Winners And Grades On September 18, 2023

WWE Raw advertised Jey Uso vs. Drew McIntyre Cody Rhodes vs. Dominik Mysterio and Ricochet vs. Shinsuke Nakamura. WWE Raw will face a tough slate as Week 2 of Monday Night Football boasts a double-header.

Against the return of Monday Night Football, last week’s broadcast of Raw garnered 1.353 million viewers, its second-lowest of all time.

WWE Raw Results on September 18, 2023

• Cody Rhodes def. Dominik Mysterio
• Kofi Kingston def. Ivar
• Shinsuke Nakamura def. Ricochet
• Chelsea Green and Piper Nevin vs. Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark ends in a No Contest
• Bronson Reed def. Chad Gable
• Becky Lynch def. Natalya
• Tommaso Ciampa def. Giovanni Vinci

WWE Raw Ratings

• September 11, 2023 | 1.353 million
• September 4, 2023 | 1.700 million
• August 28, 2023 | 1.677 million
• August 21, 2023 | 1.591 million
• August 14, 2023 | 1.757 million

• WWE Raw Venue: Delta Center (Salt Lake City, UT)
• WWE Raw Tickets Distributed: 8,356
• WWE Raw Tickets Available: 389

WWE Raw Winners And Grades

Cody Rhodes Def. Dominik Mysterio

Cody Rhodes compared Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley’s romance to Steve Urkel and Laura Winslow. I think it’s closer to Roseanne and Tom Arnold.

Rhodes made quick work of Dominik Mysterio. The talking segments before and after each may have been longer than this match.

Kevin Owens confronted Cody Rhodes for bringing Jey Uso to Raw. Owens talked about Jey Uso poisoning the Raw locker room like Jey was CM Punk.

Peacemaker Sami Zayn wore a Propagandhi t-shirt (A Manitoban punk rock band) while Kevin Owens wore a “Bad Guys Last Forever” in homage to Scott Hall.

Sami Zayn joined the tense debate to play the role of prosecutor for Jey Uso. This can all only end in a Kevin Owens heel turn.

Cody Rhodes vs. Dominik Mysterio Grade: B-

Kofi Kingston Def. Ivar

While waiting for Ivar, Kofi Kingston was seen on camera saying “I can’t wait to slap this dude, man.”

Fans were really into Kofi Kingston with chants of “let’s go Kofi!”

Even though Kofi was half the size of Ivar, it was Ivar who dazzled with high-flying move. It’s like they booked this match backwards but it worked.

Ivar hit a moonsault on Kofi Kingston that simply had to be seen to be believed. It was as graceful as any big-man (or little man) you’ll see tear through the air.

Kofi Kingston vs. Ivar Grade: B

Shinsuke Nakamura Def. Ricochet Via DQ

Shinsuke Nakamura took a sloppy flying cross body where he fell down too early, and then looked like he was pinned and kicked out late. Upon further review, Nakamura just barely got his arm up.

Shinsuke is doing his best to play a heel, somebody just needs to tell these fans.

The (random) finish came when Ricochet took a steel chair to Nakamura.

Seth Rollins, wearing a Hillary Clinton pantsuit, attacked Ricochet after the match only for Shinsuke to target Rollins’ back yet again.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Ricochet Grade: B-

Green and Niven Vs. Baszler And Stark Battle To A No Contest

This felt like a match designed to get Shayna Baszler And Zoey Stark over. In the end, Nia Jax stood tall as she laid waste to every woman in the ring. I’m convinced WWE forgot the women’s tag team title were a thing.

Michael Cole brought up Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler’s history when he said Shayna broke Nia’s arm. Another sign that Triple H, and long-term memories, remains in charge.

Jax’s Banzai Drop is called The “Annihilator.” Jax declared open season on the women’s roster after her impressive bulldozing through the women’s division.

Nia Jax Segment Grade: B

Bronson Reed Def. Chad Gable

Wade Barrett noted how Chad Gable was finished with his “class clown” act. Gable has had some great matches in recent months, but let’s not throw out the baby with the bath water and make him a full-time serious wrestler.

Bronson Reed kept saying “I’m so big!” which reminded me of that one Vader promo.

Despite an apparent push, Bronson Reed flattened Chad Gable with a Tsunami for the win.

Gable vs. Reed Grade: B+

Becky Lynch Def. Natalya

Becky Lynch said “I can’t think of a better place than now,” and before she could finish her sentence, Natalya’s music hit. Lynch even admitted “I messed that up.”

Natalya answered the NXT
XT
Title open challenge and Becky Lynch, in so many words, said Nattie was too old.

Natalya surprisingly lost, but unsurprisingly, she did not attack Becky Lynch after.

Becky Lynch vs. Natalya Grade: B-

Tommaso Ciampa Vs. Giovanni Vinci

Ludwig Kaiser stole the show with a Calvin Klein-inspired t-shirt.

Ciampa hit a scintillating knee that got a loud reaction from Salt Lake City.

Michael Cole continued to tease that Vinci is on thin ice in IMPERIUM. Kaiser scolded Vinci after the win.

Ciampa def. vs. Grade: A-

Drew McIntyre Vs. Jey Uso

Jey Uso was given until the end of the night to decide whether he was with the Judgment Day.

Cole spent much of McIntyre’s entrance explaining how McIntyre planned to right a lot of wrongs. They even discussed McIntyre’s career tailspin since Clash at the Castle. The’ve done everything to tell you he’ s a heel but actually turn him heel.

Unsurprisingly, Jey Uso did not join the Bloodline.

Jey Uso seemed to join the Judgment Day until he went on a one-man superkick party. He promptly ate a Claymore Kick for the loss.

Drew McIntyre was given a chance to save Uso, but he declined. Cody Rhodes, on the other hand, came to Jey’s rescue. Sami and Kevin were nowhere to be found.

Drew McIntyre vs. Jey Uso Grade: B+