Match Ratings For 9/14/20 WWE Raw From Sean Ross Sapp

Opening segment

• Dolph Ziggler joins commentary. There's a weird lightning graphic in the Thunderdome.
• Drew says he was asked to take time off, but he rejected it so he wouldn't have to vacate the title.
• Drew McIntyre says that there's going to be an ambulance match. Well, that's a bad idea.
• Drew tells the story of the Claymore, and shows a really bad photoshop picture. Why do these keep happening.
• Adam Pearce says if Lee beats Drew McIntyre and Randy Orton can't make it to the pape, Lee vs. McIntyre happens there for the title.
• Keith Lee comes out and shakes Drew's hand.

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Street Profits defeated Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura
5.75/10

• Cesaro cracks Dawkins with a European uppercut right out of the gate. I prefer that to the standard chain wrestling sometimes.
• Dawkins kills Nakamura with a clothesline. Nakamura and Cesaro catch Montez on a dive and powerbomb him into a barricade,
• Cesaro cracks Montez with a jaw rattler of a European Uppercut.
• Dawkins makes a blind tag and does a flying splash to Cesaro for a the win after a deadlift superplex.
• A good, clean, solid win. I like Ziggler admonishing Cesaro for the loss.

Other stuff

• R-Truth and Liv Morgan getting that Kit Kat money. Good for them.
• They run a video for Mandy Rose. So who went to Smackdown in this "blockbuster trade?"

• Lana is backstage complaining to Angel Garza that Natayla didn't get a title shot. Zelina approaches and goes off on Garza. He says he's done with this, Zelina says she's done with it, Andrade and Garza fight.

Cedric Alexander (w/ The Hurt Business) defeated Ricochet (w/ Apollo Crews)
6/10

• MVP says Shelton has upgraded from the Gold Standard to platinum status.
• Cedric is worried about business, not friends.
• Ricochet and Apollo Crews interrupt and trash Shelton.
• They didn't come to beg him, they're letting him know that they're coming after him instead.
• Ivar comes out to help even the odds by attacking Lashley.
• This match is way more about distractions setting up big strikes than the natural ability of these two.
• Ricochet adding the full nelson suplex is nice.
• Ricochet flips off the body of Cedric, and eats a Michinoku Driver. Lumbar Check for the win. Amazing sell from Ricochet.
• All the arena lights and monitors go out. Retribution logo.
• Retribution admit they're Performance Center veterans and that they'll reveal themselves eventually. A ton show up in the background of the shot.
• Adam Pearce goes off on security. The Hurt Business say they should be Raw security. Adam Pearce thanks them for volunteering, and they laugh at the idea of volunteering.

Raw Women's Championship
Asuka (c) defeated Mickie James to retain the title
5/10

• Mickie James cuts a really good promo about loving wrestling and saying that her motivation is the possibility of this being her last title shot.
• Asuka and Mickie repeatedly crack each other.
• I liked Mickie's gear.
• Asuka has a better Rear View than Naomi.
• Mickie does a flying Thesz Press.
• Asuka drills Mickie with a spinning back first that is more of an elbow.
• Mickie whiffs on that wheel kick that she should probably stop doing since it's Aleister Black's finish. She actually landed one earlier in the ropes.
• Why would Mickie pose and scream during her DDT instead of doing it. It gets her put in an Asuka Lock.
• That ref was all over the place in the Mickie/Asuka match. Just not good. Missed rope breaks, pins, all kinds of stuff. There's gotta be more than meets the eye to that awkward finish, because you almost never see anything like that. WWE refs are really polished.
• Zelina says she's been thinking about her future and says Asuka has been reckless. She slaps Asuka.

Bobby Lashley defeated Erik
5/10

• MVP is on commentary.
• Erik has some great knees.
• Yokosuka Cutter hits for Lashley, which I'm glad they stopped incorrectly calling the Dominator. It's not the same move.
• Full Nelson on Erik applied, and Erik taps.

