Match Ratings For WWE Raw 8/12/19, Podcast Notes From Sean Ross Sapp

Rollins and AJ

• Seth Rollins comes out and cuts a promo about battling obstacles and slaying the beast.
• This is more of a prediction than anything, but I can’t see Seth Rollins staying over without some real edge of some sort. I get it, he’s a traditional babyface, but I don’t know if that works considering this is the tamest version of him we’ve ever seen.
• AJ Styles comes out with the OC and says he wants to prove he’s a better champion than Rollins.
• Rollins says that he doesn’t respect AJ Styles anymore, but he’ll teach him a lesson tonight anyway.

Backstage STUFFS

• WWE running King of the Ring next week is a great idea for Raw. It’d be a great idea for a live event special, it’s a good idea for about anything. It’s a special attraction. I’m all about it.
• Steve Austin does an interview about Seth Rollins and promotes his show. Cool.
• Becky Lynch does an interview where she shows respect to Natalya, but says she’s coming for everyone who wronged her.

Samoa Joe defeated Sami Zayn
SQUASH

• Sami Zayn scolds Street Profits backstage after Angelo Dawkins says he’s dehydrated by I agree with Zayn on Rollins pandering and being gritty before. Zayn says everyone, even Samoa Joe gets manufactured and neutered.
• Joe is going to give Sami a chance to back up his words and not just be Owens’ water boy. This was a great way to set up a match.
• Samoa Joe immediately chokes out Sami Zayn. That’s a wrap.
• Joe grabs a mic and heels the crowd. They were chanting for him. What the HECK.
• The hilarity of Sami Zayn talking about how manufactured everyone was to set up a match with Samoa Joe, who then organically gets a monster face reaction, and has to heel the crowd.

The Miz defeated Dolph Ziggler
5.25/10 (short)

• The Miz comes out, followed by Ziggler.
• Ziggler isn’t dressed to compete, and calls Miz a coward for doing what he did.
• Ziggler isn’t medically cleared to compete, so no match for the Miz.
• Dolph attacks Miz, and this is happening, but we go to commercial.
• Miz gets knees in the corner and goes after the Yes Kicks.
• Ziggler is wrestling in street clothes. Miz does a nice Codebreaker to Ziggler’s leg.
• I really liked that Codebreaker Miz did to Dolph Ziggler’s leg. I’m a fan of seeing things that I don’t usually see, and that did it.
• Miz taps out Ziggler with a Figure Four. Ziggler fought it a while.
• Ziggler calls Miz a coward and says Maryse is the best wrestler in his family.
• Miz hits Skull Crushing Finale.

Ricochet defeated Elias
4/10

• Elias is in the ring and Graves pleads for the audience to not change the channel.
• Elias counts down whoever is going to interrupt him. I’m glad he knows, in character.
• The crowd is happy about the lack of interruption.
• Ricochet then interrupts, without his full body gear.
• Ricochet gets a couple of good dropkicks and takes one of the craziest back body drops ever.
• These two are WAY OFF THE SAME PAGE on a running headscissors, that sucked.
• The crowd comes back when Ricochet misses a somersault tope suicida.
• Ricochet lands a good hook kick, but Ricochet pins Elias with the latter’s shoulder up.
• This just wasn’t a good match, whether or not the finish was planned.

2 out of 3 Falls
Andrade (w/ Zelina) defeated Rey Mysterio 2-0
4.75/10

• Immediately, Rey Mysterio is tripped and pinned by Andrade with his foot on the ropes and Zelina’s help. Okay, lol.
• Rey does a diving huracanrana from the top rope to the apron, to the outside.
• Obligatory Andrade elbow tweet.
• A big, nasty botch on Andrade’s head and neck with a sunset flip whatthefudge driver.
• Knees up on a Rey splash, and Andrade wins with the Hammerlock DDT.
• This was rushed. Very rarely do you see two WWE matches with issues like these back-to-back
• Rey is pretty upset about losing the match backstage.
• Street Profits narrate it.

