(4) BECKY LYNCH vs. BIANCA BELAIR – Raw Women’s Title match
Becky made her entrance first with her new haircut and a cool black outfit. Then the Texas Southern University marching band took to the stage to play for Belair as she made her entrance. Belair danced onto the stage in a bright red outfit. Becky glared at her from the ring. Lots of cheers and boos for Becky during ring introductions. Belair smiled and offered a handshake. Becky punched her instead. Belair countered with a KOD attempt. Becky slipped out and chokeslammed Belair for a dramatic near fall. Becky went for a disarm her, but Belair was in the ropes. She instead went for a couple covers and scored a couple two counts. He landed a snap legdrop for another two count. Graves characterized it as an offensive blitz.
Belair came back with some suplexes, but Becky countered with her own and then scored another two count. Belair avoided a top rope moonsault and then applied a Disarm Her on Becky. At ringside, Becky shoved Belair into the ringside steps. Belair fought back and tried to slingshot toward Becky, but Becky kicked her out of mid-air. She then legdropped the back of her head off the ropes for another two count. She applied an armbar mid-ring. Belair flailed and fought it off and leveraged Becky’s shoulders down for a two count. Becky held on. Belair stood. Belair and Becky tumbled over the top rope to the floor.
Smith said Belair wasn’t able to get sustained momentum yet and Becky was tactically superior. Belair suplexed Becky at ringside. Back in the ring, Belair caught Becky’s boot and gave her a gut-buster for a two count. Belair had a swagger as she approached Becky. She landspringed and then went for a powerbomb, but Becky countered into a victory roll. Belair lifted Becky chicken-wing style and slammed her face first. Then she hit a moonsault for a near fall. Becky met Belair on the top rope. They battled for the advantage. Belair lifted Becky onto her shoulders and then leaped off, dropping Becky across the top rope as she fell.
Belair leaped off the second rope with a 450 splash for a near fall. The camerawork here was in tight on Belair which totally undercut the move watching live. The replay showed it from a wider side angle which was much better. Becky snapped Belair’s neck over the top rope as they battle near the apron. Becky kicked Belair and climbed to the top rope. She then somersault kicked Belair in the nose which looked stiff on slo-mo replay, good for a two count. Belair landed a spinebuster a minute later, but Becky lifted her knees to block a moonsault. They continued to counter each other and traded two counts.
Becky gave Belair a Manhandle Slam on the base of the ringside stairs. Belair barely beat the ten count. Becky immediately rolled up Belair for a two count. Belair countered Becky and hit a KOD for the clean win.
WINNER: Belair to capture the Raw Title. (****1/4)
(Excellent match. Becky dominated so much of the action that it felt like it was giving away ultimately a Belair win. The creative counter moves throughout were really well executed. The facial expressions and body language in between moves took the match to another level. It felt like real redemption for Belair, even if Becky came across as being a notch better than her throughout most of the match.)
(5) SETH ROLLINS vs. CODY RHODES
Seth made his ring entrance with a stage full of people singing his song. He stood in the ring for a long pause. He yelled, “Don’t make me wait. Time is money, let’s go!” He yanked off his robe and threw it. Pyro blasted from the ringposts and on the stage. Then the lights went dark. Then the words blasted: “Wrestling has more than one royal family.” Then Cody’s familiar theme song played. They showed fans reacting with shock. To Seth’s credit, he didn’t act surprised, but just intense. WWE is leaning in on his Cody’s neck tattoo with a logo on the video screen that’s based on the tattoo. Cody then rose from the stage. He still has blonde hair. He looked around at the crowd and then smiled. The big screen said, “American Nightmare.” Not a surprise, but no Brandi Rhodes. “This is surreal!” exclaimed Graves. Saxton said he had chills. “From undesirable to undeniable, the prodigal son has returned.” Smith said he was away from WWE for six years and now he is back. A fan held up a sign that said, “All Rhodes lead to Seth.” A loud “Cody!” chant rang out when his music stopped. They circled each other.
They did a leapfrog, duck under, armdrag sequence. Cody then did a cartwheel and waved his arms. Saxton said it was showboating. Graves said it wasn’t showboating, it was shedding skin and “shrugging off the past and signalling a fresh start.” Cody got the better of Seth on another exchange. Fans at ringside chanted “Cody!” briefly. Seth got up and told Cody it was good to see him. He went for a cheapshot. Cody countered and set up a Crossroads. Seth blocked it and went for a Stomp, but Cody moved. Cody and Seth struggled to suplex each other, and then ended up both tumbling over the top rope to the floor.
Cody settled into some matwork. As Seth hung onto the top rope, Cody kicked him between the legs from behind. Seth came back with an enzuigiri. Seth managed a comeback shortly thereafter. Cody clotheslined Seth over the top rope, then dove through the ropes and speared Seth into the announce desk. Seth flipped over it as the three announcers moved. Back in the ring, Rhodes leaped off the top rope with a turning bodypress for a near fall. The move felt a little off.
Seth rolled to the floor. Cody went after him with a leg scissors, but Seth caught him and landed a running bomb into the barricade. Back in the ring Seth landed a superkick and a Falcon Arrow for a near fall. Seth signaled for a Stomp, but Cody moved. They went into a series of counters leading to a Cody hitting Crossroads for a dramatic near fall. Cody climbed to the top rope, but Seth knocked him off balance. Seth then executed a top rope inverted suplex into a Dragon Sleeper side slam for a believable near fall. Seth climbed to the top rope and went for a Phoenix Splash, but Cody moved. Cody set up a Pedigree. Seth blocked it and leveraged Cody’s shoulders down. They were going to bridge up but couldn’t. Cody then powerbombed Seth while clutching his ribs. He waited for Seth to stand, then landed a leaping Cody Cutter off the second rope for a dramatic near fall. Seth came back with a Pedigree for another dramatic near fall.
They both eventually stood and exchanged strikes. Seth kicked Cody’s injured ribs. Seth yelled it’s his industry, then front kicked Cody’s face rapid-fire. Then he hit him with a forearm to the back of his head. Cody surprised Seth with another Crossroads. Cody held on and lifted Seth and hit a second one in a row. He held on and lifted Seth for a third, but then let go and went into Dusty’s signature sequence with backfists and a Bionic Elbow. He then hit the final Crossroads for the win.
WINNER: Cody in 22:00. (****1/4)
(Excellent match Cody’s got to be mostly happy with that, even if there might have a spot or two where there was a little sign of rust. I loved him channeling his dad for the winning finishing sequence. The crowd seemed to treat him like a star. It wasn’t clear if it was a mega-star reaction, though. There might be some work to do in that regard.)