Cage Match
Seth Rollins (w/ Buddy Murphy) defeated Dominik Mysterio (w/ Mysterio Family)
6/10

• Rollins tells Murphy all is well backstage, then slaps him repeatedly and tells him to stay away.
• Dominik has some remixed music.
• Abrupt cut to commercial after Rollins takes a kendo stick to Dom.
• Rey hands Dom the cane, and he wears out Rollins before tossing him into the cage and hitting a Sky High.
• Dominik and Seth Rollins have really good chemistry, if you haven't noticed in their best of 83 series.
• Murphy keeps Rey from helping, and accidentally slams the cage door into Rollins' head. They're splitting up every team ever.
• Frog splash on Rollins almost wins it. I dunno why Dominik didn't just keep climbing out. There's no psychology.
• I'll never get tired of seeing the superplex into the Falcon Arrow.
• Rollins gets the win. He attacks Buddy Murphy after the match.
• Rollins tells Angie he hopes her daughter turns out better. Rey's daughter. checks on Buddy Murphy.
• WWE split the IIconics, Golden Role Models, Murphy & Rollins, Andrade & Garza, Cedric & Ricochet and released AOP in the matter of a couple of weeks.

Raw Underground
Braun interrupts Dolph and Riddick

• Braun Strowman bullies his way into Raw Underground. ""From what I understand anyone can appear on Raw Underground, for example, here's a team that appers on Raw that appeared on Raw Underground." They can change rules as they go, but it's real, real lazy.
• I love that Dolph Ziggler left the commentary booth because he wanted to elbow someone in the skull.
• He beats a jobber just like that.
• Riddick Moss steps up next. He spinebusters Dolph Ziggler, Ziggler bulldog chokes him.
• Braun shows up and beats both up.
• He beats up another jobber, and kicks Moss again.
• Titus shows up and takes him down, but Braun chokes him out.
• Moss and Ziggler end up double teaming Braun, but both get beaten up.
• Dabba Kato steps up, but Shane says it's next week.
• I asked someone who is at the Raw Underground tapings what constitutes a finish to a match there. They said "I guess whenever Shane McMahon decides it's over," and it made way too much sense to me.

Kevin Owens defeated Aleister Black
5.5/10

• Kevin Owens cuts a promo about Aleister Black not getting a shirt at hot topic and nobody caring about him sitting in a dark room.
• Oh, they're doing this match now, huh? Gotta make sure you do every match three times.
• I'm sure they'll do this KO/Aleister Black match at the PPV, so it sure is a good thing they're doing it here, too!
• Owens is attacked before the match.
• After the commercial, Owens does an outside-in slinging suplex that bounces Black's head off the apron.
• Kevin Owens had me believing he was going to tap out to that kneebar like three times.
• Owens gets a superkick out of nowhere.
• The lights go out and it's a distraction. Owens does a Stunner and gets the win.

Riott Squad defeated Lana & Natalya
SQUASH

• Shayna and Nia are on commentary.
• Riott Squad quickly beat Lana.
• I guess you could say Lana is the Bridesmaid, not the Bride. That was a joke because Miro is "The Best Man"
• Lana gets Samoan Dropped through an announce table. SWEET. That spot ruled.

Keith Lee vs. Drew McIntyre
5.5/10

• Keith Lee says it isn't a coincidence that he won the match Drew didn't interfere in.
• They brawl. Loving the Lee/McIntyre stuff. GIMME MORE OF THAT. Just not like five straight matches of it
• Sure wish I could have seen that brawl between Lee and Drew, but has the cameras shaking everywhere.
• Keith Lee is rocking a singlet. I don't mind it.
• The story of Drew's fractured jaw is the handicap here.
• Lee superplexes Drew.
• I wish they'd find a way to use fan audio.
• Retribution show up and surround the ring. Lee and Drew fight them off.
• Three of five of Keith Lee's WWE Raw matches have ended in DQ or no contest.
• The Hurt Business show up and fight with Retribution. I'm a big fan of Hurt Business, a heel group, not begging off or running scared of Retribution.
• Lee and McIntyre both do tope con hilos and stare each other down.

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 that may change upon a second viewing, or sitting on the match for a period of time. Don't take them too seriously, and have (and share) your own!