Drew McIntyre defeated Cedric Alexander
7/10

• Cedric slips on a spot, and Drew capitalizes with a Crucifix Buckle Bomb. That was amazing.
• Drew throws Cedric across the ring with a tossplex.
• Cedric enters on a running DDT from a cutter position. I don’t have an idea if that was intentional, but WOW.
• Drew one ups him with a second rope Gunnslinger. Drew has been going above and beyond to do new stuff.
• Alexander does a Lumbar Check on the floor, which Cedric wisely sells as well. This was really good. This is the most innovative Raw match in a while.
• Drew catches Cedric and suplexes him on the ramp.
• Alexander can’t even stand up to eat the Claymore, but was playing possum. This leads to a big Spanish Fly.
• Alexander counters the Alabamaslam, but not the Claymore. Drew wins.
• This ruled.

Bobby Roode defeated No Way Jose
SQUASH

• When Jose came up, I thought he’d be at least kept in a spot where he could open live events. There was NO REASON to call him up.
• Roode wins with a Glorious DDT.
• Jose needs to be back in NXT. Give someone else a turn not being used.

The Revival vs. Lucha House Party
N/A

WWE 24/7 Championship
The Revival defeated R-Truth (c) to become co-champions
R-Truth (w/ Carmella) defeated The Revival (c) to become champion
Elias defeated R-Truth (c) to become champion

• This has been reminiscent of a late 90s Raw in that a lot of people are getting on the show, even if they’re not used heavily.
• The work is solid here, but it’s interrupted.
• R-Truth and Carmella run out, as does Drake and the usual suspects.
• THE REVIVAL WIN THE 24/7 Title with a Hart Attack.
• Kalisto hits a SDS, and Carmella puts Truth on a member of Revival to win the title back.
• Truth escapes backstage.
• Elias cracks Truth with a guitar and wins the title!

THE BOSS.

• Natalya comes out and starts a promo that nobody cares much about.
• Ban “could it be? it is” from WWE vernacular.
• SASHA BANKS returns and kicks the shit out of Natalya.
• She has blue hair.
• Ban “could it be? it is” from WWE vernacular.
• Sasha is really beating Natalya’s ass to “thank you Sasha” chants.
• Becky Lynch makes the save, but Sasha beats the shit out of Natalya with a chair.
• This was a damn good return, and Raw needed this big time.

Viking Raiders crushed Jobbers
SQUASH

• Hey cool, Sebastian Suave on Raw. I interviewed him at length in the Fightful Studios!
• Well, he died.
• Viking Raiders win.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles
Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross (c) defeated Kabuki Warriors
5.75/10

• Nikki doesn’t want to let go of the titles, which is kind of cool. It’s good to see the division get a little footing.
• Asuka has some great kicks and does a good handicap clothesline/bulldog.
• Kairi doing the Alabamaslam on Nikki is impressive.
• Kairi gets the Insane Elbow, but it’s broken up.
• Asuka kicks the post on accident. Alexa and Nikki work together great as a team.
• The Purge and Twisted Bliss wins.
• This was fun and the camera man wiped out.

Seth Rollins defeated AJ Styles (w/ The OC) via DQ
5.5/10

• There’s a great back suplex that Seth Rollins lands chest first on outside.
• After a commercial, Rollins scores a great rolling elbow. 
• Gallows interferes and pushes Rollins off the top. The attack continues and it’s a DQ.
• Ricochet makes the save, but he gets jumped, too.
• BRAUN STROWMAN also makes the save.
• Strowman grabs the Universal title and hands it to Rollins after the match. 
• A little break from Braun was a good thing, but he needs to be kept top tier from now on

Rating guide

10- Perfect, 9- MOTY Territory, 8- Excellent, 7- Great, 6- Good, 5- Average to above average, 4- Slightly below average, 3 or below: Poor

Each match starts at a 5 and slides up and down based on entertainment, execution, time, environment, reaction and stakes. The ratings are in no way an indication of a “star rating,” which is a completely different system. A standard, non-offensive “TV match” lands at a 5. The gap between 5.75-6 is generally the largest, with anything reaching 6 being recommended viewing.
These are opinions, and incredibly inconsistent ones. Don’t take them too seriously, and have (and share) your own!