miz wrestled R-Truth based connected a quality astir North Carolina macaroni and cheese. I can’t talk connected their mac and food but my grandma from South Carolina makes the implicit champion macaroni and cheese. The Carolinas are adjacent capable wherever I whitethorn broadside with Truth connected this one.

But I digress. Miz initially deed the ringing for immoderate Dexter Lumis updates. Johnny Wrestling says Miz isn’t telling the information astir his beef with Dexter oregon what happened to Ciampa. Saying “truth” that galore times successful a WWE ringing is similar saying Candyman 5 times successful a mirror. Except you get R-Truth and not Tony Todd. Hence the lucifer implicit Carolina food.

I was not entertained adjacent though I hold with Truth’s motivation. Hopefully we get immoderate solution to this Dexter/Miz happening adjacent week.

Nikki No Longer a Superhero

Bayley connected 1 broadside of the ring. Bianca Belair connected the different broadside of the ring. No rubric connected the line, nary thing connected the enactment really. Sure, Damage CNTRL bushed up Candice LeRae earlier but determination was thing connected the enactment present for either woman, which feels similar a miss aft their past encounter. But it’s indicative of a amusement wherever a clump of things happened that didn’t truly adhd up to much. Bianca and Bayley are large wrestlers. Of people they enactment connected a technically dependable match. The occupation is the deficiency of stakes. We did this already: Damage CNTRL beats up someone, Bianca comes to the rescue, a lucifer ensues. At a definite point, this space needs different gear.

Is Nikki Cross that gear?

Nikki, sans superhero gear, appeared successful the 3rd act. The ref tossed retired Dakota & IYO. But earlier helium got the accidental to beryllium other exaggerated with his motions, Nikki jumped from the apical enactment and took retired the ref on with Dakota & IYO. She turned her attraction to Bianca, which allowed Bayley to get the W, and past bushed up Bayley arsenic well. Nikki stood gangly arsenic the amusement finished.

Seeing this mentation of Nikki connected Raw is cool. Not definite that’s the large space to extremity the amusement though. Especially this show, which was underwhelming astatine best.

Peace Up...

Seth Rollins fears Mustafa Ali. That’s the bottomline for anyone pursuing this story. The United States champion interjected himself successful a lucifer betwixt Ali and Austin Theory. He coached Theory from commentary, portion Theory simply wanted a portion of Ali due to the fact that he’s a bully who beats up connected radical who don’t person the glide way helium does. So each of this fits beauteous neatly together.

This was a bully lucifer though! Ali is simply a earthy babyface and Theory makes bully guys look great. Without Seth distracting the referee, Ali wins this match. But, yeah, that happened. So Theory goes location with the win, portion Ali gets bushed up aft the lucifer due to the fact that Seth believes he’s not connected his level. Desperate bottommost determination that I emotion and I anticipation their lucifer delivers connected this promise.

But what’s going connected with Theory? One week he’s not connected Raw but shows up connected NXT teasing a cash-in for the NXT championship. Then that doesn’t hap and helium shows up connected Raw. I’m confused and, arsenic always, request idiosyncratic to marque it marque sense.

ELIAS!

I’m a immense Elias fan. I admit that and consciousness nary shame. So I’m thrilled whenever helium picks up a W. After past week, I figured the United States title was successful his future. Maybe it is, but arsenic of this week, he’s entering thing with Riddle astatine his side. Possibly. Alpha Academy rudely interrupted Elias and Riddle, resulting successful a lucifer betwixt Gable and Elias. The champion infinitesimal of the lucifer came erstwhile Gable went for a beauteous moonsault and caught an Elias genu assistance close successful his jaw. It was timed perfectly and a happening of beauty.

More importantly, Elias picked up the win. Otis attacked him aft the lucifer and Riddle ran down for the assist. Okay lucifer with 1 truly chill moment.

Guess What?

Omos bushed up immoderate jobbers...which is expected to scare Braun Strowman? Okay, sure, Jan.

Wrestling...God?

Baron Corbin wrestled Johnny Gargano due to the fact that the second pissed disconnected JBL. How? His specified beingness and the information helium spent a decennary successful azygous A. Definitely a JBL happening to accidental and bash truthful I’m not huffy astatine that. But Corbin, astatine slightest successful the ring, doesn’t shriek “wrestling god.” In fact, helium hardly screams astatine all. Corbin is simply a spot boring arsenic a wrestler. The astir entertaining portion of this lucifer was Johnny Wrestling taking JBL’s chapeau and mocking the Texan.

Of course, helium nonaccomplishment the lucifer arsenic a effect of each that mocking since helium fto himself get mode excessively distracted. But I conscionable wasn’t digging the lucifer arsenic a whole. I emotion what JBL is doing but I don’t deliberation helium and Corbin are a bully fit. JBL is simply a larger than beingness property and Corbin hardly has a personality.

Someone asked Baron if he’s a bully and helium said yes erstwhile helium should’ve said no.

This was not a large show. In fact, it mightiness beryllium the worst Raw successful a agelong time. The amusement had a spark erstwhile it started but rapidly flamed out.

Grade: C-

That’s my people and I’m sticking to it. Your turn.